Hydrogen generated with the power of the sun could largely replace fossil fuels in the future, helping to lower carbon emissions. In the Neo-PEC joint research project, Fraunhofer specialists have developed a tandem module that is self-sufficient and reliable at producing solar-generated green hydrogen. Hydrogen is a key starting point in transforming industrial processes for lower climate impact. However, a fuel that combusts without releasing CO2 should also be produced without any carbon footprint if at all possible. One classic…
How algae get nitrogen to grow. Newly discovered symbiosis between Rhizobia and diatoms could also open new avenues for agriculture. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, the Alfred Wegener Institute and the University of Vienna shed light on an unexpected partnership: A marine diatom and a bacterium that can account for a large share of nitrogen fixation in vast regions of the ocean. This symbiosis likely plays a key role for global marine…
Key Mechanism of Herpesvirus Egress Uncovered. An international team of researchers, led by the Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV), uncovered crucial details on how herpesviruses exit the cell nucleus without compromising the integrity of the nuclear envelope. The study, published on June 25 in the renowned journal Nature Microbiology, utilized advanced electron cryo-tomography to visualize the structures involved. These findings could pave the way for developing more effective antiviral therapies to combat herpesvirus infections. Herpesvirus infections are widespread globally and…
Random chains offer multiple advantages for medical application. Researchers discover an alternative to PEG / As a platform technology, the biocompatible rPEGs can be used in a wide range of applications. Researchers have discovered a highly promising replacement for polyethylene glycols (or PEGs), which are considered almost indispensable in the pharmaceutical and medical fields. The new substance class called rPEG offers all the advantages of PEGs, while avoiding their drawbacks and has the potential to evade adverse reactions of the…
Heidelberg chemists characterise new basic structure in the field of aromaticity. The term aromaticity is a basic, long-standing concept in chemistry that is well established for ring-shaped carbon compounds. Aromatic rings consisting solely of metal atoms were, however, heretofore unknown. The research team led by Prof. Dr Lutz Greb, a scientist at Heidelberg University’s Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, recently succeeded in isolating such a metal ring and describing it in full. Aromatic compounds, or aromatics, are a substance class in…
A new study led by researchers at UCL and the University of Sheffield, has demonstrated the potential of stem cell therapy to treat those with Hirschsprung disease. Hirschsprung disease is a rare condition where some nerve cells are missing in the large intestine. This means the intestine doesn’t contract and can’t move stool, meaning that it can become blocked. This can cause constipation and sometimes lead to a serious bowel infection called enterocolitis. Around 1 in 5000 babies are born…
Research shows deep sea organisms have unique lipid structures to help them survive. The bottom of the ocean is not hospitable: there is no light; the temperature is freezing cold; and the pressure of all the water above will literally crush you. The animals that live at this depth have developed biophysical adaptations that allow them to survive in these harsh conditions. What are these adaptations and how did they develop? University of California San Diego Assistant Professor of Chemistry…
Researchers at LJI and Columbia University uncover exactly how a neutralizing antibody blocks measles virus infection. What happens when measles virus meets a human cell? The viral machinery unfolds in just the right way to reveal key pieces that let it fuse itself into the host cell membrane. Once the fusion process is complete, the host cell is a goner. It belongs to the virus now. Scientists in the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) Center for Vaccine Innovation are…
HIRI researchers introduce novel approach to DNA transformation and genetic mutation of bacteria. Bacteria possess unique traits with great potential for benefiting society. However, current genetic engineering methods to harness these advantages are limited to a small fraction of bacterial species. A team led by the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now introduced a novel approach that can make many more bacteria amenable to genetic engineering. Their method, called IMPRINT, uses cell-free systems to enhance…
Clean, safe water is a limited resource and access to it depends on local bodies of water. But even dry regions have some water vapor in the air. To harvest small amounts of humidity, researchers in ACS Energy Letters have developed a compact device with absorbent-coated fins that first trap moisture and then generate potable water when heated. They say the prototype could help meet growing demands for water, especially in arid locations. Earth’s atmosphere holds trillions of liters of…
The Kowalinski Group at EMBL Grenoble has revealed how one enzyme hitches a ride on another to recognise tRNA. Imagine your body as a highly organised factory where workers tirelessly assemble proteins around the clock. These proteins are the machines and scaffolds that make up your body and are essential for various functions. In this factory, special delivery trucks called transfer RNA (tRNA) deliver amino acids – the crucial building blocks of proteins – to the protein-making machinery – ribosomes….
Recent findings reveal how secondary structure in helical polymers influences their aggregation and size control. Light-triggered release offers tailored solutions for controlled substance delivery. Scientists have taken a significant step towards the development of tailor-made chiral nanocarriers with controllable release properties. These nanocarriers, inspired by nature’s helical molecules like DNA and proteins, hold immense potential for targeted drug delivery and other biomedical applications. The study, led by Professors Emilio Quiñoá and Félix Freire at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS), highlights…
… with potential in drug research developed. A research team from Kiel has described a method for directly converting carbon-hydrogen bonds in carboxylic acids into carbon-fluorine bonds. Carboxylic acids are one of the most important substance classes in chemistry and are a component of many drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen. To tailor the properties of carboxylic acids, fluorine atoms can be introduced into the molecular structure. However, this requires complex, multi-step synthetic routs. An internationally composed team of researchers…
Research team at Göttingen University discovers important function of antisense non-coding RNA. The function of non-coding RNA in the cell has long been a mystery to researchers. Unlike coding RNA, non-coding RNA does not produce proteins – yet it exists in large quantities. A research team from the University of Göttingen has now discovered an important function of antisense RNA (asRNA): the researchers found that asRNA acts as a “superhighway” in cell transport and thus accelerates gene expression. The results…
Scientists at the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia have produced a first of its kind integrated map of heart cells which unlocks the process of cardiac fibrosis – a major cause of heart failure. The discovery opens new avenues to develop targeted drugs to prevent scarring damage caused after a heart attack. During and after a heart attack, the heart’s muscles are damaged leading to the formation of scar tissue which lacks the elasticity and contractility of healthy heart…
… with Components from Basic Research at the FMP Enters Clinical Phase. Groundbreaking innovations by researchers at the Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP) provided the basis for the development of an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) by the company Tubulis, which is now being used in a Phase I/IIa trial in tumour patients. Thanks to an innovative linker chemistry known as P5 technology, the active substance is delivered safely to its target and can also develop its effect over a long period…
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