Proteins as a 'shuttle service' for targeted administration of medication
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- Written by Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
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Medication that reaches the spot where it’s needed without placing strain on the rest of the body is no longer a vision of the future. Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) has successfully developed proteins that function like a shuttle and release medication directly in the place in the body where they are actually needed. The study could serve as a model and could enable targeted and tissue-specific administration of medication in future. The findings have been published in the renowned journal ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’ (PNAS)*.
First Real-time Test of Li-Fi Utilization for the Industrial Internet of Things
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Nachrichtentechnik, Heinrich-Hertz-Institut, HHI
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The BMBF-funded OWICELLS project was successfully completed with a final presentation at the BMW plant in Munich. The presentation demonstrated a Li-Fi communication with a mobile robot, while the robot carried out usual production processes (welding, moving and testing parts) in a 5x5m² production cell. The robust, optical wireless transmission is based on spatial diversity; in other words, data is sent and received simultaneously by several LEDs and several photodiodes. The system can transmit data at more than 100 Mbit/s and five milliseconds latency.
Environmentally Friendly Steel Coatings: Fraunhofer ILT Wins Steel Innovation Award
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Lasertechnik ILT
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Once every three years, the German steel industry presents its Steel Innovation Awards. The purpose of this initiative is to recognize innovations that are helping to ensure this material remains a viable choice for the long term. The jury considers not just products made from steel, but also innovative processes such as Extreme High-speed Laser Material Deposition (EHLA). For the development of the EHLA process, researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen won the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize in 2017. On June 13, 2018, the researchers were honoured with the 2nd Prize of the Steel Innovation Award in the “Steel in Research and Development” category.
New membrane reactors supply "green" raw materials for chemical industry
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Keramische Technologien und Systeme IKTS
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In the future, closed carbon loops play an important role to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ensure safe and cost-effective access to carbon sources as the basis for products of the chemical industry. In order to increase the efficiency and thus profitability of the synthesis processes required for this, Fraunhofer IKTS has developed a new membrane reactor in cooperation with the Thuringian company MUW-SCREENTEC GmbH.
Jens Frahm Receives European Inventor Award for Fast MRI in Medical Diagnostics
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- Written by Max-Planck-Institut für biophysikalische Chemie
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With the European Inventor Award 2018, the European Patent Office (EPO) honored Jens Frahm of the Max Planck Institute (MPI) for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen for his ground-breaking advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In two steps, the physicist and his team succeeded in speeding up MRI by a factor of up to 10,000 and established it in clinical practice.
Physicists Developed Self-propelled Droplets that can act as Programmable Micro-carriers
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- Written by Universität des Saarlandes
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In the life sciences, researchers are working to inject drugs or other molecules into a human body using tiny “transport vehicles.” Researchers at the Saarland University and the University of Barcelona have shown in a model system that small emulsion droplets can be used as smart carriers. They have developed a method for producing self-propelled liquid droplets capable of providing spatially and temporally controlled delivery of a “molecular load”. The study was published in “Communications Physics”.
Quick and Safe Laser Joining of Steel-aluminum Mixed Connections
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- Written by Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.
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For the automotive industry of the future, load-adapted and lightweight components made from steel-aluminum mixed joints are required. Within the LaserLeichter project, the Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V. (LZH) has developed a laser welding process for the quick and safe joining of three-dimensional structures made of steel and aluminum.
Coating Free-form Surfaces on Large Optical Components
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Organische Elektronik, Elektronenstrahl- und Plasmatechnik FEP
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The business unit Precision Coatings at Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP has special expertise in developing deposition processes for high-precision coating systems on optical components. Now, a coating technology for Deposition of laterally graded optical layers on 2D and in the future also on 3D substrates has been developed. The results will be presented at the 2nd OptecNet Annual Conference in Berlin, June 20-21, 2018.
New Higgs Boson Process Observed
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- Written by Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau
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The ongoing collaborative ATLAS experiment at the European Research Center for Elementary Particle Physics at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, has announced the discovery of a new particle process – the production of a Higgs boson together with two top-quarks. "This measurement constitutes a landmark achievement in the exploration of the Higgs mechanism and the interaction of Standard Model particles with the Higgs boson.
Direct Coupling of the Higgs Boson to the Top Quark Observed
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- Written by Universität Zürich
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An observation made by the CMS experiment at CERN unambiguously demonstrates the interaction of the Higgs boson and top quarks, which are the heaviest known subatomic particles. This major milestone is an important step forward in our understanding of the origins of mass. Physicists at the University of Zurich made central contributions by incorporating sophisticated data analysis methods that allowed this benchmark to be reached much earlier than expected.
Insects Supply Chitin as a Raw Material for the Textile Industry
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB
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Harmful chemicals are often used in textile processing. That is why the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB is researching harmless biobased alternatives. The Institute is working on utilizing side streams from the animal feed manufacture for the production of chitosan.
Novel Insulators with Conducting Edges
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- Written by Universität Zürich
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Physicists at UZH are researching a new class of materials: Higher-order topological insulators. The edges of these crystalline solids conduct electric current without dissipation, while the rest of the crystal remains insulating. This could be useful for applications in semiconductor technology and for building quantum computers.
New Technology for Enzyme Design
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- Written by Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
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Scientists at the University of Würzburg have chemically modified the enzyme levansucrase using a new method. The enzyme can now produce sugar polymers that are exciting for applications in the food industry and medicine. Enzymes are tools of nature that accelerate almost all biochemical reactions in living cells as biological catalysts.
Photoexcited Graphene Puzzle Solved
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- Written by Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
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Light detection and control lies at the heart of many modern device applications, such as smartphone cameras. Using graphene as a light-sensitive material for light detectors can offer significant improvements with respect to materials being used nowadays. For example, graphene can detect light of almost any color, and it gives an extremely fast electronic response within one millionth of a millionth of a second. Thus, in order to properly design graphene-based light detectors it is crucial to understand the processes that take place inside the graphene after it absorbs light.
New High-Voltage Silicon Carbide Inverter Enables Stabilization of Medium-Voltage Grids
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE
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Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE developed and successfully put into operation an inverter for direct feed-in to the 10 kV medium-voltage grid. The inverter contains high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) transistors which allow for coupling to the medium voltage grid without requiring an additional transformer. The three-phase inverter can be used to regulate reactive power as well as to actively filter undesirable harmonics in the electricity grid. Thus, it actively contributes to the stabilization of future power grids with a large share of renewables.
Organic Light-emitting Diodes Become Brighter and More Durable
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- Written by Technische Universität Dresden
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Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) truly have matured enough to allow for first commercial products in the form of small and large displays. In order to compete in further markets and even open new possibilities (automotive lighting, head-mounted-displays, micro displays, etc.), OLEDs need to see further improvements in device lifetime while operating at their best possible efficiency. Currently, intrinsic performance progress is solely driven by material development.
