Gold nanoparticles can be used in a variety of ways, i.e. as active ingredient carriers in medicine. Although their synthesis is already very successful today, it is difficult to predict how the particles interact with the environment and humans. Scientists are therefore intensively investigating the behaviour of nanoparticles in order to make them more efficient and safer.

In freshwater lakes, large amounts of the greenhouse gas methane are oxidized by bacteria before it can be emitted into the atmosphere. A study in Lakes Rotsee and Zug has now shown that the bulk of this work is done, not by “classical” methane consumers, but by filamentous bacteria previously known only as contaminants of water supplies.

Will manual pipettes still be around in 50 years’ time? What challenges lie ahead? What opportunities? Two Eppendorf experts share their views with LP. The conversation was conducted by Dr. Ilka Ottleben.

As recently as 60 years ago, it was almost impossible to pipette small amounts of liquid in the microliter range safely and reproducibly. Many breakthroughs, particularly in the fields of molecular and chemical research, would not have been conceivable in the milliliter range.

It has been assumed that the Vikings were trading in stockfish, but so far solid evidence has been lacking. With new methods, it is possible to extract ancient DNA from fishbone remnants and reveal the source of the stockfish.

Using four low-cost smartphone cameras and some simple colored backlighting, researchers could construct a tomographic particle image velocimetry (PIV) system that is capable of quantitative flow visualization.

Subjects, such as resource optimization or better energy usage, have arrived in the laboratory. What does this mean for the most important separation method, chromatography? An inventory shows the amount of optimization potential in the technology that is more than 100 years old.

In its Status of Microfluidics Industry report published this year, Yole highlights the numerous acquisitions that have been taking place over the last few years. With more than 700 companies worldwide, almost 300 million products sold in 2016, and 4,500+ patent publications, the microfluidics market is becoming the playground for a lot of financial movements.

Electronic devices are becoming continually smaller, more flat and multifunctional and their “inner life”, the microelectronic systems, along with them – thanks to 3D integration.

CFD Simulation in Chemical Reaction Engineering — The goal of reaction engineering is to optimize transport processes (heat transfer, mass transfer and mixing) in order to improve yield/conversion of desired products whilst ensuring the safe operation of the reactor. CFD simulation can help maximizing yield while minimizing costs.