Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have developed next-generation smart textiles – incorporating LEDs, sensors, energy harvesting, and storage – that can be produced inexpensively, in any shape or size, using the same machines used to make the clothing we wear every day. The international team, led by the University...
from board games to protein design
Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have successfully applied reinforcement learning to a challenge in molecular biology. A team led by UW Medicine researchers developed powerful new protein design software adapted from a strategy proven adept at board games like chess and Go. In one experiment, proteins made with the...
Van der Waals integration permits advanced photonic applications from 2D materials to 3D crystals
Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Van der Waals (vdW) integration refers to a physical assembly strategy that was originally applied in the two-dimensional (2D) materials and nanotechnology community to construct vdW heterostructures and electronic devices. This method circumvents the fundamental limit of lattice matching and process-compatibility in heteroepitaxy by leveraging...
Fungal genetics could help develop novel biotechnologies
Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk News) An essential pillar of Earth’s ecological system, fungi have long been used to better the lives of humans. While these organisms are still vastly understudied, a new review paper suggests that their unique genomes could be used to make progress in the biotech industry. “The...
Heat highway in graphite ribbons
Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Scientists from the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo studied the flow of thermal energy in purified ribbons of graphite and showed that heat can move more like a liquid, rather than diffusing randomly, under certain conditions (Nature Communications, "Observation of phonon...
Synthetic biology meets fashion in engineered silk
Apr 21, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have long been intrigued by the remarkable properties of spider silk, which is stronger than steel yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. Now, Fuzhong Zhang, a professor of energy, environmental and chemical engineering at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis,...