Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Engineers and scientists have developed proof of concept for a robot that can reach some of the smallest bronchial tubes in the lungs - to take tissue samples or deliver cancer therapy. Known as a magnetic tentacle robot, it measures just 2 millimetres in diameter,...
Design tweak helps prevent malfunction in yarns designed to store energy
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers found a way to prevent electrical malfunctions in yarns designed to store electrical energy. Ultimately, the findings could help advance the development of âsmart textilesâ that would capture energy from the wearerâs movements and power sensors...
Study analyses the characteristics of Apophis, the asteroid that will approach Earth in 2029
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) The study (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, "APOPHIS – effects of the 2029 Earth’s encounter on the surface and nearby dynamics"), in which the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Estatal Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (Júlio de Mesquita Filho...
Bionic wing flaps improve wind energy efficiency
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Wind energy relies on efficient wind turbine blades, which act as airfoils, structures akin to an airplane wing. Air flow control accessories similar to those found in aircraft improve the turbine blade's aerodynamic performance. In the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy ("Using the combined...
Attosecond pulses: 100 times more
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Attosecond laser pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) are a unique tool enabling the observation and control of electron dynamics in atoms, molecules, and solids. Most attosecond laser sources operate at a pulse repetition rate of 1 kHz (1000 shots per second), which limits their...
Making wooden construction materials fire-resistant with an eco-friendly coating
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Devastating residential blazes and wildfires take a terrible toll in terms of deaths and injuries, as well as property loss. Today, researchers will report on a new type of coating that could limit the flammability of wood used in construction, potentially providing more time to...
Kirigami-style, self-folding circuit boards
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) In an effort to develop simpler ways to fabricate complex 3D (nano)structures for use in electronics and other areas, researchers have repeatedly made use of kirigami at the nanoscale (see for instance our previous Nanowerk Spotlight on "kirigami-structured graphene-polymer hybrid nanocomposite for strain sensors"). Kirigami...
New enzyme discovery is another leap towards beating plastic waste
Mar 22, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Scientists who helped to pioneer the use of enzymes to eat plastic have taken an important next step in developing nature-based solutions to the global plastics crisis. They have characterised an enzyme that has the remarkable capacity to help break down terephthalate (TPA), one of...
New experiment could confirm the fifth element
Mar 21, 2022 (Nanowerk News) An experiment which could confirm the fifth state of matter in the universe - and change physics as we know it - has been published in a new paper from the University of Portsmouth. Physicist Dr Melvin Vopson has already published research suggesting that information...
Leveraging AI to work with cells
Mar 21, 2022 (Nanowerk News) One of the ultimate goals of medical science is to develop personalized disease diagnostics and therapeutics. With a patient’s genetic information, doctors could tailor treatments to individuals, leading to safer and more effective care. Recent work from a team of Northwestern Engineering researchers has moved...