A new method for atomic-resolution electron microscopes

Electron lens formed by light

13-Apr-2022 - Electron microscopy enables researchers to visualize tiny objects such as viruses, the fine structures of semiconductor devices, and even atoms arranged on a material surface. Focusing down the electron beam to the size of an atom is vital for achieving such high spatial resolution. However, when ...

Constructing the first version of the Japanese reference genome

The Japanese now have their own reference genome

02-Feb-2021 - The Japanese now have their own reference genome thanks to researchers at Tohoku University who completed and released the first Japanese reference genome (JG1). Their study was published in the journal Nature Communications. "JG1 can aid with the clinical sequence analysis of Japanese ...

Simple, mass production of giant vesicles using a porous silicone material

01-Nov-2018 - A technique to generate large amounts of giant vesicle (liposome) dispersion has been developed. The technique involves adsorbing a lipid into a silicone porous material resembling a "marshmallow-like gel" and then squeezing it out like a sponge by impregnating a buffer solution. This work was ...

The tightest non-aminoglycoside ligand for the bacterial ribosomal RNA A-site

17-Oct-2018 - A research group at Tohoku University has made a significant discovery with positive implications for the development of bacteria-fighting drugs. The aminoacyl-tRNA site (A-site) of the 16S RNA decoding region in the bacterial ribosome looks promising for a new era of antibiotic drug ...

ATP hydrolysis energy explained through large-scale hybrid quantum/classical simulations

24-Mar-2017 - In ATP hydrolysis, water is used to split apart adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to create adenosine diphosphate (ADP) to get energy. ATP hydrolysis energy (AHE) is then used in the activities of living cells. Many attempts have been made to explain the molecular origin of AHE. In the 1960s, AHE was ...

How X-rays in matter create genetoxic low-energy electrons

02-Feb-2017 - Researchers led by Kiyoshi Ueda of Tohoku University have investigated what x-rays in matter really do and identified a new mechanism of producing low-energy free electrons. Since the low-energy electrons cause damage to the matter, the identified process might be important in understanding and ...

Radiation that knocks electrons out and down, one after another

12-Dec-2016 - Researchers at Japan's Tohoku University are investigating novel ways by which electrons are knocked out of matter. Their research could have implications for radiation therapy. Exposing a small cluster of neon atoms to a very short and intense burst of extreme ultraviolet light initiates a novel ...

Plant fertility - how hormones get around

09-Feb-2015 - Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology have identified a transporter protein at the heart of a number of plant processes associated with fertility and possibly aging.Very low quantities of hormones instigate a number of the plant processes needed for survival, growth and proliferation - all ...

Vancomycin dimers are effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria

10-Feb-2011 - Scientists in Japan have revealed how antibiotic vancomycin dimers are effective against vancomycin-resistant bacteria. Vancomycin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, is used to treat bacterial infections in cases when other antibiotics are ineffective. However, the development of vancomycin resistant ...

The Trap Snaps Shut

Researchers isolate the substance that causes Venus flytraps to close

11-Nov-2010 - The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant luring insect prey with drops of liquid. The trap snaps shut like a steel jaw when an insect touches one of the very fine hairs within. The prey is caught – digestion begins. Minoru Ueda and a research team from the Universities of Tohoku, Hirosaki, and ...