microscopy

Taking an atomic view of health is means understanding the tiniest scales and interactions of why molecules act one way or the other within a cell.

Professor David Punihaole at the University of Vermont leads a research team working with materials and medicines at that molecular scale, combining cutting edge spectroscopic techniques and microscopic views to investigate the fundamental chemistry behind health.

Read the original article: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c04415

Kanazawa University NanoLSI Podcast: Enhancing carbon dioxide reduction

Transcript of this podcast

Hello and welcome to the NanoLSI podcast. Thank you for joining us today. In this episode we feature the latest research by Yasafumi Takahashi at the Kanazawa University NanoLSI and Yoshikazu Ito and Yuta Hori at the University of Tsukuba.

The research described in this podcast was published in ACS Nano in June 2023

Kanazawa University NanoLSI website

https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

Enhancing carbon dioxide reduction

Researchers at Kanazawa University report in ACS Nano how ultrathin layers of tin disulfide can be used to accelerate the chemical reduction of carbon dioxide — a finding that is highly relevant for our quest towards a carbon-neutral society.

Recycling carbon dioxide released by industrial processes is a must in humanity’s urgent quest for a sustainable, carbon-neutral society.  For this purpose, electrocatalysts that can efficiently convert carbon dioxide into other, less impactful chemical products are widely researched today.  A category of materials known as two-dimensional (2D) metal dichalcogenides are candidate electrocatalysts for carbon dioxide conversion, but these materials also typically facilitate competing reactions, which compromises their efficiency.  Yasufumi Takahashi from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), at Kanazawa University and colleagues have now identified a 2D metal dichalcogenide that can efficiently reduce carbon dioxide to formic acid, a compound that not only occurs naturally but is also an intermediate product in chemical synthesis.

Takahashi and colleagues compared the catalytic performance of 2D sheets of molybdenum disulfide and tin disulfide.  Both are 2D metal dichalcogenides, with the latter of particular interest because pure tin is a known catalyst for the production of formic acid.  Electrochemical tests of these compounds revealed that with molybdenum disulfide, instead of carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen evolution reactions were promoted.  Hydrogen evolution reactions refer to reactions yielding hydrogen, which can be useful when the production of hydrogen gas fuel is intended, but in the context of carbon dioxide reduction it is an unwanted competing process.  Tin disulphide, on the other hand, showed good carbon dioxide reduction activity and suppressed hydrogen evolution reactions.  The researchers also carried out electrochemical measurements for bulk tin dioxide powder, which was found to have less catalytic carbon dioxide reduction activity.

So how is tin disulphide facilitating carbon dioxide reduction?

To understand where the catalytically active sites are in tin disulphide, and why the 2D material performs better than the bulk compound, the scientists applied a method called scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM).  SECCM is used as a nanopipette to form the meniscus shape nanoscale electrochemical cell for the surface reactivity sensing probe on the sample.  The measurements revealed that the whole surface of the tin disulphide sheet is catalytically active, not only ‘terrace’ or ‘edge’ features in the structure.  This also explains why 2D tin disulphide has enhanced activity compared to bulk tin disulphide.

Calculations provided further insights into the chemical reactions at play.  Specifically, the formation of formic acid was confirmed as an energetically favorable reaction pathway when using 2D tin disulphide as catalyst.

The results of Takahashi and colleagues signify an important step forward towards the use of 2D electrocatalysts in electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction applications.  Quoting the scientists: “These findings will provide a better understanding and desig

NanoLSI Podcast website

Episode Description:

Welcome to another intriguing episode from our AMA series, where we're diving deep into the realms of cell biology, cognitive aging, and neurodegenerative disease, all through the lens of zebrafish!

We're delighted to have Dr. Liz Haynes, a cell biologist and post-doctoral fellow, as our special guest. A proud advocate for open-source tools and publishing, Dr. Haynes wields a microscope and an unyielding curiosity for the brain's smallest defenders, the microglia.

She embarked on her scientific journey at UNC-Chapel Hill, studying the fascinating actin dynamics and then plunging into the intricate world of kinesin-1’s cargo-binding subunits. But it was the world of zebrafish that stole her heart and honed her research focus.

Dr. Haynes utilizes her expertise in multiscale microscopy, specifically 2-photon and light sheet microscopy, to elucidate the role of microglia in cognitive aging and neurodegenerative diseases in zebrafish. The aim? To unravel the complex behaviors of cells in a 3D environment.

Currently, as a Morgridge Post-Doctoral Fellow working with the Eliceiri and Ulland labs, Dr. Haynes continues to innovate strategies for longitudinal light sheet and multiphoton microscopy. Her work promises new insights into microglia's part in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Join us as we discuss zebrafish, microglia, and the incredible world of cell biology with Dr. Haynes. Prepare to be amazed at what we can learn from the unassuming zebrafish and how they can teach us about cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease.

Today’s AMA is featuring Dr. Liz Haynes. You can follow her Sci Find Profile here (https://scifind.io/profiles/liz-haynes-j07bjmkz6uukura) to see some of her posts and her Twitter handle is @actin_crazy (https://twitter.com/actin_crazy). Check out her posts: https://scifind.io/posts/tissue-clearing-part-2-mounting-where-theres-a-will-theres-a-way-30puv6hnt5qratg and https://scifind.io/posts/tissue-clearing-part-1-how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-r-p3p45h5yjb45iko

Kanazawa Univesity NanoLSI Podcast:Dynamic 3D structure extraction from HS-AFM images

Transcript of this podcast

 Hello and welcome to the NanoLSI podcast. Thank you for joining us today. In this episode we feature the latest research by  Holger Flechsig and Toshio Ando at the Kanazawa University NanoLSI.

 The research described in this podcast was published in the journal Current Opinion in Structural Biology in April 2023

 Kanazawa University NanoLSI website
  https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/

 Dynamic 3D structure extraction from high-speed atomic force microscopy images
 
 By allowing the direct observation of biomolecules in dynamic action, high-speed atomic force microscopy or AFM has opened a new avenue to dynamic structural biology. A vast number of successful applications within the past 15 years have provided unique insights into essential biological processes at the nanoscale – visualizing, for example, how molecular motors execute their specific functions.

 Some intrinsic limitations of AFM imaging are that only the surface topography can be acquired, and that the AFM tip is too large to resolve details below the nanometer scale. To facilitate the interpretation and understanding of high-speed AFM observations, post-experimental analysis and computational methods play an increasingly important role.

 In their review paper published in the Current Opinion in Structural Biology journal Holger Flechsig a computational scientist at the NanoLSI at Kanazawa University and Toshio Ando, a Distinguished Professor at NanoLSI, provide an overview of developments in this topical field of interdisciplinary research. Computational modeling and simulations already allow the reconstruction of 3D conformations with atomistic resolution from topographic resolution-limited AFM images. Furthermore, quantitative analysis methods allow for example automated recognition of biomolecular shape changes from topographic images, or feature assignment including the identification of amino acid residues on the molecular surface.

So how is all this implemented?

The developed computational methods are often implemented in open-access software, allowing for convenient applications by the broad Bio-AFM community to complement experimental observations. In that regard, the BioAFMviewer software project initiated at Kanazawa University in 2020 has gained significant attention and plays an important role in a plethora of collaboration projects.

Combining high-speed AFM and computational modeling will elevate the understanding of how proteins function in atomistic detail. An ambitious future goal is the application of molecular modeling to reconstruct atomistic-level 3D molecular movies from high-speed AFM topographic movies.

Reference
Holger Flechsig and Toshio Ando. Protein dynamics by the combination of high-speed AFM and computational modeling

NanoLSI Podcast website

This discussion with Dr. Johan Skog covers a lot of ground while staying super approachable. 

The Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Exosome Diagnostics, starts by sharing basics about exosomes and tells us about how he’s translated his curiosity for the vesicles from tumor stem cells into his current role where he’s helped develop the world’s first exosome-based cancer diagnostic test. The conversation delves into the variations in exosomes populations, the value of using multiple biomarkers in diagnostics, the role that isolation and purification play in using exosomes for diagnostics, and why some cancers are better left untreated. 

Join us for this fascinating conversation with an innovator, that just happens to have one of the most soothing voices around. 

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. 

Visit https://thermofisher.com/molbioschool to access the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology, which is packed with really helpful molecular biology resources and educational content. 

Experience the Speaking of Mol Bio podcast in its extended video format for a more immersive journey, while also ensuring accessibility with downloadable transcripts for each episode. 
Watch now at thermofisher.com/podcast-video

Subscribe to get future episodes as they drop and if you like what you’re hearing we hope you’ll share a review or recommend the series to a colleague. 

Download Transcripts: 

Speaking of Mol Bio Podcast | Thermo Fisher Scientific - US

Visit the Invitrogen School of Molecular Biology to access helpful molecular biology resources and educational content, and please share this resource with anyone you know working in molecular biology. 

In this captivating episode of our AMA series, we dive into the fascinating world of floral ground plants 🌺 with our special guest, Dr. Min Ya. As both a talented researcher and artist, Dr. Min Ya shares her unique insights into the molecular basis of these plants, which make up over 90% of known land plants. Her passion for her work is contagious, and listeners will undoubtedly leave with a newfound appreciation for the complexity and beauty of flowering plants.

Dr. Min Ya discusses her journey from discovering her love for plant science to incorporating her artistic talents through stunning photography 📸 .She reveals how her work with the microscope and camera has allowed her to capture the intricate details of plants at a microscopic level 🔬, creating breathtaking images that showcase the structure and growth of plants.

Listeners will be treated to amusing anecdotes and eye-opening facts about the secret life of plant research, as well as some behind-the-scenes stories of Dr. Min Ya's research and photography adventures. She also addresses different aspects about plant biology and offers tips and advice for anyone interested in exploring a similar path that combines science and art.

Don't miss this delightful and enlightening conversation with the extraordinary Dr. Min Ya!

Do note that it is recorded on Discord and involves a live audience and active chat.

You can reach out to or follow Dr. Min Ya in the following places:

1. Scifind.io profile: https://scifind.io/profiles/min-ya-3ma1fgrqfkl22dd

2. Personal website/blog:  https://www.minyaaa.com/

3. Twitter: https://twitter.com/0_minyaaa

Ross tells Carrie about the homeschool-teaching instruction he received at the Building Strong Foundations Conference, including important pedagogical questions like: What is science? How does a dictionary work? What questions can science not answer? Did you know your hair holds the key to your divinity? Turns out, the more your hair is like a primate’s… the more evolution is disproven? Time to pull out some microscopes and confirm Genesis 1. Also, Ken Ham is back, and he’s still pissy.

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