A “saga” about 101 galaxies like the Milky Way and their companions. Is our home galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, a special place? A team of scientists started a journey to answer this question more than a decade ago. Commenced in 2013, the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs (SAGA) Survey studies galaxy systems like the Milky Way. Now, the SAGA Survey just published three new research articles that provide us with new insights into the uniqueness of our own Milky Way Galaxy after completing the…
By targeting multiprotein molecule, antibody inhibits bacteria’s growth, pathogenicity. Bacterial infections resulting in enteritis, sometimes extra-intestinal infections such as sepsis, continue to be a global health concern. A leading cause of diarrheal and extra-intestinal infectious mortality among children under 5 and elderly persons is infection with Campylobacter bacteria, against which there is no effective vaccine or medication. An Osaka Metropolitan University-led team has recently uncovered what could be an important step toward preventing, diagnosing, and treating a species of Campylobacter…
Researchers led by Ryuhei Nakamura at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan and The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) of Tokyo Institute of Technology have discovered inorganic nanostructures surrounding deep-ocean hydrothermal vents that are strikingly similar to molecules that make life as we know it possible. These nanostructures are self-organized and act as selective ion channels, which create energy that can be harnessed in the form of electricity. Published Sep. 25 in Nature Communications, the findings impact not…
Propylene production harnesses biodiesel waste byproduct. Achieving carbon neutrality requires the effective use of renewable biomass. In the production of biodiesel, for instance, glycerol is generated as a major byproduct. Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed a new catalyst that efficiently converts a derivative of glycerol into bio-based propylene, contributing to sustainable chemical production. Propylene is typically produced from petroleum and is widely used in the manufacture of plastics, such as automobile bumpers and food containers. The research team,…
It’s almost time to dust off the Halloween decorations and adorn the house with all manner of spooky things, including the classic polyester spider webs. Scientists reporting in ACS Nano have made their own version of fake spider silk, but this one consists of proteins and heals wounds instead of haunting hallways. The artificial silk is strong enough to be woven into bandages that helped treat joint injuries and skin lesions in mice. Spider silk is one of the strongest…
Researchers find that a 32% cut in plastic littering by 2035 is necessary to prevent further water pollution. In a report published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, researchers from Kyushu University have for the first time, provided a clear numerical target for global efforts to tackle marine plastic pollution. By mapping the flow and fate of plastic waste in the oceans, the team found that at a minimum there must be a 32% reduction in plastic littering by 2035 to prevent…
A mysterious type of iron-rich magma entombed within extinct volcanoes is likely abundant with rare earth elements and could offer a new way to source these in-demand metals, according to new research from The Australian National University (ANU) and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Rare earth elements are found in smartphones, flat screen TVs, magnets, and even trains and missiles. They are also vital to the development of electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies such as wind…
PIPs Project of the Leibniz Cooperative Excellence Launched. What role do certain lipids, known as phosphoinositides (PIPs), play in obesity and other metabolic diseases? This is now being investigated by scientists from the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) in Berlin, the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke (DIfE), and the Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften (ISAS) in a joint project. The FMP, DIfE and ISAS have raised almost one million euros from the Leibniz Association as part of the “Leibniz Cooperative…
… Replaces Gas and Oil Heating Systems in Apartment Buildings. The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE is developing easy-to-use and reproducible solutions for replacing gas and oil heating systems in existing multi-family homes with partners in the project “LC R290”. The research focus is on heat pumps that use the refrigerant propane (R290). With a consortium of twenty companies from the heating and housing industries, the research institute has developed initial implementation concepts for heating systems that will…
Groundbreaking findings provide a proof-of-concept development of a non-invasive cell-based method to improve the quality of eggs from older females for IVF. Researchers from the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (ACRLE), based at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), have developed an innovative technique to significantly enhance the reproductive potential of aged oocytes, or immature egg cells, potentially paving the…
New measurement technology enables high-speed 3D recordings for crash tests. The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF has been developing systems for the high-speed capture of 3D data for many years. With goCRASH3D, the Jena team is now presenting a new system that records 3D data during crash tests inside the test vehicle. It shows the deformation and movement of vehicle components during a collision in a way that was previously not possible or only possible to…
Coronavirus spike proteins can be selectively detected in 5 minutes. Light-induced immunoassay coated with novel coronavirus spike proteins found highly sensitive even with weak light like a laser pointer. Like moths to a flame, microbes can also be moved by light. Using this knowledge, researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University’s Research Institute for Light-induced Acceleration System (RILACS) have demonstrated a method to detect the presence of viruses quickly and using only a small sample. The research team led by OMU Professor…
New insights into solvation kinetics at electrocatalyst surfaces. The ion’s pathway is strongly influenced by a process that is ubiquitous across bio- and electrochemistry: ions need to reorganize their solvation shell before they can intercalate into battery cathodes, enter ion channels across biochemical membranes or adsorb and convert to chemicals, such as green hydrogen, on electrocatalyst surfaces. Previously, the team discovered that the kinetics of interfacial ion solvation are governed by so-called compensation effects between the activation entropy and enthalpy….
New research out of Southern Cross University has found previously undocumented variation in coral heat tolerance on the Great Barrier Reef, giving hope that corals’ own genetic resources may hold the key for us to help in its recovery and adaptation. New research out of Southern Cross University has found previously undocumented variation in coral heat tolerance on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, giving hope that corals’ own genetic resources may hold the key for us to help in its recovery…
Antibiotics and laxatives found in corals at a depth of 40 meters. Severe environmental contamination: A new study from Tel Aviv University and the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History detected traces of 10 common medications in coral samples collected from both shallow and deep sites in the Gulf of Eilat. Sulfamethoxazole, an antibiotic used for respiratory and urinary tract infections, was found in as many as 93% of the sampled corals. The alarming study was led by Prof. Noa Shenkar…
Mizzou researcher Jianlin “Jack” Cheng debuts tool to build 3D structure of protein complexes, giving scientists insights to prevent and treat disease. A University of Missouri researcher has created a computer program that can unravel the mysteries of how proteins work together — giving scientists valuable insights to better prevent, diagnose and treat cancer and other diseases. Jianlin “Jack” Cheng from Mizzou’s College of Engineering and his student, Nabin Giri, have developed a tool called Cryo2Struct that uses artificial intelligence…
Feedback
