https://phys.org/nanotech-news/bio-medicine/ en-us The latest science news on nanobiology, nano medicine, nanotechnology, nanoscience, and nanotech. Nanoparticles are widely used in medicine to deliver drugs, genes or imaging agents to specific parts of the body. Once a nanoparticle reaches a cell, however, many things can happen—it can reach its target, be degraded, interact with proteins that help transport it, or interact with proteins that hinder its transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nanozymes-nanoparticle-routes-cells-genetic.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 02 Jul 2026 19:40:01 EDT news702228661 Scientists have engineered a nanoscale switch using DNA "origami." Inspired by macroscale mechanical switches, the device achieves long-term functionality without the continuous forcing mechanism that past versions required while remaining capable of fast switching. The paper is published in the journal Science Robotics. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dna-based-nanoswitch-flip-milliseconds.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:09 EDT news702132276 The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) have developed a new generation of wireless piezoelectric microdevices capable of electrically stimulating living cells at an individual level. The study, recently published in the journal Small and chosen as the cover image, demonstrates how these microdevices can convert mechanical forces, whether produced by the cells themselves or applied externally via ultrasound, into electrical signals that enable the controlled and noninvasive activation of cellular processes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-bioelectronic-microdevices-enable-remote-cell.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:00:06 EDT news702124081 What if the mechanical properties of a cell could be programmed like the components of a machine? Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered that two fundamental modes of cellular deformation—stretching and bending—can be independently controlled using different molecular building blocks. The finding provides a new strategy for engineering artificial cells, drug-delivery capsules and adaptive soft materials with precisely tailored mechanical functions. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lipids-dna-nanostructures-independently-artificial.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 20:40:04 EDT news701962921 Endometriosis is a painful, common condition affecting women worldwide, but treatment and diagnosis options are scarce. A new University of Mississippi-led study may have found an answer to both problems. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-gold-laced-nanoparticles-eventually-endometriosis.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:00:04 EDT news701956262 Proteins are responsible for most functions in the human body. However, their analysis, which is essential for understanding diseases, developing drugs and discovering new biomarkers, remains highly complex. Using a technology called "nanopore detection," a team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a rapid and efficient method for identifying proteins, molecule by molecule. These findings, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, pave the way for faster diagnostics. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanopore-technology-proteins-molecule.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:40:06 EDT news701944261 Olive oil and water do not naturally mix. Water molecules are polar, having a net electric dipole moment due to the bend angle of about 104.5° between the two oxygen-hydrogen bonds. Olive oil is nonpolar due to its long hydrocarbon chains, which makes it hydrophobic and insoluble in water. Mixtures of the two are called emulsions, and emulsifiers exist that can stabilize them into a thicker temporary or permanent mixture. Cooks use such a technique to make vinaigrette, a salad dressing consisting primarily of oil and vinegar with emulsifiers such as mustard, honey or mayonnaise. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanoscale-droplets-dont-coalesce-microscale.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 29 Jun 2026 09:00:04 EDT news701942376 Closing wounds, burns and deep cuts isn't enough to kick-start healing. A wound needs a clean environment, free of bacterial infection and interruption. That calls for three components working together—one to kill bacteria, one to clean the wound and one to support recovery. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-blue-gold-graphene-nanodots-wound.html Bio & Medicine Sun, 28 Jun 2026 11:40:02 EDT news701432439 McGill University researchers have developed a light-detecting nanoscale structure that mimics how a neuron processes information. The neuron-like behavior emerges from the materials themselves, reducing the energy demand associated with similar devices that rely on circuits or software. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-inorganic-nanoscale-device-neuron-doors.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:00:07 EDT news701617881 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 As the United States approaches its 250th birthday celebrations on July 4, Washington, DC's monuments, statues and fountains are being prepared to put on a show. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-lincoln-memorial-pool-nanobubbles.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:20:02 EDT news701522163 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 Researchers have developed a chip-based metasurface biosensor that can detect traumatic brain injury (TBI) biomarkers at extremely low levels. With further development, the technology could one day help doctors make a faster diagnosis after a head injury, helping to guide treatment and provide early warning when complications occur. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-based-sensors-extremely-traumatic-brain.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:00:05 EDT news701439361 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 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 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 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 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 research team in Japan has developed an efficient, minimally invasive cancer detection device that uses high-performance zinc oxide nanowires to selectively capture extracellular vesicles (EVs) from bodily fluids. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-nanowire-device-rapid-noninvasive-cancer.html Bio & Medicine Thu, 11 Jun 2026 12:20:05 EDT news700394683 DNA is composed of long chains that act as the blueprint for living organisms. In genetic engineering, scientists cut DNA at specific sites and join the resulting fragments to other DNA sequences, enabling applications such as advanced crop breeding, treatment of genetic diseases, and the generation of animal models for drug discovery. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-silver-nanoparticles-pave-precise-dna.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:10:01 EDT news700303802 New research co-led by Indiana University School of Medicine scientists presents a significant step toward more precise and effective cancer treatments by using a breakthrough method to deliver therapies directly to cancer cells. The study was recently published in ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-antibody-nanoparticles-blood-cancer-cells.html Bio & Medicine Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news700328641