Memristor Collaboration between ALS and Hewlett Packard Labs Propels Theory to Application December 11, 2018 - The development of an idea into a commercial product can take decades, a timeframe that allows contributions from multiple generations of scientists and requires investment in basic research. Collaborative research between the ALS and Hewlett Packard Labs has advanced the memristor, a device that can store information using little to no power. Read more »
Toward a Blueprint for Anti-influenza Drugs December 7, 2018 - Researchers obtained high-resolution structures of several influenza antiviral drug molecules bound to their proton-channel targets in both open and closed conformations. The structures provide an atomic-level blueprint from which to design more effective anti-influenza drugs that can overcome growing drug resistance. Read more »
Palladium and Zirconium Convert Greenhouse Gases into Fuel December 6, 2018 - Greenhouse gases cause the rising global temperatures associated with climate change. At the ALS, researchers have determined that palladium/zirconium catalysts can reduce greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide by converting them into useful fuel. Read more »
Tunable Ferromagnetism in a 2D Material at Room Temperature December 5, 2018 - Researchers combined soft x-ray spectroscopy and microscopy to demonstrate the tunable ferromagnetic characteristics of a two-dimensional layered material at room temperature. The results open up exciting opportunities for the use of such materials in low-power spintronics, high-density magnetic storage, and flexible electronics. Read more »
The Smoking Gun of Soot Formation November 28, 2018 - Scientists identified a mechanism for the formation of soot involving a series rapid chemical reactions rather than the typical condensation of particles from gas. The results are critical to developing methods for controlling emissions responsible for millions of deaths annually, severe degradation of air quality, and enhanced global warming. Read more »
Inhibitors of the M2 Proton Channel Engage and Disrupt Transmembrane Networks of Hydrogen-Bonded Waters November 14, 2018 - The influenza M2 proton channel can bind to drugs and inhibitors. The ammonium groups of these compounds form hydrogen bonds with networks of ordered waters within the channel, and the adamantyl groups sterically block the diffusion of hydronium into the channel pore. Read more »
Antibody Therapy for Autoimmune Diseases October 30, 2018 - The balance between two types of white blood cells is disrupted in autoimmune diseases. Using protein crystallography, scientists have identified a human antibody that locks interleukin-2, a signaling protein, in a conformation that preferentially activates one cell type to restore the balance and treat autoimmune diseases. Read more »
Expanding the Infrared Nanospectroscopy Window October 26, 2018 - An innovative infrared-light probe with nanoscale spatial resolution has been expanded to cover previously inaccessible far-infrared wavelengths. The ability to investigate heterogeneous materials at nanometer scales and far-infrared energies will benefit a wide range of fields, from condensed matter physics to biology. Read more » 
Targeting Bacteria That Cause Meningitis and Sepsis October 22, 2018 - Researchers determined the structure of a human antibody that broadly protects against a bacterium that causes meningitis and sepsis. The work provides molecular-level information about how the antibody confers broad immunity against a variable target and suggests strategies for further improvement of available vaccines. Read more » 
Near-field infrared nanospectroscopy and super-resolution fluorescence microscopy enable complementary nanoscale analyses of lymphocyte nuclei October 11, 2018 - Recent super-resolution fluorescence microscopy studies have revealed significantly altered nuclear organization between normal lymphocyte nuclei and those of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma. Reported here are the first near-field IR imaging of lymphocyte nuclei, and far-field IR imaging results of whole lymphocytes and nuclei from normal human blood. Read more »