A technique called surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy can detect tiny quantities of compounds in solution, but has been difficult to use for quantitative analysis. A digital approach involving nanoparticles suggests a way forward.

How does the human brain temporarily store information without losing track of it? Neuroscientists have discovered that neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes work together to hold information in working memory.

Bacteria make protein toxins to compete with other bacteria in microbial communities. A study of a common soil bacterium has revealed a previously unknown type of antibacterial toxin that forms a striking umbrella-like structure.

Mating between different species has often been considered an evolutionary dead end, but a study in longwing butterflies suggests that such hybridization could underlie the origins of a new species.