| 19 Aug 2020 |
Cryo-Electron Microscopy Makes Structure of Important Membrane-deforming Proteins Visible
Viruses multiply in the human body by hijacking the functions of cells and using them for their own purposes. Ebola, HIV and other viruses use, among other things, the so-called ESCRT-III complex for this purpose.
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S. T. Huber et al., Structure and assembly of ESCRT-III helical Vps24 filaments, Science Advances 19 Aug 2020: Vol. 6, no. 34, eaba4897, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba4897
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| 05 Aug 2020 |
Learning from the cytoskeleton for the development of active materials
Jülich researchers have developed models and techniques for computer simulations to investigate dynamic processes that occur, for example, in the internal machinery of cells. The methods provide a better understanding of the microscopic processes involved and could be helpful in the development of tailor-made active materials. These materials adapt their properties independently to changing environmental conditions and possess dynamically controllable properties. This enables them to be used in a wide range of applications, such as the development of self-healing materials, materials that reversibly contract and then relax again, and materials that can mix the chemicals they contain.
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Gerard A. Vliegenthart at al.; Filamentous active matter: Band formation, bending, buckling, and defects; Science Advances 22 Jul 2020: Vol. 6, no. 30, eaaw9975,
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw9975
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| 29 Jul 2020 |
Neutron Scattering Experiments Show Surprising Reaction of Magnetic Nanoparticles to Magnetic Fields
Jülich/Garching, 29 July 2020 - Magnetic nanoparticles react differently to an external magnetic field than was previously expected. This has been shown in a study by an international research team which included Forschungszentrum Jülich and its neutron scattering facilities. To the surprise of the researchers, the magnetic core of the particles is seen to grow as a result of the exposure. The scientists’ investigations enable a more precise understanding to be gained of the structure and behaviour of particles in a magnetic field. This is an important step in the realization of sophisticated technical applications using such particles, for example, in achieving higher storage density in the computers of the future, or developing better battery technologies. The medical field is also interested in magnetic nanoparticles: with their help, specific areas of the body can be targeted with heat therapy in order to treat cancer.
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D. Zákutná et al.; Field-Dependence of Magnetic Disorder in Nanoparticles,
Phys. Rev. X 10, 031019 – Published 24 July 2020, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.10.031019
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| 06 Jul 2020 |
New Understanding of Defect Formation in Silicon Electrodes
In theory, it is possible to significantly increase the storage capacity of commercially available lithium ion batteries – using an anode based on silicon instead of graphite. However, in practice, these batteries with pure silicon anodes start to deteriorate after just a few cycles of charging and discharging. An international team of researchers at Jülich’s Institute of Energy and Climate Research (IEK-9) has now observed with a unique level of detail how the defects form on the anode.
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Chunguang Chen, Tao Zhou, Dmitri L. Danilov, Lu Gao, Svenja Benning, Nino Schön, Samuel Tardif, Hugh Simons, Florian Hausen, Tobias U. Schülli, R.-A. Eichel, Peter H. L. Notten
Impact of dual-layer solid-electrolyte interphase inhomogeneities on early-stage defect formation in Si electrodes
Nature Communications (published 1 July 2020), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-17104-9 (Open Access)
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| 28 Apr 2020 |
Molecular basis of CLC transporter inhibition by fluoride
The binding of protons and their transport through the cell membrane are crucial steps for many cellular processes. CLC chloride/proton transporters are present in almost every living cell and regulate the pH value, chloride concentrations and membrane potentials of intracellular cell compartments. Various human diseases, which are caused by dysfunctional CLC transporters and which range from osteopetrosis and kidney dysfunction to epilepsy and mental retardation, illustrate the high physiological and pharmacological impact of this class of membrane proteins.
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Molecular Basis of CLC Antiporter Inhibition by Fluoride,
Maria Gabriella Chiariello, Viacheslav Bolnykh, Emiliano Ippoliti, Simone Meloni, Jógvan Magnus Haugaard Olsen, Thomas Beck, Ursula Rothlisberger, Christoph Fahlke, Paolo Carloni
Journal of the American Chemical Society 2020 142 (16), 7254-7258,
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b13588
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| 09 Apr 2020 |
Data Storage Concept: Flaws with Benefits
Jülich, 31 March 2020. In the production of nanoelectronic components, material defects are usually unwelcome as they can impair desired behaviour. However, new computer simulations by a team of physicists at Forschungszentrum Jülich show that such defects can also be useful. According to their studies, material defects – introduced using a targeted approach – could improve the performance of a certain class of data storage devices.
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Originalveröffentlichung: Defect-implantation for the all-electrical detection of non-collinear spin-textures; Imara Lima Fernandes, Mohammed Bouhassoune, Samir Lounis;
Nature Communications 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15379-6
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| 02 Apr 2020 |
Light Scattering Enables New Insights into the Brain
When generating a detailed network model of the brain, nerve fiber crossings pose a major challenge for current neuroimaging techniques. Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich have now found that scattered light can be used to resolve the brain’s substructure like the crossing angles of the nerve fibers with micrometer resolution. For their studies, the researchers combined microscopy measurements and simulations on supercomputers.
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Originalpublikation: Menzel M, Axer M, De Raedt H, Costantini I, Silvestri L, Pavone F S, Amunts K, Michielsen K. Toward a High-Resolution Reconstruction of 3D Nerve Fiber Architectures and Crossings in the Brain Using Light Scattering Measurements and Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulations.
Physical Review X 10, 021002. Published 2 April 2020. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.10.021002
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