/ en-us Â鶹ŇůÔş internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ŇůÔşics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A novel spectroscopic method developed at Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan, enables highly sensitive analysis of molecules at material interfaces, using a combination of conventional ATR-IR, precise gap-control and advanced data processing. The technique offers a low-cost alternative to conventional interfacial spectroscopy and has potential applications in material sciences, nanotechnology, and biological sciences. /news/2025-10-gap-infrared-method-enables-analysis.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:21:04 EDT news678709262 Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a platform that combines automated wet lab techniques with artificial intelligence (AI) to design nanoparticles for drug delivery. The approach could help researchers deliver difficult-to-encapsulate therapeutics more efficiently and effectively. /news/2025-09-ai-nanoparticles-drug-delivery.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:09:29 EDT news677768960 When model cell membranes bind to biomaterials, it is not the binding strength but the speed of the receptors in the membranes that is crucial. This was discovered by an international research team led by chemist Professor Dr. Shikha Dhiman from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. /news/2025-09-molecular-movement-cell-membranes-biomaterials.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Fri, 19 Sep 2025 13:37:59 EDT news677507873 A joint research team from POSTECH and Inha University researchers has successfully developed a novel biomaterial that overcomes the limitations of natural elastin. /news/2025-09-artificial-protein-combines-elasticity-cell.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 15 Sep 2025 13:14:03 EDT news677160841 Imagine tugging on a Chinese finger trap. The harder you pull, the tighter it grips. This counterintuitive behavior also exists in biology. Certain protein complexes can form catch-bonds, tightening their grip when force is applied. These interactions are essential in processes ranging from how bacteria attach to our cells to how tissues in our body hold together under stress. /news/2025-09-ai-uncovers-hidden-nature-toughest.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 11 Sep 2025 16:48:04 EDT news676828081 The textile and meat-processing industries produce billions of tons of waste annually in the form of feathers, wool and hair, all of which are rich in keratin—the strong, fibrous protein found in hair, skin and nails. /news/2025-09-sustainable-keratin-leftover-wool-feathers.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:44:21 EDT news676219451 If biomolecules were people, heparin would be a celebrity. Best known as a powerful blood thinner with a global market of more than $7 billion, heparin is used during and after surgery and is essential to kidney dialysis. Most of today's heparin comes from pigs, but the Food and Drug Administration is encouraging the use of alternative sources, including cows and synthetic forms of heparin, to diversify the supply chain. /news/2025-09-insight-blood-thinners-bone-builders.html Biochemistry Thu, 04 Sep 2025 14:28:57 EDT news676214932 Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a novel framework for understanding and controlling the flow behavior of granular hydrogels—a class of material made up of densely packed, microscopic gel particles with promising applications in medicine, 3D bioprinting, and tissue repair. /news/2025-09-advanced-granular-hydrogel-mechanics-biomedical.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 02 Sep 2025 17:18:04 EDT news676052281 What if generative AI could design life-saving antibiotics, not just art and text? In a new Cell Biomaterials paper, Penn researchers introduce AMP-Diffusion, a generative AI tool used to create tens of thousands of new antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)—short strings of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins—with bacteria-killing potential. In animal models, the most potent AMPs performed as well as FDA-approved drugs, without detectable adverse effects. /news/2025-09-antibiotics-images-generative-ai-molecules.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:00:03 EDT news675941461 Researchers in McGill's Department of Mechanical Engineering have discovered a safe and low-cost method of engineering living materials such as tissues, organs and blood clots. By simply vibrating these materials as they form, scientists can dramatically influence how strong or weak they become. /news/2025-08-safe-scalable-vibration-technique-lab.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Mon, 25 Aug 2025 15:50:06 EDT news675355266 Many harmful bacteria can move to evade high concentrations of antibiotics. This allows them to spread through the body and makes them harder to treat, contributing to the growing problem of drug-resistant infections. /news/2025-08-peptide-nanonets-bacterial-infections.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 21 Aug 2025 15:17:07 EDT news675008222 A new study, led by researchers at the University of Missouri, has uncovered how poplar trees can naturally adjust a key part of their wood chemistry based on changes in their environment. This discovery—the result of a collaboration with scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Georgia—could help create better biofuels and other sustainable products. /news/2025-08-poplar-tree-discovery-future-energy.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:19:17 EDT news674817548 More than half of the 7.5 million bales of cotton produced annually in the U.S. will be used in clothing manufacturing. The finishing techniques used to make cotton fabric smooth, water-repellent and resistant to wrinkling can be detrimental to the environment and the wearer. /news/2025-08-potential-green-alternative-formaldehyde-pfas.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 18 Aug 2025 05:00:02 EDT news674467795 One of the most significant moments in the evolutionary journey of life on this planet was the transition from water to land. This huge step required animals to adapt to new challenges, including supporting their body weight and developing new modes of locomotion. These changes put increased pressure on weight-bearing skin, such as paws and soles. /news/2025-08-gene-linked-skin-resistance-pressure.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:30:02 EDT news674226111 Advances in artificial intelligence for porous materials design could impact a wide variety of fields, from orthopedic implants to next-generation batteries. /news/2025-08-pressure-ai-porous-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:42:20 EDT news674214133 Newly developed DNA nanostructures can form flexible, fluid, and stimuli-responsive condensates without relying on chemical cross-linking, report researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo and Chuo University, in the journal JACS Au. /news/2025-08-dna-nanostructures-mimic-molecular-chemical.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:10:06 EDT news673690201 Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) allows us to observe samples in a preserved state that is close to their native form, making it a highly effective way to examine biological samples. This technique provides information on the size, shape, and dispersion of samples within a frozen solvent. However, there is another crucial piece of information that has not been accurately visualized in organic samples using this technique yet: elemental composition. /news/2025-08-cool-imaging-method-elemental-nanomaterials.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:15:01 EDT news673258499 Investigators led by Francesca Elizabeth Duncan, Ph.D., the Thomas J. Watkins Memorial Professor of Reproductive Science, have discovered new molecular mechanisms that lead specialized immune cells to cause ovarian aging and functional decline, according to a recent study published in PLOS Biology. /news/2025-07-molecular-mechanisms-ovarian-aging.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 21 Jul 2025 11:40:05 EDT news672316620 Inside our cells, ribosomes—the tireless "protein factories" of life—have just shown off a new skill they haven't used in billions of years. A research team has become the first in the world to successfully expand the range of ring-shaped backbones in proteins using ribosomes, which have traditionally only produced linear backbones. /news/2025-07-ribosomal-synthesis-cyclic-peptides-avenues.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Tue, 08 Jul 2025 16:15:04 EDT news671210101 In a world overrun with plastic garbage, causing untold environmental woes, University of Houston assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Maksud Rahman, has developed a way to turn bacterial cellulose—a biodegradable material—into a multifunctional material with the potential to replace plastic. /news/2025-07-plastic-bacteria-cellulose.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:10:01 EDT news671198855 If humans are ever going to live beyond Earth, they'll need to construct habitats. But transporting enough industrial material to create livable spaces would be incredibly challenging and expensive. Researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) think there's a better way, through biology. /news/2025-07-bioplastic-algae-growth-mars-conditions.html Space Exploration Planetary Sciences Wed, 02 Jul 2025 14:00:16 EDT news670655882 A team of researchers at Rowan University has developed an injectable biomaterial that could significantly improve recovery outcomes following spinal cord injuries. The study, recently published in the journal Biomaterials, introduces a multifunctional hydrogel system designed to address the complex biological environment that hinders regeneration in the central nervous system. /news/2025-06-biomaterial-dual-therapies-nerve-spinal.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 30 Jun 2025 12:19:04 EDT news670504741 Cardiovascular disease and kidney disease are two of the most urgent issues in global public health. In the United States alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than one in seven adults is affected by chronic kidney disease, while cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death. /news/2025-05-naturally-derived-nanoparticles-cardiovascular-kidney.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 29 May 2025 11:17:04 EDT news667736221 Since the discovery of penicillin nearly a century ago, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a stealthy, pervasive enemy in the fight against bacterial infections. AMR claims an estimated 1.27 million lives a year and contributed to nearly five million deaths in 2019, placing drug-resistant bacterial infections ahead of HIV and malaria as a global health threat. /news/2025-05-mirror-image-molecules-superbugs-infections.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 28 May 2025 11:52:00 EDT news667651914 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a scalable, non-viral technology that efficiently delivers genetic material into human immune cells. The platform, called Nanostraw Electro-actuated Transfection (NExT), uses tiny hollow nanostructures and electrical pulses to insert a wide variety of biomolecules—proteins, mRNA and gene-editing tools—into immune cells with high efficiency and minimal disruption. /news/2025-05-gene-delivery-nanostraws-electrical-pulses.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 22 May 2025 11:35:05 EDT news667132501 A research team led by Prof. Liu Xuanyong from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has introduced a pioneering antibacterial strategy that disrupts bacterial energy metabolism by interfering with proton and electron transfer in bacterial membranes. /news/2025-03-strategy-combats-implant-infections-starving.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 20 Mar 2025 14:03:04 EDT news661698182 Xolography is a novel light printing technique that has been explored for dental products and in-space manufacturing. At Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), this technique has now been adapted to 3D print living cells. This research can pave the way for 3D-printed kidneys and muscle tissue. The team pioneered the Xolography-based method to produce tiny structures with features as small as 20 µm—approximately the size of a human cell. /news/2025-02-xolography-based-method-enables-3d.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 27 Feb 2025 15:55:28 EST news659894124 Novel protein cage systems can control and visualize orientational changes in aromatic side chains upon ligand binding, as reported by researchers at the Institute of Science, Tokyo. By inducing coordinated molecular changes, this approach enables precise control over protein dynamics while also enhancing fluorescence properties. /news/2025-02-protein-cage-conformational-aromatic-side.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Feb 2025 11:10:06 EST news659877001 In a new study, scientists at UmeĂĄ University have found a way to break open the protective walls of pollen grains—one of the hardest biomaterials in the world—without damaging the inside cell and its components. /news/2025-02-scientists-toughest-biomaterials-clues-pollen.html Plants & Animals Cell & Microbiology Tue, 18 Feb 2025 12:56:03 EST news659105761 Synthetic biologists from Yale were able to re-write the genetic code of an organism—a novel genomically recoded organism (GRO) with one stop codon—using a cellular platform that they developed enabling the production of new classes of synthetic proteins. These synthetic proteins, researchers say, offer the promise of innumerable medical and industrial applications that can benefit society and human health. /news/2025-02-scientists-recode-genome-programmable-synthetic.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 06 Feb 2025 14:12:05 EST news658073521