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Earthquakes, Glue and Grappling Hooks: Scientists Dissect the Movement of Bacteria

By Guest PostFebruary 15, 2013Scienceanti infective, avalanche motions, california nanosystems institute, combat harmful microbes, combat microbial pathogenesis, earthquakes, frequency, fruiting body, gerard wong, glide along surface, glue, grappling hooks, henry samueli school, human tissue, intensity, karin a dahmen, max gibiansky, microscopic bacteria, molecular glue, molecular mechanism, movement of bacteria, myxococcus xanthus, pathogenic bacteria, social structures, tectonic plates, tectonic plates move, therapeutic strategies, ucla, university of Illinois, urbana-champaign, wei hu, wenyuan shi

A team led by researchers from the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has discovered that microscopic bacteria have a lot in common with earthquakes — when it comes to their jolting movements.

In a new study published in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists also report that a molecular “glue” produced by the bacteria to help them adhere to surfaces also acts as a sort of transportation lubricant, helping them move and organize into rudimentary social structures. These discoveries, they say, could lead to new ways to combat harmful microbes in the long term. (more…)

UMass Amherst Cell Biologists Show Molecular Forces Are Key to Proper Cell Division

By Guest PostJanuary 24, 2013Scienceanna ye, cell biologist, cell death, cell division, chromosome, chromosome microtubule interactions, culture cell, daughter cell, detection pathway, error rate, flawless cell, fluorescently tag chromosomes, fruit fly tissue, function, human disease, interaction error, kinetochore microtubule interaction, kinetochore regulator, kinetochores, massachusetts amherst, microtubule filament, mitotic spindle, modulate, molecular engine, molecular glue, molecular surveillance system, pef, polar ejection force, spindle, stuart cane, syntelic attachments, thomas maresca, university

AMHERST, Mass. – Studies led by cell biologist Thomas Maresca at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are revealing new details about a molecular surveillance system that helps detect and correct errors in cell division that can lead to cell death or human diseases. Findings are reported in the current issue of the Journal of Cell Biology.

The purpose of cell division is to evenly distribute the genome between two daughter cells. To achieve this, every chromosome must properly interact with a football-shaped structure called the spindle. However, interaction errors between the chromosomes and spindle during division are amazingly common, occurring in 86 to 90 percent of chromosomes, says Maresca, an expert in mitosis. (more…)

Imagine: Material That If Scratched, You Can Quickly and Easily Fix Yourself, With Light Not Heat

By Guest PostApril 21, 2011Scienceabrasive environments, andrew lovinger, automobiles, christoph weder, mechanical properties, metallo supramolecular polymers, microstructure, molecular glue, napoleon complex, polymer, scientific concepts, self corrective healing process, stuart rowan, supramolecular, switzerland, united states, weak molecular interactions

*Discovery of self-corrective healing process for polymer detailed this week in the journal Nature*

Imagine you’re driving your own new car–or a rental car–and you need to park in a commercial garage. Maybe you’re going to work, visiting a mall or attending an event at a sports stadium, and you’re in a rush. Limited and small available spots and concrete pillars make parking a challenge. And it happens that day: you slightly misjudge a corner and you can hear the squeal as you scratch the side of your car–small scratches, but large anticipated repair costs.

Now imagine that that you can repair these unsightly scratches yourself–quickly, easily and inexpensively–or that you can go through a car wash that can detect these and other more minor scratches and fix them as the car goes through the washing garage. Fantasy. Not exactly. Not anymore. Not according to a new discovery detailed in the April 21 issue of the journal Nature, and depicted in a short video interview and simulation. (more…)

Tag Archives: molecular glue

Earthquakes, Glue and Grappling Hooks: Scientists Dissect the Movement of Bacteria

UMass Amherst Cell Biologists Show Molecular Forces Are Key to Proper Cell Division

Imagine: Material That If Scratched, You Can Quickly and Easily Fix Yourself, With Light Not Heat