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

Researchers at the University of Washington have designed the first end-to-end molecular tagging system that enables rapid, on-demand encoding and decoding at scale. Instead of radio waves or printed lines, the tagging scheme relies on a set of distinct DNA strands called molecular bits, or “molbits” for short, that incorporate highly separable nanopore signals to ease later readout. The molbits are extremely tiny, making them ideal for tracking small items or flexible surfaces that aren’t suited to conventional tagging methods.

Penn State researchers have reported advancing the development of “smart glass,” or glass equipped with automatic sensing properties. The Penn State team integrated atomically thin molybdenum disulfide in photosensors with durable materials such as those currently used in smartphone screens. This technology could be applied in biomedical imaging, security surveillance, environmental sensing, optical communication, night vision, motion detection, and collision avoidance systems for autonomous vehicles and robots. 

Penn State researchers have reported advancing the development of “smart glass,” or glass equipped with automatic sensing properties. The Penn State team integrated atomically thin molybdenum disulfide in photosensors with durable materials such as those currently used in smartphone screens. This technology could be applied in biomedical imaging, security surveillance, environmental sensing, optical communication, night vision, motion detection, and collision avoidance systems for autonomous vehicles and robots. 

Scientists at the University of Washington have developed a nanoparticle-based drug delivery system that can ferry a potent anti-cancer drug through the bloodstream safely and inhibit tumor growth in mice. The nanoparticle is derived from chitin, a natural and organic polymer that makes up the outer shells of shrimp. The nanoparticles showed no adverse side effects, likely since they are derived in part from naturally occurring polymers.

Scientists at the University of Washington have developed a nanoparticle-based drug delivery system that can ferry a potent anti-cancer drug through the bloodstream safely and inhibit tumor growth in mice. The nanoparticle is derived from chitin, a natural and organic polymer that makes up the outer shells of shrimp. The nanoparticles showed no adverse side effects, likely since they are derived in part from naturally occurring polymers.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and colleagues have demonstrated a room-temperature method that could significantly reduce carbon dioxide levels in fossil-fuel power plant exhaust. Previous methods of removing carbon dioxide have required high temperature or pressure and employed costly precious metals. The team relied on the energy harvested from traveling waves of electrons, known as localized surface plasmons (LSPs). Aluminum nanoparticles were able to transfer the LSP energy to graphite at room temperature, enabling the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and colleagues have demonstrated a room-temperature method that could significantly reduce carbon dioxide levels in fossil-fuel power plant exhaust. Previous methods of removing carbon dioxide have required high temperature or pressure and employed costly precious metals. The team relied on the energy harvested from traveling waves of electrons, known as localized surface plasmons (LSPs). Aluminum nanoparticles were able to transfer the LSP energy to graphite at room temperature, enabling the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide.

Scientists at Rice University have modified their method for making flash graphene to enhance it for recycling plastic into graphene. Instead of raising the temperature of a carbon source with direct current (DC), as in the original process, they first expose plastic waste to around eight seconds of high-intensity alternating current, followed by the DC jolt.

Scientists at Rice University have modified their method for making flash graphene to enhance it for recycling plastic into graphene. Instead of raising the temperature of a carbon source with direct current (DC), as in the original process, they first expose plastic waste to around eight seconds of high-intensity alternating current, followed by the DC jolt.

Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of California, Irvine have created fundamental electronic building blocks out of quantum dots and used them to assemble functional logic circuits. The innovation promises a cheaper and manufacturing-friendly approach to complex electronic devices that can be fabricated in a chemistry laboratory via simple, solution-based techniques, and offer long-sought components for a host of innovative devices.