Apr 26, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The replication of potentially harmful adenoviruses can be significantly reduced in human cells in cell culture by using the so-called CRISPR-Cas9 system ("gene scissors"). This method, which is used worldwide in science and research, thus also offers potential for future innovative therapies for the treatment...
Astronomers solve the 60-year mystery of quasars
Apr 26, 2023 (Nanowerk News) First discovered 60 years ago, quasars can shine as brightly as a trillion stars packed into a volume the size of our Solar System. In the decades since they were first observed, it has remained a mystery what could trigger such powerful activity. New work...
Robot fish makes splash with motion breakthrough
Apr 26, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A coil-powered robot fish designed by scientists at the University of Bristol could make underwater exploration more accessible. The robot fish was fitted with a twisted and coiled polymer (TCP) to drive it forward, a light-weight low cost device that relies on temperature change to...
How to land on a planet safely
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) When a lander descends toward the moon – or a rocky planet, asteroid, or comet – the exhaust plume of the rocket interacts with the surface, causing erosion and kicking up regolith particles. The resulting blanket of dusty debris can create a dangerous brownout effect,...
Treating polluted water with nanofiber membranes
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) When oil contaminates water, it creates a film that reduces oxygen levels and introduces toxic substances. This can lead to the death of aquatic plants and animals, contaminate soil, and ultimately threaten human health. Separating oil from polluted water is therefore of great importance. Current...
Gene-encoded DNA origami for precise In vivo gene therapy
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) As carriers of genetic information, nucleic acid molecules have emerged as promising candidates for gene-based therapeutic interventions. Nucleic acids, through the principle of complementary base pairing, can not only encode functional genes but can also accurately self-assemble into nanostructures with predetermined dimensions and morphologies. However,...
Supermassive black hole tears apart a giant star in a display brighter, more energetic and longer lasting than any observed before
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A distant star, dying a fiery and dramatic death, torn apart by a supermassive black hole in a forgotten corner of the sky. One of the most luminous, energetic, long-lasting transient objects didn’t blaze through the night sky inspiring legends and launching civilizations. Instead, astronomers,...
Astrophysicists reveal the nature of dark matter through the study of crinkles in spacetime
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Most of the matter in the universe, amounting to a staggering 85% by mass, cannot be observed and consists of particles not accounted for by the Standard Model of Particle Physics (see remarks). These particles are known as Dark Matter, and their existence can be...
Want to make better materials? Read between the lines. Or the ‘grain boundaries’, as they’re known in materials science
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The orientations of these infinitesimally small separations between individual “grains” of a polycrystalline material have big effects. In a material such as aluminum, these collections of grains (called microstructures) determine properties such as hardness. New research is helping scientists better understand how microstructures change, or...
Controlling materials properties through nanoscale patterning
Apr 25, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Scientists have developed a new way to control the electronic properties of materials. They created a nanoscale pattern of holes on a thin film of metal oxide known as titania. This noticeably improved the flow of electrons and inhibited the flow of ions in the...