Variance sum rule for entropy production. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38422150/)

These scientists wanted to understand how energy is used and transformed in very tiny things, like cells in our body. They created a special rule called the variance sum rule (VSR) that helps them measure something called entropy production rate sigma, which is a way to see how energy is being used and wasted in these tiny things.

To test this rule, they first used it on a small particle that moves around a lot when light shines on it. Then, they tried it on experiments involving human red blood cells. They found that the energy usage was different in different parts of the cells, and they could see patterns in how the energy was being used.

By using this new rule, the scientists were able to learn more about how energy is used in living things, and they hope to use this knowledge to study other tiny things in the future.

Di Terlizzi I., Gironella M., Herraez-Aguilar D., Betz T., Monroy F., Baiesi M., Ritort F. Variance sum rule for entropy production. Science. 2024 Mar;383(6686):971-976. doi: 10.1126/science.adh1823. Epub 2024 Feb 29.