Synthetic cells used to bioengineer new forms of silica

(Phys.org) -- Scientists do not fully understand how nature uses proteins to develop new materials and minerals, but learning more about the natural processes could lead to bioengineering methods such as the biological synthesis ...

A phone with the ultimate macro feature

If you thought scanning one of those strange, square QR codes with your phone was somewhat advanced, hold on to your seat. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have recently developed a device that ...

Clamshell-shaped protein puts the 'jump' in 'jumping genes'

Scientists at Johns Hopkins report they have deciphered the structure and unusual shape of a bacterial protein that prepares segments of DNA for the insertion of so-called jumping genes. The clamshell shape, they say, has ...

Genetic key to salt-tolerance discovered in tilapia fish

Most fish live either in fresh water or salt water, but others, including tilapia, have the remarkable ability to physiologically adjust to varying salinity levels—a trait that may be critically important as climate change ...

Researchers discover unique DNA editing function

A species of unicellular ciliate has found a special trick to make use of the cellular machinery in seemingly impossible ways. Researchers at the University of Bern have for the first time described a mechanism in detail ...

page 2 from 4