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A team of researchers from Jena and Ulm have developed an innovative approach to precisely influence the properties of light-absorbing materials, so-called chromophores. They focused on specific iron compounds, demonstrating that small changes in their chemical structure can control how these compounds react to light.

Researchers from the Faculty of S&T at the University of Twente have shown a novel approach for the design of efficient solar fuel devices. Research performed by graduated PhD candidate Kaijian Zhu shows that reducing the light-induced twisting of molecules can turn hydrogen generation on. Photoelectrochemical cells are promising for the production of solar fuels, for example, the conversion of water into hydrogen or CO2 into organic molecules.

With artificial intelligence, extreme microbe reveals how life's building blocks adapt to high pressure The findings by Johns Hopkins researchers show the potential of AI to dramatically increase the speed of scientific discovery by completing calculations that would take decades using direct measurements An assist from a Google artificial intelligence tool has helped scientists discover how the proteins of a heat-loving microbe respond to the c

Newly discovered role of phase separation can help develop memory devices for energy-efficient AI computing Study: Thermodynamic origin of nonvolatility in resistive memory (DOI: 10.1016/j.matt. Phase separation, when molecules part like oil and water, works alongside oxygen diffusion to help memristors-electrical components that store information using electrical resistance-retain information even after the power is shut off, according to a University of Michigan led study recently published in Matter.

Interdisciplinary research team uses DNA microbeads to control the development of cultivated tissue A new molecular engineering technique can precisely influence the development of organoids. Microbeads made of specifically folded DNA are used to release growth factors or other signal molecules inside the tissue structures.

Publication of the Chemistry Laboratory in Nature Photonics on September 2, 2024. CNRS press release on September 4, 2024. A scintillating aerogel enabling real-time measurements with excellent sensitivity to certain radioactive gases, essential to monitoring the proper functioning of nuclear power plants, has just been developed by a group of physicists, chemists, and metrologists from the CNRS, the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, the CEA, and the ENS de Lyon.

Using neutrons, TU/e scientists visualize the internal processes of a redox flow battery. At the beginning of the 20th century, the invention of X-ray imaging provided a leap of knowledge in medical science. Since then, we can see how our body's bones work, bringing numerous new treatments to light. Now, a similar approach using neutron imaging makes it possible to visualize the internal functioning of redox flow batteries - a type of battery mainly used for large-scale storage in solar and wind energy systems.

The researchers identified an atomic-level interaction that prevents peptide bonds from being broken down by water. Collagen, a protein found in bones and connective tissue, has been found in dinosaur fossils as old as 195 million years. That far exceeds the normal half-life of the peptide bonds that hold proteins together, which is about 500 years.

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new material that can absorb more than eight times its weight in oil, offering a new solution in preventing groundwater contamination from spills or accidents. "The current technology for oil capture is lagging," said Tizazu Mekonnen, a professor at Waterloo's Department of Chemical Engineering.

Pharmaceutical researchers often find new pharmaceutically active substances only by sifting through large collections of chemical compounds. Chemists at ETH Zurich have now made critical progress on a specific process for generating and searching these collections. Nowadays, there's lots of buzz about spectacular new medical treatments such as personalised cancer therapy with modified immune cells or antibodies.

Scientists at EPFL have developed an AI tool that creates detailed models of cellular metabolism, making it easier to understand how cells function. Understanding how cells process nutrients and produce energy - collectively known as metabolism - is essential in biology. However, analyzing the vast amounts of data on cellular processes to determine metabolic states is a complex task.

Artificial photosynthesis could one day harness energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and water into liquid fuels to power your car, and enable a process for creating chemicals and fertilizers that is better for the environment. But scientists first need new techniques to efficiently convert sunlight into solar fuels and chemicals at scale, and store them for later use.

Researchers from Würzburg and Berlin present a new molecule for visualising the sphingomyelin metabolism. This offers prospects for innovative therapeutic approaches in infection research. At the end of the 19th century, the German pathologist Ludwig Thudichum isolated previously unknown fatty substances (lipids) from the brain.

Personalized wearable devices that monitor people's health are on the rise. From watches to patches and other types of sensors, these smart devices can monitor heart activity, inflammation levels, and more to help patients better manage their health from their own homes. Now, a new type of wearable device can be added to the list: a high-tech paper mask that monitors one's breath.

Scientists around the world can now go full throttle in their research into chemical plastics recycling. Researchers at ETH Zurich have laid important foundations for this by showing that it's all'about the stirring. Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste are generated worldwide every year.

Proteins are among the most important molecular building blocks of life. They themselves are built from amino acids linked together based on the information in our genetic material. In this process, the genetic code is translated into a sequence of amino acids. However, this translation is only the first step.

A team from Imperial and BASF has won the Computers & Chemical Engineering Best Paper Award 2023 for AI techniques that could boost chemical R&D. The prestigious journal in process systems engineering rated the paper as the best of over 280 published that year. The process of trial and error in chemical R&D is costly, with some experiments taking weeks.

Life needs the right conditions - warmth, water and, of course, the building blocks of life, such as amino acids and proteins. These have already been detected on meteorites. A research project at the Johannes Kepler University Linz has now shown how these building blocks of life could be created in space - adding an important facet to our understanding of life.

A team of scientists from the Cluster of Excellence "Balance of the Microverse" has discovered a previously unknown rejuvenation mechanism in unicellular organisms. They studied unicellular microalgae, which serve as the basis of food chains in the oceans. Unicellular organisms, such as microalgae, also age when they can no longer divide due to a lack of nutrients.

When combined with antifungal drugs, synthetic polymers are particularly effective against the yeast Candida albicans . This is what a German-Australian research team found out and also clarified the mechanism of action behind it. The researchers presented their findings in the journal "Nature Communications".