(Funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health)
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have found that small extracellular vesicles are secreted by tumor cells and act as a “forcefield,” blocking nanoparticle-based therapies aimed at targeting cancers. “A lot like the Death Star with its surrounding fleet of fighter ships and protective shields, solid tumors can use features like immune cells and vasculature to exert force, acting as a physical barrier to rebel forces (nanoparticles) coming in to deliver the payload that destroys it,” said Michael Mitchell, one of the researchers involved in this study.

(Funded by the National Science Foundation)
Researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Minnesota have developed magnetic nanoparticles that ensure safe rewarming of frozen tissues for transplant and address the issue of uneven heating due to inhomogeneous nanoparticle distribution. The researchers immersed animal tissues in a solution containing magnetic nanoparticles and a cryoprotective substance, and the solution was subsequently frozen with liquid nitrogen. The researchers then applied an alternating magnetic field, which initiated the rapid rewarming of the tissues, followed by a horizontal static magnetic field, which realigned the nanoparticles, effectively tapping the brakes on heat production.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)
In the 1970s, scientists began exploring ways to extend electronic frequency mixing into the terahertz range using diodes. While these early efforts showed promise, progress stalled for decades. Recently, however, advances in nanotechnology have reignited this area of research. Now, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed an electronic frequency mixer for signal detection that operates beyond 0.350 petahertz using tiny nanoantennae. These nanoantennae can mix different frequencies of light, enabling analysis of signals oscillating orders of magnitude faster than the fastest signal accessible to conventional electronics.

(Funded by the National Institutes of Health)
Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School have demonstrated in mice a new method to combat pancreatic cancer that relies on a nanoparticle drug-delivery system to activate an immune pathway, which usually recognizes viral infections in the body, in combination with tumor-targeting agents. “If we can trick the immune system into thinking that there is a viral-type infection, then we harness a very robust anti-tumor immune response to bring in for tumor immunotherapy,” said Prabhani Atukorale, one of the scientists involved in this study.

This summer, middle school teachers from the Bay Area and Southern California have participated in NanoSIMST, a professional development program run by nano@stanford, one of the 16 sites of the National Science Foundation-funded National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure. The program is designed to connect the teachers with activities, skills, and knowledge about science at the scale of molecules and atoms, so they can incorporate it into their curriculum. NanoSIMST also prioritizes teachers from Title I schools, which are low-income schools with low-income student populations that receive federal funding to improve academic achievement. “There’s a gap in professional development for middle school teachers,” said Daniella Duran, the director of education and outreach for nano@stanford. “But these teachers are in a special place – they can teach their students early on about these amazing sciences and help them develop a picture of themselves as a scientist, engineer, or technician.”