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• How synapses stick together
  Scientists in Cologne offer a molecular perspective on the architecture of a synapse. They have discovered that a protein in the brain forms flexible filaments, thereby acting as an essential build...
• Researchers develop ultrasmall, light-sensitive nanoparticles that could serve as contrast agents
  A novel class of light-sensitive nanoparticles may one day enable new approaches to medical imaging. They were developed by a research team at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The p...
• ACHEMA Middle East as the regions's most anticipated process industry platform
  As Saudi Arabia fast-tracks its economic transformation, this high-level gathering of government officials, industry leaders, academics, and international partners underscored the alignment between...
• Boron instead of metal: Making heavy metals redundant in the chemical industry
  Eliminating toxic and expensive heavy metals in the chemical industry: A new publication from the University of Würzburg Chemistry points the way forward. The team led by chemistry professor Ho...
• Possible breakthrough in the development of effective biomaterials
  Many hopes rested on so-called tissue engineering: With the help of stem cells, skin and other organs could be grown, thereby enabling better wound healing and better transplants. Although some...
• Activated by NIR light: new germicidal surface coating
  Light on - bacteria dead. Disinfecting surfaces could be as simple as that. To turn this idea into a weapon against antibiotic-resistant germs, Empa researchers are developing a coating whose germi...
• The rising danger of AI-generated images in nanomaterials science and what we can do about it
  Out now in Nature Nanotechnology, Dr. Quinn A. Besford (IPF Dresden) leads a timely and urgent commentary on the rising dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) in nanomaterials science and what can...
• UVC LEDs for disinfection on the way to widespread use
  Ultraviolet (UV) light can inactivate pathogens on surfaces, in the air, and in water. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) operating in the UVC spectral range at wavelengths below 280 nanometers are gaini...
• Use of innovative RNA technology to intervene in phage reproduction
  Phages are viruses that infect bacteria. Using phages therapeutically could be very useful in fighting antibiotic-resistant pathogens, but the molecular interactions between phages and host bacteri...
• New AI tool identifies 1,000 'questionable' scientific journals
  A team of computer scientists led by the University of Colorado Boulder has developed a new artificial intelligence platform that automatically seeks out "questionable" scientific journals. The stu...
• Comparison of flu viruses: Why some Influenza viruses are more dangerous than others
  Serious infections with influenza A viruses are characterised by an excessive immune response, known as a cytokine storm. It was previously unclear why some virus strains trigger these storms, whil...
• Metallic nanocatalysts: what really happens during catalysis
  Using a combination of spectromicroscopy at BESSY II and microscopic analyses at DESY's NanoLab, a team has gained new insights into the chemical behaviour of nanocatalysts during catalysis. The na...
• An "optical sieve" for detecting nanoplastic particles
  A joint team from the University of Stuttgart in Germany and the University of Melbourne in Australia has developed a new method for the straightforward analysis of tiny nanoplastic particles in en...
• The ratio of α-pinene mirror molecules: a clear indicator of drought stress in the Amazon rainforest
  In 2023, the Amazon rainforest experienced its worst recorded drought since records began. River levels dropped dramatically and vegetation at all levels deteriorated due to intense heat and water ...
• Innovative diagnostics for detecting antibiotic resistance in bacterial infections
  The rapid increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria is one of the most pressing challenges facing global health. A new transatlantic Fraunhofer research project aims to counter these threats with a...
• ERC grant for research into bacteriophages
  In the fight against multiresistant bacteria, bacteriophages-the natural enemies of bacteria-are attracting increasing research interest. However, the targeted therapeutic application of these "bac...
• A nanobody against herpes
  Burning, blisters, pain: More than 40 million people worldwide are infected with the herpes virus every year. The virus can pose a serious threat to newborns and people with weakened immune systems...
• Tyre wear particles in the Rhine: How microplastics are changing river ecology
  A study by researchers at the universities of Duisburg-Essen and Cologne shows for the first time how microplastics from tyre particles are changing the microbial world in the Rhine. For a period o...
• CO₂ recycling powers a new palm oil alternative for the cosmetics industry
  After many years of research, the Mibelle Group, LanzaTech and the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB have achieved a breakthrough in sustainable innovation: ...
• New opportunity for photochemistry in future large-scale industrial applications
  Reactions are typically driven by heat. However, in recent years, light has also established itself as an energy source, as it allows chemical reactions to be controlled with exceptional precision....
• More hydrogen, more ammonia, more fertilizer, all using less energy
  Researchers led by Genki Kobayashi at the RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI) in Japan recently discovered a way to max out the amount of hydrogen that can be stored in perovskite crystalline...
• Proving microplastics are stored in forests for the first time
  Microplastics and nanoplastics are not only polluting our oceans, rivers and fields, but also our forests. This is the conclusion reached by geoscientists at TU Darmstadt in a study now published i...