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An international team of researchers visualises atomic interactions in the protein structure called photosystem II and thus uncovers fundamental biochemical processes. Using cryo-electron microscopy a team of scientists from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), the Swedish universities of Umeå and Uppsala and the University of Potsdam has succeeded in visualising atomic structures at an unprecedented resolution at the nanometre level underlying the process of photosynthesis.

Researchers at ETH Zurich have shown that quantum states of single electron spins can be controlled by currents of electrons whose spins are evenly aligned. In the future, this method could be used in electronic circuit elements. Electrons have an intrinsic angular momentum, the so-called spin, which means that they can align themselves along a magnetic field, much like a compass needle.

Science + Technology Findings could enable advances in sustainable energy production, industry and design Key takeaways Chemical reactions spurred with electricity are behind products essential for everyday life, and are expected to play a part in creating sustainable fuels derived from carbon dioxide.

Researchers at the National Graphene Institute have made a groundbreaking discovery that could revolutionise energy harnessing and information computing. Their study, published in Nature , reveals how electric field effects can selectively accelerate coupled electrochemical processes in graphene. Electrochemical processes are essential in renewable energy technologies like batteries, fuel cells, and electrolysers.

A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ÜBerkeley Lab) has invented a technique to study electrochemical processes at the atomic level with unprecedented resolution and used it to gain new insights into a popular catalyst material. Electrochemical reactions - chemical transformations that are caused by or accompanied by the flow of electric currents - are the basis of batteries, fuel cells, electrolysis, and solar-powered fuel generation, among other technologies.

A research team from TU Graz and the Czech Academy of Sciences has used two enzymes to eliminate the need for highly toxic cyanide in the production of nitriles. If the household cleaner emits a lemon-like odour, this may be due to a nitrile called citronellyl nitrile. These versatile chemical nitrile groups are also used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, superglue and chemical-resistant gloves.

New research by Cardiff University's Otter Project has found that PFAS, also known as 'forever chemicals', present in English otters, raising concerns about potential health impacts in the future. The Cardiff scientists tested otters from across the UK to monitor levels of PFAS in the environment, to gain an understanding of the concentration of these chemicals in the UK's freshwaters, their persistence in the environment and any ecological and health risks.

Less waste, mild reaction conditions, and no harmful solvents - only a very thin layer of gold is necessary to sustainably convert alcohols into aldehydes through mechanochemistry. A gold-coated milling vessel for ball mills proved to be a real marvel in the research work by Inorganic Chemistry at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany: Without any solvents or environmentally harmful chemicals, the team led by Professor Lars Borchardt was able to use it to convert alcohols into aldehydes.

Physicists at the University of Bath lead on the discovery of a new optical property that measures the twist in tiny helices. A new nonlinear optical property of tiny particles has been discovered by an international team of scientists led by physicists at the University of Bath, with important implications for researchers working in fields as diverse as display technology, chemical catalysis and medicine.

When two solutions of oppositely charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) are mixed, phase separation occurs leading to the formation of a polymer-rich phase and a supernatant phase. The precise distribution of all components, that is polyelectrolytes and counterions, had not yet been determined. Researchers at the University of Twente can now measure quantitatively exactly where these components are distributed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

The SPARROW algorithm automatically identifies the best molecules to test as potential new medicines, given the vast number of factors affecting each choice. The use of AI to streamline drug discovery is exploding. Researchers are deploying machine-learning models to help them identify molecules, among billions of options, that might have the properties they are seeking to develop new medicines.

With their "T-REX" method, DNA embedded in the polymer could be used for long-term storage of genomes or digital data such as photos and music. In the movie "Jurassic Park," scientists extracted DNA that had been preserved in amber for millions of years, and used it to create a population of long-extinct dinosaurs.

Physicists at TU Graz have calculated how suitable molecules can be stimulated by infrared light pulses to form tiny magnetic fields. If this is also successful in experiments, the principle could be used in quantum computer circuits. When molecules are irradiated with infrared light, they begin to vibrate due to the energy supply.

Soaring ethylene oxide level detected, threatening children's health, according to research led by Johns Hopkins environmental engineers The toxic gas ethylene oxide, at levels a thousand times higher than what is considered safe, was detected across parts of Louisiana with a cutting-edge mobile air-testing lab.

A surprising yellow haze of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere of a gas "dwarf" exoplanet about 96 light years away from our own solar system makes the planet a prime target for scientists trying to understand how worlds are formed. Astronomers discovered the planet, GJ 3470 b, in 2012 when the planet's shadow crossed the star it orbits.

Due to the complex structures of microporous crystals known as MOFs, reliable simulations of their properties have been difficult until now. Machine learning provides the solution. Hydrogen storage, heat conduction, gas storage, CO2 and water sequestration - metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have extraordinary properties due to their unique structure in the form of microporous crystals, which have a very large surface area despite their small size.

Cathodic corrosion protection is a widely used technique for protecting steel-based infrastructure from corrosion. researchers have now clarified the detailed mechanisms involved, thereby resolving a controversial issue that had preoccupied the engineering community for decades. Corrosion is a chemical reaction to which even the strongest structures fall victim.

A research team from Bochum has identified a crucial detail that's essential for the production of hydrogen using biocatalysts. Under certain conditions, some algae are able to produce hydrogen - a much sought-after green energy source. Its production takes place in the unique catalytic center of the unicellular algae and is only possible if certain cofactors of the relevant proteins are present.

New mathematical framework sheds light on how cells communicate to form embryo Biological processes depend on puzzle pieces coming together and interacting. Under specific conditions, these interactions can create something new without external input. This is called self-organization, as seen in a school of fish or a flock of birds.

Some parts of the world have been so successful in making inexpensive renewable electricity that we occasionally have too much of it. One possible use for that low-cost energy: Converting carbon dioxide into fuel and other products using a device called a membrane-electrode assembly. A team of scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory ÜBerkeley Lab) and the University of California Berkeley have developed a new approach to understanding this promising technology via physics modeling.