Glacial melting, heat waves, and changing precipitation patterns call for strategic and transnational water management Constant, rigorous resource use has negatively impacted our environment, extending beyond national borders. Climate change is reshaping the Alpine region, where melting glaciers and shifting precipitation patterns endanger rivers and groundwater reserves. The EU-co-funded “Waterwise” project, helmed by the Interreg Alpine Space program, and in collaboration with Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA) and 11 other partners from seven Alpine countries—France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria,…
“Neurons that fire together, wire together” describes the neural plasticity seen in human brains, but neurons grown in a dish don’t seem to follow these rules. Neurons that are cultured in-vitro form random and meaningless networks that all fire together. They don’t accurately represent how a real brain would learn, so we can only draw limited conclusions from studying it. But what if we could develop in-vitro neurons that actually behaved more naturally? A research team at Tohoku University has…
By studying sulphur in magmatic fluids at extreme pressures and temperatures, a UNIGE team is revolutionising our understanding of gold transport and ore deposit formation. When one tectonic plate sinks beneath another, it generates magmas rich in volatiles such as water, sulphur and chlorine. As these magmas ascend, they release magmatic fluids, in which sulphur and chlorine bind to metals such as gold and copper, and transport these metals towards the surface of the Earth. As the extreme conditions relevant…
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed a 3D concrete printing method that captures carbon, demonstrating a new pathway to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry. The innovative method, detailed in the scientific journal Carbon Capture Science & Technology, aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of cement – a material responsible for 1.6 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) or about eight per cent of global CO2 emissions – through lower material usage,…
… by turning on a protein that halts immune response. Researchers have also found that blocking the protein reactivates immune cell function, restoring the effectiveness of vaccines in an animal model. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections that can sometimes lead to sepsis and toxic shock syndrome. The microbe poses a significant threat to public health, made worse by the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (MRSA) in recent years. According to…
Brain waves that allow memory consolidation are synchronized by breathing. The first time a breathing rhythm in the human hippocampus found during sleep Breathing is the metronome that coordinates sleep oscillations Findings are important for people with disordered breathing during sleep Breathing is a fundamental rhythm of memory consolidation Just as a conductor coordinates different instruments in an orchestra to produce a symphony, breathing coordinates hippocampal brain waves to strengthen memory while we sleep, reports a new Northwestern Medicine study….
New research uses the implantable sensors to show how data-enabled resistance training can enhance bone healing. Tiny implantable sensors are helping University of Oregon researchers optimize the process of recovery from severe bone injuries. Scientists at the UO’s Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact have developed miniature implantable sensors that transmit real-time data about what’s happening at an injury site. In a new study, they use the technology to show that a resistance-training rehabilitation program can significantly…
Determining the conditions in which brines are stable could be key to better understanding the climate and potential habitability of Mars. More than a hundred years ago, astronomer Percival Lowell made the case for the existence of canals on Mars designed to redistribute water from the Martian ice caps to its lower, drier latitudes. This necessarily meant the existence of Martians to build the canals. While Lowell was proven wrong by better telescopes, the question of whether there’s liquid water…
Parahydrogen-enhanced magnetic resonance spectroscopy visualizes the process of [Fe]-hydrogenase catalysis. Microorganisms have long used hydrogen as an energy source. To do this, they rely on hydrogenases that contain metals such as nickel or iron in their catalytic center. In order to use these biocatalysts for hydrogen conversion, researchers around the world are working to understand the details of the catalysis process. A team from three Max Planck Institutes (MPI), the Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) at the University…
The quest for sustainable energy solutions has been a major focus of scientific research for decades. Solar energy, a clean and renewable source, has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels. In particular, perovskite solar cells have gained significant attention due to their flexibility and sustainability. A Collaborative Approach A recent breakthrough in materials science has accelerated the discovery of novel perovskite materials. By leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-throughput synthesis, researchers have been able…
Thematic focus in Environmental Research Letters initiated by the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence deals with social resilience over the past 5,000 years. According to data from the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service, the global average temperature in 2024 will almost certainly exceed the limit of 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average temperature as set in the Paris Climate Agreement for the first ever time. Against this backdrop, researchers from the ROOTS Cluster of Excellence at Kiel University, the Ludwig…
APECS Pilot Line starts Operation in the Framework of the EU Chips Act. The pilot line for “Advanced Packaging and Heterogeneous Integration for Electronic Components and Systems” (APECS) marks a major leap forward in strengthening Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and chiplet innovation as part of the EU Chips Act created under the “Chips for Europe” initiative of the European Commission. Within APECS, the institutes collaborating in the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) will work closely with European partners, to make…
In the field of precision engineering and mechatronics systems, novel innovations shape the future of technologies like nano-fabrication technology and high-precision devices. Honoring Excellence: The IMMS Patent Recently, the IMMS patent, titled “Positioning system with a controller and method for its configuration”, was honored at the Thuringian award event of PATON | State Patent Center Thuringia at the Technical University of Ilmenau awarded with a silver medal in the competition of the inventors’ fair iENA. By October end, PATON had…
In a joint research, Bioprocess engineer Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sebastian Riedel from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (BHT) and Prof. Dr. Jaewook Myung from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) are studying the production of biodegradable plastics from waste streams. This groundbreaking initiative is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and is for a duration of 36 months. Optimizing Biodegradable Plastics: The Role of PHAs This research focuses on optimizing the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) –…
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope team has successfully integrated the mission’s telescope and two instruments onto the instrument carrier, marking the completion of the Roman payload. Now the team at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will begin joining the payload to the spacecraft. “We’re in the middle of an exciting stage of mission preparation,” said Jody Dawson, a Roman systems engineer at NASA Goddard. “All the components are now here at Goddard, and they’re coming together…
Oregon State University researchers have synthesized new molecules able to quickly capture significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the air, an important tactic in climate change mitigation. The study, which focused on titanium peroxides, builds on their earlier research into vanadium peroxides. The research is part of large-scale federal effort to innovate new methods and materials for direct air capture, or DAC, of carbon dioxide, produced by the burning of fossil fuels. Findings of the research, led by May Nyman and…
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