Cutting-edge technology used to fingerprint different types of cells in one of deadliest cancers. Houston Methodist researchers have identified the genetic and molecular fingerprints of different cancer and immune cells in glioblastoma, the deadliest and most common type of brain cancer in adults. Their in-depth molecular analysis of over 200,000 single cells revealed a protein, called S100A4, that could be a potential therapeutic target for restoring antitumor action of immune cells toward glioblastomas that have otherwise tricked the immune system…

Coalescing supermassive black holes in the centers of merging galaxies fill the universe with low-frequency gravitational waves. Large radio telescopes have already looked for the subtle effect of these spacetime ripples on radio waves emitted by pulsars within our Galaxy. Now, an international team of scientists including Aditya Parthasarathy and Michael Kramer from the MPIfR (Bonn, Germany) has shown that the high-energy light collected by NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope can also be used in the search. Using gamma rays…

… for making miniature IR optics. New technique can create complex 3D optics for infrared spectroscopy, sensing and more. Researchers have developed a new fabrication process that allows infrared (IR) glass to be combined with another glass and formed into complex miniature shapes. The technique can be used to create complex infrared optics that could make IR imaging and sensing more broadly accessible. “Glass that transmits IR wavelengths is essential for many applications, including spectroscopy techniques used to identify various…

Using new laser-scanning microscope Freiburg scientists observe processes changing in cells within milliseconds The new technology is known as ‘Rotating Coherent Scattering’ (ROCS) and uses a rapidly-rotating blue laser beam ROCS can be used to observe for example extremely fast activity in various cells, but also of virus-like particles When cities transform into a colorful world of lights as darkness falls, it’s often only possible to estimate their contours, which depending on the perspective can draw the attention to key…

Imaging method measures particle size and position with nanometer precision. Researchers have developed a new measurement and imaging approach that can resolve nanostructures smaller than the diffraction limit of light without requiring any dyes or labels. The work represents an important advance toward a new and powerful microscopy method that could one day be used to see the fine features of complex samples beyond what is possible with conventional microscopes and techniques. The new method, described in Optica, Optica Publishing…

… and reveals key steps in reaction process. Researchers have developed a new ligand that promotes a direct nickel-photocatalyzed cross-coupling reaction. In recent years, the golden word in precious metals is palladium. A crucial component in automobile catalytic converters and in emerging hydrogen fuel cell technology, the demand for this rare silvery white transition metal continues to outstrip supply, driving its price per ounce far above gold and silver. Palladium and other rare, costly precious metals like platinum, iridium, and…

… after scientists discover cause of disease. Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have identified a gene called TLR7 that, when over-activated, is responsible for causing lupus, an autoimmune disease that can be life-threatening in severe cases. TLR7 is programmed to help the immune system guard against viral infections, but in its mutated form it can become aggressive and cause the immune system to attack healthy cells. The discovery, made by an international team of scientists, could pave the way…

Researchers demonstrate quantum computer memory resilient against errors. Quantum computing holds the potential to be a game-changing future technology in fields ranging from chemistry to cryptography to finance to pharmaceuticals. Compared to conventional computers, scientists suggest that quantum computers could operate many thousand times faster. To harness this power, scientists today are looking at ways to construct quantum computer networks. Fault-tolerant quantum memory, that responds well when hardware or software malfunctions occur, will play an important role in these networks….

EU funds research project to elucidate pathological cardiac remodelling caused by cancer drugs with around 2.5 million euros. Heart failure is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. The disease, known in medicine as cardiac insufficiency, affects about four million people in Germany. One of the main causes are remodelling processes in the heart muscle, which can be triggered for various reasons – for example, by the side effects of chemotherapy or an infection with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2….

Study proves value of electromagnetic techniques in a new polar environment. Scientists have made the first detection of groundwater beneath an Antarctic ice stream. The discovery confirms what researchers had already suspected but had been unable to verify until now. Researchers need data from all parts of the Antarctic ice sheet to understand how the system works and how it changes over time in response to climate. The study provides a glimpse of a previously inaccessible and unexplored part of…

The discovery helps explain the puzzle of hydrogen loss pre-supernova, and supports the theory that most massive stars are paired. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered a witness at the scene of a star’s explosive death: a companion star previously hidden in the glare of its partner’s supernova. The discovery is a first for a particular type of supernova – one in which the star was stripped of its entire outer gas envelope before exploding. The finding provides crucial insight…

Using future projections from the latest generation of Earth System Models, a recent study published in Science Advances found that most of the world’s ocean is steadily losing its year-to-year memory under global warming. Compared with the fast weather fluctuations of the atmosphere, the slowly varying ocean exhibits strong persistence, or “memory”, meaning the ocean temperature tomorrow is likely to look a lot like it does today, with only slight changes. As a result, ocean memory is often used for…

It’s often said that a little stress can be good for you. Now scientists have shown that the same may be true for cells, uncovering a newly-discovered mechanism that might help prevent the build-up of tangles of proteins commonly seen in dementia. A characteristic of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s – collectively known as neurodegenerative diseases – is the build-up of misfolded proteins. These proteins, such as amyloid and tau in Alzheimer’s disease, form ‘aggregates’ that can cause irreversible…

A quantum system consisting of only 51 charged atoms can assume more than two quadrillion different states. Calculating the system’s behavior is a piece of cake for a quantum simulator. Yet even with today’s supercomputers it is almost impossible to verify the result. A research team from the University of Innsbruck and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now shown how these systems can be described using equations from the 18th century. At first glance, a system consisting of…

Converting CO2 to formic acid using an alumina-supported, iron-based compound. Photoreduction of CO2 into transportable fuel like formic acid (HCOOH) is a great way of dealing with CO2’s rising levels in the atmosphere. To aid in this mission, a research team from Tokyo Tech chose an easily available iron-based mineral and loaded it onto an alumina support to develop a catalyst that can efficiently convert CO2 into HCOOH with ~90% selectivity! The rising CO2 levels in our atmosphere and their…

Life-like organ replicas – so-called 3D organoids – are a good way to research disease processes. A team from the University of Würzburg has now presented a kind of blueprint for such a model of the cervix. A few stem cells, various growth factors, four to six weeks of time – and of course a great deal of expertise are needed to create a scaled-down but nevertheless lifelike and functional replica of a cervix in the laboratory. A new publication…

New material is capable of capturing trace amounts of benzene, a toxic pollutant, from the air and crucially use less energy than existing materials to do so. Researchers at University of Limerick, Ireland have developed a new material that has the ability to capture toxic chemicals from the air. The material is capable of capturing trace amounts of benzene, a toxic pollutant, from the air and crucially use less energy than existing materials to do so, according to the researchers….

As NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope moves through the final phases of commissioning its science instruments, we have also begun working on technical operations of the observatory.  While the telescope moves through space, it will constantly find distant stars and galaxies and point at them with extreme precision to acquire images and spectra. However, we also plan to observe planets and their satellites, asteroids, and comets in our solar system, which move across the background stars of our galaxy. Webb needs to…

With modular components and an easy-to-use 3D interface, this interactive design pipeline enables anyone to create their own customized robotic hand. MIT researchers have created an interactive design pipeline that streamlines and simplifies the process of crafting a customized robotic hand with tactile sensors. Typically, a robotics expert may spend months manually designing a custom manipulator, largely through trial-and-error. Each iteration could require new parts that must be designed and tested from scratch. By contrast, this new pipeline doesn’t require…

Biosynthesis of cyanobacterin opens up new class of natural compounds for applications in medicine and agriculture. The fact that Nature is an excellent chemist is demonstrated by the abundance of molecules, so-called natural products, which it produces biosynthetically. These natural products are also of central importance to us humans. They are used in many ways in our everyday lives, especially as active agents in medicine and agriculture. Prominent examples are antibiotics such as penicilins isolated from molds, the anti-cancer drug…