An artistic rendering of attosecond X-ray pulses freezing all nuclear motion in liquid water. Image courtesy: Stacy Huang.
CHICAGO, IL.- A research team got the first peek of the real-time motion of electrons in liquid water while the rest of the world stood still. In an experiment akin to stop-motion photography, scientists have isolated the energetic movement of an electron while freezing the motion of the much larger atom it orbits in a sample of liquid water. The findings, reported Feb. 15 in the journal Science, provide a new window into the electronic structure of molecules in the liquid phase on the timescale previously unattainable with X-rays. The new technique reveals the immediate electronic response when a target is hit with an X-ray, an important step in understanding the effects of radiation exposure on objects and people. The chemical reactions induced by radiation that we want to study are the result of the electronic response of the target that happens on the attosecond timescale, said Linda Young, a senior author of the research who is a professor of physics at the More
COE-PNH2 (in the vial), a new antibiotic developed by researchers from the NUS Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials, eradicates the bacteria thoroughly, eliminating any potential grounds for resistance while reducing the likelihood of relapse.
SINGAPORE.- Antibiotic resistance is casting an increasingly long shadow over todays healthcare landscape, undermining the ability to combat infections that were once readily manageable. Among these, nontuberculous mycobacteria infections are notorious for their stubborn resistance to conventional medication and their penchant for afflicting those with existing lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. The elderly and those with underlying conditions are particularly vulnerable, with the incidence of infection doubling in these demographics and contributing to a significant rise in public health costs. Researchers from the Institute for Functional Intelligent Materials (I-FIM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have innovated a conjugated oligoelectrolyte (COE)-based compound that has the potential to turn the tide on the disease. Called COE-PNH2, this novel agent not only demo ... More
Image of a fibroblast from a patient with Parkinson's disease. Image courtesy: IIBB-CSIC.
BARCELONA.- The survival of neurons, unlike most other cells in the body, depends largely on the energy provided by mitochondria, intracellular organelles that contain their DNA to function properly. The presence of mitochondrial DNA with deletionsthe loss of fragments of DNA sequencein cerebrospinal fluid could be an early marker of severe brain disease and an initial link in the whole neurodegenerative process, leading to the motor and cognitive symptoms associated with these disorders. This is one of the main conclusions of the article published in the journal eBioMedicine. The team was led by Álex Iranzo, professor at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the University of Barcelona and director of the UB-AdSalutem Chair on Sleep and its Disorders, head of the Neurology Service of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, and of the clinical neurophysiology research group of the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Ins ... More
Pebdeh Cave located in the southern Zagros Mountains. Pebdeh was occupied by hunter-gatherers as early as 42,000 years ago. Image courtesy: Mohammad Javad Shoaee.
BRISBANE.- A new study combining genetic, paleoecological, and archaeological evidence has unveiled the Persian Plateau as a pivotal geographic location serving as a hub for Homo sapiens during the early stages of their migration out of Africa. This revelation sheds new light on the complex journey of human populations, challenging previous understandings of our species' expansion into Eurasia. The study, "The Persian Plateau served as Hub for Homo sapiens after the main Out of Africa dispersal," was published in Nature Communications and highlights a crucial period between approximately 70,000 to 45,000 years ago when human populations did not uniformly spread across Eurasia, leaving a gap in our understanding of their whereabouts during this time frame. Study co-author Professor Michael Petraglia, Director of Griffith University's Australian Research Center for Human Evolution, provided a much clearer picture of these early human moveme ... More
A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign shows how electrochemistry can be used to extract precious metals from discarded electronics in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner. Image courtesy: Fred Zwicky.
CHAMPAIGN, IL.- A new method safely extracts valuable metals locked up in discarded electronics and low-grade ore using dramatically less energy and fewer chemical materials than current methods, report University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers in the journal Nature Chemical Engineering. Gold and platinum group metals such as palladium, platinum and iridium are in high demand for use in electronics. However, sourcing these metals from mining and current electronics recycling techniques is not sustainable and comes with a high carbon footprint. Gold used in electronics accounts for 8% of the metals overall demand, and 90% of the gold used in electronics ends up in U.S. landfills yearly, the study reports. The study, led by chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Xiao Su, describes the first precious metal extraction and separation process fully powered by the inherent energy of electrochemical liquid-liquid extraction, or e-LLE ... More
Actin filaments (cyan) and an actin regulatory protein (magenta) in a differentiating oligodendrocyte. Image courtesy: Brad Zuchero and Andrew Olson.
STANFORD, CA.- New research from scientists at the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute at Stanford University has identified a key driver of myelination, the formation of protective fatty sheaths around nerve fibers. Myelination is essential for the rapid transmission of electrical signals in the brain, facilitating everything from movement to thought. The breakdown or loss of this myelin sheath, as seen in conditions like multiple sclerosis and other neurodegenerative diseases, leads to significant cognitive and physical impairments. The new findings have researchers excited about the potential for new avenues of treatment to regrow these insulating sheaths in patients with demyelinating disorders. The research was published March 14, 2024, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was led by Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars Tal Iram and Miguel Garcia, and overseen by Institute affiliate J. Br ... More
The reconstructed skeleton of the famous giant ground sloth Megalonyx jeffersonii. Image courtesy: The Ohio State University.
COLUMBUS, OH.- When the skeletal remains of a giant ground sloth were first unearthed in 1796, the discovery marked one of the earliest paleontological finds in American history. The animal, named Megalonyx by Thomas Jefferson in 1799, was the first genus of fossil named from the United States. Thought to have roamed North America during one of the last ice ages, the extinct giant ground sloth was an herbivorous mammal resembling a large bearat full size, it likely reached nearly 10 feet tall (3 meters) and weighed about as much as a small elephant. The report made by Jefferson, an avid fossil collector who was known to keep bones at the White House, was among the earliest papers in the scientific field that would eventually become paleontology, and may have played a role in the development of certain zoological naming conventions. Though Jefferson named only the genus Megalonyx, public misinterpretation of the spelling of the scientific name began with the second published paper on this giant ... More
LAUSANNE.- In a step toward nanofluidic-based neuromorphic or brain-inspired computing, EPFL engineers have succeeded in executing a logic operation by connecting two chips that use ions, rather than electrons, to process data. Memory, or the ability to store information in a readily accessible way, is an essential operation in computers and human brains. A key difference is that while brain information processing involves performing computations directly on stored data, computers shuttle data back and forth between a memory unit and a central processing unit (CPU). This inefficient separation (the von Neumann bottleneck) contributes to the rising energy cost of computers. Since the 1970s, researchers have been working on the concept of a memristor (memory resistor); an electronic component that can, like a synapse, both compute and store data. But Aleksandra Radenovic in the Laboratory of Nanoscale Biology (LBEN) in EPFLs ... More
A blastoid, a stem cell model system that allows scientists to study the nuances of human gastrulation. Image courtesy: Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology at The Rockefeller University.
NEW YORK, NY.- It's one of life's most defining momentsthat crucial step in embryonic development, when an indistinct ball of cells rearranges itself into the orderly three-layered structure that sets the stage for all to come. Known as gastrulation, this crucial process unfolds in the third week of human development. "Gastrulation is the origin of our own individualization, the emergence of our axis," says Rockefeller's Ali Brivanlou. "It is the first moment that separates our heads from our behinds." Observing the molecular underpinnings of this pivotal event would go a long way toward helping scientists prevent miscarriages and developmental disorders. But studying human gastrulation has proven both technologically difficult and ethically complicated, and thus current approaches have had limited success in expanding our understanding of early human development. Now Brivanlou and colleagues have demonstrated how a stem cell model syst ... More
The analysis of Beethoven's DNA shows possibilities and limits of predictions in the field of genetics. Image courtesy: MPIEA / F. Bernoully.
FRANKFURT.- To what extent are exceptional human achievements influenced by genetic factors? This question, dating back to the early days of human genetics, seems to be easier to address today as modern molecular methods make it possible to analyze DNA of individuals throughout history. But how reliable are the answers in this day and age With this in mind, an international team of researchers including the Max Planck Institutes for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, and for Psycholinguistics (MPI-PL) in Nijmegen, Netherlands, analyzed Ludwig van Beethoven's DNA to investigate his genetic "musical" predisposition. The team analyzed DNA sequences available from an earlier study completed in 2023, in which the composer's genetic material was extracted from strands of his hair. "We calculated a so-called 'polygenic score'an indicator for an individual's genetic predisposition for a trait or behavior ... More
The elongated tab (near the tip of the tweezers) is the soft, stretchable sensor. Image courtesy: Northwestern University.
EVANSTON, IL.- Should you run to the bathroom now? Or can you hold it until you get home? A new implant and associated smartphone app may someday remove the guess work from the equation. Northwestern University researchers have developed a new soft, flexible, battery-free implant that attaches to the bladder wall to sense filling. Then, it wirelessly and simultaneously transmits data to a smartphone app, so users can monitor their bladder fullness in real time. The study will be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). It marks the first example of a bioelectronic sensor that enables continuous monitoring of bladder function for a prolonged period. While this new device is unnecessary for the average person, it could be a game-changer for people with paralysis, spina bifida, bladder cancer or end-stage bladder disease where bladder function is often compromised, and bladder recon ... More
Recreated candidate event of a γγ →ττ process in protonproton collisions measured by the CMS detector. Image courtesy: CMS collaboration.
GENEVA.- In March 2024, the CMS collaboration announced the observation of two photons creating two tau leptons in protonproton collisions. It is the first time that this process has been seen in protonproton collisions, which was made possible by using the precise tracking capabilities of the CMS detector. It is also the most precise measurement of the tau's anomalous magnetic moment and offers a new way to constrain the existence of new physics. The tau, sometimes called tauon, is a peculiar particle in the family of leptons. In general, leptons, together with quarks, make up the "matter" content of the Standard Model (SM). The tau was only discovered in the late 1970s at SLAC, and its associated neutrinothe tau neutrinocompleted the tangible matter part upon its discovery in 2000 by the DONUT collaboration at Fermilab. Precise research for the tau is rather tricky though, as its lifetime is very short: it remains stable for only 290·10-15 s (a hundred-quadrillionth of ... More
In this collaged image, a robotic hand tries to scoop up red marbles and put them into another bowl while a researchers hand frequently disrupts it. The robot eventually succeeds.
CAMBRIDGE, MA.- From wiping up spills to serving up food, robots are being taught to carry out increasingly complicated household tasks. Many such home-bot trainees are learning through imitation; they are programmed to copy the motions that a human physically guides them through. It turns out that robots are excellent mimics. But unless engineers also program them to adjust to every possible bump and nudge, robots dont necessarily know how to handle these situations, short of starting their task from the top. Now MIT engineers are aiming to give robots a bit of common sense when faced with situations that push them off their trained path. Theyve developed a method that connects robot motion data with the common sense knowledge of large language models, or LLMs. Their approach enables a robot to logically parse many given household task into subtasks, and to physic ... More
Quote We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. Carl Sagan
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With a new experimental technique, MIT engineers probe the mechanisms of landslides and earthquakes CAMBRIDGE, MA.- Granular materials, those made up of individual pieces, whether grains of sand or coffee beans or pebbles, are the most abundant form of solid matter on Earth. The way these materials move and react to external forces can determine when landslides or earthquakes happen, as well as more mundane events such as how cereal gets clogged coming out of the box. Yet, analyzing the way these flow events take place and what determines their outcomes has been a real challenge, and most research has been confined to two-dimensional experiments that dont reveal the full picture of how these materials behave. Now, researchers at MIT have developed a method that allows for detailed 3D experiments that can reveal exactly how forces are transmitted through granular materials, and how the shapes of the grains can dramatically change the outcomes. The new work may lead to ... More
Sleeping supermassive black holes awakened briefly by shredded stars PASADENA, CA.- A new investigation into an obscure class of galaxies known as Compact Symmetric Objects, or CSOs, has revealed that these objects are not entirely what they seem. CSOs are active galaxies that host supermassive black holes at their cores. Out of these monstrous black holes spring two jets traveling in opposite directions at nearly the speed of light. But in comparison to other galaxies that boast fierce jets, these jets do not extend out to great distancesthey are much more compact. For many decades, astronomers suspected that CSOs were simply young and that their jets would eventually travel out to greater distances. Now, reporting in three different papers in The Astrophysical Journal, a Caltech-led team of researchers has concluded that CSOs are not young but rather lead relatively short lives. "These CSOs are not young," explains Anthony (Tony) Readhead, the Robinson Professor of Astronomy, Emeritus, who led the investig ... More
Developmental crossroads in the brain: How proteins direct nerve cell precursors to turn into specialized neurons PLANEGG.- Brain development is a highly orchestrated process involving numerous parallel and sequential steps. Many of these steps depend on the activation of specific genes. A team led by Christian Mayer at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence discovered that a protein called MEIS2 plays a crucial role in this process: it activates genes necessary for the formation of inhibitory projection neurons. These neurons are vital for motion control and decision-making. A MEIS2 mutation, known from patients with severe intellectual disability, was found to disrupt these processes. The study provides valuable insights into brain development and the consequences of genetic mutations. Nerve cells are a prime example of interwoven family relations. The specialized cells that form the brain come in hundreds of different types, all of which develop from a limited set of generalized progenitor cellstheir immature "parents." During dev ... More
Micro-Lisa: Making a mark with novel nano-scale laser writing ADELAIDE.- High-power lasers are often used to modify polymer surfaces to make high-tech biomedical products, electronics and data storage components. Now Flinders University researchers have discovered a light-responsive, inexpensive sulfur-derived polymer receptive to low power, visible light laserswhich promises a more affordable and safer production method in nanotech, chemical science and patterning surfaces in biological applications. Details of the novel system have just been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, featuring a laser-etched version of the famous "Mona Lisa" painting and micro-Braille printing even smaller than a pin head. "This could be a way to reduce the need for expensive, specialized equipment, including high-power lasers with hazardous radiation risk, while also using more sustainable materials. For instance, the key polymer is made from low-cost elemental sulfur, an industrial byproduct, an ... More
Researchers challenge the limits of molecular memory, opening the door to the development of molecular chips PRAGUE.- Some molecules respond to external light pulses by changing their structure and holding certain states that can be switched from one to another. These are commonly referred to as photoswitches and usually have two possible states. Recently, however, scientists from the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB Prague) have developed a molecule that takes the possibilities of photoswitches a step further. The new molecule can be switched not between two but between three distinct states. This gives it the ability to hold much more complex information in its molecular structure than has been possible so far. A paper on the topic, co-authored by Ph.D. student Jakub Copko and Dr. Tomá Slanina, has now been published in Chemical Communications. Although scientists had known that similar molecules could enter a third state, they opted not to study it. The reasoning was that they could not ... More
Discovery of amino acid unveils how light makes stomata open in plants NAGOYA.- Scientists from Nagoya University have discovered a novel regulatory mechanism that controls the opening of stomata in plants, which is crucial for harnessing solar energy through photosynthesis. The team uncovered the role of phosphorylation at the 881st threonine residue (Thr881) of the plasma membrane proton pump in response to red and blue light in this process. This research opens up possibilities for manipulating plant physiology in specific ways, benefiting agriculture and the environment. The researchers reported their findings in Nature Communications. "This phosphorylation event, previously unknown, activates the proton pump, facilitating stomatal opening and enhancing photosynthetic activity," senior researcher Toshinori Kinoshita said. "The findings shed light on the intricate signaling pathways underlying plant responses to light and hold promise for future applications in plant engineering." Stomata are microscopic ... More
Testing begins on sensitive neutrino detector for nonproliferation and fundamental physics BERKELEY, CA.- Neutrinos and antineutrinos are nearly massless particles produced in many nuclear reactions, including the fission of uranium in nuclear power plants on Earth and the fusion reactions at the core of the sun. But they are devilishly hard to detectmost pass through Earth without stoppingmaking it difficult to study the nuclear reactions taking place at the core of stars or in stellar explosions or to monitor nuclear power plants for illicit production of bomb material. A new type of neutrino detector now being tested in a vast underground lab at the University of California, Berkeley, is designed to leverage the latest technologies to enhance the sensitivity and capabilities of antineutrino detectors. Such improved detectors would not only help detect, localize and characterize undeclared special nuclear material being used contrary to federal or international regulations, but also help scientists explore the fundamenta ... More
Elusive 3D printed nanoparticles could lead to new shapeshifting materials STANFORD, CA.- In nanomaterials, shape is destiny. That is, the geometry of the particle in the material defines the physical characteristics of the resulting material. A crystal made of nano-ball bearings will arrange themselves differently than a crystal made of nano-dice and these arrangements will produce very different physical properties, said Wendy Gu, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Stanford University, introducing her latest paper which appears in the journal Nature Communications. Weve used a 3D nanoprinting technique to produce one of the most promising shapes known Archimedean truncated tetrahedrons. They are micron-scale tetrahedrons with the tips lopped off. In the paper, Gu and her co-authors describe how they nanoprinted tens of thousands of these challenging nanoparticles, stirred them into a solution, and then watched as they self-assembled into various promising crystal ... More
Research lights up process for turning CO2 into sustainable fuel NOTTINGHAM.- Researchers have successfully transformed CO2 into methanol by shining sunlight on single atoms of copper deposited on a light-activated material, a discovery that paves the way for creating new green fuels. An international team of researchers from the University of Nottingham's School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, University of Queensland, and University of Ulm have designed a material made up of copper anchored on nanocrystalline carbon nitride. The copper atoms are nested within the nanocrystalline structure, which allows electrons to move from carbon nitride to CO2, an essential step in the production of methanol from CO2 under the influence of solar irradiation. The research has been published in the Sustainable Energy & Fuels journal. In photocatalysis, light is shone on a semiconductor material that excites electrons, enabling them to travel through the material to react with CO2 and water, leading to a varie ... More
Novel protective antibody target identified against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus RIVERSIDE, CA.- A research team led by the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, or USAMRIID, that includes Scott Pegan at the UC Riverside School of Medicine has discovered an important protective antibody target against Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, or CCHFV. Their work, which was published Feb. 26 in the journal Nature Communications, could lead to the development of protective antibodies for infected patients. "Exposure of hospital workers and overseas service personnel to CCHFV is a major problem, therefore an antibody-based drug that protects against exposure from existing strains of CCHFV, while also providing therapeutic protection is ideal," said Pegan, a professor of biomedical sciences. CCHF is considered a priority pathogen by the World Health Organization, or WHO, as it is an emerging zoonotic disease with a propensity to spread. It is also endemic in large portions of the world. CCHF outbrea ... More
Tiniest 'starquakes' ever detected LISBON.- At a distance of 11.9 light years, Epsilon Indi (ε Indi) is an orange dwarf star (also known as a K dwarf) with 71% of the sun's diameter. An international team, led by Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço (IA) researcher Tiago Campante, studied this star with the ESPRESSO spectrograph, mounted at the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), and detected the tiniest "starquakes" ever recorded. The team used a technique dubbed asteroseismology, which measures oscillations in stars. These provide indirect glimpses of stellar interiors, just as earthquakes tell us about Earth's interior. In ε Indi, the peak amplitude of the detected oscillations is just 2.6 centimeters per second (about 14% of the sun's oscillation amplitude), which makes it the smallest and coolest dwarf star observed to date with confirmed solar-like oscillations. These measurements are so precise that the detected speed is ... More
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Flashback
On a day like today, Nobel Prize laureate Wilhelm Röntgen was born
March 27, 1845. Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (27 March 1845 - 10 February 1923) was a German mechanical engineer and physicist, who, on 8 November 1895, produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays or Röntgen rays, an achievement that earned him the inaugural Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901. In honour of Röntgen's accomplishments, in 2004 the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) named element 111, roentgenium, a radioactive element with multiple unstable isotopes, after him. The unit of measurement roentgen was also named after him. At one point while he was investigating the ability of various materials to stop the rays, Röntgen brought a small piece of lead into position while a discharge was occurring. Röntgen thus saw the first radiographic image: his own flickering ghostly skeleton on the barium platinocyanide screen.