https://phys.org/nanotech-news/ en-us Nanotechnology. The latest news on nanoscience, nanoelectronics, science and technology. Updated Daily. Research on graphene has made great strides in recent years. However, to fully harness its potential in applications such as desalination membranes, sensors, and energy storage and conversion, a deeper understanding of the interaction between graphene and water is required. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-graphene-mirror-droplets-dont.html Nanomaterials Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:40:01 EDT news695396701 The use of artificial intelligence has enabled researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) to gain a greater understanding of two-dimensional (2D) materials that can be useful for energy storage, water purification, and advanced electronics. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-electron-microscope-unique-glimpse.html Nanomaterials Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:10:01 EDT news695401982 Picture this: your brain is a high-performance engine. Over decades, it doesn't just wear down, it also starts to run hot. Tiny "fires" of inflammation smolder deep within the brain's memory center, creating a persistent brain fog that makes it harder to think, form new memories or even adapt to new environments, all the while increasing the risk to disorders like Alzheimer's disease. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nasal-spray-rewinds-aging-brain.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 14 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news695386081 When looking to the future of information technology, researchers have pinpointed a once-theoretical particle-like structure: the skyrmion. Magnetic skyrmions are very stable structures found on micromagnetic materials that have a vortex-like spin. Because they can be moved with minimal electrical current, these structures could help develop memory to power the next generation of computing without consuming a lot of power. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-theoretical-skyrmion-supercomputing-memory.html Nanophysics Tue, 14 Apr 2026 11:00:05 EDT news695377131 University of British Columbia researchers have developed a natural, biodegradable wash that removed up to 96% of pesticide residue from fruit and slowed browning and moisture loss. This could mean safer apples, grapes and other fruit that also stays fresh and crisp for days longer. With rising food prices and nearly half of all fresh produce wasted worldwide each year, finding a way to cut pesticide exposure and reduce spoilage could have a big impact. The findings are published in ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fruit-pesticides-shelf-life.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:30:01 EDT news695319121 An electrochemical sensor developed at Oregon State University holds promise for making food quality testing faster, more accurate, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive. The novel sensor, which also has potential applications in health care and environmental monitoring, is based on the design principle of engineered interfacial chemistry. The sensor requires tiny sample amounts, can be built into portable testing devices, and is fast and highly sensitive. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-oxide-based-sensor-door-greener.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news695317741 How can a drug be released or activated exactly where and when it is needed in the body? For many treatments, particularly in cancer therapy, the active compound should ideally act only at a specific site. Yet in practice, drugs are distributed throughout the entire body: the disease is local, but the therapy is systemic, with little spatial or temporal control. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-combining-ion-click-chemistry-enables.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:50:03 EDT news695319721 Justus Ndukaife, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and Chancellor Faculty Fellow, and his team have developed next generation nanotweezers that better analyze extracellular vesicles and aid in unraveling the mysteries of how cells package molecules and interact with one another. The research was published in Light: Science and Applications journal on March 20, 2026. Graduate student Ikjun Hong helped to perform the experimental characterization under Ndukaife's direction. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanotweezers-thousands-tiny-cell-packets.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:40:04 EDT news695305381 Light has an increasing number of applications in biology and medicine—it can be used to stimulate cell growth, manipulate neural signals, and treat some cancers—but it doesn't easily pass through tissue. Most methods to bring light deep within the body are invasive, requiring either tissue to be removed or an optical fiber to be inserted. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ultrasound-body-path-treatments.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 13:00:01 EDT news695300402 Viruses are masters at invading cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often create versions of these viral surface proteins to study how the immune system might respond. But those lab-made proteins typically lack key parts that sit within the virus's membrane, so they don't always behave the way they would on a real virus. This has made it difficult to understand how antibodies actually identify and neutralize these viral targets. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanodiscs-capture-hiv-ebola-surface.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:04 EDT news695290021 Light, as we usually conceive of it, is defined by the astonishing velocity at which it moves from one point to another. For example, in just one second, light can travel most of the distance between Earth and the moon. This property is what makes light useful for communication, which we expect to happen at lightning speed in the modern age. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-gold-nanorod-struck-center-electron.html Nanophysics Mon, 13 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news695289305 Tiny robots—around 50 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair—open up fascinating possibilities: they enable the controlled manipulation of objects far too small for human hands. This brings us closer to a long-standing dream—the direct interaction with the microscopic world. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanoscale-robotic-cleaner-capture-bacteria.html Bio & Medicine Sat, 11 Apr 2026 14:00:02 EDT news694867949 When we watch videos or ask AI questions, enormous amounts of data are constantly moving inside computers. In particular, data centers that support AI must process and transfer vast amounts of data at very high speeds. However, current computers have a fundamental limitation: the place where calculations are performed and the place where data is stored are physically separated. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-chips-faster-nanometer-embedded.html Nanomaterials Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:20:07 EDT news695042103 New research by an interdisciplinary team in Lithuania has revealed a promising and unconventional approach to cartilage regeneration. Using extracellular vesicles derived from menstrual blood stromal cells, the researchers demonstrated their potential to stimulate cartilage repair—paving the way for a future cell-free therapy for osteoarthritis. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-menstrual-blood-derived-particles-osteoarthritis.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:40:03 EDT news695034481 Skoltech scientists, in collaboration with colleagues from China and Iran, have taken a major step toward creating highly precise carbon nanotube fiber (CNTF)-based sensors. In a paper published in the iScience journal, the authors, for the first time, quantitatively assessed the accuracy of CNTF sensors for dual-stage, i.e., manufacturing and post-manufacturing monitoring of epoxy-based polymer nanocomposites with dispersed CNTs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-nanotube-fiber-sensors-error.html Nanomaterials Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news694967461 An international team of researchers, led by scientists from the University of California, Irvine, has demonstrated a fundamentally new way to make silicon emit light—overcoming one of the most persistent limitations in modern electronics and photonics. In their work appearing in Nano Letters, the scientists show that silicon, long considered an inefficient light emitter due to its indirect bandgap, can be transformed into a bright, broadband source. The researchers produced emissions from silicon in its conventional bulk form, without modification to its composition or structure. Instead, the breakthrough comes from modifying the properties of light itself. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-momentum-photonic-states-bulk-silicon.html Nanophysics Wed, 08 Apr 2026 18:30:01 EDT news694886582 The hair cells lining the inner ear are among the most sophisticated structures in the human body: capable of detecting sounds as faint as a whisper, while helping to maintain our sense of balance. Through new models detailed in PRX Life, a team led by Roman Belousov at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory has revealed for the first time how oscillating bundles attached to these cells operate in different thermodynamic regimes—offering a new framework for understanding how our hearing works at a fundamental level. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hair-bundles-ears-tiny-thermodynamic.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 08 Apr 2026 10:40:03 EDT news694860355 When created at the nanoscale, materials can resemble shapes like stars, rods or even pyramids. These particle shapes, also known as the morphologies of a solid, make for more than just interesting images under a microscope—they can determine how the material behaves, sometimes in dramatic ways. University at Buffalo researchers have demonstrated this phenomenon by creating the first-ever star-shaped vanadyl hydroxide (VOOH) and shown that this shape can fundamentally alter how the material stores energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-pretty-picture-star-nanomaterial-energy.html Nanophysics Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:40:04 EDT news694776061 University of Mississippi research offers hope that cancer drug therapies packaged in 3D-printed carriers could deliver medication directly to tumors while reducing many of the side effects that cancer patients endure. In a study published in Pharmaceutical Research, the Ole Miss team demonstrated that 3D-printed spanlastics—a tiny carrier filled with cancer-fighting drugs—could be implanted directly at the site of a tumor and kill those cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-3d-spanlastics-cancer-drugs-tumors.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Apr 2026 19:40:01 EDT news694708621 Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a technique for simultaneously treating lung cancer and a serious muscle-wasting condition that often accompanies it. The study, published in the Journal of Controlled Release, involves lipid nanoparticles delivering therapeutic genetic material to lung tumors. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanoparticle-therapy-lung-cancer-muscle.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:20:02 EDT news694699142 Mayo Clinic researchers developed an experimental nanotherapy that delivers two cancer drugs directly to brain tumors, according to a study published in Communications Medicine. The strategy extended survival in preclinical models of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-dual-drug-nanotherapy-bloodbrain-barrier.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news694698181 Just as embroiderers, with needle and thread, can transform plain fabric into an intricate pattern, engineers can use lasers and polymers to create flexible, complex structures that could transform life-saving sensing technology. An interdisciplinary team at the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering has developed a new manufacturing strategy that reveals where and how laser-induced graphene (LIG) forms on polymers. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-precise-patterns-lasers.html Nanophysics Mon, 06 Apr 2026 17:10:01 EDT news694710842 While traditional printer pigments fade and most structural color can't be printed, Kobe University material engineer Sugimoto Hiroshi has been working on nothing short of a revolution in the way color is produced. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-inkjet-printer.html Nanomaterials Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:40:01 EDT news694684801 Cells are not isolated units; they continuously exchange proteins, genetic material, and even entire organelles with their neighbors. Intercellular transfer influences how tissues develop, respond to stress, and repair damage. In certain cancers, for example, tumor cells can acquire mitochondria from nearby cells to sustain growth; similar exchanges are also linked to aging processes. However, despite massive advances in gene-editing and molecular-targeting technologies, we still lack the tools to directly and reliably manipulate the cytoplasmic composition of living cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nanotube-injector-cytoplasmic-contents-organelles.html Bio & Medicine Fri, 03 Apr 2026 10:40:04 EDT news694431001 Solar-power photocatalysis—turning sunlight into energy—holds promise for sustainable and cost-efficient energy and chemical production. Advancing the technology, though, has been hindered by a lack of understanding of exactly how the process works. To that end, a team of Yale researchers has developed a technique that allows them to observe the sunlight-to-fuel conversion in real time, right down to the nanoscale. Specifically, they can see how the light-driven catalyst splits water into hydrogen and oxygen, and how electrons and holes move through the material. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-real-nanoscale-reduction-oxidation-solar.html Nanophysics Fri, 03 Apr 2026 09:40:02 EDT news694427521 Polarization has always been a core property of light that is essential for a broad range of everyday applications, including displays (LED, LCD, 3D Cinematics), photography, as well as satellite and antenna technologies. The ability to tune light polarization empowers us with enhanced communication signals, improved image quality, and access to hidden image details and non-conventional imaging modes (e.g. 3D imaging). https://phys.org/news/2026-04-2d-material-capability-ultrathin-waveplates.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:00:01 EDT news694342108 Control of heat transport in nanostructures is of central importance for numerous modern technologies—from high-performance computer chips that need to be cooled to energy converters—and is a highly active area of research. While great progress has been made in recent years in understanding how heat transport can be influenced by nanostructuring, it was previously unclear whether the replacement of a single atom in a molecule could measurably alter phonon transport—i.e. heat transport through lattice vibrations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atom-substitution-successfully-tunes-molecular.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694360621 A team led by scientists at the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester has developed the first technique capable of capturing atomic‑resolution videos of individual gold atoms 'dancing' across a surface surrounded by liquid, opening a window into a hidden atomic world that has been invisible until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-graphene-nano-aquariums-capture-atomic.html Nanomaterials Thu, 02 Apr 2026 14:00:03 EDT news694340281 Researchers at Aarhus University have developed a microscopic DNA needle that can deliver molecules directly into cells—and, crucially, help make sure they remain active once they get there. That addresses a major problem in modern medicine: much of what enters a cell is quickly sealed off in tiny bubbles and put out of action before it ever reaches its target. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-virus-dna-needle-pave-medicines.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Apr 2026 18:20:01 EDT news694266182 How can cancer cells be targeted without damaging healthy tissue? This is one of the major challenges facing oncology today. Using synthetic DNA strands, a team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has created a "smart" system that can recognize cancer cells with exceptional precision and release powerful drugs only where they are needed. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-molecular-distinguish-neutralize-cancer-cells.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:20:05 EDT news694264802