Science

Tags:

New open source software for high resolution microscopy: Bielefeld physicists report their new development in Nature Communications

With their special microscopes, experimental physicists can already observe single molecules. However, unlike conventional light microscopes, the raw image data from some ultra-high resolution instruments first have to be processed for an image to appear. For the ultra-high resolution fluorescence microscopy that is also employed in biophysical research at Bielefeld University, members of the Biomolecular Photonics Group have developed a new open source software solution that can process such raw data quickly and efficiently. The Bielefeld physicist Dr. Marcel Müller reports on this new open source software in the latest issue of Nature Communications published on 21 March.

53197.jpg
The images show a liver cell before and after processing the data with the software developed at Bielefeld University.

Tags:

Newly discovered organic nanowires leave manmade technologies in their dust

A microbial protein fiber discovered by a Michigan State University scientist transports charges at rates high enough to be applied in manmade nanotechnologies.

The discovery, featured in the current issue of Scientific Reports, describes the high-speed protein fiber produced by uranium-reducing Geobacter bacteria. The fibers are hair-like protein filaments called "pili" that have the unique property of transporting charges at speeds of 1 billion electrons per second.

Tags:

Entanglement becomes easier to measure: New protocol to detect entanglement of many-particle quantum states

In quantum theory, interactions among particles create fascinating correlations known as entanglement that cannot be explained by any means known to the classical world. Entanglement is a consequence of the probabilistic rules of quantum mechanics and seems to permit a peculiar instantaneous connection between particles over long distances that defies the laws of our macroscopic world - a phenomenon that Einstein referred to as "spooky action at a distance."

53181_0.jpg
Quantum systems consisting of many particles can enter highly intricate states with strong so-called multiparticle entanglement. A new-found theoretical relation now allows extracting it with standard tools available in scattering experiments.

Tags:

Solar fuels: A refined protective layer for the 'artificial leaf'

The team was able for the first time to produce a hybrid structure that converts 12 per cent of the incident solar energy into the form of hydrogen.

53178.jpg
The illustration shows the structure of the sample: n-doped silicon layer (black), a thin silicon oxide layer (gray), an intermediate layer (yellow) and finally the protective layer

Tags:

First Discovery of a Binary Companion for a Type Ia Supernova

2016-07_0.jpg

Tags:

Pumping up energy storage with metal oxides

Material scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have found certain metal oxides increase capacity and improve cycling performance in lithium-ion batteries.

53172.jpg
This schematic illustration shows metal oxides tented inside graphene. Many metal oxide/graphene composites offer unexpected capacity synergy that helps to increase storage capacity.

Tags:

Iranian Scientists Synthesize Nanocomposite Surfaces to Eliminate Air Polluting Gases

Iranian researchers from Amirkabir University of Technology produced nanocomposite surfaces that can adsorb air polluting gases, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.

53165.jpg

Tags:

UGA researchers find potential treatment for prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of Georgia have created a new therapeutic for prostate cancer that has shown great efficacy in mouse models of the disease.

53166.jpg
Somanath Shenoy is an associate professor of Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy.

Tags:

Could bread mold build a better rechargeable battery?

You probably don't think much of fungi, and especially those that turn bread moldy, 2016 have evidence that might just change your mind. Their findings suggest that a red bread mold could be the key to producing more sustainable electrochemical materials for use in rechargeable batteries.

53160.jpg
This is an artistic rendering of a carbonized fungal biomass-manganese oxide mineral composite (MycMnOx/C) can be applied as a novel electrochemical material in energy storage devices

Tags:

New technique for rapidly killing bacteria using tiny gold disks and light: Research team from University of Houston find that the light-activated gold nanoparticles destroy potentially deadly bacterial cells in seconds

Researchers have developed a new technique for killing bacteria in seconds using highly porous gold nanodisks and light, according to a study. The method could one day help hospitals treat some common infections without using antibiotics, which could help reduce the risk of spreading antibiotics resistance.

53159.jpg
This is an artist's interpretation of how bacteria cells on a nanoporous gold disk array are killed after exposure to near-infrared light.