Phys.org news
Phys.org / Discovery of how cells maintain their DNA could shield key healthy cells from chemotherapy side effects
A new study conducted by scientists at the University of Sheffield in collaboration with researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in the U.S. has found a protein that could help guide which cells chemotherapies target. ...
Phys.org / Unique instruments automate sample preparation, quality control for cryo-electron microscopy
Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) can help scientists determine the three-dimensional structure of proteins in unprecedented detail. Jacques Dubochet, former group leader at EMBL, shared the 2017 Nobel Prize in chemistry ...
Phys.org / New energy-boosting quantum mechanism discovered in photosynthetic bacteria
Researchers have discovered how certain photosynthetic bacteria use a sophisticated quantum mechanism to increase their efficiency when capturing sunlight. The study, published today in the journal Nature Chemistry and led ...
Phys.org / Drug peptides defy shape rules, activating receptors without full spiral form
When many of us think about how drugs work in the body, we may first think about how a drug gets into the body, such as a pill versus an injection. In the Gellman Group at the UW–Madison Department of Chemistry, researchers ...
Phys.org / Symbiotic partner-swapping or long-term fidelity? Partnership success between beetles and bacteria revealed
Some insects and microbes develop symbiotic partnerships that become so interdependent they can no longer survive without each other. But how specific are these heritable symbioses? Is it possible for the same species of ...
Phys.org / Controlling ice crystal growth using polymer nanoparticles
Ice formation can damage biological samples, tissues and materials during freezing and thawing. In nature, specialized molecules known as ice-binding proteins prevent ice crystals from growing too large, helping organisms ...
Phys.org / Real-time imaging reveals 'RNA hub' driving adaptive immune response
A lot of things need to go right on a molecular level for immune cells to launch an adaptive response to an infection. B cells can produce different classes of antibodies tailored for specific infections through controlled ...
Phys.org / Branched silver sensor offers more sensitive light-based drug measurements in blood plasma
Medications can save lives, yet for some drugs, the concentration in a patient's bloodstream determines whether a treatment is effective or whether harmful side effects may occur. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic ...
Phys.org / Lavatory shaft reveals the cost of 17th‑century vanity in Germany
Four goose skulls were pulled from a former toilet shaft in Brandenburg, Germany, each of them riddled with strange holes. As it turns out, these holes were the telltale signs of fancy feathered crests, making them the first ...
Phys.org / How long can plants survive on Earth? New model suggests up to 2 billion more years
Vegetarians need not worry yet—plants will be on Earth for a long time to come. But not forever. The sun will ultimately determine the long-term existence of life on Earth. Its total energy output, called luminosity, has ...
Phys.org / White barn owls may use moonlight to startle prey
White barn owls are effective killing machines. They fly silently through the night air and swoop down on unsuspecting prey with their sharp talons. But they have something you would think goes against being a stealth predator: ...
Phys.org / Einstein Probe detects mysterious X-ray transient that doesn't fit any known class
Astronomers have reported the discovery of an unusual X-ray transient detected by the Einstein Probe that does not fit any known class of cosmic explosions. The paper presenting its multiwavelength analysis was published ...
