Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Towards silver cluster-assembled materials for environmental monitoring      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Silver cluster-assembled materials (SCAMs) are emerging light-emitting materials with molecular designability and unique properties. However, due to their dissimilar structural architecture in different solvents, their widespread application remains limited. Now, researchers have developed two new SCAMs that exhibit excellent fluorescence and high sensitivity to Fe3+ ions in aqueous solutions, indicating their potential for environmental monitoring and assessment.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New technology promises rapid and reliable development of new diagnostic tests      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have developed a new approach for designing molecular ON-OFF switches based on proteins which can be used in a multitude of biotechnological, biomedical and bioengineering applications.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

A novel approach for balancing properties in composite materials      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Scientists are developing an approach to enhance multifunctionality and structural properties simultaneously by embedding patterned nanostructures in composite materials, which could result in more efficient energy systems enhancing everyday life.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Towards artificial photosynthesis with engineering of protein crystals in bacteria      (via sciencedaily.com) 

In-cell engineering can be a powerful tool for synthesizing functional protein crystals with promising catalytic properties. Using genetically modified bacteria as an environmentally friendly synthesis platform, the researchers produced hybrid solid catalysts for artificial photosynthesis. These catalysts exhibit high activity, stability, and durability, highlighting the potential of the proposed innovative approach.

Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Washable, transparent, and flexible OLED with MXene nanotechnology?      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Transparent and flexible displays, which have received a lot of attention in various fields including automobile displays, bio-healthcare, military, and fashion, are in fact known to break easily when experiencing small deformations. To solve this problem, active research is being conducted on many transparent and flexible conductive materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, silver nanowires, and conductive polymers.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals
Published

Wormlike animals are first amphibians shown to pass microbes to their offspring      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Caecilians are an illusive type of snakelike amphibian that live in aquatic and subterranean environments. In some species, mothers produce a special type of nutrient-rich skin that juveniles consume, similar to the way in which humans breastfeed their children. A new study shows this behavior passes on microbes to juvenile caecilians, inoculating them to jump-start a healthy microbiome.

Biology: Microbiology Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Detection of bacteria and viruses with fluorescent nanotubes      (via sciencedaily.com) 

The new carbon nanotube sensor design resembles a molecular toolbox that can be used to quickly assemble sensors for a variety of purposes -- for instance for detecting bacteria and viruses.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Offbeat: Plants and Animals Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Paleontologists identify two new species of sabertooth cat      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Sabertooth cats make up a diverse group of long-toothed predators that roamed Africa around 6-7 million years ago, around the time that hominins -- the group that includes modern humans -- began to evolve. By examining one of the largest global Pliocene collections of fossils in Langebaanweg, north of Cape Town in South Africa, researchers present two new sabertooth species and the first family tree of the region's ancient sabertooths. Their results suggest that the distribution of sabertooths throughout ancient Africa might have been different than previously assumed, and the study provides important information about Africa's paleoenvironment.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Graphene Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers put a new twist on graphite      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers report that it is possible to imbue graphite -- the bulk, 3D material found in No. 2 pencils -- with physical properties similar to graphite's 2D counterpart, graphene. Not only was this breakthrough unexpected, the team also believes its approach could be used to test whether similar types of bulk materials can also take on 2D-like properties. If so, 2D sheets won't be the only source for scientists to fuel technological revolutions. Bulk, 3D materials could be just as useful.

Energy: Technology Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers achieve historic milestone in energy capacity of supercapacitors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

In a new landmark chemistry study, researchers describe how they have achieved the highest level of energy storage -- also known as capacitance -- in a supercapacitor ever recorded.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Dinosaurs Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Unusual fossil shows rare evidence of a mammal attacking a dinosaur      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have described an unusual fossil from around 125 million years ago in China that shows a dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a larger plant-eating dinosaur. The two animals are locked in mortal combat, and it's among the first evidence to show actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur. The fossil's presence challenges the view that dinosaurs had few threats from their mammal contemporaries during the Cretaceous, when dinosaurs were the dominant animals.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Engineers' storage technology keeps nanosurfaces clean      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Engineers have created containers that can keep volatile organic compounds from accumulating on the surfaces of stored nanomaterials. Their portable and inexpensive technology improves on a 50-year-old idea to address a ubiquitous problem in nanomanufacturing and materials science.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published

All about the Benjamins: Researchers decipher the secrets of Benjamin Franklin's paper money      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

During his career, Benjamin Franklin printed nearly 2,500,000 money notes for the American Colonies using what the researchers have identified as highly original techniques.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Analogous to algae: Scientists move toward engineering living matter by manipulating movement of microparticles      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A team of scientists has devised a system that replicates the movement of naturally occurring phenomena, such as hurricanes and algae, using laser beams and the spinning of microscopic rotors.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

New material could hold key to reducing energy consumption in computers and electronics      (via sciencedaily.com) 

A University of Minnesota Twin Cities team has, for the first time, synthesized a thin film of a unique topological semimetal material that has the potential to generate more computing power and memory storage while using significantly less energy.

Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology Paleontology: Early Mammals and Birds Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Ice Age saber-tooth cats and dire wolves suffered from diseased joints      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Ice Age saber-tooth cats and dire wolves experienced a high incidence of bone disease in their joints, according to new research.

Engineering: Biometric Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Researchers visualize activity of CRISPR genetic scissors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed a new method to measure the smallest twists and torques of molecules within milliseconds. The method makes it possible to track the gene recognition of CRISPR-Cas protein complexes, also known as 'genetic scissors', in real time and with the highest resolution. With the data obtained, the recognition process can be accurately characterized and modeled to improve the precision of the genetic scissors.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Towards crack-resistant nanoparticle-based latex films      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Synthetic latex films are widely used across many fields, but they usually contain harmful additives to enhance their strength. In a recent study, researchers have developed a new class of latex films composed of rotaxane-crosslinked acrylic nanoparticles. These films exhibit remarkable mechanical properties, including excellent crack-propagation resistance without any additives, and are easily recyclable, paving the way for more environmentally friendly materials.

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Bound states in the continuum is possible in the acoustoelastic coupling      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Professor Junsuk Rho's research team at POSTECH reveals a physical phenomenon for vibration focusing and energy storage

Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Making headway in precision therapeutics with novel fully organic bioelectronic device      (via sciencedaily.com) 

Researchers have announced that they have developed the first stand-alone, conformable, fully organic bioelectronic device that can not only acquire and transmit neurophysiologic brain signals, but can also provide power for device operation.