Strong electric fields can be used to create pores in biomembranes. The method is known as electroporation. Inducing such defects in membranes in a targeted manner is an important technique in medicine and biotechnology, but also in the treatment of foodstuffs.

A micro-architected material made from tiny knots proves tougher and more durable than unknotted counterparts.

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. In this case, the 'job' is the breakdown of lignin, the structural biopolymer that gives stems, bark and branches their signature woodiness. One of the most abundant terrestrial polymers on Earth, lignin surrounds valuable plant fibers and other molecules that could be converted into biofuels and other commodity chemicals -- if we could only get past...

Researchers find that 10 gigatons of carbon dioxide may need to be pulled from Earth's atmosphere and oceans annually to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. A diverse suite of carbon dioxide removal methods will be key.

Atmospheric rivers, which are long, narrow bands of water vapor, are becoming more intense and frequent with climate change. A new study demonstrates that a recently developed scale for atmospheric river intensity (akin to the hurricane scale) can be used to rank atmospheric rivers and identify hotspots of the most intense atmospheric rivers not only along the U.S. West Coast but also worldwide.

Researchers have discovered early social learning in insects. They found signaling communicated by honey bees about food sources -- transmitted through a 'waggle dance' -- is an intricate form of social learning and one of the most complex known examples of non-human spatial referential communication.

Researchers have completed the most advanced brain map to date, that of an insect, a landmark achievement in neuroscience that brings scientists closer to true understanding of the mechanism of thought.

As almost 200 countries agree a legally-binding treaty to protect the High Seas, a collaboration of experts in ocean plastic pollution and satellite technology has urged world leaders to learn lessons from the management of the High Seas and act now to protect Earth's orbit.

Researchers use UK Biobank data to uncover new information about rare diseases of the eye.

Researchers have examined how patient characteristics and COVID-19 infection may affect the antibody responses of people with HIV -- including responses against SARS-CoV-2 proteins as well as proteins from other viruses.

Tens of thousands of thunderstorms may rumble around the world each day, but accurately predicting the time and location where they will form remains a grand challenge of computer weather modeling. A new technique combining underused satellite and radar data in weather models may improve these predictions, according to a team of scientists.

A team of international researchers have found that the rivers in Arctic Canada and Alaska are not behaving as expected in response to the warming climate. The study focused on large rivers in the region and their movement through permafrost terrain. Their findings highlight the impact of atmospheric warming on these vital waterways.

A team of investigators has identified metabolic strategies used by Clostridioides difficile to rapidly colonize the gut. The findings identify methods to better prevent and treat the most common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). The team's approach has implications for understanding broader aspects of microbial metabolism, including responses to...

Disconnected from the energy of the sun, the permanently ice-covered Arctic deep sea receives miniscule amounts of organic matter that sustains life. Bacteria which can harvest the energy released from submarine hydrothermal sources could thus have an advantage. Scientists found bacteria uniquely adapted to this geo-energy floating in deep-sea waters. They describe the role of these bacteria for...

Most cells in the bodies of living things duplicate their contents and physically separate into new cells through the process of cell division. But across many species, germ cells, those that become eggs or sperm, don't fully separate. They remain interconnected through small bridges called ring canals and cluster together. In a new study, researchers uncover how it is that germ cells in fruit...

Engineers have developed a soft material with metal-like conductivity and self-healing properties that is the first to maintain enough electrical adhesion to support digital electronics and motors. This marks a breakthrough in softbotics and the fields of robotics, electronics, and medicine.

Sometimes the best things in life come by chance, when we happen to be in the right place at the right time. Now, researchers have found a way to ensure that new medications are delivered to the right place in the body and at the right point in time during disease progression, so that they have the best effect.

Tibet is known as the 'Water Tower of Asia,' providing water to about 2 billion people and supporting critical ecosystems in High Mountain Asia and the Tibetan Plateau, where many of the largest Asian river systems originate. This region is also one of the areas most vulnerable to the compounding effects of climate change and human activities. Researchers are identifying policy changes that need...

Researchers have detected the existence of a charge density wave of electrons that acquires mass as it interacts with the background lattice ions of the material over long distances.

A new biosensor offers scientists the first dynamic glimpses of manganese, an elusive metal ion that is essential for life.

Scientists report the safe synthesis of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an oxidizing agent used in multiple industries including semiconductors, using a new rhodium-based catalyst. The catalyst is based on natural enzymes found in extremophile microorganisms, and the reaction meets three chemical ideals for H2O2 production: safe, use of a single vessel, and direct synthesis.

Scientists have devised a way of fabricating a complex structure, previously found only in nature, to open up new ways for manipulating and controlling light.

Fast gamers are more intelligent: Intelligence can be predicted through virtual reality games.

A further development in atomic force microscopy now makes it possible to simultaneously image the height profile of nanometer-fine structures as well as the electric current and the frictional force at solid-liquid interfaces. A team has succeeded in analyzing electrocatalytically active materials and gaining insights that will help optimize catalysts. The method is also potentially suitable for...