The STELLA observatory in Tenerife has studied a star’s surface for 16 years using robotic spectroscopy and Doppler imaging. Unlike the cyclic spots on our Sun, this star exhibited chaotic, non-periodic star spot behavior, revealing a fundamentally different dynamo mechanism. The groundbreaking study has now been published in Nature Communications and presents a unique movie of the evolution of the star’s surface, which is otherwise only an unresolvable dot of light in the sky. It is known that our sun…
…unleashes ultra-secure, high-capacity data transmission. Scientists have developed a breakthrough optical technology that could dramatically enhance the capacity and security of data transmission (Fig. 1). By utilizing a new type of spatial-frequency patching metasurface that manipulates light beams, researchers have introduced what they call “super-capacity perfect vector vortex beams” (SC-PVVBs). These light beams, which possess intricate spatial and polarization characteristics, can carry vast amounts of information, making them ideal for dense data communication systems. Conventional optical beams often have limitations…
Researchers at TU Delft have discovered that E. coli bacteria can synchronise their movements, creating order in seemingly random biological systems. By trapping individual bacteria in micro-engineered circular cavities and coupling these cavities through narrow channels, the team observed coordinated bacterial motion. Their findings, which have potential applications in engineering controllable biological oscillator networks, were recently published in Small. An audience clapping in rhythm, fireflies flashing in unison, or flocks of starlings moving as one – synchronisation is a natural…
Detonation is a supersonic combustion wave, characterized by a shock wave driven by the energy release from closely coupled chemical reactions. It is a typical form of pressure gain combustion, converting chemical energy into thrust efficiently. The concept of harnessing detonation to improve thermodynamic cycle efficiency and enhance the performance of aerospace propulsion systems has been a subject of interest for many years. Since the 1950s, various types of detonation engines have been proposed, including pulse detonation engines, oblique detonation…
The novel high-throughput-bioprinting technique opens the door for tissue fabrication with high cell density at scale. Three-dimensional (3D) printing isn’t just a way to produce material products quickly. It also offers researchers a way to develop replicas of human tissue that could be used to improve human health, such as building organs for transplantation, studying disease progression and screening new drugs. While researchers have made progress over the years, the field has been hampered by limited existing technologies unable to…
The climate warms fastest in the Arctic. The sea ice there has become so thin that we could already see the first day without sea ice by 2030, according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and University of Colorado in Boulder, USA. Climate change has weakened the Arctic ice cover. Researchers found that if a series of not-that-unusual weather events were to take place under autumn, winter or spring, there is real risk…
… made from Perovskite and Organic Material. Trying to improve the efficiency of solar cells to become independent from fossil energy sources is a major goal of solar cell research. A team around the physicist Dr. Felix Lang from the University of Potsdam, Prof. Lei Meng and Prof. Yongfang Li from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, now combine perovskite with organic absorbers to form a record-level tandem solar cell as reported in the scientific journal “Nature”. Combining two materials…
…using James Webb Space Telescope. The unusual system of three “super puff” planets has at least one more planet, revealed by its gravitational tug on other planets. An unusual planetary system with three known ultra-low density “super-puff” planets has at least one more planet, according to new research led by researchers from Penn State and Osaka University. The research team set out to study Kepler-51d, the third planet in the system, with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) but almost…
The Leibniz Institute DSMZ is now a partner in the global consortium for the development of the ‘Pathogen Data Network’. The US National Institute of Health (NIH) has funded the development of a global ‘Pathogen Data Network’ coordinated by the Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics (SIB). The Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures GmbH is one of twelve internationally renowned institutes and universities that join forces in the Pathogen Data Network. Under the leadership of the SIB and…
The most sensitive map of the gravitational wave sky to date was produced by an international collaboration of researchers including numerous scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn, Germany. To achieve this goal, the scientists analysed 4.5 years of pulsar data taken with the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, one of the most powerful radio telescopes in the world. A Pulsar Timing Array uses the clock-like predictability of so-called pulsars (pulsating radio stars) to detect…
University of Bath breakthrough… Physicists are getting closer to controlling single-molecule chemical reactions – could this shape the future of pharmaceutical research? Controlling matter at the atomic level has taken a major step forward, thanks to groundbreaking nanotechnology research by an international team of scientists led by physicists at the University of Bath. This advancement has profound implications for fundamental scientific understanding. It is also likely to have important practical applications, such as transforming the way researchers develop new medications….
Researchers from the Organoid group (previously Clevers group) at the Hubrecht Institute have developed a new organoid that mimics the human fetal pancreas, offering a clearer view of its early development. The researchers were able to recreate a complete structure that includes the three key cell types in the pancreas, which previous organoids couldn’t fully mimic. Notably, the team identified a new stem cell that develops into the three cell types. These findings, published in Cell on December 2nd, could help…
New study reveals how to use single atoms to turn CO2 into valuable chemical resources. Nickel and nitrogen co-doped carbon (Ni-N-C) catalysts have shown exceptional performance in converting CO2 into CO, a valuable chemical feedstock. However, the exact working mechanism of these catalysts has remained elusive—until now. The study “Unveiling the Adsorbate Configurations in Ni Single Atom Catalysts during CO2 Electrocatalytic Reduction using Operando XAS, XES and Machine Learning” provides direct experimental insights into the nature of adsorbates (molecules that…
Scientists map out quantum entanglement in protons. Particles streaming from collisions offer insight into dynamic interactions and collective behavior of quarks and gluons. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and collaborators have a new way to use data from high-energy particle smashups to peer inside protons. Their approach uses quantum information science to map out how particle tracks streaming from electron-proton collisions are influenced by quantum entanglement inside the proton. The results reveal that quarks and…
Culinary foam made from the whites of chicken eggs makes baked goods light and airy. In the LeguFoam project, Fraunhofer researchers are working on a plant-based alternative made from legumes. “More and more people are consciously maintaining a healthy diet and also looking for ethical unproblematic vegan products. We are addressing this need with the LeguFoam project,” explains Dr. Maike Föste, senior research scientist in the Food Process Development department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV…
Up to now, wood waste has had to be disposed of at great expense and, at best, has been used to generate energy in incineration plants. Fraunhofer researchers are now using this valuable resource to produce biohydrogen in the Black Forest region of Germany. In the joint project H2Wood — BlackForest, fermentation processes using hydrogen-producing bacteria and microalgae have been specially developed for the biotechnological production of this green energy carrier. A pilot plant for the production of biohydrogen is…
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