Structure of an enzyme crucial for tRNA maturation sheds light on cause of neurodegenerative disorders. In all living organisms, the biomolecule transfer RNA (tRNA) plays a fundamental role in protein production. tRNAs are generated from precursor molecules in several steps. The enzyme tRNA splicing endonuclease (TSEN), among other things, catalyzes one step in this process. Mutations in TSEN lead to a neurodegenerative disorder called pontocerebellar hypoplasia, which is associated with severe disabilities and early death. Researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt…
A simple yet effective design, coupled with remarkable durability and low cost, make this robotic gripper a promising option for many industries. Although grasping objects is a relatively straightforward task for us humans, there is a lot of mechanics involved in this simple task. Picking up an object requires fine control of the fingers, of their positioning, and of the pressure each finger applies, which in turn necessitates intricate sensing capabilities. It’s no wonder that robotic grasping and manipulation is…
…may provide cooling in next-gen electronics. Next-generation electronics will feature smaller and more powerful components that require new solutions for cooling. A new thermoelectric cooler developed by Penn State scientists greatly improves the cooling power and efficiency compared to current commercial thermoelectric units and may help control heat in future high-power electronics, the researchers said. “Our new material can provide thermoelectric devices with very high cooling power density,” said Bed Poudel, research professor in the Department of Materials Science and…
Scientists move toward engineering living matter by manipulating movement of microparticles. Breakthrough uses lasers to mimic biological and meteorological systems. A team of scientists has devised a system that replicates the movement of naturally occurring phenomena, such as hurricanes and algae, using laser beams and the spinning of microscopic rotors. The breakthrough, reported in the journal Nature Communications, reveals new ways that living matter can be reproduced on a cellular scale. “Living organisms are made of materials that actively pump…
A new theoretical study provides a framework for understanding nonlocality, a feature that quantum networks must possess to perform operations inaccessible to standard communications technology. By clarifying the concept, researchers determined the conditions necessary to create systems with strong, quantum correlations. The study, published in Physical Review Letters, adapts techniques from quantum computing theory to create a new classification scheme for quantum nonlocality. This not only allowed the researchers to unify prior studies of the concept into a common framework,…
Cooler than a campfire and smaller than Jupiter, this brown dwarf star is a rare find. Astronomers at the University of Sydney have shown that a small, faint star is the coldest on record to produce emission at radio wavelength. The ‘ultracool brown dwarf’ examined in the study is a ball of gas simmering at about 425 degrees centigrade – cooler than a typical campfire – without burning nuclear fuel. By contrast, the surface temperature of the Sun, a nuclear inferno,…
Stars powered with dark matter still need proving but could reveal clues about the nature of one of the universe’s great mysteries. Stars beam brightly out of the darkness of space thanks to fusion, atoms melding together and releasing energy. But what if there’s another way to power a star? A team of three astrophysicists — Katherine Freese at The University of Texas at Austin, in collaboration with Cosmin Ilie and Jillian Paulin ’23 at Colgate University — analyzed images…
The future of electronics will be based on novel kinds of materials. Sometimes, however, the naturally occurring topology of atoms makes it difficult for new physical effects to be created. To tackle this problem, researchers at the University of Zurich have now successfully designed superconductors one atom at a time, creating new states of matter. What will the computer of the future look like? How will it work? The search for answers to these questions is a major driver of…
LZH researches laser processes for formable hybrid components. Using expensive materials on high-performance components only where they are needed: This is the vision of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1153 “Tailored Forming”. Scientists at the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) are researching two laser-based processes. Hybrid semi-finished products can save material and costs in production if only those parts of a component are made from a high-priced material that is subject to high demands in later use and therefore has…
Groundbreaking study demonstrates control over quantum fluctuations, unlocking potential for probabilistic computing and ultra-precise field sensing. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has achieved a milestone in quantum technologies, demonstrating for the first time the control of quantum randomness. The team of researchers focused on a unique feature of quantum physics known as “vacuum fluctuations”. You might think of a vacuum as a completely empty space without matter or light. However, in the quantum world, even this “empty” space experiences fluctuations or changes. Imagine a calm sea that suddenly…
Scientists leverage a novel polymer interlocking mechanism to produce tough yet additive-free latex films. Synthetic polymer materials, such as plastics and rubbers, have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. It is, therefore, essential to ensure that they are safe, durable, and sustainable. This is especially true for synthetic latex films, which are widely used in packaging, biomedicine, and electronics. But what exactly are synthetic latex films? Simply put, they are a type of nanoparticle-based films that are produced by drying…
A team led by Prof. Ryan Gilmour at the Organic Chemistry Institute at the University of Münster has reported in “Nature Communications” on the rapid generation of new fluorinated molecular fragments for drug discovery using organocatalysis. Fluorine is found rarely in naturally occurring organic molecules. However, this chemical element is indispensable for the production of pharmaceuticals or agrochemicals. Synthetic chemistry has an important role to play in the development of new fluorine-containing molecular fragments. Simple, modular synthesis strategies are extremely…
Fraunhofer IPMS drives the Revolution in Vehicle Architecture. The vehicles of the future will be automated and networked to drive autonomously in road traffic and to relieve the driver. This requires new vehicle architectures and high-performance components. The Fraunhofer IPMS is working on various research projects to create the necessary conditions. Automated connected driving is leading to an explosion in bandwidth and computing requirements in vehicles. To cope with this, zonal arrangements with zone gateways and central computers and a…
… on Earth and icy worlds. Scientists at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) have developed a radar technique that lets them image hidden features within the upper few feet of ice sheets. The researchers behind the technique said that it can be used to investigate melting glaciers on Earth as well as detect potentially habitable environments on Jupiter’s moon Europa. The near-surface layers of ice sheets are difficult to study with airborne or satellite ice-penetrating radar because…
The signal, produced by neurons, helps the barrier form and maintain its protective properties. At a glance: Working with mice and zebrafish, researchers identify a gene, expressed in neurons, that produces a signal needed for development and maintenance of the blood-brain barrier. When mutated, the gene makes certain regions of the blood-brain barrier more permeable. The findings could help scientists control the blood-brain barrier — important for delivering drugs into the central nervous system or countering damage from neurodegenerative disease…
…for dense photonic integration. Defying conventional wisdom, researchers have uncovered a novel coupling mechanism involving leaky mode, previously has been considered unsuitable for high-density integration in photonic circuits. This unexpected finding opens new possibilities for dense photonic integration, revolutionizing the scalability and application of photonic chips in optical computing, quantum communication, light detection and ranging (LiDAR), optical metrology, and biochemical sensing. In a recent Light Science & Application publication, Sangsik Kim, associate professor of electrical engineering at Korea Advanced Institute…
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