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A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, University of Mons, VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology and KU Leuven has deciphered one of the most fascinating but least understood chemical defence adaptations in the Animal Kingdom: glue. In a newly published article in Nature Communications , they report on how changes in the structure and expression of two proteins underlay the parallel evolution of defence glues in distantly related frog lineages.

They are popping up on roofs and car parks all'over the world: photovoltaic panels are becoming increasingly important in the race for renewable energy. This technology, based on the conversion of solar energy - photons - into electrical energy, sees a fast development of its performance. A postdoctoral researcher at the Uni intends to further improve them with a revolutionary structure dedicated to thin-film solar cells.

What is a lipid membrane? Lipid membranes are ubiquitous structures in the cells of all unicellular and multicellular organisms. Take, for example, the cell wall, also known as the plasma membrane, whose function is to separate the inside of the cell from the outside: in a way, it's the cell's armor.

Researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Riga Technical University and the MESA+ Institute at the University of Twente have succeeded in arranging very small particles (10 µm to 500 nm, 10 to 100 times thinner than a human hair) in a thin layer without using solvents.

Knowing the energy of light absorbed by a molecule enables us to understand its structure, its quantum states, its interaction with other molecules and its potential technological applications. Molecules with a high probability of simultaneously absorbing two low-energy photons of light have a wide range of applications: as molecular probes in high-resolution microscopy, as substrates for data storage in dense three-dimensional structures or as vectors in medicinal treatments.

The chemical compound BPA (bisphenol A), commonly used in plastic products, has been controversial for years due to its adverse health effects. KU Leuven researchers have developed a BPA alternative with similar functionality that has no harmful effects on health or the environment. From lunch boxes, reusable water bottles and cutting boards to snuffle mats for dogs and children's bibs, anyone searching online for "BPA-free" products will be spoilt for choice.

An international team of scientists from the University of Luxembourg, Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data (BIFOLD) at TU Berlin and Google has now successfully developed a machine learning algorithm to tackle large and complex quantum systems. The article has been published in the renowned journal Science Advances.

A new tool to identify small molecules offers benefits for diagnostics, drug discovery and fundamental research. A new machine learning model will help scientists identify small molecules, with applications in medicine, drug discovery and environmental chemistry. Developed by researchers at Aalto University and the University of Luxembourg , the model was trained with data from dozens of laboratories to become one of the most accurate tools for identifying small molecules.

A new type of selectivity to better describe reactivity in organic chemistry has been conceptualized. Researchers from the Laboratory of Organic Chemistry (LCO - ULB) have published their work in Cell Reports Physical Science. An important part of organic chemistry consists of the synthesis of products via a sequence of chemical reactions.

The ESA Gaia mission has released its new treasure trove of data about our home galaxy. Astronomers - including Professor Conny Aerts from KU Leuven - describe strange 'starquakes', stellar DNA, asymmetric motions and other fascinating insights in this most detailed Milky Way survey to date. Gaia is ESA's mission to create the most accurate and complete multi-dimensional map of the Milky Way.

The production of ammonia - a very important chemical building block as part of synthetic fertilisers, among other things - is one of the main sources of CO2 emissions. By combining two different technologies, researchers from KU Leuven and the University of Antwerp have now discovered a CO2-free alternative.

Caterpillars can consume plastics, but it is not a magic solution. Caterpillars can consume plastics! Back in 2017, the world was getting to know this extraordinary phenomenon by global news coverage of findings of Bombelli et al. Their claims were that larvae of the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella, consume polyethylene at an extraordinary rate, and moreover produce ethylene glycol as a major metabolite.

At the European nuclear and particle physics laboratory CERN, physicists can produce extremely rare short-lived atoms and molecules. Researchers from KU Leuven have shown that these particles lead the way to uncharted territory in nuclear and particle physics. One of the oldest active installations at the Centre for European Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva is the ISOLDE laboratory.

Neurobiologists at KU Leuven have discovered how the signalling molecule Neuromedin U plays a crucial role in our learning process. The protein allows the brain to recall negative memories and, as such, learn from the past. The findings of their study on roundworms have been published Communications.

An interdisciplinary team of bio-engineers and economists from KU Leuven has mapped out how wood could replace petroleum in the chemical industry. They not only looked at the technological requirements, but also whether that scenario would be financially viable. A shift from petroleum to wood would lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions, the researchers state in Science .

Ghent's focus is on Van Eyck and the Ghent Altarpiece in 2020. Lots of people from Ghent University are also involved in this year of celebration. We have been putting a number of them in the spotlight. This week: Peter Vandenabeele. In Ghent, it's all about Van Eyck and the Ghent Altarpiece in 2020.

Freestanding clusters of twenty gold atoms take the shape of a pyramid, researchers discovered. This is in contrast with most elements, which organize themselves by forming shells around one central atom. The team of researchers led by KU Leuven published their findings in Science Advances . Clusters composed of a few atoms tend to be spherical.

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".

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.