Next Generation, Permanent DNA-Based Data Storage for the AI Age
imec and Atlas Data Storage have formed a strategic partnership to accelerate synthetic DNA‑based data storage, combining Atlas’s ASIC design and DNA synthesis expertise with imec’s advanced chip fabrication capabilities. The collaboration produced a monolithic nano‑scale electrochemical array built on a 300 mm CMOS ASIC, enabling millions of synthesis sites for high‑throughput DNA encoding. imec is also investing in Atlas, becoming a shareholder and extending its venture‑building model. The joint effort targets petabyte‑scale storage density and millennial‑long durability, positioning DNA as a sustainable alternative to magnetic media.
Guiding Nano Assembly for Drug Delivery with Machine Learning
Researchers repurposed the FAP inhibitor SP‑13786 as a co‑assembly excipient to create SP co‑assembled nanoparticles (SCAN) that encapsulate hydrophobic drugs. Using molecular dynamics and a random‑forest machine‑learning model, they identified 228 physicochemical descriptors that predict successful nano‑co‑assembly, highlighting aromaticity and...
Flexure-Guided Piezo Stages Deliver Frictionless Motion for Nanopositioning, Scanning, and Alignment Applications
Physik Instrumente (PI) unveiled its flexure‑guided piezo stages, which combine friction‑free flexure guidance with high‑force PICMA multilayer piezo actuators to deliver sub‑nanometer resolution, millisecond response times, and virtually wear‑free operation. The monolithic flexure design eliminates backlash and stiction, while the...
From First Discussion to Final Delivery of a High‑End Industrial AFM
Nanosurf’s industrial‑grade atomic force microscope (AFM) development hinges on a seamless handoff from concept to commissioning, guided by application engineer Dr. Marco Corbetta. He joins customers during initial requirement gathering, defines verifiable specifications, and later conducts Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT)...
Low-Cost Nanocoating Helps Solar Ponds Produce More Fresh Water
A recent Scientific Reports study shows nano‑ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) coating on the base of a 1 m² solar desalination pond boosts temperature and water output. In outdoor trials across seasons, the coated pond reached 74 °C (≈8 °C higher) and produced 6.5 L m⁻² day⁻¹, a...
Nanozyme Aptasensor: A Breakthrough in S. Aureus Diagnostics
Researchers have unveiled a nanozyme‑aptamer colorimetric array that classifies Staphylococcus aureus strains with 100% accuracy, including methicillin‑resistant variants. The platform couples gold‑nanoparticle nanozymes with four strain‑specific aptamers, producing distinct color fingerprints that are decoded by hierarchical clustering and linear discriminant...
Researchers Call for Help with Reproducibility Crisis
Researchers from the Netherlands and France have launched a collaborative effort to replicate a 2012 study that claimed fluorescent quantum dots could detect copper ions inside living cells. Backed by an €8 million European Research Council grant, the NanoBubbles project is...
Could Graphene Memristors Tackle AI's Energy Use?
A new review in Nanoenergy Advances argues that graphene‑family memristors and photomemristors can dramatically lower AI’s energy footprint by merging sensing, memory, and computation in a single nanoscale device. The paper shows sub‑volt switching, power consumption as low as 200 nW,...
Nanostructured Plasma Engineering Extends the Life of Industrial Steel
A plasma‑based low‑energy nitrogen ion implantation (PBLEII) treatment dramatically improves the corrosion resistance of 17‑4PH martensitic stainless steel, with peak performance at 450 °C. Electrochemical tests show the corrosion potential shifting to –169.4 mV (SCE), passive current density dropping to 0.5 µA cm⁻², and...
Nanotoxicology Moves Beyond Short Term to Integrated Safety Frameworks
Recent editorial in *Nanomaterials* highlights a paradigm shift in nanotoxicology toward predictive, mechanism‑based safety frameworks. Researchers are moving beyond short‑term cytotoxicity to assess chronic, low‑dose, system‑level effects of engineered nanoparticles across diverse biological models. Integration of computational tools such as...
Curcuma Longa Starch for Effective Green Synthesis of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles
Researchers have introduced a green synthesis route for cerium oxide nanodots using debranched Curcuma longa starch, achieving uniform 2–4 nm particles. The starch acts as both reducing and stabilizing agent, eliminating the need for toxic solvents and high‑temperature steps. In vitro...
Turning Methane Into Carbon Nanotubes and Hydrogen
Researchers at the University of Cambridge and Stanford have engineered a continuous‑flow floating‑catalyst chemical vapor deposition reactor that simultaneously converts methane into low‑CO₂ hydrogen and high‑performance carbon nanotubes (CNTs). By recycling process gases in a multi‑pass configuration, the system dramatically...
Nanomaterials Transformed by Engineering Shape, Not Chemistry
A recent npj Metamaterials review compiles a decade of work on nano‑architected mechanical metamaterials, showing that nanoscale geometry can dictate strength, stiffness, and multifunctionality more effectively than chemical composition. It details design rules, fabrication routes such as 3‑D nanoprinting and...
Scientists Marry DNA Origami and 2D Materials to Make Nanoelectronics
Skoltech and international collaborators have demonstrated a DNA‑origami method to deposit organic dye molecules onto a monolayer of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) with nanometer‑scale precision. The DNA nanostructures, about 100 nm across, carry dyes in predefined positions, enabling Förster resonance energy transfer...
Researchers Pioneer Greener Route to High-Performance Graphene
Monash University researchers have unveiled a solvent‑free, mechanochemical process that produces nitrogen‑doped graphene nanoplatelets from a bio‑derived nitrogen source. By grinding materials instead of using liquid chemicals, the method slashes energy consumption and eliminates toxic by‑products. The resulting graphene exhibits...
Identifying Interface-Specific Transformation in Nanoglass
Researchers in China have discovered an interface‑specific structural‑compositional transformation in a bulk Pd₄₀Ni₄₀P₂₀ nanoglass that occurs well below its glass transition temperature. Using a two‑step process of inert‑gas‑condensed nanoparticles and 8 GPa consolidation, they produced a dense granular nanostructured glass whose...
New SLAC Method Guides Better Cell Slice Preparation for Cryo-ET Imaging
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory researchers have introduced a tri‑coincident system that synchronizes a scanning electron microscope, an ion‑beam mill, and an optical microscope to guide cryogenic electron tomography (cryo‑ET) sample preparation. By exploiting interference patterns in fluorescent light emitted from...
Vertical Translation Stages with Magnetic Counterbalance Combine Dynamics with Nanometer Precision
Physik Instrumente (PI) has launched the V‑571.Z vertical translation stage, featuring a user‑adjustable magnetic counterbalance and direct‑drive linear motor for friction‑free, high‑dynamic motion. The compact 95 mm wide design supports up to 4 kg loads with 25 mm or 50 mm travel and offers...
Antimicrobial Polymer Nanocomposites Made with Beetroot
A study in *Materials* shows that copper nanoparticles produced via a beetroot‑based green synthesis exhibit markedly stronger antimicrobial activity when embedded in polypropylene than both silver‑based composites and chemically reduced copper. The green‑synthesized copper particles are smaller, less prone to...
See the Latest Advancements in Precision Motion Control and Nanopositioning Automation
Physik Instrumente (PI) unveiled a suite of next‑generation precision motion‑control and nanopositioning solutions aimed at high‑tech manufacturing. The offerings target fast‑focusing, photonics array alignment, laser processing, semiconductor testing, and high‑resolution microscopy. PI emphasizes scalability for silicon photonics chip production, AI‑driven...
Review: Nanofibers Still Struggle to Reach Industry, Despite Decades of Research
After 25 years of research, nanofibers remain scientifically promising but face industrial barriers, according to a Frontiers in Nanotechnology review. Scaling production methods such as electrospinning and centrifugal spinning proves difficult, while solvent use drives high costs and waste. The...
DNA Templates for 3D Nanomaterial Design
Scientists at Columbia University and Brookhaven National Laboratory have created a bottom‑up nanofabrication platform that uses self‑assembled 3D DNA scaffolds as templates to produce inorganic nanostructured frameworks. By employing both vapor‑phase and liquid‑phase precursor infiltration, the method converts DNA lattices...
Nanoparticles Show Unexpected Ability to Activate Immune System Against Melanoma
Cornell researchers have shown that ultrasmall core‑shell silica nanoparticles, dubbed "prime dots," can reprogram the tumor microenvironment of melanoma, activating innate immunity and converting immunologically "cold" tumors into "hot" ones. The study published in Nature Nanotechnology documents multiple mechanisms—including pattern‑recognition...
High-Purity Palladium Recovery Using Nanosheet Technology
Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) unveiled a titanium‑based maxene nanosheet system that recovers palladium with 99.9% purity in just 30 minutes. The TiOₓ/Ti₃C₂Tₓ nanosheets work at room temperature, require no toxic chemicals or electricity, and enable simple filtration...