https://phys.org/nanotech-news/ en-us Nanotechnology. The latest news on nanoscience, nanoelectronics, science and technology. Updated Daily. A Florida State University computational scientist is paving the way for future medical breakthroughs by developing mathematical models and simulations to predict the behavior of a unique drug-delivery method, which aims to deploy treatments directly to targeted sites in the body. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-mathematical-advance-magnetic-particles-drug.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:30:01 EDT news701539141 Medical advancements over the last several decades have made great strides in the treatment of HIV. Pharmaceutical treatments are able to contain and reduce a patient's viral load to the point where it is nearly undetectable. But a cure remains frustratingly elusive due to the virus's ability to evade the immune system. Researchers from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania, who specialize in modulating immune responses, have offered a new approach—one that's likely familiar to anyone who has dealt with pest removal: setting a trap. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanotrap-hiv-liposomes-repurposed-trigger.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:30:07 EDT news701538542 Researchers at Tohoku University have uncovered the long-standing mystery behind the synthesis of Janus two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, paving the way for more precise manufacturing of materials used in future electronics and clean energy technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-electron-buildup-2d-interface-reveals.html Nanophysics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 17:40:09 EDT news701529061 Living cells constantly exchange ions (i.e., charged particles) via the thin barrier that surrounds their interior, known as the outer membrane. Neuroscientists and medical researchers have long been trying to devise effective methods to measure this exchange of ions, which is known to be associated with communication between neurons and various other crucial physiological processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-artificial-dna-tiles-drugs-neurons.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701516330 Researchers at Oregon State University have potentially found a new way to treat the most aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma, whose two-year survival rate is less than 30%. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sugar-coated-nanoparticles-aggressive-brain.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:00:04 EDT news701512861 A delivery system that uses lipid nanoparticles to sneak proteins into cells can accomplish the same feat by smuggling therapeutic antibodies, new research has found. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoparticles-antibodies-cells-inhibit-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:50:01 EDT news701453522 Medications can save lives, yet for some drugs, the concentration in a patient's bloodstream determines whether a treatment is effective or whether harmful side effects may occur. Researchers at the Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology (Leibniz IPHT) in Jena, Germany, have developed a sensor surface capable of detecting drugs in blood plasma with high sensitivity while offering significantly greater stability than comparable silver-based surfaces. Their findings have been published in Advanced Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-silver-sensor-sensitive-based-drug.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:30:04 EDT news701448661 This April, when the spring breeze carried the formal acceptance notice of our paper by the Journal of the American Chemical Society to my desk, my thoughts instantly drifted back to the late Phil Geissler. A legendary physical chemist and the original spark for this research, Geissler had once observed a baffling phenomenon: When the hairy, flexible ligands passivating a nanoparticle's surface spontaneously order themselves into crystalline patterns, a massive, seemingly magical attractive force suddenly erupts between the particles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-liquid-ripples-rewrite-year-biological.html Nanophysics Tue, 23 Jun 2026 12:00:08 EDT news701427498 Whenever someone asks ChatGPT a question, heat is generated somewhere in the server room—a data center. When an electric vehicle battery generates heat during operation, the heat must be managed continuously. Manufacturing processes also generate large amounts of waste heat, much of which is simply released into the atmosphere. But what if we could convert this waste heat back into electricity? Recently, a research team in Korea brought this possibility one step closer to reality. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanotube-based-thermoelectrics-pathway-energy.html Nanophysics Mon, 22 Jun 2026 19:20:01 EDT news701361841 Tiny algae-based robots guided by magnets could improve bladder cancer treatment by boosting delivery of chemotherapy drugs into tumors, researchers say. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-algae-microbots-aim-bladder-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 22 Jun 2026 05:00:04 EDT news701090521 Materials engineers have developed the ability to manipulate structure and matter at the nanoscale for solid-state alloys called intermetallics, making it possible to alter their properties for improved performance. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoscale-coal-gpa-strength-plastic.html Nanomaterials Sun, 21 Jun 2026 15:00:02 EDT news700932224 A team at the University of Basel, Switzerland, has developed a versatile nanorobot with propulsion and payload modules. The two reusable modules autonomously self-assemble and could be used in medicine or industry. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-modular-nanorobot-cancer-cells-viability.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 21 Jun 2026 14:00:03 EDT news700914551 Researchers have developed a novel class of nanotube membranes that enable ultrafast ion transport. The findings open new pathways for high-efficiency clean energy generation, lithium recovery and molecular separation. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanotube-membranes-reveal-unusually-fast.html Nanomaterials Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:00:04 EDT news701017579 An international research team led by a Korean scientist has succeeded in designing large-scale protein structures that faithfully replicate the self-assembly principles found in naturally occurring viruses, using artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-protein-virus-shells-reshape.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 20 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news701013039 Nanorobots have shown great promise in precision medicine over the past few decades. Yet one key challenge remains: how to track and guide these tiny devices in real time as they move through complex physiological environments. Existing imaging approaches often require long exposure times to detect ionizing radiation or suffer from blurred images because of strong light scattering in living tissues. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-infrared-magnetic-nanorobots-drugs-real.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:00:03 EDT news700740092 Why does water roll off a duck's back but spread on clean glass? For macroscopic (millimeter-scale) drops, this behavior can be explained using continuum theory. However, when nanoscale (10–9 mm) droplets spread on surfaces, a force called line tension becomes relevant and mysteriously changes sign. Questions about the nature of this force and its relevance to water's interaction with surfaces have remained unanswered. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-molecular-simulations-uncover-nanodrops-thin.html Nanophysics Fri, 19 Jun 2026 05:00:03 EDT news701010061 Scientists from the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester and Sun Yat-sen University have captured the growth of semiconducting tellurium nanostructures in liquid in real time, revealing how tiny seed particles form, grow into nanowires and compete for material as the structures develop. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-real-microscopy-reveals-semiconductor-nanowires.html Nanophysics Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:00:15 EDT news700900801 By teaching an AI to use optical tweezers, researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers University of Technology have sped up the analysis of life's smallest components. The AI platform captures particles, takes measurements and loads new samples, all without human intervention. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-driven-optical-tweezers-hundreds.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 18 Jun 2026 05:00:05 EDT news700900562 A research team from the Technion's Wolfson Faculty of Chemical Engineering has developed an original technology for treating cancer using nanoparticles that carry no drugs at all and has demonstrated its effectiveness against particularly dangerous and stubborn tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-drug-free-nanoparticles-tumor-growth.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:06 EDT news700909131 Neural interfaces are devices that can detect or modulate neuronal activity when placed in contact with the brain. They are already used to treat various conditions related to the nervous system. However, current technologies still have limitations that can reduce their effectiveness. One example is their unidirectional function. While most existing interfaces can stimulate the brain, they cannot accurately detect or decode brain activity simultaneously. Even when they can do so, they often face limitations in the detection of certain signals, particularly those at very low frequencies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-flexible-graphene-based-neural-interface.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news700844882 Life on Earth has evolved under an uninterrupted rhythm of day and night. While light provides the energy that powers countless molecular processes, periods of darkness often allow biological systems to reorganize, recover and transform that energy into functional outcomes. Inspired by this natural balance, an international team led by Javier Montenegro at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) of the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela has demonstrated that the same principle can govern the behavior of simple synthetic molecular systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-darkness-nanotubes-responsive-molecular.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:10:01 EDT news700843622 A research team from Tohoku University and Kyocera Corp. has developed a new magneto-optical material—a nanocomposite magnetic garnet film—that can be deposited directly onto silicon substrates while delivering a magneto-optical figure of merit four times higher than conventional polycrystalline films. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-silicon-compatible-nanocomposite-garnet-enables.html Nanophysics Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:00:01 EDT news700829521 Researchers at the University of Houston's College of Pharmacy have discovered an unexpectedly simple strategy to improve the performance of mRNA vaccines and gene therapeutics: adding salt. The findings, published in Small, address one of the biggest challenges facing modern gene medicine—getting fragile therapeutic material to the right place inside cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanomedicine-discovery-salt-major-obstacle.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:50:01 EDT news700838821 Artificial cells created in the laboratory offer a wide range of potential applications. Until now, however, their membranes—unlike those of real cells—have been virtually impermeable. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, led by Director Katharina Landfester, have now developed a new method to make the membranes of artificial cells more permeable to chemical substances. This prepares them for both medical research and future applications such as drug delivery. The scientists published their findings in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-artificial-cells-gain-porous-membranes.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 16 Jun 2026 14:00:08 EDT news700828741 A new technology allows metal circuits floating on water to be transferred directly onto any desired surface. A South Korean research team has introduced a novel technique capable of transferring ultra-fine nanocircuits onto plant leaves and fruits, as well as curved automotive surfaces and robot exteriors, all without causing any damage. This technology could be widely used across industries, including smart agriculture, wearable health care and bioelectronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-based-nanoprinting-metal-delicate-3d.html Nanomaterials Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:40:06 EDT news700735801 As the global semiconductor industry enters the so-called 2-nanometer process era, the actual size of transistors—the core components of semiconductor chips—still remains above 10 nm. How much smaller, then, can transistors get? KAIST researchers have developed a technology to predict that limit through quantum mechanical, atom-level calculations. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atomic-simulations-transistor-scaling-limits.html Nanophysics Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:05 EDT news700734001 One of the most fascinating aspects of physics is that nature often behaves in ways that seem completely counterintuitive. A good example comes from ultrathin materials. If I take a sheet of material and make it thinner and thinner, most people would expect it to become weaker. After all, there is less material left to bear a load. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scaling-law-ultrathin-materials-stronger.html Nanophysics Sun, 14 Jun 2026 18:00:01 EDT news700477932 Scaffolded DNA and RNA origami is a technique that allows scientists to build tiny, highly precise two- and three-dimensional objects. Because these nanostructures can interact naturally with biological systems, they could have important future uses in health care and agritech. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-tool-reliable-dna-nanostructures.html Nanomaterials Sun, 14 Jun 2026 17:00:05 EDT news700146491 Engineers often treat impurities as a problem to eliminate to improve material performance. But new research from Osaka Metropolitan University and Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM suggests that in some cases, a little chemical messiness is exactly what helps materials slide more smoothly. The findings were published in Advanced Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemical-impurities-carbon-surfaces-superslippery.html Nanomaterials Sun, 14 Jun 2026 09:00:05 EDT news700148729 A research team in Bochum, Germany has unexpectedly found that light can slow down movements in the nanoworld. This is due to quantum friction, a phenomenon that has been poorly understood until now. The findings are published in the journal Nature. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-quantum-friction-nanoworld-movements.html Nanophysics Thu, 11 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news700419061