A research group funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation has identified a gene that drives T lymphocytes to exhaustion. This opens up new approaches for more effective immunotherapies. A tough battle requires endurance. This is also true for white blood cells as they tackle cancer – or more specifically for T lymphocytes or T cells, a group of white blood cells involved in the immune system’s fight against cancer cells. However, T cells can become exhausted during this fight….
Fraunhofer-Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF and the Fraunhofer-Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST jointly coordinates a Support and Coordinated Action aiming at defining and harmonising a commonly accepted and applied single Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach for zero-emission vehicles ZEV. 44 key stakeholders along the full value chain of zero-emission vehicles covering, among others, vehicle and battery manufactures, the supply industry, energy providers and recyclers are working together. The European Commission supports the unique initiative…
A study of the upper atmosphere’s composition has successfully measured an increased presence of 18O, a heavier oxygen issotope with 10 instead of eight neutrons. Helmut Wiesemeyer (MPIfR Bonn) and his colleagues have measured the 18O fraction of the upper mesosphere/lower thermosphere for the first time, using the GREAT instrument aboard SOFIA and found that the upper atmosphere has an 18O fraction close to that of the lower atmosphere. A better understanding to what extent biological effects permeate Earth’s atmosphere…
Licenses awarded to make GESTRA ready for series production. Sensor specialist HENSOLDT has agreed to cooperate with the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Technology FHR with the aim of transforming the technology demonstrator GESTRA (German Experimental Space Surveillance and Tracking Radar) into a series-production ready, operationally deployable system called Custodian. To this end, HENSOLDT has acquired the necessary licenses from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and concluded a cooperation agreement. The prototype was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for High…
New method for temperature determination opens horizon for a multitude of experiments virtually unfeasible up to now. Warm dense matter (WDM) measures thousands of degrees in temperature and is under the pressure of thousands of Earth’s atmospheres. Found in many places throughout the universe, it is expected to have beneficial applications on Earth. However, its investigation is a challenge. Even the temperature of a material under WDM conditions is anything but easy to determine. A team of researchers led by…
A new study reports the first experimental creation of a quantum potential with energies given by sequences of prime numbers, paving the way for a new approach to the investigation of mathematical problems related to number theory using quantum physics. Do you want to know whether a very large integer is a prime number or not? Or if it is a ‘lucky number’? A new study by SISSA, carried out in collaboration with the University of Trieste and the University…
Insect numbers have been declining over the past decades in many parts of the world. Protected areas could safeguard threatened insects, but a team of researchers led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the University of Queensland now found that 76% of globally assessed insect species are not adequately covered by protected areas worldwide. In the journal One Earth, the researchers encourage decision-makers to…
An Israeli first: One of world’s most advanced satellite observatories. The Center for Quantum Science and Technology at Tel Aviv University has built the first ground station in Israel – and among the most advanced in the world – for tracking, sensing, hyperspectral imaging, and optical and quantum communication with satellites in orbit around the Earth. The station includes a satellite observatory dome with a diameter of 4.25 meters, a tracking system, a primary high-speed camera and secondary tracking cameras,…
A previously unknown phase transition in the early universe. Think of bringing a pot of water to the boil: As the temperature reaches the boiling point, bubbles form in the water, burst and evaporate as the water boils. This continues until there is no more water changing phase from liquid to steam. This is roughly the idea of what happened in the very early universe, right after the Big Bang, 13.7 billion years ago. The idea comes from particle physicists…
Classic graphite pencils can be used and transformed into colorful works using plasma irradiation, without a drop of colored ink used. New developments for achieving structural coloring through plasma irradiation of graphite can reduce the reliance upon harmful color dyes. Colors achieved by plasma irradiation are completely erasable and can be manipulated using time exposed to the plasma irradiation, intensity of the irradiation and the thickness of the graphite layer applied. The application of plasma-structural coloring aims to lessen the…
… could help buildings react to changing environments, save on energy costs. University of Toronto Engineering researchers create bio-inspired system that can optimize the wavelength, intensity and dispersion of light reaching building interiors. University of Toronto Engineering researchers have developed a multilayered fluidic system that can reduce the energy costs of heating, cooling and lighting buildings by optimizing the wavelength, intensity and dispersion of light transmitted through windows. The platform was inspired by the dynamic colour-changing skin of organisms such…
Drones are operating increasingly in areas out of sight of the person controlling them. However, conventional remote controls have a limited range, which makes them unsuitable for these flights. On the other hand, simple mobile network-based systems have so far been unable to guarantee a reliable connection when mobile network loads are high or where there is a lack of network coverage. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI have joined forces with partners in the SUCOM project…
In the “smood® — smart neighborhood” project, sixteen companies, four research institutions and an association have been working together, with the scientific support of Fraunhofer, on the future of energy-related renovation measures over the past few years. Covering everything from digitalized planning processes and innovative district storage systems for electricity and heat to intelligent control and operational management solutions, the project aims to ensure that existing district facilities are ready for the energy transition — and that tenants benefit from…
Fraunhofer researchers have succeeded in using the bioresorbable silica gel Renacer® to produce an electrospun membrane that is neither cytotoxic to cells nor genotoxic. This model mimics fibrous structures found in connective tissue and is therefore particularly suitable for regenerative applications, such as for improved wound healing. The treatment of large as well as internal wounds is challenging and can be a very lengthy process. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC and the Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology…
They are barely the size of a thumbnail, able to communicate with each other and respond to each other, and designed to make life easier for people with functional limitations. We are talking about a new generation of interactive microimplants developed by the innovation cluster INTAKT, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and coordinated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering IBMT. These miniature assistants can act as a stimulus in cases of…
Glaucoma is a common ocular disease in which the optic nerve malfunctions due to the increased intraocular pressure (IOP) caused by drainage canal blocking in the eye. This condition narrows the peripheral vision and can lead to vision loss in severe cases. Glaucoma patients have to manage IOP levels for their life-time. Automatic monitoring and control of the IOP in these patients would significantly improve their quality of life. Recently, a research team at POSTECH has developed a smart contact…
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