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

New cancer immunotherapies involve extracting a patient's T cells and genetically engineering them so they will recognize and attack tumors. But the alterations to the immune system immediately make patients very sick for a short period of time. Now, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have demonstrated a new engineering technique that, because it is less toxic to the T cells, could enable a different mechanism for altering the way they recognize cancer. The new technique involves ferrying messenger RNA across the T cell's membrane via a lipid-based nanoparticle, rather than using a modified HIV virus to rewrite the cell's DNA.

Contrary to common belief that butterfly wings consist primarily of lifeless membranes, a new study by researchers from Columbia Engineering and Harvard University has shown that butterfly wings contain a network of living cells whose function requires a constrained range of temperatures for optimal performance. The researchers found nanostructures in the wing scales that enable heat dissipation through thermal radiation and could inspire the design of radiative-cooling materials to help manage excessive heat conditions.

Contrary to common belief that butterfly wings consist primarily of lifeless membranes, a new study by researchers from Columbia Engineering and Harvard University has shown that butterfly wings contain a network of living cells whose function requires a constrained range of temperatures for optimal performance. The researchers found nanostructures in the wing scales that enable heat dissipation through thermal radiation and could inspire the design of radiative-cooling materials to help manage excessive heat conditions.

To further shrink electronic devices and to lower energy consumption, the semiconductor industry is interested in using 2D materials, but manufacturers need a quick and accurate method for detecting defects in these materials to determine if the material is suitable for device manufacture. Now a team of researchers representing Penn State, Northeastern University, Rice University, and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil has developed a technique to quickly and sensitively characterize defects in 2D materials.

To further shrink electronic devices and to lower energy consumption, the semiconductor industry is interested in using 2D materials, but manufacturers need a quick and accurate method for detecting defects in these materials to determine if the material is suitable for device manufacture. Now a team of researchers representing Penn State, Northeastern University, Rice University, and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais in Brazil has developed a technique to quickly and sensitively characterize defects in 2D materials.

Scientists from Michigan State University and Stanford University have invented a nanoparticle that eats away – from the inside out – portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. The scientists created a "Trojan Horse" nanoparticle that can be directed to eat debris, thereby reducing and stabilizing plaque. The discovery could be a potential treatment for atherosclerosis – a leading cause of death in the United States.

Scientists from Michigan State University and Stanford University have invented a nanoparticle that eats away – from the inside out – portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. The scientists created a "Trojan Horse" nanoparticle that can be directed to eat debris, thereby reducing and stabilizing plaque. The discovery could be a potential treatment for atherosclerosis – a leading cause of death in the United States.

Researchers at Rice University have discovered that virtually any source of solid carbon — from food scraps to old car tires — can be turned into graphene, which are sheets of carbon atoms prized for applications ranging from high-strength plastic to flexible electronics. Current techniques yield tiny quantities of picture-perfect graphene; the new method already produces grams per day of near-pristine graphene in the lab, and researchers are now scaling it up to kilograms. The researchers have already founded a startup company to commercialize their waste-to-graphene process.

Researchers at Rice University have discovered that virtually any source of solid carbon — from food scraps to old car tires — can be turned into graphene, which are sheets of carbon atoms prized for applications ranging from high-strength plastic to flexible electronics. Current techniques yield tiny quantities of picture-perfect graphene; the new method already produces grams per day of near-pristine graphene in the lab, and researchers are now scaling it up to kilograms. The researchers have already founded a startup company to commercialize their waste-to-graphene process.

Using straightforward chemistry and a mix-and-match, modular strategy, researchers at Penn State have developed a simple approach that could produce over 65,000 different types of complex nanoparticles, each containing up to six different materials and eight segments, with interfaces that could be exploited in electrical or optical applications. These rod-shaped nanoparticles are about 55 nanometers long and 20 nanometers wide, and many are considered to be among the most complex ever made.