Archive for the ‘molecules’ tag
Sniffing out a better chemical sensor
NIST researchers have developed a new approach for “electronic noses.” Comprised of 16 microheater elements and eight types of sensors, the tiny device could be a potent tool for applications such as sniffing out nerve agents, environmental contaminants, and trace indicators of disease, in addition to monitoring industrial processes and aiding in space exploration
Researchers at The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created a new approach to ‘electronic noses’, marrying a sensitive detector with a pattern-recognition module that mimics the way animals recognise colours.
According to a recent paper, the NIST electronic nose is more adept than conventional methodologies at recognising molecular features even for chemicals it has not been trained to detect, and is also robust enough to deal with changes in sensor response that come with wear and tear.
In animals, odorant molecules in the air enter the nostrils and bind with sensory neurons in the nose that convert the chemical interactions into an electrical signal that the brain interprets as a smell. In humans, there are about 350 types of sensory neurons and many copies of each type; dogs and mice have several hundreds more types of sensory neurons and many copies of each type; dogs and mice have several hundreds more types of sensory neurons on top of that.
Read more on: Bio Tech, Design, detector, electronic nose, Electronics, molecules, sensorTechnology helps identify proteins from within
A technology that enables scientists to map the energy flow inside a protein for identification purposes has been developed.
The new research outlines how an imaging technique known as coherent two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy, 2DIR, has been used to successfully identify proteins in laboratory tests. The technique uses an ultra short pulse of infra-red laser light to cause a vibration in one part of the protein molecule. The researchers then track the movement of energy from this vibration as it moves through the protein, building up an energy flow map of the protein which enables them to identify what kind of protein it is.
Read more on: Bio Tech, DNA, Energy, Energy, genetic, molecules, proteinsImproving our ability to peek inside molecules
It’s not easy to see a single molecule inside a living cell.
Nevertheless, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are helping to develop a new technique that will enable them to create detailed high-resolution images, giving scientists an unprecedented look at the atomic structure of cellular molecules.
Read more on: complex molecules, Electronics, moleculesResearchers take a big step towards miniscule structures
Researchers have moved closer to being able to develop miniscule structures with application potential in sophisticated sensors, catalysis, and nanoelectronics.
Dr Manfred Buck and his team of researchers at St Andrews University, have developed a way of forming an easily modified network of molecules over a large area – the chemical technique provides an advantageous alternative to traditional methods which become increasingly cumbersome at the ultra small length scale.
The key to the development lies in the creation of robust and versatile surface – self-assembling structures just one molecule thick which can be exploited for further control and manipulation of nanostructures.
Read more on: Design, Electronics, molecules, nanostrctures, self-assemblingMass drug production in yeast
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology are producing large quantities of drugs, including antiplaque toothpaste additives, antibiotics, nicotine, and even morphine, using mini biofactories – in yeast.
Christina Smolke, assistant professor of chemical engineering, Caltech, along with graduate student Kristy Hawkins, genetically modified common baker’s yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae) so that it contained the genes for several plant enzymes. The enzymes allow the yeast to produce a chemical called reticuline, which is a precursor for many different classes of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (BIA) molecules.
Read more on: Bio Tech, biofactories, enzymes, moleculesDNA separation is electric
University of Twente researchers have developed a way of separating DNA molecules using an electric field before capturing them on a chip.
The researchers found that when forced through extremely shallow channels just 20 nanometers deep an a few micrometers wide, DNA molecules behave very differently than when in free solution. In the latter situation, they tend to form clumps, whicle molecules in the channels are forced into an elongated straitjacket. This effect alone produces a difference in mobility between long and short molecules. Moreover, exposure to an electric field has now been shown to have a substaintial effect.
In a strong electric field, the molecules judder along the channel, while in weaker fields they move more smoothly, enabling DNA fragments to be ‘captured’ on a chip and separated for analysis.
Read more on: Bio Tech, DNA, electric field, Electronics, molecules