Making success visible

Coenzyme Q10, or Ubiquinone, fuels cellular energy and protects against oxidative stress. Scientists from the University of Hamburg have visualised and quantified how cells take up coenzyme Q10 using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) imaging at DESY's PETRA III synchrotron.

Impact Assessment: The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has developed a flexible test stand for battery to-mography, providing real-time insights into battery performance. It integrates with synchrotron beamlines and is compatible with all major battery formats.

Impact Assessment: With UCI funding, the GSI Helmholtzzentrum developed a standardised heavy-ion radiati-on test station to evaluate the resilience of electronics for space applications. This new setup significantly improves industrial access to testing under realistic cosmic conditions.

Impact Assessment: HZDR has successfully scaled its CMOS-compatible GeSn photodetector technology to the 3-inch wafer level. Using advanced methods such as ion implantation and flash lamp annealing, the technology progressed from TRL 3 (lab proof-of-concept) to TRL 4 (prototype validation).

With the upgrade of HiPhaX at PETRA III, DESY now enables high-throughput crystallography at room temperature. This globally unique capability reflects physiological conditions more realistically and opens new avenues for drug discovery.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon has integrated a new residual stress analysis tool into the open-source software pydidas to enhance the efficiency of synchrotron-based material analyses. Supported by the Use Case Initiatives with €50,000 in 2024, the tool simplifies data processing and enables faster analysis for both industry and research.

A new chapter in medical isotope production begins with high-energy tests at HZDR’s ELBE accelerator. This innovative project, backed by a €100,000 grant in 2024, aims to produce 99mTc more sustainably—reducing reliance on nuclear reactors and minimizing long-lived waste. Read more!

Using ultrasound to produce optical gratings from layers of air of different densities to control light - this has been achieved by the Ultrafast Photonics research group at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY together with TU Darmstadt and the ultrasound device manufacturer Inoson GmbH. The project was supported by Hi-Acts and funded by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung with 750,000 €.

By improving synchrotron tomography for the investigation of industrially relevant battery cells at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin HZB, in-situ and operando imaging during the battery cycle with insights into battery performance and degradation are now possible.

Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon extends the capabilities of the nanotomography station of the Imaging Beamline (IBL/P05) at PETRAIII/DESY so that industrially relevant samples and high-z materials can be examined using high-energy X-ray nanotomography.

To close the gap between preclinical research and clinical application, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESYs PITZ accelerator now provides state-of-the-art infrastructure for in vivo validation at the FLASH beamline.

At the HiPhaX beamline at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY, structure-based drug development is now possible under physiologically relevant conditions, such as controlled temperature and humidity.