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Biochemistry Sep 16, 2026

Why you really shouldn't overcook your proteins

The development of cooking was a major milestone in the evolution of human civilization because it made food easier to digest and more energy-efficient. Heating food can also kill harmful pathogens and make certain foods ...

Biochemistry Sep 16, 2026

Without bacteria or chemicals: How methanol and formaldehyde form abiotically in nature

The biopolymer lignin—one of the most important carbon reservoirs in plants and soils—not only decays through fungi or bacteria but can also be chemically attacked by iron linked to reactive oxygen species, without the involvement ...

Analytical Chemistry Sep 16, 2026

Spring-like porous crystals could enable chemically responsive microscale materials

Crystals are usually imagined as rigid objects with flat faces and straight edges. A research team led by the University of Osaka has recently created a porous crystal that grows into a spring-like helix. The team also found ...

Plants & Animals Sep 16, 2026

Pufferfish taste receptor more versatile than a human's, detecting both savory L- and sweet D-amino acids

Our sense of taste is critical for survival, alerting us to substances that provide vital nutrients and those that might poison us. Now, a team led by researchers from the University of Osaka has discovered how one such taste ...

Molecular & Computational biology Sep 15, 2026

A new mechanism for reading extra-long genes in neurons

Neurons in humans and other mammals express many exceptionally long genes, ranging from more than 100 kbp to more than 2 Mbp, that are important for forming synapses and neural circuits. In general, genetic information is ...

Astronomy Sep 15, 2026

Webb reveals dynamic panorama of star formation, including smallest known brown dwarfs

This starry view of the nearby star-forming region IC 348 is one of the largest images released to date from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. Using Webb, astronomers searched IC 348 for brown dwarfs, which are less massive ...

Analytical Chemistry Sep 15, 2026

Adaptive crystal can selectively capture CO₂ and recognize similar molecules

Chemical separation can be energy-intensive when molecules have similar sizes and properties. Researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Japan, have now developed an interlayer adaptive crystal that changes its spacing ...

Earth Sciences Sep 15, 2026

Great Salt Lake's ancient past reveals how quickly fresh water can disappear

From a mountainside overlooking Utah's Great Salt Lake, a time traveler turning back the clock 20,000 years would watch a dramatic transformation of the landscape. The shallow, salty lake below would swell into an immense ...

Cell & Microbiology Sep 15, 2026

Heat-stable enzyme from deep-sea microbe turns nitrogen gas into ammonia

Microorganisms can do remarkable things—for example, nitrogen fixation, the conversion of nitrogen gas (N₂) into a form that organisms can use. Although nitrogen gas makes up around 78% of Earth's atmosphere, plants and animals ...

Cell & Microbiology Sep 15, 2026

Avoiding a sticky situation: How cells stop messenger RNAs from clumping together

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is best known for carrying genetic instructions from DNA to the cellular machinery that makes proteins. But all RNA molecules have another, less appreciated property: They are naturally sticky.

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