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Microfluidic devices have revolutionized biological assays, but complex set-ups are required to prevent the unwanted mixing of reagents in the liquid samples being analysed. A simpler solution has just been found.
The discovery of an antiviral defence system in bacteria that shares some components with a key antiviral defence pathway in animals provides insight into how this important response might have evolved.
In 1995, astronomers detected a blisteringly hot Jupiter-mass planet orbiting closer to its host star than Mercury is to the Sun. This discovery recast our thinking of how planets form and led to a new era of exoplanetary exploration.
Tree-dwelling birds can land on perches that vary in size and texture. Force measurements and video-footage analysis now reveal that birds rely on rapid and robust adjustments of their toe pads and claws to land stably.
Operationally simple chemical reactions, termed click reactions, are widely used in many scientific fields. A streamlined synthesis of compounds called azides looks set to expand the role of click chemistry still further.
The rapid return of mosquitoes to African semi-desert regions when the dry season ends was an unsolved mystery. A surprising solution to the puzzle is the long-range migration of mosquitoes on high-altitude winds.
The phenomenon of Bose–Einstein condensation is typically limited to extremely low temperatures. The effect has now been spotted at much higher temperatures for particles called excitons in atomically thin semiconductors.
The impact of fungi on human health is under-studied and underappreciated. One genus of fungus, Malassezia, has now been linked to the progression of pancreatic cancer.
It has now been found that mothers of a species of frog affect the behaviour of their offspring — influencing female mating preferences and aggression between males. Such behaviours might lead to the formation of new species.
Little was known about the properties of hydrogen under extreme pressure. Experiments now reveal key details about the arrangement of molecules in several of the element’s high-pressure phases.
The foods used to supplement or replace breast milk in infants’ diets in prehistoric times aren’t fully understood. The finding that ancient feeding vessels from Europe had residues of animal milk offers a clue.
Kimberlites are volcanic rocks that derive from deep in Earth’s mantle, but the nature of their source is uncertain. A study of this source’s evolution over two billion years provides valuable information about its properties.
Analysis of the nutrient composition of fish caught around the globe reveals locations where the retention of fish for consumption by local populations could help to tackle human disease caused by nutrient deficiencies.
Behavioural and genetic experiments have revealed that fruit flies prefer green light over other colours in the morning and evening, and always avoid blue. These colour preferences rely on different mechanisms.
Why brain tumours progress rapidly is unclear. The finding that such cancer cells form synaptic connections with neurons uncovers an interaction that accelerates tumour growth rate and lethality.
Circuits based on the stochastic evolution of nanoscale magnets have been used to split large numbers into prime-number factors — a problem that only quantum computers were previously expected to solve efficiently.
