Lifeboat Foundation

Who needs memory cards when you have DNA? A team of scientists has been able to store images within the life-defining molecules then retrieve them perfectly.

Researchers from the University of Washington have been working out how to take digital files and convert them into strings of DNA that can be easily read back. Luis Ceze, one of the researchers, explains in a press release:

“Life has produced this fantastic molecule called DNA that efficiently stores all kinds of information about your genes and how a living system works — it’s very, very compact and very durable. We’re essentially repurposing it to store digital data — pictures, videos, documents — in a manageable way for hundreds or thousands of years.”

Continue reading “Scientists Stored These Images in DNA—Then Flawlessly Retrieved Them” »

Very cool.

For more than a decade, biomedical researchers have been looking for better ways to deliver cancer-killing medication directly to tumors in the body. Tiny capsules, called nanoparticles, are now being used to transport chemotherapy medicine through the bloodstream, to the doorstep of cancerous tumors. But figuring out the best way for the particles to get past the tumor’s “velvet rope” and enter the tumor is a challenge scientists are still working out. Drexel University researchers believe that the trick to gaining access to the pernicious cellular masses is to give the nanoparticles a new look—and that dressing to impress will be able to get them past the tumor’s biological bouncers.

Targeted cancer therapy is most effective when the medication is released as close as possible to the interior of a tumor, to increase its odds of penetrating and killing off cancerous cells. The challenge that has faced cancer researchers for years is making a delivery vehicle that is sturdy enough to safely get the medication through the bloodstream to tumors—which is no smooth ride—but is also lithe enough to squeeze through the tumor’s dense extra cellular space—a matrix stuffed with sugars called hyaluronic acid.

Continue reading “Dressed to kill: Tailoring a suit for tumor-penetrating cancer meds” »

Australia did it again! They have developed a chip for the nano-manipulation of light which establishes the NextGen of Optical Storage and processing.

An Australian research team has created a breakthrough chip for the nano-manipulation of light, paving the way for next gen optical technologies and enabling deeper understanding of black holes.

Led by Professor Min Gu at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, the team designed an integrated nanophotonic chip that can achieve unparalleled levels of control over the angular momentum (AM) of light.

Continue reading “From IT to black holes: Nano-control of light pioneers new paths” »

Nanostructured samples and materials can be efficiently and reliable characterized using Anton Paar’s SAXSpace small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SWAXS) system. Users can obtain the size, shape, and size distribution of nano-sized samples and particle domains with the help of the SAXSpace. The device is ideally suited for the analysis of colloidal, biological (Bio-SAXS), and isotropic samples.

The SWAXS system also has a wide selection of accurate and versatile sample stages to meet each SAXS application. Easy handling and automatic alignment facilitate smooth operation. With the unique combination of robust design, short measurement time, and high system uptime, the device not only provides superior WAXS or SAXS results but also ensures high sample throughput. These capabilities make SAXSpace ideally suited to explore nanostructure in various materials, including surfactants, pharmaceuticals, proteins, foods, polymers, and nanoparticles.

Key Features

Continue reading “High-Resolution, SWAXS Characterisation of Nanostructures and Nanomaterials with the SAXSpace” »

Today aparently is the reporting day for nano.

Nanoimprint technology combined with defect management could significantly reduce the cost of lithography for fabricating semiconductor devices.

Nanomedicine has been something that many in tech expected to be a critical part of the healthcare landscape for over a decade. I am glad to see how quickly the technology is being adopted as part of bio-medical research and treatments for various diseases, etc.

NEW YORK, April 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Nano-based science paving the precision medicine era.

The continued development of new treatments associated with the demographic trends and public health considerations is remarkable. Nanotechnology has been identified as one most relevant key enabling technologies of the last ten years, significantly impacting on many different biomedical developments in a broad spectrum of applications therapeutics, diagnostics, theranostics, medical imaging, regenerative medicine, life sciences research and biosciences, among many others. In fact, nanomedicine is present in all therapeutic areas, exhibiting a perceptible and extensive impact in the treatment and diagnosis of some most concerned diseases.

Continue reading “Trends in Nanomedicine — Technology Benchmarking & Innovator Analysis” »

I expect to see more and more online consumers having their own “Personalized” bots that mimics them online. Granted at the moment we see the more generic versions of a personal assistant, etc. However, I do believe the next major push will be providing the consumers the flexibility of personalizing their bots that mimics them in their communication styles, interaction style, interests, personalities, etc.

SAN FRANCISCO — Will there be a bot for that?

Continue reading “‘Chatbots’ are coming; next stop Facebook” »

Good trivia.

Julius Caesar set out to destroy the original Library of Alexandria: if only he could see the new resources the researchers have access to now.

Aluminum gallium nitride UV-C LED devices fabricated with novel epitaxial techniques show improved efficiency and have longer operating lifetimes.