Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) One of the main ways cells “talk” to each other to coordinate essential biological activities such as muscle contraction, hormone release, neuronal firing, digestion and immune activation is through calcium signaling. Rice University scientists have used light-activated molecular machines to trigger intercellular calcium wave signals,...
Reporters broadcast live, on-the-scene, inside living cells
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Live, on-the-scene reporting is now available inside living cells. Synthetic biologists from Rice University and Princeton University have demonstrated “live reporter” technology that can reveal the workings of networks of signaling proteins in living cells with far greater precision than current methods. The first-of-its-kind reporting...
New biodegradable plastics are compostable in your backyard
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) We use plastics in almost every aspect of our lives. These materials are cheap to make and incredibly stable. The problem comes when we're done using something plastic — it can persist in the environment for years. Over time, plastic will break down into smaller...
Mystery of microgels solved
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at PSI and the University of Barcelona have managed to explain the strange behaviour of microgels. Their measurements using neutron beams have pushed this measuring technique to its limits. The results open up opportunities for new applications in materials and pharmaceutical research. They flow...
Researchers create an innovative method to produce soft, conductive and recyclable fibres for smart textiles
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Smart textiles offer many potential wearable technology applications, from therapeutics to sensing to communication. For such intelligent textiles to function effectively, they need to be strong, stretchable, and electrically conductive. However, fabricating fibres that possess these three properties is challenging and requires complex conditions and...
Machine learning takes materials modeling into new era
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The arrangement of electrons in matter, known as the electronic structure, plays a crucial role in fundamental but also applied research such as drug design and energy storage. However, the lack of a simulation technique that offers both high fidelity and scalability across different time...
New material shows promise for next-generation memory technology
Jul 10, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Phase change memory is a type of nonvolatile memory that harnesses a phase change material's (PCM) ability to shift from an amorphous state, i.e., where atoms are disorganized, to a crystalline state, i.e., where atoms are tightly packed close together. This change produces a reversible...