A boost for solar cells with photon fusion
An innovative process that converts low-energy longwave photons (light particles) into higher-energy shortwave photons has been developed

New tool reveals secrets of migrating cells
Two-photon imaging gives real-time video of cells in living tissue

New designer lipid-like peptide with lipid nanostructures for drug delivery systems
Currently, many anticancer drugs are difficult to deliver to patients due to their difficulty to be soluble in water.

Together, biological membranes prevail
Compartmentalization in cells is achieved by lipid membranes. Membrane fusion is an elementary biological event which comes in various forms.

The Case of the Noisy Neurons
The autho suggests that what appears as noise in the experiments are signals from other parts of the cortex—that is, noise is in the eye of the beholder.

Bronchospasm and its biophysical basis in airway smooth muscle
The topics addressed in this review are intended to highlight recent discoveries that bring airway biology and smooth muscle biophysics into the same arena once again.

Disentangling Sub-Millisecond Processes within an Auditory Transduction Chain
The authors presented a novel technique to disambiguate single processing steps within a larger sensory transduction sequence and to analyze their detailed temporal structures.

Surface dynamics in living acinar cells imaged by atomic force microscopy: Identification of plasma membrane structures involved in exocytosis
Their study suggests depressions to be the fusion pores identified earlier in mast cells by freeze-fracture electron microscopy and by electrophysiological measurements.

Fusion Pore in Live Cells
Recent studies using atomic force microscopy demonstrate for the first time the presence of the fusion pore and reveal its morphology and dynamics at near-nanometer resolution and in real time.

SNAREs in Opposing Bilayers Interact in a Circular Array to Form Conducting Pores
Three soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF)-attachment protein receptors (SNAREs) have been implicated in membrane fusion.

Mechanical Forces Found To Exert Larger Role In Blood Vessel Health And Disease
Mechanical forces, including shear stress, stretch and pressure, can play unsuspected but equivalent roles in some aspects of cardiovascular health and disease.

Whoosh! New Molecules Fastest Ever For Optical Technologies
The internet could soon shift into overdrive thanks to a new generation of optical molecules developed and tested by a team of researchers from Washington State University, the University of Leuven in Belgium and the Chinese Academy of Science in China.

Nanocomposite research yields strong and stretchy fibers
Lycra-like materials were inspired by spider silk

Bats in Flight Reveal Unexpected Aerodynamics
Brown University engineers and biologists have joined forces to record the fine details of wing and body movement in bat flight – together with the patterns of air movement that generate lift.

Repetitive motion speeds nanoparticle uptake
'Bucky amino acid' penetrates faster, deeper when skin is flexed

To catch an intermediate
Berkeley scientists find new way to trap and hold intermediate compounds in water

First molecular simulation of a long DNA strand shows unexpected flexibility
It turns out that sequencing the human genome – determining the order of DNA building blocks -- has not completely cracked the code of how DNA directs various cellular processes.

Stretch a DNA loop, turn off proteins
Biologists have discovered that the physical manifestation of DNA loops are a consequence of many biochemical processes in the cell

Molecular Motor Shuttles Key Protein In Response To Light
Researchers have discovered how a key light-detecting molecule in the eye moves in response to changes in light intensity.

Taking The Animal Out Of Animal Testing -- Applied Biophysics, Harnesses Technology For Cell Research
A Rensselaer Incubator company has commercialized a technology that may take the animal out of animal testing.