Science & Technology
Long-range information transport in antiferromagnets
Physicists have developed a completely new class of materials for transporting spin waves: antiferromagnets with tilted magnetic moments.
Warming climate spurs harmful oxygen loss in lakes
New research shows a continually warming world is leading to extended, late-summer weeks of water stratification in lakes, which prompts oxygen deprivation in the water — provoking conditions called hypoxia (low oxygen) and anoxia (no oxygen) — and n…
Rotten meat could be easier to detect thanks to a new biosensor system
The supply chain that brings meat to market worldwide is highly complex and usually very efficient. But when disruptions in one part of the world can result in transportation delays an ocean and a continent away, meat spoilage becomes a very real risk …
Itchy eyes and a runny nose? It could be climate change
Researchers have simulated how climate change will affect the distribution of two leading allergens — oak and ragweed pollens — across the contiguous United States. The results may make your eyes water. Using computer models, the team found that by 2…
How neurons regulate their excitability autonomously
Nerve cells can regulate their sensitivity to incoming signals autonomously. A new study has now discovered a mechanism that does just that.
‘Unwinding’ chromosomes: A unique perspective on determinants of chromosomal width
Mitotic chromosomes are pivotal for the inheritance of genetic material. Now, it is already known that chromosomes vary in dimensions among organisms. But what governs mitotic chromosomal size and degree of DNA compaction? Scientists investigated mitot…
Peekaboo! Tiny, hidden galaxy provides a peek into the past
Peeking out from behind the glare of a bright foreground star, astronomers have uncovered the most extraordinary example yet of a nearby galaxy with characteristics that are more like galaxies in the distant, early universe. Only 1,200 light-years acro…
Developmental genetics: How germ cells cut the cord from their parents
For the first cell to develop into an entire organism, genes, RNA molecules and proteins have to work together in a complex way. At first, this process is indirectly controlled by the mother. At a certain point in time, the protein GRIF-1 ensures that …
CRISPR insight: How to fine-tune the Cas protein’s grip on DNA
At the heart of every CRISPR reaction, whether naturally occurring in bacteria or harnessed by CRIPSR-Cas gene editing technology, is a strong molecular bond of a Cas protein via a guide RNA to its target site on DNA. It’s like a nanoscale ski binding.