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Good news for researchers working with high-resolution fluorescence microscopy: Biocompatible molecular rulers are available for the first time to calibrate the latest super-resolution microscopy methods. Latest super-resolution microscopy methods now achieve an optical resolution in the range of a few nanometres.

Formaldehyde can inhibit enzymes that produce hydrogen particularly efficiently. Researchers from Bochum have discovered how this can be prevented. Enzymes from microorganisms can produce hydrogen (H2) under certain conditions, which makes them potential biocatalysts for biobased H2 technologies. In order to make this hydrogen production efficient, researchers are trying to identify and eliminate possible limiting factors.

Researchers from the Universities of Freiburg and Ulm have developed a monolithically integrated photo battery using organic materials. Networked intelligent devices and sensors can improve the energy efficiency of consumer products and buildings by monitoring their consumption in real time. Miniature devices like these being developed under the concept of the Internet of Things require energy sources that are as compact as possible in order to function autonomously.

Selective genetic channel modifications can protect hydrogen-producing enzymes from harmful oxygen. There are high hopes for hydrogen as the key to the energy transition. A specific enzyme group found in algae and in bacteria can produce molecular hydrogen simply by catalyzing protons and electrons.

Newly discovered mechanism contributes to a better understanding of molecular foundations of fertility Special proteins - known as membrane transporters - are of key importance for the mobility of sperm cells. A research team from the Heidelberg University Biochemistry Center (BZH) headed by Cristina Paulino has, with the aid of cryo-electron microscopy, for the first time succeeded in decoding the structure of such a transporter and its mechanism.

The molecular journey of triglycerides sealing the barrier of the tuberculosis bacterium revolves around a two-protein team. Tuberculosis is a severe infectious disease that claims about 1.3 million lives annually world-wide. This dismal toll is caused by the notorious pathogen Mycobacteria tuberculosis , whose bitter success depends on its formidable cellular double barrier offering at the same time protection from the host defence system, and a terrain mediating host-pathogen interactions during infection.

International team of astronomers publish new findings on the evolution of galactic structures Heavy elements like gold, silver, and uranium are apparently more abundant in the Universe than previously assumed. This is the conclusion of an international research team including scientists from the Centre for Astronomy of Heidelberg University that investigated astrophysical processes in star formation regions and particularly the chemical composition of so-called HII regions.

Research team from the University of Münster presents synthesis method in Nature Chemistry Fluorinated small molecules are very often used to produce medicines or agrochemicals. However, they rarely occur naturally. The societal importance of fluorinated substances, combined with the lack of natural sources, has created a demand for effective, sustainable methods to generate new fluorinated motifs - molecular structures containing one or more fluorine atom - from relatively simple starting materials.

Researchers around the world are working on more efficient methods for producing hydrogen. Hydrogen could make a decisive contribution to reducing the consumption of fossil raw materials, especially if it is produced using renewable energies. Existing technologies for producing climate-neutral hydrogen are still too inefficient or too expensive for broader application.

Water is a major driving force in the formation of separate reaction compartments within cells. In order to fulfil their function, biological cells need to be divided into separate reaction compartments. This is sometimes done with membranes, and sometimes without them: the spontaneous segregation of certain types of biomolecules leads to the formation of so-called condensates.

Organic dyes accelerate transport of buffered solar energy The sun sends enormous amounts of energy to the earth. Nevertheless, some of it is lost in solar cells. This is an obstacle in the use of organic solar cells, especially for those viable in innovative applications. A key factor in increasing their performance: Improved transport of the solar energy stored within the material.

Scientists from the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and the Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen-Nuremberg have successfully developed nanomaterials using a so-called bottom-up approach. As reported in the scientific journal ACS Nano, they exploit the fact that crystals often grow in a specific direction during crystallisation.

The research units are aiming to reveal the potential of enzymatic catalysis and investigate the biological mechanisms that underlie bladder cancer. The German Research Foundation (DFG) has set up eight new research units. Two of them are at the University of Freiburg. Unlocking the potential of S -adenosylmethionine-dependent enzyme chemistry The research unit "Unlocking the Potential of S -adenosylmethionine-dependent Enzyme Chemistry" aims to develop the new potentials of enzymatic catalysis.

By implementing an innovative technology, any wastewater treatment plant would be able to produce methane from carbon dioxide in an environmentally friendly way. If some microorganisms present in wastewater treatment plants are additionally supplied with hydrogen and carbon dioxide, they produce pure methane.

Research team at Göttingen University develops plasmonic molecules from nanoparticles In the incredibly small world of molecules, the elementary building blocks - the atoms - join together in a very regular pattern. In contrast, in the macroscopic world with its larger particles, there is much greater disorder when particles connect.

Important progress for RNA research: A team led by Würzburg chemistry professor Claudia Höbartner has discovered a new ribozyme that can label RNA molecules in living cells. RNA molecules are real all-rounders. They transfer the genetic information from the DNA in the cell. They regulate the activity of genes.

Chemical on-surface synthesis under extremely clean conditions permits controlled synthesis of N'heterocyclic ballbot-type polymers N'heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) are small, reactive ring molecules which bond well with metallic surfaces and which, over the past few years, have attracted a great deal of interest in the field of the stable chemical modification of metallic surfaces.

Ten key tastants and eleven odors Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have succeeded in decoding the flavor and aroma of sourdough bread. Their measurements and analyses at the molecular level revealed ten key tastants, and eleven key aroma odorants, which could be used to reproduce the characteristic essence of sourdough breadcrumb.

Chemists from the University of Münster publish new study in -Nature- Just like our hands, certain organic molecules relate to each other like an image and its reflection - a phenomenon that chemists call "chirality" or "handedness". The two mirror images of the same molecule, namely both enantiomers, often possess different biological properties.

Researchers from the University of Jena, the Westphalian University of Applied Sciences and the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague have developed a platform that uses artificial neural networks to translate chemical structural formulae into machine-readable form. With this platform, they have created a tool with which this information from scientific publications can be automatically fed into databases.