http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. A team of bioengineers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the first to report creating artificial heart tissue that closely mimics the functions of natural heart tissue through the use of human-based materials. Their work will advance how clinicians treat the damaging effects caused by heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. http://phys.org/news286460508.html Chemistry Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:57 EST news286460508 Stem cells can be coaxed to grow into new bone or new cartilage better and faster when given the right molecular cues and room inside a water-loving gel, researchers at Case Western Reserve University show. http://phys.org/news284913982.html Chemistry Thu, 11 Apr 2013 15:46:48 EST news284913982 A research team from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), South Korea has developed high-performance organic phototransistors (OPTs) based on single-crystalline n-channel organic nanowires. The research was published recently in Advanced Functional Materials. http://phys.org/news282294910.html Nanotechnology Tue, 12 Mar 2013 08:15:18 EST news282294910 Artificial bone, created using stem cells and a new lightweight plastic, could soon be used to heal shattered limbs. http://phys.org/news279538030.html Chemistry Fri, 08 Feb 2013 09:27:20 EST news279538030 (Phys.org)—An assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside's Bourns College of Engineering is using the teeth of a marine snail found off the coast of California to create less costly and more efficient nanoscale materials to improve solar cells and lithium-ion batteries. http://phys.org/news277563574.html Nanotechnology Wed, 16 Jan 2013 13:00:28 EST news277563574 Coating liquid metal droplets in a nanoparticle mix creates an extra strong non-stick conductive material that retains its shape even under high impact, Australian research has found. http://phys.org/news277378296.html Nanotechnology Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:32:11 EST news277378296 (Phys.org)—University of Wollongong researchers from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES) and the School of Chemistry have printed materials which can actuate and strain gauge. http://phys.org/news275247024.html Nanotechnology Thu, 20 Dec 2012 17:31:26 EST news275247024 (Phys.org)—Researchers from North Carolina State University have created conductive wires that can be stretched up to eight times their original length while still functioning. The wires can be used for everything from headphones to phone chargers, and hold potential for use in electronic textiles. http://phys.org/news275057773.html Chemistry Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:56:31 EST news275057773 Arthrobotrys oligospora doesn't live a charmed life; it survives on a diet of roundworm. But a discovery by a team led by Mingjun Zhang, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, could give the fungus's life more purpose—as a cancer fighter. http://phys.org/news273837233.html Nanotechnology Tue, 04 Dec 2012 09:54:08 EST news273837233 (Phys.org)—A membrane consisting of polymer fibres and proteins makes a novel filter for tiny, nano-scaled particles in aqueous solutions. The result of such a research, which was done by Professor Mady Elbahri and his team from the Institute of Material Science at Kiel University (KU) and the Institute of Polymer Research at Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG), has recently been published as the cover article in the current issue of Advanced Functional Materials. http://phys.org/news273225962.html Nanotechnology Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:06:14 EST news273225962 Gels that can be injected into the body, carrying drugs or cells that regenerate damaged tissue, hold promise for treating many types of disease, including cancer. However, these injectable gels don't always maintain their solid structure once inside the body. http://phys.org/news272218525.html Chemistry Thu, 15 Nov 2012 16:15:39 EST news272218525 Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have reported progress in fabricating advanced materials at the nanoscale. The spontaneous self-assembly of nanostructures composed of multiple elements paves the way toward materials that could improve a range of energy efficient technologies and data storage devices. http://phys.org/news271956924.html Nanotechnology Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:40:01 EST news271956924 (Phys.org)—The colors of a butterfly's wings are unusually bright and beautiful and are the result of an unusual trait; the way they reflect light is fundamentally different from how color works most of the time. http://phys.org/news269155066.html Nanotechnology Thu, 11 Oct 2012 06:18:04 EST news269155066 (Phys.org)—Few modern materials have achieved the fame of silicon, a key element of computer chips and the namesake for Silicon Valley, home to some of the world's most prominent technology firms. http://phys.org/news266828457.html Nanotechnology Fri, 14 Sep 2012 08:01:07 EST news266828457 (Phys.org) -- Researchers have created a new type of biosensor that can detect minute concentrations of glucose in saliva, tears and urine and might be manufactured at low cost because it does not require many processing steps to produce. http://phys.org/news264784249.html Nanotechnology Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:12:08 EST news264784249 (Phys.org) -- A field of young sunflowers will slowly rotate from east to west during the course of a sunny day, each leaf seeking out as much sunlight as possible as the sun moves across the sky through an adaptation called heliotropism. http://phys.org/news264323413.html Technology Thu, 16 Aug 2012 08:10:40 EST news264323413 A chemical sensing system developed by engineers at the University of Connecticut is believed to be the first of its kind capable of detecting vapors from buried landmines and other explosive devices with the naked eye rather than advanced scientific instrumentation. http://phys.org/news263100722.html Chemistry Thu, 02 Aug 2012 04:33:19 EST news263100722 (Phys.org) -- Despite significant advances, the development of synthetic biomaterials still presents significant challenges in the field of biomedical engineering. Although synthetic biodegradable materials such as polyester exist, most are biologically inert and lack functionality. Now, thanks to a research team at the University of Pittsburgh, a synthetic platform has been developed that will help produce diverse biodegradable materials for specific biomedical applications. These findings were published online in the March 30 issue of Advanced Functional Materials.  http://phys.org/news253429538.html Chemistry Thu, 12 Apr 2012 06:30:01 EST news253429538 Sooner than later, robots may have the ability to "feel." In a paper published online March 26 in Advanced Functional Materials, a team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) demonstrated that a nonoscillating gel can be resuscitated in a fashion similar to a medical cardiopulmonary resuscitation. These findings pave the way for the development of a wide range of new applications that sense mechanical stimuli and respond chemically—a natural phenomenon few materials have been able to mimic. http://phys.org/news252260704.html Chemistry Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:25:19 EST news252260704 While the costs associated with storing nuclear waste and the possibility of it leaching into the environment remain legitimate concerns, they may no longer be obstacles on the road to cleaner energy. http://phys.org/news251477417.html Chemistry Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:50:53 EST news251477417 (PhysOrg.com) -- Nerve gases are colorless, odorless, tasteless and deadly. While today's soldiers carry masks and other protective gear, they don't have reliable ways of knowing when they need them in time. That could change, thanks to a new litmus-like paper sensor made at the University of Michigan. http://phys.org/news250843288.html Chemistry Tue, 13 Mar 2012 07:41:39 EST news250843288 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new method for creating nanofibers made of proteins, developed by researchers at Polytechnic Institute of New York University (NYU-Poly), promises to greatly improve drug delivery methods for the treatment of cancers, heart disorders and Alzheimer's disease, as well as aid in the regeneration of human tissue, bone and cartilage. http://phys.org/news249735214.html Nanotechnology Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:53:58 EST news249735214 Nano-scale tubes made of carbon could be used to safely penetrate human cells and deliver anti-cancer medicines or modified DNA molecules for gene therapy. Although there is a long way to go before the concept can undergo medical trials, a team led by Dr. Sofia Pascu at the University of Bath has shown how these tubes could be used as a ‘cargo carrier’, to break through the outer membranes of cells that some useful therapeutic molecules would otherwise be unable to enter. The tubes, which are just a billionth of a metre long, can occur naturally, in candle soot for example. They could also be used to carry imaging agents such as fluorescent tags and radionuclides (radioactive isotopes widely used in therapy and diagnosis) that would make it possible to obtain better images of cells and tissues and so aid earlier detection of cancers. http://phys.org/news249728165.html Nanotechnology Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:56:29 EST news249728165 (PhysOrg.com) -- These inexpensive robots can stretch, bend and twist under control, and lift objects up to 120 times their own weight. Being soft, they can apply gentle and even pressure, and adapt to varied surfaces. http://phys.org/news248026369.html Chemistry Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:50:01 EST news248026369 Bioengineers at Tufts University School of Engineering have developed a new silk-based microneedle system able to deliver precise amounts of drugs over time and without need for refrigeration. The tiny needles can be fabricated under normal temperature and pressure and from water, so they can be loaded with sensitive biochemical compounds and maintain their activity prior to use. They are also biodegradable and biocompatible. http://phys.org/news243696539.html Chemistry Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:30:01 EST news243696539 A solid explosive with an energy density equivalent to that of nitroglycerine: this is the composite material produced by researchers at the Laboratoire d'Analyse et d'Architecture des Systemes (CNRS) in Toulouse, France, using an innovative production process that brings nanoparticles into contact with strands of DNA. These strands then "assemble" the various kinds of nanoparticles used. The released energy and ignition temperature of the new explosive are among the best ever described in the literature. The explosive could thus be used as an energy source to power embedded systems, both in space and in the environment. This innovative material is the subject of a paper published online in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. http://phys.org/news239531221.html Nanotechnology Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:27:12 EST news239531221 Thin gold wires often used in high-end electronic applications are wonderfully flexible as well as conductive. But those qualities don't necessarily apply to the same wires at the nanoscale. http://phys.org/news233837767.html Nanotechnology Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:56:19 EST news233837767 (PhysOrg.com) -- Electronics that can be bent and stretched might sound like science fiction. But Uppsala researcher Zhigang Wu, working with collaborators, has devised a wireless sensor that can stand to be stretched. For example, the sensor can measure intensive body movements and wirelessly send information directly to a computer. The findings are now being presented in the journal Advanced Functional Materials. http://phys.org/news227432244.html Technology Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:37:47 EST news227432244 Researchers at Rice University and Texas A&M have discovered a way to pattern active proteins into bio-friendly fibers. The "eureka" moment came about because somebody forgot to clean up the lab one night. http://phys.org/news222528949.html Chemistry Wed, 20 Apr 2011 14:36:16 EST news222528949 (PhysOrg.com) -- Using an advanced form of a rubber stamp, researchers have developed a way to adhere an ultra-thin antibacterial coating to a wound. http://phys.org/news221207009.html Nanotechnology Tue, 05 Apr 2011 07:24:30 EST news221207009