RIKEN researchers have determined the molecular structure of an enzyme that occurs in fish. This could shed light on molecular processes in a wide range of marine organisms. The work is published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry.
The task of gently transporting a microscopic particle from one point to another along a winding path, and then bringing it back using nothing more than a single, compact chip is a challenge we set out to address in our new study, now published in Nature Communications.
As the U.S. and other countries expand clean energy, large hydropower dams, often seen as a reliable renewable solution, can come with significant environmental and social costs if not planned thoughtfully.
One of the first steps in addressing health concerns is measurement. For firefighters, one health concern is that their gear commonly contains per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down naturally in the environment. Since 2021, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have been systematically measuring PFAS concentrations in firefighter equipment.
People in low-performing organizations are more likely to look to others working elsewhere to access new knowledge and practices, a new study shows. Those in high performing organizations are more likely to search for help from colleagues. The research in Public Management Review suggests that low-performing, risk-tolerant organizations could benefit most from searching across boundaries for new knowledge. High-performing, risk-averse organizations could benefit from internal searches to refine existing routines.
A microscopic "plant destroyer" not only helped trigger one of the deadliest famines in modern history but also reshaped global agriculture and gave birth to an entirely new scientific discipline. Now, nearly 180 years after the Irish Potato Famine devastated Ireland and altered the course of human history, researchers are tracing the remarkable scientific journey of the organism behind it: Phytophthora infestans and the larger genus, Phytophthora.
Researchers at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures have conducted high-resolution investigations of the so-called cyanosphere, the "housing community" of cyanobacteria. The focus was on identifying previously unknown associated bacteria that play a crucial role in the vitality of the cyanobacteria. Particular attention was paid to a newly discovered myxobacterium capable of performing photosynthesis. The researchers led by Prof. Dr. Jörn Petersen from the Department of Microorganisms at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ published their findings in Environmental Microbiology Reports and ISME Communications.
British chemists David Klenerman and Shankar Balasubramanian joined French biophysicist Pascal Mayer in winning Spain's top science award on Wednesday for DNA sequencing research that helped combat coronavirus.
The selective conversion of alkenes into alcohols is a cornerstone of modern chemical synthesis, underpinning the production of pharmaceuticals, functional materials, and fine chemicals. However, conventional acid-catalyzed hydration reactions typically follow Markovnikov's rule, yielding secondary or tertiary alcohols. Achieving the complementary anti-Markovnikov hydration, where water adds to form primary alcohols, has long remained a challenge in organic chemistry. Although photocatalytic strategies have emerged as promising alternatives, they are limited only to activated substrates, leaving a significant gap in practical and sustainable solutions.
An international research team led by National Taiwan University has developed a new analytical framework based on Empirical Dynamic Modeling. This framework can quantify how response diversity varies over time using time-series data. Published in Nature Communications, the study offers the first direct empirical evidence that greater response diversity helps stabilize total community biomass. This breakthrough addresses a longstanding methodological challenge in ecology: measuring the response diversity of natural communities solely from observational data.
