University of Iowa engineers have refined the design for an underwater vehicle to move more freely and with more maneuverability. The design changes mimic the octopus’ papillae muscles, which can be uncoiled on a moment’s notice for camouflage and to aid movement when flow conditions change in the water. Result published in the journal Robotics Reports.

Two outstanding researchers at Goethe University have each successfully secured a prestigious fellowship from the European Research Council (ERC) for their pioneering research projects: Geoscientist Dr. Jeremy McCormack, within the framework of his ERC Starting Grant, is investigating to what extent the ecology of prehistoric sharks increased their risk of extinction. Chemist Dr. Andrei Kuzhelev is advancing an ultra-high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the dynamics of complex biomolecules in nanoliter-sized samples. The grant are each endowed with around 1.5 million euros.

The University of Bonn has yet another good reason to celebrate as three of its researchers have been awarded an ERC Starting Grant worth €1.5 million each. This European Research Council (ERC) grant program is designed to support early-career researchers. The economist Assistant Professor Amelie Schiprowski, the computer scientist Professor Lucie Flek and the evolutionary biologist Dr. Moritz Lürig will use the funding to progress their own research projects over the next five years.

Heme binding to a bacterial transcription factor is critical for hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) signaling, report researchers from Japan. Heme binding promotes the reaction of H₂S with the transcription factor, leading to structural changes that can regulate stress tolerance in bacteria. The mechanism reported in this study explains bacterial resistance via H₂S sensing and highlights a previously unknown role of heme in cell signaling. Disrupting this mechanism could inspire new antibiotic strategies against drug-resistant infections. 

Two Assistant Professors at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) have won European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grants of 1.5 million euros each to pursue their potentially groundbreaking work in astrophysics and neuroscience. These prestigious grants empower scientists at the beginning of their careers to launch projects, form teams and explore their best ideas.