Artificial Intelligence Helps in the Discovery of New Materials
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- Written by Universität Basel
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With the help of artificial intelligence, chemists from the University of Basel in Switzerland have computed the characteristics of about two million crystals made up of four chemical elements. The researchers were able to identify 90 previously unknown thermodynamically stable crystals that can be regarded as new materials. They report on their findings in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters.
Affordable detectors for gamma radiation
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- Written by Empa - Eidgenössische Materialprüfungs- und Forschungsanstalt
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A research team at Empa and ETH Zurich has developed single crystals made of lead halide perovskites, which are able to gage radioactive radiation with high precision. Initial experiments have shown that these crystals, which can be manufactured from aqueous solutions or low-priced solvents, work just as well as conventional cadmium telluride semi-conductors, which are considerably more complicated to produce. The discovery could slash the price of many radio-detectors – such as in scanners in the security sector, portable dosimeters in power stations and measuring devices in medical diagnostics.
Photovoltaics and Photosynthesis
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE
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Pilot Plant at Lake Constance Combines Electricity and Crop Production
In 1981, an article by Prof. Adolf Goetzberger titled "Potatoes under the Collector" was published in the German magazine “Sonnenenergie”. The article proposed a particularly favorable setup for solar energy systems in combination with agricultural land use. After smoldering on the backburner for a couple of years, the concept of agrophotovoltaics (APV), that is, the dual usage of land for crop and electricity production, was again taken up by researchers at Fraunhofer ISE in 2011.
Tailor-made diamond for the continuous photocatalysis allowing CO₂ conversion
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- Written by Fraunhofer ICT-IMM
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Fraunhofer ICT-IMM is coordinating a national research cooperation dealing with the development of a microreactor system for the environmentally friendly utilization of CO₂ by means of sunlight.
Deep Insight Into Interfaces
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- Written by Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
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Interfaces between different materials and their properties are of key importance for modern technology. Together with an international team, physicists of Würzburg University have developed a new method, which allows them to have an extremely precise glance at these interfaces and to model their properties.
New software helps to find out why “jumping genes” are activated
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- Written by Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien
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Jumping genes, so-called transposons, reproduce as parasites in the genome. This selfish behaviour can be an evolutionary advantage for the organism or harm it. There is still a debate about the factors controlling the activity of transposons. Comparisons between populations could shed an answer on this but have been biased due to technical problems. The software PoPoolationTE2 developed by the Institute of Population Genetics at Vetmeduni Vienna enables an unbiased analysis for the first time and determines the frequency of transposons. This might also be useful for cancer research and neurology. The software was presented in the renowned journals Molecular Biology and Evolution.
New Product: "Easy Transfer" graphene on polymer
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- Written by Graphenea Inc.
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Graphenea is launching “Easy Transfer”: the easiest way to transfer monolayer graphene onto your substrate. We applied our extensive experience in growing and transferring high quality graphene films to let you experiment with any novel substrate by using Graphenea’s Easy Transfer.
Monsanto takeover: Bayer is buying the US American seed company in $66 billion deal
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- Written by Lisa Feder
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According to the German weekly news magazine “Stern” Bayer agrees to buy the US American seed company Monsanto. It is the largest company takeover by a Germany-based group.
Cyclotron opens up new prospects for fundamental & applied research in radiopharmaceutical chemistry
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- Written by Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
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New particle accelerator generating radioactive isotopes for use in nuclear chemistry will be employed to create new medical radiopharmaceuticals
PhotonicSensing – transnational call for proposals launched
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- Written by VDI Technologiezentrum GmbH
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Funding bodies from 9 countries together with the European Commission (DG CONNECT), who is co-financing the competition, grant up to 18 million Euros for groundbreaking projects on photonics-based sensing technologies.
Small bug, large impact: A new key player in the marine nitrogen cycle
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- Written by Max-Planck-Institut für marine Mikrobiologie
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A study published in Nature Microbiology shows for the first time that a small nitrogen-fixing symbiosis contributes extensively to the total nitrogen fixation in the tropical North Atlantic. Nitrogen fixation is the largest source of nitrogen to the open ocean, and this symbiosis is thus a key player in the marine nitrogen cycle.
Termination of lethal arrhythmia with light
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- Written by Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
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A research team from the University of Bonn has succeeded for the first time in using light stimuli to stop life-threatening cardiac arrhythmia in mouse hearts. Furthermore, as shown in computer simulations at Johns Hopkins University, this technique could also be used successfully for human hearts. The study opens up a whole new approach to the development of implantable optical defibrillators, in which the strong electrical impulses of conventional defibrillators are replaced by gentler, pain-free light impulses. The "Journal of Clinical Investigation" has now published the results.
Cooling towards absolute zero using super-heavy electrons
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- Written by Universität Augsburg
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New quantum material significantly improves adiabatic demagnetization cooling
Quantifying the chemical effects of air pollutants on oxidative stress and human health
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- Written by Max-Planck-Institut für Chemie
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New computer model provides exposure-response relationship between air pollutants and reactive oxygen species in the epithelial lining fluid of the human respiratory tract
Fraunhofer IWS scientists are now able to offer n-conductive polymers as processable paste
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS
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The Fraunhofer IWS has made another important step forward with respect to the research on n-conductive polymers for printed electronics. The Dresden scientists succeeded in modifying an n-conductive polymer, already synthesized in 2015, in such a way that it can now be processed as a paste and be printed in a three-dimensional manner.
Bacteria supply their allies with munitions
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- Written by Universität Basel
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Bacteria fight their competitors with molecular spear guns, the so-called Type VI secretion system. When firing this weapon they also unintentionally hit their own kind. However, as researchers from the University of Basel’s Biozentrum report in the journal Cell, the related bacteria strains benefit from coming under fire. They recycle the protein components of the spear guns and use these to build their own weapons.