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Category: nanotechnology – Page 44

New work achieves a pure quantum state without the need for cooling

Three nano-glass spheres cling to one another. They form a tower-like cluster, similar to when you pile three scoops of ice cream on top of one another—only much smaller. The diameter of the nano cluster is ten times smaller than that of a human hair.

With the help of an optical device and , researchers at ETH Zurich have succeeded in keeping such objects almost completely motionless in levitation. This is significant when it comes to the future development of quantum sensors, which, together with quantum computers, constitute the most promising applications of quantum research.

The team’s work appears in Nature Physics.

Scientists develop method to optimize delivery of mRNA to cells

Researchers have developed a simple yet highly effective method for delivering mRNA to target cells, opening up new possibilities for future non-vaccine mRNA medicines for a broad range of diseases.

The Monash University study, published in Nature Nanotechnology, is a significant development in how mRNA is precisely delivered to cells to maximize efficacy and minimize off-target effects—vital components for future mRNA medicines as they continue to evolve.

Led by the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Scientists (MIPS), the interdisciplinary team of researchers used advanced technologies coupled with preclinical studies to produce a highly versatile method that captures and attaches antibodies to the surface of mRNA-loaded while the antibodies are in their optimal orientation, thus enhancing the mRNA’s effectiveness and reducing side effects by making sure it only reaches its target destination.

Cryonics & Cryptography | Ralph Merkle at Vitalist Bay

Veteran cryonicist and inventor of cryptographic hashing, Ralph Merkle, tells us how he came to decide that cryonics was a good idea. In his talk, Ralph discusses Information Theoretic Death, why information is so hard to destroy, and how advances in nano-tech might make cryonics revival possible.

Links:
• Cryosphere Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/ndshSfQwqz.
• Cryonics subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/cryonics/
#cryosphere

Nanoparticles show potential for rheumatoid arthritis prevention and flare control

As a chronic condition, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can’t be cured, so treatment focuses on managing the disease and controlling its progression. Although current treatments help control RA symptoms in most people, they cannot prevent the onset of RA or painful flare-ups.

Now, researchers publishing in ACS Central Science have developed nanoparticles that could slow and reduce flare severity, based on results from tests with and mice models with RA-like disease.

For a person diagnosed with RA, their attacks tissue that makes up the joints, causing inflammation, swelling and pain. However, as the disease progresses, serious cartilage and bone damage can occur if left uncontrolled.

Lipid nanoparticle stereochemistry shapes mRNA delivery safety and efficacy, study reveals

A team from the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Hokkaido University, and Osaka University has discovered that subtle differences in molecular structure can have a major impact on the performance of mRNA-based drugs. Their findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, open the door to the development of safer and more effective vaccines and therapies.

To deliver therapeutic nucleic acids like mRNA into cells, scientists rely on (LNPs)—tiny, fat-based carriers that protect fragile genetic material, enabling it to survive in the body and reach target cells. A key component of these LNPs are ionizable lipids, which help mRNA enter cells and then release it effectively. One such lipid, ALC-315, was notably used in the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, a medical breakthrough that played a critical role in controlling the global pandemic.

Light-powered nano-motor winds molecular strands into chain-like structures

Threads or ropes can easily be used for braiding, knotting, and weaving. In chemistry, however, processing molecular strands in this way is an almost impossible task. This is because molecules are not only tiny, they are also constantly in motion and therefore cannot be easily touched, held or precisely shaped.

A research group at the Institute of Chemistry at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) led by Dr. Michael Kathan has now succeeded in precisely winding two molecular strands around each other using an artificial, light-driven molecular motor, thereby creating a particularly complex structure: a catenane (from Latin “catena” = chain). Catenanes consist of two ring-shaped molecules that are intertwined like the links of a chain—without being chemically bonded to each other. The research results are published in the journal Science.

“What we have developed is basically a mini-machine that is powered by light and rotates in one direction,” says Kathan.

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