Recovering in-demand metals for new electronics

Recovering in-demand metals for new electronics

Nearly all technology today—from cellphones to computers to MRI scanners—contains rare earth elements (REEs). The global market for REEs is predicted to reach $6.2 billion (USD) this year and $16.1 billion (USD) by 2034.

High concentrations of one particular REE — lanthanum — are often in find in mine tailings. Runoff from this waste can make its way into nearby bodies of water where it poses a risk to human health and the environment. As a result, researchers are on the hunt for ways to recover the material.

Michael Chan, working under the supervision of Dr. Huu Doan in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), recently discovered that industrial-strength chemical adsorbents can be used to “soak up” lanthanum from that mine waste.

“These ‘fancy sponges’ are about the size of a grain of salt,” says Chan, who is completing his Masters degree at TMU. Working in a lab, Chan and his colleagues found that the metal ions present in a sample of contaminated water trade places with the hydrogen ions present on the surface of adsorbent.

When they filtered the adsorbent out of the water, they were left with cleaner water and recovered lanthanum that could be reformed and reused in new electronics.

The team used a scanning electron microscope at TMU to better understand the ion exchange process, then used the Canadian Light Source at the University of Saskatchewan to get even more detailed images and to confirm their findings.

Read more on CLS website

Striking structural similarities in RNA of four Betacoronaviruses

Striking structural similarities in RNA of four Betacoronaviruses

In a study published in Nucleic Acids Research, a team from the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw (IIMCB), led by Prof. Janusz Bujnicki, in collaboration with the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid and the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, made a significant discovery regarding the four main types of betacoronaviruses, including the deadly viruses SARS-CoV-2 and MERS, as well as the OC43 virus that causes colds. The research was carried out using the research infrastructure of the SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre.

The scientists analyzed the ribonucleic acid (RNA) molecules – the genetic material of betacoronaviruses. The RNA nucleotide sequences of coronaviruses, which are about 30,000 nucleotides long, differ significantly from each other. In this work, detailed analyses focused on examining the spatial structure and dynamics of about 500 nucleotides at the very beginning of the viral RNA (the “5′ end”), which plays a crucial role in the replication of viruses in infected cells.

The 5′ ends of the genomic RNA of four different coronaviruses were examined using advanced biochemical, biophysical, and bioinformatics techniques, including chemical probing, cryo-electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and computer modeling. The results revealed the presence of very similar structural elements, despite being formed by different nucleotide sequences in the RNA of various betacoronaviruses.

“This discovery is fundamental for understanding the similarities in the functioning of betacoronaviruses,” says Prof. Janusz Bujnicki from the IIMCB, the project leader. “The spatial structures we have identified in the RNA molecules of viruses may contribute to the development of new antiviral drugs in the future.”

The significance of the published discovery goes beyond understanding the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and sheds new light on the molecular mechanisms of how all coronaviruses function.

This research was possible thanks to the international collaboration of scientists from Warsaw, Krakow, and Madrid. The project was initiated as part of the COVID-19 research program, funded by the National Science Centre (grant 2020/01/0/NZ1/00232), and then continued with support from other national and international sources. Key to success was the effective cooperation of experts from various fields of science.

Read more on SOLARIS website

Image: Evolutionarily conserved structures of SL5 regulatory elements in Betacoronavirus RNA genomes

Neat, precise and brighter than ever

Neat, precise and brighter than ever

Researchers at SwissFEL have successfully demonstrated new technologies that improve the temporal coherence of XFEL pulses

X-ray free-electron lasers produce pulses of light that are exceptionally bright, making them powerful tools for studying ultrafast chemical reactions, biological processes, or probing the structure of materials at atomic scales.

However, these pulses are noisy in time and frequency due to the way the light is generated through a process known as self-amplified spontaneous emission, or SASE for short: i.e., the pulses are not temporally coherent.

This spectral randomness can be a limitation for experiments requiring ultra-high spectral control to follow electron and structural dynamics.

In true Swiss style, researchers at SwissFEL have now found a way to make the light neat and orderly.

Read more on PSI website

Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscope

Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscope

New cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.

Lithium-ion batteries are set to become even more powerful with new materials for the cathodes. For example, layered lithium-rich transition metal (LRTMO) cathodes could further increase the charge capacity and be used in high-performance lithium batteries. However, so far it has been observed that these cathode materials ‘age’ rapidly: the cathode material degrades as a result to the back-and-forth migration of lithium ions during charging and discharging. Until now it was unclear what specific changes these would involve.

Teams from Chinese research institutions have therefore applied for beam time at the world’s only transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) at an undulator beamline at the BESSY II storage ring to investigate their samples using 3D tomography and nanospectroscopy. The HZB-TXM measurements were performed by Dr. Peter Guttmann, HZB, back in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic. The X-ray microscopic analysis was then supplemented by further spectroscopic and microscopic examinations. After careful evaluation of the extensive data, the results are now available: they provide detailed information on changes in the morphology and structure of the material, but also on chemical processes during discharge.

‘Soft X-ray transmission microscopy allows us to visualise chemical states in LRTMO particles in three dimensions with high spatial resolution and to gain insights into chemical reactions during the electrochemical cycle,’ explains Dr Stephan Werner, who is responsible for the scientific supervision and further development of the instrument.

Read more on HZB website

Image: The left side of the figure shows nanotomography images of an LRTMO particle taken at the TXM of BESSY II before the first charging cycle (top) and after 10 charging cycles (bottom). In the simulation (right side), the isolated pores are highlighted in light blue. After 10 charging cycles, the number of pores and cracks has significantly increased.

Credit: HZB

PETRA IV project – moving forward towards funding

PETRA IV project – moving forward towards funding

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has officially confirmed PETRA IV is participating in the “National Prioritization Procedure for Large-scale Research Infrastructures.  A team from DESY has prepared a short concept according to the BMBF’s specifications. The concept of the conversion of PETRA III into a state-of-the-art 4th generation X-ray light source is entitled: “PETRA IV – the ultimate 4D X-ray microscope”. The next major milestone for PETRA IV will be the approval of the overall project. A funding commitment by mid-2026 at the latest is important for further planning to avoid major delays in implementation. As the shortlist is not linked to a funding commitment, it will be up to the future government to provide the funding. DESY is ready to realise PETRA IV on time and within budget. The project team of about 50 people has worked out the technical design and has already completed other important planning steps. Thanks to start-up funding, a preparatory programme was launched in September 2024. As a result, the planning and construction of prototypes for PETRA IV are progressing. Thanks to the advanced stage of planning, PETRA IV’s construction can start immediately after approval. Further preparatory work will take place between 2027 and 2029. The existing PETRA III complex is scheduled to be shut down in December 2029. The first light from PETRA IV is expected in 2032.

Read more on DESY website

Image: Visualisation of the future PETRA IV tunnel

Credit: Science Communication Lab, DESY

Finetuning fertilizers to boost crop yields

Finetuning fertilizers to boost crop yields

Worldwide, many agricultural soils are deficient in the nutrient zinc – despite the fact that farmers use fertilizers enriched with the element. This limits crop yields and reduces food quality. It’s estimated that roughly a third of the global population consume foods low in zinc, which can increase sickness and death in early childhood, as well as impaired growth and cognition.

Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), researchers from the University of Adelaide in Australia investigated how to manufacture more efficient zinc-enriched fertilizers. The HXMA beamline at CLS enabled the researchers to examine at the molecular level what happens to the water solubility of zinc (its ability to dissolve in water) when it’s added to ammonium phosphate fertilizer.

“Going in to the project, our group thought the type of zinc compound would be a good predictor of a fertilizer’s solubility” says Rodrigo da Silva, from the University of Adelaide. “However, the CLS beamline enabled us to understand that the agronomic performance cannot be predicted based on what form of zinc is present in the fertilizer granules. Instead, the pH drives the fertilizer zinc solubility and availability to the crops.”

Dr. da Silva and colleagues found that when zinc is added to phosphate fertilizer, it forms a range of different zinc phosphate compounds. However, its solubility was not related to the relative abundance of these compounds, but to fertilizer pH. This means that zinc added to more alkaline phosphate fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate will have very low solubility and hence low agronomic effectiveness for crop uptake.

Read more on CLS website

The secrets of fossil teeth

The secrets of fossil teeth

Compared to the great apes, humans have an exceptionally long childhood, during which parents, grandparents and other adults contribute to their physical and cognitive development. This is a key developmental period for acquiring all the cognitive skills needed in the complex social environment of a human group. The current consensus is that the very long growth of modern humans has evolved as a consequence of the increase in brain volume, since such an organ requires significant energy resources to grow.

However, the ‘big brain – long childhood’ hypothesis may need to be revised, as shown by an international team of researchers in the journal Nature, based on an analysis of the dental growth of an exceptional fossil.

The research team, made up of scientists from the University of Zurich (Switzerland), the ESRF and the Georgian National Museum (Georgia), used synchrotron imaging to study the dental development of a near-adult fossil of early Homo from the Dmanisi site in Georgia, dated to around 1.77 million years ago.

Teeth are the key

“Childhood and cognition do not fossilise, so we have to rely on indirect information. Teeth are ideal because they fossilise well and produce daily rings, in the same way that trees produce annual rings, which record their development”, explains Christoph Zollikofer from the University of Zurich and first author of the publication. “Dental development is strongly correlated with the development of the rest of the body, including brain development. Access to the details of a fossil hominid’s dental growth therefore provides a great deal of information about its general growth”, adds Paul Tafforeau, scientist at the ESRF and co- author of the study.

18 years of research

The project was launched in 2005, following the initial success of non-destructive analyses of dental microstructures using phase contrast synchrotron tomography at the ESRF. This technique enabled scientists to create virtual microscopic slices through the teeth of this fossil. The exceptional quality of preservation of the growth structures in this specimen has made it possible to reconstruct all the phases of its dental growth, from birth to death, with unprecedented precision. In a way, the scientists have virtually regrown the teeth of this hominid.

This project took almost 18 years from its initial conception in 2005 to the finalisation of the results in 2023. The scientists scanned the teeth for the first time in 2006, and the first results on the fossil’s age at death were obtained in 2007. “We expected to find either dental development typical of early hominids, close to that of the great apes, or dental development close to that of modern humans. When we obtained the first results, we couldn’t believe what we saw, because it was something different that implied faster molar crown growth than in any other fossil hominin or living great ape”, explains Paul Tafforeau.

Over the following few years, five series of experiments and four complete analyses using different approaches were carried out as technical advances were made in dental synchrotron imaging. With the results all pointing in the same direction, and potentially having a strong impact on the ‘big brain – long childhood’ hypothesis, the scientists had to think outside the box to understand this fossil. “It’s been a slow maturation, both technically and intellectually, to finally arrive at the hypothesis we are publishing today”

Read more on ESRF website

The arrangement and interaction of magnetic moments of atoms

The arrangement and interaction of magnetic moments of atoms

In this study, researchers from a large international team including ANSTO, investigated the magnetic properties of two unique 2D triangular lattice antiferromagnetic materials (2D-TLHAF)* using various neutron scattering techniques. 

Multiferroic materials are being explored for use in advanced computers. Their quantum properties make them suitable for future computing applications, as they can manage and process the significantly larger volume of information more efficiently. Additionally, the unique properties of 2D magnets, such as flexibility and stackability, an ability to control layers of quantum devices or materials to create more efficient systems, have application in magnetism and spintronics.

The materials, hexagonal h-Lu0.3Y0.7MnO3 and h-Lu0.47Sc0.53FeO3, are a type of frustrated antiferromagnet, which means that the spins of the atoms in the material cannot all align in a way that minimises their energy due to the triangular arrangement of the lattice.

Lead author, instrument scientist Dr Shinichiro Yano said the materials exhibit fascinating and complex magnetic behaviours which has been difficult to investigate by conventional neutron scattering techniques.

Their unique magnetic properties and nontrivial quantum effects that can be observed and measured from the cold triple axis spectrometer Sikawith a setup of polarized neutrons and other neutron instruments at the Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering. 

The study, published in the American Physical Society Journal, reports two irreducible representations* to describe their magnetic structure. 

“These mathematical concepts help us understand how the magnetic moments (spins) of the atoms in these materials are arranged and how they interact with each other.”

Dr Andrew Manning, Helium-3 Polarisation instrument scientist said, “Polarized neutron scattering has shown that accurately describing the magnetic structures of a 2D-TLHAF requires the use of two irreducible representations, rather than relying on the assumption that the system undergoes spin reorientation when using only one irreducible representation.”

Read more on ANSTO website

A new extinct species of coelacanth discovered thanks to the ESRF

A new extinct species of coelacanth discovered thanks to the ESRF

Scientists from the Natural History Museum (MHNG) and the University of Geneva (UNIGE) have discovered a new species of coelacanth, a fish considered to be a living fossil that only had two species known until now. This finding was possible thanks to the experiments done at the ESRF. The work is out in the journal PlosOne.

Fossilisation is a process that allows the preservation of plants and animals in rocks for
hundreds of millions of years. During this period, geological upheavals often deteriorate
fossils and paleontologists put great deal of effort and imagination into reconstructing
organisms as they were when they were alive.

A team of paleontologists from the MHNG and UNIGE, in collaboration with researchers from the Senckenberg Research Institute, Natural History Museum in Frankfurt am Main (Germany) and the ESRF, have just published a paper that shows the discovery of some 240-million-year-old coelacanth fossils, which show extremely detailed characteristics of of their preserved skeleton that had never been observed before.

Coelacanths are fish of which there are only two current species and which, with a few
exceptions, evolved slowly over more than 400 million years. The fossils studied by
the international team were discovered in clay nodules from the Middle Triassic period in Lorraine (France), near Saverne. The specimens, about fifteen centimetres long, are
preserved in three dimensions.

Some specimens were analysed at the ESRF in Grenoble. After hundreds of hours of work consisting of virtually individualising the bones of the skeleton by computer, the team obtained virtual 3D models of the fossils that can be easily studied. 

The results enabled the team to reconstruct the skeleton of these fish with a level of detail never obtained before for this type of fossil.

Read more on ESRF website

Improving pulse flours for consumer use

Improving pulse flours for consumer use

UManitoba researchers use synchrotron light to determine optimal particle size for milling chickpeas, lentils, beans, and peas

Chickpeas, lentils, beans and peas are a fast-growing food market, with new uses going well beyond bean salads and hummus – think brownies, vegan meats, and salad dressing. Researchers like Chitra Sivakumar are working to drive dining innovation by studying the tiniest details of flours made from these pulses.

“This is what I want to create, what the research is about: a specific flour for a specific product,” says Sivakumar, who conducted her doctoral research on pulse flours under the supervision of Dr. Jitendra Paliwal at the Grain Storage Research Lab at the University of Manitoba. The study explored how particle size, protein and starch, and other micro-properties of milled pulse flour influence the quality of the end product. Processing rice and wheat flours is standardized because century-old research on these crops has helped establish and optimize particle size for milling; however, pulse flours have not received the same attention.

Sivakumar explains that consumers and food producers are interested in pulse-based food products because beans and lentils are great sources of fibre and protein. They’re also good for the environment: Pulse Canada estimates that growing 10 million acres of pulses can capture 4.1 million tonnes of CO2 emission per year – the output of approximately 1.2 million passenger vehicles.

“Many consumers want to switch to the pulse-based proteins rather than animal-based proteins. But when they are looking in the grocery store they do not have many options,” says Sivakumar. She is using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to conduct specialized research aimed at changing that. The work is sponsored by the Canadian Pulse Science Research Cluster.

Read more on CLS website

Arsenite Accumulation and Bio-Oxidation in Thermoacidophilic Cyanidiales

Arsenite Accumulation and Bio-Oxidation in Thermoacidophilic Cyanidiales

Addressing geogenic and anthropogenic arsenic (As) pollution is critical for environmental health. This study explored arsenite [As(III)] removal using Cyanidiales, particularly Cyanidium caldarium (Cc) and Galdieria partita (Gp), under acidic to neutral pH, and determined As(III) detoxification mechanisms in relation to As speciation and protein secondary structure in Cyanidiales. Regarding As(III) sorption amounts, Cc outperformed Gp, reaching 83.2 mg g−1 of removal at pH 5.0. Wherein, 23.5 % of sorbed As on Cc presented as arsenate [As(V)] complexation with polysaccharides, alongside other predominant species including As(III)-cysteine (41.2 %) and As(III)-polysaccharides (35.3 %) complexes. This suggested that As(III) was directly transported into cells, rather than As(V). Coupled with the formation of As(III)-cysteine complexes within cells, these mechanisms may be key to efficiently accumulating As(III) in Cyanidiales during the 6-h incubation. These results highlight the potential of Cyanidiales for sustainable As(III) remediation and provide new insights into managing As(III) toxicity.

Read more on NSRRC website

Improvement of Efficiency and Stability of Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells

Improvement of Efficiency and Stability of Lead-Free Perovskite Solar Cells

Research Background and Objectives

Organic-inorganic halide perovskite solar cells have significant potential in solar energy development because of their long diffusion length, high light absorption coefficient, and excellent charge mobility. Due to these characteristics, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of perovskite solar cells has rapidly increased from 3.8% to 26%. However, using lead (Pb) poses environmental and health risks, limiting commercialization. Therefore, active studies are being conducted on lead-free perovskite materials that maintain high efficiency while using less harmful substances.  

Alternative materials such as tin (Sn), germanium (Ge), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and copper (Cu) have been proposed. Among them, tin is considered a promising candidate to replace lead due to its high charge mobility, low exciton binding energy, and suitable bandgap. However, tin-based perovskites suffer instability and low efficiency (below 15%) caused by oxidation and strong self-doping. This study aims to improve structural stability and PCE by introducing additives to overcome these limitations. 

Experimental Methods and Procedures

In this study, we introduced various additives to improve the performance of tin-based perovskite solar cells, aiming to enhance grain growth and charge carrier mobility. The additives used in the experiment were bromides and various organic amine compounds, which were added to the precursor solution in small amounts. These additives were selected to help the vertical orientation of tin-based perovskite films and to increase grain size for charge recombination reduction and conductivity enhancement.  

Solar cell thin films were fabricated through spin coating and annealing, and solvent evaporation and crystallization were processed without anti-solvent treatment. Subsequently, we analyzed electrical characteristics to evaluate the efficiency and stability of the films with additive introduction and conducted the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses in parallel to determine the crystal structure and defect states. 

Analysis Methods

To comprehensively analyze the effects of additives on tin-based perovskites, we applied synchrotron radiation analysis. In particular, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to investigate the effects of introducing additives on grain growth and structural orientation within the film. In addition, we observed the surface and cross-section of the film with an electron microscope to identify microstructural changes caused by introducing additives. Furthermore, to evaluate electrical characteristics, we measured open-circuit voltage (V_OC), short-circuit current density (J_SC), fill factor (FF), and PCE.  

Read more on PAL website

Multitasking microalgae fight pollution

Multitasking microalgae fight pollution

Microalgae for pollution removal is the topic of two recent studies by MAX IV users. The storage mechanism of phosphorous in the algae was investigated in detail contributing to method development for pollution removal from wastewater. The phosphorous-containing algae can, in turn, be used to soak up metal pollutants.

Phosphorous is used as a fertiliser to enhance crop yields in agriculture. It is needed to feed a growing population but can also become a pollutant if uncontrolled. Agriculture and wastewater treatment processes are the primary sources of phosphate pollution and eutrophication, causing oxygen depletion and loss of aquatic life. 

It is known that microalgae can take up and store phosphorous from water sources. In recent studies, researchers have investigated the storage process in more detail to optimise it and find uses for the algae after they have done their cleaning. Imaging with X-rays revealed the granules that form when microalgae store phosphorous.

“We found that the granules are composed of an interesting polyphosphate compound, inositol hexaphosphate, also known as phytic acid. This compound is found in plant seeds such as grains, nuts or pulses. It is interesting that algae can also store phosphate [editors note: a chemical compound of phosphorous] in this form. The storage is triggered by first starving the algae of phosphate and then giving them a surplus,” says Prof Richard Haverkamp from Massey University in New Zealand, one of the researchers behind the study.

The phytic acid has further uses for pollution removal, so the microalgae seem to come with a bonus.

“Because phytic acid is known to react with some metal ions, we can use the existing knowledge about phytic acid reactions with metals to predict which metal ions might be able to be absorbed readily by these algae containing phosphate granules. We have just started investigating this as a way to clean up water polluted with these metals or to remove valuable metals from aqueous sources,” prof Haverkamp continues.

The researchers scanned the whole microalgae through the X-ray beam to measure the phosphate content using a method called Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM). 

“STXM has the ability to provide images with elemental and chemical information on the features present in the image. So whereas in transmission electron microscopy it is possible to see an object that we can label a granule, in STXM we can image that object but can also measure that it contains phosphorus and that this phosphorus is a specific compound of phosphorus,” says Prof Haverkamp.

The researchers saw the phosphate-rich granules with better than 60 nanometres resolution. They complemented the analysis by studying a sample where the microalgae cells were mixed together to investigate the form of phosphorous compounds in larger detail. However, phytic acid was the only phosphorus compound found. They studied two different kinds of algae. 

Read more on MAXIV website

Image: Algae (green) with the phosphate granules (blue).

Trapping and storing carbon dioxide underground

Trapping and storing carbon dioxide underground

A team led by the University of Oslo in Norway, in collaboration with the University of Maryland in USA, is investigating how to massively store carbon dioxide (CO2) underground by copying nature. Through a chemical reaction, carbon dioxide can be trapped naturally inside the Earth’s subsurface and stored as solid minerals, called carbonates. The researchers are now carrying out experiments at the ESRF with the aim to accelerate such a process.

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are higher than ever, mainly due to the burning of fossil fuels and other anthropogenic activities. This, in turn, increases global temperatures and impacts sea levels and the ocean ecosystems.

A potential solution to this crisis would be to trap and store CO2 underground as solid minerals, which is a natural process that occurs over long periods thanks to the reaction of CO2 with rocks in the Earth’s crust and mantle.

Scientists have been studying the injection of CO2 in the subsurface for years. For example, in Sleipner, in the North Sea, millions of tons of carbon dioxide have been injected into a sandstone geological reservoir in the past fifteen years, where CO2 is stored in liquid form. CO2 can also be stored in solid form through mineralization processes, minimising the risk of leakage. Small-scale ongoing projects, such as Carbfix in Iceland, show promising results but questions of efficiency remain.

“The natural process is very effective but too slow, so we wonder whether we could somehow accelerate it so that large quantities of CO2 could be injected underground, without leakage”, explains François Renard, director of the Njord Centre at the University of Oslo and ESRF user.

The natural process

Atmospheric CO2 and water from precipitations naturally react with rocks present at the Earth’s surface – this process is called weathering. Some of these rocks have been produced by volcanic activity (basalts in Iceland) or were exhumed to the Earth’s surface from the mantle (peridotites). When reacting with CO2 and water, they may dissolve partially over geological time scales, liberating magnesium, iron, and calcium ions that can bind with carbon dioxide, in a process called mineral carbonation, which converts CO2 into minerals. The end product is a calcium, iron or magnesium carbonate, which are stable minerals that effectively trap carbon dioxide into a solid form.

Renard and his team are focusing on storing CO2 in basaltic and peridotite rocks, rich in magnesium and calcium, as they are the most efficient environments for it due to their high reactivity. They make up about 70% of the Earth’s surface and are responsible for 1/3 of the trapping of CO2 from the atmosphere through weathering. Estimates suggest that mid-ocean ridges worldwide can store up to 100,000 Gt of CO2. This is more than 2000 times the annual global emissions of CO2.

Once in the basaltic or peridotite rocks, the CO2 quickly reacts with the divalent cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, and Fe2+) from dissolving minerals in the rock and form carbonate minerals. In comparison, it might take several tens of thousands of years for significant amounts of CO2 to mineralize in a sandstone reservoir. After it becomes a mineral, the carbon will not move over geological timescales.

Carbonation at the ESRF

The team is focused on studying how basalts and peridotites can host large quantities of flows of carbon dioxide mixed with water, which will react with the rock to produce carbonate minerals. 

Read more on ESRF website

New procedure for better thermoplastics

New procedure for better thermoplastics

Bio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.

Bio-based thermoplastics are considered environmentally friendly, as they are sourced from non-petroleum-based raw materials and can be recycled just like standard thermoplastics. A thermoplastic base material is Polylactic acid (PLA), which can be produced from sugar cane or corn. Researchers around the world are working to optimise the properties of PLA-based plastics, for example by mixing them with other thermoplastic base materials. However, this is a real challenge.

A new process for better blends

Now, a team from the TU Eindhoven led by Prof. Ruth Cardinaels is showing how PLA can be successfully mixed with another thermoplastic. They developed a process in which certain PLA-based copolymers (e.g. SAD) are formed during production, which facilitate the mixing of the two raw materials by forming particularly stable (stereo)-crystalline layers at the interfaces between the different polymer phases (ICIC strategy).

Insights at the IRIS-Beamline

At BESSY II, they have now discovered which processes ensure that the mechanical properties of the mixed thermoplastic are significantly better. To do so, they examined pure 50% blends of the thermoplastics PLA and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as well as samples with the PLA-based copolymers at the IRIS beamline of BESSY II.

Read nore on HZB website

Image: In nano-IR imaging, the layer structures of the pure PVDF/PLLA mixture (left) and with the SAD additive (right)  are clearly distinguishable. The light and dark colours correspond to the PLLA and PVDF phases, respectively. When SAD is added, the domain sizes of the two phases are reduced.

Credit: TU Eindhoven/HZB

MCB JU researchers discovered a mechanism regulating the essential process of hypusination

MCB JU researchers discovered a mechanism regulating the essential process of hypusination

A research team from the Malopolska Centre of Biotechnology at Jagiellonian University (MCB UJ), led by dr hab. Przemysław Grudnik, in collaboration with scientists from the Medical College of Wisconsin, has uncovered an unusual role of the ERK1/2 kinases in the regulation of a unique post translational modification, hypusination. This breakthrough not only bridges a gap in our understanding of the mechanisms controlling hypusination, an essential process for the human body, but also reveals a surprising function of ERK1/2. These findings have recently been published in the scientific journal “Cell Reports”.

Hypusination is a highly specific modification of eukaryotic translation factor 5A (eIF5A), and deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS)  is responsible for catalyzing the first and limiting step of this process. Hypusination enables eIF5A to facilitate the synthesis of other proteins in the cells, which is a fundamental process. Despite its critical function in cellular homeostasis, the regulation of hypusination remains elusive. Researchers at MCB have started to unravel the mechanisms controlling hypusination and have shown the new unexpected finding that the extracellular signal regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) perform a non kinase function by directly interacting with DHPS to regulate hypusination. ERK1/2 are key enzymes in a signaling pathway, which is crucial in regulating cell growth, differentiation, and cell survival in human bodies. Until now, these proteins have been studied for their enzymatic (kinase) activity, which allows them to activate other proteins through phosphorylation (adding phosphate groups).

Researchers at MCB employed cryo-electron microscopy (cryo EM) to study the structure of the DHPS ERK2 complex. The data revealed that ERK2 binds to DHPS at the entrance to its active site, effectively blocking access for eIF5A. The findings also highlight how cellular signaling via the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway modulates ERK1/2 association with DHPS. When this pathway is activated, the interaction between ERK1/2 and DHPS decreases, allowing eIF5A to be hypusinated. Moreover, ERK1/2’s kinase activity controls how much DHPS and eIF5A the cell produces. This discovery provides fresh insights into how cells regulate essential processes such as protein synthesis in response to external signals.

Read more on the SOLARIS website

Image: Dr hab. Przemysław Grudnik (on the right) and Paweł Kochanowski (on the left) are holding a model of the DHPS-ERK2 complex.