May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Astronomers may now understand why the similar planets Uranus and Neptune are different colors. Using observations from the Gemini North telescope, the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility, and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers have developed a single atmospheric model that matches observations of both planets. The...
Direct sound printing is a potential game-changer in 3D printing (w/video)
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Most 3D printing methods currently in use rely either on photo (light)- or thermo (heat)-activated reactions to achieve precise manipulation of polymers. The development of a new platform technology called direct sound printing (DSP), which uses soundwaves to produce new objects, may offer a third...
Solar-biomass hybrid system satisfies home heating requirements in winter
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Adding an organic matter power source to a solar energy unit could provide 100% heating for a single-story home during the coldest months of the year and help the environment. In the warmer months, the system could generate electricity surpluses that can be sold back...
Making colors out of gold and DNA
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Folk belief says there’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but a new technology is turning that idea on its head – using particles of gold to make colours. With further work, the method developed at Aalto University could herald a...
Using quantum dots to quench the smallest ferrimagnetism
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Most people are not aware of magnetic forces in their everyday lives, but continuously rely on them in electric motors, hard drives, and electric sensors. In the race to develop smaller electronic components, quantum mechanisms of these components need to be understood. In their new...
High-performance graphene nanomesh filtration membranes inspired by cell walls
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Graphene-based membranes have attracted considerable attention as promising candidates for new filtration technologies for filtering out nanoparticles, organic molecules, and even small inorganic salt ions (see our previous Nanowerk Spotlight: "Novel desalination method with nearly perfect salt rejection and high water flux"). Putting a nature-inspired...
When AI is the inventor
May 31, 2022 (Nanowerk News) It’s not surprising these days to see new inventions that either incorporate or have benefitted from artificial intelligence (AI) in some way, but what about inventions dreamt up by AI – do we award a patent to a machine? This is the quandary facing lawmakers...
Nanomaterial-enabled bacteriophage therapy for wound infections
May 30, 2022 (Nanowerk Spotlight) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a natural process that occurs when a strain of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) develops a mechanism to thwart the effect of a drug. It then no longer responds to medicines, making the infections more difficult to treat and increasing...
Taking the strain out of parking in busy cities with AI technology
May 30, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Artificial intelligence that helps drivers find parking spaces in busy city centres is being developed at the University of Bath. The software will also incentivise drivers to cooperate with local councils in their quest to keep pollution within safe limits in busy urban centres, as...
Multifunctional nanoplatform for efficient cancer photo-immunotherapy
May 30, 2022 (Nanowerk News) Cancer immunotherapy is a treatment modality against tumor growth and metastasis by stimulating host immune responses. Phototherapy, including photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT), is a less invasive treatment compared with chemotherapy. To be specific, PDT and PTT-induced immunogenic cell death can release tumor-associated...