Navigation Links
Are U.S. Flu Death Figures More PR Than Science?

Looking through his handmade microscope in 1702, it was Anton van Leeuwenhoek who first described the workings of a nano machine. He observed the rapid contraction of a stalk tethering the cell body of a tiny protozoan, Vorticella convallaria, to the surface of a leaf. Little did van Leeuwenhoek imagine that more than 300 years later, the biological spring that drives Vorticella would set records for speed and power in the nano world of cellular engines.

It might also power future generations of nano devices and materials, according to biological engineer Danielle Cook France and colleagues at MIT, the Whitehead Institute, the Marine Biological Laboratory, and the University of Illinois, Chicago. France presented her findings Sunday at the 45th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology in San Francisco.

The spring in the unicellular Vorticella is a contractile fiber bundle, called the spasmoneme, which runs the length of the stalk. At rest, the stalk is elongated like a stretched telephone cord. When it contracts, the spasmoneme winds back in a flash, forming a tight coil. To find out how fast and how hard Vorticella recoils, France and colleagues used modern microscopes and tools to measure the force and speed of the spring. This is one powerful engine, France reports. The spasmoneme's contraction is measured in nano-newtons of force and centimeters/second of speed in a biological world where the ruler markings are usually in tiny pico-newtons and micrometers/second. Gram for gram, the power of the spasmoneme engine outperforms human muscles and car engines.

It also runs on a different fuel. Molecular motors that power muscle contraction, for example, use ATP molecules for energy. The spasmoneme runs on calcium, but its drive mechanism was poorly understood until France and colleagues got under the nano hood. Like van Leeuwenhoek, the researchers studied Vorticella under the microscope but they also had specialized biochemical
'"/>

Source:


Page: 1 2

Related biology news :

1. New Estimates For The Causes Of Child Deaths Worldwide
2. Measles Deaths Worldwide Drop By Nearly 40% Over Five Years
3. Morphine for Chest Pain Increases Death Risk
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
TAG: Are Flu Death Figures More Than Science

(Date:5/16/2013)... Integrated Biometrics patented LES (Light Emitting ... film transistor camera introduces Sherlock, a fingerprint scanner ... the smallest and lightest form factor available on ... ID FAP 45, Certified scanner is highly efficient ... weight when compared to optical scanners. ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... world are meeting next week in Toronto. The ... latest in research findings about the brain, the ... disorders that affect them., "Canada is a leader ... the best of neuroscience research done here and ... the Canadian Association for Neuroscience. He also reminds ...
(Date:5/15/2013)... gout risk, new research reveals that vitamin C, also ... levels to a clinically significant degree in patients with ... with allopurinol, appears to have a weak effect on ... the results published in the American College of Rheumatology ... Gout is an inflammatory arthritis that causes excruciating pain ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):7th Annual Canadian Neuroscience Meeting, Toronto, May 20-24, 2013 2Vitamin C does not lower uric acid levels in gout patients 2
... Indian announced that it has been awarded a ... Building Council and verified by the Green Building ... Design, is the nation,s preeminent program for the ... "This achievement not only signifies the Smithsonian ...
... 6, 2011Measurable changes in brain function and communication between ... during the early stages of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ... are detailed in an article in the groundbreaking new ... bimonthly peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, ...
... reduce size and improve performance and cell life is ... by Penn State and funded by the Department of ... $5 million, three-year grant is part of the DOE,s ... improving fuel efficiency of next generation vehicles. Penn ...
Cached Biology News:National Museum of the American Indian awarded prestigious LEED Green Building Certification 2Changes in brain function in early HIV infection: A reliable indicator of disease prognosis? 2
(Date:5/16/2013)... , May 16, 2013  HealthSparq, a ... of the nation,s largest regional health plans, will ... Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Institute 2013 conference on ... survey results showing how health insurance companies across ... the consumer and marketplace demands for increased healthcare ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... 16, 2013 As the weather warms, women ... favorite Spring looks. While most make a statement with fashion, ... women find the warmer weather mixes makeup and sweat to ... the onset of acne during warmer months, Adult Acne ... treatment users the best ways to deter breakouts. , ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... 16, 2013 Reportlinker.com announces ... is available in its catalogue: ... for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC ... http://www.reportlinker.com/p01182969/MediPoint-Diagnostic-Cardiac-Biomarkers-for-Acute-Coronary-Syndromes---APAC-Analysis-and-Market-Forecasts.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=In_Vitro_Diagnostic MediPoint: ... Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market ...
(Date:5/16/2013)... 16, 2013 Dr. Stephen Y. Chou, ... titled “Nanoimprint Lithography and Applications” at IEEE Nano 2013 ... invented in 1995 by Chou, is becoming one of ... unique combination of sub-10 nm resolution, large area, and ... impacting both R&D and manufacturing in a broad range ...
Breaking Biology Technology:HealthSparq to Reveal New Healthcare Transparency Benchmark Study at AHIP Institute 2013 2HealthSparq to Reveal New Healthcare Transparency Benchmark Study at AHIP Institute 2013 3Adult Acne Treatment, Probiotic Action Shares New Tips for Women on How to Fight Acne While Wearing Makeup 2MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 2MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 3MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 4MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 5MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 6MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 7MediPoint: Diagnostic Cardiac Biomarkers for Acute Coronary Syndromes - APAC Analysis and Market Forecasts 8Founder, Prof. Stephen Chou to Give Tutorial on Nanoimprint at IEEE Nano 2013 2
... NEW YORK, May 13 Johnson & Johnson ... and Emeritus Professor Sir,Ravinder N. Maini, FRCP, FMedSci, ... London have been named the recipients of the,2008 ... an independent,selection committee of world-renowned scientists., The ...
... Ltd.,announced today the appointment of Prof. Arie Schachner to ... Dr. Schachner has been a member of Meditor,s Scientific ... active role in the Clinical Development,program., Prof. Schachner ... at Wolfson Medical Center and Tel Aviv University Sackler,Medical ...
... Calif., May 12 Alexza,Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALXA ... March 31, 2008 and provided an update on the,Company,s ... the 2008,first fiscal quarter, as reported in accordance with ... $14.6 million, compared,to a net loss of $10.9 million ...
Cached Biology Technology:Professors Marc Feldmann and Sir Ravinder Maini Named Winners of the 2008 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research 2Professors Marc Feldmann and Sir Ravinder Maini Named Winners of the 2008 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research 3Professors Marc Feldmann and Sir Ravinder Maini Named Winners of the 2008 Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research 4Two New Appointments at Meditor Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 2Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 2Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 3Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 4Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 5Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 6Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 7Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 8Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 9Alexza Reports 2008 First Quarter Financial Results and Updates Development of Product Candidates 10
...
... Immunogen: purified recombinant human ... coli . Physical form: ... filtered solution in phosphate buffered ... (c). WB. Titertest ...
Request Info...
2 ml SmartScan Racks...
Biology Products: