Researchers Dr Yansong Feng and Prof. Hong Zhang at the Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) have designed and synthesized novel multi-layered, multi-functional nanoparticles that enable a combination of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy for deep cancer tissue (Journal of Materials Chemistry C, "Scintillating Nanoplatform with Upconversion Function for [...]
The world's largest study of the genetics of critical Covid-19, involving more than 57,000 people, has revealed fresh details about some of the biological mechanisms behind the severe form of the disease. Some 16 new genetic variants associated with severe Covid-19, including some related to blood clotting, immune response and intensity of inflammation, have [...]
A biodegradable nanoparticle used in medical sutures has been identified to tackle a rare, often deadly inflammatory disease, according to researchers. Researchers discovered that a certain macrophage, an immune cell that eliminates bacteria or dead cells, plays a critical role in scleroderma or systemic sclerosis, patients’ persistent inflammation, and scarring in the lungs and [...]
Researchers have made tiny ‘skyscrapers’ for communities of bacteria, helping them to generate electricity from just sunlight and water. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, used 3D printing to create grids of high-rise ‘nano-housing’ where sun-loving bacteria can grow quickly. The researchers were then able to extract the bacteria’s waste electrons, left over [...]
Most of what we know about how COVID can affect the brain has come from studies of severe infection. In people with severe COVID, inflammatory cells from outside the brain can enter brain tissue and spread inflammation. There may be changes to blood vessels. Brain cells can even have changes similar to those seen in people [...]
Researchers from India have shared an eco-friendly method for the fabrication of metal nanoparticles in their latest article available as a pre-proof in the journal Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring & Management. Importance of Metal Nanoparticles Metal nanoparticles in simple words could be defined as nanoscale derivatives of pure metals such as gold, thallium, and silver, or [...]
Scientists can depend on a formidable tool — light — when it comes to recording and stimulating brain activity. An international team of researchers, directed by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (Italian Institute of Technology/IIT), has created nanometric light modulators that, built on a micrometric optical fiber, make the fiber capable of analyzing neuronal tissue in deep regions [...]
One of the most promising avenues in treating cancer is to restore our immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancerous cells. A team of University of Chicago chemists and biologists developed a tiny device that can locate tumor cells and force them to reveal themselves to patrolling immune cells. In tests with mice, [...]
Serological tests play an important role in the surveillance and management of epidemics or pandemics, as well as in acquired immunity studies. Currently, COVID-19 serology is performed by well-established immunoassay techniques, which provide high sensitivities, but require specialized laboratories with trained personnel and processing times of 3 to 48 hours. A much faster and [...]
An international team of researchers has developed nanorobots capable of removing heavy metals from polluted water. In their paper published in the journal Nature Communications, the group describes their nanorobots and how well they worked when tested. Prior research has shown that heavy metals make their way into the water table through landfill leakage, mining operations [...]
