Some of the world’s most important discoveries – penicillin, vulcanized rubber and Velcro, to name a few – were made by accident. In fact, it’s been said that upward of half of all scientific discoveries are by chance.
Add vortex ring freezing to that long list of “accidents.”
Duo An, a doctoral student in the labs of both professor Dan Luo and assistant professor Minglin Ma, in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, was an undergraduate from China doing an internship at Cornell when he stumbled upon a phenomenon that has the potential to greatly improve cell-free protein production and cell delivery, particularly for Type 1 diabetes patients.
A group headed by Luo and Ma has published the paper, “Mass production of shaped particles through vortex ring freezing,” which was released online Aug. 4 in Nature Communications. An is lead author.
Vortex rings are ubiquitous in nature – a mushroom cloud of smoke is one example – and the ring’s evolution exhibits a rich spectrum of complicated geometries, from spherical to teardrop to toroidal (doughnut-shaped). The researchers used these features to control and mass produce inorganic and organic particles via an electrospraying process, whereby a multitude of vortex ring-derived particles (VRPs) can be produced, then frozen at precise time points. The group reported they could produce 15,000 rings per minute via electrospraying.
They found controlling the shape and speed of the spray, as well as the speed of the chemical reaction, can yield different structures.
“We can tune both of these timescales, and control at which stage we can freeze the structure, to get the results we want,” An said.
Image Credit: Cornell University
Recent News
Fighting drug-resistant superbugs with bacteria-shredding nanoparticles
Researchers have used liquid metals to develop new bacteria-destroying technology that could be the answer to the deadly problem of antibiotic resistance. The technology uses nano-sized particles of magnetic [...]
Team Builds the First Living Robots
A book is made of wood. But it is not a tree. The dead cells have been repurposed to serve another need. Now a team of scientists [...]
A new method to study lithium dendrites could lead to better, safer batteries
Lithium ion batteries often grow needle-like structures between electrodes that can short out the batteries and sometimes cause fires. Now, an international team of researchers has found a way [...]
New kind of bandage helps stop bleeding without adhering to the wound
Researchers from ETH Zurich and the National University of Singapore have developed a new kind of bandage that helps blood to clot and doesn’t stick to the wound [...]
Illuminating the world of nanoparticles
Scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have developed a light-based device that can act as a biosensor, detecting biological substances in materials; for [...]
Soundwaves carry information between quantum systems
Some quantum computers and networks store their information in an electron’s spin, which can be up or down – like the zeros or ones in a conventional computer. They [...]
New Particle Accelerator Fits on a Silicon Chip
The device uses lasers to accelerate electrons along an etched channel. In a full-scale particle accelerator, electrons fly along a kilometers-long path as microwaves bombard them, boosting the particles [...]
Scientists create tiny lasers from nanoparticles and plastic beads
Researchers found a way to create lasers smaller than red blood cells. These microlasers convert infrared light into light at higher frequencies. Made from nanoparticles, these are among the [...]
A.I WARNING: The terrifying future of advanced A.I warfare exposed by expert
AS artificial intelligence technology continues to develop, like any new tech, questions begin to arise on its capabilities in warfare. Technology could ultimately be catastrophic for mankind. During an [...]
New nano-barrier for composites could strengthen spacecraft payloads
The University of Surrey has developed a robust multi-layer nano-barrier for ultra-lightweight and stable carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRPs) that could be used to build high precision instrument structures [...]
Jumbo Phage Deploys Cloaking Device against CRISPR Defenses
Scientists at the University of Otago in New Zealand say they have discovered how viruses that specifically kill bacteria can outwit bacteria by hiding from their defenses. These findings [...]
Self-driving microrobots
Most synthetic materials, including those in battery electrodes, polymer membranes, and catalysts, degrade over time because they don't have internal repair mechanisms. If you could distribute autonomous microrobots within [...]
New laser technique images quantum world in a trillionth of a second
For the first time, researchers have been able to record, frame-by-frame, how an electron interacts with certain atomic vibrations in a solid. The technique captures a process that commonly [...]
Paradoxical replacement tissue for medicine
A material that thickens when you pull on it seems to contradict the laws of physics. However, the so-called auxetic effect, which also occurs in nature, is interesting [...]
What if aging weren’t inevitable, but a curable disease?
Each Cyclops had a single eye because, legend has it, the mythical giants traded the other one with the god Hades in return for the ability to see into [...]
Chemistry in the turbulent interstellar medium
Over 200 molecules have been discovered in space, some (like Buckminsterfullerene) very complex with carbon atoms. Besides being intrinsically interesting, these molecules radiate away heat, helping giant clouds of [...]
Metal-organic framework captures and converts toxic air pollutant into industrial chemical
An international team of scientists, led by the University of Manchester, has developed a metal-organic framework, or MOF, material that provides a selective, fully reversible and repeatable capability to [...]
Jamilee Baroud Podcast – Jamilee interviews Robin Farmanfarmaian author of “The Patient as CEO”
This week Jamilee interviews Robin Farmanfarmaian. She is a professional speaker and entrepreneur, author of "The Patient as CEO" and "The Thought Leader Formula". Robin is the CEO and [...]
Directional control of self-propelled protocells
Synthetic protocells can be made to move toward and away from chemical signals, an important step for the development of new drug-delivery systems that could target specific locations in [...]
Silver and titanium nanomaterials present in wastewater may have toxic effects on crustaceans and fish cells
You may not always think about it when you do your laundry or flush the toilet; but whatever you eat, wear or apply on your skin ends up in [...]
NMIN’s first round of research investment
An update from the NanoMedicines Innovation Network (NMIN): On August 21, 2019, the Board of Directors approved NMIN's initial investments of $4.3M in nanomedicines research. Over a [...]
Researchers design ‘intelligent’ metamaterial to make MRIs affordable and accessible
Boston University researchers have developed a new, "intelligent" metamaterial – which costs less than ten dollars to build – that could revolutionize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), making the entire [...]
World-leading microscopes take candid snapshots of atoms in their ‘neighborhoods
We can directly see the hidden world of atoms thanks to electron microscopes, first developed in the 1930s. Today, electron microscopes, which use beams of electrons to illuminate and [...]
Jamilee Baroud Podcast – Frank Boehm (NA Founder) Interview
In her inaugural podcast, Jamilee interviews Frank Boehm of NanoApps Medical Inc and NanoApps Athletics Inc. From Jamilee's podcast: Welcome to the first episode of "In a Click". On [...]
Updated – Worldwide Press for “Human Brain/Cloud Interface”
“We’ll have nanobots that… connect our neocortex to a synthetic neocortex in the cloud. Our thinking will be a…. biological and non-biological hybrid.” Ray Kurzweil, TED 2014 UPDATE [...]
Scientists Demonstrate Direct Brain-to-Brain Communication in Humans
We humans have evolved a rich repertoire of communication, from gesture to sophisticated languages. All of these forms of communication link otherwise separate individuals in such a way that [...]
New Ultrasensitive Optical Nanoprobes to Monitor Bioelectric Activity of Neurons
Ultrasensitive nanoscale optical probes have been created by scientists from UC Santa Cruz, to observe the bioelectric activity of neurons and other excitable cells. This innovative readout technology could [...]
Potential Nanotechnology Treatment for Celiac Disease Revealed
Advances made during recent clinical trials mean that those suffering from celiac disease may soon be able to reintroduce gluten back into their diet. This breakthrough is down to [...]
Prime editing: DNA tool could correct 89% of genetic defects
A new way of editing the code of life could correct 89% of the errors in DNA that cause disease, say US scientists. The technology, called prime editing, has [...]
Paving a way to achieve unexplored semiconductor nanostructures
A research team of Ehime University paved a way to achieve unexplored III-V semiconductor nanostructures. They grew branched GaAs nanowires with a nontoxic Bi element employing characteristic structural modifications [...]
Quantum dots that light up TVs could be used for brain research
While many people love colorful photos of landscapes, flowers or rainbows, some biomedical researchers treasure vivid images on a much smaller scale – as tiny as one-thousandth the width [...]
Ultrafast particle interactions could help make quantum information devices feasible
Energy is information. Lengthening the time during which a system is capable of retaining energy before losing it to the local environment is a key goal for the development [...]
Crossing the great divide between model studies and applied reactors in catalysis
Just because a model catalyst effectively drives a reaction in a well-controlled environment doesn’t mean it will work as well under more practical conditions. For years, scientists have strived [...]
Shaping nanoparticles for improved quantum information technology
Particles that are mere nanometers in size are at the forefront of scientific research today. They come in many different shapes: rods, spheres, cubes, vesicles, S-shaped worms and even [...]
Nanoscale manipulation of light leads to exciting new advancement
Controlling the interactions between light and matter has been a long-standing ambition for scientists seeking to develop and advance numerous technologies that are fundamental to society. With the boom [...]
NanoApps Athletics Inc. Established
Frank Boehm (NanoApps Medical Inc. founder) and Amanda Scott (NA CEO) join NanoApps Athletics Inc. NanoApps Athletics Inc proposes a unique synergistic biochemical/nanomedical strategy for the expedited repair and [...]
Use of nanopores could lead to cleaner water
Not all nanopores are created equal. For starters, their diameters vary between 1 and 10 nanometers (nm). The smallest of these nanopores, called Single Digit Nanopores (SDNs), have diameters [...]
Light in a new light
In a paper published in Nature's NPJ Quantum Information ("Multiphoton quantum-state engineering using conditional measurements"), Omar Magaña-Loaiza, assistant professor in the Louisiana State University (LSU) Department of Physics & [...]
Google researchers have reportedly achieved “quantum supremacy”
According to a report in the Financial Times, a team of researchers from Google led by John Martinis have demonstrated quantum supremacy for the first time. This is the [...]
Brain-computer interfaces without the mess
It sounds like science fiction: controlling electronic devices with brain waves. But researchers have developed a new type of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrode that can do just that, without the [...]
Scientists create a nanomaterial that is both twisted and untwisted at the same time
A new nanomaterial developed by scientists at the University of Bath could solve a conundrum faced by scientists probing some of the most promising types of future [...]
Artificial intelligence helps to predict hybrid nanoparticle structures
Researchers at the Nanoscience Center and Faculty of Information Technology in the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have achieved a significant step forward in predicting atomic structures of hybrid nanoparticles. [...]
Creating new opportunities from nanomaterials
A hundred years ago, “2d” meant a two-penny, or 1-inch, nail. Today, “2-D” encompasses a broad range of atomically thin flat materials, many with exotic properties not found in [...]
Nanomedical Device and Systems Design: Challenges, Possibilities, Visions now available to rent on Kindle
To accommodate students who wish to read the book at an affordable cost, Nanomedical Device and Systems Design: Challenges, Possibilities, Visions by Frank Boehm (CEO NanoApps Medical Inc.) is available to rent [...]
Colour-change urine test for cancer shows potential in mouse study
Tools that detect cancer in its early stages can increase patient survival and quality of life. However, cancer screening approaches often call for expensive equipment and trips to the [...]
Ma vs Musk: tech tycoons spar on future of AI
Jack Ma believes artificial intelligence poses no threat to humanity, but Elon Musk called that "famous last words" as the billionaire tech tycoons faced off Thursday in an occasionally [...]
Nanodiamonds as platform for therapy and diagnosis of brain diseases
The blood-brain barrier is a physiological boundary layer that works highly selectively and thus protects the brain: On the one hand, pathogens or toxins are effectively prevented from penetrating [...]
Carbon nanotube breathalyzer can detect marijuana
As recreational marijuana legalization becomes more widespread throughout the U.S., so has concern about what that means for enforcing DUI laws. Unlike a breathalyzer used to detect alcohol, police [...]
Industry 4.0: The Ultimate Guide by Ferry Vermeulen
Intro to Industry 4.0: The Ultimate Guide by Ferry Vermeulen Industry is changing a lot these days. New concepts and systems pop-up continuously, and due to companies’ need to [...]
The 10 most important breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence
“Artificial Intelligence” is currently the hottest buzzword in tech. And with good reason - after decades of research and development, the last few years have seen a number of [...]
Leave A Comment