news 2023

Calculations by TU Vienna show: Newly discovered material LK-99 actually has properties that could be advantageous for superconductivity . LK-99 is the name of the material that is being hotly debated around the world these days: A Korean research group published results at the end of July 2023 suggesting that it could be a superconductor that remains superconducting even at room temperature and normal atmospheric pressure, i.e. conducts electricity completely without electrical resistance.

Breakthrough achieved in elucidating the "gating" process of Kir2 potassium channels Ion channels play a crucial role in many cellular processes, including neuronal communication, muscle contraction or cell proliferation. Most multi subunit ion channels exist in two functional states, either closed or open.

A research group led by Giulio Superti-Furga of the Institute of Pharmacology at the Medical University and the CeMM Research Center has developed a new method that makes it possible to specifically inhibit important lactate transporters associated with cancer and numerous other diseases. This could provide a new starting point for the treatment of cancer in particular.

Gene flow from an extinct gorilla population to eastern gorillas discovered An international research study led by the University of Vienna (Austria) and the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (IBE) in Barcelona (Spain), recently published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution , provides a better insight into the evolutionary history of gorillas.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already being used to diagnose skin cancer, but it cannot (yet) keep pace with the complex decision-making of doctors in practice. An international research team led by Harald Kittler of MedUni Vienna has now explored a learning method in which greater accuracy in AI results can be achieved by incorporating human decision-making criteria.

Scientists from the Giulio Superti-Furga Lab at CeMM, the Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, have developed a new method that allows the discovery of specific inhibitors of a lactate transporter associated with cancer and other disease areas. The compound identified in the assay system could provide a new starting point for cancer treatments.

A world record in solving satisfiability problems was achieved at the Vienna University of Technology - it is quite abstract, but the technology behind it is extremely important for hardware and software industries . Suppose Alice, Bob, and Carla answer a question. Each of the three answers is either correct or incorrect.

Cancer is twice as likely to affect people experiencing homelessness (PEH) as members of the housed population. The disease is the second most common cause of death among PEH, a group that is underserved when it comes to medical care. At the same time, there is a lack of awareness and of structures for targeted cancer screening.

The new subtype has been characterised as part of an international collaboration with a research group from Luxembourg, opening up the prospect of a possible new therapeutic approach. Members of Helmut Dolznig's research group at MedUni Vienna's Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics played a key role in the research work, which was recently published in the renowned journal Nature Communications.

Water detected by JWST in a planet-forming disk provides insight into the life-friendliness of Earth-like planets. The international MINDS research group has discovered water in the inner region of a disk of gas and dust around a young star with the James Webb Space Telescope. Usually, Earth-like planets form in this zone.

Many biomarkers can be read from human sweat - a new biosensor for monitoring human metabolism takes advantage of this . A new and improved technology has been developed by researchers at Johannes Kepler University Linz together with colleagues from the USA. The revolutionary sensor technology could be of great importance for both disease diagnostics and fitness monitoring.

How active compounds affect RNA and thus the expression of genes is of great interest for the development of potential therapeutics. Innsbruck chemists have now used a method they recently developed to study the binding of the aminoglycoside Neomycin B to a so-called mRNA riboswitch. In important cellular processes, ribonucleic acids (RNA) specifically recognize certain proteins or small organic molecules as binding partners.

During heat waves, people at risk can protect themselves by moving to medium altitudes. Between 1000 and 2500 m'there is a lower mortality rate in the Alps, which is probably also due to the lower temperatures. This is pointed out by sports scientist Martin Burtscher from the University of Innsbruck.

Researchers at TU Wien are developing a layered photocatalyst that can be used to produce hydrogen very efficiently from water. Finding sustainable and clean fuels is crucial in today's global energy and climate crisis. One promising candidate that is increasingly gaining relevance is hydrogen. However, today's industrial hydrogen production still has a considerable CO2 footprint, especially considering processes like steam reforming or non-sustainable electrolysis.

Soil is the largest natural carbon storage in the world. In Northern ecosystems particularly large amounts of carbon are stored, but they are also particularly strongly affected by global warming. A recently published study by an international team led by Michael Bahn of the University of Innsbruck investigated how ongoing warming affects the uptake and release of carbon dioxide in subarctic grassland.

Tiny plastic particles are an environmental problem. They can even penetrate living cells. A method has now been developed at TU Wien to detect such particles quickly and with high sensitivity. It is well known that microplastics are a problem: They are tiny, barely visible plastic particles that can harm the environment, for example, if they are eaten by animals.

Soils are the largest natural carbon reservoirs in the world. In the far north, this store is particularly large, but it is also particularly affected by global warming there. A recent study by an international team led by Michael Bahn of the University of Innsbruck investigated how ongoing warming affects the uptake and release of carbon dioxide in subarctic grasslands.

The friction in our joints is extremely low - how is that physically possible at all? Measurements at TU Wien provide explanations and ideas for new treatment methods . Friction and wear as an eternal nuisance - this is as familiar in technology as it is in medicine. Whether it's a manual transmission or a knee joint, you always want moving parts to slide over each other with as little friction as possible, so that energy expenditure and wear are kept to a minimum.

A research team from the Department of Medicine III at MedUni Vienna and University Hospital Vienna has conducted a large-scale study showing the important value of repeated liver assessments by a novel method that can significantly improve risk assessment in patients with chronic liver disease. The dynamics of regular measurements of liver stiffness indicate a personalised patient risk profile which enables the initiation of individualized treatment strategies.

When a child is born before the completed 37th week of pregnancy, it is called a premature birth. Modern medicine makes it possible to care for premature babies, but depending on the baby's stage of development, some of them face major challenges. One of the biggest problems is the (un)maturity of the lungs, and thus the oxygen supply to children who are born prematurely.