Forum for Science, Industry and Business

Freiburg researchers engineer cellular adhesion receptors that can be controlled with light

Plasmas can be found inside of stars, but they are also artificially created using special equipment in the laboratory. If a plasma comes in contact with a solid, such as the wall of the lab equipment, under certain circumstances the wall is changed fundamentally and permanently. A team from the Institute of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics at Kiel University (CAU) has now discovered a surprising new effect, in which the electronic properties of the solid material, such as its electrical conductivity, can be changed in a controlled, extremely fast and reversible manner, by ion impact. Their results were recently published in the journal "Physical Review Letters".

New global study reveals rising soil temperatures in permafrost regions around the world

Frankfurt theoreticians investigate puzzling phenomenon in a quantum gas

Researchers from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have investigated all glacial areas in South America in more detail than ever before, from the tropical areas of Venezuela to the subpolar regions of Tierra del Fuego. Their two major findings are that the highest rate of mass loss is in the Patagonian icesheet, and that the glaciers in the tropics have lost considerably less mass than previously projected, although this is not the good news which it might appear at first sight. The researchers' findings have been published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The smallest building blocks within the power stations of organisms which get their energy directly from the sun are basically miniature reactors surrounded by collectors which capture photons and forward them to the centre. The close correlation between structure and interaction of the components boosts productivity, a strategy which an international team of researchers is using for increasing the efficiency of solar technology. At Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), research is being carried out in this area by the Chair of Physical Chemistry I. Their latest results have been published in the journal Nature Chemistry (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-018-0172-y).

Scientists have long dreamed of creating synthetic structures out of the same raw material that nature uses in living systems -- proteins -- believing such an advance would allow for the development of transformative nanomachines, for example, molecular cages that precisely deliver chemotherapy drugs to tumors or photosynthetic systems for harvesting energy from light.

Light is the most energy-efficient way of moving information. Yet, light shows one big limitation: it is difficult to store. As a matter of fact, data centers rely primarily on magnetic hard drives. However, in these hard drives, information is transferred at an energy cost that is nowadays exploding.

S-PPV polymers are suitable for use in a wide range of applications, from solar cells through to medicine but, until recently, they were almost impossible to produce. Now, a new synthetic method has been patented.

These 'giant monsters' were observed suddenly devouring gas in their surroundings

Another great success for the Zoologische Staatssammlung München (SNSB-ZSM): 661 species of digger wasps, closely related to the bees, were genetically investigated through DNA barcoding. Together with colleagues from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Canada, ZSM scientists have published the results of an international project to create a genetic library of the so-called apoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Ampulicidae, Crabronidae, Sphecidae), also known as digger wasps, Spheciformes or “sphecids”. The article was published in the prestigious journal Molecular Ecology Resources.

Organ transplant rejection is a major problem in transplantation medicine. Suppressing the immune system to prevent organ rejection, however, opens the door to life-threatening infections. Researchers at the University of Basel’s Biozentrum have now discovered a molecular approach preventing rejection of the transplanted graft while simultaneously maintaining the ability to fight against infections.

Cellulose obtained from wood has amazing material properties. Empa researchers are now equipping the biodegradable material with additional functionalities to produce implants for cartilage diseases using 3D printing.

An innovative combination therapy can force malignant breast cancer cells to turn into fat cells. This can be used to prevent the formation of metastases in mice, as researchers at the University of Basel’s Department of Biomedicine recently reported in the journal Cancer Cell.

In adults, mesenchymal stems cells (MSCs) are primarily found in bone marrow and they play a vital role in repair of damaged organs. The transformation of a single MSC into complex tissue like cartilage and bone starts with its association with other MSCs in order to form microscopic clusters via a process termed as condensation.

The open quantum system and its control laid the foundation of quantum mechanical and quantum information theory. Due to the interaction with the environment, the evolution of practical quantum system should be described by a quantum channel, instead of a unitary evolution for a closed quantum system.

Discovery could yield insights into cancer metastasis, wound healing, organ development and more cell-motility-related conditions

Benthic foraminifera are widely used as paleoenvironmental proxies because of their high sensitivity to environmental changes and excellent preservation potential in sediment. Affected by global changes, environmental factors such as seawater temperature and salinity are changing, which will affect the distribution and species composition of benthic foraminifera. A recent study revealed how the benthic foraminiferal community respond to the change of temperature and salinity.

What does the blue whale have in common with the Bengal tiger and the green turtle? They share the risk of extinction and are classified as endangered species. There are multiple reasons for species to die out, and climate changes is among the main reasons.

Accurately predicting fracture mechanics can help industry optimize pumping, fracturing-fluid viscosity, other parameters

Chemical engineers in Ohio create ammonia from nitrogen, water; could lead to smaller ammonia processing plants powered by alternative energy

In nature, certain molecules with the same chemical composition, can exist in two different shapes that are mirrors images of each other, much like our hands. This property is known as "chirality" and molecules with different chirality are called enantiomers. Enantiomers can exhibit entirely different chemical or biological properties, and separating them is a major issue in drug development and in medicine.

Nanometer-sized tubes made from simple benzene molecules