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

Abnormal levels of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, are linked to a variety of mental health disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MIT researchers have now devised a way to remotely control the release of these hormones from the adrenal gland, using magnetic nanoparticles. The researchers plan to use this approach to study how hormone release affects PTSD and other disorders, and they say that it could be adapted for treating such disorders.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, Monash University in Australia, and the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a technique that produces atomic-scale 3D images of nanoparticles tumbling in liquid between sheets of graphene, the thinnest material possible. The technique uses one of the world’s most powerful microscopes at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, a national user facility for nanoscale science serving hundreds of academic, industrial, and government scientists around the world each year.

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in collaboration with the Institute for Basic Science in South Korea, Monash University in Australia, and the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a technique that produces atomic-scale 3D images of nanoparticles tumbling in liquid between sheets of graphene, the thinnest material possible. The technique uses one of the world’s most powerful microscopes at Berkeley Lab’s Molecular Foundry, a national user facility for nanoscale science serving hundreds of academic, industrial, and government scientists around the world each year.

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology used nanotechnology to create a new, ultrasensitive DNA biosensor. The new sensor could potentially detect DNA-based biomarkers for early diagnosis of cancer and genetic disorders, as well as monitor patient responses to therapies. The researchers made the new biosensor from carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles, which give it a 3-D radial shape similar to that of a sea urchin.

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology used nanotechnology to create a new, ultrasensitive DNA biosensor. The new sensor could potentially detect DNA-based biomarkers for early diagnosis of cancer and genetic disorders, as well as monitor patient responses to therapies. The researchers made the new biosensor from carbon nanotubes and gold nanoparticles, which give it a 3-D radial shape similar to that of a sea urchin.

Scientists at Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University have developed a precise, nanotechnology-based treatment to alleviate the pain and fertility problems associated with endometriosis, a common gynecological condition in women of childbearing age. The researchers used tiny – less than 100 nanometers in size – polymeric materials packed with a dye that can generate both a fluorescence signal and cell-killing heat under near-infrared light. For doctors, that means this technology can be both an imaging tool and a lesion-removal technique.

Scientists at Oregon State University and Oregon Health & Science University have developed a precise, nanotechnology-based treatment to alleviate the pain and fertility problems associated with endometriosis, a common gynecological condition in women of childbearing age. The researchers used tiny – less than 100 nanometers in size – polymeric materials packed with a dye that can generate both a fluorescence signal and cell-killing heat under near-infrared light. For doctors, that means this technology can be both an imaging tool and a lesion-removal technique.

Researchers at Houston Methodist have developed a new delivery system for a diabetes drug. After linking a peptide-based diabetes drug to fatty acids, the researchers packaged the resulting combination in nanoparticles that were resistant to gastric acids in the stomach. The nanoparticles were then injected into diabetic mice, and once the nanoparticles were inside the small intestine, the drug molecules were released from the nanoparticles, and the mice absorbed approximately 25% of the drug dosage.

Researchers at Houston Methodist have developed a new delivery system for a diabetes drug. After linking a peptide-based diabetes drug to fatty acids, the researchers packaged the resulting combination in nanoparticles that were resistant to gastric acids in the stomach. The nanoparticles were then injected into diabetic mice, and once the nanoparticles were inside the small intestine, the drug molecules were released from the nanoparticles, and the mice absorbed approximately 25% of the drug dosage.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have used a focused beam of electrons to stitch platinum-silicon molecules into graphene, marking the first deliberate insertion of artificial molecules into a graphene host matrix. This process could be useful for prototyping solid-state qubits from graphene and other ultra-thin materials.