Note: This videoblog is in German. It was produced by the Institute of Art & Art Theory of the University of Cologne. Humanity faces epochal challenges in the age of digitization. In particular, the complex field of artificial intelligence is of prominent importance here, because optimists expect AI to solve all problems, while [...]
Nanoscale drug-delivery capsules that release their therapeutic cargo when triggered by a temperature change could boost the efficacy and reduce the side effects of many drugs. Researchers at RIKEN have combined lipids and peptides to create capsules with temperature-responsive controlled release behavior (Journal of the American Chemical Society, “Spontaneous formation of gating lipid domain [...]
In recent years, the number of targeted cancer drugs has continued to rise. However, conventional chemotherapeutic agents still play an important role in cancer treatment. These include platinum-based cytotoxic agents that attack and kill cancer cells. But these agents also damage healthy tissue and cause severe side effects. Researchers at ETH Zurich have [...]
A red-hot anti-aging strategy quietly passed its first test earlier this year after 14 volunteers took drugs meant to kill off old, toxic cells in their bodies. The small study in people with lung disease, reported in January, is being billed as the first attempt at “senolytics,” or employing drugs to clear people’s [...]
Since the discovery of biological ion channels and their role in physiology, scientists have attempted to create man-made structures that mimic their biological counterparts. New research by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) scientists and collaborators at the University of California, Irvine shows that synthetic solid-state nanopores can have finely tuned transport behaviors much like [...]
Sometimes it is too cold for us and then too warm again - annoying dressing-undressing of sweaters and co. Is therefore required. However, that may change: researchers have developed a sophisticated textile that can independently adapt its thermal properties to how hot, sweaty or cold the wearer is: the innovative fabric warms or cools [...]
What is Global Health Care Equivalency (GHCE)? Looking ahead over the next 10-30 years, with the rapid emergence of, and synergies between, the disciplines of nanotechnology, nanomedicine, and AI, we can envisage a future world where any individual on the planet has access to the same advanced and cost effective nanomedical diagnostic and therapeutic [...]
Hunting spiders easily climb vertical surfaces or move upside down on the ceiling. A thousand tiny hairs at the ends of their legs make sure they do not fall off. Like the spider’s exoskeleton, these bristle-like hairs (so-called setae) mainly consist of proteins and chitin, which is a polysaccharide. To find out more [...]
Nanoparticles can be found in processed food (e.g. food additives), consumer products (e.g. sunscreen) and even in medicine. While these tiny particles could have large untapped potential and novel new applications, they may have unintended and harmful side effects, according to a recent study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS). [...]
Researchers in Singapore have built a refrigerator that’s just three atoms big. This quantum fridge won’t keep your drinks cold, but it’s cool proof of physics operating at the smallest scales. The work is described in a paper published in Nature Communications ("Quantum absorption refrigerator with trapped ions"). Researchers have built tiny ‘heat engines’ [...]
