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The material graphene has a vast number of potential applications — but a survey of commercially available graphene samples reveals that research could be undermined by the poor quality of the available material.
The bacterial-defence system CRISPR–Cas can store DNA snippets that correspond to encountered viral RNA sequences. One such system has now been harnessed to record gene expression over time in bacteria.
An organic polymer exhibits a phase transition that is associated with improved electromechanical properties. This feature links organic polymers with widely used perovskite materials, and could have many applications.
Antiviral drugs prevent HIV from replicating, but the virus can hide in the cells of infected individuals in a non-replicating, latent form. A two-pronged approach to target this latent virus shows promise in monkeys.
In developing embryos, molecular and physical differences divide the cells that will form eggs or sperm and those that will form the body. The mouse protein OTX2 directs this decision by blocking reproductive-cell fate.
Asgard archaea are the closest known relatives of nucleus-bearing organisms called eukaryotes. A study indicates that these archaea have a dynamic network of actin protein — a trait thought of as eukaryote-specific.
The current state of the search for dark-matter particles is reviewed, and a broader experimental and theoretical approach is proposed to solve the dark-matter problem.
The movements of relocated wild animals reveal that a lost migratory skill was regained over successive generations. This suggests that skill improvements can occur over time as animals learn expertise from each other.
Current biological sensors require bulky external power sources. Ultrathin solar cells have now been fabricated that can power flexible, wearable sensors for the precise and continuous monitoring of biological signals.
Contrary to previous assumptions, it seems the cells that line blood vessels are derived from more than one source. In addition to their known developmental path, they can arise from progenitors of embryonic blood cells.
Increases in biomechanical forces in the liver’s blood vessels have now been shown to activate two mechanosensitive proteins. The proteins trigger blood-vessel cells to deploy regenerative factors that drive liver growth.
Mechanical structures have been made that exhibit self-guided, multi-step sequences of shape changes in response to an applied force. Such structures could have applications in flexible electronics and soft robotics.
Drug treatments for HIV infection require the long-term use of daily medication that can have toxic side effects. A pair of HIV-targeting antibodies might offer an alternative therapeutic approach.
Aggregation of the protein tau is implicated in neurodegenerative diseases in humans. It emerges that eliminating a type of damaged cell that no longer divides can prevent tau-mediated neurodegeneration in mice.
Chromosomes can exist outside the nucleus in rupture-prone structures called micronuclei. It emerges that micronuclei are fragile because their outer layer lacks some nuclear-envelope components.
Photoemission, the ejection of an electron from a material on the absorption of a photon, is one of the fastest processes in nature. An experiment demonstrates how the dynamics of this process can be captured in real time.
The sleep disorder narcolepsy is linked to immune-system genes and is caused by the loss of neurons that express the protein hypocretin. Hypocretin-targeting immune cells have now been found in people with narcolepsy.
Experiments show that short bunches of protons can produce electric fields that are strong enough to accelerate energetic electrons compactly. This discovery could lead to miniaturized high-energy particle accelerators.
