Articles
Lighting Up Iridium Complexes
Iridium (Ir) is a fascinating element. A rare metal found in the Earth’s crust, Ir can bond with a variety of other elements to make different metal complexes. Such complexes have unusual and interesting interactions with light, with many complexes exhibiting strong luminescence on long timescales. This has made them widely used as molecules for bioimaging probes and organic light […]
Laboratory lungs: The implications of lung organoids for health and disease
Lung disease is a major public health concern. However, research is hindered by the challenges of developing translatable human lung systems in a laboratory setting. Dr Sandra Leibel, neonatologist and Physician Scientist at UCSD and Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, USA, is studying lung development and disease mechanisms. In order to do this, she has developed stem cell-derived lung […]
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Predicting post-seismic liquefaction through geological response analysis
During liquefaction, solid sandy ground behaves like a liquid, posing a significant threat in earthquake-prone regions. Seismic waves cause water-saturated sandy sediments to flow, resulting in ground subsidence and flooding. To address gaps in our understanding, Prof Yukitake Shioi from the Hachinohe Institute of Technology in Japan applied a finite element method model to observations from the 1994 Far-Off Sanriku […]
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How to change the world: COMPASS on science and effective communication
Scientists have information that can help us solve complex problems that threaten us all, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. COMPASS is a non-profit organisation which believes that strategic communication is critical for a future in which both people and nature survive and thrive. Executive Director Amanda Stanley told Research Outreach how they are building a cross-discipline community of […]
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A wireless, battery-free world: how do we power it?
Our digital world depends on the interconnectivity between wireless devices, often battery-free with no direct power supply. Such devices include wireless passive sensors, designed to receive and respond to signals from the environment. These devices can be powered by electromagnetic waves, provided their antenna can efficiently convert waves to energy. By employing optimisation algorithms and introducing a more accurate measure […]
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A novel implant enhances skull surgery outcomes
During brain surgery, the surgeon removes a piece of the skull to access the brain. The initial damage to the skull is then repaired by a procedure called cranioplasty, but the reconstruction may be complicated by infection and dehiscence (parting of the sutured lips of a wound). Cranioplasty is also used to reconstruct contour abnormalities of the skull. Recently, Professor […]
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Learning to lead: Can group reflection help train school leaders?
With greater student diversity, stricter standards, and school staff and funding in flux, the task of school leadership has become increasingly complex. School leaders require training to help them coach and manage teachers through this troublesome terrain. Against this backdrop, Dr Ellen Daniëls, researcher at the KU Leuven Public Governance Institute in Belgium, investigates group reflective learning as a tool […]
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Fragment-based design of isoquinoline derivatives as anti-inflammatory drugs
Fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD) is a well-established high-throughput screening method for drug generation. Fragment molecules used in FBDD tend to be structurally less complex than the compounds used in conventional high-throughput screening techniques. Dr Masakazu Atobe from Asahi Kasei Pharma Corporation in Japan and his colleagues have developed a methodology that can be applied to the discovery of effective drugs […]
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Cell culture protocols for growing human keratinocytes in the laboratory
Dr Hitomi Fujisaki, Senior Research Scientist at Nippi Research Institute of Biomatrix in Japan, studies human epidermal keratinocytes (skin cells) and cancer cells using two- and three-dimensional type I collagen substrates. Through her research, she aims to understand more about the ways in which these cells interact with the substrate that they are grown on, and how this relationship can […]
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Protein as a Unifying Metric for Carbon Footprinting Livestock
Agriculture and livestock production contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. To reduce these emissions, some environmental groups advocate reducing the amount of red meat that we consume. James Dyer and Raymond Desjardins, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), were interested in the impact that reducing red meat, diversifying meat consumption and changing cattle diets could potentially have on […]
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