Detailed image shows how genomes are copied
For the first time, researchers at Umeå University have succeeded in showing how the DNA polymerase epsilon enzyme builds new genomes. The detailed image produced by these researchers shows how...
View ArticleKoalas' low-pitched voice explained by unique organ
The pitch of male koalas' mating calls is about 20 times lower than it should be, given the Australian marsupial's relatively small size. Now, researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current...
View ArticleMicroplastics make marine worms sick
Tiny bits of plastic trash could spell big trouble for marine life, starting with the worms, say a team of researchers from Plymouth University and the University of Exeter who report their evidence in...
View ArticleNanorobot for transporting drugs in the body
A nanorobot is a popular term for molecules with a unique property that enables them to be programmed to carry out a specific task. In collaboration with colleagues in Italy and the USA, researchers at...
View ArticleUncovering hidden structures in massive data collections
(Phys.org) —Advances in computer storage have created collections of data so huge that researchers often have trouble uncovering critical patterns in connections among individual items, making it...
View ArticleInvisibility cloak hides parts of objects, leaves other parts visible
(Phys.org) —When Harry Potter walks around with a visible head but an invisible body, the performance seems strongly rooted in fantasy. But in a new study, scientists have designed and fabricated an...
View ArticleAmplifying our vision of the infinitely small
Richard Martel and his research team at the Department of Chemistry of the Université de Montréal have discovered a method to improve detection of the infinitely small. Their discovery is presented in...
View ArticleWhen aluminum outshines gold: Research details aluminum's valuable plasmonic...
(Phys.org) —Humble aluminum's plasmonic properties may make it far more valuable than gold and silver for certain applications, according to new research by Rice University scientists.
View ArticleProcess holds promise for production of synthetic gasoline
A chemical system developed by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago can efficiently perform the first step in the process of creating syngas, gasoline and other energy-rich products out...
View ArticleDifficult dance steps: Team learns how membrane transporter moves
(Phys.org) —Researchers have tried for decades to understand the undulations and gyrations that allow transport proteins to shuttle molecules from one side of a cell membrane to the other. Now...
View ArticleNew algorithm finds you, even in untagged photos
A new algorithm designed at the University of Toronto has the power to profoundly change the way we find photos among the billions on social media sites such as Facebook and Flickr. This month, the...
View ArticleArctic study shows key marine food web species at risk from increasing carbon...
A research expedition to the Arctic, as part of the Catlin Arctic Survey, has revealed that tiny crustaceans, known as copepods, that live just beneath the ocean surface are likely to battle for...
View ArticleResearchers revise Darwin's thinking on invasive species
For more than a century and a half, researchers interested in invasive species have looked to Charles Darwin and what has come to be called his "naturalization conundrum." If an invader is closely...
View ArticleEngineers show how to optimize carbon nanotube arrays for use in hot spots
When engineers design devices, they must often join together two materials that expand and contract at different rates as temperatures change. Such thermal differences can cause problems if, for...
View ArticleSecrets to 'extreme adaptation' found in Burmese python genome
The Burmese python's ability to ramp up its metabolism and enlarge its organs to swallow and digest prey whole can be traced to unusually rapid evolution and specialized adaptations of its genes and...
View ArticleHow bacteria respond so quickly to external changes
Understanding how bacteria adapt so quickly to changes in their external environment with continued high growth rates is one of the major research challenges in molecular microbiology. This is...
View ArticleCulling vampire bats to stem rabies in Latin America can backfire
Culling vampire bat colonies to stem the transmission of rabies in Latin America does little to slow the spread of the virus and could even have the reverse effect, according to University of Michigan...
View ArticleBeak evolution in some dinosaurs likely associated with diet, not flight,...
Beaks are a typical hallmark of modern birds and can be found in a huge variety of forms and shapes. However, it is less well known that keratin-covered beaks had already evolved in different groups of...
View ArticleGift Guide: Plenty of laptops, even on budgets
There's no shortage of laptop computers to pick from this holiday season, even for shoppers on tight budgets. A Chromebook optimized to run Google's Internet services can be bought for as little as...
View ArticleNASA investigating the life of Comet ISON
After several days of continued observations, scientists continue to work to determine and to understand the fate of Comet ISON: There's no doubt that the comet shrank in size considerably as it...
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