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Easy assembly of electronic biological chips

Researchers create handheld device to recognize and report on environmental or medical compounds using biologically tagged nanowires and integrated circuit chips. The method allows for accurate placement of nanowires with less than a micron accuracy, enabling simultaneous detection of different pathogens or diseases.

SourcePenn State·JournalScience·DateJan 15, 2009

Researchers write protein nanoarrays using a fountain pen and electric fields

A team of researchers at Northwestern University has successfully written nanoscale protein arrays using a tool called the nanofountain probe (NFP), which rapidly deploys proteins with unprecedented resolution. The technique utilizes electric fields to control protein transport, allowing for efficient and high-resolution patterning.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 13, 2008

Compressor-free refrigerator may loom in the future

Researchers at Penn State have discovered a new way to cool using ferroelectric polymers that exhibit temperature changes under an electrical field. The technology could lead to the development of flat panel refrigerators without coils or compressors, providing a more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly cooling solution.

SourcePenn State·JournalScience·DateAug 7, 2008

Carnegie Mellon's Nadine Aubry, colleague Pushpendra Singh develop new model

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a new manufacturing strategy that can improve the efficiency of drug delivery patches, solar cells, and high-performance computing by controlling particle distribution with electric fields. The method offers flexibility, precision, and simplicity, revolutionizing two-dimensional nan...

SourceCarnegie Mellon University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 7, 2008

'2-faced' particles act like tiny submarines

Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed Janus particles, microscopic spheres with different material properties on either side, which can move and respond to changes in their environment. The phenomenon, called induced-charge electrophoresis, has potential applications in microactuators, sensors, and drug delivery.

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateFeb 27, 2008

Strengthening fluids with nanoparticles

Nanoparticles have been shown to enhance the performance and stability of liquids when exposed to electric fields, leading to potential applications in miniature camera lenses, cell phone displays, and other microscale fluidic devices. The findings could enable new types of heat transfer systems that don't require a pump.

SourceRensselaer Polytechnic Institute·JournalNanotechnology·DateFeb 19, 2008

Elephantnose fish 'see' with their chin

The Peters' elephantnose fish uses its electric sense to detect the capacitative properties of objects, allowing it to distinguish between living and dead organisms. It can also measure distances with a precision of several millimeters and perceive complex images of its surroundings.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalJournal of Experimental Biology·DateAug 21, 2007

Micro-pump is cool idea for future computer chips

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new cooling system that uses a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) pump to cool electronic devices on a tiny scale. The device is integrated onto a silicon chip and can create a cooling action through electrohydrodynamics, enhancing the pumping action by up to 13 percent.

Scientists discover how to flip a molecular switch

Researchers at Penn State and Rice University discover how to flip molecular switches by engineering their design and surrounding environment. They demonstrated that single-molecule switches can be tailored to respond in predictable ways, depending on the applied electric field direction.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateNov 18, 2005

New analytical tool helps detect cancer

Researchers at Ames Laboratory developed a method called dynamic multiple equilibrium gradients (DMEG) that enables hyperselective separation and concentration of specific analytes. This advancement allows for the detection of smallest substance traces, including estrogen-derived conjugates and DNA adducts in human fluid samples, poten...

Light oscillations become visible

Scientists have developed a technique to visualize the electric field of visible light, measuring its variation with unprecedented resolution. This breakthrough enables direct and accurate measurement of ultrabroad-band light pulses, opening doors to new applications in molecular electronics and X-ray lasers.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateAug 27, 2004

Stanford scientists use noise to sort proteins

Researchers create device that harnesses thermal fluctuations to separate membrane-associated molecules, providing a novel approach for studying cellular processes. The invention builds upon previous work on Brownian ratchets and utilizes microfabrication techniques to manufacture the device at an affordable cost.

SourceStanford University·JournalScience·DateAug 13, 1999