Science

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All systems go at the biofactory

In order to assemble novel biomolecular machines,LMU researchers have now found a way to do just that. Green light on protein assembly!

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The finely honed tip of the atomic force microscope (AFM) allows one to pick up single biomolecules and deposit them elsewhere with nanometer accuracy. The technique is referred to as Single-Molecule Cut & Paste (SMC&P), and was developed by the research group led by LMU physicist Professor Hermann Gaub.

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Stretchable conductors created using CNT fibers

Carbon nanotube (CNT-) based continuous fiber, a CNT assembly that could potentially retain the superb properties of individual CNTs on a macroscopic scale, belongs to a fascinating new class of electronic materials with potential applications in electronics, sensing, and conducting wires.

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Now, researchers have reported, for the first time, the fabrication of CNT-fiber-based stretchable conductors by a simple prestraining-then-buckling approach. Upon release of the prestrain, the CNT fibers are readily kinked in-plane because of their high flexibility.

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Nanofibre morphology control

Rigid aromatic polymers have been shown to give high performance in industrial applications that require demanding operating conditions.

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In newly published research, Kunio Kimura and colleagues report that the morphology of poly(p-oxybenzoyl) precipitates formed by the co-polymerisation of 4-acetoxybenzoic acid with trifunctional co-monomers based on 3,5-diacetoxybenzoic acid (DABA) is significantly influenced by the structure of the co-monomer and the solvent. As part of their research the authors varied the co-monomer, solvent, co-polymer ratio, temperature of polymerisation, and concentration.

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The Rich Colours of a Cosmic Seagull

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This new image from ESO’s La Silla Observatory shows part of a stellar nursery nicknamed the Seagull Nebula. This cloud of gas, formally called Sharpless 2-292, seems to form the head of the seagull and glows brightly due to the energetic radiation from a very hot young star lurking at its heart.

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Gas Detecting Nanosensors Synthesized through Polymerization of Pyrrole

Naader Alizadeh and Sajjad Pirsa, researchers from Tarbiat Modarres University in Tehran, managed to fabricate nanosensors for pollutant gas leak detection through polymerization of pyrrole.

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Curiosity Finishes Close Inspection of Rock Target

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This image combines photographs taken by the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) at three different distances from the first Martian rock that NASA's Curiosity rover touched with its arm.

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Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Explores the Moon in 3-D

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Janssen K is a roughly 12-kilometer-diameter crater on the floor of the large Janssen Crater. Several debris flows can be seen running down the walls of the crater.

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Hubble portrays a dusty spiral galaxy

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Hubble portrays a dusty spiral galaxy

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Researchers Report Novel Approach for Single Molecule Electronic DNA Sequencing

DNA sequencing is the driving force behind key discoveries in medicine and biology. For instance, the complete sequence of an individual's genome provides important markers and guidelines for medical diagnostics and healthcare. Up to now, the major roadblock has been the cost and speed of obtaining highly accurate DNA sequences. While numerous advances have been made in the last 10 years, most current high-throughput sequencing instruments depend on optical techniques for the detection of the four building blocks of DNA: A, C, G and T. To further advance the measurement capability, electronic DNA sequencing of an ensemble of DNA templates has also been developed. Recently, it has been shown that DNA can be threaded through protein nanoscale pores under an applied electric current to produce electronic signals at single molecule level. However, because the four nucleotides are very similar in their chemical structures, they cannot easily be distinguished using this technique. Thus, the research and development of a single-molecule electronic DNA sequencing platform is the most active area of investigation and has the potential to produce a hand-held DNA sequencer capable of deciphering the genome for personalized medicine and basic biomedical research.

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Schematic of single molecule DNA sequencing by a nanopore with phosphate-tagged nucleotides. Each of the four nucleotides will carry a different tag. During SBS, these tags, attached via the terminal-phosphate of the nucleotide, will be released into the nanopore one at a time where they will produce unique current blockade signatures for sequence determination. A large array of such nanopores will lead to high throughput DNA sequencing.

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Ultra fast optical amplifier: silicon and erbium on one chip for the first time

Within optical microchips, light finds its way through channels, waveguides, made of silicon. Light from a glass fiber, for example, is led through a structure of optical channels with splitters and couplers. Silicon is the workhorse for this, but it is still passive conduction of light, with some losses as well. To be able to amplify the signal, or even to include a light source on the chip, extra steps are necessary. Other types of semiconductors, like Gallium Arsenide, are an option. But materials doped with the rare earth material erbium have good amplification properties as well.

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Image of the chip including silicon optical waveguide (SOI: silicon on insulator) as well as erbium-doped aluminium oxyde.

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