News from the NNI Community - Research Advances Funded by Agencies Participating in the NNI

Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst; The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT; the University of Bern in Switzerland; the University of Auckland in New Zealand; Guangdong University of Technology in China; Central South University of Forestry and Technology in Changsha, China; the Chinese Academy of Forestry in Hangzhou, China; and Beijing Forestry University in China have shown that nutrients on the nanometer scale can not only blunt some of the worst effects of heavy metal and metalloid contamination, but increase crop yields and nutrient content. The scientists found that nanomaterials are more effective than conventional fertilizers at mitigating the harmful effects of polluted soil (by 38.3%), can enhance crop yields (by 22.8%) and the nutritional value of those crops (by 30%), as well as combat plant stress (by 21.6%) due to metal and metalloid pollution. 

Researchers from North Carolina State University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed and demonstrated a technique that allows them to engineer a class of materials called layered hybrid perovskites down to the atomic level, which dictates precisely how the materials convert electrical charge into light. Layered hybrid perovskites can be laid down as thin films consisting of multiple sheets of perovskite and organic spacer layers. These materials are desirable because they can efficiently convert electrical charge into light. The researchers discovered that individual sheets of the perovskite material, called nanoplatelets, form on the surface of the solution that is used to create the layered hybrid perovskites, and these nanoplatelets serve as templates for layered materials that form under them. 

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Germany have developed novel magnetic nanodiscs that could provide a less invasive way of stimulating parts of the brain, paving the way for stimulation therapies without implants or genetic modification. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a common clinical procedure that uses electrodes implanted in the target brain regions to treat symptoms of neurological and psychiatric conditions. Despite its efficacy, the surgical difficulty and clinical complications associated with DBS limit the number of cases where such an invasive procedure is warranted. The new nanodiscs could provide a more benign way of achieving the same results.

Scientists from Penn State and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Goddard Space Flight Center have developed an electronic tongue that can identify differences in similar liquids, such as milk with varying water content; different soda types and coffee blends; and signs of spoilage in fruit juices. The researchers also found that results were more accurate when artificial intelligence (AI) used its own assessment parameters to interpret the data generated by the electronic tongue. The tongue contains a graphene-based ion-sensitive field-effect transistor – a conductive device that can detect chemical ions – that is linked to an artificial neural network trained on various datasets. 

In this blog post, James Warren and Craig Brown, two scientists from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, explain how nanotechnology could help address the climate crisis, for example by reducing industry’s greenhouse gas emissions, capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and making buildings more energy-efficient. The scientists co-authored a comment article on this topic with colleagues from other government agencies, the Kavli Foundation, and Carbice Corporation.

Using peptides and a snippet of the large molecules in plastics, scientists at Northwestern University have developed materials made of tiny, flexible nano-sized ribbons that can be charged just like a battery to store energy or record digital information. Highly energy efficient, biocompatible and made from sustainable materials, the systems could give rise to new types of ultralight electronic devices while reducing the environmental impact of electronic manufacturing and disposal. "This is a wholly new concept in materials science and soft materials research," said Samuel I. Stupp, the scientist who led the study. "We imagine a future where you could wear a shirt with air conditioning built into it or rely on soft bioactive implants that feel like tissues and are activated wirelessly to improve heart or brain function.”

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania have developed a technique that enhances the optical absorptivity of metal powders used in 3D printing. The approach, which involves creating nanoscale surface features on metal powders, promises to improve the efficiency and quality of printed metal parts. "Our method combines the effects of traditional surface treatments [that increase absorptivity] but doesn't compromise the purity or material properties of copper that make it desirable – namely its high thermal and electrical conductivity,” said Philip DePond, one of the scientists involved in this study.

In this Q&A article, Debbie Senesky, Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and Site Director of nano@stanford, talks about properties of materials at the nanoscale, nanotechnology in everyday life, areas in which nanotechnology may have the most impact in the coming years, and the work being done in nanotechnology at Stanford University. nano@stanford is one of the 16 sites of the National Science Foundation-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure.

In a significant advancement for point-of-care medical diagnostics, a team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, has introduced a deep learning-enhanced, paper-based vertical flow assay capable of detecting cardiac troponin I with high sensitivity. Troponin I is a protein released when the heart muscle has been damaged. The innovative assay integrates deep learning algorithms with cutting-edge nanoparticle amplification chemistry and could enable access to rapid and reliable cardiac diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings. "Our goal was to design a system that could be used not only in hospitals but also in clinics, pharmacies, and even in ambulances," said Gyeo-Re Han, one of the scientists involved in this study.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have unveiled a new platform that combines a flexible material called graphene oxide with antibodies to closely mimic the natural interactions between immune cells. The investigators found that this platform shows a high capacity for stimulating T cells to reproduce, while preserving their versatility and potency. The advance could make CAR-T cell therapy more effective and accessible. In this type of therapy, patients' own immune cells are collected, genetically engineered so that they specifically target cancer cells, and then returned to the body. The new technology enhanced the efficiency of engineering immune cells, leading to a five-fold increase in CAR-T cell production, compared to the standard process.