Students' seminar

Nitrogen Oxides (NO_x) are major contributors to local air pollution, impacting human health and tropospheric chemistry. While air quality concerns are often focusing on heavy road traffic and seagoing ships, long-lasting diesel engines of inland waterway vessels can also be strong NO_x emitters and might represent a significant local pollution source. We analyse NO_x emissions from the exhaust plumes on inland ships on the Rhine River using MAX-DOAS (Multi AXis-Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy) measurements. This remote sensing technique captures ship exhaust plumes from a riverbank while vessels pass the line of sight of the instrument, making the detection of ship emissions less dependent on wind direction compared to in-situ measurements. By measuring NO₂ column densities at different elevation angles, MAX-DOAS provides not just a single average value for the entire plume, but information about vertical NO₂ distribution within the plume.

Cells can detect mechanical cues in their microenvironment through mechanosensing modules, which translate force-based stimuli into biochemical responses that drive adaptive behaviors. We explore how a DNA aptamer-based mechanoprobe platform offers distinct advantages for enabling differential, programmable, and cell-type-specific mechanosensation. Our findings uncover force transmission mechanisms that go beyond classical integrin-based mechanotransduction, including interactions with integrin/structural proteins and membrane ruffling during macropinocytosis. These insights enhance our understanding of specific mechanotransduction pathways and open new avenues for adaptive therapeutic interventions.