New injectable gels toughen up after entering the body
Gels that can be injected into the body, carrying drugs or cells that regenerate damaged tissue, hold promise for treating many types of disease, including cancer. However, these injectable gels don't...
View ArticleAdvancing the use of DNA in nanotechnology with new technique that dissolves...
Carrying the genetic code is already a vital job, but DNA is also proving to be a useful tool in nanotechnology applications. Since the DNA molecule is a versatile building block, it can be used to...
View ArticleScientists image the molecular structure of polymer blends
(Phys.org)—Using an enhanced form of "chemical microscopy" developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), researchers there have shown that they can peer into the structure of...
View ArticlePlastics and chemicals they absorb pose double threat to marine life
(Phys.org)—Marine creatures that ingest plastics in the ocean might suffer from a double whammy of the plastic itself and the pollutants those plastics have absorbed while floating in the open seas,...
View ArticleAntibacterial, antifouling polymer coatings could soon relegate...
(Phys.org)—Catheters play a crucial role in hospital care, particularly in the transport of intravenous fluids and medication. Typically, they are made of flexible low-toxicity silicon rubber that is,...
View ArticleFood nets vanishing without a trace
Scientists are creating compostable versions food nets to be used with compostable products to ensure that, at the end of their life, they serve the purpose of helping to grow food, thus closing their...
View ArticleEco-friendly wet-strong printing paper made 100% with recycled polyester...
Teijin Limited announced today that it has developed a water-resistant, wet-strong printing paper made entirely with the company's ECOPET recycled polyester fiber derived from used PET (polyethylene...
View ArticleAnts follow Fermat's principle of least time
(Phys.org) —Ants have long been known to choose the shortest of several routes to a food source, but what happens when the shortest route is not the fastest? This situation can occur, for example, when...
View ArticleInvisible pattern can put a stop to counterfeit designer clothing
There is now a way to differentiate between designer clothing and knockoffs. Chalmers researcher Christian Müller has produced a thread with unique optical properties, which can be used to create...
View ArticleBreakthrough technology quickly separates large proteins and viruses from...
Researchers looking to isolate individual proteins from complex environments usually turn to chromatography, a technique where mobile solutions of biomolecules flow through columns packed with solid,...
View ArticleChemical engineers discover 'ultraselective' process to make valuable...
(Phys.org) —Chemical engineering researchers Wei Fan, Paul Dauenhauer and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst report this week that they've discovered a new chemical process to make...
View ArticleRecycling farm plastics gains momentum
(Phys.org) —On today's farms, plastic is as ubiquitous as dirt. From plastic film that wraps silage to leftover pesticide containers to the thin trays that hold seedlings, plastic plays an important...
View ArticlePartnership aims to reduce pollution from 'microplastics'
If you've been on or near the water, you've seen it—the plastic trash that litters oceans, lakes, and streams worldwide. But visible plastic—soda bottles, lighters, flip-flops, combs, rope—may be the...
View ArticlePolymers could help enzymes treat diseases
(Phys.org) —Conditions such as celiac disease, phenylketonuria, lactose intolerance and exocrine pancreatic disease involve abnormal enzyme activity. Enzymes administered orally could help sufferers....
View ArticleSorting plastic waste: A magnetic game
More than one third of the total plastic production in Europe—about 14 million tonnes per year—are polyolefins, also known as polyalkenes. This is a family of polymers used for the manufacture of a...
View ArticleMaking hydrogenation greener
Researchers from McGill University, RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako, Japan) and the Institute for Molecular Science (Okazaki, Japan) have discovered a way to make the...
View ArticleOne nanoparticle plus one antibody equals targeted drug delivery to tumors
(Phys.org) —Herceptin and camptothecin are both powerful anticancer agents with key characteristics that limit their effectiveness in treating cancer. Patients treated with Herceptin, a monoclonal...
View ArticleSteering stem cells with magnets: Proof of concept for clinical applications
Magnets could be a tool for directing stem cells' healing powers to treat conditions such as heart disease or vascular disease.
View ArticleNanoparticles with protein 'passports' evade immune system, deliver more...
Scientists have found a way to sneak nanoparticles carrying tumor-fighting drugs past cells of the immune system, which would normally engulf the particles, preventing them from reaching their target....
View ArticleMagnetic nanoparticles break the capacity barrier for antibody purification
Monoclonal antibodies represent the largest and fastest-growing segment of international biopharma. While these therapeutic agents are a boon for global healthcare, productivity constraints pose a...
View ArticleGut bacteria from a worm can degrade plastic
Plastic is well-known for sticking around in the environment for years without breaking down, contributing significantly to litter and landfills. But scientists have now discovered that bacteria from...
View ArticleExperimental studies of ionic interactions near a hydrophobic surface in an...
(Phys.org)—The way a protein folds in aqueous solutions is largely determined by hydrophobic effects with the hydrophobic portions of the protein residing within the protein core or within the active...
View ArticlePC steel wires on concrete and steel bridges now visible with terahertz waves
Researchers at Tohoku University have found a way to make covered or hidden PC steel wires visible, by developing a new terahertz wave light source featuring both light and radio-wave characteristics.
View ArticleNewly discovered bacteria can eat plastic bottles
A team of Japanese scientists has found a species of bacteria that eats the type of plastic found in most disposable water bottles.
View ArticleDressed to kill: Tailoring a suit for tumor-penetrating cancer meds
For more than a decade, biomedical researchers have been looking for better ways to deliver cancer-killing medication directly to tumors in the body. Tiny capsules, called nanoparticles, are now being...
View ArticlePre-treatment of bandages may improve the antibacterial properties of...
Pre-treating the fabric surface of the bandages used to treat burns with enzymes and polyethylene glycol or cellulase may promote the adhesion of antibacterial nanoparticles and improve their...
View ArticleAntioxidant compounds mimic effective graphene agents, show potential for...
Treated particles of graphene derived from carbon nanotubes have demonstrated remarkable potential as life-saving antioxidants, but as small as they are, something even smaller had to be created to...
View ArticleCaterpillar found to eat shopping bags, suggesting biodegradable solution to...
Scientists have found that a caterpillar commercially bred for fishing bait has the ability to biodegrade polyethylene: one of the toughest and most used plastics, frequently found clogging up landfill...
View ArticleGerman study casts doubt on 'plastic digesting' caterpillars
Scientists in Germany on Friday cast doubt on the work of colleagues who claimed that plastic bag-eating caterpillars might hold the answer to the planet's growing synthetic waste problem.
View ArticleStructural insight into the molecular mechanism of PET degradation
A KAIST metabolic engineering research team has found a molecular mechanism showing superior degradability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This is the first report to determine the 3-D crystal...
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