Tag: structure

Phosphorous chains – a 1D material with 1D electronic properties

Phosphorous chains – a 1D material with 1D electronic properties

For the first time, a team at BESSY II has succeeded in demonstrating the one-dimensional electronic properties of a material through a highly refined experimental process. The samples consisted of short chains of phosphorus atoms that self-organise at specific angles on a silver substrate. Through sophisticated analysis, the team was able to disentangle the contributions of these differently aligned chains. This revealed that the electronic properties of each chain are indeed one-dimensional. Calculations predict an exciting phase transition to be expected as soon as these chains are more closely packed. While material consisting of individual chains with longer distances is semiconducting, a very dense chain structure would be metallic.

The material world consists of atoms that combine to manifold different substances. As a rule, atoms bond with each other both in one plane and perpendicular to it. However, some atoms such as carbon can also form graphene, a two dimensional (2D) hexagonal network in which they are connected only in one plane. Also, the element phosphorus can form stable 2D networks. 2D materials are an exciting area of research due to their amazing electronic and optical properties. Theoretical considerations suggest that the electro-optical properties of one-dimensional structures could be even more extraordinary.

Read more on the HZB website

Image: The image taken with the scanning tunnelling microscope shows the phosphorus atoms arranged in short chains on a silver substrate.

Credit: © HZB/Small Structures (2025)/10.1002/sstr.202500458

Structure and Mechanism of Human Elongator revealed

Structure and Mechanism of Human Elongator revealed

Scientists from the Max Planck Research Group at the MCB of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow fulfilled their longtime goal of understanding how human Elongator works. The research of dr hab. Sebastian Glatt’s team was performed in collaboration with the scientists from Kassel University and Berlin Technical University.
The multi-subunit Elongator complex is composed of two distinct subcomplexes, namely Elp123 and Elp456. The carboxymethyl group (cm5) introduced by Elongator serves as the basis for other enzymes for the synthesis of subsequent modifications. tRNAs with fully modified wobble uridines bind to translating ribosomes in an optimal manner and thus facilitate effective co-translational folding of emerging proteins. Structural biology and in vitro experiments were performed at MCB, with the assistance of the Structural Biology and Proteomics and Mass Spectrometry Core Facilities at MCB. Cryo-EM data was collected on the Titan Krios G3i, a high-end cryo-electron microscope located at SOLARIS National Synchrotron Radiation Centre. The team from Kassel conducted in vivo analyses, while the team from Berlin performed crosslinking mass spectrometry experiments. 
The MCB team resolved the structure of the human Elongator complex at the highest resolution among all Elongator structures (2.9 Å), which is published so far. The structure shows human ELP123, in complex with tRNA and acetyl-CoA molecule. It precisely depicts the organization of the active site together with the tRNA anticodon stem loop, and modification target, namely the wobble uridine. The structure allowed to identify the unforeseen role of another universally conserved uridine adjacent to the wobble position which is important for the activity of ELP123. This collaborative work presents structural snapshots of the complex during intermediate stages of modification reaction. The authors also identified a series of conserved amino acid residues located in the active site of the catalytic subunit, which are necessary for the chemical reaction. All these findings were verified and supported by in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Read more on SOLARIS website

Image: Cryo-EM density map (left) and atomic model (right) of ELP123 subcomplex bound to tRNA and acetyl-CoA at a resolution of 2.87 Å

The fascinating future of metal tellurate materials

The fascinating future of metal tellurate materials

Scientists have determined the structure of a new material with potential to be used in solar energy, batteries, and splitting water to produce hydrogen.

The physical properties and crystal structures of most tellurate materials were only discovered during the last two decades, but they have tantalizing properties. For example, they respond to light in a way very similar to current solar materials.

“This could be one material for all applications,” says University of Oulu scientist Dr. Harishchandra Singh. “But they are new and very little is known in the literature. We are am trying to explore all its unexplored and hidden properties.”

Identifying the structure of new materials is often the first step to unlocking their potential for applications. The international team, led by Matthias Weil (Vienna University of Technology) and Dr. Singh, successfully created a single crystal of a metal tellurate compound, making it possible to precisely define its structure with better accuracy than ever before.

The pair used the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan to understand how the material works under real world conditions. A longtime user of the facility, Singh knew that the Brockhouse beamline could help confirm the structural details they had uncovered.

Read more on CLS website