Researchers have developed a new method to determine the structures of nanocrystalline pharmaceuticals, reducing radiation damage and allowing for study at room temperature. The approach uses low-dose electron diffraction with a high-sensitivity detector, enabling the collection of high-quality data for direct crystallography methods.
A team of Cornell researchers has developed two-dimensional superstructures out of single-crystal building blocks, showcasing atomic coherence and superior electrical properties. The discovery has potential applications in energy absorption and light emission, but challenges remain to further improve the results.
A team of scientists has reevaluated the authenticity of ancient Australian chert microstructures, which were once claimed to be the planet's oldest fossils. The researchers assert that at least a portion of these structures are actually pseudo-fossils, formed through geological processes rather than biological activity.
Researchers solved the first X-ray crystal structure of full-length PAH, an enzyme defective in PKU patients. The structure will help understand molecular origins of PKU and inform drug development.
Researchers create nanowire lasers with exceptional brightness and stability, promising breakthroughs in optoelectronics and photonics. The innovative method uses a simple chemical-dipping process to produce self-assembled nanoscale crystals, plates, and wires composed of cesium, lead, and bromine.
Researchers discovered what causes stability of various compounds not commonly found in textbook chemistry by reorganizing chemical interactions. The study published in Physical Chemistry & Chemical Physics suggests new model and principles for stability of forbidden substances.
Researchers develop a new technique to determine the spatial structures of proteins and molecules without prior knowledge, revolutionizing crystallography. The method provides insights into the modes of action of biomolecules and can lead to tailor-made drugs for diseases.
Researchers propose using twisted X-rays to study non-crystalline but symmetric structures like helices. This method matches the symmetry of incoming radiation to the structure's symmetry, producing sharp peaks in diffraction data that can be used for accurate structure prediction.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo have discovered electronic nematicity in superconducting materials, which can lead to enhanced superconductivity. The study used soft x-ray scattering to probe electron scattering in specific layers, revealing a universal feature in cuprate high-temperature superconductors.
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have designed and constructed interfaces between materials with different structures, leading to improved physical properties. This breakthrough enables the creation of better batteries, fuel cells, and other devices that rely on well-ordered interfaces between materials.
Researchers at Brookhaven National Laboratory have devised a method to trap and arrange nanoparticles in a way that mimics the atomic structure of diamond using DNA scaffolds. The technique, developed by Oleg Gang, employs fabricated DNA as a building material to organize nanoparticles into 3D spatial arrangements.
Scientists at Stockholm University have successfully determined the structure of the sodium/proton transporter NapA using x-ray crystallography. This breakthrough provides a complete picture of the transport process, revealing key movements and steps involved in regulating sodium levels within cells.
Two MIT researchers have developed a thin-film material that can be switched between metallic and semiconducting properties by applying a small voltage. The discovery could lead to new types of computer memory chips and energy conversion devices.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have obtained the crystal structure of a toxin from Clostridium difficile, revealing that zinc is required to unleash its damaging effects. This discovery aids efforts to develop vaccines and other novel therapies to prevent fatal consequences of C. diff infection.
Researchers developed a process to create a water-loving polymer with structure, opening up possibilities for artificial blood vessels and soft tissue-like mechanical properties. This breakthrough addresses the challenge of balancing hydrogel's water-loving nature with the need for crystallinity.
Researchers discovered a new mechanism for incorporating soft biological matter into calcium carbonate crystals, creating strong biominerals. The study provides insight into the formation of natural minerals with composite properties, which could lead to sustainable energy materials.
Scientists have discovered an unconventional phase transition between photonic crystals and metamaterials, allowing for the creation of new electromagnetic materials with tailored properties. The study provides a foundation for designing and fabricating such materials.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have developed a bidirectional freeze-casting technique to manufacture novel structural materials with high control over structure. The technique, inspired by natural materials like bones and shells, enables the creation of advanced porous materials with outstanding properties.
A team of scientists has discovered that larger crystals of bacteriorhodopsin grow by consuming smaller crystals around them, creating a depletion zone. This phenomenon was observed using fluorescence microscopy over the course of a month, showing how the distribution of protein in the sample changed with time.
The researchers used a bottom-up approach to generate complex shapes, driven by the physical properties of materials. The droplets shape-shifted into various forms through the self-assembly of a plastic crystal phase.
Researchers have created a detailed image of pneumolysin, a toxin linked to deadly infections like pneumonia and meningitis. The structure reveals how the toxin assembles on cell surfaces, enabling the development of novel therapeutic approaches to block its formation.
Researchers Mikhail Feigel'man and Lev Ioffe describe pseudogapped superconductors with disorderly atomic structures. Their theory explains how superconducting current density depends on pseudogap width in these materials.
A team of researchers from Auburn University, the University of Iowa and the University of California, San Diego, discovered a new form of crystalline-like matter in strongly magnetized dusty plasma. The lattice properties can be imposed arbitrarily by an external grid/mesh structure, creating unique geometric patterns.
Researchers from the University of Bradford and Avant-garde Materials Simulation successfully predicted the crystal structures of five target compounds using computational methods. The ability to predict crystal structures could enable the design of materials with superior properties, such as brighter pigments or more effective pharmac...
Scientists have discovered a previously undocumented sheet-silicate crystal structure in the alkali-aggregate reaction, a chemical process that weakens concrete over decades. This breakthrough could lead to the development of more durable concrete, reducing global infrastructure failures.
Complex engineered materials pose significant structural challenges due to non-periodic and disordered atomic structures. A new approach combining experimental and theoretical tools is required to obtain unique solutions.
Researchers found that grain size determines methane hydrate behavior under stress, with maximum capacity at 15-20 nm. This discovery has implications for predicting and preventing hydrate failure and exploring their use as a future energy source.
Researchers at Griffith University's Institute for Glycomics have determined the first three-dimensional image of a protein involved in cancer spread using X-ray crystallography. The study reveals the enzyme heparanase, which degrades a sugar molecule and is associated with angiogenesis, inflammation, and increased metastatic potential.
Researchers at Australian National University have successfully created a star-shaped molecule called [5]radialene, which was previously deemed too unstable. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient ways of producing medicinal agents, with the chemical industry worth nearly $1 trillion.
Researchers have found that repeated small stretching of nanoscale metal pieces can eliminate crystal defects in its crystalline structure, strengthening the material. This phenomenon is counterintuitive, as it is opposite to what one sees in larger metal crystals.
A new technique called cyclic healing uses repetitive stretching to eliminate pre-existing defects in metal crystals, significantly increasing their strength. The technique was developed by an international team of researchers and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Scientists develop a novel drug delivery platform that combines ionic and covalent binding to improve the solubility and bioactivity of pharmaceutical ingredients. The approach uses ionic liquids as a key component, offering tunable hydrophobicity/lipophilicity, modulated ionic binding, and variable linkers for targeted release.
Scientists at Berkeley Lab have discovered a 'design rule' that enables the creation of peptoid nanosheets, flat structures composed of synthetic polymers. The rule allows for counter-rotating patterns in polymer adhesion, resulting in linear and untwisted backbones and larger, flatter nanosheet structures than those found in nature.
A team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine has elucidated the structure of a protein complex at its root, which may hold therapeutic potential for treating heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). The study found that an antibody called RTO disrupts this complex, preventing platelet activation and clot ...
Researchers used X-ray crystallography, NMR and simulation to study protein movements in crystals. The results show that proteins continue to produce slight residual movements even when crystallised, which blurs the structures obtained via crystallography.
North Carolina State University researchers created an entropy-stabilized material made up of five different oxides in roughly equal amounts. The constituent atoms were evenly distributed and their placement in the crystalline lattice structure was random, proving that entropy can stabilize complex oxide alloys.
Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a method for assembling molecules within liquid crystal defects, creating miniscule tubing that can direct molecular organization. This technique has potential applications in electronics, medicine, and designing selective membranes.
A new tool, phenix.diffuse, enables calculating diffuse scattering from Protein Data Bank-formatted structural ensembles, addressing the need for computational modelling and validation tools. The technique helps extract evidence of concerted motion in single crystal forms, where high-quality data sets are limited by long X-ray exposures.
A new method called Phantom Derivative (PhD) has been developed to determine complex structures with limited experimental data. PhD is a competitive approach in protein crystallography, producing results comparable to existing techniques like density-modification and Vive la Difference.
The researchers used broad ion beams to create nanostructured arrays on a gallium arsenide wafer, resulting in well-defined structures reminiscent of sand dunes. The process involves heating the sample during ion bombardment and compensating for missing atom bonds by forming pairs of gallium atoms.
A team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute discovered that sea sapphires' colorful appearance is caused by photonic crystals, which enable them to control their visibility. The researchers found that the spacing between the crystal plates determines the color and can be adjusted to make the creature appear invisible or visible
SLU researcher Nicola Pozzi is seeking to understand the molecular mechanisms of prothrombin and thrombin to develop more effective life-saving drugs. The research builds on previous breakthroughs in blood-clotting protein structure, which may lead to a better understanding of how prothrombin is converted to thrombin.
Researchers elucidated dynamin's role in forming a screw-like structure to constrict and release vesicles. Specific mutations impairing dynamin function are linked to congenital muscle disorders.
Researchers have identified spiky filaments within sperm that may play a key role in facilitating fertilization. The discovery, 14 years in the making, provides new insights into the fine dissection of the protein architecture of the sperm's acrosomal matrix.
Researchers achieve unprecedented pressures of up to 770 GPa, revealing osmium's structural stability and interaction between core electrons. The findings have implications for understanding physics and chemistry of highly compressed matter.
A team of researchers has developed a color-changing polymer-based material that changes colors depending on the force applied to it. The goal is to detect head trauma immediately and provide an obvious indication of injury. In future studies, the team plans to develop materials that can indicate how quickly a force is applied.
A new mathematical theory and algorithm, Multi-tiered iterative phasing (M-TIP), solves the reconstruction problem for fluctuation X-ray scattering data. This approach enables quick determination of general structure in minutes on a desktop computer, unlocking new advances in biophysics.
Researchers design multicomponent materials by combining molecular and structural properties to form a 3D architecture. The spatial distribution of molecules and electronic properties of building blocks significantly impact optical properties. The study demonstrates the feasibility of using active pharmaceutical ingredients as building...
A team of scientists from the University of Pennsylvania discovered that lightning can reshape rocks at an atomic level, creating distinctive black 'glazes' and shock lamellae. This finding challenges previous assumptions about the effects of meteorite impacts on rocks.
Researchers have found that crystals can form in complex shapes using multiple pathways, challenging traditional theories. This new understanding has implications for materials science, health research, and basic science studies, including the formation of shells, teeth, and bones in animals.
A new family of chemical structures, known as zeolites, have been created by an international team of researchers to separate out carbon dioxide more effectively from fuel gases. These complex structures show rapid and selective uptake of CO2, a key step in carbon capture and storage strategies.
Researchers at the University of Toronto have successfully combined two promising solar cell materials, perovskite and colloidal quantum dots, to create a new platform for LED technology. The resulting hybrid crystal enables hyper-efficient lighting with minimal loss or capture by defects.
Chinese scientists created a tunable membrane material that effectively recreates the quantum tunneling effect for sound waves. The material has an effective density near zero and enables high transmission around sharp corners and efficient wave splitting.
Researchers at Cornell University have created a polymer mold that can shape liquid silicon into perfect, 3-D single crystal nanostructures. The breakthrough uses extremely short laser pulses to heat the silicon without degrading the polymer mold.
Researchers at HZB have decoded the relationship between magnetic interactions and crystal structure distortions in a geometrically 'frustrated' spinel system. The team discovered new magnetic phases and created a complete phase diagram of the system, shedding light on the complex phase relationships.
Researchers create large-scale simulation of 275,000 atoms to study iron-nickel alloys' structure changes with temperature. They find that transitions occur in both orderly and disorderly ways, depending on heating or cooling, respectively.
Researchers discovered a 'devil's staircase' effect in a cobalt oxide spin-valve system, allowing for infinite superstructures with tunable magnetic configurations. This finding may lead to new options in spintronics, enabling more efficient data storage and processing.
Researchers at ANU have developed a method to create laser-induced micro-explosions in silicon, resulting in the formation of two entirely new crystal arrangements and potentially four more. The new materials exhibit complex structures and altered electronic properties, including an altered band gap and superconductivity.
Researchers predict and synthesize five new calcium carbides with varied chemical and physical properties, including a two-dimensional metal-like compound. The discovery opens up possibilities for industrial applications in the chemical industry.
The article explores aperiodic crystals and their implications on our understanding of crystalline order. Recent research has shown that the current definition of crystals, based on point-like diffraction, may need revision as new materials with non-trivial point components in their diffraction are discovered.