Nov 2024 • Journal of the American Chemical Society
Qidi Wang, Chenglong Zhao, Xia Hu, Jianlin Wang, Swapna Ganapathy, Stephen Eustace, Xuedong Bai, Baohua Li, Hong Li, Doron Aurbach, Marnix Wagemaker
The formation of stable interphases on the electrodes is crucial for rechargeable lithium (Li) batteries. However, next-generation high-energy batteries face challenges in controlling interphase formation due to the high reactivity and structural changes of electrodes, leading to reduced stability and slow ion transport, which accelerate battery degradation. Here, we report an approach to address these issues by introducing multicomponent grain-boundary-rich interphase that boosts the rapid transport of ions and enhances passivation toward prolonged lifespan. This is guided by fundamental principles of solid-state ionics and geological crystallization differentiation theory, achieved through improved solvation chemistry. Demonstrations showcase how the introduction of the interphase substantially impacts the Li-ion transport across the interphase and the electrode–electrolyte compatibility in cost-effective electrolyte …
Show moreNov 2024 • mBio
Alessandra Lo Sciuto, Francesca D'Angelo, Maria Concetta Spinnato, Pierre Simon Garcia, Shirley Genah, Cervoni Matteo, Emmanuel Séchet, Ehud Banin, Frédéric Barras, Francesco Imperi
Iron-sulfur [Fe-S] clusters are essential protein cofactors allowing bacteria to perceive environmental redox modification and to adapt to iron limitation. Escherichia coli, which served as a bacterial model, contains two [Fe-S] cluster biogenesis systems, ISC and SUF, which ensure [Fe-S] cluster synthesis under balanced and stress conditions, respectively. However, our recent phylogenomic analyses revealed that most bacteria possess only one [Fe-S] cluster biogenesis system, most often SUF. The opportunist human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is atypical as it harbors only ISC. Here, we confirmed the essentiality of ISC in P. aeruginosa under both normal and stress conditions. Moreover, P. aeruginosa ISC restored viability, under balanced growth conditions, to an E. coli strain lacking both ISC and SUF. Reciprocally, the E. coli SUF system sustained growth and [Fe-S] cluster-dependent enzyme activities of …
Show moreNov 2024
Yogendra Kumar, BEN Dlugatch, Ananya Maddegalla, Yuri Glagovsky, Natalia Fridman, Sri Harsha Akella, Nicole Leifer, Doron Aurbach, Dmitry Bravo-Zhivotovski, Malachi Noked
The development of efficient electrolytes is crucial for advancing magnesium (Mg) batteries, which hold promise for next-generation energy storage systems. Previously, electrolytes such as [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ [Ph4Al]-, A, and [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ [Ph3AlCl]-, B, have been studied, but their performance has been limited by issues related to ion dissociation and electrochemical stability. In this study, we report the synthesis of novel electrolytes by introducing polydentate ligands to these known systems, leading to the formation of [DME•MgCl•3THF]+ [Ph4Al]- 1 and [DG•MgCl•2THF]+ [Ph4Al]- 2, [Mg•3DME]2+ [Ph3AlCl-]2 3 and [Mg•2DG]2+ [Ph3AlCl-]2 4. These firstly discovered compounds were thoroughly characterized using X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. Our findings reveal that the choice of counter anion plays a pivotal role in the products and mechanism of the dissociation of the bridged [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ cation upon the addition of polydentate ligands. Specifically, with the [Ph4Al]- counter anion (precursor A), the dissociation results in a [MgCl]+ mono-cation, while with the [Ph3AlCl]- counter anion (precursor B), a [Mg]2+ divalent cation is formed. The resultant MgCl2 byproduct enhances solubility, expands electrochemical windows, and improves cyclic stability, leading to superior electrochemical performance of the new electrolytes (1, 2, 3, and 4) compared to the original precursors. These insights offer valuable guidelines for the design and synthesis of advanced electrolytes for rechargeable magnesium batteries, potentially paving the way for more efficient and stable energy storage solutions.
Show moreNov 2024 • Journal of Applied Physics
Vladimir Kostriukov, Lidor Geri, Amos Sharoni
The magnetic state of an antiferromagnetic (AFM) insulator can be read and manipulated in spintronics devices using bilayers of an AFM and a conducting layer, making it useful for spintronics devices. To date, research has focused on single crystals of AFMs, which enables the study of properties related to different crystallographic surfaces. However, combining single-crystal AFMs in spintronics devices may be problematic due to substrate selectivity and deposition conditions. In this work, we study the properties of polycrystalline Fe 2 O 3 coupled with Pt as the conducting layer, asking how the magnetoresistive behavior differs in polycrystalline AFMs. We report on the angle dependent magnetoresistance and transverse magnetoresistance properties as a function of temperature and magnetic fields, comparing Fe 2 O 3/Pt and Fe 2 O 3/Cu/Pt thin films, in addition to magnetometry and structural characterization …
Show moreNov 2024 • Nature communications
Lior Peri, Donna Matzov, Dominic R Huxley, Alon Rainish, Fabrizio Fierro, Liel Sapir, Tara Pfeiffer, Lukas Waterloo, Harald Hübner, Yoav Peleg, Peter Gmeiner, Peter J McCormick, Dorothee Weikert, Masha Y Niv, Moran Shalev-Benami
Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs), a subfamily of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) expressed orally and extraorally, elicit signaling in response to a large set of tastants. Among 25 functional TAS2Rs encoded in the human genome, TAS2R14 is the most promiscuous, and responds to hundreds of chemically diverse ligands. Here we present the cryo–electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the human TAS2R14 in complex with its signaling partner gustducin, and bound to flufenamic acid (FFA), a clinically approved nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. The structure reveals an unusual binding mode, where two copies of FFA are bound at distinct pockets: one at the canonical receptor site within the trans-membrane bundle, and the other in the intracellular facet, bridging the receptor with gustducin. Together with a pocket-specific BRET-based ligand binding assay, these results illuminate bitter taste signaling and …
Show moreNov 2024 • Scientific Reports
Ariel Roitman, Leonid Burlachkov, Amos Sharoni, Avner Shaulov, Yosef Yeshurun
We present a method for improving the performance of microwave coplanar resonators in magnetic fields, by using narrow superconducting strips of width close to the London penetration depth. In a range of low fields, the narrow strips inhibit the presence of magnetic vortices, thus preventing the generation of losses caused by their motion, leading to enhanced resistance to magnetic fields. Our method provides a more straightforward solution compared to previously proposed techniques designed to restrict vortex motion, holding potential for the development of improved devices based on microwave resonators.
Show moreNov 2024 • arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.12702
Yishai Klein, Edward Strizhevsky, Haim Aknin, Moshe Deutsch, Eliahu Cohen, Avi Pe'er, Kenji Tamasaku, Tobias Schulli, Ebrahim Karimi, Sharon Shwartz
The invention of X-ray interferometers has led to advanced phase-sensing devices that are invaluable in various applications. These include the precise measurement of universal constants, e.g. the Avogadro number, of lattice parameters of perfect crystals, and phase-contrast imaging, which resolves details that standard absorption imaging cannot capture. However, the sensitivity and robustness of conventional X-ray interferometers are constrained by factors, such as fabrication precision, beam quality, and, importantly, noise originating from external sources or the sample itself. In this work, we demonstrate a novel X-ray interferometric method of phase measurement with enhanced immunity to various types of noise, by extending, for the first time, the concept of the SU(1,1) interferometer into the X-ray regime. We use a monolithic silicon perfect crystal device with two thin lamellae to generate correlated photon pairs via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). Arrival time coincidence and sum-energy filtration allow a high-precision separation of the correlated photon pairs, which carry the phase information from orders-of-magnitude larger uncorrelated photonic noise. The novel SPDC-based interferometric method presented here is anticipated to exhibit enhanced immunity to vibrations as well as to mechanical and photonic noise, compared to conventional X-ray interferometers. Therefore, this SU(1,1) X-ray interferometer should pave the way to unprecedented precision in phase measurements, with transformative implications for a wide range of applications.
Show moreNov 2024 • Advanced Functional Materials
Domenikos Chryssikos, Jerry A Fereiro, Jonathan Rojas, Sudipta Bera, Defne Tüzün, Evanthia Kounoupioti, Rui N Pereira, Christian Pfeiffer, Ali Khoshouei, Hendrik Dietz, Mordechai Sheves, David Cahen, Marc Tornow
The remarkable ability of natural proteins to conduct electricity in the dry state over long distances remains largely inexplicable despite intensive research. In some cases, a (weakly) exponential length‐attenuation, as in off‐resonant tunneling transport, extends to thicknesses even beyond 10 nm. This report deals with such charge transport characteristics observed in self‐assembled multilayers of the protein bacteriorhodopsin (bR). ≈7.5 to 15.5 nm thick bR layers are prepared on conductive titanium nitride (TiN) substrates using aminohexylphosphonic acid and poly‐diallyl‐dimethylammonium electrostatic linkers. Using conical eutectic gallium‐indium top contacts, an intriguing, mono‐exponential conductance attenuation as a function of the bR layer thickness with a small attenuation coefficient β ≈ 0.8 nm−1 is measured at zero bias. Variable‐temperature measurements using evaporated Ti/Au top contacts yield …
Show moreNov 2024 • arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.12702
Yishai Klein, Edward Strizhevsky, Haim Aknin, Moshe Deutsch, Eliahu Cohen, Avi Pe'er, Kenji Tamasaku, Tobias Schulli, Ebrahim Karimi, Sharon Shwartz
The invention of X-ray interferometers has led to advanced phase-sensing devices that are invaluable in various applications. These include the precise measurement of universal constants, e.g. the Avogadro number, of lattice parameters of perfect crystals, and phase-contrast imaging, which resolves details that standard absorption imaging cannot capture. However, the sensitivity and robustness of conventional X-ray interferometers are constrained by factors, such as fabrication precision, beam quality, and, importantly, noise originating from external sources or the sample itself. In this work, we demonstrate a novel X-ray interferometric method of phase measurement with enhanced immunity to various types of noise, by extending, for the first time, the concept of the SU(1,1) interferometer into the X-ray regime. We use a monolithic silicon perfect crystal device with two thin lamellae to generate correlated photon pairs via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). Arrival time coincidence and sum-energy filtration allow a high-precision separation of the correlated photon pairs, which carry the phase information from orders-of-magnitude larger uncorrelated photonic noise. The novel SPDC-based interferometric method presented here is anticipated to exhibit enhanced immunity to vibrations as well as to mechanical and photonic noise, compared to conventional X-ray interferometers. Therefore, this SU(1,1) X-ray interferometer should pave the way to unprecedented precision in phase measurements, with transformative implications for a wide range of applications.
Show moreNov 2024 • arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.00590
Ilya Olevsko, Omer Shavit, Moshe Feldberg, Yossi Abulafia, Adi Salomon, Martin Oheim
Recent progress has boosted the resolving power of optical microscopies to spatial dimensions well below the diffraction limit. Yet, axial super-resolution and axial single-molecule localisation typically require more complicated implementations than their lateral counterparts. In the present work, we propose a simple solution for axial metrology by providing a multi-layered single-excitation, dual-emission test slide, in which axial distance is colour-encoded. Our test slide combines on a standard microscope coverslip substrate two flat, thin, uniform and brightly emitting fluorophore layers, separated by a nanometric transparent spacer layer having a refractive index close to a biological cell. The ensemble is sealed in an index-matched protective polymer. As a proof-of-principle, we estimate the light confinement resulting from evanescent-wave excitation in total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Our test sample permits, even for the non-expert user, a facile axial metrology at the sub-100-nm scale, a critical requirement for axial super-resolution, as well as near-surface imaging, spectroscopy and sensing.
Show moreNov 2024 • Briefings in Bioinformatics
Thomas Konstantinovsky, Ayelet Peres, Pazit Polak, Gur Yaari
Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire sequencing (AIRR-seq) is critical for our understanding of the adaptive immune system’s dynamics in health and disease. Reliable analysis of AIRR-seq data depends on accurate rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) sequence alignment. Various Ig sequence aligners exist, but there is no unified benchmarking standard representing the complexities of AIRR-seq data, obscuring objective comparisons of aligners across tasks. Here, we introduce GenAIRR, a modular simulation framework for generating Ig sequences alongside their ground truths. GenAIRR realistically simulates the intricacies of V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation, and an array of sequence corruptions. We comprehensively assessed prominent Ig sequence aligners across various metrics, unveiling unique performance characteristics for each aligner. The GenAIRR-produced datasets, combined with …
Show moreNov 2024 • Journal of The Electrochemical Society
Gayathri peta, Nagaprasad Reddy Samala, Miryam Fayena-Greenstein, Yuval Elias, Doron Aurbach
Developing polymer electrolytes as an alternative to aprotic liquid electrolytes for lithium and sodium-ion batteries aims to enhance their safety, durability, and cost. Among these, polyethylene oxide (PEO) is a favorite choice due to its wide availability, excellent versatility, and mechanical properties. PEO:NaTFSI and PEO:NaFSI are stable and efficient ion-conducting solid polymer electrolytes compared to other PEO:NaX matrices (for instance, X=[PF6]-, [ClO4]-). We tested Na/PEO:NaTFSI/NVP cells at low temperatures (40C) and carried out a series of electrochemical measurements to extract vital performance metrics such as diffusion coefficient, transference number, conductivity, and activation energy. Our findings emphasize the important role of the anions’ nature in the properties of polymeric electrolytes like those based on PEO, in which there are strong interactions between the ions and the oxygen atoms …
Show moreNov 2024 • ACS Omega
Ya’akov Mandelbaum, Maria Tkachev, Abhijit Sanjeev, Zeev Zalevsky, David Zitoun, Avi Karsenty
Plasmonic nanostructure arrays, designed for performance as pixels in an advanced SERS imaging device, were fabricated by gallium focused ion beam (FIB). Though the FIB is best suited for etching holes and negative structures, our previously reported simulations favor protrusions. Herein, we report on the FIB methodology to “sculpt” positive structures by “ion-blasting” away the surrounding material. Nanoprotrusions and nanoholes with different aspect ratios are compared experimentally with depth and height controlled by the dwell time. The amplitude and spectra of optical absorption and scattering from the two species are compared as a function of structure height. Measurements were performed using ASI’s model Rainbow hyperspectral camera, demonstrating the utility of hyperspectral microscopy for plasmonic imaging applications. Both the scattered and absorbed radiation display the broad peak …
Show moreNov 2024 • ChemCatChem
Stephanie Himpich, Marion Ringel, Renana Schwartz, Nicole Dimos, Ronja Driller, Carl PO Helmer, Prashant Kumar Gupta, Martina Haack, Dan Thomas Major, Thomas Brück, Bernhard Loll
Structural diversity of diterpenes is mediated by the enigmatic family of diterpene synthases. The overall enzymatic contribution hereby lies in a carefully concerted chemistry of highly reactive carbocation intermediates mainly guided by aromatic and polar amino acid side chains and the pyrophosphate cofactor. To date several studies aimed to shed light on the mechanism underlining terpene synthases chemistry. Specifically, the diterpene synthase CotB2 serves as model enzyme for detailed mutagenesis studies. Here we investigate the catalytic mechanism of CotB2 variant V80L in a holistic, biochemical, structural, and computational biology approach. We were able to identify an altered product profile compared to CotB2WT for the substrates geranylgeranyl diphosphate and farnesyl diphosphate. Moreover, we solved the crystal structure, and shed further light on terpene synthase chemistry by modelling of the …
Show moreNov 2024 • Nature Communications
Sebastian Schimmel, Yanina Fasano, Sven Hoffmann, Julia Besproswanny, Laura Teresa Corredor Bohorquez, Joaquín Puig, Bat-Chen Elshalem, Beena Kalisky, Grigory Shipunov, Danny Baumann, Saicharan Aswartham, Bernd Büchner, Christian Hess
Topological superconductivity is a promising concept for generating fault-tolerant qubits. Early experimental studies looked at hybrid systems and doped intrinsic topological or superconducting materials at very low temperatures. However, higher critical temperatures are indispensable for technological exploitation. Recent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy results have revealed that superconductivity in the type-I Weyl semimetal—trigonal PtBi2 (t-PtBi2)—is located at the Fermi-arc surface states, which renders the material a potential candidate for intrinsic topological superconductivity. Here we show, using scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy, that t-PtBi2 presents surface superconductivity at elevated temperatures (5 K). The gap magnitude is elusive: it is spatially inhomogeneous and spans from 0 to 20 meV. In particular, the large gap value and the shape of the quasiparticle excitation …
Show moreNov 2024 • arXiv preprint arXiv:2411.12702
Yishai Klein, Edward Strizhevsky, Haim Aknin, Moshe Deutsch, Eliahu Cohen, Avi Pe'er, Kenji Tamasaku, Tobias Schulli, Ebrahim Karimi, Sharon Shwartz
The invention of X-ray interferometers has led to advanced phase-sensing devices that are invaluable in various applications. These include the precise measurement of universal constants, e.g. the Avogadro number, of lattice parameters of perfect crystals, and phase-contrast imaging, which resolves details that standard absorption imaging cannot capture. However, the sensitivity and robustness of conventional X-ray interferometers are constrained by factors, such as fabrication precision, beam quality, and, importantly, noise originating from external sources or the sample itself. In this work, we demonstrate a novel X-ray interferometric method of phase measurement with enhanced immunity to various types of noise, by extending, for the first time, the concept of the SU(1,1) interferometer into the X-ray regime. We use a monolithic silicon perfect crystal device with two thin lamellae to generate correlated photon pairs via spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC). Arrival time coincidence and sum-energy filtration allow a high-precision separation of the correlated photon pairs, which carry the phase information from orders-of-magnitude larger uncorrelated photonic noise. The novel SPDC-based interferometric method presented here is anticipated to exhibit enhanced immunity to vibrations as well as to mechanical and photonic noise, compared to conventional X-ray interferometers. Therefore, this SU(1,1) X-ray interferometer should pave the way to unprecedented precision in phase measurements, with transformative implications for a wide range of applications.
Show moreNov 2024 • ACS omega
Ya’akov Mandelbaum, Maria Tkachev, Abhijit Sanjeev, Zeev Zalevsky, David Zitoun, Avi Karsenty
Plasmonic nanostructure arrays, designed for performance as pixels in an advanced SERS imaging device, were fabricated by gallium focused ion beam (FIB). Though the FIB is best suited for etching holes and negative structures, our previously reported simulations favor protrusions. Herein, we report on the FIB methodology to “sculpt” positive structures by “ion-blasting” away the surrounding material. Nanoprotrusions and nanoholes with different aspect ratios are compared experimentally with depth and height controlled by the dwell time. The amplitude and spectra of optical absorption and scattering from the two species are compared as a function of structure height. Measurements were performed using ASI’s model Rainbow hyperspectral camera, demonstrating the utility of hyperspectral microscopy for plasmonic imaging applications. Both the scattered and absorbed radiation display the broad peak …
Show moreNov 2024 • Heliyon
Saja Nasser, Gili Cohen-Taguri, Tali Mass, Iddo Pinkas, Gil Goobes
In the original published version of this article, the graphical abstract was omitted. The authors wish to update the article with the graphical abstract included. The authors apologize for the error. Both the HTML and PDF versions of the article have been updated to correct the error.
Show moreNov 2024 • Oxford University Press
Pietro D’Addabbo, Roni Cohen-Fultheim, Itamar Twersky, Adriano Fonzino, Domenico Alessandro Silvestris, Ananth Prakash, Pietro Luca Mazzacuva, Juan Antonio Vizcaino, Andrew Green, Blake Sweeney, Andy Yates, Yvonne Lussi, Jie Luo, Maria-Jesus Martin, Eli Eisenberg, Erez Y Levanon, Graziano Pesole, Ernesto Picardi
A-to-I RNA editing is the most common non-transient epitranscriptome modification. It plays several roles in human physiology and has been linked to several disorders. Large-scale deep transcriptome sequencing has fostered the characterization of A-to-I editing at the single nucleotide level and the development of dedicated computational resources. REDIportal is a unique and specialized database collecting ∼16 million of putative A-to-I editing sites designed to face the current challenges of epitranscriptomics. Its running version has been enriched with sites from the TCGA project (using data from 31 studies). REDIportal provides an accurate, sustainable and accessible tool enriched with interconnections with widespread ELIXIR core resources such as Ensembl, RNAcentral, UniProt and PRIDE. Additionally, REDIportal now includes information regarding RNA editing in putative double-stranded RNAs …
Show moreNov 2024 • Journal of the American Chemical Society
Qidi Wang, Chenglong Zhao, Xia Hu, Jianlin Wang, Swapna Ganapathy, Stephen Eustace, Xuedong Bai, Baohua Li, Hong Li, Doron Aurbach, Marnix Wagemaker
The formation of stable interphases on the electrodes is crucial for rechargeable lithium (Li) batteries. However, next-generation high-energy batteries face challenges in controlling interphase formation due to the high reactivity and structural changes of electrodes, leading to reduced stability and slow ion transport, which accelerate battery degradation. Here, we report an approach to address these issues by introducing multicomponent grain-boundary-rich interphase that boosts the rapid transport of ions and enhances passivation toward prolonged lifespan. This is guided by fundamental principles of solid-state ionics and geological crystallization differentiation theory, achieved through improved solvation chemistry. Demonstrations showcase how the introduction of the interphase substantially impacts the Li-ion transport across the interphase and the electrode–electrolyte compatibility in cost-effective electrolyte …
Show moreNov 2024
Yogendra Kumar, BEN Dlugatch, Ananya Maddegalla, Yuri Glagovsky, Natalia Fridman, Sri Harsha Akella, Nicole Leifer, Doron Aurbach, Dmitry Bravo-Zhivotovski, Malachi Noked
The development of efficient electrolytes is crucial for advancing magnesium (Mg) batteries, which hold promise for next-generation energy storage systems. Previously, electrolytes such as [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ [Ph4Al]-, A, and [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ [Ph3AlCl]-, B, have been studied, but their performance has been limited by issues related to ion dissociation and electrochemical stability. In this study, we report the synthesis of novel electrolytes by introducing polydentate ligands to these known systems, leading to the formation of [DME•MgCl•3THF]+ [Ph4Al]- 1 and [DG•MgCl•2THF]+ [Ph4Al]- 2, [Mg•3DME]2+ [Ph3AlCl-]2 3 and [Mg•2DG]2+ [Ph3AlCl-]2 4. These firstly discovered compounds were thoroughly characterized using X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. Our findings reveal that the choice of counter anion plays a pivotal role in the products and mechanism of the dissociation of the bridged [Mg2(µ-Cl)3•6THF]+ cation upon the addition of polydentate ligands. Specifically, with the [Ph4Al]- counter anion (precursor A), the dissociation results in a [MgCl]+ mono-cation, while with the [Ph3AlCl]- counter anion (precursor B), a [Mg]2+ divalent cation is formed. The resultant MgCl2 byproduct enhances solubility, expands electrochemical windows, and improves cyclic stability, leading to superior electrochemical performance of the new electrolytes (1, 2, 3, and 4) compared to the original precursors. These insights offer valuable guidelines for the design and synthesis of advanced electrolytes for rechargeable magnesium batteries, potentially paving the way for more efficient and stable energy storage solutions.
Show more