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Category: engineering

In JCI insight: CAR-T cell therapy for solid tumors remains limited

In this Review, Ruoqi Chen et al. discuss the latest advances in transcriptional factor engineering for empowering CAR-T cells with superior antitumor efficacy.

1Eye Center of Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases. Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Institute on Eye Diseases, Hangzhou, China.

2Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

3Bone Marrow Transplantation Center of the First Affiliated Hospital and Department of Cell Biology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.

Researchers visualize crystal phase changes particle by particle in new simulations

The secret to how steel hardens and shape-memory alloys snap into place lies in rapid, atomic-scale shifts that scientists have struggled to observe in materials. Now, Cornell researchers are revealing how these transformations unfold, particle by particle, through advanced modeling techniques.

Using custom-built computer simulations, Julia Dshemuchadse, assistant professor of and engineering at Cornell Engineering, and Hillary Pan, Ph.D., have visualized solid-solid phase transitions in unprecedented detail, capturing the motion of every particle in a theoretical material as its crystal structure morphs into another.

Their findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal not only classical transformation mechanisms, but also entirely new ones, reshaping how scientists understand this fundamental process in materials science.

Researchers Crack One of Aromatic Chemistry’s Toughest Challenges

A team of scientists has developed an electrochemical technique that enables precise, para-position single-carbon insertion into polysubstituted pyrroles. This advancement holds significant promise for synthetic organic chemistry, particularly in the development of pharmaceutical compounds.

Their work was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

“We set out to address the longstanding challenge of achieving single-carbon insertion into aromatic rings with precise positional control,” said Mahito Atobe, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Yokohama National University.

Goodbye plastic? Scientists create new supermaterial that outperforms metals and glass

Scientists at Rice University and University of Houston have developed an innovative, scalable approach to engineer bacterial cellulose into high-strength, multifunctional materials. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces a dynamic biosynthesis technique that aligns bacterial cellulose fibers in real-time, resulting in robust biopolymer sheets with exceptional mechanical properties.

Plastic pollution persists because traditional synthetic polymers degrade into microplastics, releasing harmful chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and carcinogens. Seeking sustainable alternatives, the research team led by Muhammad Maksud Rahman, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of Houston and adjunct assistant professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice, leveraged bacterial cellulose — one of Earth’s most abundant and pure biopolymers — as a biodegradable alternative.

Self-powered solar panels remove dust using wind-generated electricity

A collaborative research team has successfully developed a self-powered pollution prevention technology that can remove pollutants from the surface of solar panels without external power. This technology uses a wind-powered rotational triboelectric nanogenerator to generate power and combines said power with electrodynamic screen (EDS) technology to move dust in the desired direction for removal.

The findings are published in the journal Nano Energy. The team was led by Professor Juhyuck Lee from the Department of Energy Science and Engineering, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology, along with Dr. Wanchul Seung at Global Technology Research, Samsung Electronics.

The dust that gathers on the surface of solar panels causes a significant reduction in power production efficiency. EDS technology, designed to address this problem, uses electric fields to remove dust from the surface, and it is noted for environments that are not easily accessible, such as deserts, mountains, and space, as it does not require cleaning equipment or personnel. Traditional EDS technology, however, requires and, consequently, external power, and it has the disadvantage of additional maintenance costs.

‘Universal cancer vaccine’ trains the immune system to kill any tumor

Following on from their breakthrough human trial that successfully reprogrammed the immune system to overpower glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor, the same scientists have now further developed the mRNA vaccine to fight not one but any cancer. It has the potential to do away with chemotherapy, surgery and radiation treatment.

University of Florida (UF) scientists have developed an experimental vaccine that dramatically boosts the immune system’s ability to fight tumors – even without targeting a specific cancer type. This “general purpose” mRNA jab works in a similar way to a Covid-19 vaccine but with a different target; it instructs the body’s immune cells to rally and hit any kind of tumor in the same way they would attack a viral spike protein.

“This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: that even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumor or virus – so long as it is an mRNA vaccine – could lead to tumor-specific effects,” said Elias Sayour, a pediatric oncologist and principal investigator at the RNA Engineering Laboratory at UF. “This finding is a proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialized as universal cancer vaccines to sensitize the immune system against a patient’s individual tumor.”

Quantum Teleportation Was Achieved Over Internet For The First Time

In 2024, a quantum state of light was successfully teleported through more than 30 kilometers (around 18 miles) of fiber optic cable amid a torrent of internet traffic – a feat of engineering once considered impossible.

The impressive demonstration by researchers in the US may not help you beam to work to beat the morning traffic, or download your favourite cat videos faster.

However, the ability to teleport quantum states through existing infrastructure represents a monumental step towards achieving a quantum-connected computing network, enhanced encryption, or powerful new methods of sensing.

‘Standard candle’ particle measurement enables hunt for hybrid mesons

A rather unassuming particle is playing an important role in the hunt for subatomic oddities. Similar to protons and neutrons, mesons are composed of quarks bound together by the strong nuclear force. But these short-lived particles have different characteristics that can reveal new information about the atomic nucleus and how the universe works.

Advancing this understanding could one day enable new discoveries in many fields, ranging from nuclear power to medicine and materials engineering.

The so-called a2 meson is a relatively lightweight system of quarks. It is produced in experiments at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.

Space systems degrees program meets the challenge of modern engineering

Purdue University is standing at the forefront of expanding space exploration and a future economy with the creation of the first-ever Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program in the country.

The program combines both a new online master’s degree in space systems engineering and a new space engineering undergraduate certificate to the established array of cutting-edge programs in the College of Engineering.

The Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program is the latest learning opportunity at Purdue, reflecting a demand for aerospace engineers around the world. The School of Aeronautics and Astronautics continues to offer a variety of important specializations within the undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

(Online programs 😍)

Purdue has the first-ever Comprehensive Space Engineering Degrees Program with offerings ranging an online master’s degree to undergraduate space certificate.

This Is What Space Megastructures Would Look Like (Simulation)

What will we build? How will humanity expand and conquer the stars? Embark on this incredible audio-visual journey to find out…

Music:
Intro: ‘Helios’ by Scott Buckley.
Video: ‘Discovery’ by Scott Buckley.
Links:
• ‘Helios’ [Cinematic Orchestra CC-BY] — Sco…
• ‘Discovery’ [Epic Cinematic CC-BY] — Scott…
@ScottBuckley.

Patreon: / stargaze908
TikTok: / stargaze_youtube.
Discord: / discord.
Shorts: / @stargazeshorts.

00:00 — Intro.
00:50 — Dyson Swarm.
01:19 — Dyson Sphere.
02:18 — Supercomputer.
02:51 — Orbital Rings.
03:48 — Terraforming.
05:19 — Ringworld.
06:18 — Cosmic Engineering.

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