Science Sunday: Wrap-up of recent advancements in science from EurekAlert!

Did life begin between the sheets -- the mica sheets?
A presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th annual meeting will propose that the narrow, confined spaces between nonliving mica layers could have provided exactly the right conditions for the rise of the first biomolecules.

'Smart' flower bulbs pull themselves to deeper ground
Confused about the right planting depth for flower bulbs? Trust the bulbs! Researchers have discovered that some flower bulbs are actually 'smart' enough to adjust themselves to the right planting depth.

MIT sculpts 3-D particles with light
MIT engineers have used ultraviolet light to sculpt three-dimensional microparticles that could have many applications in medical diagnostics and tissue engineering. For example, they could be designed to act as probes to detect certain molecules, such as DNA, or to release drugs or nutrients.

Technique controls nanoparticle size, makes large numbers
Pratim Biswas of Washington University in St. Louis conducts research on nanoparticles, which are the building blocks for nanotechnology. For the first time, Biswas has shown that he can independently control the size of the nanoparticles that he makes, keeping their other properties the same. He's also shown with his technique that the nanoparticles can be made in large quantities in scalable systems, opening up the possibility for more applications and different techniques.

New form of compound stimulates research on hydrogen storage
Research on hydrogen-fueled cars may be one step closer to application thanks to a new form of hydride discovered by scientists at the ESRF. The material, lithium borohydride, is a promising energy storage system: it contains 18 weight percents of hydrogen, which makes it attractive for use in hydrogen-fueled cars. Its drawback is that it only releases hydrogen at temperatures above 300C. The team has found a new form of the compound that could possibly release hydrogen in mild conditions.

World's most powerful MRI ready to scan human brain
The world's most powerful medical magnetic resonance imaging machine, the 9.4 Tesla at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has successfully completed safety trials and may soon offer physicians a real-time view of biological processes in the human brain.

Looking through the eyes of a mouse, scientists monitor circulating cells in its bloodstream
A team of researchers from the Wellman Center for Photomedicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School have developed an optical device that allows them to peer through the eyes of a mouse and monitor the cells passing through its bloodstream.

Compact, wavelength-on-demand Quantum Cascade Laser chip offers ultra-sensitive chemical sensing
Engineers from Harvard University have demonstrated a highly versatile, compact and portable Quantum Cascade Laser sensor for the fast detection of a large number of chemicals, ranging from infinitesimal traces of gases to liquids, by broad tuning of the emission wavelength. The potential range of applications is huge, including homeland security, medical diagnostics such as breadth analysis, pollution monitoring, and environmental sensing of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

Tethered to chip, energy supply that drives sperm could power 'nanobot'
The biological pathway that powers sperm to swim long distances could be harnessed to nanotech devices, releasing drugs or performing mechanical functions inside the body, according to a presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th Annual meeting.

Honey a better option for childhood cough than OTCs
A new study by a Penn State College of Medicine research team found that honey may offer parents an effective and safe alternative than over the counter children's cough medicines.

Were the first stars dark?
Perhaps the first stars in the newborn universe did not shine, but instead were invisible "dark stars" 400 to 200,000 times wider than the sun and powered by the annihilation of mysterious dark matter, a University of Utah study concludes.

Ultrafast optical shutter is switched entirely by laser light
It's a rare case of all light and no heat: A new study reports that a laser can be used to switch a film of vanadium dioxide back and forth between reflective and transparent states without heating or cooling it.