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- On the verge of fiction: hydrogen trains and antimatter as the future of space exploration
On the verge of fiction: hydrogen trains and antimatter as the future of space exploration
Russian scientists have found bacteria capable of working in harsh conditions of ore deposits, and synthesized a compound to fight Parkinson's disease, as well as learned how to cook super-healthy cheese. Meanwhile, hydrogen trains will start running in Italy by 2028, and in the coming decades humanity will be able to travel beyond the solar system. Read more about the interesting science news of the week in the Izvestia collection.
The extreme bacterium will extract valuable metals in the most difficult conditions.
Scientists from the Federal Research Center "Fundamentals of Biotechnology" of the Russian Academy of Sciences have discovered a new type of bacteria in the Talnakh deposit of copper-nickel ores located in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The microorganism lives in extreme conditions and oxidizes sulfur, thereby participating in bio—leaching, the natural process of extracting copper, nickel, cobalt and gold from sulfur-containing ores. The new species can be used as part of microbial communities for environmentally friendly processing of raw materials during mining in the most difficult conditions. For example, at high acidity, temperature, and the presence of heavy metals.
Bacteria live in ore deposits, which help to obtain valuable metals in their pure form, which are initially associated with sulfur. Microorganisms "remove" sulfur from compounds with metals by oxidizing it. But most of them do not work in difficult conditions, so scientists are looking for new oxidizing agents.
— The individual properties of these bacteria turned out to be extremely interesting.: they form large accumulations of cells on the surface of sulfur particles, which in the future can increase the efficiency of ore processing. Combined with its resistance to extreme conditions, this makes the microorganism an ideal object for metal leaching, even in deposits with complex ores," Anna Panyushkina, Candidate of Biological Sciences, researcher at the Laboratory of Chemolithotrophic Microorganisms at the Fundamental Principles of Biotechnology Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
The found microorganism can be used as a biochemical assistant in ore processing. In the future, this may make mining more environmentally friendly, because some of the processes that now have to use more stringent chemical methods can be transferred to biotechnological rails.
The world's first hydrogen train for narrow gauge railways
The problem of the shortage of modern electric trains in Italy has been solved by the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler and the Sardinian transport operator ARST, officially launching the project of the world's first hydrogen train designed for narrow-gauge railways.
According to the plans, new trains will begin to appear on the lines by 2028 and will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 2,100 tons per year compared to diesels. The only product of the trains will be water vapor, since hydrogen will be produced only using energy from solar power plants, and charging traction batteries and powering electric motors on non—electrified sections of the track will be provided by a special power plant - the PowerPack module car, which houses hydrogen cylinders and fuel cells.
The new trains will not only be more environmentally friendly, but also more comfortable for passengers. The vibrations and hum of engines characteristic of diesel trains will disappear, panoramic windows, low-floor entrances and modern air conditioning systems will appear in the new cabins.
A new technology for creating healthy soft cheeses has been developed in the Caucasus
Scientists at the North Caucasus Federal University have found a way to cook fermented dairy cheeses that will improve digestion and strengthen the immune system. The technology is based on the processing of milk while preserving the properties of its natural components.
To achieve this, filters with microscopic pores will help to isolate milk proteins from whole milk. The concentrate of natural ingredients obtained with their help is added in strict proportion to the cheese mixture and increases the biological value of the product. In addition, thanks to the new filters, it will be possible to use second and third class milk in cheese making, which is now considered unsuitable.
The researchers have already tested the new method in the production of suluguni-type cheese and made sure that the resulting product differs from store-bought analogues in its denser texture and pronounced sour-milk taste. The technology developed at NCFU has already been patented in the Russian Federation. Gradually, it will be introduced in large dairy enterprises. The Russian Science Foundation also added that the production cycle of such a product depends less on the supply of foreign ingredients (for example, protein concentrates) and equipment.
Strawberry substance will restore movement in Parkinson's disease
Scientists from Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have synthesized and tested a compound capable of effectively restoring motor activity in Parkinson's disease. The developers were able to confirm these properties of the new molecule in experiments on worms and fish, which, after exposure to the neurotoxin and subsequent treatment, moved as actively as healthy individuals.
The scientists used the synthetic compound serratin (AN2) as the basis for the substance, an analog of the natural substance urolitin A, which is found in pomegranates and strawberries and is already known for its ability to trigger autophagy, that is, the process of removing chemical toxic debris that kills neurons. On its basis, the researchers synthesized a library of 27 new molecules. According to the experimental results, the OR471 molecule became the leader among the synthesized compounds.
After testing on mice, fish and roundworms, the new compound was classified as a moderately dangerous substance, confirming its promise.
— The main interest of our work is that the compound does not act like classic symptomatic drugs, but affects one of the fundamental cellular mechanisms — autophagy. We have shown that our molecule is capable of activating autophagy and mitophagy, which is the removal of damaged mitochondria. In the fish model, this was accompanied by an improvement in motor activity," said Alexander Rudenko, the first author of the study, a junior researcher at the Belozersky Research Institute of Physico—Chemical Biology.
According to doctors, their options in neurodegeneration therapy are currently limited by alleviating symptoms, so doctors need new effective drugs. However, work on a promising product has just begun, and it may take a long time to enter the market.
SpaceX and NASA talked about antimatter engines
Elon Musk, in a post on the social network X, stated that the next step after the exploration of Mars could be the creation of engines with almost one hundred percent efficiency, which would make it possible to send expeditions even beyond the solar system. Antimatter will be used as an energy source for them. He stressed that scientists claim that antimatter consists of analogues of particles of our matter with the same masses but opposite charges: antiprotons, antineutrons and positrons.
According to the billionaire, the development of antimatter engines for flights to other star systems will require investments of $ 1 trillion. This statement attracted attention, among other things, because of the support of NASA CEO Jared Isaacman, who agreed with the importance of this area for future missions.
However, at the moment, this technology remains mainly a theoretical field. Although the production and retention of antimatter is already carried out in laboratory conditions — for example, at CERN, the industrial production of the required volumes and the creation of workable engines represent a huge engineering challenge. The comment of the head of NASA is interesting because the agency traditionally supports fundamental research in this field. If the leadership of the space agency focuses on the development of antimatter engines, this may lead to a redistribution of budgets and an acceleration of work.
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