Behind the Paper
The real stories behind the latest research papers, from conception to publication, the highs and the lows
Contributions of core, mantle and climatological processes to Earth’s polar motion
In a new study published in Nature Geoscience, a team of researchers have uncovered the causes of Earth's spin axis motion.
NCATS Tissue Chips in Space-The UW Kidney Chip Experiences
In this “Behind the Papers” post we describe the challenges faced to modify the kidney MPS perfusion system from a terrestrial lab to the ISS-NL for our two successful launches in 2019 (CRS-17) and 2022 (CRS-22) as well as the experimental results from CRS-17.
Structural and functional insights underlying recognition of histidine phosphotransfer protein in fungal phosphorelay systems
Phosphorelay systems found in fungi contain several hybrid histidine kinases that transfer phosphoryl groups to the same His-phosphotransferase. This many-to-one mechanism is promoted through a low affinity for interaction and a transient phosphorylation.
Nickel-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation for the preparation of α-substituted propionic acids
A novel method for synthesizing α-substituted propionic acids through Ni-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation has been reported. This work provides an efficient access to synthesizing important pharmaceutical active compounds and elaborates on the catalytic process involved in the reaction.
Site-specific optimal air temperature for vegetation photosynthesis across the globe
Increasing air temperature enhances photosynthesis but can reduce it at high levels. Using MODIS-EVI and ERA5 data, we estimated Topt-site globally at 500m resolution, revealing significant within-biome variation. This dataset can improve GPP simulations in ecosystem models.
They shoot eyes in... Switzerland?
How a part-time mum came to write a paper on eye injuries by rubber scattershot after decades of private practice
Finding the microbial heroes: Identifying the smallest groups of microbes, capable of executing a desired function, from a large microbial community
Given a large co-operative microbial community, an algorithm to identify the smallest subsets of that community capable of a desired functionality is presented. These subsets, called minimal microbiomes, will contain the keystone species that achieve the required purpose.
