On Monday, Volkswagen workers in Germany put down their tools to protest. Nine factories were affected, with workers either stopping work for demonstrations or cutting shifts short. Banners with slogans like "strike ready" and "warning strikes — our right" were seen. This followed a warning from Tho
Picture this: tiny cells, just like little cities, need to keep their genetic material organized. One main helper in this process is a protein called KPNA3. It acts like a traffic cop, guiding another protein named NPAT to the cell's nucleus, the brain of the cell. Why is this important? NPAT create
Scientists have built a smart scaffold that helps in repairing damaged nerves using light. The scaffold is made with nanoparticles that release a gas called nitric oxide (NO) when hit by a special light called near-infrared light. This gas helps nerve cells grow and heal. The special thing about thi
Biking in Denver can be a balancing act, and not just because of the winding roads. The city has a problem on its hands, and it's on the streets. Bike lanes are a hot topic, and for good reason. Cyclists are frustrated and worried about their safety. You see, the current bike lanes are a hit-and-mis
With just days left in office, President Joe Biden is on a mission to safeguard his key policy wins. High on his to-do list is the CHIPS and Science Act, which has ramped up domestic production of memory chips. Economic experts warn that if incoming President Donald Trump decides to axe this program
Imagine you're a rice farmer trying to improve your crop. You might wonder, how can we make rice produce more seeds? Scientists found that a specific gene in rice, called OsSPL5, can actually boost cross-pollination – the process where pollen from one plant fertilizes another. This increases the num
Have you ever wondered how some bacteria can survive for ages without food? This is exactly what scientists found in Streptomyces minutiscleroticus. These little guys stay alive even when food is scarce. They keep making proteins, and surprisingly, they can even grow a bit, shown by their sensitivit
Did you know that night-migratory songbirds use the Earth's magnetic field to navigate? This is thanks to a special light-dependent magnetic compass sense. Scientists believe this sense works because of certain light-sensitive proteins called cryptochromes in the birds' eyes. Interestingly, weak ra
Pollutants can act differently depending on the environment they're in. Scientists wondered how two specific pollutants, 6-OH-BDE-47 and 6-MeO-BDE-47, behave when there's plenty of oxygen (oxic conditions) or not much (anoxic conditions). They used labeled versions of these pollutants to see what ha
Frontotemporal dementia, especially the behavioral variant (bvFTD), is known for its significant changes in personality and thinking skills. These changes often come with strong behavioral symptoms that can be tough for both patients and their caregivers. Surprisingly, unlike similar symptoms in pri
