Biochemistry – Page 2 – PossibleThreat Articles

Novel nanoprobes show promise for optical monitoring of neural activity

October 19, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Brain-Computer Interfaces, Electronics, Intelligence, Nanotechnology, neuroscience, Optics, Psychology

Researchers have developed ultrasensitive nanoscale optical probes to monitor the bioelectric activity of neurons and other excitable cells. This novel readout technology could enable scientists to study how neural circuits function at an unprecedented scale by monitoring large numbers of individual neurons simultaneously. It could also lead to high-bandwidth brain-machine interfaces with dramatically enhanced precision and functionality.

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Scientists recalculate the optimum binding energy for heterogeneous catalysis

October 19, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Chemistry, Energy and Resources, Energy Technology, Inorganic Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Petroleum, Thermodynamics

In a discovery that could lead to the development of novel catalysts that do not rely on expensive rare metals, scientists have shown that the optimal binding energy can deviate from traditional calculations, which are based on equilibrium thermodynamics, at high reaction rates. This means that reconsidering the design of catalysts using the new calculations may be necessary to achieve the best rates.

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A simpler way to make some medicines

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Chemistry, HIV and AIDS, Inorganic Chemistry, Lung Cancer, Organic Chemistry, Pharmaceuticals, Pharmacology

Organic chemists have figured out how to synthesize the most common molecule arrangement in medicine, a scientific discovery that could change the way a number of drugs — including one most commonly used to treat ovarian cancer — are produced. Their discovery, published today in the journal Chem, gives drug makers a crucial building block for creating medicines that, so far, are made with complex processes that result in a lot of waste.

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First demonstration of one petabit per second network node

October 17, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Communications, Computer Programming, Computers and Internet, Distributed Computing, Engineering and Construction, Optics, Telecommunications

Computer scientists have demonstrated the first large-scale optical switching testbed capable of handling 1 Petabit per second optical signals. This demonstration made use of state-of-the-art large-scale and low-loss optical switches based on MEMS technology, three types of next-generation spatial-division multiplexing fibers, and included data rates from 10 Terabit per second to 1 Petabit per second. This is a major step forward towards practical petabit-class backbone networks.

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A rat's brain, on and off methamphetamine

October 16, 2019 0 Comments Addiction, Biochemistry, Birth Defects, Controlled Substances, Crystal Meth, Fitness, Illegal Drugs

Drug addiction is a vicious cycle of reward and withdrawal. Chronic users often relapse because of the unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms they experience when they stop taking the drug. Now, researchers report metabolic changes in the brains of rats during methamphetamine self-administration and withdrawal that could help identify biomarkers and treatments for addiction.

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Metal to metal oxide progression

October 16, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Chemistry, Energy Technology, Engineering and Construction, Graphene, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, Organic Chemistry

A catalyst's utility is influenced by its surface charge and how that charge is transferred. Until recently, studying charge transfer has relied on complex imaging techniques that are both expensive and time-consuming. Scientists now report an approach for studying charge transfer that does not rely on complicated equipment — simplifying the real-time observation of catalysis.

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Synthetic cells make long-distance calls

October 15, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Biology, Biotechnology, Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Engineering, Environmental Issues, Geochemistry, Solar Energy, Weather

Synthetic biologists design transcriptional circuits that allow single-cell microbes to form networks that spur collective action, even in large communities. The work could lead to engineered microbes that treat conditions in gut microbiomes or communicate with bioelectronics.

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Chemists create self-assembling material with suite of new properties

October 15, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering and Construction, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Organic Chemistry, Thermodynamics

Chemists have created a new material that self-assembles into 2D networks in a predictable and reproducible manner. They have successfully synthesized a complex material by design — paving the way for its suite of new properties to be applied in many fields.

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Empty spaces, how do they make a protein unstable?

October 15, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Chemistry, Nature of Water, Nuclear Energy, Organic Chemistry, Physics, Thermodynamics, Weapons Technology

Partial unfolding of proteins can be a major challenge in the industry, as it may affect the stability of products. So how does an empty space or cavity in its hydrophobic core destabilize a protein? And would such a cavity, in fact, be empty? These are some of the questions that researchers answer in a new study.

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Physics: DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy at speed

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Biochemistry, Biometric, Forensic Research, Microarrays, Nanotechnology, Optics, Organic Chemistry, technology

Recent advances in fluorescence microscopy allow researchers to study biological processes below the classical diffraction limit of light. Researchers have now developed DNA-PAINT, a variant of these so-called super-resolution approaches.