Excessive noise, hearing loss, vascular constriction, old age – hearing difficulties can be caused by many factors. To help improve the quality of life of people with hearing impairment, Mannheim start-up Vibrosonic have developed a new, innovative hearing aid with an integrated loudspeaker that sits directly on the eardrum. This hearing contact lens® is not an implant, and the sound quality it delivers outperforms other hearing systems currently on the market. Vibrosonic is a spin-off company of the University of…
LEGO technique reveals the physics of DNA transport through nanopores. A new technique established by a team of researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of Massachusetts reveals the fundamental physics of how a polymer such as DNA threads through holes 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Polymers are long, chain-like molecules which are everywhere in biology. DNA and RNA are polymers formed by many consecutive copies of nucleotides coupled together. When being transported…
– effect of doping on the photocatalyst SrTiO3. New study shows how doping affects the charge properties of a photocatalyst, potentially paving the way for better solar energy conversion. For many years, researchers have been focused on developing technologies that can help us fight the imminent climate change crisis. They have one goal in common: finding sustainable energy sources that can replace the environmentally toxic fossil fuels. “Photocatalysts” that drive an artificial process that replicates photosynthesis (in which solar energy…
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have succeeded in developing a method to label mRNA molecules, and thereby follow, in real time, their path through cells, using a microscope – without affecting their properties or subsequent activity. The breakthrough could be of great importance in facilitating the development of new RNA-based medicines. RNA-based therapeutics offer a range of new opportunities to prevent, treat and potentially cure diseases. But currently, the delivery of RNA therapeutics into the cell is inefficient….
University of Colorado Boulder researchers have discovered that minuscule, self-propelled particles called “nanoswimmers” can escape from mazes as much as 20 times faster than other, passive particles, paving the way for their use in everything from industrial clean-ups to medication delivery. The findings, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describe how these tiny synthetic nanorobots are incredibly effective at escaping cavities within maze-like environments. These nanoswimmers could one day be used to remediate contaminated…
Natural wood remains a ubiquitous building material because of its high strength-to-density ratio; trees are strong enough to grow hundreds of feet tall but remain light enough to float down a river after being logged. For the past three years, engineers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Engineering and Applied Science have been developing a type of material they’ve dubbed “metallic wood.” Their material gets its useful properties and name from a key structural feature of its natural counterpart:…
Mobility of the future… Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, in collaboration with project partners, have succeeded in developing a novel industrial manufacturing process, one that makes it possible to use low-cost FR4 circuit board substrates in power electronics, for example in electric motors. Compared to conventional power electronics made of ceramics, the so-called hybrid printed circuit boards are not only much more versatile, but also up to 20 times cheaper. This could close a gap in…
The right connection… Many devices whose availability and reliability are essential are now electronically controlled. It is simply inconceivable what the consequences would be of the failure of a respirator or a vehicle assistance system. In particular, the soldered joints between the microelectronic components are of special importance. Scientists at Fraunhofer IKTS develop material models based on real measurement data for a wide variety of solder alloys in a uniquely wide temperature range. This makes virtual electronics design more accurate,…
An efficient two-bit quantum logic gate has been out of reach, until now. Research from the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis has found a missing piece in the puzzle of optical quantum computing. Jung-Tsung Shen, associate professor in the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, has developed a deterministic, high-fidelity two-bit quantum logic gate that takes advantage of a new form of light. This new logic gate is orders of magnitude more…
Synchrotron light sources were originally built to study particles. Today, they are even used in the fight against COVID-19. The projects are as diverse as the fields of the synchrotron users, who come from universities, research institutions and companies like BioNTech. Information by the German Committee Research with Synchrotron Radiation (KFS). To fight COVID-19, we need vaccines and medicine, and to develop these, we need to know the SARS-CoV-2 virus in detail. The virus cannot be seen with a normal…
TROPOS lidar on Cabo Verde in operation for the ESA wind satellite Aeolus. To support the ESA wind satellite Aeolus, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS) has now installed a lidar in Mindelo, the second largest city in Cabo Verde. The light radar uses laser light to study the atmosphere in the tropical Atlantic and is part of a large international measurement campaign: The “Aeolus Tropical Atlantic Campaign” will take place in summer and autumn 2021 and, in addition…
A new corona test developed at the University Hospital Bonn can analyze a large number of swabs simultaneously using sequencing technology and has a similarly high sensitivity as the common qPCR test. The innovative method offers great potential, especially for systematic testing in daycare centers, schools or companies. Today, the results of the study on the new Corona test have been published in the renowned journal “Nature Biotechnology“. In addition to vaccination, systematic testing of the population remains of central…
New method to visualize anatomical structures including the products of an earthworm’s metabolism. Earthworms experience constant chemical interactions with bacteria, fungi, plants and small invertebrates across soil ecosystems. Even within their tissues, earthworms harbor symbiotic microbes and small animal parasites that trigger internal metabolic responses such as innate immunity. To reveal the fundamental processes that enable animal-microbe symbioses to form and persist, we have to study their metabolic interactions in situ. By combining novel imaging techniques, a team of researchers…
Subsurface carbon sequestration–storing carbon in rocks deep underground–offers a partial solution for removing carbon from the atmosphere. Used alongside emissions reductions, geologic carbon sequestration could help mitigate anthropogenic climate change. But like other underground operations, it comes with risks–including earthquakes. New study published in Geology Geophysicists are still working to understand what can trigger human-induced earthquakes, which have been documented since the 1960s. A new study, published in Geology on Thursday, explores why part of a heavily produced oilfield in…
Middle ear infections, also known as otitis media, affect more than 80% of the children in the U.S. In a new study, researchers have designed a miniaturized 3D-printed device to inactivate Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common bacterium that causes the infection. The device–a microplasma jet array–generates plasma, which is composed of charged particles and reactive molecules that have been previously shown to inactivate various pathogens. “This is the first time anyone has tried treating middle ear infections using plasma technology,” said…
Kiriform structures harness buckling for stable, deployable structures. Deployable structures — objects that transition from a compact state to an expanded one — are used everywhere from backyards to Mars. But as anyone who has ever struggled to open an uncooperative folding chair knows, transforming two-dimensional forms into three-dimensional structures is sometimes a challenge. Now, researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design have developed a deployable…
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