Proteins that form clumps occur in many difficult-to-treat diseases, such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. The mechanisms behind how the proteins interact with each other are difficult to study, but now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have discovered a new method for capturing many proteins in nano-sized traps. Inside the traps, the proteins can be studied in a way that has not been possible before. “We believe that our method has great potential to increase the understanding of…
The MHH research project iGUARD is also successful in the third round of the SPRIND Challenge and receives follow-up funding to develop antiviral RNA-based drugs. Despite successful vaccine development, there are still no effective drugs for most viral diseases. In order to achieve a breakthrough, the Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovations launched the SPRIND Challenge two years ago. The iGUARD (integrated Guided Ultrafast Antiviral RNAi Drug Development) project has already been funded twice and, as a finalist in the third…
Researchers establish green pharmaceutical production from wood waste. Sustainable and environmentally friendly production processes are playing an increasingly important role in almost all branches of industry. The production of active pharmaceutical ingredients in particular involves the use of various materials and reagents, many of which have environmentally harmful properties and therefore require costly processing and disposal. Researchers at the University of Graz and the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) have now succeeded in developing a strategy for the…
Researchers develop a deep learning model that can detect a previously unknown quasicrystalline phase present in multiphase crystalline samples. Crystalline materials are made up of atoms, ions, or molecules arranged in an ordered, three-dimensional structure. They are widely used for the development of semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, photovoltaics, and catalysts. The type of structures that fall into the category of crystalline materials continues to expand as scientists design novel materials to address emerging challenges pertaining to energy storage, carbon capture, and advanced…
North Atlantic circulation reduced little Ice Age cooling. Evidence of climate change in the North Atlantic during the last 1,000 years can be seen in the deep ocean, according to a newly published paper led by researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and University College London. The paper, “Surface climate signals transmitted rapidly to deep North Atlantic throughout last millennium,” published in Science, presents records from North Atlantic sediments that agree with observations of recent surface and deep…
Tomography with neutrons and X-rays shows where particles are deposited. It is a real problem: Microplastic particles are everywhere. Now a team from the University of Potsdam and HZB has developed a method that allows it for the first time to precisely localise microplastic particles in the soil. The 3D tomographies show where the particles are deposited and how structures in the soil are changed. The method was validated on prepared samples. The team used a special instrument at the…
New therapeutic strategy to reduce neuronal death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons in the brain and spinal cord causing loss of muscle control. A study by the University of Barcelona has designed a potential therapeutic strategy to tackle this pathology that has no treatment to date. It is a molecular trap that prevents one of the most common genetic ALS-causing peptide compounds, the Poly-GR dipeptide, from causing its toxic effects…
ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) has demonstrated the highest resolution yet with observations of an old star. The observations show that the star is surrounded by a ring-like structure of gas and that gas from the star is escaping to the surrounding space. Future observations with the newly demonstrated high resolution are expected to elucidate, not only the end of a star’s life, but also the beginning, when planets are still forming. ALMA is a radio interferometric array telescope, in…
Researchers from Göttingen and Karlsruhe have developed a new treatment approach for pancreatic cancer. The innovative method promises to be able to treat the disease in a more targeted way and with fewer side effects in the future. The therapy is now to be optimized for clinical application as quickly as possible. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancers in humans. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the western world. The early stages…
… such as hip replacements or pacemakers. Thin films containing metal-organic frameworks slowly release nitric oxide, an antimicrobial agent. Researchers at Colorado State University and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland have developed an effective and flexible antimicrobial material that could be used to coat medical devices placed inside the body. The work combines previous research from both universities into metal-organic frameworks – three-dimensional crystalline materials made of metals and linkers that are porous and remain stable in water….
Textiles are a given in civil engineering: they stabilize water protection dams, facilitate the revegetation of slopes at risk of erosion, and even make asphalt layers of roads thinner. Until now, textiles made of highly resistant synthetic fibers have been used for this purpose, which have a very long lifetime. For some applications, it would not only be sufficient but even desirable for the auxiliary textile to degrade in the soil when it has done its job. Environmentally friendly natural…
Tiny vesicles exchange genetic information between cells in the sea. Researchers around Susanne Erdmann from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen take a look at data that has so far been mostly discarded as contamination, revealing the previously underestimated role of extracellular vesicles (EVs). These are important for the exchange of genetic information between cells and thus for the microbial community in the sea. There is a lively exchange of genetic information between the numerous microorganisms in…
Secure Encrypted Virtualization (SEV) was developed by AMD with the primary goal of making its cloud services more secure. But even the latest versions of the security feature, SEV-ES and SEV-SNP, were vulnerable to a software-based attack until recently. This was discovered by CISPA researcher Ruiyi Zhang, who works in the team of CISPA-Faculty Dr. Michael Schwarz. Together with colleagues from CISPA and Graz University of Technology he constructed a type of attack called CacheWarp, which in the worst case…
New research uncovers surprises for soft robotic actuators. Cambridge engineers investigating the load-bearing capacity of conical shells, made from soft materials, have discovered performance-limiting weaknesses that could have implications for soft robotics – affecting the ability of morphing cones to perform fundamental mechanical tasks. In soft robotics, components are designed to be deformable, squishable and flexible, and often use soft elements, mechanisms, machines and actuators – devices that convert energy into mechanical force – as building blocks to perform mechanical…
For the first time, researchers have succeeded in printing a robotic hand with bones, ligaments and tendons made of different polymers using a new laser scanning technique. In brief: By making 3D printing suitable for slow-curing polymers, researchers have greatly expanded the possibilities of soft robotics. The new materials have advantages over the previous ones. The advances were possible thanks to a new technology that combines 3D printing with a laser scanner and a feedback mechanism. A spin-off in the…
The technique could speed up the development of acoustic lenses, impact-resistant films, and other futuristic materials. Metamaterials are products of engineering wizardry. They are made from everyday polymers, ceramics, and metals. And when constructed precisely at the microscale, in intricate architectures, these ordinary materials can take on extraordinary properties. With the help of computer simulations, engineers can play with any combination of microstructures to see how certain materials can transform, for instance, into sound-focusing acoustic lenses or lightweight, bulletproof films….
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