On earth, at sea, in the air and even beyond: the year 2023 was marked by scientific successes and discoveries. Often with a Belgian mind at work.
Obesity has found its master with GLP-1
For the journal Science, this is the scientific breakthrough of the year. The new applications ofa class of drugs originally developed to combat type 2 diabetes are now more than promising for counteracting the global obesity epidemic. And with it a whole range of health risks.
These drugs, which mimic a gut hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), are “reshaping medicine, popular culture and even global stock markets,” says Science, referring to Novo's now-famous Ozempic Nordisk. These GLP-1 receptor agonists cause significant weight losswith generally manageable side effects,” argues the specialist journal, one of the largest in the world.
“Clinical studies this year have shown thisThey also reduced heart failure symptoms and the risk of heart attack and stroke. These medications have major benefits that go beyond weight loss itself. It is also believed that they can help prevent other pathologies such as arthritis, fatty liver disease and certain types of cancer. For these reasons, science has named GLP-1 drugs the “Discovery of the Year.”
“This is the first direct experiment to specifically observe a gravitational effect on moving antimatter. This is an important step in the study of antimatter, whose apparent absence in the universe remains a mystery.”
Jeffrey Hangst,
Spokesperson for the Alpha experiment at CERN
Gravity: no exception for antimatter!
Just like Newton's apple, Antimatter also “falls” to Earth. CERN researchers have proven this. The hydrogen anti-atoms created in their laboratory were exposed to Earth's gravity.
In other words, the experiment conducted in Switzerland (the results of which were published in Nature in September) shows that we will come back for antigravity. This discovery marks a important step towards understanding antimatterrather extremely rare in the universe, although shortly after the Big Bang it was as common as matter.
“In physics, you only really know something when you observe it,” explains Jeffrey Hangst, spokesman for theAlpha experiment at Cern, where this observation was made. This is the first direct experiment to specifically observe a gravitational effect on moving antimatter. This is an important step in the study of antimatter, whose apparent absence in the universe remains a mystery.”
A high-tech sailing ship to transport the Ariane 6
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A 121 meter long sailboat dedicated exclusively to the transport of the Ariane 6 ©VPLP-ZephyetBoree-Jifmar
In the fall, the Canopée hoisted its sails for the first time during a transatlantic crossing. Surprised? Certainly if we know that it is not just any sailboat, but aa cargo ship 121 meters long and 22 meters wide. And this ship was specifically designed for that Transport of Ariane 6 rockets to Guyana. Ariane 6 is the new European launch vehicle, whose first flight is scheduled for 2024.
40%
fuel
The Canopée conveyor, designed to transport Ariane 6 rockets to Guyana, reduces the ship's fuel consumption by 30 to 40%.
Canopy is brand new Hybrid conveyor (diesel and wind), designed to address environmental challenges while cutting transportation costs in half. It also meets a number of very technical criteria related to its exceptional passengers and the navigational limitations along its path. In addition to the high seas, it must also be able to travel up the Kourou River to the port of Pariacabo near the Guyana Space Center.
Its sails consist of four double vertical wings 36 meters high and with an area of 363 m2 each. They can be rotated, which means they can optimally capture the wind regardless of its direction. Your use during each of the 9 annual sailings between Europe and Guyana is intended to reduce the ship's fuel consumption by 30 to 40%.
also read
Thales Alenia Space and Sabca receive orders for the future Ariane 6 launch vehicle
Collagen protects the skin from cancer
A discovery made in Professor Blanpain's Stem Cells and Cancer laboratory at the Free University of Brussels allows us to better understand why mutated skin cells can develop a tumor under certain circumstancesand not in others.
Basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin cancer, It is the collagen level that takes on a barrier function. Collagen is a fibrous protein that provides structure to tissue. When this rate is high, oncogenic (mutant) cells develop only on the surface of the skin and remain harmless.
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Professor Cédric Blanpain's stem cell and cancer laboratory at the Free University of Brussels discovered the essential role of collagen levels in slowing the development of basal cell carcinoma. ©Dieter Telemans
On the other hand, if the collagen level is too low, these are also present oncogenic cells also grow deep in the dermis and develop a tumor. The discovery of these mechanisms that regulate the development of cancer is opening up new perspectives in the fight against this pathology.
“Future studies will be important to identify factors in other tissues that promote or limit tumor formation,” says Professor Blanpain. “For example, fat cells, muscles, blood vessels. Factors that we may be able to influence and therefore be able to influence.” Make tissue that is normally susceptible to the development of tumors more resilient.”
Baptism of cold for Belgica
THE new Belgian marine research vessel RV Belgica conducted its first Arctic campaign in Greenland last summer. The certified “ice” ship (which is not an icebreaker) carried an international and multidisciplinary team of scientists led by researchers from Ghent University.
To get going, RV Belgica first conducted one Research campaign in Icelandic waters, from the end of June. It examined how the natural weathering of silicate minerals in the sea removes the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, helping to remove it from the atmosphere. And how the acceleration of this phenomenon could be an ally in the fight against global warming.
He then Set sail for Greenland to investigate how accelerated glacial melting affects carbon dynamics, biodiversity and the food web in fjords: a typical Arctic marine ecosystem.
Beautiful alien harvest for Osiris-Rex
The feat is American. In 2023, the American probe Osiris-Rex reported back to Earth a large sample of dust and small rocks taken directly from the asteroid Bennu. These samples, which arrived on Earth in September, are currently being recovered in almost sterile rooms at the American space agency NASA. About 70 grams of these extraterrestrial elements were recovered in the probe, exceeding the agency's goal of returning at least 60 grams to Earth.
A quarter of these samples will be distributed to the 233 scientists on the Osiris-Rex team, representing 38 institutions around the world. 4% of the sample is given to theCanadian Space Agency and 0.5% on JAXA (Japan Aerospace Research Agency), other partners in this mission. The rest, about 70%, is retained NASA Johnson Space Center for scientists outside the mission team and for future generations of scientists.
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The dust and stone samples brought by Osiris-Rex are collected in almost sterile rooms. ©BELGA
These asteroid extracts should Inform researchers about the possible colonization of the earth with prebiotic components, necessary for the emergence of life. Are we children of Bennu or other asteroids?
2,573 kilometers on a single (battery) charge
2,573 km
autonomy
The single-seat Muco22 prototype developed by the Technical University of Munich covered 2,573 km autonomously at …42 km/h.
L'Autonomy of an electric car is often one of the main questions that arise when purchasing such a vehicle. At the Technical University of Munich (Germany) we have had an answer ready since last summer: 2,573 kilometers! This is the distance your Muc022 travels on a single charge.
The track record was recorded during a competition dedicated to this type of feat. The event took place on a race track installed in an empty hangar at the local airport to avoid any environmental impact. And of course the car in question, a single-seater prototype weighing 170 kilos with careful aerodynamics, is not available on the market.
But this new record (which shattered the previous record of 1,608 km) could be it a source of inspiration for builders. The Munich team only used 0.6 kilowatt hours per 100 km. Average consumption compared to 13 kWh/100km of the most economical series vehicles.
All that remains is to improve the Muc022's other performance. Including his speed. In order to exceed the 2,573 km mark, the pilots of the prototype had to take turns for another 99 hours Top speeds of 42 km/h… Incredible!
Phase-out of highly enriched uranium in Fleurus
Since this year the Institute for Radioelements (IRE) based in Fleurusone of the four global suppliers of medical radioisotopes, no longer uses highly enriched uranium (93%) to produce its products.
To produce molybdenum (Mo-99), which then allows the production of technetium, which is used in scintigraphy for diagnosis in the nuclear medicine departments of hospitals, iodine (I-131), an essential and irreplaceable radionuclide for treatment, is required of thyroid cancer and finally xenon (Xe-133), a gas that allows certain lung tests to be carried out, IRE now uses low enriched uranium as raw material (only 19.75%). A scientific breakthrough resulting from ten years of research in collaboration with the Mol Nuclear Studies Center (SCK-CEN) that now allows the IRE to change raw materials without changing the process or quality of production.
The fresh sea air even better, thanks to Sempas
Sempas will scan smoke plumes from ships passing nearby to detect specific compounds and determine their concentrations.
After several years of development by scientists from the Royal Belgian Institute of Space Aeronomy, Sempas is now in good use. This sniffer can now continuously track the excessive proportion of various pollutants in ship exhaust gases that pass through our territorial waters.
It's made out two optical detectors. These spectrometers work in the infrared and ultraviolet range. Sempas (Ship Emission Monitoring by Passive Remote Sensing) will finally be positioned offshore on an energy pylon at the Belgian Mermaid offshore wind farm.
It scans the plumes of smoke from ships passing nearby to detect specific compounds and determine their concentrations. Of which Sulfur emissions, indicating the use of poor quality fuelundoubtedly cheaper for the shipowners, but also far too harmful to the environment.
What The fuel is then checked directly at the destination port of suspicious ships and if necessary, punish them. Every year around 200,000 ships pass through the Belgian part of the North Sea.
Juice and Euclid on the way to dark matter and Jupiter
Distinguishing feature of the Juice and Euclid probes: They combine high-level European, but also Belgian, know-how, be it in engineering or scientific instruments!
While the American probe Osiris-Rex returned to Earth this fall, two European scientific probes, Juice and Euclid, left last year. Goals: firstly, the moons of Jupiter and secondly, monitoring the dark matter of the universe.
Euclid, which is “only” 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, has already delivered first breathtaking pictures. We have to wait a little longer for Juice (2031). The impressive probe, weighing more than six tons, has to travel around five billion kilometers before reaching its destination.
It will then conduct a series of flybys of Callisto, Ganymede and Europa (three of Jupiter's main moons) and collect data to try to understand themIt's possible that the moons and oceans harbor microbial life beneath their icy surfaces.
The distinguishing feature of these two probes is that they concentrate naturally European, but also Belgian know-how at a high levelwhether they are technical or scientific instruments!