Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient for plants, but at high concentrations, it can become toxic. However, Eucalyptus tereticornis appears to be remarkably tolerant to Mn, even at levels well above those that would cause harm to other plant species. The mechanism(s) underlying this ability were not understood based on scientific literature. From a study that monitored the Mn absorption in these plants, published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, researchers from the Department of Plant Biology at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and from The Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS), from the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM), demonstrated how E. tereticornis can tolerate and detoxify high levels of Mn in its environment.

An article published by CNPEM researchers was featured on the Nano Letters scientific journal’s cover and explores how the X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy (XPCS) technique can distinguish protein corona formation from nanoparticle aggregation in complex biological media.

An article published by CNPEM researchers was featured on Journal of Synchrotron Radiation (JSR)’s cover and details the design and operation of Sirius' Imbuia beamline, dedicated to infrared (IR) micro and nanospectroscopy. This pioneering work opens the doors for other research institutions around the world to build new infrared beamlines at fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.

Research published in the journal Science Advances by Brazilian researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) used the Cateretê beamline at Sirius to investigate the biophysical mechanisms that cause the aggregation of proteins known as prions.

Porous materials play key roles in a variety of contexts, from transporting water and nutrients in biological systems to storing oil and water in reservoirs of rock. And synthetic polymer membranes are essential to separation processes, as in the case of chromatography.

Superconductivity was first identified in 1911 by the physicist Heike Kamerlingh Onnes, and is still a significant focus of research in the field of condensed matter physics.

Fourth-generation synchrotron light sources like Sirius expand the capacities of x-ray micro- and nanotomography to new levels. A review article written by a team of researchers from the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) and the Federal University of ABC and published in Applied Physics Reviews describes recent developments in x-ray computed tomography associated with synchrotron light and artificial intelligence. 

A group of researchers from the University of São Paulo in São Carlos has just presented their findings from research indicating a new understanding of the maturation process and how inhibitors act upon the Mpro protein, an essential component in the life cycle of the Sars-CoV-2 virus and the target of various efforts to develop medications to treat Covid-19.

Cells conduct a series of interconnected biochemical reactions to obtain energy and respond to infections and different stressors. These reactions comprise what are known as metabolic pathways, which interact in complex networks and regulate various cellular processes. Understanding how these networks interconnect and work to regulate cellular processes is a challenge, because this signaling often depends on interactions between proteins and small molecules known as metabolites that involve low-affinity molecular bonds which are extremely difficult to identify. 

Originally published by CINE (Center for Innovation on New Energies)   A body of recent research is accelerating the development of perovskite solar cells. These studies monitored, in real time and in detail, the changes that occur in perovskite films during processes that influence their early degradation – one of the main obstacles to the commercialization of this emerging photovoltaic technology.