Peach gum polysaccharides (PGP) are getting a lot of attention these days. But there's a problem: they're too big to use easily. Scientists found a way to break them down using an enzyme called xylanase. This made the PGP smaller and easier to work with. The new, smaller PGP, called enzyme-extracte
The world of materials science is always looking for new ways to protect electronics from interference. One exciting development is a smart material that changes how it absorbs microwaves based on temperature. This material is made up of a special polymer called poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) and a pol
The plague, caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, has struck humanity three times in history. It's surprising that some strains, like biovar microtus, don't affect humans as much. This bacteria has a clever trick up its sleeve. It can survive and grow inside the immune cells of warm-blooded animal
The influenza A virus is a persistent threat to public health, causing yearly outbreaks and occasionally, global pandemics. The usual countermeasures, vaccines and antiviral drugs, have limitations. One issue is that new virus strains can resist antivirals and make vaccines less effective. Tradition
Every year, heat waves caused by climate change pose a serious threat to food security. For certain crops like oilseed rape and camelina, heat stress during the reproductive stage can lead to significant losses in yield and quality. But what if there was a way to help these plants better withstand i
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
