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

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) have developed a technique that programs 2D materials to transform into complex 3D shapes. The goal of the work is to create synthetic materials that can mimic how living organisms expand and contract soft tissues and, as a result, achieve complex 3D movements and functions. Programming thin sheets, or 2D materials, to morph into 3D shapes can enable new technologies for soft robotics, deployable systems, and biomimetic manufacturing.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new method for 3-D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, and detect uranium. The researchers are also working on creating new bioresins and are evaluating conductive materials, such as carbon nanotubes and hydrogels, to enhance production efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis applications.

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a new method for 3-D printing living microbes in controlled patterns, expanding the potential for using engineered bacteria to recover rare-earth metals, clean wastewater, and detect uranium. The researchers are also working on creating new bioresins and are evaluating conductive materials, such as carbon nanotubes and hydrogels, to enhance production efficiency in microbial electrosynthesis applications.

Antimicrobial packaging is being developed to extend the shelf life and safety of foods and beverages. However, there is concern about the transfer of potentially harmful materials, such as silver nanoparticles, from these types of containers to consumables. Now, researchers have shown that silver embedded in an antimicrobial plastic can leave the material and form nanoparticles in foods and beverages, particularly in sweet and sugary ones.

Antimicrobial packaging is being developed to extend the shelf life and safety of foods and beverages. However, there is concern about the transfer of potentially harmful materials, such as silver nanoparticles, from these types of containers to consumables. Now, researchers have shown that silver embedded in an antimicrobial plastic can leave the material and form nanoparticles in foods and beverages, particularly in sweet and sugary ones.

MIT researchers and colleagues have discovered an important—and unexpected—electronic property of graphene. The researchers show that bilayer graphene can be ferroelectric, which means that positive and negative charges in the material can spontaneously separate into different layers. This work could usher in new, faster information-processing paradigms, one potential application being neuromorphic computing, which aims to replicate the neurons in the body responsible for everything from behavior to memories.

MIT researchers and colleagues have discovered an important—and unexpected—electronic property of graphene. The researchers show that bilayer graphene can be ferroelectric, which means that positive and negative charges in the material can spontaneously separate into different layers. This work could usher in new, faster information-processing paradigms, one potential application being neuromorphic computing, which aims to replicate the neurons in the body responsible for everything from behavior to memories.

Researchers at Stanford University have made temperature-resistant, injectable gels that are made of two solid ingredients – polymers and nanoparticles. When the researchers exposed this gel to the body's temperature, it did not liquefy, like ordinary gels do. This gel could prove valuable for providing anti-malarial or anti-HIV treatments in under-resourced areas, where it is difficult to administer the short-acting remedies currently available.

Researchers at Stanford University have made temperature-resistant, injectable gels that are made of two solid ingredients – polymers and nanoparticles. When the researchers exposed this gel to the body's temperature, it did not liquefy, like ordinary gels do. This gel could prove valuable for providing anti-malarial or anti-HIV treatments in under-resourced areas, where it is difficult to administer the short-acting remedies currently available.

A team of researchers from the United States and China has developed a new kind of wearable health sensor that uses micro- and nanotechnology and would deliver real-time medical data to people with eye or mouth diseases. The sensors would be placed near the tear duct or mouth to collect samples, which would then produce data viewable on a user's smartphone or sent to their doctor.