Ultrasound-Activated Nanoparticles Shine a Light Deep Within Living Tissues
Stanford researchers have demonstrated that ultrasound can activate mechanoluminescent nanoparticles to emit blue light deep within living tissue. By coating Sr4Al14O25:Eu,Dy particles with a biocompatible film and injecting them into mice, they produced programmable 490 nm illumination in organs such as the brain, gut, spine and hindlimb, with spatial precision of 100‑200 µm. The proof‑of‑concept shows that light‑dependent therapies—including optogenetics, photodynamic cancer treatment, and photo‑switchable gene editing—could be delivered without invasive implants. Human trials remain distant pending development of biodegradable, safe particle formulations.
Extracting Entropy Information From Quantum Dots
Stanford researchers have directly measured entropy production in semiconductor quantum dots, providing a quantitative view of energy dissipation at the nanoscale. By continuously exciting the dots with ultraviolet light and toggling a strong laser, they induced non‑equilibrium blinking and captured...