Apr 03, 2026 New observations of 'forbidden' planet TOI5205-b reveal surprising details about it its atmospheric chemistry. (Nanowerk News) Observations of the highly unusual—sometimes called “forbidden”—exoplanet TOI-5205 b taken by JWST suggest the giant planet’s atmosphere has fewer heavier elements than its host star. These findings have implications for our...
The depths of Neptune and Uranus may be ‘superionic’
Apr 03, 2026 Sophisticated models predict that a quasi-one-dimensional superionic state of carbon hydride exists under the extreme pressures and temperatures found deep inside Neptune and Uranus. (Nanowerk News) The interiors of ice giant planets like Uranus and Neptune could be home to a previously unknown state of matter, according...
The most pristine star in the universe
Apr 03, 2026 A record-setting pristine star provides a window into the dawn of stars and galaxies in the universe. (Nanowerk News) An unusual team of astronomers used Sloan Digital Sky Survey-V (SDSS-V) data and observations on the Magellan telescopes at Carnegie Science’s Las Campanas Observatory in Chile to discover...
A framework for making networks of robots and vehicles safer
Apr 03, 2026 Researchers introduce 'cy-trust' as a quantitative measure of how much a robot or vehicle in a networked system should trust information from another agent before acting. (Nanowerk News) From birds flying in formation to students working on a group project, the functioning of a group requires not...
Nanotechnology platform transfers cytoplasmic contents and organelles between living cells
Apr 03, 2026 Researchers develop a platform that uses nanotechnology to safely and reliably exchange intracellular material. (Nanowerk News) Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors. Intercellular transfer influences how tissues develop, respond to stress, and repair damage. In...
Reprogrammed DNA controls living cells without altering their genes
Apr 03, 2026 Scientists used a bacterial system called retron to turn DNA into a programmable tool inside living cells, enabling gene regulation and disease detection. (Nanowerk News) A research team at POSTECH has developed a platform that repurposes DNA from its conventional role as genetic storage into a functional...
Universal nanoimprint platform produces low-cost reconfigurable phase-change metasurfaces
Apr 03, 2026 A heat-resistant titanium dioxide scaffold makes it possible to nanoimprint reconfigurable phase-change metasurfaces over large areas, achieving infrared modulation and switchable chirality. (Nanowerk Spotlight) A smartphone camera lens is several millimeters thick because conventional optics rely on curved glass to bend light. A metasurface can do the...
New platinum nanocatalyst design could accelerate hydrogen fuel cell commercialization
Apr 03, 2026 Researchers developed a ternary platinum-cobalt-manganese nanocatalyst with tenfold higher activity and 96% durability retention for hydrogen fuel cells. (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers in South Korea has developed a ternary platinum-based nanocatalyst that substantially outperforms conventional options in both activity and durability, addressing two persistent obstacles...
Biohybrid microrobot can execute continuous task sequences across unrelated fields
Apr 02, 2026 A single microrobot cleans pollutants from wastewater then repurposes them to kill cancer cells, executing both tasks in sequence without retrieval or reprocessing between jobs. (Nanowerk Spotlight) Most micro- and nanorobots can already do more than one thing. Some combine medical imaging with targeted heating to destroy...