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Latest News 2016/02
Latest news from laboratory, environment, chemistry, life science and quality control
- Alternatives to animal testing - what's new in 2016?
This year, the focus is on promoting alternative methods and approaches that are relevant for the information requirements of the 2018 registration deadline. ECHA will publish advice on using the n... - Knowns and unknowns in radioactivity measurements
A JRC scientist presented a "state-of-the-problem" report in radioactivity measurements on uncertainty estimation and overconfidence in analytical models to represent physical reality. As scienc... - Ten years of use of powerful spectrometers at the JRC-Geel site linear accelerator
In collaboration with users of the JRC-Geel site linear accelerator (GELINA), JRC scientists provided a summary of the experiments and findings from the use of two specific detectors at GELINA thro... - Seabed as a long-term deposit for plastic
Marine scientists from Kiel have examined whether and how quickly bacteria deplete plastic bags in the sediment of the seabed. The study shows that classic carrier bags made of polyethylene and bio... - The special properties of an atomic gas
In a laboratory experiment, physicists at the Center for Quantum Dynamics of Heidelberg University have succeeded in determining the equation of state for an atomic gas, which can be used to precis... - 3D Tomography of Millimeter-sized Fossil Insects
The layman considers fossil beetles just stones. Even experts were able to describe the rough, outer shape of the millimeter-sized fossils only. Using the ANKA synchrotron radiation source of KIT, ... - Radioactivity in fume dust from metal industry: A new calibration standard
In close collaboration with European Measurement Institutions, JRC scientists organised an inter-laboratory comparison study to determine the reference radioactivity concentrations (137sup>Cs and 60Co)... - Discovery of new iron oxides in the lower mantle of Earth
Using a special high-pressure chamber, scientists have discovered two new iron oxides in experiments at DESY's X-ray light source PETRA III and other facilities. The discovery points to a huge, hit... - Improving radioactivity measurements in steelwork products
JRC scientists contributed to the optimisation of detector systems to check the radioactivity in metallurgical samples. This work will support the safety of recycling process of, for example, decom... - How chiral biomolecules imprint their handedness on crystal surfaces
The lack of mirror symmetry - that is, structures appear either only in a left- or right-handed fashion - is a striking property of the biological world. This so-called homochirality is seen at the... - Metal Oxide Sandwiches: New option to manipulate properties of interfaces
A Franco-German cooperation has investigated a sandwich system of transition metal oxides at BESSY II. The scientists discovered a new option to control properties of the interface between the two ... - Non-destructive measurement of the quantum state of a molecular ion
The interaction of thermal energy from the environment with motional degrees of freedom is well known and often referred to as Brownian motion (also thermal motion). But in the case of polar molecu... - High-Pressure Ion Chromatography System Delivers New Levels of Simplicity and Flexibility
Now scientists in environmental, food safety, pharmaceutical and industrial/petrochemical laboratories can rely on a new flexible and configurable high-pressure ion chromatography system designed t... - Enhanced fluorescence microscopy to label and visualise different cell structures simultaneously
Fluorescence microscopy allows researchers to visualise biomolecules in cells. They label the molecules using fluorescent probes, excite them with light and use the fluorescence thus triggered to g... - Smart nanogels at the air/water interface: structural studies by neutron reflectivity
Gels are materials that are present in many everyday products such as shampoos, sunscreens and food gelatin among many others. They are formed by mixtures in which large amounts of liquid, usually ... - Label-free detection of viruses
In cooperation with Heraeus Quartz Glass, Harvard University in the USA and Leiden University in the Netherlands, scientists at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technologies (IPHT) have succeeded ... - Microreactor replaces animal tests
Researchers all over Europe are working on alternatives to animal testing that can be used to evaluate the adverse side-effects of medications. But many of these test methods still present problems... - Efficient fluorescence tag for super-resolution microscopy
Modern optical technologies such as super-resolution nanoscopy enable to exactly image small structures and molecular processes, therefore, providing a fascinating view into living cells. To visual... - Uranium-mediated electrocatalytic dihydrogen production from water
Chemists at FAU-Erlangen-Nürnberg have found a new use for depleted uranium, the waste product of nuclear energy which has been accumulating over decades: they have developed a uranium-based cataly... - Digital enhancement of Cryo-Electron-Microscopy photographs of protein nanocrystals
When cryoEM images are obtained from protein nanocrystals the images themselves can appear to be devoid of any contrast. A group of scientists from the Netherlands has now demonstrated that lattice... - Decontamination of nanotubes by microwaves
Amid all the fancy equipment found in a typical nanomaterials lab, one of the most useful may turn out to be the humble microwave oven. A standard kitchen microwave proved effective as part of a tw...