A hydrogen bond forms between a propellane (lower molecule) and the carbon monoxide functionalized tip of an atomic force microscope. The measured forces and the distance between the oxygen atom at the AFM tip and the propellane’s hydrogen atoms correspond precisely to the calculations. Credit: University of Basel, Department of Physics

Scientists have succeeded in studying the strength of hydrogen bonds in a single molecule using an atomic force microscope, AFM. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and is an integral part of almost all organic compounds. H-bonds are responsible for specific properties of proteins or nucleic acids and, for example, also ensure that water has a high boiling temperature...

The Large (centre left) and Small (centre right) Magellanic Clouds are seen in the sky above a radio telescope that is part of the Australia Telescope Compact Array at the Paul Wild Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. Image: Mike Salway

For the first time, astronomers have detected a magnetic field associated with the Magellanic Bridge, the filament of gas stretching 75000 light-years between the Milky Way Galaxy’s nearest galactic neighbours: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC, respectively). Visible in the southern night sky, the LMC and SMC are dwarf galaxies that orbit our home galaxy and lie at a distance of 160 and 200 thousand light-years from Earth respectively.

Such cosmic magnetic fields can only be detected indirectly, and this detection was made by observ...

This image illustrates the soft agar colony formation assay, which is a method used to confirm cellular anchorage-independent growth in vitro. The goal of this protocol is to illustrate a stringent method for the detection of the tumorigenic potential of transformed cells and the tumor suppressive effects of proteins on transformed cells.
Credit: Image courtesy of Sbarro Health Research Organization (SHRO)

A new study shows that whole tomato extracts from two different Southern Italy cultivars inhibit gastric cancer cell growth and malignant features, paving the way for future studies aimed at implementing lifestyle habits not only for prevention, but potentially as a support to conventional therapies...

Illinois professor Paul Braun and Hailong Ning, the director of research and development at Xerion Advanced Battery Corporation, led a research team that developed a method for directly electroplating lithium-ion battery cathodes. Credit: Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

The process that makes gold-plated jewelry or chrome car accents is now making powerful lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at the University of Illinois, Xerion Advanced Battery Corporation and Nanjing University in China developed a method for electroplating lithium-ion battery cathodes, yielding high-quality, high-performance battery materials that could open the door to flexible and solid-state batteries.

Traditional lithium-ion battery cathodes use lithium-containing powders formed at high temperatures...