The precise, continuous monitoring of pollutants such as nitrogen oxides (NOx) in high humidity is a tough challenge for low-cost and stretchable gas sensors. A recent article published in Microsystems & Nanoengineering describes the design and implementation of a novel, moisture-resistant, and wearable NOx gas sensor based on laser-induced graphene (LIG) that has proven successful in monitoring the environment and [...]
Although blood-biomarker-based tests help in the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, the low abundance of blood protein biomarkers related to Alzheimer’s disease and the complexity of the human serum environment pose a challenge in diagnosis and treatment. Due to the small size of nanomaterials, they are considered promising candidates for constructing biosensors with high [...]
Researchers from Skoltech and their colleagues in Russia and Spain have reported a proof-of-concept demonstration of a new radiation-safe method for mapping the internal structure and stress distribution in samples of materials at the nanoscale, with a resolution about 100 times higher than that of the currently available techniques: X-ray and neutron tomography. The [...]
Using lasers to precisely control white blood cells in living fish, researchers have demonstrated that some of the body’s native cells can be “remotely controlled” to accomplish a variety of tasks in a highly precise way. These tasks may someday include biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery and the precise treatment of inflammatory [...]
Single-cell level protein analysis utilizing mass spectrometry (MS) with picolitre sample volumes needs sensitivity in the range of zeptomole to attomole. An article published recently in the journal Analytical Chemistry discussed an analytical pretreatment method based on a nanofluidic device to downsize the chemical unit operations to the range of femtoliter to picolitre volume in mass [...]
Nanosized extracellular vesicle (EV) exosomes serve as reliable biomarker sources. However, cancer biomarker identification through exosome multi-omic molecular information mapping is challenging due to heterogeneous populations of exosomes derived from diverse cell types. In an article published in the journal Communications Biology, researchers introduced novel three-dimensional (3D) nanographene immunomagnetic particles for specific capture and release [...]
Many historical buildings were built of limestone, such as Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral. Limestone is easy to work with, but does not withstand weathering well. It consists mainly of calcite minerals that are relatively weakly bound to each other, which is why parts of the stone keep crumbling away over the years, often requiring [...]
Since its inception, chemotherapy has proven to be a valuable tool in treating many kinds of cancers, but it has a significant drawback. In addition to killing cancer cells, it can also destroy healthy cells like the ones in hair follicles, causing baldness, and those that line the stomach, producing nausea. Now, scientists at [...]
Within a newborn's umbilical cord lie potentially life-saving stem cells that can be used to fight diseases like lymphoma and leukemia. That is why many new parents elect to store ("bank") their infant's stem cell-rich umbilical cord blood. But in the 6–15% of pregnancies affected by gestational diabetes, parents lack this option because the [...]
An article recently published in the journal Scientific Reports discussed the removal of azithromycin (Azr) antibiotic from contaminated wastewater using hematite nanoparticles (α-HNPs), which were biofabricated from a perennial medicinal herb, Echinacea purpurea. The adsorption studies revealed the Azr removal capacity of α-HNPs from contaminated pharmaceutical wastewater. Additionally, the parameters like adsorption kinetics, isotherm, and thermodynamics were [...]
