https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Freiberg University of Mining and Technology Around the Balkan Peninsula, the African plate is sinking beneath the European plate. A piece of deeply submerged African crust resurfaced 40 million years ago far away from the sinking zone. How this phenomenon of so-called vertical extrusion can be explained and whether the Rhodope mountain range in southern Bulgaria was formed in this way is a matter of scientific debate. Dr. Iskander Muldashev and Professor Thorsten Nagel from the TU Bergakademie Freiberg have now shown how this process works in a recent publication in the journal Geology. The formation of the Rhodopes was only 40 million years ago—the mountain range is therefore 30–50 million years younger than previously assumed. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-piece-africa-europe-insights-plate.html Earth Sciences Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:40:03 EST news689852909 A mineral that is difficult to crack meets a raw material that is increasingly in demand in the electronics and semiconductor industry: In multi-stage smelting and refining processes, raw tin is processed from a concentrate of the mineral cassiterite (tin oxide) with the addition of carbon. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-environmentally-friendly-tin.html Materials Science Thu, 24 Jul 2025 08:32:39 EDT news672564755 Hydrogen electrolysis cells contain rare earth metals. Once an electrolysis cell has done its job, the materials used in it currently end up as scrap steel. A research team at TU Bergakademie Freiberg is now investigating how the recyclable materials can be recovered from used electrolysis cells so that they can be used directly for new cells. The research is published in the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-method-enables-sustainable-recycling-rare.html Engineering Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:47:03 EDT news668188021 An international research team has described a newly discovered algae species Streptofilum arcticum and its cell functions for the first time in a recent publication in the journal Environmental Microbiology. https://phys.org/news/2025-02-newly-algae-species-insights-evolution.html Evolution Tue, 11 Feb 2025 01:34:43 EST news658460078 Researchers have found that cellular droplets function in more diverse ways than previously known. The ability to fission membranes in cells was previously attributed solely to certain proteins. In a new publication in Nature, an international research team now shows that small cellular droplets, so-called biomolecular condensates, can also split membranes without the help of proteins. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-biomolecular-condensates-membranes-aid-proteins.html Cell & Microbiology Thu, 10 Oct 2024 10:04:44 EDT news647773480 Sweet flavors and healthy ingredients make strawberries one of the world's most popular berries. The complex biochemical compounds that determine the flavor and nutritional value of a strawberry—known as biomarkers—can only be determined in detail by experts using modern analyses. https://phys.org/news/2024-07-strawberries-high-tech-magnifying-glass.html Biotechnology Thu, 04 Jul 2024 14:50:01 EDT news639305125 The well-known study by Worobey et al (2022) claims that the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in the Chinese city of Wuhan is the only possible place of origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-01-analysis-statistical-proof-covid-seafood.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Wed, 17 Jan 2024 10:14:04 EST news624708841