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Internal structure of fossilized trilobite eye found to be identical to modern bee eyes

The internal structure of a 429-million-year-old fossilized trilobite eye is almost identical to that of modern bees, according to a study published in Scientific Reports.

14 Aug 2020

Study reveals key biochemical processes that advance understanding of colorectal cancer

A new insight into cell signals that control cancer growth and migration could help in the search for effective anti-cancer drugs. A McGill-led study reveals key biochemical processes that advance our understanding of colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer among Canadians.

13 Aug 2020

New method helps track actin involved in mitochondrial dysfunction

The human skeleton helps in moving the body. Similarly, fine skeleton-like filaments inside the cells also help in the movement of cellular structures.

11 Aug 2020

Light impulses can be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants

Optogenetics denotes the manipulation of cellular processes by light-based biological techniques. An international research team led by the Würzburg plant scientists Rainer Hedrich, Georg Nagel and Dirk Becker has succeeded in applying this method to higher plants: Light impulses can now be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants.

11 Aug 2020

Scientists resolve photosynthetic bottlenecks to increase crop productivity

Plants are factories that manufacture yield from light and carbon dioxide--but parts of this complex process, called photosynthesis, are hindered by a lack of raw materials and machinery.

11 Aug 2020

Researchers describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea

In a publication in Nature Communications last Friday, NIOZ scientists Nina Dombrowski and Anja Spang and their collaboration partners describe a previously unknown phylum of aquatic Archaea that are likely dependent on partner organisms for growth while potentially being able to conserve some energy by fermentation.

11 Aug 2020

Finned nanoporous materials can speed up molecular transport

Thousands of chemical processes used by the energy industry and for other applications rely on the high speed of catalytic reactions, but molecules frequently are hindered by molecular traffic jams that slow them down.

11 Aug 2020

Early neuron training shows promise for regenerative medicine

When it comes to training neural circuits for tissue engineering or biomedical applications, a new study suggests a key parameter: Train them young.

10 Aug 2020

4D optical coherence tomography offers insight into embryonic heart development

How a valveless embryonic heart tube pumps blood is a long-standing scientific mystery. Thanks to innovations in light-based technology, fresh insights are now available into the biomechanics of mammalian cardiogenesis-;and in particular, the pumping dynamics of the mammalian tubular embryonic heart.

7 Aug 2020

High-sensitivity atomic force microscopy opens up for photosensitive materials

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) brought the atomic scale imaging resolution of scanning tunnelling microscopy, a technique that won the Nobel Prize in Physics.

6 Aug 2020

Study shows biodiversity loss can modify carbon and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems

Researchers have shed new light on the association between the diversity of plants in forests and the diversity of microorganisms, involved in their decay.

6 Aug 2020

Small trees could form the basis of drought-resistant rainforests

Small trees that grow up in drought conditions could form the basis of more drought-resistant rainforests, new research suggests.

From University of Exeter 5 Aug 2020

Tinted solar panels can generate electricity and also produce nutritionally-superior crops

Researchers have demonstrated the use of tinted, semi-transparent solar panels to generate electricity and produce nutritionally-superior crops simultaneously, bringing the prospect of higher incomes for farmers and maximising use of agricultural land.

5 Aug 2020

Novel method can examine dangerous levels of heavy metals in food and water

Finding out if the food and water we consume are safe from toxic and carcinogenic metals can now be much faster and simpler.

5 Aug 2020

New light-based, cost-effective method to synthesize multisubstituted chemicals

A team of researchers from Japan has demonstrated a light-based reaction that yields high numbers of the base chemical component required to produce bioactive compounds used in common industry products.

4 Aug 2020

A simple screening process may improve mAb-based drug development

By screening potential monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based drugs solely based on a measure of their colloidal stability, scientists may be able to weed out mAbs that do not respond efficiently in solution early in the drug discovery process, according to a new study.

3 Aug 2020