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Membrane nano-tomography in living cells: Label-free evanescent microscopy enables full-field and real-time tracking of membrane processes without signal fading and cell perturbation

Membranes play a pivotal role in numerous cell mechanisms, in particular for internalization, adhesion and motility studies. In terms of optical imaging of the membrane, special configurations are needed to remove the light coming from the inner part of the cell. French scientists now show that through-the-objective evanescent microscopy (epi-EM) is a powerful technique to image membranes in living cells.

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Warm Gas Pours 'Cold Water' on Galaxy's Star-Making

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A new feature in the evolution of galaxies has been captured in this image of galactic interactions.

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Nanocatalysts Can Reduce Pollution Caused by Diesel Engines

Iranian researchers succeeded in the production of a nanocatalyst with a very high level of distribution and stability in diesel engine fuels.

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New research paves the way for nano-movies of biomolecules: Scientists use X-ray laser as ultra slow-motion camera

An international team, including scientists from DESY, has caught a light sensitive biomolecule at work with an X-ray laser. The study proves that X-ray lasers can capture the fast dynamics of biomolecules in ultra slow-motion. "Our study paves the way for movies from the nano world with atomic spatial resolution and ultrafast temporal resolution", says Schmidt.

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Samples of the crystallized protein (right), called photoactive yellow protein or PYP, were jetted into the path of SLAC's LCLS X-ray laser beam (fiery beam from bottom left). The crystallized proteins had been exposed to blue light (coming from left) to trigger shape changes. Diffraction patterns created when the X-ray laser hit the crystals allowed scientists to recreate the 3-D structure of the protein (center) and determine how light exposure changes its shape.

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Ground-Based Detection of Super-Earth Transit Paves Way to Remote Sensing of Small Exoplanets

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Buckyballs enhance carbon capture: Environmentally friendly material created at Rice University targets flue gases, wells

Rice University scientists have discovered an environmentally friendly carbon-capture method that could be equally adept at drawing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial flue gases and natural gas wells.

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Amines bound by buckyballs can absorb carbon dioxide from emissions at industrial plants and at natural gas wells, according to Rice University scientists who presented their work in Scientific Reports.

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Toward a low-cost 'artificial leaf' that produces clean hydrogen fuel

For years, scientists have been pursuing "artificial leaf" technology, a green approach to making hydrogen fuel that copies plants' ability to convert sunlight into a form of energy they can use. Now, one team reports progress toward a stand-alone system that lends itself to large-scale, low-cost production.

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Scientists are getting closer to copying plants' ability to convert sunlight into fuel.

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Lengthening the life of high capacity silicon electrodes in rechargeable lithium batteries: Novel rubber-like coating could lead to longer lasting batteries

A new study will help researchers create longer-lasting, higher-capacity lithium rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in consumer electronics. Researchers showed how a coating that makes high capacity silicon electrodes more durable could lead to a replacement for lower-capacity graphite electrodes.

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Silicon nanoparticles coated in alucone (yellow spheres outlined in orange) expand and contract easily on charging and use. But left to their native silicon oxide covering (yellow spheres in blue), they break down fast on recharging.

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Atmospheric carbon dioxide used for energy storage products

Researchers have discovered a fascinating new way to take some of the atmospheric carbon dioxide that's causing the greenhouse effect and use it to make an advanced, high-value material for use in energy storage products.

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Nanoporous graphene

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Nutrition, Safety Key To Consumer Acceptance of Nanotech, Genetic Modification In Foods

This study investigates heterogeneous consumer preferences for nanofood and genetically-modified (GM) food and the associated benefits using the results of choice experiments with 1,117 US consumers. We employ a latent class logit model to capture the heterogeneity in consumer preferences by identifying consumer segments. Our results show that nano-food evokes fewer negative reactions compared with GM food. We identify four consumer groups: ‘Price Oriented/Technology Adopters', ‘Technology Averse', ‘Benefit Oriented', and ‘New Technology Rejecters'. Each consumer group has a distinctive demographic background, which generates deeper insights into the diversified public acceptance of nano-food and GM food. Our results have policy implications for the adoption of new food technologies.

New research from North Carolina State University and the University of Minnesota shows that the majority of consumers will accept the presence of nanotechnology or genetic modification (GM) technology in foods - but only if the technology enhances the nutrition or improves the safety of the food.

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