Levitation That’s No Trick: Scientists to Perform “Touchless” Chemical Reactions
Levitation has long been a staple of magic tricks and movies. But in the lab, it’s no trick. Scientists can levitate droplets of liquid, though…
Biophysics
Virtually Captured: Biomechanical Snapping Mechanisms of the Venus Flytrap Revealed
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) takes only 100 milliseconds to trap its prey. Once their leaves, which have been transformed into snap traps, have closed,…
Specialized Proteins May Halt the Severe Cytokine Storms Seen in COVID-19 Patients
Team designs antibody-like receptor proteins that can bind to cytokines, as possible strategy for treating coronavirus and other infections. One of the defining features of…
Optical Illusion Created by Butterflies’ Wing Scales Is Secret to Ultra-Black, Lightweight Materials
Some butterflies have ultra-black wings that rival the blackest materials made by humans, using wing scales that are only a fraction as thick — here’s…
High-Speed Video Reveals Bumblebees Carry Heavy Loads in Energy-Efficient “Economy Mode”
Bumblebees are the big lifters of the insect world, able to fly back to the hive with almost their own bodyweight in nectar on board….
Scientists Explore How Fire Ants’ Raft Building Skills React As Fluid Forces Change
How Fire Ants Build Rafts to Adapt in a Very Wet Environment Fire ants build living rafts to survive floods and rainy seasons. Georgia Tech…
Microdevice Simultaneously Measures Biophysical Properties and Position of Single Cells
Tracking the lateral position of single cells and particles plays an important role in evaluating the efficiency of microfluidic cell focusing, separation, and sorting. Traditionally,…
Warning: Shaking Head to Get Rid of Water in Ears Could Cause Brain Damage
Though it is a common method to release trapped water in the ear canal, researchers say the acceleration of head shaking needed to free water…
Revolutionary Optical Tweezers Manipulate Atoms, Molecules and Living Cells Like “Tractor Beams”
A Remote Control for Everything Small Atoms, molecules or even living cells can be manipulated with light beams. At TU Wien a method was developed…
Quieter Drones Inspired by the Physics of Mosquito Mating Ritual Sounds
Research could also lead to nontoxic method using sound to diminish mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes flap their wings not just to stay aloft but for two…
Insights From 16th Century Navigational Tools Help Physicists Create Complex Polymer Structures
From the intricate patterns of pollen grains to the logarithmic spirals of nautilus shells, biology is full of complex patterns, shapes, and geometries. Many of…
A Better Suction Cup Design – That Works on Rough Surfaces – Inspired by Northern Clingfish
The finger-sized Northern clingfish employs one of the best suction cups in the world. A small disk on its belly can attach to wet, slimy,…
The Secret of Motivation: How Neural Circuits Drive Hungry Individuals to Peak Performance
Success is no accident: To reach your goal you need perseverance. But where does the motivation come from? An international team of researchers led by…
New Tool to Study Molecular Structures Uses a Laser, a Crystal and Light Detectors
Researchers have built a new tool to study molecules using a laser, a crystal and light detectors. This new technology will reveal nature’s smallest sculptures…
Researchers Recreate Living 3D Displays – Lightweight Smart Skins With Artificial Muscles [Video]
It is safe to say that 3D displays do not necessarily occur in nature – unless one considers the cephalopod, which includes the squid and…
Railroad Worms Emit Red Light – Now Scientists Finally Know How It Works
Differences in the molecular structures explain the different colors of this bioluminescence in different species. This discovery has the potential for new biotechnological applications, such…
Energy Production Unit for a Synthetic Cell Constructed by Scientists
Scientists at the University of Groningen have constructed synthetic vesicles in which ATP, the main energy carrier in living cells, is produced. The vesicles use…
Scientists Find Evidence Of A Protein That Existed When Life Began
How did life arise on Earth? Rutgers researchers have found among the first and perhaps only hard evidence that simple protein catalysts – essential for…