Using viruses to help water blow off steam (w/video)

Researchers are using viral-biotemplating to make nanostructure coatings for studying their ability to enhance water boiling efficiency.

Fuel cells in the spotlight

In-situ, dynamic X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to demystify the behavior of catalysts in fuel cells.

Carbon nanotube fibers make superior links to brain

Carbon nanotube fibers may provide the best way to communicate directly with the brain. The fibers have proven superior to metal electrodes for deep brain stimulation and to read signals from a neuronal network. Because they provide a two-way connection, they show promise for treating patients with neurological disorders while monitoring the real-time response of neural circuits in areas that control movement, mood and bodily functions.

EPA proposes reporting and record keeping requirements on nanomaterials

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing one-time reporting and recordkeeping requirements on nanoscale chemical substances in the marketplace.

Nanorobotic agents open the blood-brain barrier, offering hope for new brain treatments

Magnetic nanoparticles can open the blood-brain barrier and deliver molecules directly to the brain, say researchers.

New physics unlocks the mechanism of the Kondo Effect

Researchers have made an experimental breakthrough in explaining a rare property of an exotic magnetic material, potentially opening a path to a host of new technologies. From information storage to magnetic refrigeration, many of tomorrow's most promising innovations rely on sophisticated magnetic materials, and this discovery opens the door to harnessing the physics that governs those materials.

Nanotechnology makes possible a robotic germ

As nanotechnology makes possible a world of machines too tiny to see, researchers are finding ways to combine living organisms with nonliving machinery to solve a variety of problems. Like other first-generation bio-robots, the new nanobot is a far cry from Robocop. It's a robotic germ.