Month: October 2020

IMAGE: This microscopic, twisting spiral — which exhibits interesting, tunable superconductive properties — was “grown ” by depositing sheets of two-dimensional material over a substrate curved slightly by slipping a nanoparticle underneath. view more  Credit: Image courtesy of Song Jin Lab MADISON, Wis. — Scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a way to control

IMAGE: Spin (magnetic order) in the multi-ferroic material bismuth-ferrite ‘cycles’ through the crystal, offering potential application in emerging electronics fields such as magnonics view more  Credit: FLEET A new UNSW study comprehensively reviews the magnetic structure of the multiferroic material bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3 – BFO). The review advances FLEET’s search for low-energy electronics, bringing together current

IMAGE: FESEM of 3 at.% Ho3+:Y2O3-MgO composite ceramics: general view (a), and area with secondary phase (b). view more  Credit: FEFU press office Material scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) joined an international team of researchers to develop new nanocomposite ceramics (Ho3+:Y2O3-MgO) that can be employed in high-capacity laser systems operating in the medium infrared

IMAGE: Researchers have demonstrated a new fabrication technique that allows them to replicate the nanostructures found on cicada wings that make them water- and microbe-repellent. view more  Credit: Wayne Boo, U.S. Geological Survey CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A multidisciplinary group that studies the physical and chemical properties of insect wings has demonstrated the ability to reproduce the

IMAGE: Using of analyzer view more  Credit: @SamaraPolytech Despite their high accuracy, the majority of the existing instrumental laboratory methods are very laborious and insufficient in terms of quick analysis of the objects under study. A team of scientists of Samara Polytech design cost effective portable analyzers. The recent research results are published in the journal

Irvine, Calif. – With one of the more awe-inspiring names in the animal kingdom, the diabolical ironclad beetle is one formidable insect. Birds, lizards and rodents frequently try to make a meal of it but seldom succeed. Run over it with a car, and the critter lives on. The beetle’s survival depends on two key

The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly the most challenging global health burden since the 2nd World War. The pandemic has raised social awareness on the importance of effective and timely diagnosis that may help minimize the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19. Thanks to the advancement of micro- and nano-technology, biosensing has become a booming research

IMAGE: Delivering a protein (red fluorescence) to mice testes with a fibroin nanoparticle-encapsulated cationic lipid complex (green) restored male fertility. view more  Credit: Adapted from ACS Nano 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c04936 According to the Mayo Clinic, about 15% of couples are infertile, and male infertility plays a role in over one-third of these cases. Often, problems with

IMAGE: Drawing inspiration from chameleon skin, researchers have developed a flexible film that changes color in response to stretching, pressure or humidity.  view more  Credit: American Chemical Society Chameleons can famously change their colors to camouflage themselves, communicate and regulate their temperature. Scientists have tried to replicate these color-changing properties for stealth technologies, anti-counterfeiting measures and

IMAGE: A chili pepper-shaped device containing a paper-based electrochemical sensor can be connected to a smart phone to reveal how much capsaicin is in a hot pepper. view more  Credit: Adapted from ACS Applied Nano Materials 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.0c02079 Some people love spicy food — the hotter, the better. Others go out of their way to

IMAGE: PhD candidate Mohammad Khorsand and Professor Youhong Tang with the TENG prototype at Flinders University, Tonsley Innovation District in Adelaide, South Australia. view more  Credit: Flinders University Imagine a mobile phone charger that doesn’t need a wireless or mains power source. Or a pacemaker with inbuilt organic energy sources within the human body. Australian researchers

IMAGE: StabiLux fluorophore technology brings high-brightness dyes to bear against previously undetectable early-stage diseases. view more  Credit: StabiLux StabiLux Biosciences, a spin-out company from research conducted at Michigan Technological University, has received an additional $500,000 supplementary grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This new NSF Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase IIB project, led by

HAMILTON, ON, Oct. 20, 2020 — When COVID-19 attacks, the immune system produces a cytokine, or protein, called Interleukin-6 (IL-6), whose concentrations can offer vital information about a patient’s level and stage of infection. But measuring the critical marker has been extremely challenging, given its nearly undetectable presence in the biological stew that makes up

Every biological system is naturally equipped with a defense mechanism to protect against abnormal changes caused by either local, environmental, or biochemical alteration. White blood cells (WBC) play the role of such a ‘soldier’ in our immune response. One type of WBC, known as macrophages, is the most efficient and specialized fighter since it is

IMAGE: Martin Rieß M.Sc. in front of the measuring system for dynamic gas adsorption in one of Bayreuth’s laboratories for Inorganic Chemistry. view more  Credit: Photo: Christian Wißler. Chemists at the University of Bayreuth have developed a material that could well make an important contribution to climate protection and sustainable industrial production. With this material, the

IMAGE: University of Houston professor of biomedical engineering is developing new ultrafast 3D imaging system to assess corneal elasticity in vivo. view more  Credit: University of Houston LASIK eye surgery – a laser reshaping of the cornea to improve vision – is one of the most popular elective surgeries in the United States, and a University

IMAGE: At this point in development, the embryo chromosomes (which appear red in the centre) are preparing to separate during the first cell division. The device prongs can be seen… view more  Credit: Professor Tony Perry For the first time, scientists have introduced minuscule tracking devices directly into the interior of mammalian cells, giving an unprecedented