… strengthen drug discovery pipeline. Revolutionary 3D images have enabled researchers to understand how new anti-malaria compounds kill malaria parasites, paving the way for the next generation anti-malarial treatments. Malaria infections are driven by Plasmodium parasites that enter the bloodstream and destroy red blood cells. Melbourne researchers from WEHI, in collaboration with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), have now captured the first three dimensional (3D) images that reveal how compounds work to stop the parasites from spreading in the blood….
Nano-sized robots manipulated using a magnetic field can help kill bacteria deep inside dentinal tubules, and boost the success of root canal treatments, a new study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and IISc-incubated startup, Theranautilus, shows. Root canal treatments are routinely carried out to treat tooth infections in millions of patients. The procedure involves removing the infected soft tissue inside the tooth, called the pulp, and flushing the tooth with antibiotics or chemicals to kill the…
The drought event from 2018 to 2020 was the most intense in over 250 years. Withered meadows and fields, dry stream beds, dead forests, and reduced power plant outputs – the drought years of 2018, 2019 and 2020 were exceptional and had substantial impacts on nature and the economy. Previously it was not clear where they should be classified in their historical dimension. Now we know: “The 2018 to 2020 drought sets a new benchmark for droughts in Europe”, says…
Researchers demonstrate that this part of the plants –the outermost part– can absorb up to 90% of harmful sunlight that is converted into heat. The cuticle – the outermost part of a plant, which acts as interphase between the plant and the environment– is becoming increasingly important in agriculture. It has already been shown that the cuticle has hydrologic properties, to prevent water loss, as well as mechanical properties, against fruit cracking, and plays a role in the defense against…
In the human embryo, the neural tube forms between the 22nd and 26th day of pregnancy. Later, the brain and spinal cord will develop from this tube. The neural tube forms when an elongated flat tissue structure, the neural plate, bends lengthwise into a U shape and closes to form a tube. What drives this development is not yet clear. Researchers in the group of Dagmar Iber, Professor of Computational Biology at the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at…
The technological advancement of optical lenses has long been a significant marker of human scientific achievement. Eyeglasses, telescopes, cameras, and microscopes have all literally and figuratively allowed us to see the world in a new light. Lenses are also a fundamental component of manufacturing nanoelectronics by the semiconductor industry. One of the most impactful breakthroughs of lens technology in recent history has been the development of photonic metasurfaces — artificially engineered nano-scale materials with remarkable optical properties. Georgia Tech researchers…
A research team led by the University of Adelaide, in partnership with medical technology company Fertilis, has delivered a ground-breaking new micro-device to streamline the only fertility treatment procedure available for men with low sperm counts. The first-of-its-kind device will allow more IVF clinics to offer Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) as a treatment, while several IVF procedures, such as embryo culture, embryo cryopreservation and in vitro maturation, will also be improved by using the device. ICSI is a slow and…
The robot grippers designed by Professor Stefan Seelecke and his team at Saarland University can grip and manipulate objects with complex geometries. The system can adapt almost instantaneously to changes in form, switching seamlessly between differently shaped parts. The articulated gripper is driven electrically, is lightweight and accelerates rapidly and is even able to tell whether it is holding the object securely enough. The ultrafine nickel-titanium wires that control the motion of the four fingers of the prototype can rapidly…
… in adulthood, improving cognition and mood. Led by Juan Song, PhD, scientists at the UNC School of Medicine used optogenetic techniques to stimulate specific brain cells to increase production of neural stem cells and neurons relevant to memory and emotion processing in animal models. We humans lose mental acuity, an unfortunate side effect of aging. And for individuals with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, the loss of cognitive function often accompanied by mood disorders such as anxiety…
Scientists at UMass Amherst can now accurately predict how double-gyroid networks form. Polymer scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst recently announced in the journal Nature Communications that they have solved a longstanding mystery surrounding a nanoscale structure, formed by collections of molecules, called a double-gyroid. This shape is one of the most desirable for materials scientists, and has a wide range of applications; but, until now, a predictable understanding of how these shapes form has eluded researchers. “There’s a…
Life-like organ replicas – so-called 3D organoids – are a good way to research disease processes. A team from the University of Würzburg has now presented a kind of blueprint for such a model of the cervix. A few stem cells, various growth factors, four to six weeks of time – and of course a great deal of expertise are needed to create a scaled-down but nevertheless lifelike and functional replica of a cervix in the laboratory. A new publication…
A UNIGE team shows that cells that make up our tissues increase in volume when tissues bend. A key discovery for the culture of in vitro organs. How do our cells organize themselves to give their final shape to our organs? The answer lies in morphogenesis, the set of mechanisms that regulate their distribution in space during embryonic development. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has just made a surprising discovery in this field: when a tissue curves,…
… with digital twin utilizing 5G technology. 5G technology is intended to accelerate data transmission, therefore it is of interest for industry. For example, it could be used to centralize the control of several machines at the same time. A team of researchers at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) is working on making the technology ready for application in manufacturing. For this purpose, a digital twin is being used to control a machine in real time. At the Hannover Messe,…
3D printing leads to fabricating a shape memory alloy with increased superelasticity. Laser powder bed fusion, a 3D-printing technique, offers potential in the manufacturing industry, particularly when fabricating nickel-titanium shape memory alloys with complex geometries. Although this manufacturing technique is attractive for applications in the biomedical and aerospace fields, it has rarely showcased the superelasticity required for specific applications using nickel-titanium shape memory alloys. Defects generated and changes imposed onto the material during the 3D-printing process prevented the superelasticity from…
Converting CO2 to formic acid using an alumina-supported, iron-based compound. Photoreduction of CO2 into transportable fuel like formic acid (HCOOH) is a great way of dealing with CO2’s rising levels in the atmosphere. To aid in this mission, a research team from Tokyo Tech chose an easily available iron-based mineral and loaded it onto an alumina support to develop a catalyst that can efficiently convert CO2 into HCOOH with ~90% selectivity! The rising CO2 levels in our atmosphere and their…
… in the field, on construction sites and in vineyards. Autonomous driving plays an important role in the commercial vehicle sector. Tractors driving autonomously across fields or excavators digging a hole on their own. The range of applications is wide. Researchers at the Robotics Research Lab at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK) are working on how such vehicles can be adapted to the respective field of application. The team will be presenting their work at the Hannover Messe from 30 May…
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