(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health)
Researchers at Southern Methodist University, the University of Texas at Arlington, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology in Seoul have discovered a way to enhance the sensitivity of nanopores for early detection of diseases. They integrated octahedral DNA origami structures with solid-state nanopores to significantly improve the detection of proteins, especially those that are present in low concentrations. Nanopores are tiny holes that can detect individual molecules as they pass through. The researchers determined that combining the precision of DNA origami with the robustness of solid-state nanopores could create a “hybrid nanopore” system, enabling more precise analysis.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Science Foundation)
Researchers from the University of North Carolina Charlotte and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed an innovative computational framework for modeling multifunctional RNA nucleic acid nanoparticles. By integrating small and wide-angle x-ray scattering data with data-driven molecular dynamics simulations, the researchers developed a methodology for studying multistranded RNA nucleic acid nanoparticles in their solution-state environments. Small-angle x-ray scattering–Molecular Dynamics (SAXS–MD) guides simulations toward biologically meaningful conformations, addressing the limitations of traditional unconstrained molecular dynamics simulations.

(Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy)
Scientists from Clark Atlanta University and the Molecular Foundry at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a faster, more sustainable method for making metal-encapsulated covalent organic frameworks – materials that have the potential to play a crucial role in catalysis, energy storage, and chemical sensing. The new one-step, room-temperature process eliminates the need for toxic solvents and significantly reduces the production time from several days to just one hour. The covalent organic frameworks were evaluated to see how porous and crystalline they are and how much metal was added to the structure. Also, powerful transmission electron microscopes were used to visualize the covalent organic framework structure and the distribution of metal throughout.

(Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense)
Researchers from the University of Mississippi have shown that using glycopolymers – polymers made with natural sugars like glucose – to coat nanoparticles that deliver cancer-fighting medication directly to tumors reduces the body’s immune response to cancer treatment. The researchers tested glycopolymer-coated nanoparticle treatments in mice with breast cancer and found that more nanoparticles reached the tumors in the glycopolymer treatment compared to more conventional treatment that uses polyethylene glycol-based nanoparticles. “Our findings highlight that the nanoparticles we’re using significantly reduce unwanted immune responses while dramatically enhancing drug delivery, both in cell and animal models,” said Kenneth Hulugalla, one of the scientists involved in this study.

(Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)
Scientists from Washington State University and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have discovered a way to make ions move more than ten times faster in mixed organic ion-electronic conductors. These conductors combine the advantages of the ion signaling used by many biological systems with the electron signaling used by computers. The new development speeds up ion movement in these conductors by using molecules that attract and concentrate ions into a separate nanochannel creating a type of tiny “ion superhighway.” These types of conductors hold a lot of potential because they allow movement of both ions and electrons at once, which is critical for battery charging and energy storage.