The electronics of the future can be made even smaller and more efficient by getting more memory cells to fit in less space. One way to achieve this is by adding the noble gas xenon when manufacturing digital memories. This has been demonstrated by researchers at Linköping University in a study published in Nature Communications. This technology enables a more even material coating even in small cavities. Twenty-five years ago, a camera memory card could hold 64 megabytes of information….
Redox mediator improves performance and lifespan of Li-O2 batteries Lithium–air batteries have the potential to outstrip conventional lithium-ion batteries by storing significantly more energy at the same weight. However, their high-performance values have thus far remained theoretical, and their lifespan remains too short. A Chinese team has now proposed addition of a soluble catalyst to the electrolyte. It acts as a redox mediator that facilitates charge transport and counteracts passivation of the electrodes. In contrast to lithium-ion batteries, in which…
A drug could induce programmed cell death in senescent cells expressing SASP factors. Image Credit: Osaka Metropolitan UniversityLatest findings on the significance and interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer Aging cells secrete substances known to promote the growth of cancer cells. The development of drugs that can selectively kill these cells or inhibit the secretion of substances is ongoing. The latest findings on the interaction between cell death and cellular senescence in cancer and their pathophysiological significance…
To protect the climate, the aim is to recover CO₂ from combustion processes for use as valuable materials. This is challenging because exhaust gases contain not only CO₂ but also other gases. An international research team led by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schuhmann from the Zentrum für Elektrochemie at Ruhr-Universität Bochum has shown how CO₂ can be electrochemically reduced even at low concentrations in order to reuse it. They report on this in the journal “Angewandte Chemie” on December 23, 2024….
Quantum chemical calculations at HU enable the development of new porous materials that are characterized by a high absorption capacity for CO2 Climate experts agree: To overcome the climate crisis, we will not only have to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but also filter the climate-damaging gas directly out of the air and exhaust gases. To do this, scientists are working on so-called “direct air capture” technologies and are looking for suitable materials that bind (adsorb) CO2 molecules well and…
Shell-dwelling cichlids take intense care of their offspring, which they raise in abandoned snail shells. A team at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence used 3D-printed snail shells to find out what happens inside. The young and the mother each follow their own, but synchronized schedules: as soon as the larvae prefer light, they leave the shell on the ninth day after fertilization. The mother, in turn, follows a strict brood-care routine to prevent the young from emerging before…
Importance of RNA modifications for the development of resistance in fungi raises hope for more effective treatment of fungal infections. An often-overlooked mechanism of gene regulation may be involved in the failure of antifungal drugs in the clinic. This has been discovered by a German-Austrian research team led by the Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology – Hans Knöll Institute (Leibniz-HKI). The study focused on the mold fungus 𝘈𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴, which can cause life-threatening infections, especially in…
HIRI researchers uncover control mechanisms of polysaccharide utilization in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) and the Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) in Würzburg have identified a protein and a group of small ribonucleic acids (sRNAs) in Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, which regulate sugar metabolism. These discoveries shed light on how this gut microbe adapts to varying nutritional conditions. The findings deepen our understanding of this bacterium’s role in the human gut and may pave the way for new…
Materials with negative thermal expansion as electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. Image Credit: Angewandte ChemieMost solids expand as temperatures increase and shrink as they cool. Some materials do the opposite, expanding in the cold. Lithium titanium phosphate is one such substance and could provide a solution to the problem of steeply declining performance of lithium-ion batteries in cold environments. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a Chinese team has demonstrated its suitability for use in electrodes for rechargeable batteries. Temperatures Pose a…
Microorganisms are everywhere and have been influencing the Earth’s environment for over 3.5 billion years. Researchers from Germany, Austria and Taiwan have now deciphered the role they play in the formation of lime – for the first time in the deep sea rather than in the laboratory. The basis was a five-meter-long lime core obtained during an expedition. The team of authors has now published their results in the journal Communications Earth & Environment. Correlation between Microorganisms and Mineral Formation…
Exploiting an ingenious combination of photochemical (i.e., light-induced) reactions and self-assembly processes, a team led by Prof. Alberto Credi of the University of Bologna has succeeded in inserting a filiform molecule into the cavity of a ring-shaped molecule, according to a high-energy geometry that is not possible at thermodynamic equilibrium. In other words, light makes it possible to create a molecular “fit” that would otherwise be inaccessible. “We have shown that by administering light energy to an aqueous solution, a…
A team led by plant biotechnologist Prof Markus Schwarzländer from the University of Münster and biochemist Prof Bruce Morgan from Saarland University has developed new biosensors with which the ratio of NADPH to NADP⁺ can be measured in living cells in real time for the first time. Biological cells have many vital functions in the organism. For example, they produce proteins, carbohydrates and fats. But they are also responsible for detoxifying harmful molecules and transmitting signals and immune defence steps….
How deubiquitinases USP53 and USP54 cleave long polyubiquitin chains and how the former is linked to liver disease in children. Deubiquitinases (DUBs) are enzymes used by cells to trim protein modifications made from the protein ubiquitin, and thereby regulate proteins. Malfunctioning of DUBs could lead to diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. A protein called USP53 has been recently linked with progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a hereditary liver disease in children, yet its mechanism of action has remained elusive. While…
Conceptual blueprint to analyze experimental catalyst data. Machine learning (ML) models have recently become popular in the field of heterogeneous catalyst design. The inherent complexity of the interactions between catalyst components is very high, leading to both synergistic and antagonistic effects on catalyst yield that are difficult to disentangle. Therefore, the discovery of well-performing catalysts has long relied on serendipitous trial and error. BIFOLD researcher Parastoo Semnani from the Machine Learning group of BIFOLD Co-Director Klaus-Robert Müller and a team…
Antibody that Neutralizes Inhibitory Factors Involved in Nerve Regeneration Leads to Enhanced Motor Function after Acute Spinal Cord Injury. Researchers at 13 clinics in Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Spain have investigated this with promising results. For the first time, it was possible to identify patient groups that displayed a clinically relevant treatment effect. A follow-up study will start in December 2024. The latest study results have been published online in the renowned “The Lancet Neurology” journal. Joint press…
How the body’s natural killer cells could fight leukemia. Every year, some 13,000 people in Germany are diagnosed with leukemia. Despite intensive chemotherapy, around one in two of them die. Therapies currently available have severe side effects and inhibit the formation of new healthy blood cells in particular. One alternative is therapy concepts that harness the immune system’s natural power. It is important to note, however, that tumor cells have mechanisms capable of slowing down the immune cells’ attack. Professor…
Feedback
