(Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers from Caltech, the University of Southern California, Santa Clara University, and the National University of Singapore have developed microrobots that decreased the size of bladder tumors in mice by delivering therapeutic drugs directly to the bladders. The microrobots incorporated magnetic nanoparticles and the therapeutic drug within the outer structure of the spheres. The magnetic nanoparticles allowed the scientists to direct the robots to a desired location using an external magnetic field. When the microrobots reached their targets, they remained in that spot, and the drug passively diffused out.

(Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have shown that lipid nanoparticles can mediate more than 100-fold greater mRNA delivery to the placenta of pregnant mice with pre-eclampsia than a lipid nanoparticle formulation approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These lipid nanoparticles can decrease high blood pressure and increase vasodilation in these pre-eclamptic pregnant mice.

(Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation)
Researchers from Florida State University; the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL; and the Universitat de València in Spain have unlocked a new method for producing one class of 2D material and for supercharging its magnetic properties. Experimenting on a metallic magnet made from the elements iron, germanium and tellurium, the research team made two breakthroughs: a collection method that yielded 1,000 times more material than typical practices, and the ability to change the material’s magnetic properties through a chemical treatment. “We’re moving toward developing more efficient electronic devices that consume less power, are lighter, faster and more responsive,” said Michael Shatruk, the scientist who led this study. “2D materials are a big part of this equation, but there’s still a lot of work to be done to make them viable. Our research is part of that effort.”

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense)
Scientists at Rice University have made it possible to capture clear images of objects through hot windows. The core of this breakthrough lies in the design of nanoscale resonators, which work like miniature tuning forks trapping and enhancing electromagnetic waves within specific frequencies. The resonators are made from silicon and organized in a precise array that allows fine control over how the window emits and transmits thermal radiation. One immediate application is in chemical processing, in which chemical reactions inside high-temperature chambers need to be monitored.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Defense)
Researchers from New York University and Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, have observed growth-induced self-organized stacking domains when three graphene layers are stacked and twisted with precision. The findings demonstrate how specific stacking arrangements in three-layer graphene systems emerge naturally – eliminating the need for complex, non-scalable techniques traditionally used in graphene twisting fabrication. The size and shape of these stacking domains are influenced by the interplay of strain and the geometry of the three-layer graphene regions. Some domains form as stripe-like structures, tens of nanometers wide and extending over microns.