Photosynthesis News and Research

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Photosynthesis is a chemical process by which plants, some bacteria, and algae convert energy derived from sunlight to chemical energy. This is an important process for biological life on earth because it allows energy from sunlight to be harnessed and transferred into a form that can be utilized by organisms to fuel their activity.

Novel technique uses genetic tool and light to map neural networks

For years, neuroscientists have been trying to develop tools that would allow them to clearly view the brain's circuitry in action-from the first moment a neuron fires to the resulting behavior in a whole organism.

22 Sep 2014

Scientists reveal secrets of cell membrane proteins

Rice University scientists have succeeded in analyzing transmembrane protein folding in the same way they study the proteins' free-floating, globular cousins.

17 Jul 2014

Study: Elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 threaten human nutrition

At the elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 anticipated by around 2050, crops that provide a large share of the global population with most of their dietary zinc and iron will have significantly reduced concentrations of those nutrients, according to a new study led by Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).

8 May 2014

Multifunctional microcapsules can be produced from tannic acid and metals

Microcapsules with a broad spectrum of applications in biomedicine, catalysis, and technology can be produced by using plant-derived, phenolic tannic acid and a variety of metals. The capsules are formed by a simple self-assembly process, and their properties can be controlled through the choice of metal, as demonstrated by a team of Australian and German researchers in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

16 Apr 2014

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to establish 5 new Research Units

Topics Range from Composite Structures to Personnel Decisions to Metastatic Cancer Progression / About Eleven Million Euros in Funding for Three Years

4 Apr 2014

ASU scientist selected as 2014 recipient of Lifetime Achievement Award

Roy Curtiss III, a scientist at the Biodesign Institute at Arizona State University, has been selected as the 2014 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society for Microbiology.

26 Mar 2014

New system allows us to power our devices long after sun goes down

Solar energy has long been used as a clean alternative to fossil fuels such as coal and oil, but it could only be harnessed during the day when the sun's rays were strongest. Now researchers led by Tom Meyer at the Energy Frontier Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have built a system that converts the sun's energy not into electricity but hydrogen fuel and stores it for later use, allowing us to power our devices long after the sun goes down.

15 Jan 2014

European research project to develop new rapid diagnostic devices

Led by the Basque R&D Alliance IK4, 13 organisations in 8 different countries have been conducting research for three years under the European LabOnFoil project to develop new rapid diagnostic devices.

19 Dec 2013

Seed grants support cancer diagnosis and treatment, vascular health research

Five teams of scientists earned research seed grants awarded this year by the John S. Dunn Foundation. The awards support new collaborations by researchers at Rice University's BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) and their partners at other institutional members of the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC).

26 Nov 2013

ASU incorporates with seven research universities to establish Science and Technology Center

Arizona State University is teaming up with seven other research universities to establish a new Science and Technology Center (STC), sponsored by the National Science Foundation with an initial five-year, $25-million grant (extendable for another five years).

6 Nov 2013

Research findings may lead to potential treatments for inherited diseases

New research from the University of California, Davis, shows that the tiny proportion of a cell's DNA that is located outside the cell nucleus has a disproportionately large effect on a cell's metabolism.

12 Oct 2013

Researchers explore challenges involved in urban agriculture

In many cities around the world, patrons of high-end restaurants want quality food that is flavorful and fresh. To satisfy their guests, chefs are looking closer and closer to home - to locally grown produce from neighboring farms or even from their own, restaurant-owned gardens.

18 Sep 2013

Scientists find new biomarker to accurately measure long-term sugar intake from blood or hair sample

FAIRBANKS, Alaska-Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks identified a new tool that can dramatically improve the notoriously inaccurate surveys of what and how much an individual eats and drinks. Their research is published in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

19 Jun 2013

Report highlights ecological cost of pharmaceutical waste

Pharmaceuticals commonly found in the environment are disrupting streams, with unknown impacts on aquatic life and water quality.

2 Apr 2013

Advancement in re-engineering photosynthesis can transform plants into bio-factories

Scientists are reporting an advance in re-engineering photosynthesis to transform plants into bio-factories that manufacture high-value ingredients for medicines, fabrics, fuels and other products. They report on the research in the journal ACS Synthetic Biology.

8 Mar 2013

Researchers report novel charge zipper principle used by proteins to form functional units

Membrane proteins are the "molecular machines" in biological cell envelopes. They control diverse processes, such as the transport of molecules across the lipid membrane, signal transduction, and photosynthesis. Their shape, i.e. folding of the molecules, plays a decisive role in the formation of, e.g., pores in the cell membrane.

19 Jan 2013

Molecular insight into oxygen sensing mechanism

The study of an oxygen-sensing bacterial regulatory protein by chemistry researchers at the University of Georgia has provided molecular insight into the oxygen sensing mechanism, which could ultimately lead to a better understanding of the ageing process and new treatments for human diseases such cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

12 Sep 2012

Understanding photoreceptor proteins could lead to cancer drug therapy

How does a plant know when to sprout a leaf, fold its petals or bloom? Why do humans experience jet lag after a trip abroad?

24 Aug 2012

Scientists clone tannin gene in sorghum

They might be called a blessing or a curse -- tannins, which are present in certain sorghums, contain health-promoting antioxidant properties, but also provide a bitter taste and decreased protein digestibility. To better understand tannins, their role in sorghum and how they can be altered to improve sorghum's use as food and feed, a team of scientists led by Kansas State University and U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers, has cloned the tannin gene in sorghum.

14 Jul 2012

ASU professor to receive $6.25M basic research award under DoD's MURI program

Arizona State University professor Hao Yan, an innovator in the field of nanotechnology, has been selected to receive a five-year, $6.25 million basic research award under the Department of Defense's (DoD) Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program.

3 Jul 2012