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Web-crawling the brain

A team of researchers at Harvard Medical School has developed a technique to unravel the complex neural circuits in the brain. By crawling through individual connections, they created a partial wiring diagram that revealed interesting insights into how the brain functions.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalNature·DateMar 9, 2011

New microscope reveals ultrastructure of cells

Researchers have developed a new X-ray microscope that delivers immediate 3D images of entire living cells, closing the gap between conventional microscopic techniques. The new method allows for high-resolution imaging without chemical fixation or labelling, enabling detailed study of cellular ultrastructure.

SourceHelmholtz Association·JournalNature Methods·DateNov 19, 2010

Tension in the nanoworld

A team of researchers at CIC nanoGUNE and Max Planck Institutes developed a non-invasive method to map strain fields in semiconductors using scattering-type Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy (s-SNOM). The technique resolves nanoscale material properties with 20 nm spatial resolution.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateJan 23, 2009

Nanoswitches toggled by light

Researchers discovered ultrafast electron microscopy reveals switchable nanochannels in copper and TCNQ crystals. These micromaterials stretch under laser pulses, exhibiting reversible optomechanical phenomena useful for nanoelectronic applications.

SourceWiley·DateMar 5, 2008

From microscopy to nanoscopy

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute developed a technique called optical 3D far-field microscopy using photoswitchable rhodamine amides, allowing for highly resolved 3D images of transparent fluorescence-marked samples. The method can capture nanoscale resolution with good signal-to-noise ratio and relatively short exposure times.

SourceWiley·DateAug 10, 2007

Scientists develop plans for ultimate microscope

Researchers at University of Sheffield have developed a new technique to enhance x-ray microscope images, enabling the capture of high-resolution 3D images of any molecular structure. They aim to develop the ultimate x-ray microscope with computer-aided image processing and potentially replace lenses with solid-state optical microscopes.

Invisible for electrons

Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and University of Manchester fabricate ultra-thin membranes made of graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms. The membranes have demonstrated stability comparable to corrugated cardboard despite their thinness.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature·DateMar 6, 2007

Nanoscale microscope sheds first light on gene repair

Researchers have used a new type of light microscope to visualize the distribution of H2AX proteins in the cell nucleus, revealing clusters that direct DNA repair after damage. This discovery provides new insights into the complex process of gene repair and its relationship with other nuclear components.

SourceJackson Laboratory·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 13, 2006

Researchers build sharpest tip

Scientists at the University of Alberta developed a unique coating process to make the sharpest tip known, opening doors to new possibilities in electron microscopy and nanotechnology. The sharp tips can withstand extreme temperatures and enable finer resolution in electron microscopes.

SourceUniversity of Alberta·JournalThe Journal of Chemical Physics·DateJul 11, 2006

UQ researcher journeys to the centre of the cell

Researchers at UQ's IMB have discovered a new pathway for particle and nutrient uptake into cells, which is vitally important for cellular survival. This finding presents unexplored avenues for developing new drugs to fight certain viral infections and opening up possibilities for drug delivery or gene therapy.

SourceResearch Australia·JournalJournal of Cell Biology·DateMay 10, 2005