For the first time, spin waves, also known as magnons, have been directly observed at the nanoscale. This breakthrough was made possible by combining a high–energy-resolution electron microscope with a theoretical method developed at Uppsala University. The results open exciting new opportunities for studying and controlling magnetism at the nanoscale.
Broken connections between brain cells play a critical role in multiple neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s disease. Scientists have now come up with a novel way of repairing our neural wiring.
A team led by University of Pisa biologist Sara De Vincentiis used mini-brains grown in a lab to test a technique they’re calling “nano-pulling”, using tiny magnetic particles controlled by magnetic fields to guide axons (connective nerve fibers) into place.
With further development, the researchers believe this approach could help restore the nigrostriatal pathway, a vital connection in motor control that is compromised in Parkinson’s patients.
Researchers from Cornell and Northwestern universities have developed a rapid, cell-free method for building nanoparticle vaccines that mimic viruses at the molecular level, offering a powerful new tool for responding to emerging pandemics.
By producing and folding full-length viral membrane proteins directly into synthetic lipid bubbles called liposomes, the technique creates vaccine candidates in hours, rather than weeks or months, and could pave the way for faster, more adaptable immunization strategies against deadly viruses like Nipah.
The research, presented in the paper “Cell-Free Expression of Nipah Virus Transmembrane Proteins for Proteoliposome Vaccine Design,” was published in the journal ACS Nano.
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 high voltage and, consequently, external power, and it has the disadvantage of additional maintenance costs.
Scientists have used DNA's self-assembling properties to engineer intricate moiré superlattices at the nanometer scale—structures that twist and layer like never before. With clever molecular “blueprints,” they’ve created customizable lattices featuring patterns such as honeycombs and squares, all with remarkable precision. These new architectures are more than just scientific art—they open doors to revolutionizing how we control light, sound, electrons, and even spin in next-gen materials.
To understand how the molecular machinery of synapses works, it is essential to determine an inventory of synaptic proteins at a subsynaptic resolution. Nevertheless, synaptic proteins are difficult to localize because of the low expression levels and limited access to immunostaining epitopes. Here, we report on the exTEM (epitope-exposed by expansion-transmission electron microscopy) method that enables the imaging of synaptic proteins in situ. This method combines TEM with nanoscale resolution and expandable tissue-hydrogel hybrids for enhanced immunolabeling with better epitope accessibility via molecular decrowding, allowing successful probing of the distribution of various synapse-organizing proteins. We propose that exTEM can be employed for studying the mechanisms underlying the regulation of synaptic architecture and function by providing nanoscale molecular distribution of synaptic proteins in situ. We also envision that exTEM is widely applicable for investigating protein nanostructures located in densely packed environments by immunostaining of commercially available antibodies at nanometer resolution.
Researchers are creating new moiré materials at the nanometer scale using advanced DNA nanotechnology. DNA moiré superlattices form when two periodic DNA lattices are overlaid with a slight rotational twist or positional offset. This creates a new, larger interference pattern with completely different physical properties.
Nanoparticles—the tiniest building blocks of our world—are constantly in motion, bouncing, shifting, and drifting in unpredictable paths shaped by invisible forces and random environmental fluctuations.
Better understanding their movements is key to developing better medicines, materials, and sensors. But observing and interpreting their motion at the atomic scale has presented scientists with major challenges.
Researchers in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that learns the underlying physics governing those movements.