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When proteins are produced in the pharmaceutical industry, they are often initially misfolded and have to be rearranged. At TU Wien, this is being studied in detail in a new CD laboratory . Certain proteins are among the most important products of the pharmaceutical industry - such as insulin or interferons, which are used to treat diabetes, cancer or viral diseases.

The interference of climate change with the planet's water cycle is a well established fact. New analyses suggest that in many places, runoff responds more sensitively than previously assumed. Climate change alters the global atmospheric circulation, which in turn alters precipitation and evaporation in large parts of the world and, in consequence, the amount of river water that can be used locally.

A well-known mineral is once again the center of attention thanks to applications in electronics: the Vienna University of Technology shows that mica still has surprises in store. At first glance, mica is something quite ordinary: it is a common mineral, found in granite for example, and has been extensively studied from geological, chemical and technical perspectives.

Simpler and much more efficient than ever before: A new technology for producing X-ray laser pulses has been developed at TU Wien. The X-rays used to examine a broken leg in hospital are easy to produce. In industry, however, X-ray radiation of a completely different kind is needed - namely, X-ray laser pulses that are as short and high-energy as possible.

Two seemingly different areas of physics are related in subtle ways: Quantum theory and thermodynamics. How chaos theory mediates between them has now been studied at TU Wien. A single particle has no temperature. It has a certain energy or a certain speed - but it is not possible to translate that into a temperature.

When charged particles are being shot through ultra-thin layers of material, sometimes spectacular micro-explosions occur, sometimes the material remains almost intact. This has now been explained at the TU Wien. It sounds a bit like a magic trick: Some materials can be shot through with fast, electrically charged ions without exhibiting holes afterwards.

In extreme cold, fuels can no longer be used - but how do you measure the possible minimum temperature? A test facility has now been developed for this purpose at the Vienna University of Technology . When it gets too cold, the car won't start. Certain components of fuels can precipitate at low temperatures, the fuel becomes cloudy and can no longer be used.

The fine structure constant is one of the most important natural constants of all. At TU Wien, a remarkable way of measuring it has been found - it shows up as a rotation angle. One over 137 - this is one of the most important numbers in physics. It is the approximate value of the so-called fine structure constant - a physical quantity that is of outstanding importance in atomic and particle physics.

What determines the durability of high-performance coatings for turbines or highly stressed tools? Surprising results from TU Wien show: It is not material fatigue. Extremely thin ceramic coatings can completely change the properties of technical components. Coatings are used, for example, to increase the resistance of metals to heat or corrosion.

Tiny hairs on cell walls, so-called -cilia-, can move in unison to pump fluid. Now there finally is a physical theory describing these hairs' movements. They are only very simple structures, but without them we could not survive: Countless tiny hairs (cilia) are found on the outer wall of some cells, for example in our lungs or in our brain.

Tiny hairs on our cell walls can move together and thus pump fluid. Now they have succeeded in developing a physical theory of these hairs' movements . They are just very simple structures, but without them we could not survive: Countless tiny hairs are found on the outer wall of some cells, for example in our lungs or even in our brain.

TU Wien (Vienna) has succeeded in making a new type of material usable for chip technology. This enables faster, more efficient computers and new types of quantum devices. Our current chip technology is largely based on silicon. Only in very special components a small amount of germanium is added. But there are good reasons to use higher germanium contents in the future: The compound semiconductor silicon-germanium has decisive advantages over today's silicon technology in terms of energy efficiency and achievable clock frequencies.

For fusion reactors like ITER, plasma instabilities are a major challenge. A research team around the nuclear fusion group at TU Wien has now found a promising solution. Nuclear fusion power plants could one day provide a sustainable solution to our energy problems - but to date there is no commercial nuclear fusion reactor in operation.

Because they are extremely stable, so-called "topological states" play an important role in materials research. Now, for the first time, it has been possible to switch such states on and off. A donut is not a breakfast roll. Those are two very clearly distinguishable objects: One has a hole, the other does not.

Researchers at TU Vienna and FHI Berlin succeeded in monitoring a catalytic reaction with three different microscopies under exactly the same conditions in real time. In this way, information is obtained that none of the methods alone could reveal. One has to look very closely to exactly understand what processes take place on the surfaces of catalysts.

A new design principle can now predict the properties of quantum materials that have hardly been explored so far. For the first time, a strongly correlated topological semimetal has been discovered using a computer. How do you find novel materials with very specific properties - for example, special electronic properties which are needed for quantum computers?

A seemingly paradoxical effect: friction normally causes more damage at higher speeds. But at extremely high speeds, it is the other way around. When two metal surfaces slide against each other, a variety of complicated phenomena occur that lead to friction and wear: Small crystalline regions, of which metals are typically composed, can be deformed, twisted or broken, or even fuse together.

CO2 and methane can be turned into valuable products. But until now the catalysts required for such reactions quickly lose their effectiveness. TU Wien has now developed more stable alternatives. Wherever the production of harmful greenhouse gases cannot be prevented, they should be converted into something useful: this approach is called "carbon capture and utilisation".

A fingertip-sized chip replaces bulky laboratory equipment. An infrared sensor has been developed at TU Wien (Vienna) that analyses the content of liquids within the fraction of a second. In analytical chemistry, it is often necessary to accurately monitor the concentration change of certain substances in liquids on a time scale of seconds.

At TU Wien (Vienna) and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a "light trap" was developed in which a beam of light prevents itself from escaping. This allows light to be absorbed perfectly. Whether in photosynthesis or in a photovoltaic system: if you want to use light efficiently, you have to absorb it as completely as possible.