Frontier research

20 December 2017

Our 10 favourite science facts from 2017

From rubber dandelions and toxic crustaceans to anti-vaxxers and the world’s hottest geothermal well, Horizon covered a wide variety of stories in 2017. Here are our 10 favourite science facts that we learned along the way.

Dr Gihan Kamel, SESAME's infrared beamline scientist, returned to the Middle East from Italy, in a case of what she calls brain drain reversal. Image credit - ‘Gihan Kamel - infrared Beamline Lab’ by IAEA is licensed under CC BY 2.0

interview | frontier research | open to the world

06 November 2017

We do not fight when we deal with science – Dr Gihan Kamel

Scientists in the Middle East are putting politics aside and using the region’s new particle accelerator, SESAME, to collaborate on experiments such as distinguishing between benign and malignant cancer tissues, and analysing historical parchments from religious texts, according to Dr Gihan Kamel, the infrared beamline scientist at the facility.She will be speaking at a session on science diplomacy at the World Science Forum in Jordan on 10 November with Carlos Moedas, the European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation.

Developments in electron microscopy have enabled researchers to examine the structure of biomolecules, such as the Zika virus, in great detail. Image credit - The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

frontier research

04 October 2017

European microscopy scientists win Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Two EU-funded scientists have shared in the 2017 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work in developing ways of producing detailed images of the molecules that form the building blocks of life.

A process called droplet microfluidics isolates thousands of cells in microscopic water droplets allowing up-close analysis of genetic material. Image credit - Dr Linas Mazutis

frontier research | health

06 September 2017

Human Cell Atlas hopes to unravel mysteries hidden in our genes

A major international project is attempting to create the first comprehensive three-dimensional map of all human cells which could end up revealing secrets about our health and how our bodies function.

Discarded gas from black holes spreads across galaxies and can even influence the formation of stars. Image credit - Flickr/ NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

frontier research | space

05 September 2017

Robin Hood black holes steal from nebulae to make new stars

It's easy to picture a black hole as a kind of all-powerful cosmic drain, a sinkhole of super-strong gravity that snags and swallows passing nebulae or stars. While it is true we can’t observe matter once it crosses a black hole’s event horizon, scientists are zeroing in on what happens in the margins, where molecular clouds release vast amounts of energy as it circles the plughole.

Compact photonic chips will be able to be used with any standard optical microscope. Image credit - Geir Antonsen

frontier research | interview

23 August 2017

Next-gen nanoscopes can take super-res images of the atomic world - Dr Singh Ahluwalia

With some nanoscopes costing EUR 1 million it’s not cheap examining the world at an atomic level, but according to Dr Balpreet Singh Ahluwalia, from the Arctic University of Norway, photonic circuits could offer researchers a cost-effective way to delve deeper into the nano world.

Plasmon particles can be used to reflect light and its colours can be altered on demand. Image credit - Professor Laura Na Liu

ict | frontier research

10 August 2017

Fireworks on a pinhead as electrons enable colours in 100 000 pixels per inch

The image is on a canvas as wide as a human hair, its colours never fade, and they can be edited and erased on demand.

Scientists try to beat nature at the camouflage game by bending light. Image credit - Kdsphotos / Pixabay

frontier research | health

07 August 2017

Invisibility cloak takes one step closer to revealing itself

Microscopic structures that can bend light are helping researchers lay the foundations of an invisibility cloak.

Prof. Nicolosi uses Ireland's most powerful microscope that can picture the materials she makes with atomic resolution. Image credit – Amber, Trinity College Dublin

frontier research | energy | industry | interview

26 July 2017

Nanomaterials are closest thing we have to real-life ‘superheroes’ – Prof. Valeria Nicolosi

Utilising the superhero properties of materials around an atom thick could revolutionise how we store energy in electronic devices, according to Valeria Nicolosi, professor of nanomaterials and advanced microscopy at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.

Nanotechnology could give us extremely thin solar panels that could power phones. Image credit: Flickr/ Kārlis Dambrāns

frontier research

26 June 2017

Printed solar cells thinner than your hair could power your phone

Extremely thin printable solar panels could power your phone and are amongst a range of new ways nanotechnology is opening the door to a clean energy and waste-free future.