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Frontier research

Prof. Ronald Hanson proved that quantum entanglement is real when he linked two particles 1.3 km apart. Credit: TU Delft
interview | frontier research
03 May 2017

No one yet realises what the quantum internet will enable us to do – Prof. Ronald Hanson

The quantum internet, which connects particles linked together by the principle of quantum entanglement, is like the early days of the classical internet – no one can yet imagine what uses it could have, according to Professor Ronald Hanson, from Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, whose team was the first to prove that the phenomenon behind it was real.

Traces of pollutants were found in tiny amphipods who live more than 6 km underwater. © Dr Alan J. Jamieson, Newcastle University, UK.
environment | frontier research
20 April 2017

Deep-sea trenches contain chemicals and radioactivity

The deepest parts of the ocean were once assumed to be pristine, but recent discoveries of chemicals and radioactive products at the bottom of underwater trenches has shown that humanity’s footprint extends to the furthest reaches of the earth – and it could affect the balance of oxygen in the oceans and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Prof. Toni Cathomen says that using CRISPR-Cas9 to correct eye disorders may be its first in vivo medical application. Image courtesy of Prof. Toni Cathomen
health | frontier research | interview
19 April 2017

CRISPR has revolutionised how we approach many diseases – Prof. Toni Cathomen

Re-engineering immune cells and modifying yeast to produce drugs are just two of the tantalising applications of CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology, says Professor Toni Cathomen, director of the Institute for Cell and Gene Therapy at the University of Freiburg, Germany.

There were approximately 10.4 million new cases of TB in 2016. Image credit: Flickr/ Yale Rosen
frontier research | health
24 March 2017

Exact strain diagnoses can halt TB’s spread

In a disease outbreak, the exact strain of bacteria or virus can remain a mystery for weeks, preventing patients from receiving the most effective treatment and letting the illness spread. Now, more precise diagnostic tools are helping to quickly identify the right therapy, an approach that could be particularly valuable in treating a disease that kills 1.8 million people a year - tuberculosis. 

Tiny 3D-printed cameras could revolutionise medical technology such as endoscopes. Credit: University of Stuttgart
frontier research
21 March 2017

‘Grain of sand’ cameras born out of chance and creative freedom

A set of 3D-printed lenses that are smaller than a grain of sand but can mimic eagle-eye vision came about thanks to a chance discussion with a colleague and the freedom to pursue scientific creativity, according to its inventor.

University of Nottingham researchers have created a reactor capable of producing over 1 000 tonnes of nanoparticles a year. Image courtesy: Prof Ed Lester
industry | frontier research
18 January 2017

The microscopic industrial revolution is underway

The current cost of making whisker-like electronic tactile sensors is around EUR 1 million per kilogram.

Augmented reality could help teammates discuss projects by displaying objects in front of them. Image credit: Microsoft
frontier research | ict | health
03 January 2017

Personalised cancer treatments and augmented reality communications on the cards for 2017

Cancer treatments that are personalised to an individual’s tumour cells or body clock, a boost to the hunt for dark matter using new findings from Large Hadron Collider data, and long-distance communications enhanced by augmented reality are just some of the scientific breakthroughs expected by researchers this year.

Prof. Giulio Di Toro says predicting the exact time, magnitude and location of big earthquakes may never be possible. Image courtesy of Prof. Giulio Di Toro
interview | environment | frontier research
08 December 2016

Big earthquakes may never be predictable - Prof. Giulio Di Toro

It is very, very difficult to predict when a big earthquake will hit. And we may never be able to forecast precisely the time, magnitude and location of destructive quakes such as those that tore through central Italy in August and October. But our understanding of how they happen is improving dramatically, says Giulio Di Toro, professor of geology in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, UK.

Scientists at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the largest particle accelerator in the world, are searching for dark matter by smashing atoms together. ‘Views of the LHC tunnel sector 3-4, tirage 2’ by Maximilien Brice (CERN) is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
frontier research | space
09 November 2016

‘Good chance’ of success in dark matter hunt

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s biggest particle smasher, stands a good chance of discovering the elusive particle or particles, known to scientists as dark matter, that make up five-sixths of the mass of the universe, researchers say.

Professor Kristin Teßmar-Raible is studying how the moon affects marine organisms. ©University of Vienna
interview | health | frontier research
18 October 2016

Bristle worms could help us find the lunar clock inside us all – Prof. Kristin Teßmar-Raible

Sleeping, eating and even going to the bathroom, our bodies are clearly affected by the time of day. But the cycle of the moon could also have impacts on our biological functions, according to Professor Kristin Teßmar-Raible, at the Max F. Perutz Laboratories, University of Vienna, Austria, who is leading LUNAR.CLOCK, a project funded by the EU's European Research Council exploring how the moon affects marine organisms.

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