‘Silent code’ of nucleotides, not amino acids, determines functions of vital proteins
Humans possess six forms of the protein actin, which perform essential functions in the body. Two in particular, β-actin and γ-actin, are nearly identical,...
New lithium-rich battery could last much longer
On paper, it doesn't seem like Christopher Wolverton's super lithium-rich battery should work. For one, the novel battery uses iron, an inexpensive metal that...
Engineers make wearable sensors for plants, enabling measurements of water use in crops
Iowa State University plant scientist Patrick Schnable quickly described how he measured the time it takes for two kinds of corn plants to move...
Which came first – Complex life or high atmospheric oxygen?
We and all other animals wouldn't be here today if our planet didn't have a lot of oxygen in its atmosphere and oceans. But...
Physicists build muscle for shape-changing, cell-sized robots
An electricity-conducting, environment-sensing, shape-changing machine the size of a human cell? Is that even possible?
Cornell University physicists Paul McEuen and Itai Cohen not only...
Scientists design bacteria to reflect ‘sonar’ signals for ultrasound imaging
In the 1966 science fiction film Fantastic Voyage, a submarine is shrunken down and injected into a scientist's body to repair a blood clot...
A new population of ancient Native Americans
Genetic analysis of ancient DNA from a 6-week-old infant found at an Interior Alaska archaeological site has revealed a previously unknown population of ancient...
Alcohol damages DNA and increases cancer risk
Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer, according to research part-funded...
Four-dimensional physics in two dimensions
For the first time, physicists have built a two-dimensional experimental system that allows them to study the physical properties of materials that were theorized...
Alien megastructure not the cause of dimming of the ‘most mysterious star in the...
A team of more than 200 researchers, including Penn State Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics Assistant Professor Jason Wright and led by Louisiana State...
Scientists find surprising evidence of rapid changes in the Arctic
Scientists have found surprising evidence of rapid climate change in the Arctic: In the middle of the Arctic Ocean near the North Pole, they...
