KIT researchers present new method of high dose efficiency and micrometer resolution for biology and biomedicine. X-ray imaging visualizes hidden structures and processes in living cells and organisms. The radiation that consists of highly energy-rich electromagnetic waves, however, has an ionizing effect and may damage the genetic material. This limits the possible observation period. While conventional X-ray images of soft tissue are of low contrast, phase contrast methods produce far better image contrasts at a reduced radiation dose. With higher…
In a study that could enhance weather forecasting, Utah researchers discover that how snowflakes move is astonishingly predictable. Tim Garrett has devoted his scientific career to characterizing snowflakes, the protean particles of ice that form in clouds and dramatically change as they fall to Earth. Now the University of Utah atmospheric scientist is unlocking the mystery of how snowflakes move in response to air turbulence that accompanies snowfall using novel instrumentation developed on campus. And after analyzing more than half…
First-of-its-kind clinical trial emphasizes precision medicine for older adults often overlooked in musculoskeletal research. When the University of Delaware’s Gregory Hicks started his research career two decades ago, he was one of only a few people in the United States studying chronic low back pain in people over 60 years old. Fast-forward to today, the research on back pain has ramped up, yet studies of older adults with the problem are still sparse. “Unfortunately, the societal attitude is that older…
Light-induced whole-molecule vibration can rupture melanoma cells’ membrane. The Beach Boys’ iconic hit single “Good Vibrations” takes on a whole new layer of meaning thanks to a recent discovery by Rice University scientists and collaborators, who have uncovered a way to destroy cancer cells by using the ability of some molecules to vibrate strongly when stimulated by light. The researchers found that the atoms of a small dye molecule used for medical imaging can vibrate in unison ⎯ forming what…
A microbial sensor that helps identify and fight bacterial infections also plays a key role in the development of blood stem cells, valuable new insight in the effort to create patient-derived blood stem cells that could eliminate the need for bone marrow transplants. The discovery by a research team led by Raquel Espin Palazon, an assistant professor of genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State University, was published last month in Nature Communications. It builds on prior work by…
Best Paper Award: Outstanding Publication by TU Researchers Recognised. One application area of artificial intelligence (AI) is in medicine, especially in medical diagnostics. For instance, scans can be analysed automatically with the help of algorithms. An international and interdisciplinary team led by researchers from TU Darmstadt recently investigated whether AI can better evaluate images of brain tumours. For this publication, the team won the Best Paper Award at the world’s largest information systems conference ICIS, prevailing over more than 1,300…
The High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft, or HALO, has been making unparalleled contributions to Earth system research for over a decade. Not only that, but with its global measurement campaigns, the high-altitude research aircraft is a symbol of international scientific cooperation on key issues relating to atmospheric processes and their global impact on the climate. Under the leadership of meteorologist Professor Manfred Wendisch, Leipzig University has now secured 4.6 million euros from the German Research Foundation (DFG) to…
MHH study investigates Biontech vaccine for booster vaccination against the current coronavirus variant XBB1.5. The pandemic is over, but many people in Germany are still infected with the coronavirus. The current Omikron variants in particular are highly contagious. The new booster vaccines from Biontech and Moderna are specially adapted to the Omikron subline XBB.1.5. However, the effectiveness of the new boosters has not yet been proven. A study by the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology at Hannover Medical School (MHH)…
Scientists have so far identified around 800 different neuromuscular diseases. These conditions are caused by problems in the way muscle cells, motor neurons and peripheral cells interact. These disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, lead to muscle weakness, paralysis, and in some cases death. “These diseases are highly complex, and the causes of the dysfunction can vary widely,” says Dr. Mina Gouti, head of the Stem Cell Modeling of Development and Disease Lab at the Max Delbrück Center….
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have used artificial intelligence to discover a new method for understanding small defects called dislocations in polycrystalline materials, materials widely used in information equipment, solar cells, and electronic devices, that can reduce the efficiency of such devices. The findings were published in the journal Advanced Materials. Almost every device that we use in our modern lives has a polycrystal component. From your smartphone to your computer to the metals and ceramics in your car….
Researchers find that Ebola virus creates the very tunnels it uses to hide and move within the human body. Understanding how viruses travel once inside the human body is critical to develop effective drugs and therapies that can stop viruses in their tracks. Scientists at Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed) recently published findings in the Journal of Infectious Diseases indicating that Ebola virus creates and uses intercellular tunnels to move from cell to cell and evade treatments. “Our findings…
Study using SERS technology reveals a new type of interaction between tumor cells and their environment and demonstrates the potential of SERS spectroscopy for cancer metabolism research. A study conducted by pre-PhD researcher Pablo S. Valera and recently published in PNAS demonstrates the potential of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to explore metabolites secreted by cancer cells in cancer research. The study, which has been led by Ikerbasque Research Professors Luis Liz-Marzán (from CIC biomaGUNE) and Arkaitz Carracedo (of CIC bioGUNE)…
New mathematical model of genetic interaction identifies master regulators in biological networks. A team of researchers around Berlin mathematics professor Michael Joswig is presenting a novel concept for the mathematical modeling of genetic interactions in biological systems. Collaborating with biologists from ETH Zurich and Carnegy Science (USA), the team has successfully identified master regulators within the context of an entire genetic network. The research results provide a coherent theoretical framework for analyzing biological networks and have been published in the…
An international team of researchers including the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel has produced the first global estimate of mercury emissions from hydrothermal sources at mid-ocean ridges based on measurements. The researchers were able to show that most of the mercury in the ocean comes from human activities – and can therefore be reduced. Their findings have been published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Ten years ago, the United Nations agreed to minimise mercury pollution in the environment…
Movements of water molecules change depending on the applied voltage. A collaborative team of experimental and computational physical chemists from South Korea and the United States have made an important discovery in the field of electrochemistry, shedding light on the movement of water molecules near metal electrodes. This research holds profound implications for the advancement of next-generation batteries utilizing aqueous electrolytes. In the nanoscale realm, chemists typically utilize laser light to illuminate molecules and measure spectroscopic properties to visualize molecules….
The University Hospital Zurich, the University of Zurich and the diagnostics company Roche are expanding their collaboration in cancer research. In the fully digitalized Morphomolecular Pathology Laboratory, they are developing algorithms that can further improve the effectiveness of immunotherapies. The treatment of patients with cancer has made enormous progress in recent years. A major step forward has been the development of immunotherapies, which are used with great success in some types of cancer, even at an advanced stage. However, a…
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