V001 / JSI

The severity of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the recurring (re)emergence of viruses prompted the development of new therapeutic approaches that target viral and host factors crucial for viral infection. Colleagues Ana Mitrović and Janko Kos from Department of Biotehnology in collaboration with colleges from Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, and ICGEB in Trieste published the paper in journal Antiviral Research (IF = 10.103) entitled Cathepsin inhibitors nitroxoline and its derivatives inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection. In paper the authors demonstrated that selective cathepsin B inhibitors, such as the antimicrobial agent nitroxoline and its derivatives, impair SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Next, they observed antiviral activity observed at early stage of virus entry was cell-type dependent and correlated well with the intracellular content and enzymatic function of cathepsins B or L. Taken together, results from this study highlight the important role of host cysteine cathepsin B in SARS-CoV-2 virus entry and show that cathepsin-specific inhibitors, such as nitroxoline and its derivatives, could be used to treat COVID-19.

The members of several departments from Jožef Stefan Institute participate in the SiQUID (Slovenian Quantum Communication Infrastructure Demonstration) project for establishing quantum key distribution links between several state nodes in Slovenia and a testbed quantum network between research institutions in Ljubljana for advanced quantum communication protocols. Training key personnel, young researchers and engineers in the field of quantum technology is an important goal of SiQUID project. One of the activities in the project is also to test advanced quantum communication protocols and prepare the ground for a future full-scale quantum communication network. We are in close contact with QCI initiatives in all four neighbouring countries to facilitate harmonisation of national efforts and enable future cross-border interconnections and implementation of the EuroQCI space segment. Partners in the project: Faculty of Mathematics and Physics University of Ljubljana (coordinator), Jozef Stefan Institute, Beyond semiconductor d.o.o., Government Information Security Office and Government Office for the Protection of Classified Information.

At the Industrial Forum IRT 2023, the company MAHLE Electric Drives Slovenija d.o.o. and Jožef Stefan Institute received the TARAS award for successful cooperation between industry and academia. The subject of cooperation was the design of an electric motor for steering systems in vehicles. The goal was to determine its geometry and material properties such that the technical requirements are met and the cost minimized. We arrived at the solution through an innovative simulation-optimization process that includes the statistical evaluation of solutions considering deviations in the manufacture of the engine. The result is an advanced cost-effective engine that substantially improves the company's competitiveness on the market. The cooperation was initiated by the Center for Technology Transfer and Innovation in 2022, and the project was carried out by the Intelligent Systems Department (Bogdan Filipič, Tea Tušar, Aljoša Vodopija and Jordan Cork) and the Computer Systems Department (Peter Korošec).

The members of the Department of Complex Matter at the Jožef Stefan Institute and Faculty of Mathematics and Physics at University of Ljubljana Nerea Sebastián, Matija Lovšin, Natan Osterman, Irena Drevenšek Olenik in Alenka Mertelj, together with researchers from Ghent University (Belgium), University of Leeds (UK), and South China University of Technology (China) have recently published an article in Nature Communication with the title Polarization patterning in ferroelectric nematic liquids via flexoelectric coupling. The recently discovered ferroelectric nematic liquids incorporate to the functional combination of fluidity, processability and anisotropic optical properties of nematic liquids, an astonishing range of physical properties derived from the phase polarity. In this paper, it is shown that photopatterning of the alignment layer can be used to structure polarization patterns. These new capabilities of polarization patterning open a promising new route for the design of ferroelectric nematic based photonic structures and their exploitation.