Polymers containing quantum dots (QDs) are considered crucial components of next-generation consumer items, but ambiguity remains regarding how these compounds may negatively affect public health and the environment. A pre-proof paper from the Journal of Hazardous Materials examines how the transport of quantum dots out of polymeric materials and into the environment relates to their surface and [...]
A new copper coating that kills bacteria quicker and in greater amounts than current formulations could soon be available for hospitals and other high-traffic facilities. Although current formulations made of pure copper are antibacterial and self-sanitizing, they kill certain types of bacteria with a thicker cell wall (Gram-positive bacteria), more slowly than bacteria with [...]
A vaccination as tumor therapy - with a vaccine individually created from a patient's tissue sample that " attaches" the body's own immune system to cancer cells: the basis for this long-term vision has now been achieved by a team of researchers from the MPI for Polymer Research and the University Medical Center Mainz, [...]
Although retinoic acid (RA) can induce cell death, its weak anticancer efficacy limits its clinical applications. To this end, stimulus-responsive self-assembling prodrug-based nanomedicines are promising candidates that enable controlled drug delivery. In an article published in the journal Biomaterials, unique chemistry was explored to maximize the therapeutic potential of RA, wherein aryl boronic acid was [...]
Graphene is a multifunctional carbon nanomaterial widely synthesized for its applications in composites, energy storage, and sensors. Although previous reviews mentioned that achieving an increased yield compromises graphene quality, limiting its commercialization, recent research on graphene highlighted the use of naturally abundant carbonaceous sources for the cost-effective production of graphene derivatives. An article published [...]
A new COVID variant has recently been detected in several countries including the UK, US, India, Australia and Germany. Called BA.2.75, it’s a subvariant of omicron. You might have also heard it called “Centaurus”, the name of a constellation and given to BA.2.75 by a Twitter user. The World Health Organization has classified BA.2.75 as a [...]
A first-of-its-kind sprayable coating that can prevent the surface spread of infection from bacteria and viruses - including COVID-19 - over a sustained period –– has been developed by a team of Australian researchers. Described in the journal Advanced Science ("Shielding Surfaces from Viruses and Bacteria with a Multiscale Coating"), the spray works two ways: repelling [...]
Eric Feigl-Ding is an epidemiologist and co-founder of the World Health Network. Kavita Patel is a physician and former director of policy for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement. Yaneer Bar-Yam is president of NECSI and co-founder of the World Health Network. It is time for the global public [...]
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 [...]
