Researchers at the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology recently connected their campuses with an experimental quantum communications network using two optical fibers.

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.