Oct 01, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules hold immense potential for treating diseases by silencing specific genes. Encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), siRNA can be delivered efficiently to target cells. However, the effectiveness of these therapies hinges on the internal structure of the LNPs, which can significantly...
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Siloxane nanoparticles unlock precise organ targeting for mRNA therapy
Oct 01, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Penn Engineers have discovered a novel means of directing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the revolutionary molecules that delivered the COVID-19 vaccines, to target specific tissues, presaging a new era in personalized medicine and gene therapy. While past research — including at Penn Engineering — has screened...
Novel 2D molecular scaffold technique boosts solar cell efficiency
Oct 01, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Research in the field of material science and electronics relies on the innovative arrangement of molecules or atoms to develop materials with unique properties not found in conventional materials. Two-dimensional (2D) assemblies of π-electronic systems, arranged in thin layers, are becoming increasingly important in the...
Aptamer-based biosensor achieves ultra-sensitive detection of cancer disease biomarkers
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk Spotlight) In modern medicine, the ability to detect disease markers early can mean the difference between life and death. Yet, detecting biomarkers like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) at extremely low levels, critical for early diagnosis, has long posed a challenge. TNF-α acts as a signaling molecule...
Researchers develop new method for molecular computing
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a new method that allows them to precisely control chemical reactions using metal ions. This marks an important step towards computers that function like the human brain. They recently published their findings in the scientific journal Nature...
Plasma made copper MOF nanozymes detect bioactive food compounds efficiently
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Nanozymes have high catalytic activity, high stability and high adaptability, and have become a new sensitive material for building sensors in the field of detection. Designing and preparing efficient nanozymes and promotion of their application in food detection have attracted much attention from researchers. Recently,...
Symmetric materials unexpectedly absorb light based on its ‘handedness’
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the University of Ottawa have made a discovery that changes what we know about light and materials. They found that engineered achiral (symmetric) materials, called achiral plasmonic metasurfaces, can absorb light differently depending on the handedness of the wavefront of light. This was...
Phase-change vanadium oxide-based thermochromic smart windows
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) In a recent review article published in Light: Science & Applications ("Phase-change VO2-based thermochromic smart windows"), Professor Dangyuan Lei and his team from the City University of Hong Kong have conducted an extensive examination of recent progress in phase-change VO2-based thermochromic smart windows. The review,...
Revolutionary technology to unravel complex protein interactions that could transform cancer diagnostics
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) A team of researchers from NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology (iHealthtech), led by Associate Professor Shao Huilin and Associate Professor Brian Lim, has developed a first-of-its-kind technology to map out diverse protein interactions in cells using DNA barcodes. The technology, dubbed TETRIS, can...
Plastics are stronger and lighter thanks to carbon nanotubes derivatives
Sep 30, 2024 (Nanowerk News) Reducing the environmental impact caused by plastics can be addressed through different strategies, such as the manufacture of more durable plastics or recycling. In general, there are two main types of plastics. The first is thermoplastics, which can be melted and molded to form other...