Researchers uncover a protein defect that causes a milder form of cystic fibrosis
...olecules that could possibly break up the abnormal bond that is causing the protein strands to stick together." CFTR is a membrane protein with a massive and complicated structure. Membrane proteins, which regulate the stable internal physiological conditions of the cell in a controlled way, allowing for......cal that is the object of detection, however, they bond more strongly with that target chemical than they ... In this case, the non-target forms an even weaker bond with the receptor than the liquid crystal, and is unable to dislodge it. Shah and Abbott's sensors ...Synthetic antifreeze could prevent ice growth
...n reports, the new method replaces a weak chemical bond in the natural antifreeze with a far more durable one, but further study to develop greater strength in the artificial glycoprotein is ongoing. He said he anticipates that researchers will construct different variations of the modified antifreeze for...Nature's chemical weapons save lives
... A in 1998, putting together this complex molecule bond by bond from simple and commercially available starting materials. Since that time, Romo's group has been sy...Gene transfer enhances pair bonding in monogamous voles
...iative behavior and are more likely to form a pair bond than animals with a lower level of receptor in that brain region. Scientists previously have demonstrated that monogamy in voles, including the formation of pair bonds, is enhanced by vasopressin and that an antagonist for the vasopressin receptor c...Smallest silicon particles light way for new sensors, materials
...acts with the compounds to create a carbon-silicon bond that produces a stabilizing coat," Buriak says. "This is a very clean, very practical reaction that allows us to stabilize the surface without the need for special equipment." An additional benefit of the reaction is that by using a mask between the ...Researchers uncover a piece of nature's secret nitrogen formula
... floating in the air and stretch it, weakening the bond between the two nitrogen atoms. This makes the nitrogen more likely to link up with hydrogen to create ammonia (NH3)-the useful form with one nitrogen atom combined with three hydrogen atoms. "We've shown that this type of iron can stretch nitrogen b...Early detection device for exposure to chemical warfare agents being developed
... target site, creating an essentially irreversible bond that renders cholinesterase inactive and leaves muscles contracted. Dr. De Luca calls the surface EMG signal the "most underused bio-signal in the body." But he and Dr. Buccafusco believe the same technology that assesses the muscle weakness of a pa...Optical tweezers show how DNA uncoils
...earchers could accurately gauge dynamic changes in bond strength and organization as DNA was forced to uncoil from histones. Such precise measurements and observations of individual molecules are not available by classical biochemical techniques, which are more indirect and rely on averaged results from ...Physics tip sheet #3 March 6, 2002
...usly deform to create an Angstrom-sized bond. This bond then grows in size over about one minute to nanometer levels. These bonds account for the slip-stick friction observed as two metal surfaces slide over each other. The measurements of this microscopic phenomenon were performed with a fiber-optic cant...Chemists explore the shape of the key that signals cell division in cancer cells
...zkorn emphasizes. Pin1 works by changing a peptide bond within Cdc25 from the trans shape to the cis shape and back. It is a simple change -- the swing of an arm one way or another, but over the length of many amino acids in a protein it is a large conformation change. "We don't know whether the trans sha...Can we learn about sex from animals?
...ressive females and sexual behavior outside a pair bond are common, which means that sex roles are not defined as narrowly as some would have us think. Males can be excellent caregivers, and females want sex as much as males. We can take our inspiration from bonobos, which show female-female sexual inte...A possible new way to block HIV infection of healthy cells discovered
...mino-acid sequences of two natural L-proteins that bond to CXCR4, a chemokine receptor to HIV discovered i... the 1980s, are thought to act together to let HIV bond and insert its replicating machinery into cells. Only in rare cases and never involving membrane-cl...From a single DNA strand, a tiny motor
..., DNA molecules have the capacity to recognize and bond with each other. Researchers tap this property when synthesizing new DNA molecules for motors. Like all motors, nanomotors need power. DNA is useful because it gets its energy through chemistry as opposed to traditional sources such as electricity.DN...Studying the strength of protein bonds one molecule at a time
...hool of Medicine have measured the strength of the bond between a single integrin molecule on the surface .... The trick to uncovering the strength of a single bond between proteins was the use of the laser tweezers. Laser tweezers cannot manipulate individual mole...Genetic engineering could salvage once-promising anti-cancer agents
...ic to humans, are more effective againstcancer and bond easily with delivery agents. Several companies are in discussions about the possibility of using theresearch to combine maytansinoids with antibodies that target tumors. Theantibodies would search out specific cancer antigens attach only to cancercel...Abnormal chemical bonds cause bleeding disorder
... isn't there." Diacovo suspected the answer lay in bond kinetics, which refers to how fast a bond can form and then dissociate. Earlier work on selectins, a family of proteins critical for recruitin...Scientists prove how geckos stick, unlock secrets to making artificial gecko glue
... forces that operate over very small distances but bond to nearly any material. Geckos have millions of setae--microscopic hairs on the bottom of their feet. These tiny setae are only as long as two diameters of a human hair. That's 100 millionth of a meter long. Each seta ends with 1,000 even tinier pad...Story tips from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, September 2002
...powerful lamp, researchers hope to metallurgically bond a metallic coating to a metal substrate to demonstrate that barrel materials can be made more resistant to these forces. Compared to mechanical bonding, metallurgical bonding results in far greater strength of the bonds between the atoms of the coati...Biomedical scientist testing nanoparticles as early cancer detection agent
...t or to act as a fluorescent tag. Quantum dots can bond chemically to biological molecules, enabling them to trace specific proteins within cells. Nie calls them "bioconjugated nanoparticles" -- small particles that are chemically linked to biological materials. Nanoparticle probes can be used as contrast...