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. A team of researchers at the University of Helsinki has discovered how indoor mould makes people sick. The only remedy is to heal the living environment. http://phys.org/news269504539.html Biology Mon, 15 Oct 2012 07:22:30 EST news269504539 (Phys.org)—The human body is proficient at making collagen. And human laboratories are getting better at it all the time. http://phys.org/news267798452.html Chemistry Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:28:01 EST news267798452 (Phys.org)—Glass is strong enough for so much: windshields, buildings and many other things that need to handle high stress without breaking. But scientists who look at the structure of glass strictly by the numbers believe some of the latest methods from the microelectronics and nanotechnology industry could produce glass that's about twice as strong as the best available today. http://phys.org/news267429090.html Physics Fri, 21 Sep 2012 06:56:30 EST news267429090 An elaborate system of leads spreads across our hearts. These leads – the heart's electrical system – control our pulse and coordinate contraction of the heart chambers. While the structure of the human heart has been known for a long time, the evolutionary origin of our conduction system has nevertheless remained a mystery. Researchers have finally succeeded in showing that the spongy tissue in reptile hearts is the forerunner of the complex hearts of both birds and mammals. The new knowledge provides a deeper understanding of the complex conductive tissue of the human heart, which is of key importance in many heart conditions. http://phys.org/news266837545.html Biology Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:32:36 EST news266837545 A team of researchers in Singapore has determined the structure of a pair of proteins that may play an important role in tumor growth and the progression of cancer. The proteins, Vestigial (Vg) and Scalloped (Sd), normally control wing development in fruit flies, but the team found they show a remarkable structural and functional similarity to the cancer-promoting proteins called YAP and TAZ. http://phys.org/news266658464.html Biology Wed, 12 Sep 2012 09:00:12 EST news266658464 The likelihood of becoming seriously ill from cholera depends on your blood group. It is possible to find a new remedy for the feared illness by studying the molecular structure in the toxin in the cholera bacteria. http://phys.org/news265297581.html Chemistry Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:46:33 EST news265297581 A phenomenon first observed by an ancient Greek philosopher 2,300 years ago has become the basis for a new device designed to harvest the enormous amounts of energy wasted as heat each year to produce electricity. The first-of-its-kind "pyroelectric nanogenerator" is the topic of a report in ACS' journal Nano Letters. http://phys.org/news258813997.html Nanotechnology Wed, 13 Jun 2012 14:20:01 EST news258813997 (Phys.org) -- One of the fundamental building blocks in modern chemistry, an organometallic chemical compound called ferrocene, has never been structurally defined - until now. http://phys.org/news257153134.html Chemistry Fri, 25 May 2012 08:26:36 EST news257153134 (Phys.org) -- As the interface between the cell and its environment, the cell membrane, which consists of fats and proteins, fulfils a variety of vital functions. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried near Munich have performed the first comprehensive analysis of the molecular structure of this boundary layer, and revealed precisely how it is organised. In yeast cells, the entire membrane is made up of independent domains, each containing just one or a few protein types. If a protein is relocated to an inappropriate domain, it may even fail to function. The study shows that the membrane is a kind of patchwork quilt and should help scientists to gain a better understanding of basic cellular processes. http://phys.org/news255409608.html Biology Sat, 05 May 2012 04:30:02 EST news255409608 A process that spins starch into fine strands could take the sting out of removing bandages, as well as produce less expensive and more environmentally-friendly toilet paper, napkins and other products, according to Penn State food scientists. http://phys.org/news255085939.html Chemistry Tue, 01 May 2012 10:12:49 EST news255085939 A team of scientists from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has made a novel discovery regarding the molecular structure of a protein that plays a crucial regulatory role in the “autophagy” cellular process. This breakthrough has paved the way for researchers to target “autophagy” for potential treatment of cancer and other diseases. http://phys.org/news252318112.html Biology Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:22:02 EST news252318112 (PhysOrg.com) -- Some physicists today are investigating the possibility of using molecular magnets as information storage units in future quantum computers. Molecular magnets are molecules whose magnetic moments prefer to lie along a particular axis with respect to the molecular structure. They have electron spin structures that can be magnetically tuned to more than one state and, at low temperatures, can retain this state even in the absence of a magnetic field, potentially allowing them to store information. http://phys.org/news251539205.html Physics Wed, 21 Mar 2012 10:10:01 EST news251539205 In 2007, a controversial pesticide was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use on fruit and vegetable crops, mainly in California and Florida. Farm workers and scientists protested the approval of the pesticide because its active ingredient, methyl iodide, is a known carcinogen. Now, MU researchers are studying the molecular structure of the pesticide to determine if the product could be made more efficient and safer for those living near, and working in, treated fields. http://phys.org/news249740212.html Chemistry Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:17:05 EST news249740212 (PhysOrg.com) -- Some 125 million years ago--more recently than once thought possible -- the molecular structure of the modern feather began to take form, according to molecular dating research by scientists at the University of South Carolina. http://phys.org/news247825617.html Biology Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:00:01 EST news247825617 Scientists have shed new light on the way superbugs such as MRSA are able to become resistant to treatment with antibiotics. http://phys.org/news247228037.html Chemistry Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:27:56 EST news247228037 A recent Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) study published in the journal Science investigating the molecular structure and function of an essential plant hormone could profoundly change our understanding of a key cell process, and might ultimately lead to the development of new drugs for a variety of diseases. http://phys.org/news246561785.html Biology Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:23:16 EST news246561785 Researchers from Hull, Bristol and Frankfurt have shown that a new technique for identifying molecular structure can be used effectively on small samples of biological proteins, particularly proteins that are targeted for drug development. http://phys.org/news240487474.html Chemistry Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:04:46 EST news240487474 Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria (Bt toxins) are used in organic and conventional farming to manage pest insects. Sprayed as pesticides or produced in genetically modified plants, Bt toxins, used in pest control since 1938, minimize herbivory in crops, such as vegetables, maize or cotton. Since 1996, Bt producing transgenic crops have been grown, which successfully control pests like the European corn borer, the tobacco budworm, the Western corn rootworm, and the cotton bollworm. Over the years, Bt resistant insects have emerged in organic and conventional farming. Scientists have therefore modified the molecular structure of two Bt toxins, Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac, in order to overcome resistance. The novel toxins, Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod, are effective against five resistant insect species, such as the diamondback moth, the cotton bollworm, and the European corn borer. Cry1AbMod and Cry1AcMod can be used alone or in combination with other Bt toxins for plant protection. http://phys.org/news238239200.html Biology Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:50:01 EST news238239200 (PhysOrg.com) -- Crystals and ceramics pale when compared to a material researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered that has 10 times their piezoelectric effect, making it suitable for perhaps hundreds of everyday uses. http://phys.org/news235975871.html Chemistry Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:52:19 EST news235975871 (PhysOrg.com) -- Solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity could be a widely used renewable energy source. Getting to that point, though, requires breakthroughs in their cost and their efficiency at turning sunbeams into electric current. Neutron scattering experiments conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are helping solar cell makers obtain the hard data they need to refine their materials and manufacturing processes. http://phys.org/news234165661.html Chemistry Fri, 02 Sep 2011 07:01:26 EST news234165661 As it turns out, humans aren't the only organisms that turn to caffeine for a pick-me-up. University of Iowa scientists have identified four different bacteria that actually can live on caffeine. http://phys.org/news226675354.html Biology Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:23:34 EST news226675354 (PhysOrg.com) -- Using bacteria to generate energy is a signifiant step closer following a breakthrough discovery by scientists from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia. http://phys.org/news226140823.html Biology Wed, 01 Jun 2011 09:54:14 EST news226140823 Using bacteria to generate energy is a signifiant step closer following a breakthrough discovery by scientists at the University of East Anglia. http://phys.org/news225373141.html Biology Mon, 23 May 2011 15:00:01 EST news225373141 The structures of many protein molecules remain unsolved even after experts apply an extensive array of approaches. An international collaboration has led to a new, high-performance method that rapidly determined the structure of protein molecules in several cases where previous methods had failed. http://phys.org/news223475548.html Biology Sun, 01 May 2011 13:32:49 EST news223475548 By successfully changing the spin of a molecule, researchers have been able to perform an on/off operation for a molecular magnet. Such reversible switching paves the way for single molecule memory. http://phys.org/news220625439.html Physics Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:50:55 EST news220625439 Shining a laser light on cells and then clicking off the light makes the cells "breathe in" surrounding water, providing a potentially powerful delivery system for chemotherapy drugs, as well as a non-invasive way to target anti-Alzheimer's medicines to the brain. That's the conclusion of a report in ACS's The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. http://phys.org/news219496352.html Nanotechnology Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:12:54 EST news219496352 Designer drugs, modified to get around tight controls, are being produced in growing numbers and at an ever-faster pace, drugs monitoring agency INCB warned in its annual report Wednesday. http://phys.org/news218282186.html Medicine & Health Wed, 02 Mar 2011 11:00:01 EST news218282186 Scientists now have a better understanding of why spider silk fibers are so incredibly strong. Recent research, published by Cell Press on February 15th in Biophysical Journal, describes the architecture of silk fibers from the atomic level up and reveals new information about the molecular structure that underlies the amazing mechanical characteristics of this fascinating natural material. http://phys.org/news218205786.html Physics Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:43:14 EST news218205786 Scientists are reporting that variants of a drug already approved for treating multiple sclerosis show promise as a long sought treatment for victims of bioterrorist attack with botulinum neurotoxin -- which is 10,000 times deadlier than cyanide and the most poisonous substance known to man. The potential drugs also could be useful in treating other forms of botulism poisoning as well as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis, they say in an article in ACS Chemical Biology. http://phys.org/news209221621.html Chemistry Wed, 17 Nov 2010 13:07:18 EST news209221621 Using state-of-the-art robotic and x-ray crystallographic equipment, researchers at Saint Louis University have revealed for the first time the molecular structure of the zymogen, or inactive, form of a blood-clotting enzyme. http://phys.org/news207910369.html Chemistry Tue, 02 Nov 2010 10:30:01 EST news207910369