Aug 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Micro- and nanoplastics are in our food, water and the air we breathe. They are showing up in our bodies, from testicles to brain matter. Now, UBC researchers have developed a low-cost, portable tool to accurately measure plastic released from everyday sources like disposable cups...
Berry extracts and nanocellulose as skin sprays and dressings to prevent microbes
Aug 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) VTT has developed a skin spray, based on nanocellulose and antimicrobial compounds from wild berries, which can be used to treat wounds and eliminate hospital-acquired bacteria such as MRSA before surgery. The product can also be applied as a cream, transdermal patch or wound dressing....
Breakthrough in the process for mass fabricating an exotic quasi-one-dimensional material
Aug 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers have fabricated a quasi-one-dimensional van der Waals zirconium telluride thin film, which is a form of a substance that has long promised advances in quantum computing, nanoelectronics and other advanced technologies. Until now, it has stumped scientists who have tried to manufacture it in...
The future of telecom is atomically thin
Aug 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) When light shines on a semiconductor, it excites the electrons in the semiconductor into higher energy states. This leaves behind the absence of an electron, which is equivalent to a positively charged space called a “hole.” The electron and the hole attract each other through...
First low frequency search for alien technology in distant galaxies
Aug 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The SETI Institute, the Berkeley SETI Research Center and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research announced a groundbreaking study using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia. Led by Dr. Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute and Prof. Steven Tingay of Curtin University,...
Sustainable, biodegradable HECP glass for smart materials and pharmaceuticals
Aug 26, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a sustainable, biodegradable, biorecyclable material: high-entropy non-covalent cyclic peptide (HECP) glass. This innovative glass features enhanced crystallization-resistance, improved mechanical properties, and increased enzyme tolerance, laying the foundation for its...
An entire brain-machine interface on a chip
Aug 26, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) have emerged as a promising solution for restoring communication and control to individuals with severe motor impairments. Traditionally, these systems have been bulky, power-intensive, and limited in their practical applications. Researchers at EPFL have developed the first high-performance, Miniaturized Brain-Machine Interface (MiBMI),...
Manipulation of nanolight provides new insight for quantum computing and thermal management
Aug 26, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A recent study led by University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers provides fundamental insight into how light, electrons, and crystal vibrations interact in materials. The research has implications for developing on-chip architectures for quantum information processing, significantly reducing fabrication constraints, and thermal management. The field...
What parents need to know
Aug 26, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Toniebox, Tiptoi, and Tamagotchi are smart toys, offering interactive play through software and internet access. However, many of these toys raise privacy concerns, and some even collect extensive behavioral data about children, report researchers at the University of Basel, Switzerland. The Toniebox and the figurines...
3D-printed microstructures for precise, pump-free liquid flow in microfluidic systems
Aug 26, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) The control of fluids at microscopic scales is fundamental to numerous technologies, from medical diagnostics to water purification. Traditionally, moving small volumes of liquid has relied on mechanical pumps or electrical fields, methods that add complexity, consume energy, and can interfere with sensitive samples. These...