Article
Chemistry, Physical
Frantisek Turecek
Summary: Photochemical crosslinking in gas-phase ion complexes is a method to study biomolecular structures and dynamics. It has advantages such as mass-selective isolation, easy reaction monitoring, and post-crosslinking structure analysis.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Nadia A. Erkamp, Runzhang Qi, Timothy J. Welsh, Tuomas P. J. Knowles
Summary: Membraneless organelles formed through condensation of biomolecules in living cells are important for cellular processes and can be challenging to study. Microfluidic approaches have successfully been used to investigate the thermodynamics, kinetics, and other properties of biomolecular condensates.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katarzyna Soltys, Aneta Tarczewska, Dominika Bystranowska
Summary: Liquid-liquid phase separation is an important phenomenon in the cellular organization of biomolecules, leading to the formation of membraneless organelles. Membraneless organelles create concentrated microenvironments for specific biomolecules. Dysfunctional membraneless organelles can be associated with diseases. Therefore, identifying factors that regulate liquid-liquid phase separation is of great interest.
BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Lunxiang Zhang, Xinran Xia, Yuan Lv, Fan Wang, Chuanxiao Cheng, Shi Shen, Lei Yang, Hongsheng Dong, Jiafei Zhao, Yongchen Song
Summary: Cold storage concept and technology have gained extensive interest in recent years due to the increasing global energy demands and international carbon emissions. China, with its rapid economic growth, social development, and strong policy support for carbon reduction, is leading research in phase change material application in both fundamental science and advanced engineering. This study introduces the basic concept and classification of phase change materials for cold storage, compares innovative materials proposed in China, and reviews their application in various fields such as freshness preservation, mine cooling, power optimization, and energy utilization. The study also briefly discusses the cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art technologies in China, as well as the development history and future direction of cold storage air conditioning. China's extensive national policy enables it to play a major role in promoting cold storage technology.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shunsuke F. Shimobayashi, Pierre Ronceray, David W. Sanders, Mikko P. Haataja, Clifford P. Brangwynne
Summary: The process of nucleation in living cells is similar to that in non-living materials, but can be fine-tuned by biomolecular features. The dynamics of cellular processes can impact the rate and specificity of condensate nucleation sites. This quantitative framework provides insights into intracellular nucleation and opens the possibility of engineering synthetic condensates with precise spatial and temporal control.
Article
Physics, Nuclear
G. Kornakov, G. Cerchiari, J. Zielinski, L. Lappo, G. Sadowski, M. Doser
Summary: The study of radioisotopes and highly charged ions is an active and dynamic field. By using a novel production scheme, fully (or almost fully) stripped radionuclei in the form of highly charged ions can be directly formed in the trapping environment. This method expands the range of species that can be readily produced and investigated, including radioisotopes such as 21F, 100Sn, or 229Th, and complements existing techniques.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chan-Geun Kim, Da-Eun Hwang, Rajeev Kumar, Min Chung, Yu-Gon Eom, Hyunji Kim, Da-Hyun Koo, Jeong-Mo Choi
Summary: Biomolecular phase separation is a crucial phenomenon that plays a significant role in the compartmentalization of living cells. It can be explained by simple physical principles and replicated in vitro. This Mini review provides an overview of the current understanding and recent progress in the fundamental principles of biomolecular phase separation.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fumie X. Sunahori, Tony C. Smith, Dennis J. Clouthier
Summary: The AlCH2 free radical has been spectroscopically identified for the first time, and its spectroscopic properties and geometries have been studied in detail.
JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
A. I. Ismail, A. Samir, F. Ahmad, L. Soliman, A. Abdelghany
Summary: In the investigated glass system, the optical absorption of Cr ions decreases as the Li2O content increases, along with a decrease in crystal field strength and a reverse trend in Racah parameters B and C. The presence of both Cr6+ and Cr3+ states in the alkali borate glass were indicated by ESR signals, while FTIR spectra showed vibrations of B-O bonds and allowed for estimation of N-4 fraction utilizing IR parameters. Minor changes in bond angles and lengths of borate structural units post γ-irradiation indicated slight diversity in IR band intensities.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2021)
Article
Optics
B. Gabor, D. Nagy, A. Dombi, T. W. Clark, F. I. B. Williams, K. V. Adwaith, A. Vukics, P. Domokos
Summary: We experimentally demonstrate optical bistability between two hyperfine ground states of trapped, cold atoms using a single mode of an optical resonator. The nonlinearity arises from cavity-assisted pumping between ground states of the atoms, and the stability depends on the intensity of two driving lasers. The phenomenon can be understood as a first-order, driven-dissipative phase transition with the transmitted and driving fields as the order and control parameters, respectively. The order of the transition is confirmed experimentally by observing hysteresis in the order parameter.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michal Pochec, Katarzyna M. Krupka, Jaroslaw J. Panek, Kazimierz Orzechowski, Aneta Jezierska
Summary: n-Octanol and its deuterated form were studied experimentally and theoretically to investigate spectroscopic signatures and intermolecular interactions. The study focused on the vibrational features associated with the O-H stretching and the isotope effect. Various theoretical methods, such as Density Functional Theory (DFT), Attoms in Molecules (AIM) theory, and Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT), were applied to describe the intermolecular hydrogen bond and isotope effect. Molecular dynamics simulations and Car-Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD) were used to study the dynamical nature of liquid n-octanol. The study also included nuclear quantum effects by solving the vibrational Schrodinger equation.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
S. E. El-Mofty, P. Patra, A. A. El-Midany, P. Somasundaran
Summary: The transfer of dissolved Ca2+ ions between the electrical double layer (EDL) and the interface is a key step in the speciation process, requiring the ions to reach a certain saturation level. The transmitted Ca2+ ions chemisorb at the interfacial carbonate sites, forming different ion complexes.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Biophysics
Ashish Joshi, Samrat Mukhopadhyay
Summary: The formation of biomolecular condensates is a new biophysical principle for subcellular compartmentalization, enabling the regulation of complex biomolecular reactions. This Research Highlight summarizes papers published in Biophysical Journal from 2021 to 2022, which provide insights into the formation of biomolecular condensates through protein phase separation with or without nucleic acids.
BIOPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew Charman, Nicholas Grams, Namrata Kumar, Edwin Halko, Joseph M. Dybas, Amber Abbott, Krystal K. Lum, Daniel Blumenthal, Elene Tsopurashvili, Matthew D. Weitzman
Summary: Biomolecular condensates formed by phase separation can compartmentalize and regulate cellular processes. Evidence suggests that membraneless subcellular compartments in virus-infected cells also form by phase separation. Here we demonstrate that phase separation of the human adenovirus 52-kDa protein plays a critical role in the coordinated assembly of infectious progeny particles. Our findings identify essential requirements for coordinated assembly of progeny particles and demonstrate that phase separation of a viral protein is critical for production of infectious progeny during adenovirus infection.
Review
Physics, Multidisciplinary
Chris J. Vale, Martin Zwierlein
Summary: Spectroscopic tools in atomic physics have been adapted for use in ultracold quantum degenerate gases to study many-body systems with strong correlations and interactions, providing insights into collective quantum phenomena. These techniques allow for exquisite precision in probing atomic and molecular gases, turning ultracold gases into a valuable laboratory for precision many-body physics research.
