Latest news with #CanadianLightSource
CTV News
2 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
How preserved blood vessels found in Saskatchewan's most famous T. rex is opening doors for researchers
'Scotty' is the largest dinosaur skeleton ever found in Canada. (Tourism Saskatchewan) Preserved blood vessel structures discovered in Saskatchewan's most famous Tyrannosaurus rex fossil has opened doors for researchers when it comes to learning how extinct animals healed from injuries. The preserved blood vessel structures were discovered in a rib bone from Scotty the famous T. rex, who was found in Saskatchewan in the 1990s. Jerrit L. Mitchell, a PhD student in the University of Regina's (U of R) Department of Physics and the study's lead author, discovered the vessel structures while finishing his undergraduate honours thesis research. Mitchell joined the ongoing research project in 2019 when Scotty's rib was scanned at the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan for the first time. 'I remember showing my supervisors, Dr. Barbi and Dr. McKellar, a strange structure inside a scan of the rib that I originally didn't give much thought to. They were quick to point out that what I discovered could possibly be preserved blood vessels, which has since led to a much more expansive research project,' Mitchell said in a news release. Synchrotron X-rays produced by the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan gave researchers the opportunity to create a detailed 3D model of both the bone and soft tissue structures inside it without damaging the 66-million-year-old fossil, the release said. 3D printed blood vessel structures 3D printed blood vessel structures. (Canadian Light Source, University of Regina) 'Then, using chemical analysis, the researchers determined what elements and molecules make up the vessel structures, allowing them to hypothesize how the structures were preserved over millions of years.' The X-rays of the fossil's rib also showed a healed fracture that could have been sustained in a fight, according to researchers. Scotty T. rex. healed rib fracture A rib bone from Scotty the T. rex showing a healed rib fracture. (Canadian Light Source, University of Regina) 'The discovery could provide important, evolutionary information to researchers, such as the healing potential of a T. rex,' the release said. 'Preserved blood vessel structures, like we have found in Scotty's rib bone, appear linked to areas where the bone was healing. This is because during the healing process, those areas had increased blood flow to them,' physics professor Mauricio Barbi said in the release. 'This work also provides a new way to compare how injuries healed in extinct animals, like dinosaurs,' Barbi added. The findings were recently published in Scientific Reports, an open-access journal that publishes original research from across natural sciences, psychology, medicine and engineering. The U of R says the multidisciplinary study grew to involve researchers from the school's departments of physics, biology, and earth sciences, along with the Royal Saskatchewan Museum (RSM). RSM curator of palaeontology and adjunct professor at the U of R Ryan McKellar said the discovery proves how fossils like Scotty are much more than museum exhibits. 'They continue to advance science in ways we never imagined when they were first unearthed,' he said. 'Part of our role at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum is to ensure these specimens remain available for research, so it's exciting to see new technology and collaborations between the RSM, the University of Regina, and the Canadian Light Source revealing discoveries, while keeping the fossils intact for future generations,' McKellar said.
CBC
12-02-2025
- Science
- CBC
Electrified slime with real-world potential
Researchers at the Canadian Light Source in Saskatoon are working hard to develop an electrified slime with real-world applications. Erica Pensini joined Saskatoon Morning to talk about how this slime could work and what it could be used for.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists shatter battery expectations with breakthrough tech: 'Need these vehicles to last as long as possible'
Experts from Dalhousie University may have figured out how to build a battery that can power an astounding five million miles of travel, according to Interesting Engineering. The breakthrough involves how the crystalline electrode is structured inside the pack, and it could be a game-changer for electric vehicles. As part of the effort, the researchers partnered with fellow northerners at the University of Saskatchewan. They used the latter team's Canadian Light Source to study the unique batteries. The device is a synchrotron, which leverages accelerated particles to produce ultrabright light. It provides detailed X-ray images that allow for atomic-level analysis, according to a news release, CLS, and ScienceDirect. Under scrutiny was what the experts billed as a new type of lithium-ion battery material. The single-crystal electrode cycled repeatedly for six years with more than 20,000 charge-discharge rounds before dropping to 80% capacity. That's a crucial performance decline benchmark typically reached by standard packs much sooner. The team also studied a "regular" lithium-ion unit, which lowered to 80% capacity at 2,400 cycles, all per the lab summary. "The great thing about doing this kind of measurement at a synchrotron is we can actually look at this at a microscopic level without having to take the cell apart," Dalhousie doctoral candidate and CLS senior scientist Toby Bond said, per IE. Most battery electrodes are composed of extremely small particles, often graphite for anodes, that are many times thinner than a human hair. Those particles, in turn, are made of smaller crystals that are "held together like snowflakes in a snowball," per IE's description. But the new design is more akin to a giant ice cube, which can better withstand the rigors of charge-discharge cycles, the report continued. The proof was highlighted by CLS, which showed that the regular battery electrodes were cracking and degrading during testing. The crystal version, however, showed little signs of stress, according to Dalhousie. "[It] looked very much like a brand-new cell. If these batteries can outlast the rest of the EV by such a large amount and still be in good shape internally, that makes them ideal candidates for reuse or repurposing in other applications — like storing energy for intermittent wind and solar farms," per the summary. Do you worry about the longevity of EV batteries? For sure Not really Not at all I've never thought about it Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Unique battery components made from astounding materials are making headlines. Some innovations include cow hair and silicon. Giant brands such as Panasonic are among companies investing in the next-gen tech. Single-crystal electrodes could unlock unbelievable longevity for EV packs, eliminating them as a "limiting factor" for the cleaner rides, as IE reported. That's important because an EV prevents thousands of pounds of air pollution annually when replacing a fossil-burning car. The smog is linked to worsening childhood asthma, among other health concerns. For the industry's part, EV and plug-in hybrid sales set a global record last year, rising 25% to more than 17 million vehicles, per Reuters. "We really need these vehicles to last as long as possible, because the longer you drive them, the better its improvement on the carbon footprint is," Bond told IE. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
