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    First-ever Spider Glue Genes Sequenced, paving way to next Biomaterials breakthrough

    June 7, 2019, Categories  Uncategorized

    Aggregate spider glue from three spider types. (A) Orb weavers coat their web’s sticky capture spiral with glue, (B) cobweb weavers cover the lower portion of their triplines with glue to create ’gumfoot’ threads, (C) the bolas spider creates a large droplet of glue specialized for capturing moths, and (D) A stretching glue droplet after contacting a probe that was subsequently withdrawn at a constant rate. Inset images courtesy of Brent Opell.

    Huge spider glue genes proved exceptionally challenging to sequence, could lead to organic pest control and more. Researchers have determined the first-ever complete sequences of two spider glue genes...

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    Cool, Nebulous Ring around Milky Way’s Supermassive Black Hole

    June 7, 2019, Categories  Uncategorized

    ALMA image of the disk of cool hydrogen gas flowing around the supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. The colors represent the motion of the gas relative to Earth: the red portion is moving away, so the radio waves detected by ALMA are slightly stretched, or shifted, to the ‘redder’ portion of the spectrum; the blue color represents gas moving toward Earth, so the radio waves are slightly scrunched, or shifted, to the ‘bluer’ portion of the spectrum. Crosshairs indicate location of black hole.
    Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), E.M. Murchikova; NRAO/AUI/NSF, S. Dagnello

    New ALMA observations reveal a never-before-seen disk of cool, interstellar gas wrapped around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way...

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    A Treasure Map to understanding the Epigenetic causes of disease

    June 5, 2019, Categories  Uncategorized

    Fig. 4
    CoRSIVs show influence of periconceptional environment, correlate with gene expression, and are associated with human disease

    Researchers have identified special regions of the genome where a blood sample can be used to infer epigenetic regulation throughout the body, allowing scientists to test for epigenetic causes of disease. Epigenetics is a system for molecular marking of DNA – it tells the different cells in the body which genes to turn on or off in that cell type. But the cell-specific nature of epigenetics makes it challenging to study. Whereas a blood sample can be used to ‘genotype’ an individual, most epigenetic marks in blood DNA provide no clues about epigenetic dysregulation in other parts of the body, such as the brain or heart.

    Dr. Robert A...

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    Chemists could make ‘Smart Glass’ Smarter by manipulating it at the Nanoscale

    June 5, 2019, Categories  Uncategorized

    Glass roof (stock image).
    Credit: © zhu difeng / Adobe Stock

    Chemists have devised a potentially major improvement to both the speed and durability of smart glass by providing a better understanding of how the glass works at the nanoscale. “Smart glass,” an energy-efficiency product found in newer windows of cars, buildings and airplanes, slowly changes between transparent and tinted at the flip of a switch.

    “Slowly” is the operative word; typical smart glass takes several minutes to reach its darkened state, and many cycles between light and dark tend to degrade the tinting quality over time...

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