By performing experiments on Tubifex worms bought at the local pet shop, researchers at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have discovered that the wiggling motion of living worms gives rise to surprising physics.

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.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen have developed a paint primer on the basis of lignin, which, for example, can be obtained from plant residues. It is free of petrochemical raw materials and therefore has a significantly improved CO2 balance.

A density determination can be carried out with a balance. A new poster by Mettler Toledo gives tips on how to set up the density measurement.

The Alice collaboration has presented new results on the production rates of antideuterons based on data collected at the highest collision energy delivered so far at the Large Hadron Collider. The new measurements are important because the presence of antideuterons in space is a promising indirect signature of dark matter candidates.

Researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience Center, from the University of Jyväskylä prepared flexible cup-shaped molecules, which have similar properties in the solid state and in solution. The molecules wrap around themselves under both conditions. They can be used in supramolecular chemistry as host molecules, which bind metal cations, ammonium ions or neutral guest molecules, such as toluene, inside their cavity by weak interactions. This can be utilised for example in molecular sensors, drug delivery or nanomaterials.

A meta-analysis carried out by scientists from Unige and HUG shows that an infection with the hepatitis D virus, whose screening is often neglected, increases the risk of developing liver cancer threefold.

A team of Norwegian and Estonian scientists has identified effective combination drug treatments for Covid-19. Their screening identified six existing drugs that had some effect, and several combinations of drugs that acted synergistically.

Tecan has entered into a collaboration with smart lab provider Labforward. The company introduced Well Plate Templates and the Tecan Connector App add-ons for their electronic lab notebook software that offers connectivity with Tecan microplate readers.

Can obesity define health? It is a question for much debate. Still, obesity is generally classified into metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) and an unhealthy version of obesity. Korean scientists have now identified the protein that induces benign obesity.