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Scientists at the TU Wien and the University of Vienna have uncovered the detailed structure of the aluminum oxide surface, a challenge that has baffled researchers for decades. Aluminum oxide (Al2O3), also known as alumina, corundum, sapphire, or ruby, is one of the best insulators used in a wide range of applications: in electronic components, as a support material for catalysts, or as a chemically resistant ceramic, to name a few.

Life needs the right conditions - warmth, water and, of course, the building blocks of life, such as amino acids and proteins. These have already been detected on meteorites. A research project at the Johannes Kepler University Linz has now shown how these building blocks of life could be created in space - adding an important facet to our understanding of life.

Scientists Develop Smart Software Tool for Chemical Risk Evaluation In recent years, machine learning models have become increasingly popular for risk assessment of chemical compounds. However, they are often considered 'black boxes' due to their lack of transparency, leading to scepticism among toxicologists and regulatory authorities.

Research team achieves breakthrough: chemical synthesis of high-density RNA microarrays now faster and more efficient An international research team led by the University of Vienna has succeeded in developing a new version of RNA building blocks with higher chemical reactivity and photosensitivity. This can significantly reduce the production time of RNA chips used in biotechnological and medical research.

A research team from TU Graz and the Czech Academy of Sciences has used two enzymes to eliminate the need for highly toxic cyanide in the production of nitriles. If the household cleaner emits a lemon-like odour, this may be due to a nitrile called citronellyl nitrile. These versatile chemical nitrile groups are also used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, superglue and chemical-resistant gloves.

Physicists at TU Graz have calculated how suitable molecules can be stimulated by infrared light pulses to form tiny magnetic fields. If this is also successful in experiments, the principle could be used in quantum computer circuits. When molecules are irradiated with infrared light, they begin to vibrate due to the energy supply.

Due to the complex structures of microporous crystals known as MOFs, reliable simulations of their properties have been difficult until now. Machine learning provides the solution. Hydrogen storage, heat conduction, gas storage, CO2 and water sequestration - metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have extraordinary properties due to their unique structure in the form of microporous crystals, which have a very large surface area despite their small size.

New mathematical framework sheds light on how cells communicate to form embryo Biological processes depend on puzzle pieces coming together and interacting. Under specific conditions, these interactions can create something new without external input. This is called self-organization, as seen in a school of fish or a flock of birds.

New chemical reaction with potential applications in medicinal chemistry A team of chemists from the University of Vienna, led by Nuno Maulide, has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of chemical synthesis, developing a novel method for manipulating carbon-hydrogen bonds. This groundbreaking discovery provides new insights into the molecular interactions of positively charged carbon atoms.

The human brain is not only larger and contains more nerve cells than the control center of other species, it is also networked in a very special way: Thick bundles of nerves connect brain regions like highways over long distances, such as the left and right hemispheres of the brain. A team of researchers at IMBA, in cooperation with MedUni Vienna, has now presented the first organoid model in which these information "highways" can be studied.

The "thorium transition", which physicists have been looking for for decades, has now been excited for the first time with lasers. This paves the way for revolutionary high precision technologies, including nuclear clocks. Physicists have been hoping for this moment for a long time: for many years, scientists all'around the world have been searching for a very specific state of thorium atomic nuclei that promises revolutionary technological applications.

Progress in biomedical imaging with PyrAt compounds Fluorescent molecules enable the visualization of tissue and cells and are therefore indispensable in medicine and pharmacy. A team led by Nuno Maulide and Leticia González from the Faculty of Chemistry at the University of Vienna and Harald Sitte from MedUni Vienna has developed a series of novel fluorescent molecules.

April 5, 2024 New research shows: key molecules within nerve cells persist throughout life Most human nerve cells last a lifetime without renewal. A trait echoed within the cells' components, some enduring as long as the organism itself. New research by Martin Hetzer, molecular biologist and president of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), and colleagues discovered RNA, a typical transient molecule, in the nerve cells of mice that remain stable for their entire lives.

An international research team is attracting the attention of experts in the field with computational results on the behavior of ring polymers under shear forces: Reyhaneh Farimani, University of Vienna, and her colleagues showed that for the simplest case of connected ring pairs, the type of linkage - chemically bonded vs.

A breakthrough in catalysis research leads to a new wall paint that cleans itself when exposed to sunlight and chemically breaks down air pollutants. Typically, beautiful white wall paint does not stay beautiful and white forever. Often, various substances from the air accumulate on its surface. This can be a desired effect because it makes the air cleaner for a while - but over time, the colour changes and needs to be renewed.

A new spectroscopy method has been developed at TU Wien: Using a series of laser pusles, chemical analyses can be carried out much faster and more precisely than before. Whether you want to analyze environmental samples in nature or monitor a chemical experiment, you often need highly sensitive sensors that can "sniff out" even tiny traces of a certain gas with extreme accuracy.

The gastrointestinal tract is already known to researchers as a major storage site for microand nanoplastic particles (MNPs) in the human body. A research consortium consisting of the University of Vienna, the Medical University of Vienna and other partners under the leadership of CBmed GmbH in Graz has now investigated the effects of the tiny plastic particles on cancer cells in the human gastrointestinal tract.

ISTA researchers uncover the architecture of poxvirus cores A recent re-emergence and outbreak of Mpox brought poxviruses back as a public health threat, underlining an important knowledge gap at their core. Now, a team of researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) lifted the mysteries of poxviral core architecture by combining various cryo-electron microscopy techniques with molecular modeling.

Novel opportunities in quantum technology and condensed matter physics opened by noble gas atoms confined between graphene layers For the first time, scientists have succeeded in the stabilisation and direct imaging of small clusters of noble gas atoms at room temperature. This achievement opens up exciting possibilities for fundamental research in condensed matter physics and applications in quantum information technology.

Feldspar is very common in rocks. As atmospheric dust, this mineral contributes efficiently to cloud formation. Researchers at TU Wien have now discovered what happens during this process. Feldspar is a ubiquitous mineral and makes up about half of the Earth's crust. In the Earth's atmosphere, feldspars play a surprisingly important role.