Apr 08, 2026 Researchers optically initialized, controlled, and read out nuclear spins in a molecular material for the first time, showing molecular nuclear spins could advance quantum tech. (Nanowerk News) Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have reported important progress in quantum physics and materials science by optically...
How Jupiter cultivated more large moons than Saturn
Apr 07, 2026 Jupiter's strong magnetic field formed a disk cavity, trapping multiple large moons. Saturn's weaker field lacked this, leaving it with fewer dominant moons like Titan. (Nanowerk News) The two largest planets in our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, also have the largest satellite systems, or the most...
New flexible system overcomes major hurdle in creating synthetic cells
Apr 07, 2026 Researchers introduces an innovative chemical strategy to create biomimetic structures with greater efficiency. (Nanowerk News) Synthetic biology aims to engineer artificial systems that replicate the behavior of living cells. These synthetic or biomimetic cells serve as simplified models to study basic biological processes and develop new technologies....
Eco-friendly nanoparticle approach yields high-performance thermoelectric material from silver selenide
Apr 08, 2026 Researchers developed silver selenide nanoparticles into a high-performance thermoelectric material using simple, low-temperature processing as an eco-friendly alternative to bismuth telluride. (Nanowerk News) Thermoelectric (TE) materials, which can directly convert heat into electricity and vice versa, are attracting significant attention as key energy technologies for applications such...
Scientists discover how bacteria rotate tiny pucks and create unusual materials
Apr 07, 2026 Swimming E. coli twist the fluid around them to spin symmetrical micro discs without contact, a newly discovered hydrodynamic effect that occurs wherever bacteria inhabit confined spaces. (Nanowerk News) At the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA), researchers resemble blacksmiths as they toil with bacteria. When...
First close pair of supermassive black holes detected
Apr 07, 2026 At the center of the galaxy Markarian 501, there appears to be not just one supermassive black hole, but two. Radio observations over several years suggest that the duo could merge in as short as 100 years. (Nanowerk News) Supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies...
Moving microrobots without seeing them
Apr 07, 2026 Researchers created a coil instrument that can control magnetic microrobots without continuous visual tracking, unlocking new possibilities for biomedical and other applications. (Nanowerk News) Southern Methodist University (SMU) researchers created an electromagnetic coil system that can control microrobots without requiring continuous visual tracking of their position—a significant...
Synthetic worm-like metamaterials that learn, adapt and evolve like living systems
Apr 07, 2026 Researchers created chain-like metamaterials with motorised hinges that can learn new shapes, forget old ones, and toggle between multiple forms without any central control. (Nanowerk News) Normal materials have fixed, predetermined responses when a force is applied to them, whereas robots have pre-programmed behaviours. In stark contrast,...
Star-shaped nanoparticles reveal how morphology controls energy storage
Apr 07, 2026 Star-shaped vanadium hydroxide nanoparticles show that changing a material's shape from sheets to stars shifts its energy storage from battery-like to capacitor-like behavior. (Nanowerk News) When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the...
How microbes survive in the plastisphere
Apr 07, 2026 A research team is investigating a new ecosystem on plastic particles in the oceans. (Nanowerk News) Trillions of persistent plastic particles of varying sizes are scattered throughout the world’s oceans, where they often accumulate in ocean gyres known as ‘garbage patches’. Two of these regions were the...