EP-WXT Pathfinder, the experimental version of a module that will eventually be part of the wide-field X-ray telescope (WXT) aboard the astronomical satellite Einstein Probe (EP), released its first results Aug. 27 from an earlier test flight. These include an 800-second X-ray time-lapse photograph of a region of the Galactic center, a dense area at the core of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. These mark the first wide-field X-ray snapshots of our universe available to the public so far,…
Changes known as epigenetic modifications play an important role in cancer development, among other things. Being able to analyze them quickly and reliably could, for example, contribute significantly to the further development of personalized therapy. A research team from the Institute of Physiology at the University of Freiburg has now succeeded in characterizing the chemical changes in proteins that are typical for epigenetic modifications using nanopore analysis. The researchers have published their research results in the Journal of the American…
Research team develops model to explain how cilia beat. Cilia are tiny, hair-like structures on cells throughout our bodies that beat rhythmically to serve a variety of functions when they are working properly, including circulating cerebrospinal fluid in brains and transporting eggs in fallopian tubes. Defective cilia can lead to disorders including situs inversus — a condition where a person’s organs develop on the side opposite of where they usually are. Researchers know about many of cilia’s roles, but not…
Researchers from Osaka University and collaborating partners have used single-molecule electron-transfer kinetics to identify point mutations in mRNA. This development might facilitate treatment of glioma and other diseases. Standard medical imaging readily detects most solid brain cancers, one third of which are gliomas. Unfortunately, two complex surgeries are often necessary. But now, researchers from Japan may have devised a way to perform the initial biopsy, lab tests, and subsequent tumor removal during one surgical procedure. During the first operation for…
Qubits are the building blocks of quantum computers, which have the potential to revolutionize many fields of research by solving problems that classical computers can’t. But creating qubits that have the perfect quality necessary for quantum computing can be challenging. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, HRL Laboratories LLC, and University of New South Wales (UNSW) collaborated on a project to better control silicon quantum dot qubits, allowing for higher-quality fabrication and use in wider applications. All three institutions are…
Sustainable environmental and process engineering. In collaboration with TU Dresden, Fraunhofer researchers have developed a process for obtaining valuable, high-purity ethyl acetate from whey. This can be used, for example, to produce environmentally friendly adhesives, thereby replacing conventional ethyl acetate extracted from fossil-based raw materials. It also eliminates the need for costly disposal of the molasses produced during whey processing. Every day, large quantities of whey are produced as a by-product by the dairy industry. In Germany alone, this amounts…
Out with the silver, in with the copper: The rising price and low availability of raw materials, especially silver, are leading to higher costs in producing photovoltaic modules. Fraunhofer researchers have developed an electroplating process that involves substituting silver, an expensive precious metal, with copper, which is more readily available. They have also succeeded in replacing the polymers that are usually left over after electroplating processes, and are expensive to dispose of, by instead using easily recyclable aluminum for masking….
Software-optimized production processes for BioNTech Back in 2019, BioNTech was far from a household name. Nowadays, however, the pharmaceutical company from Mainz is world-famous for developing and producing Comirnaty©, a COVID-19 vaccine. The company’s original aim was to develop personalized mRNA-based treatments to fight cancer – a goal that it continues to pursue to this day. Since 2016, a research team at the Fraunhofer ITWM has collaborated with BioNTech to optimize the planning, management and documentation of their production processes….
Cells have an efficient waste disposal system. Proxidrugs utilize this system as part of new treatments for cancer, infections and Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP are working with partners to develop this new drug class. Dr. Aimo Kannt, Head of Drug Discovery and Preclinical Research at Fraunhofer ITMP in Frankfurt, is currently researching a new class of drugs with sustained efficacy. “Traditional drugs work by binding to pathogenic proteins and blocking or…
Pain is an important alarm system that alerts us to tissue damage, but is expected to subside as injuries heal, but many patients experience persistent pain long after recovery. Now, a new study published in Science Translational Medicine points to possible new treatments for chronic pain with a surprising link to lung cancer. The work was spearheaded by an international team of researchers at IMBA – Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Harvard Medical School, and…
Researchers have discovered a new method for correcting errors in the calculations of quantum computers, potentially clearing a major obstacle to a powerful new realm of computing. In conventional computers, fixing errors is a well-developed field. Every cellphone requires checks and fixes to send and receive data over messy airwaves. Quantum computers offer enormous potential to solve certain complex problems that are impossible for conventional computers, but this power depends on harnessing extremely fleeting behaviors of subatomic particles. These computing…
May lead to better treatments for deadliest form of lung cancer. An experimental combination of two drugs halts the progression of small cell lung cancer, the deadliest form of lung cancer, according to a study in mice from researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Grenoble Alpes University in Grenoble, France, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. One of the drugs, cyclophosphamide, is an outdated chemotherapy drug once used to treat small…
Vaccinated people who were infected by the first Omicron subvariants have four times greater protection than vaccinated people who were not infected. These results are part of a study that will be published today in the prestigious scientific journal New England Journal of Medicine*. The study published now was led by Luís Graça, group leader at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes (iMM) and Full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, and by Manuel Carmo…
The Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH) presents its advanced developments at the Photonics Days Berlin Brandenburg both at the conference and the accompanying exhibition. The Photonics Days will be held on October 5 and 6, 2022 in Berlin Adlershof and bring together experts from photonics, optics, microsystems technology, and quantum technology. Scientists from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut are actively involved as chairs of the sessions “Berlin Laser Tech Symposium” and “Berlin Quantum Optics Symposium”. In a talk, they also present the progress…
Technische Universität Ilmenau (Germany) is using Artificial Intelligence to improve the detection and classification of unidentified phenomena in the night sky. The research team of the Group for data-intensive Systems and Visualization collaborated with the American Meteor Society which initiated the AllSky7, an international network of scientists and amateur astronomers that permanently observes the night sky with specially designed cameras and classifies and assigns all events. The work of the team of scientists is part of the TU Ilmenau‘s theme…
The rapid rise in temperature in the Arctic is profoundly altering the region – with unknown consequences for the future. At the same time, dwindling sea ice is increasing economic interest in the Arctic Ocean. How can the Arctic be protected and used sustainably against this backdrop? To provide an overview of issues relevant to marine conservation in the Arctic, Ecologic Institute and the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) have published a series of reports. The reports focus on…
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