Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) With the help of the CRISPR/Cas molecular scissors, genetic information in a plant can be modified to make the latter more robust to pests, diseases, or extreme climatic conditions. Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have now developed this method further to eliminate the...
Shape-shifting slimebots (w/video)
Combining the benefits of both fluid and solids, researchers have demonstrated various functions for their slimebots, including navigation in narrow channels much smaller than their size; object capture operations via the curl or endocytosis modes; and circuit repair and controlled switching using their own conductive properties that can even be...
The platinum riddle (w/video)
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) What happens when a cat climbs onto a sunflower? The sunflower is unstable, will quickly bend, and the cat will fall to the ground. However, if the cat only needs a quick boost to catch a bird from there, then the sunflower can act as...
A look into the magnetic future
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) have observed for the first time how tiny magnets in a special layout align themselves solely as a result of temperature changes. This view into processes that take place within so-called artificial spin ice could play an important role...
Better photoelectrodes through flash heating
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Solar energy can directly drive electrochemical reactions at the surface of photoelectrodes. Photoelectrodes consist of semiconducting thin films on transparent conductive-glass substrates that convert light into electricity. Most photoelectrochemical studies have focused on water splitting, a thermodynamically uphill reaction that could offer an attractive pathway...
Revolutionary tool could meet future pandemics with accelerated response
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) In search of pharmaceutical agents such as new vaccines, industry will routinely scan thousands of related candidate molecules. A novel technique allows this to take place on the nano scale, minimizing use of materials and energy. The work is published in Nature Chemistry ("Single-particle combinatorial...
Hubble finds a planet forming in an unconventional way
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has directly photographed evidence of a Jupiter-like protoplanet forming through what researchers describe as an "intense and violent process." This discovery supports a long-debated theory for how planets like Jupiter form, called "disk instability." The new world under construction is embedded...
The nanodrug that attacks the cancer twice
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from Tel Aviv University proved that a drug delivery system based on lipid nanoparticles can utilize RNA to overcome resistance to both chemotherapy and immunotherapy in cancer treatments. The study opens a new path to a personalized and precisely targeted battle against cancer. The...
A closer look at Jupiter’s origin story
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) One of the most important open questions in planetary formation theory is the story of Jupiter’s origin. Using sophisticated computer modelling, researchers of the University of Zurich (UZH) and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS now shed new light on Jupiter’s formation...
A step closer towards high-performance organic thermoelectrics
Apr 04, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Researchers from TU Dresden introduce a new path towards superior organic thermoelectric devices: highly efficient modulation doping of highly ordered organic semiconductors under high doping concentrations. The results have now been published in Science Advances ("Highly efficient modulation doping: A path towards superior organic thermoelectric...