Science, Space and Technology News 2024
Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology created synthetic droplets to study chemotaxis, mimicking cellular movement by responding to chemical gradients which could explain early life movement and inspire future technologies. Their findings, using droplets that migrate toward each other due to changes in pH and surface tension, contribute to understanding fundamental biological processes and the potential development of new biotechnological applications.
How do cells move around inside these extremely complicated systems? How do they know where to go? And how did they get so complicated to begin with? Simple yet profound questions like these are at the heart of curiosity-driven basic research, which focuses on the fundamental principles of natural phenomena. An important example is the process by which cells or organisms move in response to chemical signals in their environment, also known as chemotaxis.
Numerical models showing what happens when the halos of two synthetic droplets interact. pH in the space between the droplets is higher , which causes the droplets to migrate towards each other while keeping their spherical shape, as pH is lower within the droplets, until they meet and merge. Larger droplets attract smaller droplets.
How do the droplets move, and what determines their direction? Each green droplet is densely packed with proteins as well as an enzyme that increases the pH-value within and around the droplet, which may lead to the answer to these questions. Credit: OIST The research also points ahead in time, providing leads on new technology. “One example is the creation of responsive materials inspired by biology,” suggests Alessandro Bevilacqua. “We have shown how simple droplets can migrate thanks to a chemical gradient. A future application of this could be technologies that sense or react to chemical gradients, for example in micro-robotics or drug delivery.
Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Synthetic droplets cause a stir in the primordial soup: Chemotaxis research answers questions about biological movementOur bodies are made up of trillions of different cells, each fulfilling their own unique function to keep us alive.
Read more »
Synthetic droplets cause a stir in the primordial soupOur bodies are made up of trillions of different cells, each fulfilling their own unique function to keep us alive.
Read more »
Neutron Stars Could be Capturing Primordial Black HolesThe Milky Way's core is missing pulsars. Astronomers looked at neutron star collisions with primordial black holes to explain the mystery.
Read more »
Neutron stars could be capturing primordial black holesThe Milky Way has a missing pulsar problem in its core. Astronomers have tried to explain this for years. One of the more interesting ideas comes from a team of astronomers in Europe and invokes dark matter, neutron stars, and primordial black holes (PBHs).
Read more »
Mysterious Whale Sends Millions of XRP to Bitstamp, Stirring XRP ArmyAnonymous transfer of millions of XRP made to major cryptocurrency exchange
Read more »
Review: A stirring Act 1 of ‘Die Walküre’ and Sibelius’ Sixth Symphony in Fort WorthThree estimable Wagnerian singers joined the Fort Worth Symphony.
Read more »