Photosynthetic protein structure that harvests and traps infrared light
Scientists from the University of Sheffield have solved the structure of a photosynthetic protein to reveal how it converts near-infrared light into an electrical charge.
Apr 04, 2018
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Using water molecules to read electrical activity in lipid membranes
Every human cell is encased in a five-nanometer-thick lipid membrane that protects it from the surrounding environment. Like a gatekeeper, the membrane determines which ions and molecules can pass through. In so doing, it ...
Simulations document self-assembly of proteins and DNA
What makes particles self-assemble into complex biological structures? Often, this phenomenon is due to the competition between forces of attraction and repulsion, produced by electric charges in various sections of the particles. ...
Relativity matters: Two opposing views of the magnetic force reconciled
Current textbooks often refer to the Lorentz-Maxwell force governed by the electric charge. But they rarely refer to the extension of that theory required to explain the magnetic force on a point particle. For elementary ...
Team develops new semiconductor processing technology
Extremely fine porous structures with tiny holes, resembling a kind of sponge at nano level, can be generated in semiconductors. This opens up new possibilities for the realization of tiny sensors or unusual optical and electronic ...
Future electronics may ride on new three-in-one particle
"Trion" may sound like the name of one of the theoretical particles blamed for mucking up operations aboard the Starship Enterprise.
The first precise measurement of a single molecule's effective charge
For the first time, scientists have precisely measured the effective electrical charge of a single molecule in solution. This fundamental insight of an SNSF Professor could also pave the way for future medical diagnostics.
Highly charged molecules behave paradoxically
Chemistry researchers have now discovered how certain small biomolecules attach to one another. The researchers' study also overturns the standard picture – particles with the same electrical charge appear to be drawn together ...
'Air-breathing' battery could cut costs of renewable energy storage (Update)
Wind and solar power are increasingly popular sources for renewable energy. But intermittency issues keep them from connecting widely to the U.S. grid: They require energy-storage systems that, at the cheapest, run about ...
Researchers get straight to the heart of piezoelectric tissues
For years, scientists have wondered whether the heart and adjacent vessels might have evolved to be piezoelectric, meaning that the tissue can generate an electrical charge when squeezed. They thought that perhaps the heart ...
