http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. Picture two charged particles in a vacuum. Thanks to laws of elementary electrostatics, we can easily calculate the force these particles exert upon one another, and therefore predict their movements. http://phys.org/news273323541.html Physics Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:12:31 EST news273323541 (Phys.org)—The United States could eliminate the need for crude oil by using a combination of coal, natural gas and non-food crops to make synthetic fuel, a team of Princeton researchers has found.  http://phys.org/news273316775.html Technology Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:19:47 EST news273316775 (Phys.org)—Using a biomass-derived solvent, University of Wisconsin-Madison chemical and biological engineers have streamlined the process for converting lignocellulosic biomass into high-demand chemicals or energy-dense liquid transportation fuel. http://phys.org/news272015411.html Chemistry Tue, 13 Nov 2012 07:50:36 EST news272015411 Slimy layers of bacterial growth, known as biofilms, pose a significant hazard in industrial and medical settings. Once established, biofilms are very difficult to remove, and a great deal of research has gone into figuring out how to prevent and eradicate them. http://phys.org/news271611950.html Biology Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:45:59 EST news271611950 (Phys.org)—Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed an ultrasensitive method for detecting sugar molecules – or glycans – coming from living organisms, a breakthrough that will make possible a more detailed understanding of cellular functions than either genetic or proteomic (the study of proteins) information can provide. The researchers hope the new technique will revolutionize the study of glycans, which has been hampered by an inability to easily detect and identify minute quantities of these molecules. http://phys.org/news270991315.html Chemistry Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:22:07 EST news270991315 Using genes as interchangeable parts, synthetic biologists design cellular circuits that can perform new functions, such as sensing environmental conditions. However, the complexity that can be achieved in such circuits has been limited by a critical bottleneck: the difficulty in assembling genetic components that don't interfere with each other. http://phys.org/news268899081.html Biology Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:11:38 EST news268899081 (Phys.org)—If you were a bacterium, the virus M13 might seem innocuous enough. It insinuates more than it invades, setting up shop like a freeloading houseguest, not a killer. Once inside it makes itself at home, eating your food, texting indiscriminately. Recently, however, bioengineers at Stanford University have given M13 a bit of a makeover. http://phys.org/news267957748.html Biology Thu, 27 Sep 2012 09:42:56 EST news267957748 With cyanobacteria, carbon dioxide and sunlight, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers aims to create a sustainable alternative source of commodity chemicals currently derived from an ever-decreasing supply of fossil fuels. http://phys.org/news265019337.html Chemistry Fri, 24 Aug 2012 09:30:14 EST news265019337 It's a longstanding question in biology: How do cells know when to progress through the cell cycle? In simple organisms such as yeast, cells divide once they reach a specific size. However, determining if this holds true for mammalian cells has been difficult, in part because there has been no good way to measure mammalian cell growth over time. http://phys.org/news263384805.html Biology Sun, 05 Aug 2012 13:00:07 EST news263384805 Toxic chemicals wreak havoc on cells, damaging DNA and other critical molecules. A new study from researchers at MIT and the University at Albany reveals how a molecular emergency-response system shifts the cell into damage-control mode and helps it survive such attacks by rapidly producing proteins that counteract the harm. http://phys.org/news260533134.html Biology Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:19:01 EST news260533134 Better marketing tactics may lead to improved safety in one of the nation's most dangerous occupations -- farming, according to Penn State researchers. http://phys.org/news258716435.html Other Sciences Tue, 12 Jun 2012 10:40:41 EST news258716435 Taking their cue from the humble leaf, researchers have used microscopic folds on the surface of photovoltaic material to significantly increase the power output of flexible, low-cost solar cells. http://phys.org/news254747162.html Physics Fri, 27 Apr 2012 12:06:21 EST news254747162 (PhysOrg.com) -- Chemical additives that help agricultural pesticides adhere to their targets during spraying can lead to formation of smaller "satellite" droplets that cause those pesticides to drift into unwanted areas, Purdue University researchers have found. http://phys.org/news251462668.html Physics Tue, 20 Mar 2012 11:44:44 EST news251462668 A new study led by nanotechnology and biotechnology experts at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is providing important details on how proteins in our bodies interact with nanomaterials. In their new study, published in the Feb. 2 online edition of the journal Nano Letters, the researchers developed a new tool to determine the orientation of proteins on different nanostructures. The discovery is a key step in the effort to control the orientation, structure, and function of proteins in the body using nanomaterials. http://phys.org/news249147790.html Nanotechnology Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:43:17 EST news249147790 Research into biofuel crops such as switchgrass and Miscanthus has focused mainly on how to grow these crops and convert them into fuels. But many steps lead from the farm to the biorefinery, and each could help or hinder the growth of this new industry. A new computer model developed at the University of Illinois can simplify this transition, researchers say. The model can run millions of simulations, optimizing operations to bring down costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions or achieve other goals. http://phys.org/news246034031.html Technology Tue, 17 Jan 2012 15:02:06 EST news246034031 Physicist Richard Feynman in his famous 1959 talk, "Plenty of Room at the Bottom," described the precise control at the atomic level promised by molecular machines of the future. More than 50 years later, synthetic molecular switches are a dime a dozen, but synthetically designed molecular machines are few and far between. http://phys.org/news241443385.html Chemistry Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:36:34 EST news241443385 Purdue University scientists have developed a method for stacking synthetic DNA and carbon nanotubes onto a biosensor electrode, a development that may lead to more accurate measurements for research related to diabetes and other diseases. http://phys.org/news240575990.html Nanotechnology Tue, 15 Nov 2011 11:30:01 EST news240575990 Imagine a cellphone battery that stayed charged for more than a week and recharged in just 15 minutes. That dream battery could be closer to reality thanks to Northwestern University research. http://phys.org/news240508592.html Chemistry Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:56:40 EST news240508592 (PhysOrg.com) -- Porous crystals called metal-organic frameworks, with their nanoscopic pores and incredibly high surface areas, are excellent materials for natural gas storage. But with millions of different structures possible, where does one focus? http://phys.org/news239806381.html Chemistry Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:00:05 EST news239806381 (PhysOrg.com) -- Not all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn't be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say Purdue University researchers. http://phys.org/news238768136.html Biology Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:29:09 EST news238768136 Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a new nanomaterial that can "steer" electrical currents. The development could lead to a computer that can simply reconfigure its internal wiring and become an entirely different device, based on changing needs. http://phys.org/news237980098.html Nanotechnology Sun, 16 Oct 2011 13:00:13 EST news237980098 What if you could trace the history of everything you buy back to its origins? Using your smart phone camera, you could learn what factory made the ingredients in your heart medication, what country grew the corn in your breakfast cereal, or even how to recycle the phone. You could follow the whole life cycle of a product and everyone who handled it along the way to ensure that the medicine you're taking isn't counterfeit and the food you're eating is safe. http://phys.org/news237734629.html Technology Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:23:56 EST news237734629 (PhysOrg.com) -- Purdue University researchers have found an alternative environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way to dry corn ethanol, and their proof is in the pudding. http://phys.org/news235198760.html Chemistry Wed, 14 Sep 2011 05:59:48 EST news235198760 Adding a pretreatment step would allow producers to get more ethanol from switchgrass harvested in the fall, according to a Purdue University study. http://phys.org/news234014482.html Biology Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:01:36 EST news234014482 A software program developed by a Penn State synthetic biologist could provide biotechnology companies with genetic plans to help them turn bacteria into molecular factories, capable of producing everything from biofuels to medicine. http://phys.org/news230463414.html Biology Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:37:26 EST news230463414 There will be some very interesting passengers on the final mission of the NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis scheduled to launch July 8, 2011: thousands of bacteria. http://phys.org/news228122082.html Biology Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:15:28 EST news228122082 (PhysOrg.com) -- In the computer displays of medical equipment in hospitals and clinics, liquid crystal technologies have already found a major role. But a discovery reported from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that micrometer-sized droplets of liquid crystal, which have been found to change their ordering and optical appearance in response to the presence of very low concentrations of a particular bacterial lipid, might find new uses in a range of biological contexts. http://phys.org/news225032217.html Chemistry Thu, 19 May 2011 14:00:01 EST news225032217 Any time Emilia Czyszczon gets bogged down in her biological engineering studies - any time she considers taking the easy route on an assignment - she thinks about her father. http://phys.org/news223575974.html Biology Mon, 02 May 2011 17:30:19 EST news223575974 Biological systems, including cells, tissues and organs, can function properly only when their parts are working in harmony. These systems are often dauntingly complex: Inside a single cell, thousands of proteins interact with each other to determine how the cell will develop and respond to its environment. http://phys.org/news220102323.html Biology Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:10:01 EST news220102323 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology are trying to get proteins to create the sticky plaque often associated with neurological diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and even Mad Cow. If successful, the study would better equip researchers to prevent or find a cure for these diseases. http://phys.org/news219404198.html Biology Tue, 15 Mar 2011 10:37:18 EST news219404198