Many people are trying to reduce their plastic use, but some tea manufacturers are moving in the opposite direction: replacing traditional paper teabags with plastic ones. Now, researchers have discovered that a soothing cup of the brewed beverage may come with a dose of micro- and nano-sized plastics shed from the bags. Possible health effects of ingesting these particles are currently unknown, the researchers say.
Read moreIf scientists could give living cells magnetic properties, they could perhaps manipulate cellular activities with external magnetic fields. But previous attempts to magnetize cells by producing iron-containing proteins inside them have resulted in only weak magnetic forces. Now, researchers have engineered genetically encoded protein crystals that can generate magnetic forces many times stronger than those already reported.
Read moreResearchers have come up with a new, safe way to clean up oil spills using compounds equally useful as common household cleaning products.
Read moreScientists have succeeded in designing a compound to hook onto the pocket of the enzyme FTase and GGTase I, thereby inhibiting K-Ras. Scientists have worked to concoct an effective drug to target K-Ras proteins which cause cancer when they mutate. It is difficult to infiltrate K-Ras due to a lack of interactive pockets, so a strategy was devised to attack the necessary enzyme in the lipid modification of K-Ras.
Read moreReleasing drugs that are packaged into microcapsules requires a significant amount of force, and the resulting burst can cause damage to human tissues or cause blood clots. A new technique creates lopsided microcapsule 'shells' that can burst and release their cargo at much lower pressure, making them safer for use in the body.
Read moreFeature describes improved model for forecasting the crucial balance of pressure at the edge of a fusion plasma.
Read moreResearchers have developed a unified shock sensor to quickly and accurately dispel harmful shock waves.
Read moreScientists have developed a technique to observe how radiation damages molecules over time-frames of just one quadrillionth of a second — or a femtosecond.
Read moreNature has evolved a dazzling array of materials that help organisms thrive in diverse habitats. Sometimes, scientists can exploit these designs to develop useful materials with similar or completely new functions. Now, researchers have made a durable and flexible super-water-repelling material inspired by spiky porcupinefish skin.
Read morePhysicists succeeded in precisely engineering key ingredients to simulate a specific lattice gauge theory using ultracold atoms in optical lattices.
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