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Molecular Complex Removes Copper Ions from Water

X-ray analyses provided key insights into the copper uptake mechanisms in a new organic-inorganic hybrid material that quickly and selectively removes copper ions from water. The material provides an efficient tool for copper remediation as well as a blueprint for creating other hybrid materials for removing toxic metals from water. Read more »PPT-icon-35 PDF-icon-35

Xylella fastidiosa causes transcriptional shifts that precede tylose formation and starch depletion in xylem

During Pierce’s disease, Xylella fastidiosa triggers transcriptional changes in grapevines and induces major physiological responses, including tylose formation and starch depletion. X-ray computed microtomography and a machine-learning algorithm were used to track the depletion of starch reserves in the xylem of a grapevine stem infected with Pierce’s disease. Read more »

A 1-Atom-Deep Look at a Water-Splitting Catalyst

X-ray experiments revealed an unexpected transformation in a single atomic layer of a material that contributed to a doubling in the speed of a chemical reaction—the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. This process is a first step in producing hydrogen fuel for applications such as electric vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells. Read more »

Unique X-Ray Microscope Reveals Dazzling 3D Cell Images

Researchers used soft x-ray tomography to reveal never-before-seen details about insulin secretion in pancreatic cells taken from rats. By quantifying subcellular rearrangements in response to drugs, the results are an important first step for bridging the longstanding gap between structural biology and physiology. Read more »

Coordinated decline of leaf hydraulic and stomatal conductances under drought is not linked to leaf xylem embolism for different grapevine cultivars

Drought decreases water transport capacity of leaves and limits gas exchange, which involves reduced leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) in both the xylem and outside-xylem pathways. We combined Kleaf and gas exchange measurements, micro-computed tomography of intact leaves, and spatially explicit modeling of the outside-xylem pathways to evaluate the role of vein embolism and Kleaf in the responses of two different grapevine cultivars to drought. Read more »

Speeding Toward Improved Hydrogen Fuel Production

Researchers synthesized a material that speeds up one of the limiting steps in extracting hydrogen from alcohols. The catalyst cleanly and efficiently accelerates the removal of hydrogen atoms from a liquid chemical carrier. The material is robust, made from earth-abundant metals, and will help make hydrogen a viable energy source for a wide range of applications. Read more »