News & updates
Latest developments from our institute
Stay informed about new research results, awards, events, and collaborations across our scientific community.
Responsive soft robots inspired by sputtering ketchup bottle
A smartly designed pressure valve allows soft robots to respond to their environment without the need for computer control, reveal AMOLF researchers in their article in the journal Matter. That brings robots with natural movements and tactile responses similar to those of living organisms one step closer to reality. Such developments render soft robots more suitable for exploring rough and unknown terrain or for medical applications.
Getting more information by measuring faster and averaging less
For signals barely larger than the noise in a system, measurement is generally a trade-off between speed and precision. Averaging over several measurements reduces the influence of noise but takes (a lot of) time. That could change with a revolutionary new measurement method, devised by AMOLF researchers Kevin Peters and Said Rodriguez. Their idea is based on a non-linear optical resonator, explains Rodriguez: “In this sensor, faster measurement actually produces a stronger signal.” The theoretical elaboration of this new measurement method is published in Physical Review Letters today, June 27, 2022. For an experimental exploration, collaborations are being sought with companies seeking to make fast and precise measurements with light.
Discovery of new mechanisms to control the flow of sound
Using a network of vibrating nano-strings controlled with light, researchers from AMOLF have made sound waves move in a specific irreversible direction and attenuated or amplified the waves in a controlled manner for the first time. This gives rise to a lasing effect for sound. To their surprise, they discovered new mechanisms, so-called ‘geometric phases’, with which they can manipulate and transmit sound in systems where that was thought to be impossible. “This opens the way to new types of (meta)materials with properties that we do not yet know from existing materials,” says group leader Ewold Verhagen who, together with shared first authors Javier del Pino and Jesse Slim, publishes the surprising results on June 2 in Nature.
Light-Catalyst Interactions to Sense and Steer Chemical Reactions
AMOLF and Utrecht University have been awarded a 1.9 million euro research project by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) Key Technologies 2020-2023 programme to develop radically new catalytic reactors using plasmonic systems. The project entitled “Sensing and Steering Catalytic Reactions with Light” (CatLight) is a multidisciplinary collaboration between AMOLF (Alarcon-Llado, Albrecht, Ehrler, Garnett and Polman), Utrecht University (Weckhuysen, Hutter, Rabouw), and industrial partners BASF, ExxonMobil, Shell, Toyota Motor Europe, DENSsolutions, and Delmic.
First study of CRISPR-Cas defense in individual cells shows remarkable variability
Specialists in single cell dynamics of research institute AMOLF together with CRISPR-Cas researchers of TU Delft were able to measure for the first time how quickly a single cell can build new memory and remove invading DNA using the CRISPR Cas system. Remarkably, they noted a large variability between individual cells in different populations. The results were published on April 25, 2022 in the open access scientific journal Molecular Systems Biology.
Record efficiencies in thin film photovoltaic cells
Silicon solar cells have proven to be the champion photovoltaic technology, as they use earth abundant raw materials (i.e. Si) and perform with high efficiency. However, they are based on thick, rigid and heavy wafers and can therefore only be installed in a limited amount of places. One of the ways to overcome this disadvantage is to use thin membranes instead. This will reduce the amount of Si by more than 99% (dramatically saving in raw materials) and also make the cells flexible and lightweight. As such, these cells can be easily integrated into buildings, urban architecture and even small every day gadgets. The problem though, is that such thin Si membranes cannot absorb light as efficiently. In fact, only 25% of the sunlight is absorbed and you can even see through them!
Cell unstuck: how a glue-like protein can make our cells move
An essential aspect of the cells in our body is their ability to move, to repair certain tissues or chase intruders, for example: but how do they do it? Scientists from TU Delft, AMOLF and Utrecht University reveal how glue-like proteins called crosslinkers cannot only help to hold the whole cell together passively, but surprisingly cause the cell to move as well. The research is now published in PNAS.
A magic top hat for protein folding
Following a single protein inside the cavity of a GroEL chaperone for the first time, researchers at AMOLF led by professor Sander Tans discovered how protein folding can be accelerated. Amino acid chains are pulled inside the open cavity of the chaperone, where they collapse on top of themselves and fold. The findings have implications for our understanding of cellular protein control and folding diseases. The research was published in Science Advances on March 4th.