How confined protons migrate

Protons (H+) and hydronium ions (H3O+) in free aqueous solutions seem to migrate faster than other ions due to the the Grotthuss-mechanism. Individual protons do not really migrate at all. Instead, bonds of the hydronium ...

Step by step to the end product through enzyme catalysis

Enzymes (for example, those derived from bacteria) can convert a wide variety of starting materials into a wealth of target products. So-called white biotechnology aims at harnessing this ability to produce chemicals in an ...

Ultra-thin, gas-tight coatings for PET bottles

If polymers are specifically made to form and deposit on the surfaces surrounding the plasma, they can be coated in a targeted manner. Thanks to this so-called plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, or PECVD for short, ...

Reverse optogenetic tool developed

A new optogenetic tool, a protein that can be controlled by light, has been characterized by researchers at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB). They used an opsin—a protein that occurs in the brain and eyes—from zebrafish ...

Igniting plasmas in liquids

Physicists of Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have taken spectacular pictures that allow the ignition process of plasma under water to be viewed and tracked in real time. Dr. Katharina Grosse has provided the first data sets ...

Sexual reproduction without mating

One of the organisms attacked by the fungus Cyclocybe parasitica is the Tawa tree (Beilschmiedia tawa), which is relevant to the timber industry in New Zealand. Cyclocybe parasitica is widespread in the Pacific region and ...

How long-known genes continue to surprise researchers

The human genome was sequenced around 20 years ago. Since then, the sequence information encoding our proteins is known—at least in principle. However, this information is not continuously stored in the individual genes, ...

Cancer-promoting Ras protein exists in a pair within cells

Researchers from Bochum and Osnabrück have gained new insights into the structure of the Ras protein, which acts as a molecular switch for cell growth and is involved in the development of cancer. With the help of fluorescence ...

Understanding light-activated proteins in order to improve them

Today, proteins that can be controlled with light are a widely used tool in research to specifically switch certain functions on and off in living organisms. Channelrhodopsins are often used for the technique known as optogenetics: ...

Enzyme system for the hydrogen industry

An enzyme could make a dream come true for the energy industry: It can efficiently produce hydrogen using electricity and can also generate electricity from hydrogen. The enzyme is protected by embedding it in a polymer. ...

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