news 2019

Research at KU Leuven suggests a cause for the neurodevelopmental disturbances experienced by a third of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The discovery suggests possible underlying mechanisms of these problems, which appear targetable by therapeutic interventions in a cellular model. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an inherited neuromuscular disorder in which the muscles, including the heart and respiratory muscles, progressively become weaker.

Kipchoge broke the record thanks to a special arrangement of runners, among other things. Professor Bert Blocken (KU Leuven/TU Eindhoven) confirmed the superior performance of this formation with wind tunnel tests and computer simulations. Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchoge has become the first person to ever complete a marathon within two hours.

Researchers from the Photonics Research Group (imec, Ghent University) and MIT have integrated single photon emitters in 2D layered materials with a Silicon Nitride photonic chip. Even for moderate quantum yields, dielectric cavities could be designed such that the single photon extraction into the guided mode can reach unity.

Prof. Van Speybroek highlighted as one of the strong Women of Catalysis The ChemCatChem journal, one of the premier journals in the field of catalysis, highlights the strong contributions of women-lead research groups in Catalysis Science. They placed 67 strong female researchers in the picture in a special issue: "Woman of Catalysis".

On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of Pieter Bruegel the Elder's death, the city of Brussels is organising an exhibition on a few of the master's original drawings as well as a unique series of prints based on these drawings.

Inleiding: On 24 September 2019 Katrien De Langhe succesfully defended her PhD at the University of Antwerp, on the topic of 'What role for rail in urban freight distribution'. Many national and international institutions encourage the use of environment-friendly transport modes. Subsequently, local authorities take increasing measures to prevent negative transport-related externalities in urban areas.

Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a new research model to grow and study the human variant of the norovirus. The virus could thus far only be studied through a variant that occurs in mice. The new model, that is described in the journal PLOS Pathogens, should allow researchers to develop a treatment for stomach flu.

The University of Antwerp is coordinating a European project to increase efficiency in drug detection With the NarcoReader, the University of Antwerp is collaborating with its international partners to develop a high-tech device that is intended to make the detection of drugs quite a bit more efficient.

Researchers at KU Leuven have developed a technique to make sheep produce new antibodies simply by injecting the DNA building blocks. This approach is much cheaper and more efficient than producing antibodies industrially and administering them afterwards. The study in animals with a similar size as humans brings us a step closer to the clinical use of antibody gene therapy.

Inleiding: Recent work from CMT researchers (Dr Bacaksiz and Prof Peeters) provide theoretical support for experiments done in Manchester which show that micas are excellent proton conducting membranes. (Physworld News) One-atom thick materials like graphene (a 2D sheet of carbon) conduct protons extremely well but they become impermeable to protons the thicker they get.

Researchers at KU Leuven and imec have successfully developed a new technique to insulate microchips. The technique uses metal-organic frameworks, a new type of materials consisting of structured nanopores. In the long term, this method can be used for the development of even smaller and more powerful chips that consume less energy.

UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr. Mehmet Yagmurcukardes and Prof. Francois Peeters, in collaboration with a team from Manchester have uncovered novel 2D materials. (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers at the National Graphene Institute at The University of Manchester have developed a new method to synthesize 2D materials that are thought to be impossible or, at least, unobtainable by current technologies.

UAntwerp researchers from the CMT group, Dr Jonas Bekaert and Prof Milorad Milosevic, in collaboration with Swedish researchers have predicted that a atomically thin layer of hydrogen will boost the critical temperature of a thin superconductor to above a hundred kelvin. Hydrogen-rich bulk superconducting materials have recently exhibited record-breaking critical temperatures, nearing the ambient temperature and thereby promising a major technological impact on the society.

A new study shows that in multiple animal species climate change causes changes in the life cycle, e.g. the timing of the egg hatching, or adaptations in their morphology, e.g. body size. GCE scientists Frank Adriaensen and Erik Matthysen have contributed to a newly published article in the interdisciplinary science.

Biomedical scientists at KU Leuven and the University of Trento have used gene correction to fix two mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. The breakthrough involved a petri dish with 3D cell structures, or organoids, from cystic fibrosis patients. Cystic fibrosis is the most common genetic disorder in Belgium.

32°C. This summer saw the highest temperature ever recorded in southern Alaska. What are the consequences for the environment and ice melt? UCLouvain researchers will go to Alaska (15/08 to 6/09) to analyse soil (permafrost) thawing The mission's goal is to understand and clarify thaw impact on the quantities of greenhouse gases emitted in the Arctic The historical record of 32° C in southern Alaska in early July 2019 exposed permafrost (permanently frozen ground) to an unprecedented temperature rise.

An international study led by Professor Jan Staessen and Professor Zhen-Yu Zhang has shown that 24-hour blood pressure monitoring, including when the patient is asleep, has the highest predictive accuracy for cardiovascular diseases. An international consortium followed 11,135 individuals for up to 14 years.

Biomedical researchers at KU Leuven have found a new way to study endometrial diseases such as endometriosis and cancer. They were able to grow three-dimensional cell structures from diseased tissue of patients. The biobank can be used to unravel the disorders and test drugs. Diseases of the endometrium are an important cause of infertility.

By stabilizing perovskites -man-made crystals that can convert sunlight into electricity- they absorb sunlight and can be used in efficient solar panels. Perovskites are semiconductor materials that have many applications. They show particular promise in harvesting solar energy. Currently, most solar cells are made with silicon crystals, a relatively straightforward and effective material to process for this purpose.

A study led by KU Leuven for the first time explains how a promising type of perovskites - man-made crystals that can convert sunlight into electricity - can be stabilised. As a result, the crystals turn black, enabling them to absorb sunlight. This is necessary to be able to use them in new solar panels that are easy to make and highly efficient.