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Study finds that changes in the composition of phytoplankton community of North Pacific Subtropical Gyre relate to large-scale regional climate phenomena [Deutsche Version folgt in Kürze] It is unparalleled: the subtropical North Pacific Ocean has recently gone through a change of plankton regime that enhances nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial production.

23. Scientists at EPFL show how a light-induced force can amplify the sensitivity and resolution of a technique used to study single molecules. When it comes to studying single molecules, scientists use a powerful technique called "surface-enhanced Raman scattering" (SERS). An extremely sensitive tool, SERS detects the vibrations within the atoms of the illuminated molecule as a change in light color.

Fundamental research carried out by the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry into how chemical reactions happen in a liquid has been recognised as a World Changing Idea by Scientific American, the US's leading popular science magazine. The research , which uses infrared spectroscopy and computer simulations to reveal the hidden world of solvent-solute interactions, is one of ten big advances made this year that, the magazine believes, will improve life, transform computing and maybe even save the planet.

Joint Project Details Charge Transport in Polymeric Carbon Nitride for First Time Polymeric carbon nitride is an organic material with interesting optoelectronic properties. As an inexpensive photocatalyst, it can be used to facilitate water splitting using sunlight. Joint research by Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, the University of Rostock, and Freie Universität Berlin as well as other partners has now investigated for the first time how light creates charge carriers in this class of materials and established details about charge mobility and lifetimes.

Scientists from the University of Liverpool and Queen's University Belfast, as part of an international team, have made the first porous liquids which could create new industrial applications. The new liquid dissolves unusually large amounts of gas, such as methane, the main component of natural gas, which is absorbed into the 'holes' in the liquid.

Astronomers have discovered some of the oldest stars in the galaxy, whose chemical composition and movements could tell us what the Universe was like soon after the Big Bang. Finding these rare stars is really like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Humans have been exploiting bees as far back as the Stone Age, according to new research from the University of Bristol published in Nature today. Previous evidence from prehistoric rock art is inferred to show honey hunters and Pharaonic Egyptian murals show early scenes of beekeeping. However, the close association between early farmers and the honeybee remained uncertain.

The longer an apple retains its beautiful colour, the better it is - especially for the food industry. Therefore, the industry works intensely on inhibiting the "browning" of fruits. Chemists of the University of Vienna around Annette Rompel moved a step closer to this ultimate goal. Everybody knows this phenomenon: After slicing an apple, it loses its appetising white colour very quickly, which does not only scare off children.

Scientists led by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Aberystwyth University have revealed 'sweet points' for dental fillings, where cement used to fill cracks regain elasticity before hardening indefinitely. This could have implications for creating more durable and longer-lasting fillings in the future.

Illustration of a voltage-induced memory effect in monolayer nanomaterials, which layer to create "atomristors," the thinnest memory storage device that could lead to faster, smaller and smarter computer chips. Cockrell School of Engineering AUSTIN, Texas - Engineers worldwide have been developing alternative ways to provide greater memory storage capacity on even smaller computer chips.

Illustration of a voltage-induced memory effect in monolayer nanomaterials, which layer to create "atomristors," the thinnest memory storage device that could lead to faster, smaller and smarter computer chips. Cockrell School of Engineering AUSTIN, Texas - Engineers worldwide have been developing alternative ways to provide greater memory storage capacity on even smaller computer chips.

Illustration of a voltage-induced memory effect in monolayer nanomaterials, which layer to create "atomristors," the thinnest memory storage device that could lead to faster, smaller and smarter computer chips. Cockrell School of Engineering AUSTIN, Texas - Engineers worldwide have been developing alternative ways to provide greater memory storage capacity on even smaller computer chips.

Some fundamental properties of the coinage metal elements gold, silver and copper, such as chemical behaviour or colours, are already predetermined in their atoms. The unique properties of gold can be largely explained by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity. Chemists from Heidelberg University have been able to demonstrate this through their investigations of gold, silver and copper carbenes.

Using complementary microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) say they have solved the structure of lithiumand manganese-rich transition metal oxides, a potentially game-changing battery material and the subject of intense debate in the decade since it was discovered.

A new report this week provides new insight into what, exactly, makes some complex materials radiation tolerant. Embargoed for 4 a.m. Mountain, Oct. Advances could improve nuclear fuels and nuclear waste storage LOS ALAMOS, N.M. Oct. 29, 2015-A new report from Los Alamos National Laboratory this week in the journal Nature provides new insight into what, exactly, makes some complex materials radiation tolerant.

A University-led project is testing ways of automatically repairing concrete without human intervention The first major trial of self-healing concrete in the UK, led by a team of researchers from the School of Engineering , is being undertaken at a site in the South Wales Valleys. The project, entitled Materials for Life (M4L), is piloting three separate concrete-healing technologies for the first time in real-world settings, with a view to incorporating them into a single system that could be used to automatically repair concrete in the built environment.

The biggest surprise so far in the chemical analysis of Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko's atmosphere is the high proportion of oxygen molecules. While such molecules are common in the earth's atmosphere, their presence on comets had originally been ruled out. Early on in the mission of the ROSINA mass spectrometer, in September of last year, researchers from the Center for Space and Habitability (CSH) at the University of Bern made an unexpected discovery when analyzing the comet's gases: Between the expected peak values of sulfur and methanol, clear traces of oxygen (O2) molecules were detected.

Jupiter's moon Europa is believed to possess a large salty ocean beneath its icy exterior, and that ocean, scientists say, has the potential to harbor life. Indeed, a mission recently suggested by NASA would visit the icy moon's surface to search for compounds that might be indicative of life. But where is the best place to look?

A controversial group of chemicals commonly found in lotions and other personal care products may be more dangerous at low doses than previously thought, according to a new study. The chemicals, called parabens, are preservatives widely used in everything from shampoos and cosmetics to body lotions and sunscreens.

The mechanism behind a process known as singlet fission, which could drive the development of highly efficient solar cells, has been directly observed by researchers for the first time. Harnessing the process of singlet fission into new solar cell technologies could allow tremendous increases in energy conversion efficiencies in solar cells Alex Chin An international team of scientists have observed how a mysterious quantum phenomenon in organic molecules takes place in real time, which could aid in the development of highly efficient solar cells.