… reversible sliding motion in ammonium-linked ferrocene. Researchers stabilized ferrocene molecules on a flat substrate for the first time, creating an electronically controllable sliding molecular machine. Artificial molecular machines, nanoscale machines consisting of a few molecules, offer the potential to transform fields involving catalysts, molecular electronics, medicines, and quantum materials. These machines operate by converting external stimuli, like electrical signals, into mechanical motion at the molecular level. Ferrocene, a special drum-shaped molecule composed of an iron (Fe) atom sandwiched between…
Supramolecular chemistry: Publication in Angewandte Chemie. How can aromatic compounds be separated from so-called aliphatic compounds efficiently without having to rely on energy-intensive processes? In the scientific journal Angewandte Chemie (Applied Chemistry), chemists from Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) present an innovative molecular sieve made of partially fluorinated macrocycles that can separate these compounds selectively. Aromatic compounds – substances with flat, ring-shaped structures made up of carbon atoms – play an important role in organic chemistry. Among other things, they…
Foundation for new cancer treatment strategies. A team led by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has, for the first time, grown tumor organoids – three-dimensional miniature tumors in the laboratory – that mimic the different structures and characteristics of pancreatic cancer. The scientists investigated how the various tumor organoids react to established and novel treatments. This opens the door to the development of effective new therapies. Pancreatic cancer ranks among the most lethal cancers, with an exceptionally…
The development of molecules to study and treat disease is becoming increasingly burdened by the time and specificity required to analyze the vast amounts of data generated by synthesizing large collections of new molecules. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital present a novel solution to this problem, using the fundamental fragmentation patterns of chemical building blocks to barcode reactions from starting materials to products. In doing so, they have removed a key bottleneck in the process of synthesizing and screening small…
Carl Zeiss Foundation sponsors InteReg project at Mainz University. Collaborative project involving Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, and the Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research will receive EUR 6 million. The Carl Zeiss Foundation is contributing EUR 6 million to a research project on the regeneration of the nervous system at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). The new Interactive Biomaterials for Neural Regeneration (InteReg) project will bring together researchers from the fields of neurobiology, neuroimmunology,…
Bio-based adhesives for industrial applications. Folding boxes are considered sustainable packaging solutions for numerous everyday products – whether breakfast cereals, electronics, medicines, or perfumes. Made from paper and cardboard, folding boxes are resource-efficient in production, biodegradable, and easily recyclable. However, environmentally friendly adhesives are still lacking for completely sustainable manufacturing. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP are developing and testing bio-based adhesives for the industrial production of folding boxes in the project Sustainable Gluing With Renewable Adhesives…
Replacing animal experiments: an MHH research team has succeeded in producing a haematopoietic heart organoid for the first time. How do human organs develop and what happens to them when they become diseased? To answer these questions, researchers are increasingly focussing on so-called organoids. These mini-organs, just a few millimetres in size, consist of groups of cells cultivated in the laboratory that can form organ-like structures. Similar to embryonic development, organoids make it possible to investigate the interaction of cells…
A recent breakthrough in pain research brings hope to chronic pain patients. A team led by Prof. Dr. Annette Beck-Sickinger at the Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, has uncovered the potential of a natural compound, hederagenin, found in the medicinal plant ivy (Hedera helix), as a highly selective inhibitor of the neuropeptide FF receptor 1 (NPFFR1). This discovery, published in the prestigious journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, marks a significant stride toward innovative pain therapy solutions. Understanding the Role of…
Age determines the genes that regulate our internal body clock. Intrigued by this biological function, the University Medical Center Halle published a study on the circadian rhythm linked to our aging process in the journalAging Cell. The analysis examined mice’s gene activity of different ages using artificial intelligence. This research could result in novel therapeutic concepts to counteract the aging process. The way you age is influenced by your environment, lifestyle, and inherited genes, along with how those genes work….
New research has shown how the quantum mechanical principle of strong coupling opens unrivalled possibilities for designing optical filters: So-called ‘polariton filters’ break new ground in imaging / publication in ‘Nature Communications’ A team of researchers from the University of Cologne, Hasselt University (Belgium) and the University of St Andrews (Scotland) has succeeded in using the quantum mechanical principle of strong light-matter coupling for a groundbreaking optical technology that overcomes the long-standing problem of angular dependence in optical systems. The…
ECM1 Inhibits Liver Fibrosis by Targeting Mediators That Convert TGF-β from Its Biologically Inactive Form to Its Active Form. The research group “Molecular Hepatology” from the Dept. of Medicine II., of the University Medical Faculty Mannheim at Heidelberg University, led by Professor Dr. Steven Dooley, has uncovered a significant mechanism involved in liver fibrosis. Their findings have been published in the renowned gastroenterology journal Gut. The study highlights the extracellular matrix protein 1 (ECM1) as a central component of potential…
Desert ants of the Cataglyphis nodus species use the Earth’s magnetic field for spatial orientation, but rely on a different component of the field than other insects. This is the result of a survey published in the journal Current Biology by a research team led by Pauline Fleischmann from the University of Oldenburg, Germany. It suggests that the ants use a different mechanism for magnetoreception than most insects studied to date, including the famous monarch butterflies. The researchers suspect that…
Ninety percent of cancer deaths are due to the spread of cancer, not complications from the original tumor. Thus, for over 50 years now, scientists have been on a quest to identify which malignant mutations within the tumor allow rogue cells to break away from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream and lymphatic system to metastasize throughout the body. But new research suggests an alternative mechanism has been overlooked—elusive mutations driving metastasis may not be developing within the…
New discovery finds simple metabolites combine to form a powerful antioxidant. Dubbed “Conan the Bacterium” for its extraordinary ability to tolerate the harshest of conditions, Deinococcus radiodurans can withstand radiation doses thousands of times higher than what would kill a human — and every other organism for that matter. The secret behind this impressive resistance is the presence of a collection of simple metabolites, which combine with manganese to form a powerful antioxidant. Now, chemists at Northwestern University and the Uniformed Services…
Diversity and metabolic potential of globally distributed endosymbionts. Scientists from Bremen, Germany, find peculiar mitochondria-like symbionts all over the world, and unveil their surprising metabolic capacities. Their results are now published in Nature Communications. In 2021, scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen, Germany, reported an astonishing new form of symbiosis: They found a unique bacterium that lives inside a ciliate – a unicellular eukaryote – and provides it with energy. The symbiont’s role is thus strongly reminiscent…
… new targeted drug gives them an offer they can’t refuse. A group of scientists at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has revealed a new genetic code that recruits and deploys tumor cells to invade healthy organs and overpower normal cells. A group of scientists at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center has revealed a new genetic code that acts like a cancer ringleader, recruiting and deploying a gang of tumor cells to incite a biological turf war by invading healthy…
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