Conformation & topology as a research area investigates the three-dimensional arrangements and spatial organization of atoms, molecules, and macromolecular assemblies, and how these geometric and topological features govern physical, chemical, and biological behavior. It encompasses conformational analysis of flexible molecules, energy landscapes, and transition pathways, as well as topological descriptors such as knots, links, and entanglements in polymers, proteins, nucleic acids, and materials. The field integrates theoretical models, computational simulations, and experimental techniques (e.g., spectroscopy, scattering, single-molecule methods) to relate structural ensembles and topological invariants to function, dynamics, stability, and self-assembly across molecular and supramolecular systems.
Can insights from topology—the study of the properties of 3D objects that persist when an object is stretched or compressed—be applied in the field of quantum information processing? Juan Lin, Shou-Bang Yang, Fan Wu, and ...
Quantum Physics
Dec 4, 2024
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74
An optical lattice clock is a type of atomic clock that can be 100 times more accurate than cesium atomic clocks, the current standard for defining "seconds." Its precision is equivalent to an error of approximately one second ...
Optics & Photonics
Dec 2, 2024
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50
When water freezes slowly, the location where water turns into ice—known as the freezing front—forms a straight line. Researchers from the University of Twente showed how droplets that interact with such a freezing front ...
General Physics
Nov 25, 2024
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50
A toothpaste-based transistor is the latest innovation from the research team at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT-Italian Institute of Technology) in Milan, which pushes the boundaries of edible electronics. This ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 26, 2024
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96
The fabric of spacetime is roiling with vibrating quantum fields, known as vacuum energy. It's right there, everywhere we look. But could we ever get anything out of it?
Quantum Physics
Aug 23, 2024
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287
A search for "air fryer recipe" on most social media platforms likely returns a flood of food videos touting quick and easy meal ideas. The market touts these devices as a convenient, clean, quick way to heat and crispen ...
General Physics
Jul 24, 2024
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201
Optical microscopes are indispensable research tools in fields such as life sciences, medical science, and materials science. The objective lens is the core component of the microscope, determining two key parameters of microscopic ...
Optics & Photonics
Jun 14, 2024
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81
University of Michigan physicists have devised a way to manipulate active fluids, a type of fluid composed of individual units that can propel themselves independently, by taking advantage of topological defects in the fluids.
General Physics
May 22, 2024
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192
Nature is filled with extraordinarily precise molecular shapes that fit together like a hand in glove. Proteins, for example, can assemble into a wide variety of well-defined shapes that grant them their function.
Bio & Medicine
May 10, 2024
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216
Magnetic and electric dipoles, objects with two oppositely charged ends, have a similar symmetrical structure. One might thus assume that they exhibit similar internal structures and physical states.
