Scientists have unveiled the magnesium-bound crystal structure of Akkermansia muciniphila sialidase Amuc_1547, a key enzyme enabling gut bacteria to degrade protective mucins. The study reveals a unique metal-binding pocket, a carbohydrate-binding domain, and an unconventional catalytic mechanism. These findings advance understanding of gut microbiota adaptation and offer potential pathways for therapies targeting metabolic diseases linked to mucin metabolism.

Graphene is a "miracle material": mechanically extremely strong and electrically highly conductive, ideal for related applications. Using a worldwide unique method physicists at the University of Vienna led by Jani Kotakoski have for the first time made graphene drastically more stretchable by rippling it like an accordion. This paves the way for new applications in which certain stretchability is required (e.g. wearable electronics). In a collaboration with the Vienna University of Technology the exact mechanism of this phenomenon has been revealed and published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

Neutrinos and antineutrinos are elementary particles with small but unknown mass. High-precision atomic mass measurements at the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have revealed that beta decay of the silver-110 isomer has a strong potential to be used for the determination of electron antineutrino mass. The result is an important step paving the way for future antineutrino experiments.