A Transporter Regulating Silicon Distribution in Rice Shoots

kavin submitted, created time 7 months 5 days (www.plantcell.org)

Rice (Oryza sativa) accumulates very high concentrations of silicon (Si) in the shoots, and the deposition of Si as amorphous silica helps plants to overcome biotic and abiotic stresses. In the paper, the authors describe a transporter, Lsi6, which is involved in the distribution of Si in the shoots. The results indicate that Lsi6 is a transporter responsible for the transport of Si out of the xylem and subsequently affects the distribution of Si in the leaf.

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New microsensor measures volatile organic compounds in water and air on-site

herry submitted, created time 1 year 3 months (www.eurekalert.org)

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a miniature sensor that uses polymer membranes deposited on a tiny silicon disk to measure pollutants present in aqueous or gaseous environments. An array of these sensors with different surface coatings could be used during field-testing to rapidly detect many different chemicals.

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Scientists find that Earth and Mars are different to the core

gh0706 submitted, created time 1 year 6 months (www.physorg.com)

The scientists from Oxford University along with colleagues from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH) compared silicon isotopes from rocks on Earth with samples from meteorites and other solar system materials.They dissolved meteorites to compare their isotopic composition with those of rocks from the Earth. The silicon was separated from other elements and the atomic proportions of isotopes measured using a particularly sophisticated mass spectrometer at the ETH in Zurich

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"Swiss cheese" molecule may provide better kidney dialysis

Darkfrog submitted, created time 1 year 10 months (www.sciam.com)

University of Rochester -- A porous layer of silicon half the width of a human hair can separate proteins that differ in size by a factor of two, a great improvement over the current factor of ten. This has consequences for kidney dialysis and for emergency air filters used by military personnel. What else might it help, I wonder?

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