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

Researchers at Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a new technique, called erythrocyte-leveraged chemotherapy (ELeCt), that smuggles drug-loaded nanoparticles into cancerous lung tissue by mounting them onto the body's own red blood cells (erythrocytes). When the red blood cells made it through the lungs’ tiny capillaries, the nanoparticles were taken up by lung cells with tenfold greater success than free-floating nanoparticles.

Scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory, a Department of Energy Office of Science user facility, have designed and connected two different artificial cells to each other to produce molecules called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the fundamental unit that all living things use to carry and provide energy to run processes in cells. This artificial cell design uses nanorods made of silver and gold to create a biological cell wall similar to cell walls found in nature. The synthetic protocell model offers opportunities for developing alternative solar-to-chemical energy conversion systems.

Scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Materials at Argonne National Laboratory, a Department of Energy Office of Science user facility, have designed and connected two different artificial cells to each other to produce molecules called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the fundamental unit that all living things use to carry and provide energy to run processes in cells. This artificial cell design uses nanorods made of silver and gold to create a biological cell wall similar to cell walls found in nature. The synthetic protocell model offers opportunities for developing alternative solar-to-chemical energy conversion systems.

The world of aerospace increasingly relies on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites to build the structures of satellites, rockets, and jet aircraft. But the life of those materials is limited by how they handle heat. A team of researchers from Florida A&M University - Florida State University College of Engineering has developed a design for a heat shield that uses carbon nanotubes and better protects those extremely fast machines.

The world of aerospace increasingly relies on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer composites to build the structures of satellites, rockets, and jet aircraft. But the life of those materials is limited by how they handle heat. A team of researchers from Florida A&M University - Florida State University College of Engineering has developed a design for a heat shield that uses carbon nanotubes and better protects those extremely fast machines.

A Rutgers University-led team has created biosensor technology that may help lead to safe stem cell therapies for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The technology, which features a unique graphene and gold-based platform and high-tech imaging, monitors the fate of stem cells by detecting genetic material involved in turning such cells into brain cells.

A Rutgers University-led team has created biosensor technology that may help lead to safe stem cell therapies for treating Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. The technology, which features a unique graphene and gold-based platform and high-tech imaging, monitors the fate of stem cells by detecting genetic material involved in turning such cells into brain cells.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have revealed that, as a coating, carbon nanotubes can both repel and hold water in place, a useful property for applications such as printing, spectroscopy, water transport, or harvesting surfaces. When water is dropped on a carbon nanotube forest, the carbon nanotubes repel the water, which forms a sphere. But when the drop of water is flipped over, it does not fall to the ground but rather clings to the surface.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have revealed that, as a coating, carbon nanotubes can both repel and hold water in place, a useful property for applications such as printing, spectroscopy, water transport, or harvesting surfaces. When water is dropped on a carbon nanotube forest, the carbon nanotubes repel the water, which forms a sphere. But when the drop of water is flipped over, it does not fall to the ground but rather clings to the surface.

Researchers at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University have developed a diagnostic platform technology that enables the detection of a broad range of biomarkers with high sensitivity and selectivity in complex biological fluids, using as little as a single drop of blood. After experimenting with a variety of recipes, the research team developed a simple, porous, 3-D matrix consisting of bovine serum albumin cross-linked with glutaraldehyde and supported by a network of conducting nanomaterials, such as gold nanowires or carbon nanotubes.