Lifeboat Foundation

Novel magnetic nanodiscs could provide a much less invasive way of stimulating parts of the brain, paving the way for stimulation therapies without implants or genetic modification, MIT researchers report.

The scientists envision that the tiny discs, which are about 250 nanometers across (about 1/500 the width of a human hair), would be injected directly into the desired location in the brain. From there, they could be activated at any time simply by applying a magnetic field outside the body. The new particles could quickly find applications in biomedical research, and eventually, after sufficient testing, might be applied to clinical uses.

The development of these nanoparticles is described in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, in a paper by Polina Anikeeva, a professor in MIT’s departments of Materials Science and Engineering and Brain and Cognitive Sciences, graduate student Ye Ji Kim, and 17 others at MIT and in Germany.

Researchers have developed a nanoscale sensor that detects lung cancer simply by analyzing the levels of a chemical called isoprene in your breath. The team believes its breakthrough could unlock a non-invasive, low-cost method to catch the disease early, and potentially save a lot of lives.

When the human body breaks down fat in a process called lipolytic cholesterol metabolism, isoprene is released in exhaled breath. As it turns out, a decline in isoprene can indicate the presence of lung cancer. The team, led by researchers at China’s Zhejiang University, leveraged this insight through its work and developed an innovative gas sensing material to create a screening process.

The challenge with spotting biomarkers in breath is that your system needs to be able to differentiate between volatile chemicals, withstand the natural humidity of exhaled breath, and detect tiny quantities of specific chemicals. In the case of isoprene, you’d need sensors capable of detecting levels of the chemical in the parts-per-billion (ppb) range.

Nanomagnets keep a history of their states and can be trained in a few hours.

Jungfleisch uses nanomagnets to store and transmit information and achieves it in a more energy-efficient manner as compared to electrons.

Researchers develop nanomaterial textiles for wireless power, allowing real-time data transmission without the need for bulky batteries.

HEPS will transform scientific research by enabling high-energy X-ray probing at the nanoscale.

China is poised to unveil its cutting-edge High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) by year’s end, boasting some of the world’s most powerful synchrotron X-rays.

With a staggering investment of 4.8 billion yuan (approximately US$665 million), this facility marks a significant milestone for Asia, propelling China into the elite league of nations with fourth-generation synchrotron light sources.

Continue reading “World’s brightest X-rays: China set to unveil High-Energy Photon Source” »

Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona have created the first blueprint of the human spliceosome, the most complex and intricate molecular machine inside every cell. The scientific feat, which took more than a decade to complete, is published in the journal Science.

The next step for fully integrated textile-based electronics to make their way from the lab to the wardrobe is figuring out how to power the garment gizmos without unfashionably toting around a solid battery. Researchers from Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Accenture Labs in California have taken a new approach to the challenge by building a full textile energy grid that can be wirelessly charged. In their recent study, the team reported that it can power textile devices, including a warming element and environmental sensors that transmit data in real-time.

This clip is from the following episode: https://youtu.be/xqS5PDYbTsE

Recorded on Oct 18th, 2024
Views are my own thoughts; not Financial, Medical, or Legal Advice.

Continue reading “AI Will Dramatically Increase Life Expectancy, Here’s How | MOONSHOTS” »

Caltech scientists have introduced a revolutionary machine-learning-driven technique for accurately measuring the mass of individual particles using advanced nanoscale devices.

This method could dramatically enhance our understanding of proteomes by allowing for the mass measurement of proteins in their native forms, thus offering new insights into biological processes and disease mechanisms.

Caltech scientists have developed a machine-learning-powered method that enables precise measurement of individual particles and molecules using advanced nanoscale devices. This breakthrough could lead to the use of various devices for mass measurement, which is key to identifying proteins. It also holds the potential to map the complete proteome—the full set of proteins in an organism.