X-ray laser uncovers the structure of a natural anti-mosquito insecticide

Bacterial protein found to work against more species of mosquito as previously thought

01-Dec-2023 - An international research team has analysed a naturally produced toxin against insects with atomic precision using the most powerful X-ray laser in the world. The data taken at the European XFEL help with figuring out the mode of action of the insecticide, which is produced by a bacterium. This ...

Risk of serious COVID-19 infection can now be predicted

Researchers develop rapid test for severe infections

30-Nov-2023 - Researchers have developed a method for assessing the number and structure of aggregated blood platelets (or thrombocytes) that can potentially help quantify the risk of a severe COVID-19 infection. As a result, they have identified a predictive biomarker for the seriousness of a COVID-19 ...

Award for innovation in the detection of PFAS compounds

Thuringian startup and Fraunhofer Institute receive Lothar Späth Award

30-Nov-2023 - The use of perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) has not only been controversial for a long time, but is also facing a possible EU-wide ban. The associated challenges for manufacturers, who will have to rely on extensive testing of chemicals in the future, are complex. In a ...

Seeing cancer’s spread through a computational window

Computational model allows researchers to simulate cellular-scale interactions across unprecedented distances in the human vasculature

29-Nov-2023 - Biomedical engineers at Duke University have significantly enhanced the capabilities of a computational model that simulates the movement of individual cancer cells across long distances within the entire human body. Called “Adaptive Physics Refinement (APR),” the approach captures detailed ...

Sturgeon products such as caviar sold in Europe are often illegal - or not even genuine

Gene and isotope analyses show that regulations are actively being broken

29-Nov-2023 - Wild caviar from almost all areas of origin has been illegal for decades, as overfishing has brought sturgeon to the brink of extinction. Today, caviar may come almost exclusively from farmed sturgeon and strict regulations are in place to protect sturgeon. However, using genetic and isotopic ...

X-rays reveal how glasses lose their stability

PETRA III experiment shows how atoms in glass behave as weaknesses appear

28-Nov-2023 - Is glass solid or liquid? There is a popular misconception that old glass, which is often thicker at the bottom than at the top (such as stained-glass windows from cathedrals), flows downwards over time because it is actually an extremely viscous liquid. To a certain extent, this is true, glass ...

Luxembourg discovery advances Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

Scientists uncover paradigm-shifting immune cell markers for early Parkinson's detection with particular relevance to women

27-Nov-2023 - In a ground-breaking study, scientists from the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Team of the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) Department of Infection and Immunity and the Transversal Translational Medicine of LIH, in collaboration with the Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine ...

‘Strange metal’ is strangely quiet in noise experiment

27-Nov-2023 - True to form, a “strange metal” quantum material proved strangely quiet in recent quantum noise experiments at Rice University. The measurements of quantum charge fluctuations known as “shot noise” provide the first direct evidence that electricity seems to flow through strange metals in an ...

Novel machine learning model for molecular simulation under external field

24-Nov-2023 - Prof. JIANG Bin’s research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) developed a universal field-induced recursively embedded atom neural network (FIREANN) model, which can accurately simulate system-field interactions with high efficiency. Atomic simulation plays a ...

Merck Expands Newest Biologics Testing Center in Shanghai

Further develops its biosafety testing laboratories to meet local demand

23-Nov-2023 - Merck has completed the second phase of its new € 29 million Biologics Testing Center in China adding 1,500 square meters to the lab, which opened last year. These are the first biosafety laboratories for Merck in this market, enabling clients to locally access a broad range of testing services ...