https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Jülich Research Centre Electrons are tiny and constantly in motion. How they behave in a crystal lattice determines key material properties: electrical conductivity, magnetism, or novel quantum effects. Anyone aiming to develop the information technologies of tomorrow must understand what electrons do. At Forschungszentrum Jülich, a new tool is now available for this purpose: a momentum microscope that was fully developed and built on site. "Internationally, we are currently seeing rapidly growing interest in this method," explains Dr. Christian Tusche from Forschungszentrum Jülich. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-microscope-sharper-view-momentum-space.html Condensed Matter Sun, 15 Mar 2026 15:00:03 EDT news692542609 Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf have developed a tool that could significantly transform genome research: Helixer identifies genes directly from DNA sequences—without laboratory experiments or prior knowledge about the organism. The work is published in the journal Nature Methods. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-ai-tool-helixer-genes-newly.html Molecular & Computational biology Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:03:24 EST news688662181 When three bright minds from different disciplines come together, something exceptional can happen. This is exactly what Prof. Patricia Hidalgo, Dr. Beatrix Santiago-Schübel, and Dr. Mercedes Alfonso-Prieto achieved at Forschungszentrum Jülich. In an interdisciplinary project, they investigated how cells recognize and remove defective calcium channels—work that could prove significant not only for basic science, but also for future therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-qa-calcium-channel-mechanism-insights.html Cell & Microbiology Fri, 28 Nov 2025 18:40:02 EST news683555862 How can closely related mental illnesses with similar symptoms be reliably distinguished from one another? As part of a German-Chinese collaboration, researchers from Forschungszentrum Jülich and Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have helped develop a decision tree aimed at improving diagnostic accuracy. The team used a combination of diagnostic techniques and artificial intelligence (AI). As the authors report in Science Advances, their findings could substantially increase the precision of psychiatric diagnoses. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-decision-tree-distinguishes-psychotic-disorders.html Psychology & Psychiatry Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:12:02 EST news683212321 What are the benefits of placing solar panels over agricultural land? Where do they make sense, and who is already using them today? https://techxplore.com/news/2025-11-harvest-fields-experts-discuss-potential.html Energy & Green Tech Mon, 24 Nov 2025 11:26:30 EST news683205962 A research team at the Jülich Supercomputing Center, together with experts from NVIDIA, has set a new record in quantum simulation: for the first time, a universal quantum computer with 50 qubits has been fully simulated—a feat achieved on Europe's first exascale supercomputer, JUPITER, inaugurated at Forschungszentrum Jülich in September. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-full-simulation-qubit-universal-quantum.html Quantum Physics Tue, 11 Nov 2025 14:33:04 EST news682093982 Contrails in the blue sky remind us of daily air traffic—and its impact on the climate. However, the effect of contrails on the climate is still only partially understood. It is assumed that they have a predominantly warming effect. https://phys.org/news/2025-11-contrails-natural-ice-clouds-skies.html Environment Tue, 04 Nov 2025 11:52:03 EST news681479521 Ballistic electrons are among the most fascinating phenomena in modern quantum materials. Unlike ordinary electrons, they do not scatter off imperfections in the material and therefore travel from A to B with almost no resistance—like a capsule in a pneumatic tube. This behavior often occurs in confined one- or two-dimensional materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-ballistic-electrons-realistic-conditions.html Condensed Matter Fri, 31 Oct 2025 12:52:02 EDT news681133921 Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, together with international collaborators, have demonstrated for the first time that memristors—novel nanoscale switching devices—can provide stable resistance values directly linked to fundamental constants of nature. This paves the way for electrical units such as electrical resistance to be traced back far more simply and directly than it has been possible to date. By contrast, conventional, quantum-based measurement technology is so demanding that it can only be carried out in a few specialized laboratories worldwide. https://phys.org/news/2025-10-memristors-stable-resistance-values-fundamental.html Nanophysics Mon, 27 Oct 2025 16:03:04 EDT news680799782 On 16 September, the world marks the international day for the preservation of the ozone layer—a day of action initiated by the United Nations. This year's theme is "from science to global action"—a reference to the fact that scientific findings have underpinned successful political action to protect the ozone layer for decades. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-qa-ozone.html Earth Sciences Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:27:04 EDT news677255221 Through photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into energy-rich carbon compounds such as glucose. These compounds not only sustain the plant's own growth and development but are also channeled to the roots. A substantial share of this carbon is released into the soil in the form of organic substances, providing an important food source for microorganisms. https://phys.org/news/2025-09-sugar-microorganisms-roots.html Ecology Tue, 09 Sep 2025 12:52:04 EDT news676641122 For life to function, cell membranes must remain intact. When these fragile barriers are damaged—for instance by heat or viral attack—specialized proteins come to the rescue. Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf and the University of Mainz have now, for the first time, uncovered the mechanism of action of one such protective protein, PspA, which belongs to the ESCRT-III superfamily. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-cells-remodel-membranes-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Wed, 27 Aug 2025 14:11:04 EDT news675522662 Periods of extreme heat often lead to increased exposure to ground-level ozone, in addition to other negative effects. This is dangerous for humans, the environment and agriculture. A study led by Forschungszentrum Jülich now provides surprising findings: With strong global warming, ozone pollution could decrease in some regions of the world. https://phys.org/news/2025-08-stress-ozone-climate-air.html Earth Sciences Tue, 05 Aug 2025 09:40:16 EDT news673605290 An interdisciplinary research team has engineered a new class of organic photoelectrochemical transistors (OPECTs). These tiny devices can convert light into electrical signals and mimic the behavior of synapses in the brain. The research results have now been published in the research journal Advanced Science. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-sensitive-materials-mimic-synapses-brain.html Electronics & Semiconductors Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:50:01 EDT news673184144 A team from Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University has developed a novel approach for a catalyst that combines the advantages of the two most commonly used catalysis methods. The new catalyst approach is based on the metal iridium and achieved five times the activity of previous reference systems in the lab—while maintaining high stability over several days. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-catalyst-approach-contributes-advancement-green.html Materials Science Wed, 30 Jul 2025 09:51:38 EDT news673087892 Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich have successfully created the world's first experimentally verified two-dimensional half metal—a material that conducts electricity using electrons of just one spin type: either "spin-up" or "spin-down." Their findings, now published as an Editors' Suggestion in Physical Review Letters, mark a milestone in the quest for materials enabling energy-efficient spintronic that go beyond conventional electronics. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-scientists-successfully-metal-material-electrons.html Condensed Matter Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:04:50 EDT news671976280 Researchers at the Jülich Research Center and the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics (IHP) have developed a material that has never existed before: a stable alloy of carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin. The new compound, abbreviated as CSiGeSn, opens up exciting possibilities for applications at the interface of electronics, photonics, and quantum technology. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-element-semiconductor-alloy-advances-chip.html Materials Science Tue, 15 Jul 2025 12:03:12 EDT news671799788 An international research team led by Forschungszentrum Jülich has succeeded in visualizing magnetism inside solids with unprecedented precision. Using a newly developed method, the scientists were able to image the finest building blocks of magnetism directly at the atomic level. They have published their findings in the journal Nature Materials. https://phys.org/news/2025-07-visualization-atomic-scale-magnetism-imaging.html Condensed Matter Wed, 09 Jul 2025 12:26:03 EDT news671282762 The direct capture of CO2 from ambient air is considered a key future technology for climate protection. However, a new study shows that weather conditions and choice of location have a major impact on efficiency and costs. For the first time, researchers from Jülich have calculated where such systems would be viable in Germany—and where they wouldn't. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-air-capture-lever-climate-action.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 08 Jul 2025 12:51:04 EDT news671197857 In order to understand the structure and functioning of the brain, neuroscientists need to study the complex, three-dimensional pathways and connections of nerve fibers. The intersection of multiple nerve fibers poses a particular challenge for neuroimaging. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-instrument-imaging-nerve-fibers-brain.html Neuroscience Thu, 26 Jun 2025 12:40:01 EDT news670160312 Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany have published two new studies offering fresh insight into a protein believed to play a pivotal role in the development of chronic mental health conditions such as schizophrenia. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-mental-insights-protein-role-schizophrenia.html Psychology & Psychiatry Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:55:04 EDT news670074901 Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases, significantly contributing to global warming. It also affects the formation of other climate-relevant substances like ozone and water vapor—particularly in the stratosphere. However, methane's atmospheric lifetime depends not only on how much is emitted, but also on how efficiently it is removed. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-air-pollution-methane.html Environment Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:10:06 EDT news669467402 A research team has identified genetic factors that influence the shape of subcortical brain regions—far beyond volume measurements. The results could open up new approaches for the early detection of neurological and mental disorders. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-decodes-genetic-brain.html Genetics Mon, 16 Jun 2025 15:31:04 EDT news669306662 A research team from the Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-3) at Forschungszentrum Jülich, working with partners across Germany, has developed an innovative technique for folding flexible, high-density microelectrodes into three-dimensional shapes inspired by the Japanese paper art of kirigami. https://phys.org/news/2025-06-scientists-3d-neuroprobes-based-kirigami.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:30:03 EDT news669295507 Converting ammonia production to a low-emission process is one of the major challenges in the fight against climate change. Ammonia, one of the most widely produced chemicals worldwide, is essential for the fertilizer industry and, in turn, the production of plant-based foods. However, its production is expensive and it causes high emissions. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-06-prospects-green-ammonia-blueprint-flexible.html Engineering Mon, 02 Jun 2025 16:26:04 EDT news668100361 Modern computer chips generate a lot of heat—and consume large amounts of energy as a result. A promising approach to reducing this energy demand could lie in the cold, as highlighted by a new Perspective article by an international research team coordinated by Qing-Tai Zhao from Forschungszentrum Jülich. Savings could reach as high as 80%, according to the researchers. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-cool-future-electronics-cold.html Electronics & Semiconductors Tue, 27 May 2025 10:22:43 EDT news667560159 The orbital angular momentum of electrons has long been considered a minor physical phenomenon, suppressed in most crystals and largely overlooked. Scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich have now discovered that in certain materials it is not only preserved but can even be actively controlled. This is due to a property of the crystal structure called chirality, which also influences many other processes in nature. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-overlooked-electron-property-avenues-orbitronics.html Condensed Matter Tue, 20 May 2025 12:19:03 EDT news666962341 A new study coordinated by scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich and published in Nature Communications highlights how the visibility of renewable energy installations—such as wind turbines and solar panels—has an impact on their level of public acceptance and the costs of the energy transition in Germany. https://techxplore.com/news/2025-05-turbines-sight.html Business Thu, 15 May 2025 12:14:03 EDT news666530041 When two organisms live together so closely that they merge into a functional unit, this is known as symbiosis. In the "1+1=1" project, an international, interdisciplinary research team is investigating how synthetic symbiosis between microorganisms can be created in a targeted manner—and what this reveals about the formation of complex cell structures. https://phys.org/news/2025-05-paramecium-cyanobacterium.html Cell & Microbiology Mon, 12 May 2025 10:45:09 EDT news666265504 About 20% to 35% of the population suffers from chronic sleep disorders—and up to half of all people in older age. Moreover, almost every teenager or adult has experienced short-term sleep deprivation at some point. There are many reasons for not getting enough sleep, whether it be partying, a long day at work, caring for relatives, or simply whiling away time on smartphones. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-disorders-deprivation-brain.html Neuroscience Tue, 29 Apr 2025 12:00:04 EDT news665146802