…with high precision and reliability. A cornerstone of the energy transition, offshore wind energy supplies millions of consumers with green electricity. Export cables connect offshore wind farms to the grid onshore. The cable routes need to be surveyed regularly to ensure that the cable positions are precisely known — but the acoustic and magnetic methods that are currently used to do this are time-consuming, incur high costs and lack reliability. For this reason, researchers at the Fraunhofer IWES are working…
Human Odorant Receptor for Geosmin Identified for the First Time. Geosmin is a volatile compound of microbial origin with a distinct “earthy” to “musty” odor that can affect the quality of water and food. A research team led by Dietmar Krautwurst from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich has now identified and characterized the human odorant receptor for geosmin for the first time. Geosmin is responsible for the typical odor that occurs when…
Polymer patch made from dynamic polymer networks. New class of fiber-reinforced polymers in the circular economy. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM have developed a new polymer patch that can significantly accelerate and simplify previously laborious, expensive, and time-consuming repair processes on damaged lightweight aircraft components. The thermoformable, recyclable repair patch is pressed onto the damaged area and fully sets in just 30 minutes. The innovative fiber-reinforced plastic is so versatile that it can…
Two-dimensional nano-semiconductors advancing quantum technology. Quantum technology is quantifiable in qubits, which are the most basic unit of data in quantum computers. The operation of qubits is affected by the quantum coherence time required to maintain a quantum wave state. Scientists have hypothesized that moiré excitons — electron-hole pairs confined in moiré interference fringes which overlap with slightly offset patterns — may function as qubits in next-generation nano-semiconductors. However, due to diffraction limits, it has not been possible to focus…
An international research team deployed the unmanned submarine ‘Ran’ from the University of Gothenburg underneath thick ice in Antarctica. They got back the very first detailed maps of the underside of a glacier, revealing clues to future sea level rise. The autonomous underwater vehicle, Ran, was programmed to dive into the cavity of Dotson ice shelf in West Antarctica, and scan the ice above it with an advanced sonar system. For 27 days, the submarine travelled a total of over…
This winter, the SLF tested a new system to better assess the risk of avalanches to traffic routes. The results are promising and should allow roads and railroad lines to be closed for shorter periods of time in the future when conditions are tight. Early morning at the beginning of April in Davos: Pia Ruttner-Jansen swings down the ski slope at Brämabüel – then suddenly turns right into open terrain. But not for a descent in the finest powder, because…
Machine learning shed new light on the formation history of our Milky Way: a surprising discovery about the evolution of our galaxy using data from the Gaia mission found a large number of ancient stars on orbits similar to that of our Sun. They formed the Milky Way’s thin disc already less than 1 billion years after the Big Bang, several billion years earlier than previously believed. The Milky Way galaxy has a large halo, a central bulge and bar,…
Finding and fixing errors in programme code still takes up a lot of developers’ time. A team at Graz University of Technology has now developed a solution that tackles the biggest time wasters. Modern software applications usually consist of numerous files and several million lines of code. Due to the sheer quantity, finding and correcting faults, known as debugging, is difficult. In many software companies, developers still search for faults manually – something which takes up a large proportion of…
Significant progress in personalised medicine: MHH researchers combine comprehensive clinical data in an easy-to-use platform. Genetic changes are the driving force behind many types of cancer, including leukaemia. They have a strong influence on prognosis and treatment. A new AI-powered tool called clinALL is now set to revolutionise the way doctors diagnose and treat paediatric leukaemia. The tool combines genetic and clinical data in one easy-to-use platform. Professor Dr Anke K. Bergmann, Senior Consultant and Deputy Director of the Institute…
MHH researchers explain how pathogens establish a connection between their cell surface and their protective capsules. Bacteria have different strategies for protecting themselves. Some bacterial pathogens surround themselves with a shell made of many sugar chains that lie close together, also known as capsular polymers. This protects the bacteria from drying out and physical stress. In addition, the capsule makes the pathogens invisible to our body’s own defences, so to speak, and helps them to survive in the body. Preventing…
CISPA researcher Adrian Dabrowski, together with colleagues from SBA Research and the University of Vienna, has discovered two major security vulnerabilities in the mobile protocol Voice over WiFi (VoWiFi), also known as WLAN calling. These vulnerabilities put the communication security of millions of mobile phone customers worldwide at risk. Updates to fix the problems have now been implemented. Modern smartphones can establish phone connections not only via mobile networks, but also via Wi-Fi, thus ensuring connectivity even in places with…
The innermost layer of blood vessels is formed by endothelial cells, which in turn play a role in the development of diseases of the cardiovascular system. Human endothelial cells are therefore required for the “in vitro” investigation of the causes of these diseases. Researchers at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB) and the University of Bonn have now established a highly efficient, cost-effective and reproducible way to generate functional endothelial cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for tests in…
New Nature Geoscience study shows variable behavior of currents in the deep sea. The seafloor is the final destination for all sorts of particles, like sand, mud, organic carbon that provides food for seafloor organisms, and even pollutants. Accumulations of these particles in the deep sea are used to reconstruct past climates, natural hazards and ocean conditions; providing valuable archives of past change that extend far beyond historical records. The lead scientist on the project, Dr Mike Clare of National…
Research team achieves breakthrough: chemical synthesis of high-density RNA microarrays now faster and more efficient. An international research team led by the University of Vienna has succeeded in developing a new version of RNA building blocks with higher chemical reactivity and photosensitivity. This can significantly reduce the production time of RNA chips used in biotechnological and medical research. The chemical synthesis of these chips is now twice as fast and seven times more efficient. The results of the research were…
Bacteria produce materials that are of interest to humans, such as cellulose, silk and minerals. The advantage of producing bacteria in this way is that it is sustainable, takes place at room temperature and in water. A disadvantage is that the process takes time and gives rise to quantities too small to be of industrial use. Consequently, researchers have for some time been trying to turn microorganisms into living mini-factories that can produce larger quantities of a desired product more…
… improves crystal quality and reduces environmental impact. Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors can now be grown without ammonia, a toxic chemical that needs a sophisticated detoxifying system before it can be released into the atmosphere. The new technique is not only more environmentally friendly but also allows for the efficient and high-quality growth of crystals at a lower cost. Scientists can make semiconductors more efficiently with a reduced need for raw materials and power. Researchers from Nagoya University in Japan…
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