Arrangement of proteins could be responsible for diseases. Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or Huntington’s disease: the behavior of certain molecules that play a role in sub-cellular processes influence the development of such neurodegenerative diseases. Scientists from Mischa Bonn’s department at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and Sapun Parekh’s lab at the University of Texas have now studied a specific protein using various methods to better understand the mechanism behind these diseases. Processes inside human cells are tightly regulated in time…
… enables application-oriented development of marine protective coatings. Marine benthic organisms colonize all available hard substrates – including offshore foundations, leading to altered flow conditions, increased loads, and more difficult inspection tasks. In order to realistically test the development of fouling-control coatings for this application, a test infrastructure was anchored on the seabed in a specially marked research area off the offshore island of Helgoland within the “ROBUST” project. Material and coating samples for the maritime industry can be tested…
MHH neurophysiologist demonstrates the effect of the antipsychotic amisulpride on harmful protein deposits in nerve cells of the brain. A clinical trial will investigate the drug’s efficacy in dementia patients. A common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases are pathological protein deposits in the brain. These protein aggregates cause nerve cells to die and, as a result, entire brain areas to shrink, which manifests itself in affected individuals as progressive dementia. The so-called tau protein in particular is involved in the…
Research team develops new system for imaging and treating tumors. Thanks to the radiation they emit, radioactive compounds are suited both to imaging and treating cancers. By appropriately combining them in novel, so-called radionuclide theranostics, both applications can be dovetailed. A radiopharmacy team at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Heidelberg University has now presented such a system in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c08438) that successfully solves one of the biggest problems to date: it works at physiologically…
… offer new insights on plant growth. Technology used in cancer research leads to roadmap of chemicals important for agriculture, food production and climate resilience. On a sunny springtime stroll through a park, it’s easy to ignore the parts of plants that are hidden from view. Plant biologists see things differently. They look below the surface where plant roots are organized in elaborate systems that are critical to the organism’s development. Intricately organized tree root systems, for example, can span…
Chen’s team used ultrasound to safely, noninvasively induce a torpor-like state in mice, rats. Some mammals and birds have a clever way to preserve energy and heat by going into torpor, during which their body temperature and metabolic rate drop to allow them to survive potentially fatal conditions in the environment, such as extreme cold or lack of food. While a similar condition was proposed for scientists making flights to space in the 1960s or for patients with life-threatening health…
Quantum key distribution system based on integrated photonics lays groundwork for network implementation. Researchers have developed a quantum key distribution (QKD) system based on integrated photonics that can transmit secure keys at unprecedented speeds. The proof-of-principle experiments represent an important step toward real-world application of this highly secure communication method. QKD is a well-established method of providing secret keys for secure communication between distant parties. By using the quantum properties of light to generate secure random keys for encrypting and…
States with decarbonization goals must plan, prepare, and test for long-duration energy storage. How can US states with aggressive decarbonization goals coupled with federal decarbonization goals have energy when they need it? Long-duration energy storage (LDES) is a likely candidate. LDES systems are large energy storage installations that can store renewable energy until needed and can provide a much-needed solution for a reliable and decarbonized grid. But planning needs to start now, according to new research from Pacific Northwest National…
Researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology used deep learning to develop a new framework for super-resolution ultrasound. Traditional super-resolution ultrasound techniques use microbubbles: tiny spheres of gas encased in a protein or lipid shell. Microbubbles are considered to be a contrast agent, which means they can be injected into a blood vessel to increase the clarity of an ultrasound image. Conventional ultrasound has been commonplace for over 50 years. The development of super-resolution technology in the…
In order to advance the automation and digital networking of public transportation in Munich, 16 partners, including the University of Stuttgart, have joined forces in the “MINGA” research project. Their goal: On-demand services to complement the subway, buses, and trams, two virtually connected electric solo buses, “bus platoons” to replace the current diesel buses, and an automated driverless solo bus. In six work packages, the partners plan to address: the planning, financing, and regulatory aspects of automated public transport, the…
Researchers at the Institute for Theoretical Biology at Humboldt Universität have solved a long-standing mathematical puzzle about the emergence of electrical activity patterns during insect flight. Together with colleagues at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, they report a novel function for electrical synapses in governing the flight of fruit flies in the current issue of Nature. To keep their small bodies up in the air, fruit flies have to beat their wings extremely fast. They use a trick that…
Prof. Sebastian Reineke from TU Dresden has been awarded a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) in the amount of 2 million Euro for his research project SLOWTONICS. In this project he wants to initiate a paradigm shift in modern technology by developing and using biocompatible components. Project launch is January 2024. Modern technology has fundamentally changed our lives in recent decades and has permeated almost all areas of our lives. Communication, transportation, energy, industry or health –…
A breakthrough in fluorescence microscopy has been achieved by the research group of Ralf Jungmann at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry (MPIB) and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich. The team developed Resolution Enhancement by Sequential Imaging (RESI), a revolutionary technique that enhances the resolution of fluorescence microscopy down to the Ångström scale. This innovation is poised to usher in a paradigm shift in our approach to study biological systems with thus far unprecedented detail. Cells, the fundamental units of life, contain…
One Notre Dame researcher says we should look beyond the hype to see how virtual reality can make scientists more effective. But to realize the benefits, researchers must also plan well and avoid potential pitfalls. In 2021, Facebook made “metaverse” the buzziest word on the web, rebranding itself as Meta and announcing a plan to build “a set of interconnected digital spaces that lets you do things you can’t do in the physical world.” Since then, the metaverse has been…
Seismologists use supercomputer to reveal complex dynamics of multi-fault earthquake systems. On the morning of July 4, 2019, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Searles Valley in California’s Mojave Desert, with impacts felt across Southern California. About 34 hours later on July 5, the nearby city of Ridgecrest was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, a jolt felt by millions across the state of California and throughout neighboring communities in Arizona, Nevada, and even Baja California, Mexico. Known as the…
… create hundreds of tonnes of waterborne microfiber pollution. A new study has revealed that drying laundry using a condenser tumble dryer leads to hundreds of tonnes of potentially harmful microfibers being released into waterways and oceans across the UK and Europe. Researchers from Northumbria University, worked in partnership with scientists at consumer goods giant Procter and Gamble on the study, which is published today (24 May) in the scientific journal PLOS ONE. The team found that while condenser dryers…
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