Background Research:
The Helmholtz Prizes are highly esteemed awards within the scientific community named after the German physicist Hermann von Helmholtz. These prizes are awarded to motivated researchers who made groundbreaking contributions through their work.
A group from Konstanz developed an innovative microscopy technique capable of capturing high-speed atomic and electron movements, similar to a film. This approach will provide unprecedented insights into the microscopic world, helping push boundaries in numerous scientific domains.
Another group from Rostock invented an optical biopsy for skin cancer diagnostics. By using light to scan tissue surfaces without any incisions, physicians will determine whether suspect areas on patient’s skin are malignant or benign. This non-invasive methodology potentially saves patients from unnecessary procedures while increasing diagnostic accuracy.
The XXIV IMEKO World Congress is a platform where latest inventions and discussions about the world of measurements take place.
FAQ:
1) What are the Helmholtz Prizes?
The Helmhotlz prizes are prestigious recognitions awarded for groundbreaking research work within different fields of science and engineering. It’s named after German physicist Hermann von Helmhotlz.
2) Who won this year’s Helmholtz Prizes?
This year’s winners come from research groups based in Konstanz, Hannover, and Rostock renowned for their contributions in optimizing light usage during their experiments.
3) Where will the prizes be awarded?
The awards ceremony will take place in Hamburg on 28th August 2024 as part of XXIV IMEKO World Congress where latest advancements around measurement systems will be presented and discussed.
4) What achievements led these groups towards winning their respective prizes?
One team developed a novel microscopy technology that captures rapid atomic and electron movements together akin to what we see in films while another team invented an advanced optical biopsy technique specifically used for diagnosing skin cancer more accurately than ever before.
5) How much is each prize endowed with?
Each prize is endowed with 20,000 euros.
6) What does the new microscopy technique offer in term of scientific insights?
The new microscopy exploit uses focused light to capture atomic and electron movements at extraordinarily high speeds. This can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the microscopic world and lead to significant discoveries.
7) How will the innovative optical biopsy work?
The Optical biopsy system uses light to scan tissue surfaces. It collects back-scattered light data that gets computationally analyzed. The results help discern whether a suspect skin area is cancerous without requiring surgical procedures.
Originamitteilung:
Both of this year’s Helmholtz Prizes prove what kind of groundbreaking success stories can be achieved with light. One is a newly developed microscopy technique, that can capture the extremely fast movements of atoms and electrons as if they were in a film. The other is an innovation in optical biopsy for skin cancer diagnostics. Both prizes are endowed with 20,000 euros each and will be awarded in Hamburg on 28 August 2024 as part of the XXIV IMEKO World Congress, during which the most recent developments “in the world of measurements” will be presented and discussed.