Science

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Folding Funnels Key to Biomimicry: Berkeley Lab Finding that Protein Folding Funnels Also Apply to Self-Assembly Should Benefit Biomimicry and Nanosynthesis

Proteins are able to self-assemble into a wide range of highly ordered structures that feature a diverse array of properties. Through biomimicry - technological innovation inspired by nature - humans hope to emulate proteins and produce our own version of self-assembling molecules. A key to accomplishing this is understanding how protein-folding - a process critical to the form and function of a protein - is extended from individual proteins to complex assemblies.

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AFM micrograph of 2D S-layers assembled on mica shows two different pathways to crystalization, one in which the domans are 2-3 nanometers taller (white circles). Height differences, measured along the dotted black line, were the result of kinetic trapping.

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Stanford scientists build the first all-carbon solar cell

Stanford University scientists have built the first solar cell made entirely of carbon, a promising alternative to the expensive materials used in photovoltaic devices today.

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This shows the new all-carbon solar cell consists of a photoactive layer, which absorbs sunlight, sandwiched between two electrodes.

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Dust's Warming Counters Half of its Cooling Effect

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Before (left) and after (right) photos of the study site in Zhangye, China, show the magnitude of the May 2008 dust event.

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Low-resistance connections facilitate multi-walled carbon nanotubes for interconnects: Hybrid electronics

Using a new method for precisely controlling the deposition of carbon, researchers have demonstrated a technique for connecting multi-walled carbon nanotubes to the metallic pads of integrated circuits without the high interface resistance produced by traditional fabrication techniques.

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Georgia Tech Professor Andrei Fedorov demonstrates the electron beam induced deposition (EBID) system used to create graphitic nanojoints to multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

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NIST research highlights promise of AFM-IR for quantitative nanoscale chemical analysis

Anasys Instruments announces a new paper authored by Dr Andrea Centrone and his colleagues at NIST published recently in Small*, a leading publication which focuses on the nano and micro worlds.

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Schematic to show the operation of AFM-IR

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NASA Lunar Scientists Develop New Theory on Earth and Moon Formation

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New research funded by NLSI theorizes that our early Earth and moon were perhaps created in a different manner than has previously been believed.

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NASA Rover's First Soil Studies Help Fingerprint Martian Minerals

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First X-ray View of Martian Soil
This graphic shows results of the first analysis of Martian soil by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) experiment on NASA's Curiosity rover. The image reveals the presence of crystalline feldspar, pyroxenes and olivine mixed with some amorphous (non-crystalline) material. The soil sample, taken from a wind-blown deposit within Gale Crater, where the rover landed, is similar to volcanic soils in Hawaii. The colors in the graphic represent the intensity of the X-rays, with red being the most intense.

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Production of Fiber Electrodes of Electrochemical Capacitors by Using Nanotechnology

Researchers from Iran's Tabriz University succeeded in the production of fiber electrodes consisted of polyaniline, multi-walled carbon nanotube and metal oxide nanoparticles through wet spinning method to be used in electrochemical capacitors.

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Microfluidic Breakthroughs Offer New Options for Ease and Accuracy in Extraction of Rare Cells or Separating Blood

Using something called "inertial microfluidics," University of Cincinnati researchers are able to continuously and selectively collect rare cells, such as circulating tumor cells, based on their size vs. other biomarkers. This could reduce analysis time and increase selectivity while reducing reliance on antibody-based testing in clinical tests.

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This image shows the size-dependent extraction of particles. The fluorescent image indicates trapping of larger particles while smaller particles pass through.

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Titanium Oxide Nanotubes Used to Fabricate Optimized Anodes for Fuel Cells

Iranian researchers at Tabriz University succeeded in the production of a porous layer of titanium dioxide nanotubes on the titanium surface, using titanium as the sub-layer and its anodization in organic solutions.

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