Snail mucus yields natural adhesive for wound healing

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Land snails and their mucus were used in ancient times by Hippocrates and Pliny to treat pain associated with burns, abscesses and other wounds. Inspired by this ancient therapy, Prof. Wu Mingyi and his team at the Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences identified a natural biological adhesive from snail secretions, evaluated its in vitro adhesion properties and studied its in vivo effects on wound healing.

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Structure of amyloid protein offers clues to rare disease cause

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Researchers at the UAB have determined the structure of amyloid fibers formed by the protein hnRNPDL-2, implicated in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 3, using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). They have concluded that the inability of the protein to form amyloid fibers, and not aggregation, would be the cause of the disease. This is the first amyloid structure determined at high resolution by a Spanish research team. Read Full Article Here

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Stuck in the rough: How aging reactor walls may exhibit lower erosion

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As plasma circulates in a fusion device, the surface of the device that faces the plasma erodes. This releases particles of surface material. Most erosion occurs through a process called sputtering, where a particle strikes a surface and results in the ejection of atoms from that surface. The number of atoms eroded for each incident particle, known as the sputtering yield, varies depending on the angle at which the incident particle contacts the surface.

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Two/quasi-two-dimensional perovskite-based heterostructures: Construction, properties and applications

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Van der Waals heterostructures integrated from various two-dimensional (2D) layered materials provide fundamental building blocks for optoelectronic devices with novel functionalities, such as photovoltaic solar cells, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodetectors. Two-dimensional and quasi-two-dimensional perovskites (abbreviated as 2D perovskites hereafter) exhibit unique properties, such as large exciton binding energy, high photoluminescence quantum efficiency, large oscillator strengths and long carrier diffusion length, and thus are emerging candidates for next-generation optoelectronic devices.

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Using diamonds to generate ultrashort THz pulses

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The advent of intense ultrashort coherent light pulses has revolutionized the spectroscopy field. They allow easy observation of various nonlinear optical effects and facilitate the characterization of materials with nonlinear optical spectroscopy. Additionally, they provide a means for strong selective excitation of materials and optical manipulation of material structure, and enhance properties such as optical-field-induced ferroelectricity, and superconductivity. They have also created the vibrant field of ultrafast dynamics of low-frequency excitations in materials.

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A machine-learning tool that classifies catalytic reactions based on simulated kinetic signatures

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A pair of chemists at the University of Manchester has developed a machine-learning tool that can be used to classify reactions based on simulated kinetic signatures of reactions. In their paper published in the journal Nature, Jordi Burés and Igor Larrosa describe combining two deep-learning algorithms to create a system that could speed up the process of new design reactions. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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A precise X-ray thermometer for warm dense matter

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Warm dense matter (WDM) measures thousands of degrees in temperature and is under the pressure of thousands of Earth’s atmospheres. Found in many places throughout the universe, it is expected to have beneficial applications on Earth. However, its investigation is a challenge. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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An ultra-stable protein nanowire made by electric bacteria provides clues to combating climate change

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Accelerated climate change is a major and acute threat to life on Earth. Rising temperatures are caused by microbes producing 50% of atmospheric methane which is 30-times more potent than CO2 at trapping heat. These elevated temperatures are also accelerating microbial growth and thus producing more greenhouse gases than can be used by plants, thus weakening the earth’s ability to function as a carbon sink and further raising the global temperature.

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Anti-Black bias can persist despite kids' tendency to favor same-gender peers

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Children as young as five can display more positive associations with white children over Black children on measures of unconscious bias, and new research from York University finds this can be true even when taking into consideration kids’ tendencies to favor same-gender peers. Taking an own-gender lens does, however, increase positive associations toward Black children, pointing to both the persistence of anti-Black racism, but also its contextual nature. Read Full Article Here

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Astronomers come closer to understanding how Mercury formed

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Simulations of the formation of the solar system have been largely successful. They are able to replicate the positions of all the major planets along with their orbital parameters. But current simulations have an extreme amount of difficulty getting the masses of the four terrestrial planets right, especially Mercury. A new study suggests that we need to pay more attention to the giant planets in order to understand the evolution of the smaller ones.

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Astronomers detect a second planet orbiting two stars

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Planets orbiting binary stars are in a tough situation: They have to contend with the gravitational pull of two separate stars. Planetary formation around a single star like our sun is relatively straightforward compared to what circumbinary planets go through. Until recently, astronomers weren’t sure they existed. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Astronomers identify 20 ultraviolet-emitting supernova remnants in the Andromeda Galaxy

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Using the AstroSat satellite, astronomers from the University of Calgary, Canada, have identified 20 supernova remnants (SNRs) in the Andromeda Galaxy, which exhibit diffuse ultraviolet emission. The finding, presented in a research paper published January 25 on the arXiv preprint server, could help us better understand the origin and properties of ultraviolet emission in SNRs. Read Full Article Here source: Phys.org

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Building particle accelerators takes more than a village

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Each year, thousands of people travel far and wide to see architectural marvels such as the towering steps of the Kukulcán temple in in Chichen Itza or the intricate facade of the Cologne Cathedral in Germany. Like these marvels of history and culture, thousands of researchers travel to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) five light source facilities each year. They don’t come for the views, though, they come to push the boundaries of science—in fields ranging from batteries to pharmaceuticals—by using the ultrabright synchrotron light, mostly X-rays, from these facilities to conduct experiments.

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Author's picture

Elizabeth Dubinskiy

I am high school student with a passion for materials science and engineering. Using this blog I would like to share my research and findings.

High School student

San Francisco Bay Peninsula