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Enhancing the electromechanical behavior of a flexible polymer

A Penn State-led team of researchers developed a flexible polymer with enhanced electromechanical behavior, resulting in a 60% increase in electricity generation efficiency. The material's properties were improved by deliberately introducing chemical impurities through doping and stretching the polymer to align molecular chains.

SourcePenn State·JournalScience·DateMar 24, 2022

New computer vision system designed to analyse cells in microscopy videos

Researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid developed a computer vision system to analyze cells in microscopy videos, allowing for automatic characterization of cell behavior. The system enables faster analysis of thousands of cells compared to traditional methods, which typically involve manual segmentation and tracking.

SourceUniversidad Carlos III de Madrid·JournalMedical Image Analysis·TypeImaging analysis·DateFeb 11, 2022

CHOP researchers define a 3-tiered molecular classification of pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer, where fusion oncogenes predict the most invasive behavior

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia define a 3-tiered molecular classification system for pediatric differentiated thyroid cancer, where fusion oncogenes are associated with more invasive disease and lower remission rates. The study contrasts findings from adults, who have a two-tiered system based on BRAF mutations.

SourceChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia·JournalJournal of Clinical Oncology·DateJan 31, 2022

Protein region on COVID’s viral spike senses temperature, drives seasonal mutation patterns

Researchers identify a molecular culprit for COVID-19's seasonal nature, finding a galectin-like structure on the spike protein that responds to external seasonal patterns. This discovery could help predict future mutations and potentially pave the way for new therapeutics or vaccines.

SourceUniversity of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences·JournalMethods of Microbiology and Molecular Biology·DateDec 8, 2021

Chemists design "molecular sea of flags"

Researchers create large molecular rings that self-assemble into a sheet-like structure on surfaces, allowing for adjustable mesh size and attachment of bulky molecules. This technology has the potential to enable novel catalysts and measure nanomechanical properties of proteins.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalAngewandte Chemie·DateNov 26, 2021

Korea Maritime & Ocean University shows new paths to capturing atmospheric greenhouse gas

Researchers at Korea Maritime & Ocean University have discovered a novel compound, β-HQ clathrates, that can capture both carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. The discovery provides valuable insights into the kinetics of trapping these greenhouse gases, which could lead to the development of new gas capture technologies.

SourceNational Korea Maritime and Ocean University·JournalChemical Engineering Journal·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 4, 2021

A unique conducting state under UV-irradiation

Researchers at Ehime University discovered a molecular insulating crystal that reversibly exhibits metal-like conducting behavior under UV-irradiation. This unique property indicates the existence of other photoexcited states of matter with novel properties.

SourceEhime University·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry C·DateAug 29, 2019

Ushering in ultrafast cluster electronics

Researchers at Hokkaido University developed a computational approach to predict the behavior of clusters of molecules, enabling faster electronic devices with on/off switching and reversible conductivity. This method could lead to the creation of cluster molecular electronics, a new field of science.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 3, 2019

Plants can smell, now researchers know how

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered how plants detect odor molecules by binding to transcriptional co-repressors, changing gene expression. This understanding may lead to new ways of influencing plant behavior, such as altering crop quality or deterring pests.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry·DateJan 23, 2019

Swarming behavior discovered in fish-dwelling parasite

Scientists have observed a previously unrecognized swarming behavior in Spironucleus vortens, a single-celled parasite infecting ornamental fish. The swarm exhibits highly coordinated movement, suggesting interactions between the flagellates, which may contribute to its life cycle and lead to novel treatments.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalJournal of Eukaryotic Microbiology·DateDec 13, 2018

Rice U. lab probes molecular limit of plasmonics

Researchers from Rice University's Laboratory for Nanophotonics studied plasmons in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with fewer than 50 atoms. They found that these molecules can support molecular plasmons in the visible spectrum, offering a new area of research at the intersection of plasmonics and molecular chemistry.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 5, 2018

Pesticides give bees a hard time

A new pesticide, Sivanto, manufactured by Bayer AG, has been found to negatively impact honeybees' taste, learning, and memory capabilities. While proper use of the pesticide reduces negative effects, further research is needed to examine its influence on motor function, waggle dance, or orientation.

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 5, 2018

An epigenetic key to unlock behavior change

A new study sheds light on the molecular mechanism that shapes behavior in fruit flies, revealing a causal link between epigenetics and genetics. Researchers found that epigenetic marks interact with genes to regulate differences in feeding behaviors.

SourceCIFAR·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 16, 2017

Probing exotic ices

Researchers analyzed how water molecules interact with one another in three types of ice, finding that interactions depend strongly on molecule orientation and ice structure. Insights from this analysis will help understand liquid water and its behavior surrounding biomolecules.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics·DateOct 10, 2017

How many gold atoms make gold metal?

Gold nanoclusters of 102 and 144 atoms show distinct behavior, with smaller clusters acting like giant molecules and larger ones exhibiting metallic properties. These findings have significant implications for developing bioimaging and sensing technologies based on metal-like clusters.

SourceAcademy of Finland·JournalACS Nano·DateApr 10, 2015

Van der Waals force re-measured

Scientists at Forschungszentrum Juelich re-measured the van der Waals force for single molecules, revealing a superlinear increase with growing molecular size. The study highlights the importance of van der Waals forces in biomolecules and adhesives, such as geckos' ability to climb smooth walls.

SourceForschungszentrum Juelich·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 26, 2014