SEPARATING THE HYPE AND THE BUZZ - Wednesday, November 04, 2009

NEWSWORTHY

Tumor termination with nanoformulation
Bioengineers at Duke University have devised a nano-scale system that can deliver high doses of drugs to terminate tumors effectively while decreasing side effects associated with chemotherapy. The results from animal modeling prove that tumors are destroyed after a single treatment and the nano delivery vehicles collapse into harmless byproducts. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, and Nanowerk.

“Hidden” PV cells
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a three-dimensional photovoltaic system using zinc oxide nanostructures on optical fibers coated with dye-sensitizers. The optical fibers collect sunlight and pass it onto nanowires where it interacts with dye molecules to produce electricity. The three-dimensional optical fiber system is six times as efficient as planar solar cells. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Angewandte Chemie International.

The Healing Nanocage
Researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis have created a tiny capsule, dubbed a “nanocage” that is photosensitive and can deliver drugs to targeted areas. The nanocage responds to light opening when the light is turned on and closing when the light is turned off thus delivering medical substances within it only when the desired. See AtoZ Nano, First Science, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Nature Materials.

Optical Frequency Comb
Scientists from the University of Konstanz in Germany and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the United States have developed an improved frequency comb that can precisely measure frequencies of a visible light. The improved comb outdoes its predecessors by providing a clearer image of different frequencies which can now be viewed from a simple optical system (a grating and a microscope). See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Science.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

New manufacturing method for nanowires
Danish nanophysicists have created a new method of manufacturing nanowires using Gallium Indium Arsenide and Indium Arsenide to draw on their individual benefits together. This development can help solar cells trap more sunlight than ever before and can also be used in LEDs and OLEDs. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Nano Letters.

Nano stirring
Sandia researchers have developed a new method of mixing called vortex field mixing that combines liquids in extremely small spaces. Magnetic nanoparticles are suspended into the liquid and form chains when subjected to a particular magnetic field. These chains start to swirl which mix liquids. See AtoZ Nano, First Science, and Nanotech Wire.

Superhydrophobic nanocoating
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have created a nanoparticle based coating that can reduce the buildup of ice on solid surfaces. The coating consists of a silicon-resin solution combined with 50 nanometers silica nanoparticles. The product was tested in real conditions on an Aluminum plate and on a commercial satellite dish. See First Science, Nanowerk, and Langmuir.

Nano magnetism
A research team in Boston developed an implantable drug delivery device that can trap medicinal substances in a membrane embedded with magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. When an alternating magnetic field is applied, the magnetic nanoparticles heat up causing the gel in the membrane to melt. This opens pores in the membrane facilitating drug delivery. Once the magnetic field is turned off, the gels re-expand and close the pores. No implanted electronics is needed for this system. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Nano Letters.

Lethal combination for cancer
Researchers from Rutgers have combined two different anti-cancer drugs (Doxorubin and siRNA) to make a lethal drug to eliminate cancer. Doxorubin is a drug that kills tumors by apoptosis (a form of cell death) and siRNA (small interfering RNA)that stops the production of Bcl-2 protein produced by malignant cells. Pores of silicon nanoparticles are filled with Doxorubin and are coated by dendrimers (spherical polymer nanoparticles) which then are allowed to tightly bind to siRNA. The combination drug proved to be 130-times more lethal in killing ovarian cancer cells in comparison to doxorubin alone. See AtoZ Nano, Nanotech Wire, Nanowerk, and Advanced Materials.