/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, 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 The plastics industry is in flux, as there is an increasing push to replace petroleum-based materials with sustainable alternatives. But sustainability alone is not enough. Bio-based plastics need to be capable of more. /news/2025-10-faster-bio-based-functional-plastic.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 01 Oct 2025 11:34:05 EDT news678537242 When biomedical researchers need to test their latest ideas, they often turn to engineered human tissue that mimics the responses in our own bodies. It's become an important intermediary step before human clinical trials. /news/2025-09-nanotubes-blood-bioengineered-tissues.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Sep 2025 16:10:10 EDT news678379516 To explore possible treatments for various diseases, either animal models or human cell cultures are usually used first; however, animal models do not always mimic human diseases well, and cultures are far removed from tissue complexity. Advances in 3D printing, together with knowledge of biomaterials, are making it possible to recreate complex 3D tissue models in the laboratory. /news/2025-09-3d-bioprinting-advances-enable-creation.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:20:01 EDT news678377594 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 Cell walls don't just provide support and protection for plants—they're also packed with energy-rich biomaterials that could open new pathways for additional fuel, chemical, and material sources in the U.S. That's why biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory are untangling the complex genetic mechanisms that regulate these useful plant materials, known as biomass. /news/2025-09-biologists-larger-tougher-crops-fuel.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 03 Sep 2025 08:03:06 EDT news676105382 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 As the global population rises and environmental stressors pile up, the question of how to ensure food security for all grows increasingly pressing. A new study led by Tufts Research Technician, and incoming Ph.D. student, Edward B. Gordon and co-authored by Stern Family Professor David Kaplan explores a possible solution: Future foods made possible by advances in biomaterials and cellular agriculture. /news/2025-08-biomaterials-sustainable-path-future-foods.html Biotechnology Agriculture Tue, 12 Aug 2025 11:28:24 EDT news674216901 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 In a study published in the Gold Bulletin journal by a group of researchers from the Center for Applied Â鶹ÒùÔºics and Advanced Technology (CFATA) and National School of Higher Education (ENES), Leon, both from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico, proposes the use of glycan-targeting nanoparticles, namely gold nanoparticles encapsulated with Concanavalin A (lectin), for the detection of bacteria using label-free, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). /news/2025-08-bacterial-glycan-nanoparticles-raman-spectroscopy.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Wed, 06 Aug 2025 09:35:08 EDT news673691698 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 In a breakthrough for regenerative medicine, a new study from IMDEA Materials Institute researchers has demonstrated the potential of 3D-printed carbon microlattices as structurally tunable scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. /news/2025-07-3d-carbon-scaffolds-potential-bone.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Tue, 22 Jul 2025 11:00:09 EDT news672399718 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 Cell sheet preparation for use in tissue engineering and regenerative therapies could be significantly improved with the use of thermo-responsive polymer brushes, adjusted in length and density according to specific cell types. /news/2025-07-cell-sheet-production-efficiency-greatly.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Thu, 03 Jul 2025 13:23:04 EDT news670767782 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 Tiny sensors, similar to breathalyzers, could "sniff out" bacterial infections and detect antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in bodily fluids, says a team of engineers, microbiologists, and machine learning experts in an opinion paper published in Cell Biomaterials. Developing this technology could provide affordable and rapid diagnostic tests, which would improve treatment plans and help combat antibiotic resistance. /news/2025-07-chemical-sensors-breathalyzers-antibiotic-resistance.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:00:18 EDT news670605074