Matter and energy from Science Daily Feed

Newly discovered weapons of bacterial self-defense take different approaches to achieving the same goal: preventing a virus from spreading through the bacterial population.

Millions of years of evolution have enabled some marine animals to grow complex protective shells composed of multiple layers that work together to dissipate physical stress. In a new study, engineers have found a way to mimic the behavior of this type of layered material, such as seashell nacre, by programming individual layers of synthetic material to work collaboratively under stress. The new material design is poised to enhance energy-absorbing systems such as wearable bandages and car bumpers with multistage responses that adapt to collision severity.

New research details how infrared thermography, high-definition imaging and neural network analysis can combine to make concrete bridge inspections more efficient. Researchers are hopeful that their findings can be leveraged by engineers through a combination of these methods to strategically pinpoint bridge conditions and better allocate repair costs.

Janus heterobilayers -- dual-sided materials with unique properties -- may be the key to efficiently creating clean hydrogen fuels.

Researchers have designed a high-performance, open-access continuous flow process to safely produce key antibacterial drugs from bio-based furfural.

Investigators are developing a new type of auditory brainstem implant that is designed to be soft, and flexible and address limitations of models currently in use. These implants may one day benefit people who can't receive a cochlear implant, such as those with Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) and other severe inner ear abnormalities. In a new preclinical study, researchers report on benefits in large animal models, and based on the results, hope for future trials in humans.

Molecules like DNA are capable of storing large amounts of data without requiring an energy source, but accessing this molecular data is expensive and time consuming. Researchers have now developed an alternative method to encode information in synthetic molecules, which they used to encode and then decode an 11-character password to unlock a computer.

A new gene editor may soon open the door to gene therapies for a wider array of diseases.

A new study explores how EOS transmits ultrashort laser pulses through crystals that change in response to an applied electric field. This technique allows researchers to accurately capture the shape and timing of electric fields across a broad range of frequencies.

Whether bismuth is part of a class of materials highly suitable for quantum computing and spintronics was a long-standing issue. Research has now revealed that the true nature of bismuth was masked by its surface, and in doing so uncovered a new phenomenon relevant to all such materials.

In Project Chimera, a game lab combines a VR computer game with educational problems in order to convey scientific content in a motivating way.

Charge transfer, or the movement of electrons, can occur either within a molecule or between two molecules. Combining the two types of charge transfer is challenging. Now, scientists have developed a hybrid charge transfer crystal using a novel pyrazinacene molecule. This crystal is capable of reacting with naphthalene to produce a reversible color shift, from greenish-blue to red-violet. Such color-changing crystals can have various potential applications in materials science.

A research team has unveiled a breakthrough in improving the performance of zinc-air batteries (ZABs), which are an important energy storage technology. This breakthrough involves a new catalyst that significantly boosts the efficiency of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), a crucial process in ZABs. The development could lead to more efficient, long-lasting batteries for practical applications.

Found in knee replacements and bone plates, aircraft components, and catalytic converters, the exceptionally strong metals known as multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) are about to get even stronger through to artificial intelligence. Scientists have designed a new MPEA with superior mechanical properties using a data-driven framework that leverages the supercomputing power of explainable artificial intelligence (AI).

A breakthrough study has revealed why emerging electric aircraft engine technology sounds so annoying -- and how to fix it.

A new, incision-free technique developed at UVA Health to treat debilitating brain lesions called cerebral cavernous malformations, or cavernomas, has shown great promise in early testing, halting the growth of the lesions almost entirely.

As industries seek innovative solutions for carbon capture, scientists have turned to advanced materials that efficiently trap and store carbon dioxide (CO ) from industrial emissions. A recent study sheds light on the gas adsorption physics of so-called Calgary Framework 20 (CALF-20), a zinc-based metal-organic framework (MOF). While applying a combination of advanced techniques, the scientists reveal the material's unique adaptability under varying conditions.

Researchers have developed a simple method to explore a complex area of quantum science. The discovery makes research in this field cheaper and more accessible, which could significantly impact the development of future laser, quantum and high-tech display technologies.

Most vaccines -- and boosters -- are injected directly into muscle tissue, usually in the upper arm, to kickstart the body's immune system in the fight against disease. But for respiratory diseases like COVID-19, it can be important to have protection right where the virus enters: the respiratory tract. In a new study, researchers found that nasal vaccine boosters can trigger strong immune defenses in the respiratory tract, even without the help of immune-boosting ingredients known as adjuvants. The findings, researchers suggest, may offer critical insights into developing safer, more effective nasal vaccines in the future.

An international team of scientists has identified an unexpected region of heavy, neutron-deficient isotopes in the nuclear chart where nuclear fission is predominantly governed by an asymmetric mode.