Engineers put the 'squeeze' on human stem cells
After using optical tweezers to squeeze a tiny bead attached to the outside of a human stem cell, researchers now know how mechanical forces can trigger a key signaling pathway in the cells.
View ArticleMichelson-Morley experiment for electrons: Quantum-information techniques...
A new experiment conducted at the University of California at Berkeley used quantum information techniques for a precision test of a cornerstone principle of physics, namely Lorentz invariance. This...
View ArticleBacterial armor holds clues for self-assembling nanostructures
Imagine thousands of copies of a single protein organizing into a coat of chainmail armor that protects the wearer from harsh and ever-changing environmental conditions. That is the case for many...
View ArticleFeeding caterpillars make leaves shine
When a plant is attacked by herbivores, this triggers a number of physiological responses in the plant. Calcium ions are important messengers for the processing of wound signals in plant cells. They...
View ArticleCalprotectin fends off microbial invaders by limiting access to iron
Invading microbial pathogens must scavenge essential nutrients from their host organism in order to survive and replicate. To defend themselves from infection, hosts attempt to block pathogens' access...
View ArticleImproving memory with a flash of light
The burgeoning field of optogenetics has seen another breakthrough with the creation of a new plant-human hybrid protein molecule called OptoSTIM1. In South Korea, a research team led by Won Do Heo,...
View ArticleUnexpected connections: Calcium refill mechanisms in nerve cells affects gene...
Calcium is not just required for strong bones - it is an essential requirement for muscle and nerve cells to work normally. Latest research from the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS,...
View ArticleBiochemists uncover structure of cellular memory mechanism
Calcium is a crucial element in the body that controls thought, movement and other bodily functions. These events are directed by specialized proteins called ion channels that allow the flow of calcium...
View ArticleHow plant cell compartments 'chat' with each other
A team of researchers led by scientists from the University of Bonn has discovered a basis of communication in plant cells: The "MICU" protein controls the calcium ion concentration in the cellular...
View ArticleTeam adds to quantum computing toolkit with mixed-atom logic operations
Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have added to their collection of ingredients for future quantum computers by performing logic operations—basic computing...
View ArticleScientists discover blueprint of body's heat sensor
Touch a hot stove, and your fingers will recoil in pain because your skin carries tiny temperature sensors that detect heat and send a message to your brain saying, "Ouch! That's hot! Let go!"
View ArticleDirect imaging of two chemical processes shows reason behind electrode...
When multiple lithium ions intend to crowd into one empty spot in an electrode's atomic framework, they start competing for the nearby oxygen atoms. They tug on the oxygen, distorting the material and...
View ArticleA calcium pump caught in the act
Researchers at Aarhus University have described one of the cell's key enzymes, the calcium pump, in its decisive moment—a so-called transition state. These findings provide a very detailed picture of...
View ArticleTowards building next-generation batteries using a pigment electrode
Calcium ion batteries (CIBs) have attracted much attention as next-generation batteries to replace lithium ion batteries (LIBs) because the theoretical capacity of CIBs is twice that of LIBs. This...
View ArticleInnovative process produces biodegradable cellulose-based films
Purdue University researchers have developed tough, flexible, biodegradable films from cellulose, the main component of plant cell walls. The films could be used for products such as food packaging,...
View ArticleHow mechanical force triggers blood clotting at the molecular scale
Using a unique single-molecule force measurement tool, a research team has developed a clearer understanding of how platelets sense the mechanical forces they encounter during bleeding to initiate the...
View ArticleCalcium channel blockers caught in the act at atomic level
An atomic level analysis has revealed how two classes of calcium channel blockers, widely prescribed for heart disease patients, produce separate therapeutic effects through their actions at different...
View ArticleBioluminescent sensor causes brain cells to glow in the dark
A team of Vanderbilt scientists have genetically modified luciferase, the enzyme that produces bioluminescence, so that it acts as an optical sensor that records activity in brain cells.
View ArticleHow do creatures like sea urchins take up the calcium they need to build hard...
Some sea creatures cover themselves with hard shells and spines, while vertebrates build skeletons out of the same minerals. How do these animals get the calcium they need to build these strong mineral...
View ArticleAn amino acid controls plants' breath
Plants breathe and "sweat" through stomata, microscopic pores found on leaves, stems and other plant organs. Through the stomata, plants take up carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and breathe out the...
View ArticleCalcium aids chromosome condensation prior to cell division
Osaka University-led Japanese research reveals role for calcium ions in chromosome condensation during mitosis; high-resolution imaging of living cells reveals compact, globular chromosomes in the...
View ArticleMaking spines from sea water
Some sea creatures cover themselves with hard shells and spines, while vertebrates build skeletons out of the same minerals. How do these animals get the calcium they need to build these strong mineral...
View ArticlePhysicists find a way to control charged molecules—with quantum logic
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) physicists have solved the seemingly intractablepuzzle of how to control the quantum properties of individual charged molecules, or molecular ions....
View ArticleCell signals that trigger wound healing are surprisingly complex
In a sharp and pointy world, wound healing is a critical and marvelous process. Despite a tremendous amount of scientific study, many outstanding mysteries still surround the way in which cells in...
View ArticleResearchers identify the inner workings of cellular calcium pumps
For the first time, researchers have observed the ion pumps that activate cell transport and signal systems. This ensures the function of biomolecular mechanisms.
View ArticleAmbush in a petri dish
If green algae of the species Chlamydomonas reinhardtii meet Pseudomonas protegens bacteria, their fate is sealed. The bacteria, measuring only some two micrometres, surround the algae, which are...
View ArticleNew sensor measures calcium concentrations deep inside tissue
Key processes in the body are controlled by the concentration of calcium in and around cells. A team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Helmholtz Zentrum München have developed the...
View ArticleElectron microscope images reveal how cells absorb a vital mineral
Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers have obtained the first detailed snapshots of the structure of a membrane pore that enables epithelial cells to absorb calcium. The findings could...
View ArticleStudy reveals how the midshipman fish sustains its hour-long mating call
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered how the Pacific midshipman fish can hum continuously for up to an hour in order to attract potential mates. The study, which is featured on...
View ArticleProspective birth control pill for men has its origin in an arrow poison
Women have many options for oral contraceptives that are safe, effective and reversible, but despite decades of research, men have none. Now, scientists report a rat study in ACS' Journal of Medicinal...
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