These chains come in a wide range of lengths. In humans a typical protein is about 400 amino acids long; some are a lot longer. Molecules of RNA, one of the two nucleic acids, can reach up to 100,000 ...

Researchers have devised a new technique -- using a sheet of carbon just one atom thick -- to visualize the structure of molecules. The technique, which was used to obtain the first direct images of ...

Despite being one of the most familiar substances on Earth, water holds many secrets that scientists are still working to ...

A common mineral, α-alumina, found abundantly in Earth's crust, may have played a critical role in initiating the chemical reactions necessary for life to begin. This exciting discovery, detailed in a ...

For the origin of life on Earth, ancient puddles or coastlines may have had a major ripple effect. A new study shows that a simple class of molecules called alpha hydroxy acids forms microdroplets ...

Electrical circuits are constantly being scaled down and extended with specific functions. A new method now allows electrical contact to be established with simple molecules on a conventional silicon ...

Bullvalene is a restless molecule. Its bonds ebb and flow in a perpetual series of rearrangements, so that each of its 10 carbon atoms endlessly swaps places with the others. The bizarre consequence ...

Astronomers have announced an interesting discovery around a distant star 400 light years from Earth. The astronomers have discovered simple sugar molecules floating in gas around the star in the Rho ...