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

Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have found a new method for inducing mechanical stimulation of nerve cells in the body. The finding might offer a step toward new kinds of therapeutic treatments, similar to electrically based neurostimulation that has been used to treat Parkinson's disease and other conditions. Unlike those systems, which require an external wire connection, the new system would be completely contact-free after an initial injection of nanoparticles, and could be reactivated at will through an externally applied magnetic field.

Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have found a new method for inducing mechanical stimulation of nerve cells in the body. The finding might offer a step toward new kinds of therapeutic treatments, similar to electrically based neurostimulation that has been used to treat Parkinson's disease and other conditions. Unlike those systems, which require an external wire connection, the new system would be completely contact-free after an initial injection of nanoparticles, and could be reactivated at will through an externally applied magnetic field.

Using specialized nanoparticles, MIT engineers have developed a way to monitor pneumonia or other lung diseases by analyzing the breath exhaled by the patient. In a study of mice, the researchers showed that they could use this system to monitor bacterial pneumonia and a genetic disorder of the lungs called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Using specialized nanoparticles, MIT engineers have developed a way to monitor pneumonia or other lung diseases by analyzing the breath exhaled by the patient. In a study of mice, the researchers showed that they could use this system to monitor bacterial pneumonia and a genetic disorder of the lungs called alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a new nano drug candidate that kills triple negative breast cancer cells. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive and fatal types of breast cancer. The researchers linked a class of nanomaterials, called metal-organic frameworks, with the ligands of an already-developed photodynamic therapy drug to create a nano-porous material that targets and kills tumor cells without creating toxicity for normal cells.

Researchers at the University of Arkansas have developed a new nano drug candidate that kills triple negative breast cancer cells. Triple negative breast cancer is one of the most aggressive and fatal types of breast cancer. The researchers linked a class of nanomaterials, called metal-organic frameworks, with the ligands of an already-developed photodynamic therapy drug to create a nano-porous material that targets and kills tumor cells without creating toxicity for normal cells.

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have made a discovery about the fundamental chemistry of two-dimensional materials called MXenes that will change the way researchers work with them and open up new areas of applications. MXenes are ceramics that could be used in energy storage, sensing, and optoelectronics. 

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology have made a discovery about the fundamental chemistry of two-dimensional materials called MXenes that will change the way researchers work with them and open up new areas of applications. MXenes are ceramics that could be used in energy storage, sensing, and optoelectronics. 

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have shed new light on how water interacts with graphene, a single, thin layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. The researchers' findings could hold implications for a variety of applications, including sensors, fuel cell membranes, water filtration, and graphene-based electrode materials in high-performance supercapacitors.

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University have shed new light on how water interacts with graphene, a single, thin layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. The researchers' findings could hold implications for a variety of applications, including sensors, fuel cell membranes, water filtration, and graphene-based electrode materials in high-performance supercapacitors.