May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Astronomers have revealed new evidence about the properties of the giant bubbles of high-energy gas that extend far above and below the Milky Way galaxy’s center. In a study recently published in Nature Astronomy ("Thermal and chemical properties of the eROSITA bubbles from Suzaku observations"),...
A new nondestructive method for assessing bioengineered artificial tissues
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Engineering organs to replace damaged hearts or kidneys in the human body may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but the building blocks for this technology are already in place. In the burgeoning field of tissue engineering, live cells grow in artificial scaffolds...
Exciting possibilities with amorphous MXene materials
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Scientists have recently discovered a new class of amorphous nanomaterials that are created by introducing atomic irregular arrangements. These materials demonstrate excellent performance in catalysis, energy storage, and mechanics. In a recent Perspective article in Advanced Materials ("Amorphous MXene Opens New Perspectives"), scientists explore the...
Researchers develop technique for rapid detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Chronic Wasting Disease
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a groundbreaking new diagnostic technique that will allow for faster and more accurate detection of neurodegenerative diseases. The method will likely open a door for earlier treatment and mitigation of various diseases that affect humans, such as...
Scientists create the first CRISPR-based drug candidate targeting the microbiome
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A new drug candidate targeting E. coli in the gut is in phase 1 clinical trials. According to a new paper published in Nature Biotechnology ("Engineered phage with antibacterial CRISPR–Cas selectively reduce E. coli burden in mice"), it may improve the well-being of blood cancer...
Scientists develop gene silencing DNA enzyme that can target a single molecule
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have developed a DNA enzyme – or DNAzyme – that can distinguish between two RNA strands inside a cell and cut the disease-associated strand while leaving the healthy strand intact. This breakthrough “gene silencing” technology could revolutionize the...
We know that carbon capture from the atmosphere is possible. But how do we get there?
May 09, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Direct Air Capture (DAC) technologies offer new opportunities for getting closer to our climate change mitigation targets. However, we still have a long way to go before DAC can be fully rolled out as a mitigation measure. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has...
A flexible sweat sensor based on photonic cellulose nanocrystals
May 08, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), an emerging bio-based material, have found extensive applications in industries such as electronics, bioplastics, and energy. However, the functional failure of these materials in wet or liquid environments hinders their progress in fields like biomedicine, membrane separation, environmental monitoring, and wearable devices....
Using nanopore single-molecule sensing to identify glycans
May 08, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Glycans play diverse and critical roles in numerous cellular activities, but their highly complex structures make their analysis a challenge. These structures arise from differences in composition, branching, regio- and stereochemistry, and modification, resulting in unparalleled structural diversity. Recently, a joint research team led by...
Tiny microbes could brew big benefits for green biomanufacturing
May 08, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A research team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and UC Berkeley has engineered bacteria to produce new-to-nature carbon products that could provide a powerful route to sustainable biochemicals. The advance – which was recently announced in the journal Nature ("Complete integration of...