Researchers at Max Planck Institute and Munich University have successfully trapped individual photons in a resonator, achieving a milestone in quantum physics. The experiment demonstrates Planck's oscillators, predicting the existence of photons over 100 years ago.
A research team at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology has discovered a new genetic cause for muscular dystrophy, uncovering a subtle disturbance in muscle fibre architecture. This breakthrough could improve diagnosis and therapeutic strategies for degenerative muscle disorders.
A team of scientists from NASA and Max Planck Institute observed the deflection of galactic dust grains by solar radiation, finding that radiation pressure is stronger than solar gravity for certain mass ranges. This phenomenon affects the trajectory of dust particles near the Sun, causing them to move slower and be deflected.
A team of scientists has unraveled key features of the small ribosomal subunit, including the site where protein biosynthesis begins. The study, which used novel experimental strategies and cryo-crystallography, provides a far-reaching glimpse into the microscopic world of ribosomes.
Researchers at Max-Planck-Gesellschaft have solved the three-dimensional structure of fumarate reductase dimer using X-ray crystallography. The enzyme plays a crucial role in anaerobic bacterial metabolism, and its structure reveals an electron transfer pathway from haem groups to FAD and then to fumarate reduction site.
The structure of coagulation factor Va's membrane-binding domain has been determined, revealing a barrel-like shape with three major loops. This breakthrough provides new insights into the molecular details of blood clotting and protein-membrane association, with potential implications for cell-cell interactions and genetic diseases.
Ship emissions of nitrogen oxides can increase ozone concentrations by twofold and hydroxyl radical levels fivefold, resulting in a cooling effect on the atmosphere. This has significant implications for future international policy decisions regarding atmospheric change.
The study found that a gene called Tcr, which is transmitted at up to 95% from male carriers to their progeny, encodes a protein kinase likely to control sperm motility. This allows for the manipulation of transmission ratios and potentially exclusive fathering of female offspring in farm animals.
A study by BIODEPTH found that reducing species richness in plant communities results in decreased productivity, higher soil nitrate concentrations, and altered ecosystem processes. The findings suggest that preserving and restoring biodiversity is crucial for maintaining grassland productivity.
Researchers have found two nearby streams of stars that appear to be debris from a single dwarf galaxy torn apart by the Milky Way's gravity about 10 billion years ago. These relic streams are part of the Milky Way's outer structure and provide insights into its formation.
Scientists have mapped the zebrafish genome using a radiation hybrid technique, allowing for matching of candidate genes with genetically mapped mutations. The map provides valuable insight into human development and has potential applications in understanding genetic diseases.
A new research method reveals that information can be stored on the surface of neurons with very high spatial density, similar to a CD-ROM. The method allows precise control over neurotransmitter release and discovered that modifications are highly restricted, enabling single synapses to store information separately.
The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics has released the public beta of the Cactus Computational Toolkit 4.0, a collaborative environment for solving partial differential equations in physics and engineering. The toolkit allows individual scientists to plug their own computing applications into a modular framework, enabling ...
Researchers have successfully engineered CD4+ T cells to carry a fluorescent marker, allowing for the first time the tracking of autoimmune cells in vivo. The technique enables the study of physiological processes and inflammatory diseases, opening new avenues for therapeutic approaches.
Researchers discover microbes convert saturated hydrocarbon hexadecane to methane and carbon dioxide, leading to potential methane formation in old sediments. This process, known as microbial hydrocarbon 'cracking,' sheds light on slow yet globally relevant microbial processes in deep subsurface environments.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research discovered a protein in photoreceptor cells that plays a crucial role in adapting to changing light intensities. The activation of this autoreceptor triggers a negative feedback loop, reducing glutamate release and preventing signal saturation.
Researchers from Max Planck Institute simulated grazing collisions of two black holes, finding huge amounts of energy coalescing black holes emit in gravitational waves. The simulations revealed that these events could release one percent of the combined mass's energy, a phenomenon thousand times more powerful than our sun's emissions.
Researchers use ultrashort laser pulses to activate a critical surface reaction, allowing for the oxidation of CO molecules on transition metal surfaces. This novel approach enables the system to rapidly transfer energy into the oxygen-metal bond, outpacing desorption processes and unlocking new chemical pathways.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics found that molecular clusters break up into positively and negatively charged fragments upon impact with any solid surface. They propose that neutral alkali atoms play a key role in charge separation, leading to the formation of separate ionic fragments.
Scientists discover Munc13-1 regulates the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles, leading to a functional shutdown of synapses. Without Munc13-1, nerve cells cannot signal due to an arrest in vesicle maturation, highlighting its essential role in neurotransmitter release.
Scientists at Max Planck Institute break Abbe's diffraction limit in focusing light microscopes using two laser beams and stimulated emission. The new microscope achieves sub-Abbe resolution, enabling imaging of intact transparent specimens in three dimensions.
Scientists have successfully synthesized a new cubic phase of silicon nitride with exceptional hardness, outperforming stishovite, a high-pressure modification of SiO2. The novel material has the potential to replace diamond in certain technological applications where its extreme hardness is required.
The first ever-established complete clone-based physical map of a plant genome is published for Arabidopsis thaliana. The map covers the entire nuclear genome and is assembled entirely on the basis of BAC clones, offering strongly increased resolution.
The Max-Planck-Gesellschaft has developed a new method for deriving reliable information from experimental data using probability theory, providing significant cost savings. The 'multi-resolution method' is widely applicable to various fields, including fusion research, medicine, and astronomy.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute discover key molecule for LTP, a crucial process for learning and memory. The finding sparks new discussion on the role of LTP in memory formation, as mice lacking LTP showed no abnormal learning behavior.
An international team of scientists has found a cloud of dust grains surrounding Ganymede, the largest of Jupiter's four Galilean satellites. The dust was generated by impacts of interplanetary meteoroids and is thought to be an important mechanism for dust production in space.
Researchers have successfully used fMRI to generate high-resolution pictures of active brain regions in monkeys under anesthesia. The technique allows for precise visualization of brain activity, challenging previous assumptions about the effects of anesthetics on brain function.
Researchers found a novel natural, very dense polymorph of silica in the Shergotty meteorite, which challenges the accepted composition of Earth's lower mantle. The discovery suggests that free dense silica polymorphs could exist in the Earth's deep interior.
Scientists have developed sheets of single-walled nanotubes that generate higher stresses than natural muscle and higher strains than high-modulus ferroelectrics. The carbon nanotube actuators work in aqueous environments, including salt water, and require small voltages to produce large length changes.
The new microscope employs a scanning metal tip and infrared wave absorption to identify chemical composition on a nanoscale. The technique has potential for high-resolution imaging with 100 nm or better resolution, expanding its applications in electronics, materials, and biology.
Scientists observed stress-driven reordering of a distorted protein crystal without thermal activation at low temperatures. The reordering was driven by mass transport caused by radiation damage, resulting in the formation of order in the system.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute discovered that long-term potentiation in hippocampal neurons is linked to the emergence of new dendritic spines. This phenomenon suggests that structural changes play a crucial role in storing information in the brain.
The study found that misexpression of Tbx4 in the forelimb region leads to leg-like structures, while misexpression of Tbx5 in the hindlimb region results in wing-like structures. These findings suggest that Tbx4 and Tbx5 play crucial roles in determining fore- and hindlimb identity.
Researchers used helium scattering to probe the germanium surface at temperatures above 1000K, finding that it undergoes a structural phase transition from an ordered phase to another highly ordered phase. At this temperature, the surface becomes metallic and exhibits jump diffusion of adatoms, similar to liquid germanium.
Biologists found Thiomargarita namibiensis in sediments off Namibian coast, living up to 3/4 mm wide and storing nitrate in an 'anaerobic lung'. The bacteria can survive for three months without external supply of nutrients, playing a crucial role in oxidizing toxic sulfide.
A study by the High Pressure Mineral Physics Group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry revealed that at high pressures, elements with strong affinity for metallic iron (siderophilic elements) lose their characteristic behavior. This discovery suggests an alternative explanation for the abundance of these elements in the Earth's u...
Researchers discover collective spin excitation in high-temperature superconductor, suggesting magnetic pairing mechanism. The experiment provides important insights into the behavior of electron spins, crucial for models of high temperature superconductivity.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute found that moving objects appear slower through rod photoreceptors than cone photoreceptors, especially under low light conditions. This underestimation can lead to compensatory speeding-up, which may be fatal.
Researchers from the Fritz Haber Institute found that chemical trigger waves can propagate instantaneously across a system, violating traditional notions of local causality. The experiment used an electrocatalytic reaction on a platinum ring electrode and demonstrated nonlocal coupling effects.
A dense brownish haze layer extended from the ocean surface to 1-3 km altitude, impacting climate processes over the northern Indian Ocean. The haze reduced solar radiation absorbed by the ocean surface by as much as 10%, altering weather and climate dynamics.
Scientists warn that Arctic climate change could counteract ozone layer recovery efforts. Particle sedimentation processes in the stratosphere may remove protective gases, hindering the healing of the ozone layer over the northern polar region.
German scientists have developed a laser that emits a continuous beam of matter waves, allowing for unprecedented control over atomic motion. The Munich atom laser opens new prospects in science and technology, including the precise deposition of atoms on surfaces and the creation of tiny nanostructures.
The nuclear pore complex is a highly regulated structure composed of around 50-100 different proteins that control the transport of macromolecules between the nucleus and cytoplasm. Ran protein plays a crucial role in this process, binding selectively to transport factors to regulate cargo molecules across the nuclear pore.
Researchers discovered Wnt-4's role in regulating kidney development through inducing tubulogenesis in isolated mesenchyme. Additionally, Wnt-4 suppresses male cell fates in female embryos, affecting sex organ differentiation. It also mediates tissue interactions involved in neuronal growth and axonal guidance.
For the first time, researchers have analyzed polar stratospheric cloud particles using a developed instrument. The results show water-rich particles with high H2O/nitric acid ratios, challenging previous assumptions about PSC composition.
Scientists have found that deformation can bypass the sound barrier in materials, leading to supersonic dislocations. These findings challenge conventional wisdom and open up new avenues for understanding high-speed deformation in engineering materials.
An international team of scientists identified regions on the Sun where the high speed solar wind originates using the Solar Ultraviolet Measurements of Emitted Radiation spectrometer on SOHO. The research will lead to a better understanding of the solar wind's effect on Earth's space environment.
Researchers discovered a novel family of cell surface proteins that regulate nerve cell connections by inducing synapse formation. The Neuroligin/b-Neurexin junction is the core of this process, forming a transsynaptic cell-adhesion complex that initiates protein-protein-interaction cascades.
New radio observations reveal that black holes in galaxies can be fed with gas, while the surrounding material remains intact. In NGC1097, a barred galaxy with a massive central black hole, researchers found that gas flows towards the black hole through a shock front, which is then redirected along the bar by magnetic fields.
Researchers use fully quantum-mechanical simulations to study proton diffusion in acids, finding that the proton migrates by interconverting hydrogen bonds into strong covalent bonds. Quantum tunneling is not involved, and the defect's delocalization is induced by zero-point motion of excess protons.