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National Geographic
2 days ago
- Science
- National Geographic
This creature can 3D-print its own body parts
Bristle worms have protrusions that act like a 3D printer, helping us to understand how cells regenerate. The larvae of a bristle worm, saltwater worms with elaborate, hair-like structures. Photograph By C: Luis Zelaya-Lainez, Vienna University of Technology Most people will never see a bristle worm in the wild, but according to a new study, the science derived from these bristly beasts may someday benefit you or someone you know. Bristle worms—aka polychaetes— are saltwater worms with elaborate, hair-like structures; in some species, they allow the animals to paddle through the open ocean or 'walk' across the seafloor. 'One of the reasons that we're interested in bristle worms is because they're great models for regeneration biology,' says Florian Raible, a molecular biologist at the University of Vienna in Austria. 'So, they can actually regenerate most of their body, and they can do this very well compared to other systems.' While most of the lab was focusing on these regenerative superpowers, one of Raible's postdoc students at the time, Kyojiro Ikeda, happened to notice something peculiar at the molecular level, using electron microscopy and tomography. Looking more closely at the species known as Platynereis dumerilii, Ikeda noticed that everywhere the bristle worm had bristles, it also had a single cell known as a chaetoblast. More specifically, this chaetoblast has a protrusion that repeatedly elongates and then retracts, depositing a material known as chitin in the process of building each individual bristle. 'We sort of think of these protrusions as acting like a 3D printer,' says Raible, senior author of a study detailing the discovery in Nature Communications last year. 'Every single individual bristle is made by a single cell.' Surprisingly, Raible says there's a 'striking parallel' between the geometry of the bristle worm's chaetoblasts and the sensory cells found in the inner ear of humans and other vertebrates. And this means that in addition to teaching scientists about regeneration, the bristle worm system may be able to serve as a proxy for such cells, allowing us to study conditions like deafness (which can occur when sensory cells in the inner ear are damaged). 'So, we essentially have a new parallel between very evolutionarily distant organisms, such as us and these polychaete worms,' he says. There are more than 24,000 species of worms on this planet, and while most of us tend to only think about the ones wriggling through the garden, these tubular creatures are incredibly diverse. The giant Gippsland earthworm of Australia can grow to be nearly 10 feet long, for example, while worms in the Chaetopteridae family glow in the dark, and bloodworms are venomous devourers of flesh. 'For me, the most fascinating part is the fact that such a group of animals managed to adapt to different habitats, which caused an immense variety of organ system adaptations and changing body plans,' says Conrad Helm, a biologist at the University of Göttingen in Germany. 'So, most of them look quite bizarre and fascinating and are totally different from the picture most people have in mind when thinking of a worm.' For instance, bristle worms use their bristles to swim through open water, shuffle along the seafloor in a manner that resembles walking, and even dig tunnels. The bristles can also sometimes be equipped with hooks, stylets, and teeth, which allow the worms to secure themselves to their burrows. Interestingly, the authors were able to observe how such structures are formed in the new research, revealing that teeth are also laid down by the 3D-printing-like process as the overall bristle is formed, sort of like a conveyor belt. 'Every 30 to 40 minutes, a tooth is initiated,' says Ikeda, a cell biologist at the University of Vienna and lead author of the study. 'So, a new tooth is starting while the old one is synthesized.' All of these structures are made out of chitin, which is the second most common biopolymer on Earth, and importantly, one that is tolerated really well by the human body. This may mean that by studying polychaete bristles, scientists can develop new surgical stitches or adhesives that start out strong but are eventually absorbed into the human body. There are also plans to develop a new kind of cement for dental work, say the researchers. 'It's really mind-blowing' Helm says the new study only makes him more curious about these weird and wonderful creatures. 'It's really mind-blowing to see how nature is able to create a diversity of shapes and forms that humans are unable to replicate,' he says. 'What is groundbreaking in the new study is the fact that [the researchers] uncovered several ultrastructural and molecular details that were not known to science so far. Especially when it comes to the shaping of the bristles.' He notes that it goes to show how important it is to conduct unbiased, basic research. 'Without basic research, such biological materials or processes will never be usable for medical applications,' he says. 'The study shows that there are still many open questions.' Worms have been on this planet for more than 500 million years—which is about 100 million years before trees existed. Who knows what else these often-overlooked lifeforms have to teach us?
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Single platinum atoms spotted in 2D lattice for first time unlock smarter gas sensors
Austrian scientists have achieved a breakthrough by embedding individual platinum atoms into an ultrathin material and pinpointing their positions within the lattice with atomic precision for the first time ever. The research team from the University of Vienna and the Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), utilized a new method that combines defect engineering in the host material, the controlled placement of platinum atoms, and a cutting-edge, high-contrast electron imaging technique known as ptychography. Jani Kotakoski, PhD, an expert in the field of physics in nanostructured materials and research group leader, highlighted that the achievement sets the stage for tailoring materials with atomic precision. Active centers, which are tiny sites on the material's surface where chemical reactions occur or gas molecules can specifically bind, are crucial for enhancing the efficiency, selectivity, and overall performance of materials used in catalysis and gas detection. These centers are especially effective when made up of single metal atoms like platinum, which they aimed not only to produce, but also to visualize with atomic-level precision. Known for its highly tunable structure, the host material molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) is an ultrathin semiconductor. To introduce new active sites, the scientists used helium ion irradiation to deliberately create atomic-scale defects on its surface, such as sulfur vacancies. These vacancy sites were then selectively filled with individual platinum atoms, allowing the team to engineer the material at the atomic level. This precise atomic substitution, known as doping, enables fine-tuning of the material's properties for specific applications, such as catalysis or gas detection. However, previous studies had not provided direct evidence of the exact positions of foreign atoms within the atomic lattice, as conventional electron microscopy lacks the contrast needed to clearly distinguish between defect types such as single and double sulfur vacancies. In a bid to address the challenge, the team has now used a state-of-the-art imaging method known as Single-Sideband Ptychography (SSB), which analyzes electron diffraction patterns to achieve atomic-level resolution. "With our combination of defect engineering, doping, and ptychography, we were able to visualize even subtle differences in the atomic lattice - and clearly determine whether a platinum atom had been incorporated into a vacancy or merely resting loosely on the surface," David Lamprecht, MSc, a student at the University of Vienna's institute for microelectronics, and lead author of the study, said. With the help of computer simulations, the scientists were able to precisely identify the different incorporation sites, such as positions originally occupied by sulfur or molybdenum atoms, marking a key advance toward targeted material design. The team believes that combining targeted atom placement with atomically precise imaging unlocks new possibilities for advanced catalyst design and highly selective gas sensing. While individual platinum atoms placed at precisely defined sites can serve as highly efficient catalysts, like in eco-friendly hydrogen production, the material can also be tailored to respond selectively to specific gas molecules. "With this level of control over atom placement, we can develop selectively functionalized sensors - a significant improvement over existing methods," Kotakoski concluded in a press release. According to the research team, the approach is not limited to platinum and molybdenum disulfide but can also be applied to a wide range of 2D materials and dopant atom combinations. By gaining more precise control over defect creation and incorporating post-treatment steps, the researchers now hope to further refine the technique. Their final goal is to develop functional materials with customized properties, in which every atom is positioned with absolute precision. The study has been published in the journal Nano Letters.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A spaceship moving near the speed of light would appear rotated, special relativity experiment proves
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In a bizarre repercussion of Albert Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, objects traveling close to the speed of light appear flipped over. The Special Theory of Relativity, or special relativity for short, describes what happens to objects traveling at close to the speed of light. In particular, it discusses two major repercussions of moving so quickly. One is that time would clearly appear to pass more slowly for the object traveling close to the speed of light relative to slower moving bodies around it. This is rooted in a phenomenon called "time dilation," which also leads to the famous Twin Paradox, has been proven experimentally and is even considered when building certain kinds of technology. Global positioning survey (GPS) satellites in orbit, for instance, have to account for time dilation when providing accurate navigation data. Another consequence is what we call length contraction. "Suppose a rocket whizzes past us at 90% of the speed of light," Peter Schattschneider, a professor of physics at TU Wien, the Vienna University of Technology, said in a statement. "For us, it no longer has the same length as before it took off, but is 2.3 times shorter." This doesn't mean the rocket literally contracts, but rather that it appears contracted to an observer. Astronauts on board the rocket, for example, would still measure their spacecraft to be the same length that it has always been. It's all relative — hence the name of the theory. One consequence of length contraction was proposed in 1959 by physicists James Terrell and Roger Penrose. Known as the Terrell–Penrose effect, it predicted that objects moving at a high fraction of the speed of light should appear rotated. "If you wanted to take a picture of the rocket as it flew past, you would have to take into account that the light from different points took different lengths of time to reach the camera," said Schattschneider. For example, Schattschneider describes trying to take an image of a cube-shaped spacecraft — perhaps a Borg cube! — moving obliquely past us at almost the speed of light. First, we need to state the obvious, which is that light emitted (or reflected) from a corner on the closest side of the cube to us travels a shorter distance than light from the corner of the farthest side of the cube. Two photons departing at the same time from each of those two corners would therefore reach us at slightly different times, because one photon has to travel farther than the other. What this means is in a still image, in which the captured photons have all arrived at a camera lens at the same time, the photon from the far corner must have departed earlier than the one from the near corner in order to arrive synchronously. So far, so logical. However, this cube is not stationary — it's moving extremely fast and covers a lot of ground very quickly. Thus, in our hypothetical still image of this speeding cube, the far corner photon was emitted earlier than the near corner photon as expected — except when the cube was in a different position. And, because the cube is moving at nearly the speed of light, that position was very different indeed. "This makes it look to us as if the cube had been rotated," said Schattschneider. By the time these two photons reach us, the corner on the far side looks like it is at the near corner, and vice versa. However, this effect had not been observed before; accelerating anything other than particles to near the speed of light requires too much energy. However, a team of researchers from TU Wien and the University of Vienna, including Schattschneider, have found a way to simulate the conditions required to rotate the image of a relativistic object. Students Dominik Hornoff and Victoria Helm of TU Wien performed an experiment in which they were able to manufacture a scenario where they could pretend the speed of light was just 6.56 feet (2 meters) per second. This had the effect of slowing the whole process down so they could capture it on a high-speed camera. "We moved a cube and a sphere around the lab and used the high-speed camera to record the laser flashes reflected from different points on these objects at different times," said Hornoff and Helm in a joint statement. "If you get the timing right, you can create a situation that produces the same results as if the speed of light were no more than two meters per second." The cube and the sphere were deformed to mimic length contraction — the cube, simulated to be moving at 80% of the speed of light, was actually a cuboid with an aspect ratio of 0.6, while the sphere was flattened into a disk in accordance with a velocity of 99.9% of the speed of light. Related Stories: — Einstein wins again! Quarks obey relativity laws, Large Hadron Collider finds — Euclid 'dark universe' telescope discovers stunning Einstein ring in warped space-time (image) — Black holes may obey the laws of physics after all, new theory suggests Hornoff and Helm illuminated the cube and the sphere respectively with extremely short pulses from a laser; they also recorded images of the reflected light with camera exposures of just a trillionth of a second (a span of time known as a picosecond). After each image, the cube and the sphere were repositioned as though they were moving at close to the speed of light. The images were then combined to include only those where each object is illuminated by the laser at the moment when light would have been emitted if the speed of light were only two meters per second, rather than the 983,571,056 feet (299,792,458 meters) per second that it actually is. "We combined the still images into short video clips of the ultra-fast objects. The result was exactly what we expected," said Schattschneider. "A cube appears twisted, a sphere remains a sphere but the north pole is in a different place." The Terrell–Penrose effect is just another example of how nature, when pushed to extremes, becomes topsy-turvy, creating phenomena quite alien to our existence. The findings were presented on May 5 in the journal Communications Physics.
South China Morning Post
04-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
World's first 1-nanometre RISC-V chip made in China with 2D materials
Chinese scientists have developed the world's most complex two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor microprocessor, with the chip set to enter pilot-scale production. Advertisement Details of the chip , which is less than one nanometre thick, were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Wednesday. Its most notable advance is that fabrication of the chip does not rely on advanced extreme ultraviolet ( EUV ) lithography, opening a new, independent pathway for China in semiconductor innovation. As silicon-based integrated circuits approach the physical limits of miniaturisation, researchers worldwide have turned to 2D materials, such as molybdenum disulphide and tungsten diselenide, to push the boundaries of chip performance. Typically only one atom thick , these materials offer remarkable physical properties, enabling further scaling and improved functionality in next-generation circuits. Although wafer-scale growth of 2D materials has been achieved over the past decade, until now the most complex 2D semiconductor digital circuit – developed by the Vienna University of Technology in 2017 – contained just 115 transistors. Advertisement
See - Sada Elbalad
20-03-2025
- Science
- See - Sada Elbalad
Hydrologist Günter Blöschl Wins 2025 Stockholm Water Prize
H-Tayea Professor Günter Blöschl, a world-renowned hydrologist and expert in flood risk reduction, water resource management, and climate change impacts on flooding, has been named the 2025 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate. Recognized for his pioneering research, Professor Blöschl has significantly advanced the global understanding of flood scaling, regional hydrology, and sociohydrology, making a lasting impact on the scientific and engineering communities. The Stockholm Water Prize Committee, in its official statement, hailed Professor Blöschl as the world's leading flood hydrologist, emphasizing his groundbreaking contributions to understanding flood risks under climate change and the role of regional flood processes. The committee highlighted how his observation-based research has revealed that the past two decades have been significantly more flood-prone compared to historical records. Reacting to the announcement, Professor Blöschl expressed gratitude, stating: "This is such an honor. It really makes me think about how lucky I am to be working with such brilliant people." Blöschl, a professor at the Vienna University of Technology, currently heads the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resources Management and serves as the Director of the Doctoral Programme of Water Resources Systems, a program he founded over 15 years ago. He also holds a part-time professorship at the University of Bologna. Throughout his career, Professor Blöschl has collaborated with leading global scientists, including previous Stockholm Water Prize laureates Taikan Oki and Andrea Rinaldo. His research has taken him across the world, including extended stays in the US, Canada, and Australia, where he gained valuable perspectives on scientific and societal issues related to water management. Anette Scheibe Lorentzi, Chair of the Stockholm Water Foundation, praised Professor Blöschl's contributions, stating: "With his groundbreaking research, Professor Blöschl has made invaluable contributions to our understanding of flood risk reduction and sustainable water resource management. In the face of a changing climate, this knowledge is more important than ever, and I congratulate him on being awarded the Stockholm Water Prize 2025." The Stockholm Water Prize, regarded as the "Nobel Prize of Water", is awarded by the Stockholm Water Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The prestigious award recognizes individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to water research and management. Professor Blöschl will receive the Stockholm Water Prize 2025 from H.M. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, the official patron of the award, during World Water Week in Stockholm in August. About the Stockholm Water Prize The Stockholm Water Prize is supported by leading international partners, including Ålandsbanken, Bacardi, PDJ Foundation, WEF, and Xylem. The prize honors extraordinary achievements in water science, technology, and policy, addressing critical global water challenges. With climate change intensifying the frequency and severity of floods, Professor Blöschl's work has become more relevant than ever. His innovative research not only improves flood risk management but also shapes global policies for climate resilience and sustainable water resource management. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Lifestyle Pistachio and Raspberry Cheesecake Domes Recipe Videos & Features Bouchra Dahlab Crowned Miss Arab World 2025 .. Reem Ganzoury Wins Miss Arab Africa Title (VIDEO) News Ireland Replaces Former Israeli Embassy with Palestinian Museum News Israeli PM Diagnosed with Stage 3 Prostate Cancer Lifestyle Maguy Farah Reveals 2025 Expectations for Pisces News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple
