Article archives

About lefties and righties

About lefties and righties

GeneticsNeuroscience

By Daniel Moreno Andrés

Behind the symmetrical shell of humans and vertebrates lies a profound asymmetry. Our bilaterality breaks down inside our body. Not only our viscera are organized asymmetrically. Also our brain and nervous system, whose general appearance seems symmetrical, present lateralized structure and functioning. Among cognitive systems for example, language, attention, emotional processing, working memory and executive […]

MI weekly selection #227

MI weekly selection #227

Weekly Selection

By César Tomé

Atmosphere found around exoplanet about size of Earth An atmosphere has been discovered for the first time around an exoplanet a little bigger than Earth, according to findings published in The Astrophysical Journal. GJ 1132b, which circles a dwarf star about 39 light-years away, is rocky, and its atmosphere could be made up of methane […]

How to measure the viscosity of the liquid inside a living cell using upconverting particles

How to measure the viscosity of the liquid inside a living cell using upconverting particles

Condensed matterNanotechnologyPhysics

By DIPC

How would you measure the dynamic viscosity of cytosol, the liquid inside the cells, without destroying the cell? It seems not an easy task. However, a team of researchers that includes Nuno de Sousa (DIPC & IFIMAC), has just provided a way of achieving this and other similar feats using upconverting particles. An optical trap […]

A membrane with voltage-dependent conductances increases the energy efficiency of fly photoreceptors

A membrane with voltage-dependent conductances increases the energy efficiency of fly photoreceptors

BiologyNeurobiology

By Francisco J Hernández

The neuronal membrane, like membranes surrounding other cells, is mainly formed by a lipid surface impermeable to ions. It is only through ion channels, small protein pores embedded in the membrane, that ions can cross, allowing electrical current to charge or discharge the neuron. The inclusion of ion channels in a membrane, determines its electrical […]

MI weekly selection #226

MI weekly selection #226

Weekly Selection

By César Tomé

Reported sightings of Tasmanian tigers to be investigated Recent possible sightings have raised hopes that a marsupial known as the Tasmanian tiger, last seen more than 80 years ago, may not be extinct. Researchers with James Cook University in Australia are mounting a search, placing cameras in areas where there have been sightings in an […]

Plasmons galore for myriad applications

Plasmons galore for myriad applications

ChemistryCondensed matterMaterialsNanotechnologyPhysicsQuantum physics

By DIPC

Worldwide research efforts on plasmons and metamaterials have been growing exponentially for the past ten years. Now, Antonio I. Fernández-Domínguez (IFIMAC), Francisco J. García-Vidal (IFIMAC & DIPC), and Luis Martín-Moreno (ICMA) discuss new directions for the future, such as the use of 2D materials and strong coupling phenomena, which are likely to shape the field […]

Pulsed radiotherapy

Pulsed radiotherapy

MedicinePhysics

By Invited Researcher

Can radiotherapy with laser-produced ionizing radiation be an alternative to conventional radiotherapy? Can we deep our understanding of the basic mechanisms of radiation damage? Can we study the very early biological response of the living matter and use this knowledge to design more efficient radiotherapy treatments? Contrary to popular belief, when tumoral tissue is irradiated […]

MI weekly selection #225

MI weekly selection #225

Weekly Selection

By César Tomé

Experiment hopes to shine intense light on hydrogen fuel production Nearly 150 powerful lamps that together produce light more intense than natural sunlight are the focus of the Synlight experiment in Germany that scientists hope can help create hydrogen fuel. Researchers suspect that, with the right setup, the “artificial sun” can create a reaction that […]