Potassium News and Research

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Researchers describe microscopic mechanism of vibrational energy harvesters

The Japanese research team elucidated the microscopic mechanism in which amorphous silica(1) becomes negatively charged as a vibrational energy harvester(2), which is anticipated to achieve self-power generation without charging.

12 Nov 2020

Scientists detect light-absorbing 'tarballs' in the Himalayan atmosphere

Some people refer to the Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau as the "third pole" because the region has the largest reserve of glacial snow and ice outside of the north and south poles.

5 Nov 2020

Fertilization of paddy soil can help reduce greenhouse gases

A soil scientist from RUDN University discovered the effect of fertilization on the ability of the soil to retain carbon. To understand this mechanism, he and his team studied the movement of organic carbon in the soil of rice paddies.

19 Oct 2020

Cornell researchers aim to help vineyard growers identify nutrient deficiencies

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded a $676,000 grant to a pair of Cornell University researchers aiming to use high resolution sensors to help vineyard growers identify nutrient deficiencies.

14 Oct 2020

Researchers discover a new mechanism to regulate nerve impulses

Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, have discovered a new mechanism by which substances can open a certain type of ion channel and in this way regulate nerve impulses.

13 Oct 2020

Study sheds more light on plant evolution

A study led by researchers from Tasmania, Chile and Germany has furthered our understanding of plant evolution by tracking the origins of electrical signaling components that plants developed to communicate and adapt to life on land.

4 Sep 2020

Light impulses can be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants

Optogenetics denotes the manipulation of cellular processes by light-based biological techniques. An international research team led by the Würzburg plant scientists Rainer Hedrich, Georg Nagel and Dirk Becker has succeeded in applying this method to higher plants: Light impulses can now be used to trigger electrical excitation in plants.

11 Aug 2020

Compound in pickled capers can activate proteins required for bodily processes

A compound commonly found in pickled capers has been shown to activate proteins required for normal human brain and heart activity, and may even lead to future therapies for the treatment of epilepsy and abnormal heart rhythms.

14 Jul 2020

Researchers identify a new role for covalent linker involved in biological ion channel

Ion channels are essentially passageways through membranes that transport signals to a cell’s environment and enable it to respond.

13 Jul 2020

Study may help develop medical implants for diabetic patients

For the first time, a research team led by Martin Fussenegger, a professor at ETH Zurich, has successfully used electric current to directly manipulate gene expression.

1 Jun 2020

Biophysicists shed light on how optogenetic tool works

An international research team has for the first time obtained the structure of the light-sensitive sodium-pumping KR2 protein in its active state.

29 May 2020

'Water Wires' May Play Bigger Role In Cellular Function

Each of our cells is surrounded by a membrane that functions as a biological border, letting ions and nutrients such as salt, potassium, and sugar in and out.

13 May 2020

Computer Model Predicts How Drugs Affect Heart Rhythm

UC Davis Health researchers have developed a computer model to screen drugs for unintended cardiac side effects, especially arrhythmia risk.

From The University of California, Davis 17 Apr 2020

New method images proteins in 3D with nanoscale resolution

A research team, which also included scientists from the National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II), has reported a novel method for imaging proteins in three dimensions (3D) with nanoscale resolution.

16 Apr 2020

Study discovers the mode of action of daptomycin, the reserve antibiotic

The reserve antibiotic daptomycin is one of the last means to fight against harmful bacteria. It is specifically used when traditional drugs fail due to bacteria that are resistant.

23 Mar 2020

Regulating ion flow using a ball-and-chain mechanism

Ion channels that permit potassium and sodium ions to move in and out of cells are essential for the function of the brain and heart, and also for neuronal “firing” in the central nervous system.

19 Mar 2020