Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The nanoscale is quite small, but materials of this size significantly impact many fields, from electronics to aerospace to robotics to medicine. In an interdisciplinary collaboration, Northwestern Engineering’s Horacio Espinosa and Chad Mirkin explored how nanoscale materials could be organized into macroscopic structures that exhibit...
A more effective experimental design for engineering a cell into a new state
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A strategy for cellular reprogramming involves using targeted genetic interventions to engineer a cell into a new state. The technique holds great promise in immunotherapy, for instance, where researchers could reprogram a patient’s T-cells so they are more potent cancer killers. Someday, the approach could...
Metal-loving microbes could replace chemical processing of rare earths
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Cornell University scientists have characterized the genome of a metal-loving bacteria with an affinity for rare earth elements. The research paves the way towards replacing the harsh chemical processing of these elements with a benign practice called biosorption. Rare earth elements power electric cars, wind...
Scientists discover a durable but sensitive material for high energy X-ray detection
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) X-ray technology plays a vital role in medicine and scientific research, providing non-invasive medical imaging and insight into materials. Recent advancements in X-ray technology enable brighter, more intense beams and imaging of increasingly intricate systems in real-world conditions, like the insides of operating batteries. To...
Examining the superconducting diode effect
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A collaboration of FLEET researchers from the University of Wollongong and Monash University have reviewed the superconducting diode effect, one of the most fascinating phenomena recently discovered in quantum condensed-matter physics. A superconducting diode enables dissipationless supercurrent to flow in only one direction, and provides...
Sturdy nanopore membrane could enable energy-efficient separation of molecules for industrial processes
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Industry has long relied upon energy-intensive processes, such as distillation and crystallization, to separate molecules that ultimately serve as ingredients in medicine, chemicals and other products. In recent decades, there has been a push to supplant these processes with membranes, which are potentially a lower-cost...
Novel liquid metal circuits for flexible, self-healing wearables
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Imagine a stretchable and durable sensor patch for monitoring the rehabilitation of patients with elbow or knee injuries, or an unbreakable and reliable wearable device that measures a runner’s cardiac activities during training to prevent life-threatening injuries. Disruptive innovations in wearable technology are often limited...
Exploring the optoelectronic capabilities of MXene and MBene heterostructures
Oct 02, 2023 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials known as MXenes are emerging as exceptionally versatile building blocks for engineering next-generation optoelectronics and light-driven technologies. Closely related to MXenes are a new class of materials called MBenes, which show similarly promising properties. These layered materials composed of early transition metals...