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

In a significant advancement for point-of-care medical diagnostics, a team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, has introduced a deep learning-enhanced, paper-based vertical flow assay capable of detecting cardiac troponin I with high sensitivity. Troponin I is a protein released when the heart muscle has been damaged. The innovative assay integrates deep learning algorithms with cutting-edge nanoparticle amplification chemistry and could enable access to rapid and reliable cardiac diagnostics, particularly in resource-limited settings. "Our goal was to design a system that could be used not only in hospitals but also in clinics, pharmacies, and even in ambulances," said Gyeo-Re Han, one of the scientists involved in this study.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, have unveiled a new platform that combines a flexible material called graphene oxide with antibodies to closely mimic the natural interactions between immune cells. The investigators found that this platform shows a high capacity for stimulating T cells to reproduce, while preserving their versatility and potency. The advance could make CAR-T cell therapy more effective and accessible. In this type of therapy, patients' own immune cells are collected, genetically engineered so that they specifically target cancer cells, and then returned to the body. The new technology enhanced the efficiency of engineering immune cells, leading to a five-fold increase in CAR-T cell production, compared to the standard process.

A new way of diagnosing lung cancer with a blood draw is 10 times faster and 14 times more sensitive than earlier methods, according to researchers from the University of Michigan and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The microchip that the researchers developed captures nanoscale particles called exosomes – tiny packages released by cells – from blood plasma to identify signs of lung cancer. Although exosomes from healthy cells move important proteins or DNA and RNA fragments throughout the body, exosomes from cancer cells can help tumors spread by preparing tissues to accept tumor cells before they arrive. Also, cancer cell exosomes can be distinguished from healthy cell exosomes because proteins on the surfaces of cancer cell exosomes are often mutated.

By fusing together a pair of contorted molecular structures, researchers from Cornell University, Rice University, the University of Chicago, and Columbia University have created a porous #crystal that can uptake #lithium-ion #electrolytes and transport them smoothly via one-dimensional #nanochannels – a design that could lead to safer solid-state #LithiumIonBatteries. The researchers devised a method of fusing together two eccentric molecular structures that have complementary shapes: #macrocycles and #MolecularCages. "Both macrocycles and molecular cages have intrinsic pores where ions can sit and pass through," said Yuzhe Wang, one of the scientists involved in this study. "By using them as the building blocks for porous crystals, the crystal would have large spaces to store ions and interconnected channels for ions to transport."

Researchers from Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered how certain bacteria are breaking down plastic for food. First, they chew the plastic into small pieces, called nanoplastics. Then, they secrete a specialized enzyme that breaks down the plastic even further. Finally, the bacteria use a ring of carbon atoms from the plastic as a food source, the researchers found. The discovery opens new possibilities for developing bacteria-based engineering solutions to help clean up difficult-to-remove plastic waste, which pollutes drinking water and harms wildlife.

Nanoporous membranes with holes smaller than one-billionth of a meter have powerful potential for decontaminating polluted water or for osmotic power generators. But these applications have been limited in part by the tedious process of tunneling individual sub-nanometer pores one by one. Now, researchers from the University of Chicago have found a novel path around this long-standing problem. They created a new method of pore generation that builds materials with intentional weak spots and then applies a remote electric field to generate multiple nanoscale pores all at once.

Researchers from the University of California San Diego have created an array of nanopillars that can breach the nucleus of a cell – the compartment that houses our DNA – without damaging the cell's outer membrane. This new “gateway into the nucleus” could open new possibilities in gene therapy, where genetic material needs to be delivered directly into the nucleus, as well as drug delivery and other forms of precision medicine. The nucleus is impenetrable by design. Its membrane is a highly fortified barrier that shields our genetic code, letting in only specific molecules through tightly controlled channels.

Purdue University researchers have developed patent-pending one-dimensional boron nitride nanotubes containing spin qubits, or spin defects. These nanotubes are more sensitive in detecting off-axis magnetic fields at high resolution than traditional diamond tips used in scanning probe magnetic-field microscopes. Applications include quantum-sensing technology that measures changes in magnetic fields and collects and analyzes data at the atomic level.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University in Philadelphia, the University of Delaware, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China have discovered a novel means of directing lipid nanoparticles to target specific tissues. The engineers demonstrated how subtle adjustments to the chemical structure of an ionizable lipid, a key component of a lipid nanoparticle, allow for tissue-specific delivery to the liver, lungs, and spleen. The researchers' key insight was to incorporate siloxane composites – a class of silicon- and oxygen-based compounds already used in medical devices, cosmetics and drug delivery – into ionizable lipids.

For the first time ever, researchers have witnessed – in real time and at the molecular-scale – hydrogen and oxygen atoms merge to form tiny, nano-sized bubbles of water. The event occurred as part of a new Northwestern University study, during which scientists sought to understand how palladium, a rare metallic element, catalyzes the gaseous reaction to generate water. "Think of Matt Damon's character, Mark Watney, in the movie 'The Martian’,” said Northwestern's Vinayak Dravid, senior author of the study. “He burned rocket fuel to extract hydrogen and then added oxygen from his oxygenator. Our process is analogous, except we bypass the need for fire and other extreme conditions. We simply mixed palladium and gases together." Dravid is the founding director of the Northwestern University Atomic and Nanoscale Characterization Experimental (NUANCE) Center, where the study was conducted.