Scientists from Swansea University have developed a new tool to help identify optimal photovoltaic (PV) materials capable of maximising crop growth while generating solar power. In a recent study published in Solar RRL, academics from the University’s Department of Physics have been exploring the effect of semi-transparent PV materials placed over crops – an exemplary application of agrivoltaics (solar panels combined with agricultural settings). As part of this work, the team has developed an innovative freeware tool that predicts the…
Researchers at the Department of Instrumentation and Applied Physics (IAP), Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and collaborators have designed a new supercapacitor that can be charged by shining light on it. Such supercapacitors can be used in various devices, including streetlights and self-powered electronic devices such as sensors. Capacitors are electrostatic devices that store energy as charges on two metal plates called electrodes. Supercapacitors are upgraded versions of capacitors – they exploit electrochemical phenomena to store more energy, explains Abha Misra,…
Physicists capture images of ultracold atoms flowing freely, without friction, in an exotic “edge state.” Typically, electrons are free agents that can move through most metals in any direction. When they encounter an obstacle, the charged particles experience friction and scatter randomly like colliding billiard balls. But in certain exotic materials, electrons can appear to flow with single-minded purpose. In these materials, electrons may become locked to the material’s edge and flow in one direction, like ants marching single-file along a…
Scientists have made a significant leap in developing lasers that use sound waves instead of light. These “phonon lasers” hold promise for advancements in medical imaging, deep-sea exploration, and other areas. The new technique involves a tiny electronic nudge that dramatically enhances the power and precision of the sound waves produced by the laser. This paves the way for future devices that could utilize sound for a broader range of applications. Previously, phonon lasers made from small objects suffered from…
Spin-off company offers a tiny solution for a big problem. The first sign of spoilage in many food products is the formation of free radicals, which reduces the shelf-life and the overall quality of the food. Until now, the detection of these molecules has been very costly for the food companies. Researchers at HZB and the University of Stuttgart have developed a portable, small and inexpensive ‘EPR on a chip’ sensor that can detect free radicals even at very low…
Severe systemic lupus no longer detectable after cancer medication treatment. The team at Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin is astounded by the huge improvement seen in a female patient with severe systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) after being treated with the cancer medication teclistamab. Not long ago, the 23-year-old was wheelchair-bound due to the autoimmune disease. Nearly six months after starting treatment, the patient is now completely symptom-free. Only time will tell if this improvement will last over the long term, but…
The sensor could serve as a low-cost and efficient tool for early detection of neurological disorders and conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and depression. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter in our brains, not only regulates our emotions but also serves as a biomarker for the screening of certain cancers and other neurological conditions. University of Central Florida researchers, led by UCF NanoScience Technology Center Professor Debashis Chanda, have developed an integrated optical sensor capable of detecting dopamine directly from an unprocessed blood sample….
Membranes based on natural silk and cellulose can remove many contaminants, including “forever chemicals” and heavy metals. Water contamination by the chemicals used in today’s technology is a rapidly growing problem globally. A recent studyby the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 98 percent of people tested had detectable levels of PFAS, a family of particularly long-lasting compounds, also known as forever chemicals, in their bloodstream. A new filtration material developed by researchers at MIT might provide a nature-based solution…
Nuclear parasites in deep-sea mussels. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology reveal how a bacterial parasite thrives inside the nuclei of deep-sea mussels. Most animals live in intimate relationships with bacteria. Some of these bacteria live inside the cells of their hosts, but only very few are able to live inside cell organelles (structures inside the cell, like organs in the body). One group of bacteria have figured out how to colonize the nuclei of their hosts,…
MPI-M researchers and their partner institutions are currently performing atmospheric measurements over the equatorial Atlantic with eight coordinated measurement campaigns. They want to find out what controls the structure of the tropical rain belt, how it will change in the future and what this means for weather patterns. A variety of state-of-the-art research platforms are being used for the measurements – from ships to satellites. An international research team, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology (MPI-M), is…
Bonn researchers find causative mutations in the keratin 31 gene for the dominantly-inherited form of monilethrix – From infancy and usually for life, some families suffer from broken hair due to a congenital form of hair loss called monilethrix. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn and the University of Bonn have now identified causative mutations in another keratin gene, KRT31. They hope that this will improve the diagnosis of this rare disease. Their results have now been published in the…
Energy storage systems of the future must be cost-effective and sustainable. To achieve this, it is crucial that the materials used are both readily available and recyclable. A research team at TU Bergakademie Freiberg has now made significant progress in the development of an aluminium battery that meets these requirements. The battery consists of aluminium as the anode, graphite as the cathode and a new type of polymer-based electrolyte developed at the university. The validation of the battery prototype for…
New benchmark for the industry: Fraunhofer ILT and Dreher Automation present laser blanking system at Euroblech 2024. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT and Automatic-Systeme Dreher GmbH are presenting a groundbreaking innovation in the field of sheet metal processing at Euroblech 2024 from October 22 to 25 in Hanover, Germany: a demonstrator system for laser blanking that significantly increases process reliability and efficiency in production through the use of artificial intelligence. In modern production, especially in the automotive industry,…
Atomic clocks have been used for decades – but now, even greater precision has become possible: TU Wien (Vienna) and JILA/NIST are presenting the w For many years, scientists all around the world have been working towards this goal, now suddenly things are happening very fast: it was only in April that a team led by Prof Thorsten Schumm (TU Wien, Vienna) announced a major success. For the first time, an atomic nucleus had been switched from one state to…
Researchers at Tohoku University have successfully increased the capacity, lifetime durability, and cost-effectiveness of a capacitor in their pursuit of a more power-efficient future. A capacitor is a device used as part of a circuit that can store and release energy, just like a battery. What makes a capacitor different from a battery is that it takes much less time to charge. For example, your cellphone battery will power your phone instantly, but charging that battery back up to 100%…
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed ultra-flexible brain probes that accurately record brain activity without causing tissue damage. This opens up new avenues for the treatment of a range of neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders In brief A new type of ultra-flexible brain probe enables precise recording of individual brain-cell activity over extended periods of time. The electrodes resemble tentacles and consist of ultra-thin fibres made of gold and polymers that do not damage brain tissue. In future, this technology should…
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