A new record for atom-based quantum computers. Making quantum systems more scalable is one of the key requirements for the further development of quantum computers because the advantages they offer become increasingly evident as the systems are scaled up. Researchers at TU Darmstadt have recently taken a decisive step towards achieving this goal. The results of their research have now been published in a prestigious publication. Quantum processors based on two-dimensional arrays of optical tweezers, which are created using focussed…
Scientists have observed so-called ‘roaming’ chemical reactions, those that at certain points move away from the lowest minimum energy ‘path of least resistance’, in highly excited energy states for the first time. Chemical reactions are supposed to occur along their minimum energy paths. In recent years, so-called roaming reactions that stray far from this path have begun to be observed, but only for chemical species in their ground state or, at most, their first excited state. However, researchers have now observed…
Scientists report the first look at electrons moving in real-time in liquid water; findings open up a whole new field of experimental physics. In an experiment akin to stop-motion photography, scientists have isolated the energetic movement of an electron while “freezing” the motion of the much larger atom it orbits in a sample of liquid water. The findings, reported today in the journal Science, provide a new window into the electronic structure of molecules in the liquid phase on a timescale…
New synthetic molecule highly effective against drug-resistant bacteria. A new antibiotic created by Harvard researchers overcomes antimicrobial resistance mechanisms that have rendered many modern drugs ineffective and are driving a global public health crisis. A team led by Andrew Myers, Amory Houghton Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, reports in Science that their synthetic compound, cresomycin, kills many strains of drug-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. “While we don’t yet know whether cresomycin and drugs like it are…
A new method for precision delivery of nanoparticles and small molecules to individual cells. The delivery of materials to individual cells with exactness and exclusivity has long been a much sought-after ability in biology. With it comes the promise of deciphering many longstanding secrets of the cell. A research team at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen led by Professor Vahid Sandoghdar has now shown how small molecules and single nanoparticles can be applied directly onto the surface of…
When the female gametes in plants become fertilized, a signal from the sperm activates cell division, leading to the formation of new plant seeds. This activation can also be deliberately triggered without fertilization, as UZH researchers have shown. Their findings open up new avenues for the asexual propagation of crop plants. Seed structure with a large, dividing central cell in the center (cell nucleus in yellow) surrounded by the tissue of the mother plant (purple). Credit: Sara Simonini / University…
A new mechanism to control the activity of transposable elements. Transposable elements are mobile genetic elements that can relocate within the genome and disrupt the normal function of genes, but are at the same time a source of evolutionary diversity. The lab of Tugce Aktas at the MPIMG has identified a novel pathway that keeps the activity of transposons in somatic cells in check after they have been transcribed. Their findings have now been published in Nature. The work is…
The CI hearing prosthesis does not improve speech comprehension equally quickly and well for everyone. A research team from MHH and the University of Oldenburg is now investigating how the brain adapts to electrical hearing. When hearing aids are of little or no help, so-called auditory implants are also used to treat hearing loss. The most widespread of these is the cochlear implant (CI). In Germany alone, this hearing prosthesis gives around 50,000 people who were born deaf or have…
… plays important role in brain development. An international research team has uncovered that a previously overlooked repetitive DNA element known as Long Interspersed Nuclear Element (L1) helps maintain neural progenitor cells, and thus plays an important role in mammalian brain development. The study, published recently in the journal Cell Reports, was led by Tomohisa Toda, Professor of Neural Epigenomics at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), associated with the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, together with Professor Rusty Gage, PhD,…
Synthetic fibers and tire abrasion have the strongest impact on corals. Studies on the effects of microparticles of different materials on reef-building corals and their feeding behavior. Corals feed on plankton, which they catch from the seawater. Due to the increasing pollution of the oceans, they also ingest tiny plastic particles. Sometimes, the corals are unable to expel the microplastics from their bodies. Instead, they store it in their calcareous skeleton, which can be bad for some species: they grow…
If gravitational condensate stars (or gravastars) actually existed, they would look similar to black holes to a distant observer. Two theoretical physicists at Goethe University Frankfurt have now found a new solution to Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, according to which gravitational stars could be structured like a Russian matryoshka doll, with one gravastar located inside another. The interior of black holes remains a conundrum for science. In 1916, German physicist Karl Schwarzschild outlined a solution to Albert Einstein’s…
Cells need energy to function. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg can now explain how energy is guided in the cell by small atomic movements to reach its destination in the protein. Imitating these structural changes of the proteins could lead to more efficient solar cells in the future. The sun’s rays are the basis for all the energy that creates life on Earth. Photosynthesis in plants is a prime example, where solar energy is needed for the plant to…
Quantum bits can be described more precisely with the help of newly discovered harmonics as a team of 30 researchers reports in Nature Physics. Physicists from Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have uncovered that Josephson tunnel junctions – the fundamental building blocks of superconducting quantum computers – are more complex than previously thought. Just like overtones in a musical instrument, harmonics are superimposed on the fundamental mode. As a consequence, corrections may lead to quantum bits that…
In the realm of quantum mechanics, the ability to observe and control quantum phenomena at room temperature has long been elusive, especially on a large or “macroscopic” scale. Traditionally, such observations have been confined to environments near absolute zero, where quantum effects are easier to detect. But the requirement for extreme cold has been a major hurdle, limiting practical applications of quantum technologies. Now, a study led by Tobias J. Kippenberg and Nils Johan Engelsen at EPFL, redefines the boundaries…
Scientists may be able to direct immune cells toward diseased areas. Nearly 150 years ago, scientists discovered that specialized blood cells serve a vital role in immune system protection against infection and illness. Certain groups of these white blood cells, now known as neutrophils, feature a nucleus that is structured strikingly different than most nuclei. The majority of cells feature round- or oval-shaped nuclei that are rigid, but neutrophils differ in that their nuclei adopt multiple lobular structures akin to…
Microscopy breakthrough combines digital display with super-resolution for high-speed imaging to facilitate biological discovery. In the ever-evolving realm of microscopy, recent years have witnessed remarkable strides in both hardware and algorithms, propelling our ability to explore the infinitesimal wonders of life. However, the journey towards three-dimensional structured illumination microscopy (3DSIM) has been hampered by challenges arising from the speed and intricacy of polarization modulation. Introducing the DMD-3DSIM System Enter the high-speed modulation 3DSIM system “DMD-3DSIM,” combining digital display with super-resolution…
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