Apr 21, 2026 Researchers used stretchable fiber-optic sensors to create a soft robot gripper that can predict the ripeness of strawberries by touch, then gently twist them off their branch or vine without causing any damage. (Nanowerk News) When assessing the ripeness of fruit, sight and smell can tell you...
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How resilient fungus might survive Mars and space
Apr 21, 2026 Fungi found in NASA cleanrooms survived simulated Mars and space conditions. Their spores endured harsh exposures, suggesting decontamination must expand beyond bacteria. (Nanowerk News) Scientists have long known that fungi are resilient, but a new study suggests that some strains might survive every step of the long,...
Perovskite nanocrystal glass achieves record blue emission for holographic displays
Apr 21, 2026 Fluoride-doped perovskite nanocrystal glass reaches record blue quantum yield and enables 20,000 PPI holographic displays through a vertically stacked RGB architecture. (Nanowerk News) A single laser beam driving a luminescent glass can now produce full-color holographic images at roughly 20,000 pixels per inch. Researchers at Zhejiang University...
Femtosecond laser technique produces record aspect ratio nanoholes in sapphire
Apr 21, 2026 Researchers developed wet-etching-assisted single-pulse nanolithography to fabricate nanoholes in sapphire with depth-to-diameter ratios exceeding 50,000:1 for photonic applications. (Nanowerk News) A research team led by Professor Jianrong Qiu of Zhejiang University and Professor Lijing Zhong of Ningbo University has fabricated nanoscale holes in crystalline sapphire with depth-to-diameter...
Researchers redefine what we can build by 3D printing nanomaterials-based electronics with focused microwaves
Apr 21, 2026 New process integrates electronic functionalities into broad range of multimaterial architectures, creating new classes of hybrid electronic devices previously not possible. (Nanowerk News) In a recently published paper in Science Advances ("Three-dimensional printing of nanomaterials-based electronics with a metamaterial-inspired near-field electromagnetic structure"), a team led by Rice...
The nanoscale engineering behind China’s grip on the green energy value chain
Apr 21, 2026 How nanoscale engineering gave China control of the green energy value chain, from rare earth processing and solar manufacturing to grid-scale batteries. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Most analysis of China's green energy dominance stays at the level of economics: subsidies, factory scale, cheap labor. All of those matter. But...
Researchers improve stability and growth of perovskite quantum dots
Apr 21, 2026 Perovskite quantum dots show promise for LEDs, photocatalysis and quantum light sources. Advances improve solution stability and growth control, enabling wider use. (Nanowerk News) Perovskite quantum dots are considered promising materials for LEDs, photocatalysis, and future quantum light sources. Researchers at LMU Munich have managed to master...
Nanorobot kills superbugs and destroys their resistance genes
Apr 21, 2026 A biohybrid nanorobot pairs a bacterial virus with catalytic nanoparticles to destroy drug-resistant biofilms and shred the resistance genes they release. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Killing dangerous bacteria is not always enough to neutralize the threat they pose. When antibiotic-resistant bacteria die, they leave behind fragments of DNA carrying...
Mars rover detects never-before-seen organic compounds in new experiment
Apr 21, 2026 NASA's Curiosity Mars rover uncovered a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals widely considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth. (Nanowerk News) The findings, which come from a chemical experiment performed for the first time on another world, reveal that the...
Non-linear resonance enables a quartz crystal microbalance sensor to detect single nanoparticles
Apr 21, 2026 Researchers boosted quartz crystal microbalance sensitivity to 100 femtograms by exploiting non-linear resonance, enabling single particle and protein detection. (Nanowerk News) Researchers have demonstrated that pushing a quartz crystal microbalance sensor into a non-linear vibration regime can detect individual micro- and nanoparticles, reaching a mass sensitivity of...