Apr 30, 2026 Penguin-inspired film switches between heating, cooling and microwave shielding, pointing to adaptive surfaces for buildings, vehicles and outdoor electronics. (Nanowerk Spotlight) A white roof and a black solar absorber solve opposite thermal problems. One keeps heat out by reflecting sunlight. The other draws heat in by absorbing...
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Researchers capture an unprecedented view of gene transcription
Apr 30, 2026 RNA polymerase, the enzyme that synthesizes RNA from DNA during transcription, has been captured mid-reaction for the first time. The findings provide a universal blueprint for gene expression. (Nanowerk News) The enzyme RNA polymerase (RNAP) carries out transcription, copying DNA into RNA. It's the first step in...
Water at the air water interface twists in ways the up or down model missed
Apr 30, 2026 Water molecules at the air-water interface alternate in tilt and in a previously overlooked twist angle across the first four molecular layers. (Nanowerk News) Researchers in the Department of Physical Chemistry at the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society, working with colleagues at Freie Universität...
Towards electronic memories that also store energy
Apr 30, 2026 Researchers have developed a material capable of both efficiently storing energy and retaining information, paving the way for lower-consumption electronic devices. (Nanowerk News) A research team from the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB‑CSIC) has experimentally demonstrated a device in which information storage and energy storage...
Stabilized nanoparticles help mRNA cancer vaccines work beyond the tumor
Apr 30, 2026 A stabilized mRNA carrier turns tumor injection into broader immune activation by extending vaccine delivery to lymph nodes and the spleen. (Nanowerk Spotlight) A cancer vaccine injected into a tumor would seem to have reached the right address. The tumor is where malignant cells are growing, where...
Accelerator-based high-energy electron diffraction determines 3D atomic structure of materials
Apr 30, 2026 New method using ultrashort electron pulses enables detailed structural insights beyond conventional limits. (Nanowerk News) At DESY´s electron accelerator REGAE researchers have developed a new method to determine the detailed atomic structure of materials using high-energy electrons which are diffracted by the sample. The technique which the...
Molecular quantum nanosensors reveal temperature and radical signals inside living cells
Apr 30, 2026 Biocompatible molecular spin sensors enable absolute thermometry in the cytoplasm and nucleus of living cancer cells. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan, and The University of Tokyo, Japan, in collaboration with Kyushu University, Japan, have developed a new class...
Scientists develop new method to extract microplastics from soils
Apr 29, 2026 New 'gold standard' framework identifies the best methods to extract six common microplastic types from different soil textures, helping protect farmland and health. (Nanowerk News) A new ‘gold standard’ for soil analysis and microplastic extraction has been developed at the University of New England (UNE), unlocking vital...
Nanofiltration removes glyphosate from water more efficiently
Apr 29, 2026 Researchers identify the hydration of molecules - besides their size and charge - as an additional factor in the removal of herbicides. (Nanowerk News) Membranes with nanometer-sized pores can filter the herbicide glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA out of water. The success of the process not only...
How proteins escape a molecular tangle
Apr 29, 2026 A new study reveals how energy-efficient cellular machines rapidly untangle misfolded proteins - a finding that may help improve the design of artificial molecular machines. (Nanowerk News) Trying to untangle a knot in a mess of strings can be frustrating and time-consuming. But not so for molecular...