Silk peptide nanoparticles show promise for enhancing targeted cancer therapy through dual-drug delivery

Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Cancer remains one of the most challenging diseases to treat, despite decades of research. While targeted therapies like epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors have shown promise, their effectiveness is often limited by poor bioavailability (the proportion of drug that reaches circulation after administration) and...

Good prospects for altermagnets in spin-based electronics

Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Altermagnets represent a newly recognized class of materials in magnetism that could enable novel applications in spin-based electronics. Their magnetically ordered state consists of an antiparallel arrangement of microscopic magnetic moments, so-called spins, as in antiferromagnets. In contrast to antiferromagnetism, however, the altermagnetic state with...

Beetles living in the dark teach us how to make sustainable colors

Mar 13, 2024 (Nanowerk News) "Extreme scarcity conditions have enabled natural materials to evolve into some of the most extraordinary materials on Earth, such as incredibly strong spider silk and impact-resistant seashells," said Javier Fernandez, Associate Professor of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). Throughout history, scientists have consistently...

New ways to tune carbon nanotubes

Mar 12, 2024 (Nanowerk News) It might look like a roll of chicken wire, but this tiny cylinder of carbon atoms -- too small to see with the naked eye -- could one day be used for making electronic devices ranging from night vision goggles and motion detectors to more...