Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) An interdisciplinary team of Cornell researchers has identified an innovative way to harness the antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the botanical compound lawsone to make nanofiber-coated cotton bandages that fight infection and help wounds heal more quickly. Their findings, published in the International Journal of...
When nanoplastics are not what they seem
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Plastic household items and clothing made of synthetic fibers release microplastics: particles less than five millimetres in size that can enter the environment unnoticed. A small proportion of these particles are so small that they are measured in nanometers. Such nanoplastics are the subject of...
Modular robotic platform handles the entire experimental workflow in the lab
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Scientific experiments in biology and chemistry rely extensively on manual execution by trained researchers. Intricate protocols like cell culture and DNA cloning demand precise coordination of equipment including pipettes, incubators, and microscopes. Scientists dedicate careers to mastering the technical abilities over this instrumentation that form...
Nanomaterial synapses bring neuromorphic computing to image sensors
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Humans effortlessly make sense of the visual world despite the fragmented mess of light that strikes the retina. Identifying objects, interpreting scenes, and recognizing faces relies on neurological computations of astonishing speed, nuance and reliability. Even the most powerful artificial vision systems pale against a...
Researchers achieve versatile light control in tungsten diselenide
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) New research, published in Light: Science & Applications ("Versatile optical manipulation of trions, dark excitons and biexcitons through contrasting exciton-photon coupling"), conducted by an eminent group in nanophotonics under the leadership of Professor Hongxing Xu, Prof. Xiaoze Liu, and Dr. Ti Wang from the School...
Generating 3D geometries for cellular materials with AI
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Artificial structures called cellular materials have a network of internal spaces within a solid cell-like matrix. Their porous foam-like architecture combines advantages of low density with strength. Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) and the University of Tsukuba in Japan have applied...
New bio-armour for vaccine carriers
Feb 08, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A biocompatible polymer could help deliver vaccines and drugs with reduced risk of the rare dangerous adverse reaction called anaphylaxis. Researchers at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) in Japan have developed the polymer and performed preliminary tests, which they report...
Very small pores make a big difference in filtering technology
Feb 07, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Nanoporous membranes have been shown to be valuable tools for filtering out impurities from water and numerous other applications. However, there’s still much work to be done in perfecting their designs. Recently, the lab of Prof. Amir Haji-Akbari has demonstrated that exactly where the nanosized...
How life appeared: rise of the nanomachines
Feb 07, 2024 (Nanowerk News) By attaching molecules together, scientists at Université de Montréal think they've found how molecular systems at the origin of life evolved to create complex self-regulating functions. Published in the journal Angewandte Chemie ("Design and Thermodynamics Principles to Program the Cooperativity of Molecular Assemblies"), their findings...
One of Saturn’s moons is hiding a secret ocean (w/video)
Feb 07, 2024 (Nanowerk News) It’s confirmed! Mimas, one of Saturn’s small moons, contains a global ocean of liquid water beneath its icy surface. What’s more, the ocean’s appearance dates back less than 15 million years. This discovery, the result of work led by an astronomer from Observatoire de Paris...