/ en-us Â鶹ÒùÔº internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Â鶹ÒùÔºics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. When two mesh screens or fabrics are overlapped with a slight offset, moiré patterns emerge as a result of interference caused by the misalignment of the grids. While these patterns are commonly recognized as optical illusions in everyday life, their significance extends to the nanoscale, such as in materials like graphene, where they can profoundly influence electronic properties. /news/2025-08-customized-moir-patterns-stacked-metal.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 13 Aug 2025 15:23:03 EDT news674317381 Research from the Nanoscience Center of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, has revealed that lignin, a polyphenol important for plant structure, has antimicrobial activity against viruses and bacteria. The results highlight that lignin, which is also an important byproduct of the wood industry, has potential as a promising green alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents for coating agents, packaging material, or surface disinfectants. /news/2025-08-wood-industry-byproduct-lignin-effective.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:39:03 EDT news674213941 Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have discovered that the size of catalytic nanoparticles determines how their shape and structure transform during chemical reactions. With insights into the nanoparticles' atomic-scale behavior as they convert carbon dioxide into useful fuel—and a better understanding of how structural changes impact catalytic performance—researchers are newly positioned to design more effective catalysts for industrial applications. /news/2025-08-tiny-catalytic-particles-carbon-dioxide.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:46:06 EDT news673771558 WEHI researchers have visualized a key protein complex in malaria parasites for the first time, uncovering a new target for next-generation vaccines that could help stop the disease from spreading. /news/2025-08-malaria-vaccine-parasite-fertilization-complex.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 06 Aug 2025 06:52:53 EDT news673681966 Cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) allows us to observe samples in a preserved state that is close to their native form, making it a highly effective way to examine biological samples. This technique provides information on the size, shape, and dispersion of samples within a frozen solvent. However, there is another crucial piece of information that has not been accurately visualized in organic samples using this technique yet: elemental composition. /news/2025-08-cool-imaging-method-elemental-nanomaterials.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Aug 2025 09:15:01 EDT news673258499 For the first time, spin waves, also known as magnons, have been directly observed at the nanoscale. This breakthrough was made possible by combining a high–energy-resolution electron microscope with a theoretical method developed at Uppsala University. The results open exciting new opportunities for studying and controlling magnetism at the nanoscale. /news/2025-07-nanoscale.html General Â鶹ÒùÔºics Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Thu, 24 Jul 2025 12:20:01 EDT news672578397 A study conducted by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil and the Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" in Italy has synthesized fullerenes and hollow spherical graphene particles using only natural graphite, ethanol, water, and sodium hydroxide under ambient conditions. Published in the journal Diamond and Related Materials, the research showed the feasibility of producing structures that previously required extremely high temperatures using an electrochemical route. /news/2025-07-electrochemical-route-synthesis-giant-fullerenes.html Materials Science Thu, 17 Jul 2025 13:08:37 EDT news671976512 Researchers are creating new moiré materials at the nanometer scale using advanced DNA nanotechnology. DNA moiré superlattices form when two periodic DNA lattices are overlaid with a slight rotational twist or positional offset. This creates a new, larger interference pattern with completely different physical properties. /news/2025-07-programmable-dna-moir-superlattices-material.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Thu, 17 Jul 2025 11:52:25 EDT news671971940 The mechanical strength and toughness of engineering materials are often mutually exclusive, posing challenges for material design and selection. To address this, a research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has uncovered an innovative strategy: by simply twisting the layers of 2D materials, they can enhance toughness without compromising material's strength. /news/2025-07-2d-materials-material-strength-toughness.html Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:00:01 EDT news671801132 Nanoparticles—the tiniest building blocks of our world—are constantly in motion, bouncing, shifting, and drifting in unpredictable paths shaped by invisible forces and random environmental fluctuations. /news/2025-07-ai-tool-deciphers-mysteries-nanoparticle.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 15 Jul 2025 08:23:31 EDT news671786606 In a significant step toward improving targeted cancer therapy, researchers from Japan have developed a novel nanocarrier system that delivers therapeutic antibodies directly to target antigens inside cancer cells. /news/2025-07-polyphenol-conjugated-nanocarrier-antibody-therapies.html Bio & Medicine Nanomaterials Fri, 11 Jul 2025 05:30:01 EDT news671426742 As summer kicks into full gear and people are spending more time outside, there's one thing on many people's minds—ticks. Tick season is starting earlier and lasting longer, and ticks are popping up in areas they haven't been found before, expanding the risk of tick-borne viruses. /news/2025-07-borne-virus-revealed-atomic-resolution.html Cell & Microbiology Molecular & Computational biology Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:00:07 EDT news671272621 Researchers at the universities of Amsterdam and Utrecht have observed the formation of nanocavities in montmorillonite clay under exposure to gamma-aminobutyric acid, a molecule commonly found on meteorites. This hitherto unrecognized phenomenon could be relevant to the origin of life on Earth, by introducing 3D confined nano-environments in clay that might have facilitated life's first chemistry. The findings have been reported in Communications Earth & Environment. /news/2025-06-meteorite-common-amino-acid-formation.html Astrobiology Planetary Sciences Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:25:01 EDT news669903897 The pristine samples from asteroid Ryugu returned by the Hayabusa2 mission on December 6, 2020, have been vital to improving the understanding of primitive asteroids and the formation of the solar system. The C-type asteroid Ryugu is composed of rocks similar to meteorites called CI chondrites, which contain relatively high amounts of carbon, and have undergone extensive aqueous alteration in their past. /news/2025-06-unexpected-mineral-ryugu-grain-paradigm.html Planetary Sciences Mon, 23 Jun 2025 08:39:04 EDT news669886741 Researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), UC Irvine, and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), have used biology to convert human urine into a valuable product. The team genetically modified yeast to take the elements present in urine and create hydroxyapatite—a calcium and phosphorus-based mineral naturally produced by humans and other animals to build bones and teeth. /news/2025-06-genetically-yeast-valuable-materials-urine.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Tue, 17 Jun 2025 13:11:26 EDT news669384682 Two key protein structures in the body are being visualized for the first time, thanks in part to the latest technology in the University of Cincinnati's Center for Advanced Structural Biology—potentially opening the door for better designed therapeutics. /news/2025-06-scientists-visualize-key-protein-linked.html Molecular & Computational biology Sat, 14 Jun 2025 04:06:27 EDT news669092774 Single-atom catalysts (SACs) are materials consisting of individual metal atoms dispersed on a substrate (i.e., supporting surface). Recent studies have highlighted the promise of these catalysts for the efficient conversion and storage of energy, particularly when deployed in fuel cells and water electrolyzers. /news/2025-06-approach-reversibly-configures-heteronuclear-dual.html Nanomaterials Fri, 13 Jun 2025 06:50:01 EDT news668947073 The Apollo astronauts didn't know what they'd find when they explored the surface of the moon, but they certainly didn't expect to see drifts of tiny, bright orange glass beads glistening among the otherwise monochrome piles of rocks and dust. /news/2025-06-moon-shimmers-shiny-glass-beads.html Planetary Sciences Wed, 11 Jun 2025 16:55:03 EDT news668879701 A study nearly 10 years in the making has shed new insight into how oxides can regularly sustain themselves, using the oxygen inherent in their own structures. /news/2025-06-oxide-catalysts-sustain-reactors.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:57:14 EDT news668876222 A joint research team has successfully developed a two-dimensional (2D) quantum material platform through the superposition of moiré lattices. /news/2025-06-overlapping-moir-lattices-2d-materials.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Tue, 03 Jun 2025 11:39:05 EDT news668169541 As the focus on energy resiliency and competitiveness increases, the development of advanced materials for next-generation, commercial fusion reactors is gaining attention. A recent paper published in the journal Current Opinion in Solid State & Materials Science examines a promising candidate for these reactors: ultra-high-temperature ceramics, or UHTCs. /news/2025-06-qa-exploring-ultra-high-temperature.html Plasma Â鶹ÒùÔºics Mon, 02 Jun 2025 16:35:05 EDT news668100902 Charging electric-vehicle batteries in Ithaca's frigid winter can be tough, and freezing temperatures also decrease the driving range. Hot weather can be just as challenging, leading to decomposition of battery materials and, possibly, catastrophic failure. /news/2025-05-pictures-movies-ev-battery-failure.html Materials Science Fri, 23 May 2025 12:50:03 EDT news667223160 Diamond is one of the most prized materials in advanced technologies due to its unmatched hardness, ability to conduct heat and capacity to host quantum-friendly defects. The same qualities that make diamond useful also make it difficult to process. /news/2025-05-simpler-method-refines-ultrapure-diamond.html Condensed Matter Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Fri, 23 May 2025 12:39:04 EDT news667222742 Researchers have demonstrated that by using a semiconductor with flexible bonds, the material can be molded into various structures using nano containers, without altering its composition. The discovery could lead to the design of a variety of customized electronic devices using only a single element. /news/2025-05-mind-band-gap-nanoscale-elementary.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 21 May 2025 11:00:15 EDT news667035962 Our brain is a complex organ. Billions of nerve cells are wired in an intricate network, constantly processing signals, enabling us to recall memories or to move our bodies. /news/2025-05-microscopy-method-reconstruct-mammalian-brain.html Cell & Microbiology Biotechnology Wed, 07 May 2025 11:38:29 EDT news665836703 Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have uncovered an unexpected interface layer that may be hindering the performance of superconducting qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers. /news/2025-05-scientists-reveal-hidden-interface-superconducting.html Superconductivity Quantum Â鶹ÒùÔºics Tue, 06 May 2025 10:00:04 EDT news665743815 Reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration through electrochemical methods (eCO2RR) in acidic conditions is an important strategy for producing valuable products while avoiding the formation of carbonate. /news/2025-05-phosphorus-nickel-catalyst-boosts-co8322.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 05 May 2025 11:14:03 EDT news665662441 Wurtzite-structured crystals, characterized by their hexagonal symmetry, are widely valued for their unique electronic and piezoelectric properties—their ability to generate an electric charge when subjected to mechanical stress. Among these, gallium nitride (GaN), a key material in blue light-emitting diodes, and aluminum nitride (AlN), used in high-frequency radio frequency (RF) filters in smartphones, are prominent examples. These materials play a crucial role in advanced semiconductors, sensors, and actuators. /news/2025-04-wurtzite-mgsin-thin-electronic-properties.html Nanophysics Nanomaterials Wed, 30 Apr 2025 14:17:04 EDT news665241421 Nanomaterials are the future of modern technology. From powering batteries to improving clean energy systems and efficient catalysts, nanomaterials are everywhere. Their unique properties often arise from the precise arrangements of their atoms. /news/2025-04-unveiling-3d-crystal-secrets-defective.html Nanomaterials Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:35:09 EDT news665058903 Found in everything from kitchen appliances to sustainable energy infrastructure, stainless steels are used extensively due to their excellent corrosion (rusting) resistance. They're an important material in many industries, including manufacturing, transportation, oil and gas, nuclear power and chemical processing. /news/2025-04-ultrasonic-nanocrystal-surface-modification-stainless.html Nanomaterials Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:53:04 EDT news664800782