Researchers devised a way to expand tissue 20-fold in a single step. Their simple, inexpensive method could pave the way for nearly any biology lab to perform nanoscale imaging ..read more

Using peptides and a snippet of the large molecules in plastics, materials scientists have developed materials made of tiny, flexible nano-sized ribbons that can be charged just like a battery to store energy or record digital information ..read more

A team that has developed patent-pending one-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) containing spin qubits, or spin defects. The BNNTs are more sensitive in detecting off-axis magnetic fields at high resolution than traditional diamond tips used in scanning probe magnetic-field microscopes ..read more

A time-delay circuit enables precise control over the division of synthetic DNA droplets, which mimic biological Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation (LLPS) droplets found in cells. By utilizing a combination of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the enzyme RNase H, researchers have successfully regulated the timing of droplet division. This breakthrough paves the way for creating artificial cells with advanced functions, such as drug delivery and molecular computing ..read more

Researchers have discovered inorganic nanostructures surrounding deep-ocean hydrothermal vents that are strikingly similar to molecules that make life as we know it possible. These nanostructures are self-organized and act as selective ion channels, which create energy that can be harnessed in the form of electricity. The findings impact not only our understanding of how life began, but can also be applied to industrial blue-energy harvesting ..read more

Engineers found a novel path around tedious process of tunneling individual sub-nanometer pores for nanoporous membranes one by one. The team created a new method of pore generation that builds materials with intentional weak spots, then applies a remote electric field to generate multiple nano-scale pores all at once ..read more

Researchers have created an array of nanopillars that can breach the nucleus of a cell -- the compartment that houses our DNA -- without damaging the cell's outer membrane. This new 'gateway into the nucleus' could open new possibilities in gene therapy, where genetic material needs to be delivered directly into the nucleus, as well as drug delivery and other forms of precision medicine ..read more

Engineers have discovered a simple and inexpensive means of directing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the revolutionary molecules that delivered the COVID-19 vaccines, to target specific tissues, presaging a new era in personalized medicine and gene therapy. The key is making small changes to the chemical structure of LNPs, including the incorporation of siloxane, a chemical group that includes silicon, whose wider atomic radius increases membrane flexibility and improves mRNA uptake by target cells ..read more

Palladium, a rare metallic element, can rapidly generate water from hydrogen and oxygen. Researchers witnessed this process at the nanoscale for the first time with an electron microscope. By viewing the process with extreme precision, researchers discovered how to optimize it to generate water at a faster rate. Process could be used to generate water on-demand in arid environments, including on other planets ..read more

Each year, about 2.2 million bone-grafting procedures are performed worldwide, the gold standard of care being autografting, which uses the patient's own bone for tooth implantation and to repair and reconstruct parts of the mouth, face and skull ..read more