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Research seeks alternatives for reducing bacteria in fresh produce using nanoengineering

Nearly half of foodborne illnesses in the U.S. from 1998 through 2008 have been attributed to contaminated fresh produce. Prevention and control of bacterial contamination on fresh produce is critical to ensure food safety. The current strategy remains industrial washing of the product in water containing chlorine. However, due to sanitizer ineffectiveness there is an urgent need to identify alternative antimicrobials, particularly those of natural origin, for the produce industry.

A team of researchers at Wayne State University have been exploring natural, safe and alternative antimicrobials to reduce bacterial contamination. Plant essential oils such as those from thyme, oregano and clove are known to have a strong antimicrobial effect, but currently their use in food protection is limited due to their low solubility in water.

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New Ceramic Material Improves Properties of Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles

Iranian researchers proposed a simple and cheap method to produce hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and improve its mechanical properties.

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Cacao Seed Extract Used in Production of Catalytic Nanoparticles

Iranian researchers used cacao seed extract to produce catalytic nanoparticles which can be applied in production of organic materials and compounds as non-homogenous, stable and recyclable catalysts.

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Giant cosmic tsunami wakes up comatose galaxies

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A composite image of the ‘Sausage’ merging cluster CIZA J2242.8+5310, made using data from the Subaru and Canada France Hawaii Telescopes (CFHT). The white circles indicate galaxies outside of the cluster, while yellow circles are cluster galaxies, where accelerated star formation is taking place. Green marks regions of radio emission, tracing out shock waves and purple marks the hot gas between the galaxies that emits X-rays. The cluster is one of the most massive in the Universe.

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Northwestern scientists develop first liquid nanolaser: Technology could lead to new way of doing 'lab on a chip' medical diagnostics

Northwestern University scientists have developed the first liquid nanoscale laser. And it's tunable in real time, meaning you can quickly and simply produce different colors, a unique and useful feature. The laser technology could lead to practical applications, such as a new form of a "lab on a chip" for medical diagnostics.

To understand the concept, imagine a laser pointer whose color can be changed simply by changing the liquid inside it, instead of needing a different laser pointer for every desired color.

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Fast and accurate 3-D imaging technique to track optically trapped particles

KAIST researchers published an article on the development of a novel technique to precisely track the 3-D positions of optically trapped particles having complicated geometry in high speed in the April 2015 issue of Optica.

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This picture shows the concept image of tweezing an optically trapped glass bead on the cellular membrane of a white blood cell.

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Nature: Low-reflection wings make butterflies nearly invisible: Irregular nanostructures on the transparent wing of the glasswing butterfly prevent the reflection of light -- publication in Nature Communications -- researchers plan applications

The effect is known from the smart phone: Sun is reflected by the display and hardly anything can be seen. In contrast to this, the glasswing butterfly hardly reflects any light in spite of its transparent wings. As a result, it is difficult for predatory birds to track the butterfly during the flight. Researchers of KIT under the direction of Hendrik Hölscher found that irregular nanostructures on the surface of the butterfly wing cause the low reflection. In theoretical experiments, they succeeded in reproducing the effect that opens up fascinating application options, e.g. for displays of mobile phones or laptops.

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Contrary to other transparent surfaces, the wings of the glasswing butterfly (Greta Oto) hardly reflect any light. Lenses or displays of mobiles might profit from the investigation of this phenomenon.

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Surface matters: Huge reduction of heat conduction observed in flat silicon channels

The ability of materials to conduct heat is a concept that we are all familiar with from everyday life. The modern story of thermal transport dates back to 1822 when the brilliant French physicist Jean-Baptiste Joseph Fourier, the Analytic Theory of Heat, which became a corner stone of heat transport. He pointed out that the thermal conductivity, i.e., ratio of the heat flux to the temperature gradient is an intrinsic property of the material itself.

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The different circles represent the studied surfaces of the Si membranes: crystalline, rough, flat with native SiO2, and rough with native SiO2. The right image shows a representative thermal map on the membranes upon a localized thermal excitation used to measure the thermal conductivity.

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Nanoparticles Used to Improve Mechanical, Thermal Properties of Cellulose Fibers

Iranian and Malaysian researchers studied the effects of clay nanoparticles on the process of production of cellulose fibers.

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OECD calls for common principles for developing and communicating scientific advice

Governments would benefit from agreeing common principles for developing and communicating scientific advice, both in crisis situations and for long-term policymaking, according to a new OECD report. In light of recent controversies around science advice, the report proposes a checklist for countries to follow to ensure science advisory processes are effective and trustworthy.

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