Jun 23, 2023 (Nanowerk News) An international team led by Professor Yan Xu from Osaka Metropolitan University has developed a groundbreaking nanofluidic device, named NANa, capable of stochastically capturing and digitally detecting individual proteins at cellular concentrations. This tool, vital for precision medicine, is designed to handle tiny volumes equivalent...
Creating uniform DNA-encapsulating microgels that mimic a living cell
Jun 23, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The living cell harbors physiologically relevant components such as the genetic material (DNA) and proteins in a ‘self-organized’ setting. Understanding this process of self-assembly can reveal the underlying mechanism of self-organization of living matter. Water/oil (w/o) or water/water (w/w) droplets may be used as prototypes...
Ultrasound-activated microneedles with antibacterial nanoparticles for skin infections
Jun 23, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A research team led by Professor Kelvin Yeung from the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, School of Clinical Medicine, LKS Faculty of Medicine, the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) has designed a new microneedle patch to offer a highly-effective non-antibiotic approach for the treatment of...
Combining twistronics with spintronics could be the next giant leap in quantum electronics
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Twistronics isn’t a new dance move, exercise equipment, or new music fad. No, it’s much cooler than any of that. It is an exciting new development in quantum physics and material science where van der Waals materials are stacked on top of each other in...
Never-before-seen way to annihilate a star
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Most stars in the Universe die in predictable ways, depending on their mass. Relatively low-mass stars like our Sun slough off their outer layers in old age and eventually fade to become white dwarf stars. More massive stars burn brighter and die sooner in cataclysmic...
Researchers develop a new source of quantum light
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Using novel materials that have been widely studied as potential new solar photovoltaics, researchers at MIT have shown that nanoparticles of these materials can emit a stream of single, identical photons. While the work is currently a fundamental discovery of these materials’ capabilities, it might...
Physicists discover a new switch for superconductivity
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Under certain conditions — usually exceedingly cold ones — some materials shift their structure to unlock new, superconducting behavior. This structural shift is known as a “nematic transition,” and physicists suspect that it offers a new way to drive materials into a superconducting state where...
Researchers make major strides toward an all-purpose biosensor chip
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have demonstrated significant improvements for chip-based sensing devices used to detect or analyze substances. The achievements lay the groundwork for highly sensitive portable integrated optofluidic sensing devices that could be used to perform various types of medical tests simultaneously even if they involve completely...
Spectroscopic micro-ellipsometer unveils atomic-level thickness measurements of 2D materials
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Two-dimensional (2D) material flakes consist of single to few atomic layers, granting them extraordinary quantum properties, which are not observed in everyday materials. As a result, these materials hold immense potential for both industrial applications and advanced research. Traditionally, ellipsometry has been a widely adopted...
Breakthrough innovation could solve temperature issues for source-gated transistors and lead to low-cost, flexible displays
Jun 22, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Low-cost, flexible displays that use very little energy could be a step closer, thanks to an innovation from the University of Surrey that solves a problem that has plagued source-gated transistors (SGT). SGTs are not widely used because current designs have a problem with how...