Researchers at the Kiel Evolution Center succeed for the first time in demonstrating that changes in certain proteins involved in packaging of the genetic material have a causal effect on the frequency of mutations. The change of genetic information over time is a key factor for evolutionary adaptations with which living beings can adapt to changes in their environment. On the one hand, genetic variability arises in the course of reproduction, where genetic information is divided and recombined in the…
Progress in applied research at Argonne National Laboratory raises hopes that solid-state batteries will replace conventional lithium-ion batteries sooner rather than later. Recharging the batteries in electronic devices — as large as electric vehicles or as small as cell phones — has become as everyday an activity as loading the dishwasher. The lithium-ion batteries that primarily power these devices are lightweight and cost-effective to produce. However, they are by nature inflammable, which raises concerns about their safety and reliability as power and…
LEO carves out a new type of locomotion somewhere between walking and flying. Researchers at Caltech have built a bipedal robot that combines walking with flying to create a new type of locomotion, making it exceptionally nimble and capable of complex movements. Part walking robot, part flying drone, the newly developed LEONARDO (short for LEgs ONboARD drOne, or LEO for short) can walk a slackline, hop, and even ride a skateboard. Developed by a team at Caltech’s Center for Autonomous…
TU Graz, the University of Leoben, the Austrian Fire Brigade Association and ILF Consulting Engineers have investigated the effects of e-vehicle fires in tunnel systems. The results are reassuring for passenger cars, but not for commercial vehicles. For the latter, as well as for fires in multistorey car parks, further investigations are urgently needed. The actual potential danger in the event of an accident with an e-car is still relatively unknown, but unsettling images of e-vehicles on fire are already…
New study from The University of Texas at Austin improves method for tracking drought severity and impact. In 2011, Texas experienced one of its worst droughts ever. The dry, parched conditions caused over $7 billion in crop and livestock losses, sparked wildfires, pushed power grids to the limit, and reduced reservoirs to dangerously low levels. And according to a recent study led by geoscientists at The University of Texas at Austin, the drought was worse than previously thought. The study,…
Researchers at Friedrich Schiller University Jena have deciphered a molecular mechanism with which a small RNA and a small protein regulate the metabolism of cholera bacteria and the production of the cholera toxin. The human gut is a multi-species habitat that can control our health and well-being. Bacteria, viruses and microbial fungi are part of this complex microbial community and help us with our digestion and immune defense. If the intestinal flora is impaired, for example by contaminated drinking water…
Scientists from the Universities of Dresden and Leipzig have presented a new method for detecting hormonally active substances in food, cosmetics and water in the journal “Biosensors & Bioelectronics”. Scientists from the Universities of Dresden and Leipzig have presented a new method for detecting hormonally active substances in food, cosmetics and water in the journal “Biosensors & Bioelectronics”. Hormonally active substances can cause serious health problems, including breast and prostate cancer, thyroid disorders, and neurological and mental illnesses. A fast…
Scientists at IST Austria describe for the first time the structure of a protein complex essential for our cells to function properly. Study published in Nature. Severe fatigue, muscle weakness, even blindness – mitochondrial diseases have various symptoms. In fact, the majority of genetic diseases are caused by defects of the mitochondria. Hence, understanding these “power houses” of our cells is crucial for the developments of new treatments. In a study published in the journal Nature, researchers at the Institute…
New information could help improve the reliability of communications. A new data source to help scientists better understand the ionosphere and its potential impact on communications and positioning, navigation, and timing—an essential utility for many critical operations—is now available to the public. The data, which was collected by sensors on GPS satellites in 2018, was released todaythrough a collaborative effort by Los Alamos National Laboratory and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). “Radio signals from satellite or ground-based transmitters can…
A warming Arctic presents potential new threats to humans and marine wildlife in the fast-changing region. Changes in the northern Alaskan Arctic ocean environment have reached a point at which a previously rare phenomenon—widespread blooms of toxic algae—could become more commonplace, potentially threatening a wide range of marine wildlife and the people who rely on local marine resources for food. That is the conclusion of a new study about harmful algal blooms (HABs) of the toxic algae Alexandrium catenella being published in…
Boasting an intricate, doubly curved concrete roof, lightweight funicular floors, and self-learning building technology, the latest addition to Empa and Eawag’s NEST research building in Duebendorf, Switzerland officially opened today. The innovative unit illustrates nearly a decade of formative ETH Zurich research in architecture and sustainable technologies. HiLo, the latest NEST unit, combines medieval building principles with futuristic construction methods: the two-storey building module with its striking, doubly curved concrete roof and novel, lightweight funicular floor system was inspired by…
Newly proven physics opens chalcogenide glasses to applications at visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. Electrical engineers at Duke University have discovered that changing the physical shape of a class of materials commonly used in electronics and near- and mid-infrared photonics —chalcogenide glasses— can extend their use into the visible and ultraviolet parts of electromagnetic spectrum. Already commercially used in detectors, lenses and optical fibers, chalcogenide glasses may now find a home in applications such as underwater communications, environmental monitoring and biological…
Neuroscientists reveal mechanism that regulates responses to threat in animals. Researchers at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre have discovered a brain mechanism that enables mice to override their instincts based on previous experience. The study, published today in Neuron, identifies a new brain circuit in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (vLGN), an inhibitory structure in the brain. The neuroscientists found that when activity in this brain region was suppressed, animals were more likely to seek safety and escape from perceived danger,…
Scientists show exactly how promising approach to better batteries breaks down. Silicon is a staple of the digital revolution, shunting loads of signals on a device that’s likely just inches from your eyes at this very moment. Now, that same plentiful, cheap material is becoming a serious candidate for a big role in the burgeoning battery business. It’s especially attractive because it’s able to hold 10 times as much energy in an important part of a battery, the anode, than…
Basic simulations on experimental data… New research group on “Microstructure and Mechanics” starts at the MPIE. The Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung (MPIE) welcomes Prof. Erik Bitzek as new group head in the department “Computational Materials Design” (CM). Bitzek just started his research at the MPIE in September 2021. His research group “Microstructure and Mechanics” unravels the relation between a material’s mechanical properties and its crystal defects by using large-scale atomistic simulations. “Most computational studies of defects have so far been performed…
Considered an ultra-hot Jupiter – a place where iron gets vaporized, condenses on the night side and then falls from the sky like rain – the fiery, inferno-like WASP-76b exoplanet may be even more sizzling than scientists had realized. An international team, led by scientists at Cornell University, University of Toronto and Queen’s University Belfast, reports the discovery of ionized calcium on the planet – suggesting an atmospheric temperature higher than previously thought, or strong upper atmosphere winds. The discovery was made…
Feedback
