Dissolving the problem: It has long been known that when salt is kept in a humid environment, it absorbs water, dissolving some of the salt and making it clump. Now, researchers from Japan have discovered that water vapor isn’t the only agent that can do this. In a study published on July 29, 2022 in RSC Advances, researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, have revealed that organic vapors can trigger the dissolution of molecular salts…

… using nanopore-based DNA computing technology. Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a cancer type with a characteristically high mortality. At the time of diagnosis, most bile duct cancers are typically already incurable. This is why methods for the early diagnosis of bile duct cancer are urgently needed. Liquid biopsy, the sampling of non-solid biological tissue like blood, is gaining interest as a quick and non-invasive method for diagnosing cancers. Unlike traditional biopsies that require surgery and often…

Unlocking possible new ways to make light act powerfully and drive chemical transformations. By trapping light into tiny gaps only a few atoms wide, a team from the NanoPhotonics Centre has magnified optical forces a thousand-fold, strong enough to force atoms into positions that drive chemical reactions more efficiently. “We found a new way to beef up the forces from light, enough to now move metal atoms, and that’s key to reduce the energy barrier for making catalysis work more…

Researchers discover new way in which T cells learn to tell friend from foe. The human immune system is a nearly perfect defense mechanism. It protects the body from disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. It detects nascent tumors and eradicates them. It cleans up cellular debris at the site of injury or infection. To perform its myriad functions, the immune system must, above all, differentiate between self and non-self—a remarkable selective ability that allows it to detect and disable…

Compounds that cut off the flow of fatty fuel stop the virus from replicating in the lab. The virus that causes COVID-19 undertakes a massive takeover of the body’s fat-processing system, creating cellular storehouses of fat that empower the virus to hijack the body’s molecular machinery and cause disease. After scientists discovered the important role of fat for SARS-CoV-2, they used weight-loss drugs and other fat-targeting compounds to try to stop the virus in cell culture. Cut off from its…

Rise of antimicrobial resistance adds urgency to research. Urinary tract infections are both very common and potentially very dangerous. More than half of all Australian women will suffer from a UTI in their lifetime, and nearly one in three women will have an infection requiring treatment with antibiotics before the age of 24. Around 80 per cent of UTIs are caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), which is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. E. coli-related death due to antimicrobial resistance is…

From outside to inside: Researchers at Nara Institute of Science and Technology show that using four frequencies of applied voltage can improve the measurement of cell size and shape during impedance cytometry, enabling to enhance the speed and accuracy of biological experiments. Having a good eye for detail is an essential skill for many professions. In particular, biologists use special techniques and advanced technology to analyze individual cells with unprecedented precision. Impedance cytometry is one experimental method that can reveal…

Predicting the future: A long-term study has shown a common bone density scan can also show calcified plaque build-up in the abdominal aorta – revealing if someone is at increased risk of developing dementia. Late-life dementia is becoming increasingly common in people after 80 years of age. A new long-term study has shown a simple and common scan can reveal if people are at increased risk of developing the condition late in life. Late-life dementia develops when brain cells are…

Therapy sensitivity in prostate cancer halted by protein regulating circadian rhythm. Hormone therapy is successful at keeping metastatic prostate cancer under control, but eventually the tumor cells become resistant to it. An unexpected potential solution has now emerged in medicines not designed to fight cancer, but to target proteins that regulate a cell’s circadian rhythm. An international team of researchers led by the Netherlands Cancer Institute will publish this discovery June 27, 2022, in the renowned journal Cancer Discovery, a…

Earth of billions of years ago illuminated by light-capturing proteins. Using light-capturing proteins in living microbes, scientists have reconstructed what life was like for some of Earth’s earliest organisms. These efforts could help us recognize signs of life on other planets, whose atmospheres may more closely resemble our pre-oxygen planet. The earliest living things, including bacteria and single-celled organisms called archaea, inhabited a primarily oceanic planet without an ozone layer to protect them from the sun’s radiation. These microbes evolved…

ITQB NOVA researchers unveil the mechanism by which light regulates rice flowering time. Light affects most organisms. In plants, many behaviors and functions are determined by the length of light and dark cycles, including flowering. In the most recent publication of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the team of researchers that brings together the Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier da Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (ITQB NOVA), the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental…

It is becoming increasingly obvious that moving away from fossil fuels and avoiding the accumulation of plastics in the environment are key to addressing the challenge of climate change. In that vein, there are considerable efforts to develop degradable or recyclable polymers made from non-edible plant material referred to as “lignocellulosic biomass”. Of course, producing competitive biomass-based plastics is not straightforward. There is a reason that conventional plastics are so widespread, as they combine low cost, heat stability, mechanical strength,…

… over oxide-zeolite bifunctional catalysts. A research team led by Prof. HOU Guangjin and Prof. BAO Xinhe from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has revealed the oxygenate-based routes in syngas conversion over oxide–zeolite (OXZEO) bifunctional catalysts by solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). This study was published in Nature Catalysis on June 23. OXZEO catalysis was proposed in 2016 by Prof. BAO Xinhe and Prof. PAN Xiulian from DICP. It provides a platform for the efficient utilization…

Organoids that mimic human brain cortex in development and disease: “Outer Radial Glia” (oRG) cells are nervous system stem cells that are instrumental for the development of the human cortex and have been challenging to produce in the lab. Now, a team of Max Planck researchers from Berlin succeeded in generating brain organoids that are enriched with these stem cells by refining and standardizing existing protocols for these mini-organs. Organoids are advanced three-dimensional cell cultures that form miniature versions of…

New research introduces self-powered smart implants to monitor spinal fusion healing. Spinal fusion—fusing two vertebrae together—can treat a wide variety of spinal disorders. Often, surgeons will use a cage to provide support where the disk once was between the vertebrae. But what if those cages could support the spine’s healing in more ways than one? Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering are creating patient-specific 3D-printed smart metamaterial implants that double as sensors to monitor spinal healing….

The oceans are teeming with countless forms of life, from the world’s largest creature – the blue whale – to miniscule microorganisms. In addition to their vast numbers, these microorganisms are also crucial for ensuring that the entire eco- and climate system work properly. For instance, there are photosynthetically active varieties such as cyanobacteria that produce around 50 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Moreover, by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, microorganisms help counter global warming. Despite this…