Flexibility is key in mechanism of biological self-assembly (w/video)

A new study has modeled a crucial first step in the self-assembly of cellular structures such as drug receptors and other protein complexes, and found that the flexibility of the structures has a dramatic impact on how fast two such structures join together.

Nano-polycrystalline film leads to stronger magnetism compared to single-crystal films

Oxygen defects like nanopillars enhanced magnetic and magnetooptical response of STF films.

Nanotube film may resolve longevity problem of perovskite solar cells

Researchers lengthened the lifetime of perovskite solar cells by using nanotube film to replace the gold used as the back contact and the organic material in the hole conductor.

First steps in human DNA replication dance captured at atomic resolution

A team has published pictures at very high atomic resolution of the multi-part protein complex that performs the very first step in the incredibly complex genome-replication dance that occurs when one cell becomes two.

Transparent ceramics make super-hard windows

Researchers synthesize first sample of transparent silicon nitride.

Watching the orbital angular momentum of plasmons on a nanoscale with subfemtosecond time resolution

Scientists have been able to reveal for the first time the dynamics of the orbital angular momentum of plasmons. They used a combination of extremely high-quality single crystals of gold, ultrafast laser pulses and an electron microscope.

Better nanoimages 'spin' the path to improved magnetic memory

In work that could help make possible a faster, longer-lasting and lower-energy method of data storage for consumers and businesses, researchers have developed a technique for imaging and studying a promising class of magnetic devices with 10 times more detail than optical microscopes.

A multi-channel nano-optical device dramatically increases the parallel processing speed

Researchers have devised disordered arrangement of the antennas to minimize redundancy between the antennas and enabled each antenna to function independently. As a result, the device can provide 40 times wider bandwidth than existing antennas periodically arranged.