In the field of optogenetics, scientists investigate the activity of neurons in the brain using light. A team led by Prof. Dr. Ilka Diester and Dr. David Eriksson from the Optophysiology Laboratory at the University of Freiburg has developed a new method to simultaneously conduct laminar recordings, multifiber stimulations, 3D optogenetic stimulation, connectivity inference, and behavioral quantification on brains. Their results are presented in Nature Communications. “Our work paves the way for large-scale photo-recording and controlled interrogation of fast neural…

Today’s rechargeable batteries are a wonder, but far from perfect. Eventually, they all wear out, begetting expensive replacements and recycling. “But what if batteries were indestructible?” asks William Chueh, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford University and senior author of a new paper detailing a first-of-its-kind analytical approach to building better batteries that could help speed that day. The study appears in the journal Nature Materials. Chueh, lead author Haitao “Dean” Deng, PhD ’21, and collaborators…

A research team led by Chemnitz University of Technology with the participation of IFW Dresden and Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry present an application-oriented method for an unsolved problem in microelectronics – Publication in the prestigious journal Advanced Energy Materials. Computers are getting smaller and smaller, just as current cell phones offer computing power similar to that of a laptop. And the trend toward miniaturization continues. Smart dust applications (tiny microelectronic devices), such as biocompatible sensor systems in the body,…

Electrical tuning of plasmonic conducting polymer nanoantennas. Researchers at Linköping University have developed optical nanoantennas that can be turned on/off and gradually tuned by applying electrical potentials. The study, which has been published in Advanced Materials, opens for applications including dynamic flat metaoptics and tuneable smart materials. Already in the medieval times, nanostructures of noble metals were embedded in glass to create beautiful colours. Although not known at the time, the colours appear because light at certain frequencies transforms into…

A team including researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has developed new methods for repairing the latest generation of aircraft engine blades as part of the “Novel Engine Repair Methods” project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK). The Hereon researchers together with Lufthansa Technik AG were able to develop two patentable repair processes. Minimizing resource usage is a major goal of modern industry, with a longer service life being the best way to achieve…

Researchers of the Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung publish their latest findings in the journal Nature. Due to its low density, high strength, and abundance, aluminium and its alloys are widely used for example in constructions, consumer electronics and for vehicles including cars, ships, trains and planes. However, aluminium alloys are prone to hydrogen embrittlement causing catastrophic failure during service if not noticed early enough. Compared to steel, the effects of hydrogen in aluminium are not well understood. Dr. Huan Zhao, postdoctoral…

Researchers at the University of Nottingham have devised a revolutionary new technique for measuring the microscopic elasticity of materials for the first time. Known as SRAS, the technology works by measuring the speed of sound across the material’s surface. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)-funded innovation uses high-frequency ultrasound to produce microscopic resolution images of the microstructure and maps the relationship between stresses and strains in the material (the elasticity matrix). These crystals are normally invisible to the…

A nanomaterials-engineered penetrating sealer developed by Washington State University researchers is able to better protect concrete from moisture and salt – the two most damaging factors in crumbling concrete infrastructure in northern states. The novel sealer showed a 75% improvement in repelling water and a 44% improvement in reducing salt damage in laboratory studies compared to a commercial sealer. The work could provide an additional way to address the challenge of aging bridges and pavements in the U.S. “We focused…

Elegantly curved seating furniture that is delivered in a flat-pack and assumes its shape overnight all by itself – this may sound like a dream to those who ever puzzled over the assembly instructions from a furniture store. HygroShape is the first concept for furniture that makes this dream a reality. It relies on the shaping forces of nature and combines these with the possibilities of digitalization. It was developed by the team of Prof. Achim Menges at the Institute…

X-ray laser experiments show that intense light distorts the structure of a thermoelectric material in a unique way, opening a new avenue for controlling the properties of materials. Thermoelectric materials convert heat to electricity and vice versa, and their atomic structures are closely related to how well they perform. Now researchers have discovered how to change the atomic structure of a highly efficient thermoelectric material, tin selenide, with intense pulses of laser light. This result opens a new way to…

Passive solar evaporation system could be used to clean wastewater, provide potable water, or sterilize medical tools in off-grid areas. An estimated two-thirds of humanity is affected by shortages of water, and many such areas in the developing world also face a lack of dependable electricity. Widespread research efforts have thus focused on ways to desalinate seawater or brackish water using just solar heat. Many such efforts have run into problems with fouling of equipment caused by salt buildup, however,…

Researchers at Osaka University use a tiny thermometer to directly monitor changes in temperature when ions pass through a nanopore, which may lead to more efficient DNA sequencing technology. Scientists from SANKEN (the Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research) at Osaka University measured the thermal effects of ionic flow through a nanopore using a thermocouple. They found that, under most conditions, both the current and heating power varied with applied voltage as predicted by Ohm’s law. This work may lead…

Better Function thanks to optimized construction. Loudspeakers without enclosures are used anywhere that visible speakers are not favorable due to design purposes or to reduce environmental or visual vandalism. However, in these types of speakers, the exciter usually gets very hot and therefore requires a cooling air way to maintain its performance and serviceable life-time. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have improved the design of an in-wall speaker and developed a new type of exciting mechanism that allows the…

Compared to metal and polymer-based materials, ceramics can better withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments, but their brittle nature often makes them susceptible to breakage. This behavior potentially causes problems for innovators trying to create lightweight porous versions of these materials, explaining why ceramic foams are not typically used as structural components. Video, Starfish skeletons and ceramics: https://video.vt.edu/media/Ling%20Li%3A%20Starfish%20skeletons%20and%20ceramics/1_5d5abu01 Facing the challenging task of developing lightweight, high-strength ceramic materials, Mechanical Engineering Assistant Professor Ling Li has turned to an unexpected collaborator for design inspiration:…

The material could pave the way for sustainable plastics. The strongest part of a tree lies not in its trunk or its sprawling roots, but in the walls of its microscopic cells. A single wood cell wall is constructed from fibers of cellulose ­— nature’s most abundant polymer, and the main structural component of all plants and algae. Within each fiber are reinforcing cellulose nanocrystals, or CNCs, which are chains of organic polymers arranged in nearly perfect crystal patterns. At…

A reduced risk of infection and, as a consequence, a decrease in new infections are goals that have become even more important during the Corona pandemic. One important factor thereby is the cleaning and disinfection of potentially contaminated surfaces. In the “MobDi – Mobile Disinfection” project, 12 Fraunhofer institutes collaborated on the development of new technical solutions for efficient and target-oriented robot-based disinfection. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST developed a modular plasma system which can…