New research examines process on atomic level. Binghamton University collaboration with University of Pittsburgh, Brookhaven National Laboratory offers new a view of everyday chemical reaction. When water vapor meets metal, the resulting corrosion can lead to mechanical problems that harm a machine’s performance. Through a process called passivation, it also can form a thin inert layer that acts as a barrier against further deterioration. Either way, the exact chemical reaction is not well understood on an atomic level, but that…
Toward photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production. A research team consisting of members of the Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute and the Functional Materials Engineering Laboratory at the Toyohashi University of Technology, has developed a novel high-performance photoelectrode by constructing a zinc oxide nanopagoda array with a unique shape on a transparent electrode and applying silver nanoparticles to its surface. The zinc oxide nanopagoda is characterized by having many step structures, as it comprises stacks of differently sized hexagonal prisms. In addition, it…
Medical technology innovations achieved by integrating science and medicine have improved the quality of life for patients. Especially noteworthy is the emergence of electronic devices implanted in the body, such as in the heart or brain, which enable real-time measurement and regulation of physiological signals, presenting new solutions for challenging conditions like Parkinson’s disease. However, technical constraints have hindered the semi-permanent use of electronic devices after their implantation. A collaborative research team led by Professor Sung-Min Park from the Departments…
U biologists identified how the synaptonemal complex regulates gene exchanges between chromosomes in nematodes. The findings shed light on human reproductive health, as failure to regulate chromosomal exchanges is a leading cause of infertility in humans. We have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies except in our reproductive cells. Sperm and egg cells contain a single copy of each chromosome with a unique mix of genes from our parents, an evolutionary trick to give our…
Researchers at TU Berlin are developing an innovative production process that uses lunar regolith to create solar cells for a future lunar base. The construction of a lunar base as a starting point for further space exploration and future Mars missions is one of the core elements of current international space strategies. Key to this is providing a power supply that is as self-sufficient as possible. The German Space Agency at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) is now funding the…
Three modules forming a new-to-nature CO2 fixation cycle successfully implemented in E.coli. Synthetic biology offers the opportunity to build biochemical pathways for the capture and conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2). Researchers at the Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology have developed a synthetic biochemical cycle that directly converts CO2 into the central building block Acetyl-CoA. The researchers were able to implement each of the three cycle modules in the bacterium E.coli, which represents a major step towards realizing synthetic CO2 fixing pathways…
PET imaging with 68Ga-FAPI can more effectively detect and stage pancreatic cancer as compared with 18F-FDG imaging or contrast-enhanced CT, according to new research published in the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine. In a head-to-head study, 68Ga-FAPI detected more pancreatic tumors on a per-lesion, per-patient, or per-region basis and led to major and minor changes to clinical management of patients. In addition to enhancing precise detection of pancreatic cancer, 68Ga-FAPI imaging also paves the way for future targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies. Approximately 64,000…
Interdisciplinary team at the University of Jena, Germany conducts further provenance research on items from its own collections. This has led to new findings on the mummy fragments and in particular on the textiles with which the mummies were wrapped or clothed. However, it also shows how difficult provenance research is when there is a lack of information. Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany have carried out the first comprehensive analysis of some 20 mummy fragments from collections in…
The African Matabele ants are often injured in fights with termites. Their conspecifics recognise when the wounds become infected and initiate antibiotic treatment. The Matabele ants (Megaponera analis), which are widespread south of the Sahara, have a narrow diet: They only eat termites. Their hunting expeditions are dangerous because termite soldiers defend their conspecifics – and use their powerful mandibles to do so. It is therefore common for the ants to be injured while hunting. On the left a fresh…
Environmentally friendly crop protection. Protecting plants efficiently against pests without harming other organisms — this is the objective of the joint research project ViVe_Beet, which is coordinated by the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) and funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL). The JKI Institute for Plant Protection in Field Crops and Grassland, the Fraunhofer IME and the Institute of Sugar Beet Research (IfZ) are involved in the project. The strategy adopted involves the use of customized…
Just add milk: Antiseptic mouth rinses containing the active ingredient chlorhexidine (CHX) are widely used in dentistry. For many decades, CHX has set the gold standard for the management of oral diseases. During the treatment, however, tooth discoloration may occur after eating or drinking. A comprehensive in-vitro study conducted by the Fraunhofer IMWS has investigated the degree to which various beverages cause potential discoloration during chlorhexidine treatment. Based on the data collected, dental staff can now offer improved recommendations to…
An increasing number of electric cars are being sold, consequently raising the quantity of produced electric motors. At the end of their useful life, these electric motors are shredded and then recycled. The individual components and assemblies cannot be reused. So far, there has been a lack of sustainable value retention strategies for remanufacturing and recycling electric motors as part of a modern circular economy. In the REASSERT project, researchers at the Fraunhofer IPA are working alongside industry partners to…
Residue-free and sustainable removal of contaminants. In Germany, there are around three million buildings that are contaminated with the toxic wood preservatives lindane and pentachlorophenol (PCP). Previous measures for minimizing contamination include insulating contaminated areas or disposing of treated wooden building materials as hazardous waste. However, these measures are neither sustainable nor cost-efficient. In the CycloPlasma project, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics IBP are developing a new type of process to remove these decades-old contaminants — in…
In an era where understanding and manipulating light at the nanoscale is increasingly crucial, a groundbreaking paper in Nature: Light Science & Applications reveals a significant leap forward. A team of scientists from the Institut Langevin, ESPCI Paris, PSL University, CNRS have developed a sophisticated method to measure the enhancement of light interaction at the nanoscale using single molecules as probes. Central to this research are dielectric gap nanoantennas—developed and fabricated at the Imperial College London. Such structures are made…
Berlin based Start-up aims to bring down high levels of Serotonin. Serotonin makes you feel good. This neurotransmitter known as the “happiness hormone” regulates mood, sleep, and appetite. It also plays a key role in the gastrointestinal tract, where it is involved in regulating intestinal movement and the release of fluids that are important for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. But too much serotonin causes health problems. An oversupply of the hormone can disrupt normal bodily functions and trigger…
…to overcome limitations of water electrolysis technology. Developing nanocatalysts that do not degrade at high temperatures above 600 degrees Celsius, more than doubling green hydrogen production with high-temperature water electrolysis cells. Green hydrogen can be produced through water electrolysis technology, which uses renewable energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen without emitting carbon dioxide. However, the production cost of green hydrogen is currently around $5 per kilogram, which is two to three times higher than gray hydrogen obtained from…
Feedback
