Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Using nanoparticles administered directly into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a research team has developed a treatment that may overcome significant challenges in treating a particularly deadly brain cancer. Key Takeaways Researchers developed a treatment for medulloblastoma in mice using drug-carrying nanoparticles, leading to significantly extended...
Bioengineered carbon nanotube biosensor allows ultrasensitive detection of disease biomarkers
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The rapid detection of disease biomarkers is critical for early diagnosis and timely treatment of illnesses. However, conventional methods like immunoassays require labelling and long processing times, making point-of-care testing difficult. An emerging alternative is nanomaterial-based electronic biosensors. These devices can directly convert biological signals...
Nanoengineers create a quasicrystal from nanoparticles using DNA
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Nanoengineers have created a quasicrystal—a scientifically intriguing and technologically promising material structure—from nanoparticles using DNA, the molecule that encodes life. Key Takeaways Quasicrystals, different from ordinary crystals, possess unique properties like altered heat and light absorption and special electronic behaviors. The team employed DNA strands...
scientists discover new system to control the chaotic behavior of light
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Harnessing and controlling light is vital for the development of technology, including energy harvesting, computation, communications, and biomedical sensing. Yet, in real-world scenarios, complexity in light's behavior poses challenges for its efficient control. Physicist Andrea Alù likens the behavior of light in chaotic systems to...
Researchers discover new ultra strong material for microchip sensors
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Delft University of Technology, led by assistant professor Richard Norte, have unveiled a remarkable new material with potential to impact the world of material science: amorphous silicon carbide (a-SiC). Beyond its exceptional strength, this material demonstrates mechanical properties crucial for vibration isolation on...
Self-powered microbial fuel cell biosensor for monitoring organic freshwater pollution
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) The discharge of organic effluents—biodegradable waste materials from plants and animals—into freshwater bodies is a significant environmental concern, affecting the health and sustainability of these aquatic ecosystems. However, the methods currently available for inspecting water quality are complex and costly. In this regard, researchers from...
In a surprising finding, light can make water evaporate without heat
Nov 02, 2023 (Nanowerk News) Evaporation is happening all around us all the time, from the sweat cooling our bodies to the dew burning off in the morning sun. But science’s understanding of this ubiquitous process may have been missing a piece all this time. Key Takeaways Researchers found that...
Nanowire ‘brain’ network learns and remembers ‘on the fly’
Nov 01, 2023 (Nanowerk News) For the first time, a physical neural network has successfully been shown to learn and remember ‘on the fly’, in a way inspired by and similar to how the brain’s neurons work. The result opens a pathway for developing efficient and low-energy machine intelligence for...
Working to improve formulation of RNA-based pharmaceuticals
Nov 01, 2023 (Nanowerk News) A team of university and industry researchers is developing new formulations and manufacturing processes for the messenger RNA (mRNA) delivery systems used in some COVID vaccines. The mRNA-based vaccines that came out during the COVID-19 pandemic required storage at subzero temperatures. “They were shipped around...