Scientists watch as peptides control crystal growth with 'switches, throttles and brakes'
By producing some of the highest resolution images of peptides attaching to mineral surfaces, scientists have a deeper understanding how biomolecules manipulate the growth crystals. This research may lead to a new treatment for kidney stones using biomolecules. view more (2009-11-24)
Seeing previously invisible molecules for the first time
A team of Harvard chemists led by X. Sunney Xie has developed a new microscopic technique for seeing, in color, molecules with undetectable fluorescence. view more (2009-10-26)
Herbal tonic for radiotherapy
Antioxidant extracts of the leaves of the Gingko biloba tree may protect cells from radiation damage, according to a study published in the International Journal of Low Radiation. view more (2009-10-20)
U of T researchers create microchip that can detect type and severity of cancer
U of T researchers have used nanomaterials to develop a microchip sensitive enough to quickly determine the type and severity of a patient's cancer so that the disease can be detected earlier for more effective treatment. view more (2009-09-28)
Nonstick and laser-safe gold aids laser trapping of biomolecules
Biophysicists long for an ideal material-something more structured and less sticky than a standard glass surface-to anchor and position individual biomolecules. view more (2009-06-18)
Scientists demonstrate laser with controlled polarization
Applied scientists at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) in collaboration with researchers from Hamamatsu Photonics in Hamamatsu City, Japan, have demonstrated, for the first time, lasers in which the direction of oscillation of the emitted radiation, known as polarization, can be designed and controlled at will. view more (2009-04-13)
First high-resolution images of bone, tooth and shell formation
Researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have for the first time made high-resolution images of the earliest stages of bone formation. They used the world's most advanced electron microscope to make three-dimensional images of the nano-particles that are at the heart of the process. view more (2009-03-13)
New technique boosts protein NMR imaging speeds
Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, or SSNMR, is a valuable tool to image and analyze the chemical makeup of proteins and other biomolecules. But the imaging process is time-consuming and requires large amounts of costly isotope-labeled sample for study. view more (2009-02-10)
GEN reports on strategies to overcome blood-brain barrier
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) remains a major obstacle to the successful delivery of drugs to treat central nervous system (CNS) disorders, reports Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News (GEN). view more (2009-02-06)
NRL partners with industry to develop compact biosensor for wide-ranging applications
Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) are partnering with industry to develop a sensor system for biomolecules that could make a significant contribution to a variety of fields such as healthcare, veterinary diagnostics, food safety, environmental testing, and national security. view more (2009-02-04)
New tool gives researchers a glimpse of biomolecules in motion
The ability of biomolecules to flex and bend is important for the performance of many functions within living cells. view more (2009-01-14)
Nanoparticles trigger cell death?
Nanoparticles that are one milliard of a metre in size are widely used, for example, in cosmetics and food packaging materials. view more (2008-11-13)
Sensitive laser instrument could aid search for life on Mars
Minuscule traces of cells can be detected in a mineral likely present on Mars, a new study shows. The results, obtained using a technique developed at the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, could help mission scientists choose Martian surface samples with the most promise for yielding signs of life. view more (2008-10-16)
Water is 'designer fluid' that helps proteins change shape, scientists say
Ubiquitous on Earth, water also has been found in comets, on Mars and in molecular clouds in interstellar space. Now, scientists say this common fluid is not as well understood as we thought. view more (2008-08-07)
Toothpick: New molecular tag IDs bone and tooth minerals
Enlisting an army of plant viruses to their cause, materials researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have identified a small biomolecule that binds specifically to one of the key crystal structures of the body-the calcium compound that is the basic building block of teeth and bone. With refinements, the researchers... view more... (2008-07-11)
'Nanodrop' test tubes created with a flip of a switch
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated a new device that creates nanodroplet "test tubes" for studying individual proteins under conditions that mimic the crowded confines of a living cell. view more (2008-04-16)
ASU researcher may have discovered key to life before its origin on Earth
An important discovery has been made with respect to the mystery of "handedness" in biomolecules. Researchers led by Sandra Pizzarello, a research professor at Arizona State University, found that some of the possible abiotic precursors to the origin of life on Earth have been shown to carry "handedness" in a larger number than... view more... (2008-02-29)
Red dust in planet-forming disk may harbor precursors to life
Astronomers at the Carnegie Institution have found the first indications of highly complex organic molecules in the disk of red dust surrounding a distant star. view more (2008-01-04)
New hypothesis for origin of life proposed
Life may have begun in the protected spaces inside of layers of the mineral mica, in ancient oceans, according to a new hypothesis. view more (2007-12-05)
How did chemical constituents essential to life arise on primitive Earth?
Experiments show that simple molecules can combine chemically rather than biologically to form the building blocks of DNA, the key component of all life forms. These processes might have taken place on primitive earth, but how they occur is an unsolved puzzle. view more (2007-10-31)
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