Category: research

Frequency-doubled laser probes deeper into tissue

DEEPER penetration into biological samples, along with potential applications in nanotechnology and quantum entanglement, are promised by Chromacity’s new 520nm laser. This air-cooled ytterbium fibre-based laser combines high power with ultrashort pulse durations, it says. A frequency-doubled version of the…

UK universities benefit from NMR investment

EIGHT universities in the UK are to benefit from a £20 million fund to upgrade nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The equipment includes two new 1.0GHz systems (the highest field currently commercially available) plus upgrades to systems with field strengths…

Creating 3D movies from inside living cells [VIDEO]

TAKING images of living cells always presents the possibility that the act of observation will change the thing being observed. Clusters of cells inside an organism scatter light, making images fuzzy and indistinct. The typical solution is to increase light…

Micromanipulators make their mark on fuel cell research

A RESEARCH project at Imperial College London into the characterisation of electrochemical energy devices is making use of micromanipulators from Kleindiek Nanotechnik. Research associate Dr Farid Tariq leads the study, focussing on improving fuel cells and batteries. The group applies…

AFM probes can be 3D printed

A NOVEL application of 3D printing techniques at nanometre scales could make the creation of custom probes for atomic force microscopy (AFM) both quicker and cheaper, according to researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. They have developed a technique based…

Terahertz laser reaches 230mW power

THE RECORD for continuous power output from a terahertz quantum cascade laser has been almost doubled to 230 milliWatts, researchers in China have reported. Terahertz wavelengths remain a relatively low-power part of the electromagnetic spectrum, lying between infrared and microwave.…

Underwater microscope reveals coral secrets (video)

BUM underwater camera in action

A NOVEL type of underwater microscope promises to overcome the difficulties of studying small organisms in the laboratory, by making it possible to view them in their natural habitat. Many biological processes in the oceanic world take place at millimetre…

Student-proof microscopes for Cardiff University

A NEW suite of over 70 Microtec light microscopes has been installed by Mazurek Optical Services at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Cardiff University, UK. The school selected 50 Microtec RM-1 transmitted and 23 dual LED polarising…

Advancing battery research with GC/MS

THE UNIVERSITY of Muenster, Germany, has the first installation of Thermo Scientific’s new Orbitrap-based GC-MS/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) instrument, said to provide the highest levels of detection and identification. The university’s Muenster Electrochemical Energy Technology (Meet) battery research centre focuses…