Month: September 2022

DARPA SHAPE-SHIFTERS. "Blurring the line between materials and mechanics, it may even result in new states of matter. One possibility are "infoliquids"and "infosolids", materials than straddle the line between solid and liquid, with information encoded into its chemistry. Another possibility is the creation of robots that can shift sizes and even states of matter to squeeze through narrow passages or around obstacles." https://lnkd.in/d9CztUV View in LinkedIn

STRATEGIES FOR PROGRAMMABLE MATTER. "There are two primary approaches to programmable matter: bottom-up attempts to change the behavior of materials at the atomic or molecular level, and top-down approaches to create miniature robotic systems that interact closely with one another to form a larger item." https://lnkd.in/dGPJJNA View in LinkedIn

SELF-ASSEMBLING HOMES. "Buildings incorporate programmable matter could have reconfigurable floor plans, interact with inhabitants, determine controllable failure modes, and rebuild themselves after disasters." https://lnkd.in/dGPJJNA View in LinkedIn

FRAGMENT FROM NATURE continues this weekend to see how the cell membrane adapts in extreme environments in creatures who master these immensely challenging niches. These membrane adaptations are quite startling and fully reflect the creative resources of evolution to solve really difficult problems. View in LinkedIn

THERMOPHILES. "Over sixty species of Bacteria and Archea have been isolated and grown between 80°C and 110°C. Thermophiles can grow in both terrestrial and marine environments, including: solfataric fields, geothermal soils, volcanically heated surface waters, hot fumaroles, deep-sea vents, and even black smokers. These can also thrive in ... smoldering coal refuse and geothermal powerplants." (2001). https://lnkd.in/dFvvrKf View in LinkedIn

ADAPTIVE SOLUTIONS. "Due to the hazards of living at such extreme temperatures, thermophiles have evolved a variety of mechanisms that allow them to survive at temperatures no other organisms can thrive at. These traits include unique membrane lipid composition, thermostable membrane proteins, and higher turnover rates for various protein enzymes." https://lnkd.in/dFvvrKf View in LinkedIn

KEY LIPID. "One of the most important attributes to the maintenance of homeostasis within the organism is that of the plasma membrane surrounding the organism. Archaean thermophiles, and also acidophiles, have membranes containing unique ether lipids. These tetraether lipids span the entire membrane forming a rigid monolayer that is impermeable to both ions and protons. Ether-type lipids, such as these, are much stronger than the ester-type lipids found in non-thermophilic Bacteria and Eukarya." https://lnkd.in/dFvvrKf View in LinkedIn

TOUGHER FATTY ACIDS. "The lipid composition in the membranes of the thermophiles consists of more branched and saturated fatty acids than other organisms. Having a stronger lipid complex within the membrane helps the Archaean thermophiles to withstand higher temperatures better than other organisms. Aside from having to stabilize the plasma membrane at high temperatures, thermophiles must also stabilize their proteins, DNA, RNA, and ATP." https://lnkd.in/dFvvrKf View in LinkedIn

"HYPERTHERMOPHILES grow fastest at temperatures between 80 and 106°C. This is already the temperature range where some small biomolecules rapidly decompose. The highest growth temperature observed at all is 113°C for Pyrolobus fumarii. As a consequence, cell components like proteins, nucleic acids and membranes have to be stable and even function best at temperatures around 100°C." https://lnkd.in/dk75SNX View in LinkedIn

RESISTANT LIPID MEMBRANES. "Cell components such as lipids, nucleic acids and proteins are usually quite heat-sensitive. Membrane lipids of the bacterial hyperthermophile T. maritima contain a novel glycerol ether lipid ... it may significantly increase the stability of membranes against hydrolysis at high temperatures." https://lnkd.in/dk75SNX View in LinkedIn