News by Subject Chemistry & Physics

Researchers found that embryonic stem cells commit to a cell fate far more rapidly than anticipated.

Scientists studying plant biochemistry at the US Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory recently made a surprising discovery: They found that a protein that turns on oil synthesis also activates a protein that puts the brakes on the same process. In a paper just published in the journal Plant Physiology, they describe how this seemingly paradoxical system keeps oil precursors perfectly balanced to meet plants' needs.

A team of researchers from McMaster University has mapped at atomic resolution a toxic protein linked to Alzheimer's disease, allowing them to better understand what is happening deep within the brain during the earliest stages of the disease.

From effective medicines to molecular sensors to fuel cells, metal clusters are becoming fundamentally useful in the health, environment, and energy sectors. This diverse functionality of clusters arises from the variability in size and type. Professor Yuichi Negishi, from Tokyo University of Science, adds to this ongoing tale by explaining the dynamics of the metal cluster, thiolate-protected gold-silver alloy, in solution; this helps in understanding the stability, geometry, and tenability of these clusters for their applications.

Purdue University researchers are using graphene to help people with neurological diseases who use implantable devices.