Forum for Science, Industry and Business

Throughout history, people have sought vibrant blue pigments. The Egyptians and Babylonians used lapis lazuli 6,000 years ago. In 1802, a French chemist synthesized cobalt blue. More recently, in 2009 scientists discovered YInMn Blue, otherwise known as "Oregon Blue." But most of these pigments have limitations in terms of cost, stability, color or toxicity. Now, researchers in ACS Omega report a new class of 'cool' blue colorants that are inexpensive, durable and more environmentally friendly.

Electricity from renewable energy sources contributes to combat climate change. One of the challenges is to develop technologies for storing excesses in energy supplies quickly and without loss. Organic redox flow batteries (RFBs) promise a viable route to this end: operated where needed, they rely on matter-bound storage – just in analogy to nature's example.

MDC researchers established a new model to study neuromuscular development and disorders. For the first time two distinct human tissues co-developed in the lab from one progenitor cell type and self-organized into a complex, functional neuromuscular organoid.

Heart problems, graft-versus-host disease are concerns

Researchers at the Rockefeller University and the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, alongside collaborators, were able to track the activity of individual neurons in the entire brain of zebrafish larvae, thus opening an opportunity to observe decision-making processes in unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution.

The source of essential tremor--a movement disorder that causes involuntary trembling of the hands, arms, and head--has been enigmatic, impeding the development of effective treatments for a condition that affects 4% of people over 40.

On 1 January 2020, the island state of Palau implemented one of the world's largest and most ambitious marine protected areas in its territorial waters. The international advisory team of experts also included an ecologist from the Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT).

Two INRS teams join forces and develop a new ecological process to degrade atrazine

Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF have succeeded in developing a novel type of transistor with extremely high cut-off frequencies: metal oxide semiconductor HEMTs, in short MOSHEMTs. To achieve this, they have replaced the Schottky barrier of a conventional HEMT with an oxide. The result is a transistor that enables even smaller and more powerful devices. It has already reached record frequencies of 640 GHz. This technology is expected to advance next generation electronics.

According to independent analyses by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Earth's global surface temperatures in 2019 were the second warmest since modern recordkeeping began in 1880.

A study led by the University of Southampton has mapped several sites in Europe containing gas hydrate - a relatively clean fuel which could help bridge the gap between fossil fuels and renewables.

On 20 January 2020, the almost six-week field study EUREC4A (Elucidating the role of clouds-circulation coupling in climate) will start. It aims at validating theories on the role of clouds and convection for climate change through extensive measurements in the atmosphere and ocean. In addition, EUREC4A will study how fine-scale features in the ocean – eddies and fronts – interact with the atmosphere. The scale and coverage of the measurements will provide opportunities to evaluate a new generation of climate models and satellite data products.

In order to advance the transfer of research developments from the field of quantum sensor technology into industrial applications, an application laboratory is being established at Fraunhofer IAF. This will enable interested companies and especially regional SMEs and start-ups to evaluate the innovation potential of quantum sensors for their specific requirements. Both the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are supporting the four-year project with one million euros each.

Single-molecule microscopy visualises the dance of receptors

Nanoscience can arrange minute molecular entities into nanometric patterns in an orderly manner using self-assembly protocols. Scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have functionalized a simple rod-like building block with hydroxamic acids at both ends. They form molecular networks that not only display the complexity and beauty of mono-component self-assembly on surfaces; they also exhibit exceptional properties.

Whether you are trying to detect a possible radiation signature from a suspicious package or vehicle, or you are measuring power output in a nuclear reactor, being able to detect neutrons efficiently and precisely represents a significant challenge.

In mouse studies, a 'methylation clock' on the ELOVL2 gene ticks toward impaired vision, but when gene expression was boosted, age-related visual function improved

Together with partners from industry, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg will develop an innovative solution over the next two years to purify industrial wastewater and remove environmentally harmful microplastics. The process is also to be applied in the municipal sector at a later date.

Researchers study the formation of microtubules

The scientific location Bremen is happy to work together for outstanding innovation – as is the case in material research. The MAPEX Center for Material and Processes at the University of Bremen has established a strong network. This consortium has now been granted 2.2 million euros by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to build a device for 3D laser metal deposition for high throughput development of new alloys and composite materials.

Water is ubiquitous and essential for life. Nevertheless, experimental information about its behaviour on the atomic level – above all how it interacts with surfaces – is scarce. Thanks to a new experimental method, TU Graz researchers have now delivered insights into the atomic-level movement of water molecules, which they outline in a paper in Nature Communications.

Almost every household in Germany has a washing machine. But what many owners don't realise is that washing machines, which are supposed to clean textiles, can actually be full of germs. Dampness, heat and a large variety of nutrients create ideal living conditions for the growth of bacteria. Current trends such as washing at low temperatures, water saving programmes and the use of bleach-free liquid detergents, support the growth of germs even further.

A nanopore is a tiny hole in a thin membrane with a diameter of around a billionth of a meter, or about the width of a single DNA molecule. The potential applications of these nanopores are so diverse - from medicine to information technology (IT) - that they could have a major impact on our daily lives. Now a team of researchers at the University of Ottawa is democratizing entry into the field of nanopore research by offering up a unique tool to accelerate the development of new applications and discoveries.