In a research project that has real implications for their regular laboratory work, a pair of physicists at Brown University shed light on everyday fluid dynamics in the kitchen.

Researchers developed interferometric Image Scanning Microscopy (iISM), a label-free method combining interferometric scattering with image scanning microscopy. Replacing the single confocal detector with a camera and using pixel reassignment that accounts for interferometric phase, iISM improves background suppression, contrast-to-noise ratio, and resolution in the scattering intracellular environment. It achieves ~120 nm lateral resolution and enables ~10× faster imaging at the same power or ~10× lower power at the same speed, enabling less perturbative live-cell observations.

Estonian research organisations aim to establish a new Centre of Excellence for Science and Deep Tech in Estonia, developed in close partnership with the Helsinki Institute of Physics (HIP) and CERN.

The initiative is prepared under the European Commission’s Teaming for Excellence programme (TERA-Science) and seeks to strengthen Estonia’s scientific excellence, train new generations of scientists and engineers, and translate frontier technologies into industrial value.

Researchers from the Institute of Physics and the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology of the University of Tartu have shown in a recently  published study  that antibacterial  coatings which initially appear highly effective at destroying bacteria, may lose their performance over time. Therefore, long-term testing is essential for developing the best antibacterial materials. 

Scientists are looking for ways to make chemical reactions more efficient with the help of catalysts. This would ideally use rare metals as economically as possible. With individual, isolated indium atoms on a support material, ETH chemists have created a catalyst that is highly efficient at converting CO2 and hydrogen into methanol. Methanol can be used to produce a multitude of chemical products, including plastics and fuels. This method provides the basis for a fossil-free chemical industry.  

For hundreds of thousands of years, our hominin ancestors collected crystals. Something about these stones made them desirable, even when they weren’t used for anything. But then why collect them at all? To learn more about the roots of this fascination, scientists in Spain ran experiments with individuals from the species most closely related genetically to hominins and humans: chimpanzees. Chimps were drawn to crystals’ transparency and shape and could quickly distinguish them from normal rocks. These findings could show why objects with crystal-like properties have intrigued our ancestors for almost 800,000 years – and continue to pique our interest today.

A research team from the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed an innovative model to accurately assess the carbon sequestration capacity of global salt marshes, addressing a long-standing gap in blue carbon accounting.

What’s going on in there? An international research team developed a method to pull back the veil on the unknown processes going on inside quantum computers - which may help us build more reliable quantum machines.