Animals possess specialized networks of neurons in the brain that receive signals about the outside world from the retina and respond by initiating appropriate behavior. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence studied a genetic mutation in zebrafish that eliminates all connections between retina and brain throughout development. The team found that in these ‘deep-blind’ fish the brain circuits are fully functional, as direct brain stimulation with optogenetics can drive normal visual behavior. This shows that the assembly…
Scientists develop an innovative multilayered design to significantly boost the performance of next-generation solar cells. Solar power has become indispensable in our global pursuit of clean energy and sustainability. Today, about 95 percent of solar cells are made using crystalline silicon (c-Si). Most commercial designs employ a c-Si photoactive layer with a thickness of around 160–170 μm. However, since silicon alone makes up nearly half the cost of each solar panel, experts believe that next-generation c-Si solar cells will be much…
The combination of chemical and physical stressors that bacteria face during wastewater treatment can impact the transfer of genes between them. But while certain combinations of stressors significantly increase the gene-transfer rate, other combinations reduce it, KAUST researchers have discovered. The finding could inform best practice design and management of wastewater treatment for reuse. Globally, many regions are considering treated wastewater as a potentially invaluable freshwater source. “As part of the Saudi Vision 2030, water reuse and treatment rates need…
Physicists observe the first gravitational free-fall of antimatter. First measurement of the force of the earth’s gravity on antimatter published in prestigious Nature journal. The physics behind antimatter is one of the world’s greatest mysteries. Looking as far back as The Big Bang, physics has predicted that when we create matter, we also create antimatter. The world around us is made of matter, but physicists have yet to find an explanation for the absence of antimatter. Now, physicists at the…
… powered only by light and radio waves. Small mobile robots carrying sensors could perform tasks like catching gas leaks or tracking warehouse inventory. But moving robots demands a lot of energy, and batteries, the typical power source, limit lifetime and raise environmental concerns. Researchers have explored various alternatives: affixing sensors to insects, keeping charging mats nearby, or powering the robots with lasers. Each has drawbacks. Insects roam. Chargers limit range. Lasers can burn people’s eyes. Researchers at the University…
Using an innovative new approach to sampling corals, researchers at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa are now able to create maps of coral biochemistry that reveal with unprecedented detail the distribution of compounds that are integral to the healthy functioning of reefs. Their study was published today in Communications Biology. “This work is a major step in understanding the coral holobiont [the coral animal and all of its associated microorganisms], which is critical for reef restoration and management,”…
Experiment measures the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from neutron-induced fission. The results of the Chi-Nu physics experiment at Los Alamos National Laboratory have contributed essential, never-before-observed data for enhancing nuclear security applications, understanding criticality safety and designing fast-neutron energy reactors. The Chi-Nu project, a years-long experiment measuring the energy spectrum of neutrons emitted from neutron-induced fission, recently concluded the most detailed and extensive uncertainty analysis of the three major actinide elements — uranium-238, uranium-235 and plutonium-239. “Nuclear fission and…
The coating of flexible substrates with functional layers is highly efficient thanks to the roll-to-roll technologies. Crucial for plant operators and ultimately for the price is the coating thickness homogeneity and thus the electrical properties for a high and constant yield without rejects. Within the joint project KODOS (funding reference 13N14607), funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, a solution for in-line process monitoring and mapping of process parameters was developed with SURAGUS GmbH at Fraunhofer FEP….
Fraunhofer IDMT develops novel recording and analysis methods for the simultaneous monitoring of various vital and motion data via radar. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT in Oldenburg have developed a new method for collecting and analyzing vital signs from the human body by using radar. The key feature is that the radar can be positioned sideways to collect particularly robust, non-contact vital data such as respiration and heartbeat pulse from various areas of the body….
How are environmental changes, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of pathogens connected? The answer is a puzzle. Scientists from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin in cooperation with the Leibniz-IZW have now described one piece of that puzzle in a study on the effects of rainforest clearing on mosquitoes and the viruses they carry the journal “eLife”. They show that the destruction of tropical rainforests harms the diversity of mosquito species. At the same time, more resilient species of mosquitoes become…
Photovoltaic cells made of organic materials are light and flexible, which is why they are considered very promising. An international research network led by TU Graz is now aiming to increase the stability of the materials. Solar cells made of silicon have been around for 70 years. Organic solar cells, on the other hand, are quite new, but open up new possibilities for emission-free electricity production. These solar cells made of organic compounds achieve efficiencies of up to 19 percent,…
Coatings made from a wood by-product can keep our glasses and windshields clear. Researchers have developed a way to turn a waste material from wood into a bio-based transparent film that can be used for anti-fogging or anti-reflective coatings on glasses or vehicle windows. In addition to offering an alternative to the toxic synthetic materials currently used, this approach transforms a waste product into a valuable carbon sink. Lignin is an abundant waste product in paper and pulp production that…
Seven of the world’s largest mirrors will search the Universe for life beyond Earth. The Giant Magellan Telescope begins the four-year process to fabricate and polish its seventh and final primary mirror, the last required to complete the telescope’s 368 square meter light collecting surface, the world’s largest and most challenging optics ever produced. Together, the mirrors will collect more light than any other telescope in existence, allowing humanity to unlock the secrets of the Universe by providing detailed chemical…
… and could transform face mask efficiency. University of Liverpool researchers develop a new material that captures coronavirus particles and could transform the efficiency of face masks. A research team at the University of Liverpool has developed a new material that captures coronavirus particles and could transform the efficiency of face masks and other filter equipment to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other viruses. In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the team showed that the new material…
Research from West Virginia University mechanical and aerospace engineer Xi Yu could help scientists reach ocean waters hidden away beneath ice shelves. The inaccessible waters under ocean ice contain information critical to understanding the impact of climate change, and Yu said she believes multiple marine robots, carried and coordinated by an intelligent mothership, can reach those depths and communicate what they learn. An assistant professor at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and a member of WVU…
Whilst a blueberry with a fungal infection might end up in most people’s compost bin, for a team of researchers in the US, it has provided a key to tackling the unsustainable use of insecticides. In a new study published in the SCI journal Pest Management Science, the team explored how blueberries infected with a specific fungus, Colletotrichum fioriniae, emit odours which repel spotted-wing drosophila – a fruit fly that is a destructive pest of berries and cherries. By recreating…
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