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

Researchers at Columbia Engineering and Montana State University have found that placing sufficient strain in a two-dimensional material – tungsten diselenide – creates localized states that can yield single-photon emitters. Using sophisticated optical microscopy techniques, the team was able to directly image these states for the first time, revealing that even at room temperature, they are highly tunable and act as quantum dots – tightly confined pieces of semiconductors that emit light.

Researchers at Columbia Engineering and Montana State University have found that placing sufficient strain in a two-dimensional material – tungsten diselenide – creates localized states that can yield single-photon emitters. Using sophisticated optical microscopy techniques, the team was able to directly image these states for the first time, revealing that even at room temperature, they are highly tunable and act as quantum dots – tightly confined pieces of semiconductors that emit light.

Researchers at Northwestern University have synthesized a new form of melanin enriched with selenium. Called selenomelanin, this new material shows extraordinary promise as a shield for human tissue against harmful radiation. The researchers synthesized selenomelanin nanoparticles and used them to treat living cells. For comparison, they also prepared cells treated with synthetic pheomelanin and eumelanin, as well as cells with no protective melanin. After receiving a dose of radiation that would be lethal to a human being, only the cells treated with selenomelanin nanoparticles exhibited a normal cell cycle.

Researchers at Northwestern University have synthesized a new form of melanin enriched with selenium. Called selenomelanin, this new material shows extraordinary promise as a shield for human tissue against harmful radiation. The researchers synthesized selenomelanin nanoparticles and used them to treat living cells. For comparison, they also prepared cells treated with synthetic pheomelanin and eumelanin, as well as cells with no protective melanin. After receiving a dose of radiation that would be lethal to a human being, only the cells treated with selenomelanin nanoparticles exhibited a normal cell cycle.

Researchers at Penn State have developed nanoparticles that can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors in mice. Attached to these nanoparticles are microRNA molecules which, when paired to messenger RNA molecules, prevent them from operating. In this case, the microRNA prohibits the messenger RNA in a cancer cell from creating proteins, which are essential for that cancer cell to survive, and, eventually, the cancer cell dies.

Researchers at Penn State have developed nanoparticles that can inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors in mice. Attached to these nanoparticles are microRNA molecules which, when paired to messenger RNA molecules, prevent them from operating. In this case, the microRNA prohibits the messenger RNA in a cancer cell from creating proteins, which are essential for that cancer cell to survive, and, eventually, the cancer cell dies.

In experiments in rats and mice, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University have reported the successful use of nanoparticles to deliver gene therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration – an eye disease characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth that damages the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The research provides evidence of the potential value of nanoparticle-delivered gene therapy to treat wet age-related macular degeneration as well as rare, inherited blinding diseases of the retina.

In experiments in rats and mice, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University have reported the successful use of nanoparticles to deliver gene therapy for wet age-related macular degeneration – an eye disease characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth that damages the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye. The research provides evidence of the potential value of nanoparticle-delivered gene therapy to treat wet age-related macular degeneration as well as rare, inherited blinding diseases of the retina.

For the first time, researchers at Columbia University have observed a quantum fluid, known as the fractional quantum Hall states, in a monolayer 2D semiconductor. This observation demonstrates the excellent intrinsic quality of 2D semiconductors and establishes them as a unique test platform for future applications in quantum computing. The fractional quantum Hall state is a collective phenomenon that comes about when researchers confine electrons to move in a thin two-dimensional plane and subject them to large magnetic fields.

For the first time, researchers at Columbia University have observed a quantum fluid, known as the fractional quantum Hall states, in a monolayer 2D semiconductor. This observation demonstrates the excellent intrinsic quality of 2D semiconductors and establishes them as a unique test platform for future applications in quantum computing. The fractional quantum Hall state is a collective phenomenon that comes about when researchers confine electrons to move in a thin two-dimensional plane and subject them to large magnetic fields.