Nov 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) The flexibility of RNA makes it notoriously challenging to study, as its structure can shift into numerous forms depending on environmental conditions. Traditional imaging methods, such as cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) single-particle averaging (SPA) analysis, rely on averaging data from thousands of selected molecules with common...
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Advanced SAXS-MD framework reveals RNA nanoparticle dynamics in solution
Nov 29, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Extensive work and advancements in blooming field of RNA nanotechnology continuously introduce new design and characterization principles for self-assembling nucleic acid nanoparticles (NANPs), enabling coordinated delivery and release of multiple therapeutic nucleic acids while modulating their immunorecognition. However, the rapid development of NANP technologies leads...
Physicists’ breakthrough in fine-tuning electron behaviour in quantum materials could fast-track next generation of tech
Nov 29, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Physicists at Loughborough University have made an exciting breakthrough in understanding how to fine-tune the behaviour of electrons in quantum materials poised to drive the next generation of advanced technologies. Their findings are published in Nature Communications ("On the engineering of higher-order Van Hove singularities...
Room-temperature ferroelectricity and data storage potential in tellurium nanowires
Nov 29, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A groundbreaking discovery by an international team of scientists has revealed room-temperature ferroelectric and resistive switching behaviors in single-element tellurium (Te) nanowires, paving the way for advancements in ultrahigh-density data storage and neuromorphic computing. Published in Nature Communications ("Room-temperature ferroelectric, piezoelectric and resistive switching behaviors...
Nanorobot hand made of DNA grabs viruses for diagnostics and blocks cell entry
Nov 28, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A tiny, four-fingered “hand” folded from a single piece of DNA can pick up the virus that causes COVID-19 for highly sensitive rapid detection and can even block viral particles from entering cells to infect them, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report. Dubbed the NanoGripper,...
Plasma photonic crystal ‘kaleidoscope’, an inexhaustible treasure for electromagnetic manipulation
Nov 28, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Transport in photonic crystals (PCs) reveals a variety of fascinating phenomena, ranging from the photonic band gaps to topological edge states. One of the most attractive topics in this field is how to fabricate tunable PCs, allowing for real-time and flexibly control of the geometric...
New imaging platform revolutionizes 3D visualization of cellular structures at the nanoscale
Nov 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers led by Anna-Karin Gustavsson at Rice University has developed an innovative imaging platform that promises to improve our understanding of cellular structures at the nanoscale. This platform, called soTILT3D for single-objective tilted light sheet with 3D point spread functions (PSFs), offers...
Velcro DNA helps build nanorobotic Meccano
Nov 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Sydney Nano Institute have made a significant advance in the field of molecular robotics by developing custom-designed and programmable nanostructures using DNA origami. This innovative approach has potential across a range of applications, from targeted drug delivery systems to responsive...
Atomic size differences guide nanoscale structural control of metal aerogels
Nov 27, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Chemical reactions power everything from industrial manufacturing to clean energy production, but their efficiency depends critically on catalysts - materials that speed up reactions without being consumed. The key to a catalyst's performance lies in its microscopic architecture, which determines how easily molecules can reach...
Engineers knit a ‘blanket’ of sophisticated radio-frequency antennas
Nov 27, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Imagine taking the radio frequency properties of the dish antennas you see on rooftops and knitting them into a wearable garment -- a sweater or a blanket that is ultralight, portable, easy to fold up and stow away. Not having to use heavy, bulky satellite...