Hydrogel-based strong and fast actuators by electroosmotic turgor pressure.

Hydrogels are promising as materials for soft actuators because of qualities such as softness, transparency, and responsiveness to stimuli. However, weak and slow actuations remain challenging as a result of low modulus and osmosis-driven slow water diffusion, respectively. We used turgor pressure and electroosmosis to realize a strong and fast hydrogel-based actuator.

Longitudinal Spin Order Labeling on Multiple Quantum Coherences Enables NMR Analysis of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins at Ultrahigh Resolution.

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) play an important role in cell signaling, and NMR is well-suited to study conformational ensembles and dynamics of IDPs. However, the intrinsic flexibility of IDPs often results in severe spectral overlap, which hampers accurate NMR data analysis. By labeling the longitudinal spin order of an α proton (i.

Avian mud nest architecture by self-secreted saliva.

Mud nests built by swallows (Hirundinidae) and phoebes () are stable granular piles attached to cliffs, walls, or ceilings. Although these birds have been observed to mix saliva with incohesive mud granules, how such biopolymer solutions provide the nest with sufficient strength to support the weight of the residents as well as its own remains elusive. Here, we elucidate the mechanism of strong granular cohesion by the viscoelastic paste of bird saliva through a combination of theoretical analysis and experimental measurements in both natural and artificial nests.