Press Releases: Research Funded by Agencies Participating in the National Nanotechnology Initiative

The following press releases describe the results of research activities that are funded by Federal agencies that participate in the National Nanotechnology Initiative.
  • Researchers wirelessly hack “boss” gene, a step toward reprogramming the human genome
    July 16, 2019
    (Funded by the National Science Foundation)

    Researchers at the University of Buffalo have wirelessly controlled, in lab-grown tissue, a gene that plays a key role in how humans grow from embryos to adults. The research team was able to manipulate the gene by creating tiny photonic brain implants that include nano-lasers and nano-antennas. The ability to manipulate the gene could lead to new cancer treatments and ways to prevent and treat mental disorders.

  • 2D perovskite materials found to have unique, conductive edge states
    July 16, 2019
    (Funded by the Office of Naval Research and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research)

    Researchers at Penn State have found a new class of 2D perovskite materials with edges that are conductive like metals and cores that are insulating. These 2D perovskite materials are cheaper to create than silicon and have the potential to be equally efficient at absorbing sunlight.

  • Reclamation awards $5.1 million in research for new ways to desalinate and treat water
    July 15, 2019
    (Funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation)

    The Bureau of Reclamation announced that 30 projects will receive $5.1 million from the Desalination and Water Purification Research Program to develop improved and inexpensive ways to desalinate and treat impaired water.

  • Rice device channels heat into light
    July 12, 2019
    (Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)

    Rice University scientists have designed arrays of aligned single-wall carbon nanotubes to channel heat and greatly raise the efficiency of solar energy systems.

  • New superomniphobic glass soars high on butterfly wings using machine learning
    July 11, 2019
    (Funded by the National Science Foundation)

    Glass for displays, tablets, laptops, smartphones, and solar cells could benefit from a surface that repels water, dirt, and oil. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering have created a nanostructured glass that takes inspiration from the wings of the glasswing butterfly to create a new type of glass that is very clear across a wide variety of wavelengths and angles and is antifogging.

  • An ‘EpiPen’ for spinal cord injuries
    July 11, 2019
    (Funded by the National Institutes of Health)

    An injection of nanoparticles can prevent the body's immune system from overreacting to trauma, potentially preventing some spinal cord injuries from resulting in paralysis. The approach was demonstrated in mice at the University of Michigan, and the nanoparticles enhanced healing by reprogramming the aggressive immune cells.

  • Giving nanowires a DNA-like twist
    July 11, 2019
    (Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy)

    Scientists at the Center for Nanoscale Materials, a U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science User Facility located at Argonne National Laboratory, and colleagues have discovered a DNA-like twisted crystal structure created with a germanium sulfide nanowire. Crystalline nanowires are usually in a rod-like shape and have potential applications in semiconductors and miniaturized optical and optoelectronic devices.

  • Beat the heat
    July 10, 2019
    (Funded by the National Science Foundation)

    Engineers at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City have discovered a way to produce more electricity from heat than thought possible by creating a silicon chip that converts more thermal radiation into electricity. This discovery could lead to devices such as laptop computers and cellphones with much longer battery life and solar panels that are more efficient at converting radiant heat to energy.

  • Designer Proteins Form Wires and Lattices on Mineral Surface
    July 10, 2019
    (Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health)

    Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have created synthetic proteins that form honeycomb-like structures on the atomic surface of mica. This work could enable the design of new biomimetic materials with customized colors, chemical reactivity or mechanical properties, or to serve as scaffolds for nanoscale filters, solar cells, or electronic circuits.

  • Light-sensing system could show distant galaxies in unprecedented detail
    July 10, 2019
    (Funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy)

    Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles Samueli School of Engineering have developed an ultra-sensitive light-detecting system that could enable astronomers to view galaxies, stars and planetary systems in superb detail. The system works at room temperature—an improvement over similar technology that only works in temperatures nearing 270 degrees below zero Celsius, or minus 454 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pages