Showing 20 articles starting at article 1881
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Biology: Biochemistry, Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published How robots can help find the solar energy of the future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To quickly and accurately characterize prospective materials for use in solar energy, researchers built an automated system to perform laboratory experiments and used machine learning to help analyze the data they recorded. Their goal is to identify semiconductor materials for use in photovoltaic solar energy, which are highly efficient and have low toxicity.
Published How to protect biocatalysts from oxygen
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source There are high hopes for hydrogen as the key to the energy transition. A specific enzyme group found in algae and in bacteria can produce molecular hydrogen simply by catalyzing protons and electrons. However, the enzyme group is so sensitive to oxygen that commercial use of the hydrogen produced by this process as a green energy source is not yet possible. Researchers have now increased the oxygen stability of a hydrogen-producing enzyme by genetically generated channel blockages.
Published The importance of the Earth's atmosphere in creating the large storms that affect satellite communications
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Large geomagnetic storms disrupt radio signals and GPS. Now, researchers have identified the previous underestimated role of the ionosphere, a region of Earth's upper atmosphere that contains a high concentration of ions and free electrons, in determining how such storms develop. Understanding the interactions that cause large geomagnetic storms is important because they can disrupt radio signals and GPS. Their findings may help predict storms with the greatest potential consequences.
Published Cat-ching criminals with DNA from pet hairs
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cat hair could be the purr-fect way to catch criminals, according to researchers.
Published Intestinal bacteria metabolite promotes capture of antigens by dendritic cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Dendritic cells are immune cells that capture and present antigens to T cells, activating an immune response. Researchers have discovered that short-chain fatty acids produced by intestinal bacteria regulate a crucial step in this process, the extension of dendritic 'arms.' This breakthrough finding could potentially lead to the development of disease prevention strategies involving beneficial bacteria and new drugs targeting the regulation of dendritic cell function.
Published Controlling organoids with light
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Organoids help researchers understand biological processes in health and in disease. It is, however, difficult to influence the way in which they organize themselves into complex tissues. Now a group has found a new way to do so.
Published Evolutionary chance made this bat a specialist hunter
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source It is generally believed that, for millions of years, bats and the insects they hunt at night have adapted to each other in an evolutionary arms race to become better at finding or avoiding each other. Now, a new study shows that this may not be the case at all.
Published 3D printed reactor core makes solar fuel production more efficient
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using a new 3D printing technique, researchers have developed special ceramic structures for a solar reactor. Initial experimental testing show that these structures can boost the production yield of solar fuels.
Published Researchers solve protein mystery
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have uncovered that proteins use a common chemical label as a shield to protect them from degradation, which in turn affects motility and aging.
Published Genetic methods enable the use of fossil lipids as biomarkers for oxygen-producing primordial bacteria
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cyanobacteria are a key species in Earth's history, as they introduced atmospheric oxygen for the first time. The analysis of their evolution therefore provides important insights into the formation of modern aerobic ecosystems. For a long time, a certain type of fossil lipid, so-called 2-methylhopanes, was considered to be an important biomarker for Cyanobacteria in sediments, some of which are hundreds of millions of years old. However, this came into doubt when it turned out that not only Cyanobacteria but also Alphaproteobacteria are genetically capable of producing these lipids.
Published Mammalian cells may consume bacteria-killing viruses to promote cellular health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Bacteriophages, also called phages, are viruses that infect and kill bacteria, their natural hosts. But from a macromolecular viewpoint, phages can be viewed as nutritionally enriched packets of nucleotides wrapped in an amino acid shell. A study suggests that mammalian cells internalize phages as a resource to promote cellular growth and survival.
Published Researcher finds proof of menopause in wild chimpanzees
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers studying the Ngogo community of wild chimpanzees in western Uganda's Kibale National Park for two decades has published a report showing that females in this population can experience menopause and post-reproductive survival.
Published Fruit, nectar, bugs and blood: How bat teeth and jaws evolved for a diverse dinnertime
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Noctilionoid bat species evolved wildly different faces as they adapted to exploit diverse food sources -- including insects, fruit, nectar, blood and fish. New research shows that those adaptations include dramatic, but also consistent, modifications to tooth number, size, shape and position.
Published Cutting-edge imaging sheds new light on cells that break down bone
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Imaging technology shows that bone-resorbing osteoclasts gather in distinct pockets, leading to new insights for osteoporosis and cancer treatment.
Published Discovery of three novel minorisa species, the smallest predatory marine picoplankton
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have made a significant discovery by identifying and characterizing three novel species within the Minorisa genus of marine picoplankton. Before this study, only one species of Minorisa was recognized. This finding reveals previously unseen diversity of Minorisa, thereby enhancing species identification and our understanding of its ecological functions in marine ecosystems.
Published Membrane transporter ensures mobility of sperm cells
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Special proteins -- known as membrane transporters -- are key to the mobility of sperm cells. A research team has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism. These findings will enable a better understanding of the molecular foundations of reproductive capacity and could, in the long term, contribute to developing new approaches to treating fertility disorders and new methods of specific contraception.
Published CBD and CBG may promote bone fracture healing, manage pain
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabigerol (CBG) might someday help bone fracture patients manage their pain, according to a new study. In a study in mice, the researchers unexpectedly found that the cannabinoids also promoted fracture healing.
Published A potentially cheaper and 'cooler' way for hydrogen transport
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new hydrogen energy carrier material capable storing hydrogen energy efficiently and potentially more cheaply. Each molecule can store one electron from hydrogen at room temperature, store it for up the three months, and can be its own catalyst to extract said electron. Moreover, as the compound is made primarily of nickel, its cost is relatively low.
Published Analysis finds diversity on the smallest scales in sulfur-cycling salt marsh microbes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have discovered that even among the sulfur-cycling microbes that are responsible for the 'rotten egg gas' smell in salt marsh air, diversity extends all the way to genomes and even to individual nucleotides.
Published Zika infection in pregnant macaques slows fetal growth
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Zika virus infection in pregnant rhesus macaques slows fetal growth and affects how infants and mothers interact in the first month of life, according to a new study. The work has implications for both humans exposed to Zika virus and for other viruses that can cross the placenta, including SARS-CoV2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic.