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Category: nanotechnology – Page 2

In a groundbreaking study published in the journal Optica, this innovative instrument emerges from the collaborative genius of the National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI), incorporating expertise from several esteemed institutions. The device serves as a window into a dual universe, allowing the simultaneous examination of phenomena governed by both classical laws and the bizarre rules of quantum mechanics.

At the heart of this discovery lies the technique of optical trapping, a method that harnesses the power of light to manipulate microscopic particles. Now, empowered by the insights of physicist Francesco Marin and his team, the dual laser setup dramatically enhances our understanding of how these nano-objects interact. As they oscillate in their laser confines, the spheres reveal a dance of behaviors—some that align with our everyday experiences, and others that defy our intuition.

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The future of medicine may very well lie in the personalization of health care—knowing exactly what an individual needs and then delivering just the right mix of nutrients, metabolites, and medications, if necessary, to stabilize and improve their condition. To make this possible, physicians first need a way to continuously measure and monitor certain biomarkers of health.

To that end, a team of Caltech engineers has developed a technique for inkjet printing arrays of special that enables the mass production of long-lasting wearable sweat sensors. These sensors could be used to monitor a variety of biomarkers, such as vitamins, hormones, metabolites, and medications, in real time, providing patients and their physicians with the ability to continually follow changes in the levels of those .

Wearable biosensors that incorporate the new nanoparticles have been successfully used to monitor metabolites in patients suffering from long COVID and the levels of chemotherapy drugs in at City of Hope in Duarte, California.

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Researchers at the University of Kentucky are exploring new ways to use nanoparticles in combination with other materials as an innovative approach to cancer therapy.

The paper titled “Iron Oxide Nanozymes Enhanced by Ascorbic Acid for Macrophage-Based Cancer Therapy” was published earlier this year in Nanoscale.

Sheng Tong, Ph.D., an associate professor in the F. Joseph Halcomb II, M.D., Department of Biomedical Engineering in the UK Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, led the study.

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Tiny plastic particles may accumulate at higher levels in the human brain than in the kidney and liver, with greater concentrations detected in postmortem samples from 2024 than in those from 2016, suggests a paper published in Nature Medicine. Although the potential implications for human health remain unclear, these findings may highlight a consequence of rising global concentrations of environmental plastics.

The amount of environmental nano-and microparticles, which range in size from as small as 1 nanometer (one billionth of a meter) up to 500 micrometers (one millionth of a meter) in diameter, has increased exponentially over the past 50 years. However, whether they are harmful or toxic to humans is unclear. Most previous studies used visual microscopic spectroscopy methods to identify particulates in , but this is often limited to particulates larger than 5 micrometers.

Researcher Matthew Campen and colleagues used novel methods to analyze the distribution of micro-and nanoparticles in samples of , kidney, and tissues from human bodies that underwent autopsy in 2016 and 2024. A total of 52 brain specimens (28 in 2016 and 24 in 2024) were analyzed.

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Biological systems come in all shapes, sizes and structures. Some of these structures, such as those found in DNA, RNA and proteins, are formed through complex molecular interactions that are not easily duplicated by inorganic materials.

A research team led by Richard Robinson, associate professor of materials science and engineering, discovered a way to bind and stack nanoscale clusters of copper molecules that can self-assemble and mimic these complex biosystem structures at different length scales. The clusters provide a platform for developing new catalytic properties that extend beyond what traditional materials can offer.

The nanocluster core connects to two copper caps fitted with special binding molecules, known as ligands, that are angled like propeller blades.

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Every time a shuttle docks with the International Space Station (ISS), a delicate dance unfolds between the shuttle’s docking system and its counterpart on the station. Thanks to international standards, these mechanisms are universally compatible, ensuring astronauts and cargo can safely and seamlessly enter the station.

A similar challenge arises at the microscopic level when (LNPs)—the revolutionary drug vehicles behind the COVID-19 vaccines—attempt to deliver mRNA to cells. Optimizing the design and delivery of LNPs can greatly enhance their ability to deliver mRNA successfully, empowering cells with the disease-fighting instructions needed to transform medicine.

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Researchers at Tel Aviv University have achieved a breakthrough in drug delivery: they have successfully transported lipid nanoparticles encapsulating messenger RNA (mRNA) to the immune system of the small and large intestines—bypassing the liver upon systemic administration. By simply altering the composition of the nanoparticles, the researchers demonstrated that mRNA-based drugs can be directed straight to target cells, avoiding the liver.

The Tel Aviv University study was led by post-doctoral fellow Dr. Riccardo Rampado together with Vice President for R&D Prof. Dan Peer, a pioneer in the development of mRNA therapeutics and Director of the Laboratory of Precision Nano-Medicine at the Shmunis School of Biomedical and Cancer Research. The study was published on the cover of the journal Advanced Science.

“Everything injected into the bloodstream eventually ends up in the liver—that’s just how our anatomy works,” explains Prof. Peer. “This poses two challenges. First, drugs intended to target specific cells in particular organs may be toxic to the liver. Second, we don’t want drugs to get ‘stuck’ in the liver.

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Using levitating nanospheres trapped in laser beams, they can observe how matter behaves in ways never seen before. This breakthrough could help unravel the mysteries of the quantum world.

Exploring the Boundary Between Classical and Quantum Worlds

A recent study published in the scientific journal Optica introduces a groundbreaking experimental device that bridges the gap between classical and quantum physics. This innovative instrument enables researchers to observe and study phenomena from both realms simultaneously. Developed in Florence, the device is the result of a collaborative effort within the National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI). It involves experts from the University of Florence’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, the National Institute of Optics (CNR-INO), the European Laboratory for Nonlinear Spectroscopy (LENS), and the Florence branch of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN).

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A large research team led by nanotechnologist Roy van der Meel rebuilt the body’s own proteins and fats into nano-delivery vans that get genetic medicines to exactly the right place in the body. In a joint effort with researchers from Radboudumc, they worked for five years on this nanotransport system, the results of which were published in Nature Nanotechnology.

With his rugged beard and signature lumberjack shirt, nanotechnologist Roy van der Meel seems to have walked straight out of a Canadian forest hut instead of a high-tech lab. In Canada, Van der Meel did indeed work as a postdoc for Professor Pieter Cullis, founder of the nanotechnology used for messenger RNA vaccines. Five years ago, he exchanged Vancouver for a spot in Eindhoven. Professor Willem Mulder brought Van der Meel to TU/e because of his RNA nanotechnology expertise.

Diseases that are currently difficult to cure, such as certain cancers and , can benefit from genetic drugs based on RNA. But then we must be able to get those medicines to the right place and that turns out to be a huge task.

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The research team, led by Professor Tobin Filleter, has engineered nanomaterials that offer unprecedented strength, weight, and customizability. These materials are composed of tiny building blocks, or repeating units, measuring just a few hundred nanometers – so small that over 100 lined up would barely match the thickness of a human hair.

The researchers used a multi-objective Bayesian optimization machine learning algorithm to predict optimal geometries for enhancing stress distribution and improving the strength-to-weight ratio of nano-architected designs. The algorithm only needed 400 data points, whereas others might need 20,000 or more, allowing the researchers to work with a smaller, high-quality data set. The Canadian team collaborated with Professor Seunghwa Ryu and PhD student Jinwook Yeo at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science & Technology for this step of the process.

This experiment was the first time scientists have applied machine learning to optimize nano-architected materials. According to Peter Serles, the lead author of the project’s paper published in Advanced Materials, the team was shocked by the improvements. It didn’t just replicate successful geometries from the training data; it learned from what changes to the shapes worked and what didn’t, enabling it to predict entirely new lattice geometries.

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