Issue #16 — Hidden Behavior

This issue of Basically, Science is all about Hidden Behaviors.

Beneath every living cell, every material, and every quantum device lies a hidden world. Here we look at the invisible structures, signals, and forces that scientists are bringing into view.

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A three-dimensional reconstruction of the data revealed the bowl-shaped Tat complex responsible for ferrying folded proteins across cell membranes. © Ziyu Zhao & Leonid Sazanov/Molecular Cell

Scientists Shed New Light on How Plant Cells Transport Bulky Cargo

Cells constantly move proteins across their membranes, but some molecules are simply too large. Researchers have now revealed details about the molecular gates allowing these oversized cargoes to pass. The findings, published in Molecular Cell shed new light on one of cell biology's long-standing mysteries.

PhD student Lea Becker, the study’s first author, wants to understand how much protein structures can tell us about their true biological functions and molecular environments. © ISTA

Uncovering the Breathing Motion of Proteins Experimentally

No single experiment can tell the whole story. By combining several complementary techniques, researchers have revealed the subtle breathing motions that proteins constantly undergo. The findings, published in Nature Chemistry, offer a more complete picture of how these essential biological molecules behave.

A “quantum bath” of correlated light particles synchronizes distant qubits. The quantum bath setup in which scientists can entangle two isolated qubits autonomously, without active control or repeated measurements. © ISTA

Physicists Confirm Two-decade Theory That Could Boost Quantum Technology

Quantum computers rely on delicate interactions between quantum bits, or qubits. Published in Physical Review X, researchers have demonstrated how a shared quantum environment can synchronize distant qubits, experimentally confirming a 20‑year‑old prediction. The findings could provide a new platform for future applied quantum technologies.

Researchers guide AlphaFold with experimental data, paving the way for improved future predictive models. Left to right: Advaith Maddipatla, Meital Bojan, Alex Bronstein, Nadav Sellam Bojan, and Paul Schanda. © ISTA

Researchers Enhance Nobel Prize-winning Structural Prediction Model

Artificial intelligence has transformed our ability to predict protein structures, but predictions are only part of the story. Researchers have developed a way to combine the Nobel Prize-winning AI model AlphaFold–used to predict a protein’s 3D structure–with experimental data. The development, published in Nature Biotechnology, paves the way for improved predictive models whilst bringing computational models and laboratory observations closer together.

Physicist and engineer Charles Roques-Carmes joins the ISTA faculty as an assistant professor and aims to transform fundamental insights about light into tools that advance technology and benefit society. © ISTA

New Assistant Professor: Charles Roques-Carmes

From manipulating light at the nanoscale to designing new optical materials, Charles Roques-Carmes explores how tiny structures can produce extraordinary effects. We meet ISTA's recently appointed assistant professor to learn about his research and what drew him to one of Europe’s youngest research institutes.

Professor Georgios Katsaros stresses that the ERC Advanced Grant celebrates the dedication of his group, which tirelessly helped build the foundation for the project. © ISTA

Advanced ERC Grant Worth 2.8 Million Euro Awarded to Georgios Katsaros

Understanding the hidden quantum connections behind superconductivity remains one of physics' greatest challenges. With a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant, Georgios Katsaros and his team will explore these elusive interactions, laying the groundwork for future advances in quantum technology.