Mar 11 2021 Read 205 Times
Author: Robert P. Rambo on behalf of Diamond Light Source Ltd
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In 2020, the most significant application of Soft-condensed matter (SCM) science was, undoubtedly, the development of the COVID vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna which are composed of a synthetic messenger RNA encapsulated within a lipid nanoparticle [1]. SCM science drives continued improvements to quality of life as SCM science is integral to a broad range of industrial sectors. These sectors include food safety and waste, agriculture, polymers, coatings, additive manufacturing, lubricants and additives, personal care, electronics, energy storage, transportation, health and medicine.
SCM materials occur over a range of physical states that include liquid, semi-solid, waxes, glasses and aerosols. This necessitates a complementary and diverse suite of instrumentation and methodologies for understanding how molecular details give rise to th
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Origin
The squat, four-legged wombat may be one of Australia’s most charismatic animals, but it is also the only known species in the world that is capable of producing cube-shaped poops. Now, scientists believe they may have finally explained why. In January 2021, an international team of scientists reported that a uniquely evolved gastrointestinal system was likely the result of the Rubik’s cube-shaped scat, and not the result of a square-shaped anus at the point of exit as was previously described.
As opposed to the cylindrical feces that most animals excrete, wombats produce “uniform, clean-cut, cubic feces” that have long mystified the scientific community. The first recorded evidence of wombat poop was obtained in 1960 by Tazmanian zoologist Eric Guiler, who described the “droppings of wombats” as a “characteristic rectangular shape.” Previous work found that the feces change from a liquid-like state to one that is solid, with small, separated cubes and the in
Guillaume Duclos, assistant professor of physics at Brandeis University, calls it the “swirl.”
It’s made up of two types of cellular proteins kinesin and microtubules interacting to create a vortex under the microscope.
In the last year, researchers have taken significant steps toward understanding the swirl and controlling its flow.
When the swirl is placed in another liquid, it pushes it forward, creating what’s called a “self-propelling” or “self-mixing” liquid. In other words, you don’t need human or mechanical effort to get the liquid to move; it goes on its own.
Two types of cellular proteins interacting to create a vortex. (Credit: Brandeis)
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