Biophysics News - SciTechDaily

The Future of Biology: Decoding Cell and Tissue Mechanics in 3D With Active Matter Theory

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (MPI-CBG) — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 12:49:34 +0000

Open-source supercomputer algorithm predicts patterning and dynamics of living materials and enables studying their behavior in space and time. Biological materials are made of individual...

Brain’s Recycling System: Researchers Unlock the Secret to Neuron Renewal

Auburn University Department of Physics — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 06:26:47 +0000

Groundbreaking Discovery in Brain Cell Research Researchers at Auburn University have achieved a groundbreaking discovery, illuminating the process by which brain cells efficiently replace older...

Neurons Decoded: The Universal Workflow Powering Brain Insights

Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 00:22:07 +0000

The Blue Brain Project introduces a universal workflow for creating and validating neuronal models using open-source tools. Biophysically detailed neuronal models provide a unique window...

Microscopic Masterminds: The Structural Genius of Bacteria

Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 21:29:19 +0000

A new model demonstrates that chasing interactions can induce dynamical patterns in the organization of bacterial species. Structural patterns can be created due to the...

From Atoms to Organisms: “Assembly Theory” Unifies Physics and Biology To Explain Evolution and Complexity

Arizona State University — Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:00:50 +0000

“Assembly Theory,” a pioneering theoretical framework bridging physics and biology, offers transformative insights into biological evolution and its place within universal physical laws. With applications...

DNA Danger: Physicists Expose Fat Droplets’ Hidden Threat

University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 02:53:59 +0000

Fat serves as an essential component of the human body, functioning not only as an energy storage and release mechanism but also playing pivotal roles...

A New Era in Biophysics Discovery Unleashed by Exascale Supercomputers

Auburn University Department of Physics — Fri, 25 Aug 2023 17:05:49 +0000

The dynamic interplay where high-performance computing converges with biophysical exploration is pushing the frontiers of knowledge and catalyzing a new era of unprecedented discoveries in...

Talking in Waves: The Unique Communication Language of Cells

Institute of Science and Technology Austria — Sun, 13 Aug 2023 23:26:07 +0000

The physics of cell communication: ISTA scientists successfully model cell dynamics. Like us, cells communicate. Well, in their own special way. Using waves as their...

Exploring the Origins of Life – Scientists Propose Alternative Model

Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 02:27:23 +0000

A new model helps to understand the self-organization of molecules into living structures. One potential hypothesis for the emergence of life involves the self-assembling of...

“Hightech” Materials From Nature – Researchers Discover Surprising Properties of the Cytoskeleton

University of Göttingen — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 13:07:12 +0000

Göttingen University researchers discover surprising properties of the cytoskeleton. Most biological cells have a fixed place in an organism. However, there are instances where these...

Unlocking the Secrets of the Cell: Scientists “Dive” Into the Dark Hole of the Nuclear Pore Complex

Max Planck Society — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 14:01:48 +0000

A dynamic network within the nuclear envelope’s pores obstructs dangerous intruders. Tiny pores within the cell nucleus are crucial to healthy aging, as they safeguard...

Harnessing the Power of Sound: A Novel Method To Test Protein Bonds

Cell Press — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:31:38 +0000

We rely on temporary protein-protein bonds for essential processes including enzymatic reactions, antibody binding, and response to medication. The ability to precisely characterize these interactions...

Astrocytes: The Unsung Heroes of Stress Management

University of California - San Francisco — Thu, 08 Jun 2023 11:32:32 +0000

How little-known brain cells help to reduce the activity of overexcited neurons during acute stress. The sight of an overflowing email inbox on a Monday...

Mutation Mystery: Unraveling the Secret Behind COVID-19’s Rapid Spread

RIKEN — Sun, 14 May 2023 09:34:54 +0000

Molecular modeling suggests structural consequences of an early protein mutation that promoted viral transmission. RIKEN researchers discovered that an early mutation (D614G) in the SARS-CoV-2...

Scientists Discover a New Class of “Molecular Motors”

TU Dresden — Fri, 12 May 2023 07:41:52 +0000

Cells possess a remarkable ability to organize their interiors using minuscule protein machines known as molecular motors, which generate directed motion. Most molecular motors rely...

Knotty by Nature: Blackworms and the Secrets of Rapid Untangling

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) — Fri, 05 May 2023 23:05:37 +0000

Researchers have studied California blackworms to understand the rapid untangling of tangled active matter, potentially aiding the design of new active materials. Using ultrasound imaging,...

Mathematicians Solve a Knotty Mystery: How To Untangle a Worm Ball

Jennifer Chu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology — Tue, 02 May 2023 23:30:46 +0000

California blackworms tangle themselves up by the thousands, then separate in a split second. Their trick may inspire the design of self-detangling materials and fibers....

Mathematics Behind Wiggly Worm Knots Could Inspire Shapeshifting Robotics

Georgia Institute of Technology — Sat, 29 Apr 2023 13:06:00 +0000

Georgia Tech and MIT researchers have used ultrasound imaging and meticulous data tracking to understand the rapid tangling and untangling behaviors of California blackworms. Their...

Scientists Baffled by New “Size of Life” Discovery About Our Planet’s Biomass

University of British Columbia — Sat, 01 Apr 2023 09:04:49 +0000

Life comes in all shapes in sizes, but some sizes are more popular than others, new research from the University of British Columbia (UBC) has...

Artificial Cells – The Powerhouse of the Future

American Institute of Physics — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 13:36:24 +0000

Assessing how energy-generating synthetic organelles could sustain artificial cells. Researchers have assessed the progress and challenges in creating artificial mitochondria and chloroplasts for energy production...

Giants & Microbes Rule the World: Surprising Size Extremes Dominate Earth’s Biomass

Rutgers University — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 18:00:47 +0000

Rutgers researchers conduct survey on the body sizes of Earth’s organisms. Life may come in all shapes and sizes, but in nature, the most extreme...

Physics of Superpropulsion: Super-Fast Sharpshooter Insect Urination Using a “Butt Flicker”

Georgia Institute of Technology — Wed, 01 Mar 2023 09:41:54 +0000

Tiny insects known as sharpshooters excrete by catapulting urine drops at incredible accelerations. Their excretion is the first example of superpropulsion discovered in a biological...

Uncovering the Secrets of Skeleton Motion

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft — Tue, 03 Jan 2023 21:10:21 +0000

A new technique has been developed to track and measure the movement of skeletons in freely moving rodents. How can researchers accurately and precisely measure...

Potential Cure for Baldness: Discovery of Chemical Controlling Life and Death in Hair Follicles

University of California - Riverside — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 08:41:45 +0000

Discovery Could Help End Baldness and Speed Healing Scientists have discovered that a single chemical is key to controlling when hair follicle cells divide, and...