Sep 23, 2022(Nanowerk News) What do clouds, televisions, pharmaceuticals, and even the dirt under our feet have in common? They all have or use crystals in some way. Crystals are more than just fancy gemstones. Clouds form when water vapor condenses into ice crystals in the atmosphere. Liquid crystal displays are used in a variety of electronics, from televisions to instrument panels. Crystallization is an important step for drug discovery and purification. Crystals also make up rocks and other minerals. Their crucial role in the environment is a focus of materials science and health sciences research.Scientists have yet to fully understand how crystallization occurs, but the importance of surfaces in promoting the process has long been recognized. Research from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), the University of Washington (UW), and Durham University sheds new light on how crystals form at surfaces.Their results were published in Science Advances ("Hydroxide films on mica form charge-stabilized microphases that circumvent nucleation barriers").Aluminum hydroxide, depicted here in orange, undergoes fluctuations between structures before forming an ordered crystal. (Illustration by Nathan Johnson, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)Previous studies on crystallization led scientists to form the classical nucleation theorythe predominant explanation for why crystals begin to form, or nucleate. When crystals nucleate, they begin as very small ephemeral clusters of just a few atoms. Their small size makes the clusters extremely difficult to detect. Scientists have managed to collect only a few images of such processes.New technologies are making it possible to visualize the crystallization process as never before, said PNNL Physical Sciences Division Chemist Ben Legg. He partnered with PNNL Battelle Fellow and UW Affiliate Professor James De Yoreo to do just that. With the help of Professor Kislon Voitchovsky from Durham University in England, they used a technique called atomic force microscopy to watch the nucleation of an aluminum hydroxide mineral on a mica surface in water.Mica is a common mineral, found in everything from drywall to cosmetics. It often provides a surface for other minerals to nucleate and grow. For this study, however, its most important feature was its extremely flat surface, which allowed researchers to detect the few-atom clusters as they formed on the mica.What Legg and De Yoreo observed was a crystallization pattern that was not expected from the classical theory. Instead of a rare event in which a cluster of atoms reaches a critical size and then grows across the surface, they saw thousands of fluctuating clusters that coalesced into an unexpected pattern with gaps that persisted between crystalline "islands."After careful analysis of the results, the researchers concluded that while certain aspects of the current theory held true, ultimately their system followed a nonclassical pathway. They attribute this to electrostatic forces from charges on the mica surface. Because many types of materials form charged surfaces in water, the researchers hypothesize that they observed a widespread phenomenon and are excited to look for other systems where this nonclassical process might occur.Assumptions from classical nucleation theory have far-reaching implications in disciplines ranging from materials science to climate prediction, said De Yoreo. The results from our experiments can help produce more accurate simulations of such systems.

The rest is here:
Atomic-scale imaging reveals a facile route to crystal formation - Nanowerk

Sep 23, 2022(Nanowerk News) Since the initial discovery of what has become a rapidly growing family of two-dimensional layered materials called MXenes in 2011, Drexel University researchers have made steady progress in understanding the complex chemical composition and structure, as well as the physical and electrochemical properties, of these exceptionally versatile materials. More than a decade later, advanced instruments and a new approach have allowed the team to peer within the atomic layers to better understand the connection between the materials form and function.In a paper recently published in Nature Nanotechnology ("Oxycarbide MXenes and MAX phases identification using monoatomic layer-by-layer analysis with ultralow-energy secondary-ion mass spectrometry"), researchers from Drexels College of Engineering and Polands Warsaw Institute of Technology and Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics reported a new way to look at the atoms that make up MXenes and their precursor materials, MAX phases, using a technique called secondary ion mass spectrometry.In doing so, the group discovered atoms in locations where they were not expected and imperfections in the two-dimensional materials that could explain some of their unique physical properties. They also demonstrated the existence of an entirely new subfamily of MXenes, called oxycarbides, which are two-dimensional materials where up to 30% of carbon atoms are replaced by oxygen.A new technique using secondary-ion mass spectrometry has given Drexel researchers a fresh look at the two-dimensional materials they have been studying for more than a decade. (Image: Drexel University)This discovery will enable researchers to build new MXenes and other nanomaterials with tunable properties best suited for specific applications from antennas for 5G and 6G wireless communication and shields for electromagnetic interference; to filters for hydrogen production, storage and separation; to wearable kidneys for dialysis patients.Better understanding of the detailed structure and composition of two-dimensional materials will allow us to unlock their full potential, said Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Distinguished University and Bach professor in the College, who led the MXene characterization research. We now have a clearer picture of why MXenes behave the way they do and will be able to tailor their structure and therefore behaviors for important new applications.Secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a commonly used technique to study solid surfaces and thin films and how their chemistry changes with depth. It works by shooting a beam of charged particles at a sample, which bombards the atoms on the surface of the material and ejects them a process called sputtering. The ejected ions are detected, collected and identified based on their mass and serve as indicators of the composition of the material.While SIMS has been used to study multi-layered materials over the years, the depth resolution has been limited examining the surface of a material (several angstroms). A team led by Pawel Michalowski, PhD, from Polands Institute of Microelectronics and Photonics, made a number of improvements to the technique, including adjusting the angle and energy of the beam, how the ejected ions are measured; and cleaning the surface of the samples, which allowed them to sputter samples layer by layer. This allowed the researchers to view the sample with an atom-level resolution that had not been previously possible.The closest technique for analysis of thin layers and surfaces of MXenes is X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which we have been using at Drexel starting from the discovery of the first MXene, said Mark Anayee, a doctoral candidate in Gogotsis group. While XPS only gave us a look at the surface of the materials, SIMS lets us analyze the layers beneath the surface. It allows us to remove precisely one layer of atoms at a time without disturbing the ones beneath it. This can give us a much clearer picture that would not be possible with any other laboratory technique.As the team peeled back the upper layer of atoms, like an archaeologist carefully unearthing a new find, the researchers began to see the subtle features of the chemical scaffolding within the layers of materials, revealing the unexpected presence and positioning of atoms, and various defects and imperfections.We demonstrated the formation of oxygen-containing MXenes, so-called oxycarbides. This represents a new subfamily of MXenes which is a big discovery! said Gogotsi. Our results suggest that for every carbide MXene, there is an oxycarbide MXene, where oxygen replaces some carbon atoms in the lattice structure.Since MAX and MXenes represent a large family of materials, the researchers further explored more complex systems that include multiple metal elements. They made several pathbreaking observations, including the intermixing of atoms in chromium-titanium carbide MXene which were previously thought to be separated into distinct layers. And they confirmed previous findings, such as the complete separation of molybdenum atoms to outer layers and titanium atoms to the inner layer in molybdenum-titanium carbide.All of these findings are important for developing MXenes with a finely tuned structure and improved properties, according to Gogotsi.We can now control not only the total elemental composition of MXenes, but also know in which atomic layers the specific elements like carbon, oxygen, or metals are located, said Gogotsi. We know that eliminating oxygen helps to increase the environmental stability of titanium carbide MXene and increase its electronic conductivity. Now that we have a better understanding of how much additional oxygen is in the materials, we can adjust the recipe so to speak to produce MXenes that do not have it, and as a result more stable in the environment.The team also plans to explore ways to separate layers of chromium and titanium, which will help it develop MXenes with attractive magnetic properties. And now that the SIMS technique has proven to be effective, Gogotsi plans to use it in future research, including his recent $3 million U.S. Department of Energy-funded effort to explore MXenes for hydrogen storage an important step toward the development of a new sustainable energy source.In many ways, studying MXenes for the last decade has been mapping uncharted territory, said Gogotsi. With this new approach, we have better guidance on where to look for new materials and applications.

View original post here:
New technique allows researchers to scrape beyond the surface of nanomaterials - Nanowerk

Sep 22, 2022(Nanowerk News) As the need to mitigate climate change accelerates, scientists are trying to find new ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. One process, called electrochemical reduction or electrolysis, uses electricity and a catalyst to convert carbon dioxide into organic products that can be used in other ways. Unlike conversion between water and hydrogen, chemical recycling of carbon dioxide can produce various useable products because carbon can develop vast varieties of organic structures.One way to achieve electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide uses very tiny pieces of copper. While bulk copper metal has known to convert carbon dioxide into various organic molecules, these small pieces of copper can further improve catalytic activity not only by the increase of its surface area but also by the unique electronic structure of copper emerged from nanosizing.The organic layer grown on cuprous oxide nanocube improved CO2 reduction selectivity of Cu species wrapped by it, and also maintained its cubic structure during catalysis. (Image: Shoko Kume, Hiroshima University)In a paper published in Chemical Communications ("Uniform wrapping of copper(i) oxide nanocubes by self-controlled copper-catalyzed azidealkyne cycloaddition toward selective carbon dioxide electrocatalysis"), researchers explain a process for improving the way the copper nanocubes convert carbon dioxide, by improving their selectivity. Selectivity refers to the ability of a catalyst to produce a desired product over unwanted byproducts.Recent developments in carbon dioxide reduction using copper electrocatalysts can convert the gas into hydrocarbons and alcohol, but the selectivity of various copper-related electrocatalysts developed so far is still elusive, because they tend to lose activity through structural reorganization during the catalysis, said Shoko Kume, associate professor at the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering at Hiroshima University in Japan.Researchers discovered that this problem can be solved by growing an organic layer on top of the nanocubes. First, a pair of monomers were added to the copper oxide nanocube. These monomers were tethered by the chemistry on copper oxide and an even organic layer grew on the surface of the cubes. This new organic layer helps improve carbon dioxide reduction selectivity, in part because carbon dioxide has poor solubility and the organic layer the researchers produced has hydrophobic properties, meaning it repels excessive water, from which unwanted hydrogen is produced.The wrapping improved carbon dioxide reduction of the copper beneath this organic layer by suppressing hydrogen evolution, and also maintained the cubic structure throughout the catalyst operation, said Kume.Another important factor for improving the quality of the organic layer was the temperature at the time of the growth, with the best results found at room temperature. Under the best conditions, the layer is flat with a thickness of several molecules. Even the thin layer readily permeates carbon dioxide and allows the wrapped copper to undergo electroreduction, protecting the metals and helping the cubes retain their shape.Currently, copper nanocubes are not widely adopted as a method for carbon dioxide reduction because they are unstable and do not have the level of selectivity needed to effectively recycle the carbon dioxide into other chemical products. The findings of this paper highlight a new method of creating an electrocatalyst using copper nanocubes that can solve some of these problems. Researchers also point out, looking ahead, that the method can be modified to control both the selectivity and improve how the catalysts work.Our current method can introduce a vast variety of organic structures within the layer, which can be involved in the carbon dioxide reduction process to control its selectivity and efficiency, said Kume. It can also be used to control the dynamic behavior of metal species during catalysis, which can develop catalysts with long life and a tolerance for impurities.

More:
Wrapping of nanosize copper cubes can help convert carbon dioxide into other chemicals - Nanowerk

Sep 22, 2022(Nanowerk News) Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have designed a miniature antenna that can operate wirelessly inside of a living cell, opening up possibilities in medical diagnostics and treatment and other scientific processes because of the antennas potential for monitoring and even directing cellular activity in real-time.The most exciting aspect of this research is we are able to create cyborgs at a cellular scale, says Deblina Sarkar, assistant professor and AT&T Career Development Chair at the MIT Media Lab and head of the Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab. We are able to fuse the versatility of information technology at the level of cells, the building blocks of biology.A paper describing the research was published in the journal Nature Communications ("Cell Rovera miniaturized magnetostrictive antenna for wireless operation inside living cells").An artist's rendition of the Cell Rover, an intracellular antenna for exploring and augmenting the inner world of the cell. (Image: Irakli Zurabishvili for Deblina Sarkar, with models by IronWeber and Lauri Purhonen)The technology, named Cell Rover by the researchers, represents the first demonstration of an antenna that can operate inside a cell and is compatible with 3D biological systems. Typical bioelectronic interfaces, Sarkar says, are millimeters or even centimeters in size, and are not only highly invasive but also fail to provide the resolution needed to interact with single cells wirelessly especially considering that changes to even one cell can affect a whole organism.The antenna developed by Sarkars team is much smaller than a cell. In fact, in the teams research with oocyte cells, the antenna represented less than .05 percent of the cell volume, putting it well below a size that would intrude upon and damage the cell.Finding a way to build an antenna of that size to work inside a cell was a key challenge.This is because conventional antennas need to be comparable in size to the wavelength of the electromagnetic waves they transmit and receive. Such wavelengths are very large they represent the velocity of light divided by the wave frequency. At the same time, increasing the frequency in order to reduce that ratio and the size of the antenna is counterproductive because high frequencies produce heat damaging to living tissue.The antenna developed by the Media Lab researchers converts electromagnetic waves into acoustic waves, whose wavelengths are five orders of magnitude smaller representing the velocity of sound divided by the wave frequency than those of the electromagnetic waves.This conversion from electromagnetic to acoustic waves is accomplished by fabricating the miniature antennas using material that is referred to as magnetostrictive. When a magnetic field is applied to the antenna, powering and activating it, magnetic domains within the magnetostrictive material align to the field, creating strain in the material, the way metal bits woven into a piece of cloth could react to a strong magnet, causing the cloth to contort.When an alternating magnetic field is applied to the antenna, the varying strain and stress (pressure) produced in the material is what creates the acoustic waves in the antenna, says Baju Joy, a student in Sarkar's lab and the lead author of this work. "We have also developed a novel strategy using a non-uniform magnetic field to introduce the rovers into the cells," Joy adds.Configured in this way, the antenna could be used to explore the fundamentals of biology as natural processes occur, Sarkar says. Instead of destroying cells to examine their cytoplasm as is typically done, the Cell Rover could monitor the development or division of a cell, detecting different chemicals and biomolecules such as enzymes, or physical changes such as in cell pressure all in real-time and in vivo.Materials such as polymers that undergo change in mass or stress in response to chemical or biomolecular changes already used in medical and other research could be integrated with the operation of the Cell Rover, according to the researchers. Such an integration could provide insights not afforded by the current observational techniques that involve destruction of the cell.With such capabilities, the Cell Rovers could be valuable in cancer and neurodegenerative disease research, for example. As Sarkar explains, the technology could be used to detect and monitor biochemical and electrical changes associated with the disease over its progression in individual cells. Applied in the field of drug discovery, the technology could illuminate the reactions of live cells to different drugs.Because of the sophistication and scale of nanoelectronic devices such as transistors and switches representing five decades of tremendous advancements in the field of information technology, Sarkar says the Cell Rover, with its mini antenna, could carry out functions ranging all the way to intracellular computing and information processing for autonomous exploration and modulation of the cell. The research demonstrated that multiple Cell Rovers can be engaged, even within a single cell, to communicate among themselves and outside of the cells.The Cell Rover is an innovative concept as it can embed sensing, communication and information technology inside a living cell, says Anantha P. Chandrakasan, dean of the MIT School of Engineering and the Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. This opens up unprecedented opportunities for extremely precise diagnostics, therapeutics, and drug discovery, as well as creating a new direction at intersection between biology and electronic devices.The researchers named their intracellular antenna technology Cell Rover to invoke, like that of a Mars rover, its mission to explore a new frontier.You can think of the Cell Rover, says Sarkar, as being on an expedition, exploring the inner world of the cell.

Excerpt from:
Cell Rover: Exploring and augmenting the inner world of the cell - Nanowerk

Northwestern University has announced a major new center focused on improving the quality of primary care to improve primary care services and systems throughout the world.

A gift from the Patrick G. 59, 09 H (97, 00 P) and Shirley W. Ryan 61, 19 H (97, 00 P) Family will endow the Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care within Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicines Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health, whose mission is to improve health for a better world.

The primary care centers focus within that aim is to collaborate with partner institutions in international environments where critical health care is most needed. Northwestern will help identify opportunities for research and training, build capacity for more primary care patients and, ultimately, improve health promotion, disease prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The gift is part of a transformational $480 million gift from the Ryan Family to the University that was announced in September 2021.

This wonderful gift from the Ryan Family enables Northwestern to expand our critically important work across the globe to improve lives and transform human health, said Dr. Eric G. Neilson, Lewis Landsberg Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs at Feinberg. It is support like this that accelerates the pace of discovery for some of societys most important health issues. We are very grateful for their commitment to the science in medicine.

With the centers support, Feinberg faculty will conduct research and support scientific laboratories in these collaborating institutions, and Feinberg students and trainees will travel globally for pilot projects in primary care research.

With this visionary gift, the Ryans are putting Northwesterns faculty in a position to help reinvent primary care on a global scale, Northwestern President Michael H. Schill said. This represents one of our most urgent directives as an institution, one with as far-reaching effects as anything undertaken at a university like ours.

Dr. Robert J. Havey 80 MD, 83 GME, 84 GME (08, 13 P), deputy director of the Havey Institute for Global Health,said the goal of the Institute for Global Health is to find sustainable solutions to improve the health and health care of populations in under-resourced countries around the world. He noted that primary care is the foundation needed for health care to be affordable and effective.

The new Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care will allow the Institute to find more efficient ways to improve and expand primary care systems to serve the billions of people around the world who currently have poor access to quality health care, said Havey, also a clinical professor ofmedicinein the division ofgeneral internal medicine and geriatrics, and a long-time general internist with Northwestern Medical Group. This is a humanitarian, economic and social stability crisis, occurring at a time of unprecedented global population growth. All of us at the Institute are grateful to the Ryan Family for recognizing and helping support this critical need.

As the largest donors in Northwesterns history, the Ryan Family has made broad and deep philanthropic investments across the institution, includingacademics. The Ryans have given in support of hundreds of different University programs. Among the most notable are:

Patrick G. Ryan is a 1959 Northwestern graduate. He received his undergraduate degree in business from what was then called the School of Business and now is named the Kellogg School of Management. He also received an honorary degree from the University in 2009 in appreciation for his 14 years of service as chairman of Northwesterns Board of Trustees. In 2013, he was inducted into Northwesterns Athletics Hall of Fame.

Shirley Welsh Ryan is a 1961 Northwestern graduate. She received her undergraduate degree in English Literature from what was then called the College of Arts and Sciences and is now named the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. In 2019, Northwestern awarded Mrs. Ryan the honorary title of Doctor of Humane Letters.

Mr. Ryan is distinguished as one of Chicagos most successful entrepreneurs and prominent civic leaders. His first business venture while a student involved selling scrapbooks to fellow students, which paid for his Northwestern education. Mr. Ryan founded and served for 41 years as CEO of Aon Corporation, the leading global provider of risk management, insurance and reinsurance brokerage. At the time of his retirement, Aon had nearly $8 billion in annual revenue with more than 500 offices in 120 countries.

In 2010, Mr. Ryan founded Ryan Specialty, a service provider of specialty products and solutions for insurance brokers, agents and carriers. The firm provides distribution, underwriting, product development, administration and risk management services by acting as a wholesale broker and a managing underwriter.

Mr. Ryan currently serves as chairman and CEO of Ryan Specialty Holdings, Inc., which completed its initial public offering in July 2021. The firms shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RYAN. Mr. Ryan is distinct in having founded and built two major New York Stock Exchange traded insurance companies.

Mr. Ryan is a member of the Chicago Business Hall of Fame, and a member and past president of the Economic Club of Chicago. He also is a member of the International Insurance Hall of Fame and the Automotive Hall of Fame, a member and past chairman of Northwesterns Board of Trustees, a recipient of the esteemed Horatio Alger Award and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Shirley Welsh Ryan is founder of Pathways.org, which is used by 40 million parents and healthcare professionals annually through its video-based website and social media in every country except North Korea. Three hundred U.S. institutions of higher learning use Pathway.orgs free materials. Mrs. Ryans pioneering work to empower every infants fullest physical development has won numerous awards. Two U.S. presidents have appointed her to the National Council on Disability in Washington, D.C., which advises the U.S. Congress on disability policy.

In 2017, Pathways.org merged with the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, acclaimed for 32 years as the number one U.S. rehabilitation hospital by U.S. News & World Report.

The Pathways.org Medical Round Table (P.M.R.T.), created in 1990, is the first Infant Milestone Chart of typical and atypical development to be endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (A.A.P.). All Pathways.org material is in accord with the leadership of P.M.R.T. and A.A.P.

Mrs. Ryan is a strong believer in the power of early infant detection, therapeutic intervention, universal accessibility, and the concept that all children can learn. She serves on the boards of University of Notre Dame, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Alain Locke Charter School and WTTW-PBS. She also has served on the boards of the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and Ronald McDonald House Charities; has chaired the Chicago Community Trust; and founded the Lincoln Park Zoo Womens Board. For 46 years, Mrs. Ryan has led a Northwestern graduate-level course entitled Learning for Life.

Mrs. Ryan has been awarded honorary doctorates from Northwestern, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also has received the Chicago History Museum Award for Distinction in Civic Leadership.

In addition to earning her B.A. from Northwestern, Mrs. Ryan studied at the Sorbonne of the University of Paris and the Ecoledu Louvre in Paris.

In addition to Mr. and Mrs. Ryan, the Ryan Family includes Pat 97 JD, MBA and Lydia; Rob 00 JD, MBA and Jennifer; and Corbett.

This is one in a series of announcements being made this fall related to the Ryan Familys $480 million gift to Northwestern, which wasannounced in September 2021.

Originally posted here:
Northwestern announces new global primary care center to foster health care equity in the developing world - Northwestern Now

Sep 14, 2022(Nanowerk News) Researchers around the world are working to develop efficient materials to convert CO2 into usable chemical substances work that is particularly pressing in view of global warming.A team from the University of Gttingen, Germany, and the Ulsan National Institute for Science, South Korea, has discovered a new and promising approach: catalytically active molecules are nanoconfined meaning they are put into an environment that leaves very little space for the single molecules on a surface that serves as a conductive electron supplier. These molecules promote specific chemical reactions. Such hybrid systems make use of both the properties of the molecules and the properties of the substrate.The results were published in Science Advances ("Making and breaking of chemical bonds in single nanoconfined molecules").Image showing how the catalytically active molecules arranged themselves into almost perfect single-layer structures on a polished silver surface. (Image: Ole Bunjes)The first step for the team was to deposit the catalytically active molecules as a vapour onto polished silver before examining them with a high-resolution scanning tunneling microscope built in Gttingen."To our absolute astonishment, the molecules arrange themselves, as if by magic, into almost perfect single-layer structures on the surface," says Lucas Paul, PhD student, University of Gttingen, and co-author of the study."In addition to imaging individual molecules, the energy of the injected electrons can be adjusted so precisely in the scanning tunneling microscope that chemical reactions can be induced and observed in a single molecule," explains physicist Professor Martin Wenderoth.Wenderoth led the project together with chemist Professor Inke Siewert, at the University of Gttingens Collaborative Research Centre 1073 Atomic Scale Control of Energy Conversion. Siewert adds, "We are able to very precisely break individual chemical bonds."The researchers show that molecules that are particularly densely packed on the surface have altered chemical properties. Thus, exclusively for the "trapped" molecules the bond can be broken and subsequently also restored, since the separated part of the molecule can only move very slightly away from the rest of the molecule."This shows how a lack of space, at an atomic level, can be used to manipulate chemical reactions," says first author Ole Bunjes, University of Gttingen.The research team wants their experiments to contribute to the development of efficient molecular surface systems with precisely determined properties. In addition, they want to investigate whether their new system is suitable as a molecular data memory.

Original post:
Making and breaking of chemical bonds in single nanoconfined molecules - Nanowerk

TEHRAN A sum of 45 billion rials (around $160,000) has been paid to support 256 nanotechnology companies over the past Iranian calendar year (March 2021-March 2022).

Some 1,498 support services worth 45 billion rials (around $160,000) have been provided to 256 companies holding a nanoscale certificate.

These services were provided to companies active in the nanotechnology field in four general categories of "international market development", "business management", " production and development" and "domestic market development".

Nanotechnology improvement

One of the industries that have experienced good growth in Iran in recent years, provingthe countrys scientific development, is the nanotechnology industry, a subject area that has brought Iran to the worlds fourth place.

Currently, nanotech products are produced and marketed in more than 15 industrial fields based on domestic technologies and are being exported to 49 countries from five continents.

Over the past year (ended March 20), the total sale of Iranian nanoproducts has been equal to 115 trillion rials (nearly $425 million).

Services were provided for "international market development", "business management", " production and development" and "domestic market development".

The expansion of nanotechnology export programs in recent years and the establishment of bases for exporting nanoproducts to China, India, Indonesia, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq have provided the opportunity for the entry of Iranian nanotechnology goods, equipment, and services into global markets.

Some 42 percent of the products in this field are related to construction, more than 17 percent to the field of oil, gas, and petrochemicals, 13 percent to the field of automobiles, and over 10 percent to the field of optoelectronics.

Some 270 companies are active in the nanotechnology field and it is predicted that their revenue will reach up to 80 trillion rials (nearly $310 million), Vice President for Science and Technology, Sourena Sattari, announced.

Irans ranking in nanotechnology articles citation in 2019 has significantly improved compared to 2018, as it moved 26 levels higher, according to StatNanos statistics collected from the WoS database.

Based on a report Nanotechnology Publications report, Iran ranked 38 worldwide for the average number of times the nano-articles have been cited in the Journal Citation Reports in 2019, while in 2018, it was placed 64.

It also ranked 4th for the highest number of nano-article publications.

FB/MG

Excerpt from:
Over 250 nanotechnology companies supported in a year - Tehran Times

On September 7, 2022, the United States Department ofAgriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service(USDA-APHIS) announced the completion of the firstRegulatory Status Review (RSR) of a genetically engineered plantunder the SECURE rule. APHIS concluded that a new geneticallyengineered tomato produced by Norfolk Plant Sciences is unlikely topose an increased plant pest risk compared to a conventionaltomato, and is therefore not subject to regulation under the SECURErule. This means that these tomato plants, which have beenengineered to produce deep purple tomatoes with enhancednutritional quality, may be legally imported, moved interstate, or"released" into the environment (including, for example,in a field trial) in the United States without a permit fromAPHIS.

Notably, this finding also means that subsequent genetictransformation events involving the same combination of plantspecies, trait, and mechanism of action ("PTMOA") asNorfolk Plant Sciences' purple tomatoes are also no longerregulated under the SECURE rule. Thus, other subspecies andvarieties of Solanum lycopersicum that have been modifiedto produce the same trait by the same mechanism ofactioneven if by different transgenic eventsare nowexempt under 340.1(c) of the SECURE rule. More informationon this so-called PTMOA exemption is available in APHIS's"Guide for Requesting a Confirmation of Exemptionfrom Regulations under 7 CFR part 340" (published August31, 2022; document ID BRS-GD-2020-0001). This approach is differentfrom the "event-by-event" regulation that was previouslyrequired, and represents the first time that APHIS has made an RSRdetermination under its new rules.

Additional information about the contours of the SECURE rule andthe genetic engineering that Norfolk Plant Sciences used to producetheir purple tomato is provided below.

The SECURE rule (7 CFR part 340) governs how APHISregulates certain organisms developed using genetic engineering,with the goal of protecting U.S. agriculture from plant pest risksunder the Plant Protection Act of 2000 (7 U.S.C. 7701et seq.). It replaced the previous version of 7 CFR part 340, whichhad been in place largely unchanged since APHIS's biotechnologyregulations were established in 1987, in phases between May 18, 2020 and October 1,2021.

The new regulations completely overhauled and streamlined theregulatory process for assessing the plant pest risk oforganisms developed using genetic engineering, taking into accountadvances in scientific understanding, and focusing more on theproperties of the engineered organism and less on the method(s)used to produce it.

The revised regulations exempt certain types of modificationsfrom regulation; such exemptions are self-determined, though developers may voluntarily requestconfirmation from APHIS that a given exemption applies. Thisexemption/confirmation process replaced the previous "Am I Regulated?"process on June 17, 2020, and APHIS has since issued 15 confirmation lettersas of this writing, with the earliest in April 2021.

However, no plant had made it through the new RSR process untilnow. The RSR process is an option for instances in which no SECURErule exemptions apply to a given engineered plant, but thedeveloper feels that the plant nonetheless does not pose anincreased plant pest risk and should therefore not be regulated bythe SECURE rule. The RSR process replaced the previous"petition" process for requesting deregulation from 7 CFRpart 340 due to low likelihood of posing a plant pest risk.

The RSR process became available for corn, soybean, cotton,potato, tomato, and alfalfa on April 5, 2021, and for all otherplant species on October 1, 2021. APHIS received Norfolk PlantSciences' RSR request on August 4, 2021 and responded onSeptember 6, 2022 (both the request and the response documents areavailable here, under RSR number 21-166-01rsr). As ofthis writing, Norfolk Plant Sciences' tomato is the only RSRrequest publicly available on APHIS's website.

Under the RSR process, APHIS reviews "the biologicalproperties of the plant; and the trait (or new characteristic); andthe mechanism of action (or how the genetic modification causes thenew trait to occur)" in order to evaluate plant pest risk. There are twopotential steps to this process, depending on what APHIS determinesduring the first step. In Step 1, APHIS identifies whether theengineered plant poses a plausible pathway to increased plant pestrisk compared to a "comparator" plant. If APHIS finds nosuch pathway, the RSR process concludes, and APHIS notifies therequestor that the plant in question is not subject to regulationunder the SECURE rule. This was the outcome for Norfolk PlantSciences' tomato.

On the other hand, if APHIS does determine that the engineeredplant may plausibly pose an increased plant pest risk, there areseveral potential next steps. First, the developer may accept thatthe plant is regulated under the SECURE rule, and then eitherrequest a permit before moving or releasing the plant, or take nofurther action and not move or release the plant. Alternatively oradditionally, the developer may request that APHIS proceed to Step 2 of the RSR process, which entails amore involved review, subsequent publication in the FederalRegister, and solicitation and review of public comments before afinal determination. As of this writing, no plant has gone throughthis second step of the RSR process.

As described in its RSR request, Norfolk Plant Sciences createdits purple tomato plant by Agrobacterium-mediatedinsertional mutagenesis of the "MicroTom" tomato variety,and subsequent crossing into other tomato varieties. The plants areengineered to increase expression of their natural anthocyaninpigments, which is what causes the fruits to have a deep purplecolor and also enhances their nutritional value.

Specifically, the inserted DNA contains two transcriptionfactors from the snapdragon plant (Antirrhinum majus),which serve to activate production of the tomato's nativeanthocyanin biosynthesis pathway, causing increased anthocyaninproduction. Each of these two transcription factor genes, calledDel and Ros1, is expressed from the T-DNA under anative tomato promotor that causes fruit-specific expression. TheT-DNA also includes the nptII selectable marker with apromotor and terminator from Agrobacterium tumefaciens,which have a decades-long history of safe use and consumption.

Complete genome sequencing revealed that the T-DNA was insertedat a single site in chromosome 4, accompanied by several smalldeletions. Phenotypic evaluation of the transformed plants revealedthat they grew effectively the same as non-transgenic tomatoes,except that they produce deep purple fruit with significantlyhigher anthocyanin content. Photos of the plants and fruit areavailable in the published RSR request.

APHIS considered the information disclosed in Norfolk PlantSciences' RSR request, alongside "publicly availableresources, and APHIS' familiarity with tomato and knowledge ofthe trait, phenotype, and mechanism of action" and "didnot identify any plausible pathway by which [the] modified tomato,or any of its sexually compatible relatives, would pose anincreased plant pest risk relative to a comparator tomato"(21-116-01 RSR Response, page 1). As such, APHIS concluded thatthese purple tomatoes are not subject to regulation under theSECURE rule.

It is important to note that deregulation from APHIS'sSECURE rule does not mean that the plant is wholly removed fromU.S. federal regulatory oversight. For example, regulationsimplemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and/or other arms of USDA(such as Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) import and exportregulations, and/or Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) labelingrequirements) may still apply. Along those lines, Norfolk PlantSciences' RSR request states that Norfolk Plant Sciencessubmitted a food and feed safety and nutritional assessment of thePurple Tomato to FDA under the voluntary Biotechnology Notification Consultationprogram, which was received as BNF number 178. As of thiswriting, FDA has not yet published a completed consultation forNorfolk Plant Sciences' purple tomato.

This regulatory review is an important milestone for regulationof genetically engineered plants in the United States. It is thefirst public test of the SECURE rule's RSR process since itsimplementation more than a year ago, when it became one of the mostscientifically progressive such review processes in the world, atleast on paper. The deregulation of Norfolk Plant Sciences'purple tomatoes shows that USDA-APHIS is embracing its newproduct-focused regulations. Although the review took more than ayearsignificantly longer than the 180 days promised by APHIS for Step1the process will likely become more efficient as the agencyand developers become more familiar and comfortable with the newsystem. It will be interesting to see how the exemption and reviewprocesses grow and possibly become more streamlined with additionaluse.

Because of the generality of this update, the informationprovided herein may not be applicable in all situations and shouldnot be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particularsituations.

Morrison & Foerster LLP. All rights reserved

Read this article:
Purple Tomato Is First Genetically Engineered Plant To Be Deregulated Through USDA's New Regulatory Status Review Process - Life Sciences,...

The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MITs research enterprise in Singapore has announced a five-year grant awarded to the SMART Innovation Center (SMART IC) by the National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF) as part of its Research, Innovation and Enterprise 2025 Plan. The SMART IC plays a key role in accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship in Singapore and will channel the grant toward refining and commercializing developments in the field of deep technologies through financial support and training.

Singapore has recently expanded its innovation ecosystem to hone deep technologies to solve complex problems in areas of pivotal importance. While there has been increased support for deep tech here, with investments in deep tech startups surging from $324 million in 2020 to $861 million in 2021, startups of this nature tend to take a longer time to scale, get acquired, or get publicly listed due to increased time, labor, and capital needed. By providing researchers with financial and strategic support from the early stages of their research and development, the SMART IC hopes to accelerate this process and help bring new and disruptive technologies to the market.

SMARTs Innovation Center prides itself as being one of the key drivers of research and innovation, by identifying and nurturing emerging technologies and accelerating them towards commercialization, says Howard Califano, director of SMART IC. With the support of the NRF, we look forward to another five years of further growing the ecosystem by ensuring an environment where research and research funds are properly directed to what the market and society need. This is how we will be able to solve problems faster and more efficiently, and ensure that value is generated from scientific research.

Set up in 2009 by MIT and funded by the NRF, the SMART IC furthers SMARTs goals by nurturing promising and innovative technologies that faculty and research teams in Singapore are working on. Some emerging technologies include, but are not limited to, biotechnology, biomedical devices, information technology, new materials, nanotechnology, and energy innovations.

Having trained over 300 postdocs since its inception, the SMART IC has supported the launch of 55 companies that have created over 3,300 jobs. Some of these companies were spearheaded by SMARTs interdisciplinary research groups, including biotech companies Theonys and Thrixen, autonomous vehicle software company nuTonomy, and integrated circuit company New Silicon. During the RIE 2020 period, 66 Ignition Grants and 69 Innovation Grants were awarded to SMARTs researchers, as well as faculty at other Singapore universities and research institutes.

The following four programs are open to researchers from education and research facilities, as well as institutes of higher learning, in Singapore:

Innovation Grant 2.0: The enhanced SMART Innovation Centers flagship program, the Innovation Grant 2.0, is a gated three-phase program focused on enabling scientist-entrepreneurs to launch a successful venture, with training and intense monitoring across all phases. This grant program can provide up to $800,000 Singaporean dollars and is open to all areas of deep technology (engineering, artificial intelligence, biomedical, new materials, etc). The first grant call for the Innovation Grant 2.0 is open through Oct. 15. Researchers, scientists, and engineers at Singapores public institutions of higher learning, research centers, public hospitals, and medical research centers especially those working on disruptive technologies with commercial potential are invited to apply for the Innovation Grant 2.0.

I2START Grant: In collaboration with SMART, the National Health Innovation Center Singapore, and Enterprise Singapore, this novel integrated program will develop master classes on venture building, with a focus on medical devices, diagnostics, and medical technologies. The grant amount is up to S$1,350,000. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

STDR Stream 2: The Singapore Therapeutics Development Review (STDR) program is jointly operated by SMART, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), and the Experimental Drug Development Center. The grant is available in two phases, a pre-pilot phase of S$100,000 and a Pilot phase of S$830,000, with a potential combined total of up to S$930,000. The next STDR Pre-Pilot grant call will open on Sept. 15.

Central Gap Fund: The SMART IC is an Innovation and Enterprise Office under the NRFs Central Gap Fund. This program helps projects that have already received an Innovation 2.0, STDR Stream 2, or I2START Grant but require additional funding to bridge to seed or Series A funding, with possible funding of up to S$5 million. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

The SMART IC will also continue developing robust entrepreneurship mentorship programs and regular industry events to encourage closer collaboration among faculty innovators and the business community.

SMART, through the Innovation Center, is honored to be able to help researchers take these revolutionary technologies to the marketplace, where they can contribute to the economy and society. The projects we fund are commercialized in Singapore, ensuring that the local economy is the first to benefit, says Eugene Fitzgerald, chief executive officer and director of SMART, and professor of materials science and engineering at MIT.

SMART was established by MIT and the NRF in 2007 and serves as an intellectual and innovation hub for cutting-edge research of interest to both parties. SMART is the first entity in the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise. SMART currently comprises an Innovation Center and five Interdisciplinary Research Groups: Antimicrobial Resistance, Critical Analytics for Manufacturing Personalized-Medicine, Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision, Future Urban Mobility, and Low Energy Electronic Systems.

The SMART IC was set up by MIT and the NRF in 2009. It identifies and nurtures a broad range of emerging technologies including but not limited to biotechnology, biomedical devices, information technology, new materials, nanotechnology, and energy innovations, and accelerates them toward commercialization. The SMART IC runs a rigorous grant system that identifies and funds promising projects to help them de-risk their technologies, conduct proof-of-concept experiments, and determine go-to-market strategies. It also prides itself on robust entrepreneurship boot camps and mentorship, and frequent industry events to encourage closer collaboration among faculty innovators and the business community. SMARTs Innovation grant program is the only scheme that is open to all institutes of higher learning and research institutes across Singapore.

More here:
SMART Innovation Center awarded five-year NRF grant for new deep tech ventures - MIT News

India is brimming with biotech companies and a young and skilled workforce. Heres a quick glance at the private healthcare biotechs in India that captured investors imaginations in the last couple of years.

India has historically been known for its large IT, pharmaceutical and vaccine manufacturing sectors, but is also a force to be reckoned with in the global biotechnology market. The nation boasts around 5,000 biotech companies, with more than 4,000 being startups. This startup count is expected to reach 10,000 by 2024.

With a huge population of young and skilled workers, India has many ingredients for expanding the number of its biotech companies in the coming years. Add to this a large patient pool for lifestyle-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, and there is a large potential for generating innovations in healthcare.

Weve assembled a shortlist of the hottest private biotech companies in India by checking whos raised impressive cash in the last few years. These companies are carrying out innovative healthcare research and are primarily based in Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Founded: 2014

Headquarters: Bengaluru, India and Saratoga, U.S.

Bugworks has multiple sites in the U.S. and Australia with a research and development base in India. The firm specializes in the development of antibiotics that could address the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance.

Bugworks lead candidate antibiotic blocks the replication machinery in invading bacteria. In addition, the drug is designed to bypass normal resistance mechanisms in bacteria, which could make it harder for strains to become resistant to the treatment.

The company is testing its antibiotic in phase 1 trials for the treatment of multi-drug resistant infections in collaboration with the nonprofit initiatives CARB-X and the Global Antibiotic Research and Development Partnership (GARDP).

Bugworks is financing its antibiotics research with a $18 million Series B1 round closed in February 2022. In addition, Bugworks will use the proceeds to fund the preclinical development of a dual-acting drug to treat cancer.

Founded: 2012

Headquarters: Mumbai

Epigeneres Biotech hit the headlines in January 2022 with a $6 million Series B funding round. The Indian biotech company is using the cash to develop a wide range of different technologies in its arsenal, including cancer tests, nanotechnology-based medicines and nutraceuticals.

Cancer detection is Epigeneres most recent pursuit. In 2021, the firm teamed up with the Singaporean company Tzar Labs to develop cancer diagnostics that screen for telltale RNA molecules from tumors at early stages of disease. Epigeneres is poised to launch a screening service in India based on the technology.

Epigeneres also has nucleic acid drugs in development for the treatment of conditions ranging from infertility to renal failure to autoimmune diseases. The firm uses a form of nanotechnology to boost the delivery of the drugs to the target cells.

In addition, Epigeneres is working on small molecule drugs that can increase the population of stem cells in the body in a regenerative medicine setting.

Founded: 2016

Headquarters: Bengaluru

In August 2022, Eyestem caught the eye of investors in a $6.4 million Series A round. The Indian biotech startup is working on cell therapies for eye disorders, with a flagship therapy in the pipeline for the treatment of dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD).

There is currently no treatment for dry AMD. In patients with the condition, the eye accumulates cellular debris, which causes destructive inflammation in the retina. This leads to a loss of retinal pigment epithelium, the layer of cells that support the photosensitive cells we need to see.

Eyestem is developing an off-the-shelf stem cell therapy to replace lost retinal pigment epithelium. The biotech has earmarked money from its recent Series A round for preparing its cell therapy for early-stage clinical testing.

Founded: 2019

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Immuneel Therapeutics is making waves in the field of autologous CAR-T cell therapy, where a patients immune T cells are removed, engineered in the lab to kill blood cancer cells, and reinfused into the patient. There are CAR-T therapies already available, but these complex, expensive therapies are currently limited to only the wealthiest countries.

Immuneels mission is to develop CAR-T therapies that are accessible and affordable in India. To support this push, the company raised $15 million in June 2022 in a Series A round.

The therapies in Immuneels pipeline are targeted to various types of blood cancer in children and adult patients. As the Indian biotech closed its Series A round, Immuneel kicked off a phase 2 trial of a CAR-T therapy in what it claims is the first industry-sponsored CAR-T trial in India.

Founded: 2013

Headquarters: Bengaluru and Wilmington, U.S.

MedGenome has sites around the globe, with a large part of its operations and genetic testing situated in, and targeted to, India.

The company carries out genomics-focused research and diagnostics services for biopharma clients that can help in the development of drugs tackling cancer, diabetes, eye conditions and cardiovascular diseases. To provide a rich dataset, the company works with more than 500 hospitals in India.

MedGenome raised one of the Asia-Pacific regions biggest biotech investments in August 2022 a $50 million round led by Novo Holdings. The funds will be used to increase access to genetic testing in emerging markets, which have lagged behind the wealthier parts of the world.

MedGenome also aims to collect genetic data from a wide range of populations in Asia, which could provide a treasure trove of clinical insights for genes related to disease. In keeping with this aim, the company is a founding member of the initiative GenomeAsia 100K, which will analyze the genomes of 100,000 people from a range of Asian populations to speed up the development of precision medicine in this part of the world.

Read the rest here:
The five hottest private biotech companies in India - Labiotech.eu

Jul 26 2022Reviewed by Alex Smith

Friction is an unavoidable opponent for devices with mechanical parts. It is a primary cause of service failure and may shorten the lifetime of any equipment, from bicycles to cars to aircraft and manufacturing lines.

Image Credit: Shutterstock.com/ ETAP

A new study led by the University of Pittsburgh reveals the atomic-scale friction of a single tungsten asperity, or rougher edge, in real-time, using electron microscopy for the first time to demonstrate atomic motion. The research, conducted by two Swanson School of Engineering groups, was just published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

Until now, no one has been able to actually see the atomically resolved friction process with a clear-cut interface, so the relationship between the friction mechanisms and the interface hasnt been fully understood. In this study, we were able to actually see the sliding pathway of interface atoms and the dynamic strain and stress evolution on the interface that has only previously been shown by simulations.

Guofeng Wang, CNG Faculty Fellow and Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh

Wangs group worked with the now-retired John Swanson. Endowed Professor Scott X. Maos Swanson School research group will produce the first atomic-scale picture of friction. Maos group was able to see the movement of atoms across the surface when two surfaces interacted and moved using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope.

Wangs team was subsequently able to utilize computer simulations to confirm what the tiny visualizations revealed and learn more about the forces at work.

Though this research focused on tungsten atoms because of their exceptional resistance to the heat generated by the microscope, the approach may be used on any material to better understand friction and wear.

What we found is that no matter how smooth and clean the surface is, friction still occurs at the atomic level. Its completely unavoidable. However, this knowledge can lead to better lubricants and materials to minimize friction and wear as much as possible, extending the life of mechanical systems.

Guofeng Wang, CNG Faculty Fellow and Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh

Xiang Wang, a recently graduated Ph.D. student, and Zhenyu Liu, a post-doctoral researcher, led the study. Yang He, Susheng Tan, Guofeng Wang, and Scott X. Mao collaborated on it. The National Science Foundation provided funding for this research (NSF CMMI 1824816).

Wang, X., et al. (2022) Atomic-scale friction between single-asperity contacts unveiled through in situ transmission electron microscopy. Nature Nanotechnology. doi.org/10.1038/s41565-022-01126-z.

Source: https://www.pitt.edu/

See the original post:
New Research Reveals the First Atomic-Level Visualization of Friction - AZoM

UNITED STATES Key Companies Covered in the Nanotechnology MarketResearch are3M Company, Ablynx N.V., Advanced Nano Products Co., Ltd., Altair Nanotechnologies Inc., Ansell Limited, Biosensors International Group, Ltd., Bruker Corporation, eSpin Technologies, Inc., Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Imina Technologies SA, Kleindiek Nanotechnik GmbH, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Nano Magic LLC, Nanonics Imaging Ltd., Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.,and other key market players.

Nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter on a near-atomic scale to produce new structures, materials and devices.

Download Free Sample of This Strategic Report :-https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/nanotechnology-market-1/QI043

Our report Company predicts that the global nanotechnology market is estimated to touch a valuation of USD 16,261 million, registering a CAGR of 23.4% during the forecast period (2022-2028).

The report provides in-depth analysis and insights regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers into globalnanotechnology market. It offers an exclusive insight into various details such as market size, key trends, competitive landscape, growth rate and market segments. This study also provides an analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the nanotechnology industry.

This industry report offers market estimates and forecasts of the global market, followed by a detailed analysis of the type, application, and region. The global market for nanotechnology can be segmented by type: nano sensors, nanodevices, nanomaterials, others. According to the research, the nanomaterials segment had the largest share in the global nanotechnology market.

Nanotechnology market is further segmented by application: aerospace & defense, chemicals, electrical & electronics, energy, healthcare, industrial, others. In 2021, the healthcare segment made up the largest share of revenue generated by the nanotechnology market. Based on region, the nanotechnology market is segmented into: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Rest of the World (ROW).

Download Sample Report, SPECIAL OFFER (Avail an Up-to 30% discount on this report ): https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/nanotechnology-market-1/QI043

By type:

nano sensorsnanodevicesnanomaterialsothers

By application:aerospace & defensechemicalselectrical & electronicsenergyhealthcareindustrialothers

By region:North AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the World (ROW)

Request Full Report, here : https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/nanotechnology-market-1/QI043

Key Questions Answered in the Market Report

? How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the adoption of by various pharmaceutical and life sciences companies?? What is the outlook for the impact market during the forecast period 2021-2030?? What are the key trends influencing the impact market? How will they influence the market in short-, mid-, and long-term duration?? What is the end user perception toward?? How is the patent landscape for pharmaceutical quality? Which country/cluster witnessed the highest patent filing from January 2014-June 2021?? What are the key factors impacting the impact market? What will be their impact in short-, mid-, and long-term duration?? What are the key opportunities areas in the impact market? What is their potential in short-, mid-, and long-term duration?? What are the key strategies adopted by companies in the impact market?? What are the key application areas of the impact market? Which application is expected to hold the highest growth potential during the forecast period 2021-2030?? What is the preferred deployment model for the impact? What is the growth potential of various deployment models present in the market?? Who are the key end users of pharmaceutical quality? What is their respective share in the impact market?? Which regional market is expected to hold the highest growth potential in the impact market during the forecast period 2021-2030?? Which are the key players in the impact market?

About Quadintel:

We are the best market research reports provider in the industry. Quadintel believes in providing quality reports to clients to meet the top line and bottom line goals which will boost your market share in todays competitive environment. Quadintel is a one-stop solution for individuals, organizations, and industries that are looking for innovative market research reports.

Get in Touch with Us:

Quadintel:Email:sales@quadintel.comAddress: Office 500 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60611, UNITED STATESTel: +1 888 212 3539 (US TOLL FREE)Website:https://www.quadintel.com/

Continue reading here:
Nanotechnology Market Scope and Regional Outlook, 2022 Analysis & Forecast To 2030 By Key Players, Share, Trend, Segmentation This Is Ardee -...

Jul 26, 2022(Nanowerk News) For decades, a textbook process known as Ostwald ripening, named for the Nobel Prize-winning chemist Wilhelm Ostwald, has guided the design of new materials including nanoparticles tiny materials so small they are invisible to the naked eye.According to this theory, small particles dissolve and redeposit onto the surface of large particles, and the large particles continue to grow until all of the small particles have dissolved.But now, new video footage captured by Berkeley Lab scientists reveals that nanoparticle growth is directed not by difference in size, but by defects.The scientists recently reported their findings in the journal Nature Communications ("Defect-mediated ripening of core-shell nanostructures").New video footage captured by Berkeley Lab scientists reveals for the first time that nanoparticle growth is directed not by difference in size, but by defects. (Image: Haimei Zheng, Berkeley Lab)This is a huge milestone. We are rewriting textbook chemistry, and its very exciting, said senior author Haimei Zheng, a senior scientist in Berkeley Labs Materials Sciences Division and an adjunct professor of materials science and engineering at UC Berkeley.For the study, the researchers suspended a solution of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanoparticles with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) in a custom liquid sample holder. The researchers exposed the solution with an electron beam to produce Cd-CdCl2 core-shell nanoparticles (CSNPs) which look like flat, hexagonal discs where cadmium atoms form the core, and cadmium chloride forms the shell.Using a technique called high-resolution liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LC-TEM) at the Molecular Foundry, the researchers captured real-time, atomic-scale LC-TEM videos of Cd-CdCl2 CSNPs ripening in solution.In one key experiment, an LC-TEM video shows a small Cd-CdCl2 core-shell nanoparticle merging with a large Cd-CdCl2 CSNP to form a larger Cd-CdCl2 CSNP. However, the direction of growth was guided not by a difference in size but by a crack defect in the shell of the initially larger CSNP. The finding was very unexpected, but were very happy with the results, said Qiubo Zhang, first author and postdoctoral researcher in the Materials Sciences Division.The researchers say that their work is the highest resolution LC-TEM video ever recorded. The advance monitoring how nanoparticles ripen in solution in real time was enabled by a custom-made, ultrathin liquid cell that secures a tiny amount of liquid between two carbon-film membranes on a copper grid. The researchers observed the liquid sample through ThemIS, a specialized electron microscope at the Molecular Foundry that is capable of recording atomic-scale changes in liquids at a speed of 40-400 frames per second. The microscopes high-vacuum environment keeps the liquid sample intact.Our study fills in the gap for nanomaterial transformations that cant be predicted by traditional theory. Zheng said, who pioneered LC-TEM at Berkeley Lab in 2009 and is a leading expert in the field. I hope our work inspires others to think of new rules to design functional nanomaterials for new applications.

Continued here:
How do nanoparticles grow? Atomic-scale movie upends 100-year-old theory - Nanowerk

Global Diamond Turning Lathe Market from 2022 to 2028 is the title of a professional market research study MarketandResearch.biz that examines market growth prospects and possibilities. This research analysis aims to give background information on the worldwide Diamond Turning Lathe markets competition, current market trends, market potential, growth rate, and other vital statistics.

The study has thoroughly researched critical variables such as drivers and constraints, opportunities, production, market players, and competition in the worldwide Diamond Turning Lathe market from 2022 to 2028. This research forecasts the evolution of the market in terms of revenue throughout the forecast period. The study would offer new entrants information on revenue estimates for the worldwide Diamond Turning Lathe market and its sub-segments.

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORT: https://www.marketandresearch.biz/sample-request/245891

The study describes detailed consumption statistics, international and regional market imports and exports, income, gross margin analysis, etc. The leading market players then used acquisitions and expansions to ensure their growth in the worldwide Diamond Turning Lathe market, included in the research. The Five Forces model by Porter and SWOT analysis also includes an in-depth examination of the worldwide Diamond Turning Lathe market and the most recent market trends, growth opportunities, regional analysis, strategic recommendations, and emerging segments.

The following product type are highlighted in the analysis:

The following are the significant applications highlighted in the research:

The following manufacturers are included prominently in the market report:

This study focuses on several essential regions regionally:

ACCESS FULL REPORT: https://www.marketandresearch.biz/report/245891/global-diamond-turning-lathe-market-2022-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2028

The Reports Important Answers to the Following Questions:

Customization of the Report:

This report can be customized to meet the clients requirements. Please connect with our sales team (sales@marketandresearch.biz), who will ensure that you get a report that suits your needs. You can also get in touch with our executives on 1-201-465-4211 to share your research requirements.

Contact UsMark StoneHead of Business DevelopmentPhone: 1-201-465-4211Email: sales@marketandresearch.biz

Read the original:
Global Diamond Turning Lathe Market 2022 to 2028 Competitive Analysis: Edmund Optics, Moore Nanotechnology Systems, Nanophorm, Innolite This Is Ardee...

Jul 25, 2022(Nanowerk News) Rice University chemical engineers have improved their design for a light-powered catalyst that rapidly breaks down PFOA, one of the worlds most problematic forever chemical pollutants.llustration showing how a composite material containing sheets of boron nitride (lattice of blue and silver balls) and nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (gray spheres) uses long-wave ultraviolet energy in sunlight to photocatalyse the breakdown of PFOA into carbon dioxide, fluorine and minerals. (Image: M.S. Wong, Rice University)Michael Wong and his students made the surprising discovery in 2020 that boron nitride, a commercially available powder thats commonly used in cosmetics, could destroy 99% of PFOA, or perfluorooctanoic acid, in water samples within just a few hours when it was exposed to ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 254 nanometers.That was great because PFOA is an increasingly problematic pollutant thats really hard to destroy, said Wong, corresponding author of a study about the redesigned catalyst in Chemical Engineering Journal ("Titanium oxide improves boron nitride photocatalytic degradation of perfluorooctanoic acid"). But it was also less than ideal because the boron nitride was activated by short-wave UV, and the atmosphere filters out almost all of the short-wave UV from sunlight. We wanted to push as much as possible boron nitrides ability to access energy from other wavelengths of sunlight.Long-wave UV, or UV-A, has wavelengths ranging from about 315-400 nanometers. Its what causes suntans and sunburns, and its plentiful in sunlight that reaches Earth. Boron nitride is a semiconductor, and it isnt activated by UV-A. Titanium dioxide, a common ingredient in sunscreen, is a semiconductor that is activated by UV-A, and it had even been shown to catalyze the breakdown of PFOA, albeit very slowly, when exposed to UV-A.So Wong and study co-lead authors Bo Wang, Lijie Duan and Kimberly Heck decided to create a composite of boron nitride and titanium dioxide that married the best features of the individual catalysts. In their new study, they showed the UV-A powered composites destroyed PFOA about 15 times faster than plain titanium dioxide photocatalysts.By analyzing photocurrent response measurements and other data, Wongs team learned how its semiconductor composite harvested UV-A energy to break apart PFOA molecules in water. In outdoor experiments using plastic water bottles under natural sunlight, they found the boron nitride-titanium dioxide composites could degrade about 99% of PFOA in deionized water in less than three hours. In salty water, that process took about nine hours.Mounting evidence suggests PFOA is harmful to human health. Some U.S. states have set limits on PFOA contamination in drinking water, and in March 2021 the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to develop federal standards.Growing regulatory pressure to set PFOA standards has water treatment plants looking for new and cost-efficient ways of removing PFOA from water, Wong said.PFOA is one of the most prevalent PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a family of compounds developed in the 20th century to make coatings for waterproof clothing, food packaging and other products. PFAS have been dubbed forever chemicals because they arent easily degraded and tend to linger in the environment. Wong said his team is assessing how well its composite photocatalyst works for breaking down other PFAS.He said the boron nitride and composite catalyst technologies have already attracted attention from several industrial partners in the Rice-based Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), which is funded by the National Science Foundation to develop off-grid water treatment systems.

More:
Nanoparticle catalyst destroys 'forever chemicals' with sunlight - Nanowerk

Jul 26, 2022(Nanowerk News) Assembling Lego-like 2D heterostructures can give rise to emergent properties and functionalities very different from the intrinsic characteristics of the constituents.Density functional theory (DFT)-based band-structure calculations can shed light on interfacial properties of different heterostructures.The interface of 2D perovskites with TMDs can lead to new properties broadband light absorption and emission, and enhanced charge separation across the interface that could be utilised in future optoelectronics. (Image: FLEET)Interface properties of 2D perovskite/TMD heterostructuresHeterostructures based on different 2D materials have resulted in new properties that can be significantly different from those of the individual materials. Such heterostructures can be made by assembling different kinds of atomically-thin 2D materials.One such family of 2D materials, the 2D perovskites, show interesting photophysical properties and better stability compared to the typical bulk perovskites. However, till now, near-infrared (NIR)/visible-range optoelectronic device performance metrics of 2D perovskites have been quite poor owing to certain intrinsic and materials-specific limitations such as large bandgaps, unusually high exciton binding energies and low optical absorption.A new study led by researchers from Monash University looks at a methodology to improve the optoelectronic device performance and extend the functionalities of 2D perovskites by conjugating them with optically active transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). 2D perovskites and TMDs are structurally dissimilar, however, they can form clean interfaces owing to van der Waals interactions between the stacked layers. Using accurate first principles calculations, the authors demonstrate that the novel interface (band alignment) and transport properties are feasible in 2D perovskite/TMD heterostructures which can be widely tuned based on appropriate choice of the constituents.To understand the interface properties accurately, the authors created lattice matched structures of the interfaces and explored their properties through highly memory intensive computations using supercomputing facilities.In specific systems, the predicted type-II alignments with NIR/visible bandgaps can enable enhanced optical absorption at comparatively lower energies. Also, sizeable band offsets and possibility of interlayer excitons with lower dissociation energies can lead to easier interlayer separation of the excited charge carriers across two materials. These render the possibility of achieving higher photocurrents and improved solar cell efficiencies.The researchers also predict the possibility of type-I systems for recombination-based devices like light-emitting diodes and type-III systems for achieving tunnelling transport. Additionally, they also show significant strain tolerance in such 2D perovskite/TMD heterostructures, a pre-requisite for flexible sensors.Overall, these findings demonstrate that a computationally-guided selection of heterostructures could offer better platforms than intrinsic materials for specific device applications and have potential in next-generation multifunctional devices such as flexible photosensors or LEDs, says FLEET CI A/Prof Nikhil Medhekar who led the work with PhD student Abin Varghese and postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yuefeng Yin.The charge transport mechanism across the WSe2/SnSe2 heterostructure can be controlled either using light or by applying an out-of-plane electric field, which can lead to positive or negative photo responsivity (R). (Image: FLEET)Tuning polarity of photogenerated currentsExploring the physics of 2D heterostructures further, the team collaborated with experimentalists led by Prof. Saurabh Lodha from IIT Bombay, India to explain the emergence of a yet undiscovered optoelectronic phenomena. In the first work on WSe2/SnSe2 heterostructures, upon illumination, the polarity of the photocurrent showed a dependence on the type of electrical transport (thermionic or tunnelling) across the interface of the heterostructure.The researchers at Monash employed density functional theory based electric field dependent band-structure calculations and attributed this observation to the nature of band alignment at the interface. Together, they showed that a change in band alignment from type-II to type-III resulted in a change in polarity of photocurrent from positive to negative.In terms of the performance of photodetectors, the responsivity and response time are crucial metrics. In this study a high negative responsivity and fast response time was experimentally observed in the device prototypes which are encouraging for further development of 2D materials-based devices for practical applications.In another heterostructure comprising black phosphorous and MoS2, the experiments illustrated an illumination wavelength-dependence on the polarity of photoconduction. The negative photoconductance seen at specific wavelengths above the absorption edge of MoS2 could be controllably and reversibly tuned to positive photoconductance at lower wavelengths. The threshold wavelength for crossover between negative and positive photoconductance had a crucial dependence on the flake thicknesses. Thickness-dependent band-structure calculations carried by researchers from Monash clearly showed the possibility of an increase in recombination of charge carriers for specific thicknesses which could lead to negative photoconductance, thus aiding the conclusions.These studies demonstrate new methods to control the sensing mechanism in photodetectors which has not yet been studied in such details.The studiesNearInfrared and VisibleRange Optoelectronics in 2D Hybrid Perovskite/Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Heterostructures published in Advanced Materials Interfaces.Polarity-Tunable Photocurrent through Band Alignment Engineering in a High-Speed WSe2/SnSe2 Diode with Large Negative Responsivity published in ACS Nano.Wavelength-Controlled Photocurrent Polarity Switching in BP-MoS Heterostructure published in Advanced Functional Materials.

Read more from the original source:
The hetero-interface is the device: a computational approach - Nanowerk

Dublin, July 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Biosensors Market: Focus on Drug Discovery and Development - Distribution by Type of Biosensor, Type of End User and Key Geographies - Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2022-2035" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

At present, various types of biosensors, including optical biosensors, electrochemical biosensors, thermal biosensors and others, are being deployed across different steps of drug discovery, such as disease modelling, target identification/validation, lead identification, lead optimization and other applications.

The use of biosensing technologies in drug discovery operations is expected to improve the overall R&D productivity by enabling accurate screening and identification of lead drug compounds. Currently, more than 80 biosensors are available in the market / being developed by various industry stakeholders for drug discovery and development purposes.

Further, over USD 1.2 billion has been invested in this market by both private and public sector investors, in the last five years. Interestingly, close to 50% of the aforementioned amount was invested in the last two years, reflecting the increasing interest of stakeholders in this domain.

It is also worth highlighting that over 370 patents related to biosensors in drug discovery have been filed/granted, highlighting the continuous pace of innovation in this field. Considering the active initiatives being undertaken by players in this domain, we are led to believe that the opportunity for stakeholders in this niche, but upcoming, industry is likely to grow at a commendable pace in the foreseen future.

Scope of the Report

The"Biosensors Market: Focus on Drug Discovery and Development - Distribution by Type of Biosensor (Optical, Electrochemical, Thermal and Others), Type of End User (Academic and Research Institutes and Industry Players) and Key Geographies (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and North Africa, and Rest of the World) - Industry Trends and Global Forecasts, 2022-2035"report features an extensive study of the current market landscape and future potential of biosensors in drug discovery, over the next 13 years. The study features an in-depth analysis of key drivers and trends related to this domain. Amongst other elements, the report includes:

Key Topics Covered:

1. PREFACE

2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

3. INTRODUCTION

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

5. PRODUCT COMPETITIVENESS ANALYSIS

6. COMPANY PROFILES: BIOSENSORS DEVELOPERS FOR DRUG DISCOVERY APPLICATIONS

7. BRAND POSITIONING ANALYSIS

8. FUNDING AND INVESTMENT ANALYSIS

9. PUBLICATION ANALYSIS

10. GLOBAL EVENT ANALYSIS

11. PATENT ANALYSIS

12. MARKET FORECAST AND OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS

13. CONCLUDING REMARKS

14. EXECUTIVE INSIGHTS

Companies Mentioned

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qzyzgy

Read more from the original source:
Global Biosensors Market Report 2022-2035: $1.2 Billion Invested in the Last 5 Years with Further Growth Expected - GlobeNewswire

Jul 25, 2022(Nanowerk News) Sunlight sparkling on water evokes the rich phenomena of liquidlight interaction, spanning spatial and temporal scales. While the dynamics of liquids have fascinated researchers for decades, the rise of neuromorphic computing has sparked significant efforts to develop new, unconventional computational schemes based on recurrent neural networks, crucial to supporting wide range of modern technological applications, such as pattern recognition and autonomous driving.As biological neurons also rely on a liquid environment, a convergence may be attained by bringing nanoscale nonlinear fluid dynamics to neuromorphic computing.Researchers from University of California San Diego recently proposed a novel paradigm where liquids, which usually do not strongly interact with light on a micro- or nanoscale, support significant nonlinear response to optical fields.As reported in Advanced Photonics ("Thin liquid film as an optical nonlinear-nonlocal medium and memory element in integrated optofluidic reservoir computer"), the researchers predict a substantial lightliquid interaction effect through a proposed nanoscale gold patch operating as an optical heater and generating thickness changes in a liquid film covering the waveguide.Simulation result of light affecting liquid geometry, which in turn affects reflection and transmission properties of the optical mode, thus constituting a two-way lightliquid interaction mechanism. The degree of deformation serves as an optical memory allowing to store the power magnitude of the previous optical pulse and use fluid dynamics to affect the subsequent optical pulse at the same actuation region, thus constituting an architecture where memory is part of the computation process. (Image: Gao et al.)The liquid film functions as an optical memory. Heres how it works: Light in the waveguide affects the geometry of the liquid surface, while changes in the shape of the liquid surface affect the properties of the optical mode in the waveguide, thus constituting a mutual coupling between the optical mode and the liquid film. Importantly, as the liquid geometry changes, the properties of the optical mode undergo a nonlinear response; after the optical pulse stops, the magnitude of liquid films deformation indicates the power of the previous optical pulse.Remarkably, unlike traditional computational approaches, the nonlinear response and the memory reside at the same spatial region, thus suggesting realization of a compact (beyond von-Neumann) architecture where memory and computational unit occupy the same space. The researchers demonstrate that the combination of memory and nonlinearity allow the possibility of reservoir computing capable of performing digital and analog tasks, such as nonlinear logic gates and handwritten image recognition.Their model also exploits another significant liquid feature: nonlocality. This enables them to predict computation enhancement that is simply not possible in solid state material platforms with limited nonlocal spatial scale. Despite nonlocality, the model does not quite achieve the levels of modern solid-state optics-based reservoir computing systems, yet the work nonetheless presents a clear roadmap for future experimental works aiming to validate the predicted effects and explore intricate coupling mechanisms of various physical processes in a liquid environment for computation.Using multiphysics simulations to investigate coupling between light, fluid dynamics, heat transport, and surface tension effects, the researchers predict a family of novel nonlinear and nonlocal optical effects. They go a step further by indicating how these can be used to realize versatile, nonconventional computational platforms. Taking advantage of a mature silicon photonics platform, they suggest improvements to state-of-the-art liquid-assisted computation platforms by around five orders magnitude in space and at least two orders of magnitude in speed.

See the original post here:
Neuromorphic computing with optically driven nonlinear fluid dynamics - Nanowerk

Ghaziabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 25 (ANI/GPRC): With recent technical advancements made in the field of fertility treatment, the procedures of Artificial Reproductive Techniques (ART) have made humungous improvements in terms of success rates and safety. Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is a form of the micro-assisted fertilisation process, one of the common IVF procedures performed clinically for over 20 years.

While the IVF procedure involves mixing thousands of motile sperms with each egg in a dish known as insemination of eggs, expecting that the sperms and eggs would interact through biochemistry. But in cases where either egg or sperm factors are deficient, then very few eggs become fertilised after incubation. However, ICSI has proven to be of immense advantages in cases of Oligozoospermia (low sperm count), Teratozoospermia (abnormal morphology of sperms) and Sperm Transport Disorder, where sperms are produced in adequate numbers, but with depleted motility, quality and concentration.

"ICSI has revolutionized in the treatment of male infertility and when combined with IVF procedure, sperm requirement for egg fertilization has dropped from hundred to only one viable sperm. This has led to the recent development of aggressive new techniques to provide viable sperm for egg fertilization from men with low or no sperm count. Making use of Artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, Laser Assisted Hatching and robotic ICSI procedures have revolutionised the outcomes through selection of the best sperms and best embryos." said Dr Gunjan Gupta Govil, Founder and Chairman, Gunjan IVF World Group

As of now, the Artificial Intelligence-based technology, which is still under clinical trial has a very high predictive success in identifying the best embryo, in terms of its growth pattern. In this technique, the AI system reviews a massive amount of data (over hundreds of images of each embryo) analyses the greatest likelihood of each embryo to develop into a fetal heart. The embryo with the highest score, and therefore the highest potential for leading to a viable foetus, can then be selected for transfer.

"With the inception of automation in ICSI through robotic and nanotechnology, has provided a viable novel technique to analyse oocyte penetration in real time via selection of the best sperm or embryo. In nanotechnology, a nanobot is released for selecting and transporting the best sperm cell until it penetrates into the egg, before implanting the healthy embryo in the uterus. Whereas in robot-assisted ICSI, the system performs visual tracking of the single sperm, robotic immobilization of sperm, aspiration of sperm with picoliter volume, and insertion of sperm into an oocyte with a high degree of reproducibility. Requiring minimal human involvement, various such trials have been successfully conducted with a high success rate of above 90 per cent and survival rate of 90.7 per cent." added Dr Gunjan.

In some cases, the possibilities also arise that the embryo implantation to the uterus is not successful, pertaining to sporadic reasons. In such cases, once the best embryo is chosen, a procedure known as laser-assisted hatching is performed on the selected embryo before implantation. Since in some situations, the outer layer of the embryo may thicken abnormally, laser-assisted hatching scientifically allows to make a small opening on the outer layer making it easier for the embryo to implant better to the endometrium.

Having provided the best in class technology for years, it is the vision and endeavour of Gunjan IVF World to provide Affordable, Reliable and Transparent treatment to couples battling fertility issues and bring Khushiyon Ki Goonj in their lives.

This story is provided by GPRC. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/GPRC)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor

See the original post:
Nanobots and robotic technology to improve the success rate of IVF - Business Standard

Nutricosmetics is a novel developing branch of cosmetics aiming to optimize cosmetic products as well as food supplements for the objective of skin nourishment and reduction of skin aging. This innovative branch of cosmetics is highly desirable for many, and with the world's population predicted to grow to 1.4 billion by 2030, this industry is also expected to gain rapid traction.

Image Credit:photo_gonzo/Shutterstock.com

This novel sector of cosmetics includes both cosmetic products and food supplements that have the underlying purpose of increasing the integrity of skin and maintaining youthfulness through reducing aging.

Food supplements include micronutrients, which can be described as vitamins and minerals, macronutrients, which include peptides and fatty acids, as well as botanicals, comprising herbal extracts and fruit extracts.

These products and supplements provide nutritional support to skin, nails, and hair, encompassing inner wellbeing, including activity and mood.

Nutricosmetics have become the latest trend that has rocketed through the global population. Beauty brands are developing innovative strategies to meet the demand of targeting the root cause of ubiquitous skin and health problems to provide long-term results.

The global market for this novel industry for anti-aging has been estimated by P&S Intelligence to rise from $194 billion in 2020 to $422 billion by 2030. The nutricosmetics market has been predicted to grow significantly, with reports of a compound annual growth rate of 7.07%. Beauty supplements are also estimated to achieve approximately $7 billion at the end of 2024.

The skin is the largest organ in the body as well as the primary defense against the environment; subsequently, exposure to the outside world can cause premature skin aging.

The function of this critical organ, other than protection, includes maintaining the balance of liquids, preventing water loss as well as encouraging perspiration.

Stressors of the skin can include free radicals from pollution and ultraviolet rays, causing reactive oxygen species to be activated and induce unnecessary inflammation; this can affect DNA, lipids and proteins, and destroy the integrity of biological components within the body. It can also include the breakdown of collagen, a significant element of the extracellular matrix that functions to support cells.

Proteins such as collagen and keratin provide the skin with strength and elasticity and waterproofing. The loss of these can be detrimental to the integrity and quality of skin health, resulting in wrinkles and brittle nails or hair.

Additionally, other causes of skin problems can include sportswear, resulting in dryness and irritation due to the increase of friction between the skin and the material of tight clothing.

Showering frequently and the use of detergents can also negatively impact the integrity of the skin with an alteration of hydrolipidic film and affect elasticity.

Nanocarriers are ubiquitous within nanomedicine; however, with skin quality and health in high demand for consumers, these fields have overlapped.

The use of nanotechnology and nanoformulations as delivery systems for improving the performance of active components within cosmetics and supplements can enhance the quality of products to ensure effective results.

This diverse field can be used for a range of products, from sunscreen and barrier creams that ensure the skin barrier is strengthened against ultraviolet rays and pollutants to antiacne, anti-aging, and hair products.

Nanoemulsions can be described as colloidal dispersions with a droplet radius of 10 to 100 nm in size; these nanotechnology incorporations into the nutricosmetics industry can be useful as they are used to increase the delivery of active ingredients in the skin.

An example of this includes oil/water nanoemulsions that can hold water-soluble active components such as polyphenols and emulsifiers; these can include Opuntia ficus indica(L.) extract for use within moisturizing. However, hydroalcoholic extracts ofVellozia squamataleaves are used as anti-aging agents in products, while pomegranate seed oil can be developed to protect the skin against photodamage against the ultraviolet light.

Nanoparticles have a diameter of 10 and 1000 nm and can also be used for nutricosmetics, with a range of nanoparticles including but not limited to polymeric nanoparticles, hydrogel nanoparticles, and copolymerized peptide nanoparticles.

Using these colloidal-sized particles as delivery systems can enhance the penetrative ability through the skin barrier, enabling the release of active ingredients within cosmetic products. Additionally, the use of nanoparticles can also involve surface functionalization of active elements to further the skin's targetability and improve particular areas of concern.

Metallic nanoparticles are examples of nanoparticles used within suncream and cosmetic formulations, with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide being used to create sunscreens that are more transparent. Safranal nanoparticles, which include solid and lipid nanoparticles, have been shown to increase sunscreen activity when used within a size range of 103-230 nm; this illustrates the optimization nature of nanotechnology and versatility in finding the optimum level for an application.

The administration of antioxidants, including vitamins A, C and E, significant for skin repair, can be challenging, with the biological activity level being low due to the low solubility in aqueous environments and instability as a result of pH and degradation by enzymes.

The use of nanotechnology delivery systems can increase the availability of these substances within food supplements or as a topical formulation. Using biodegradable polymer-based delivery systems including liposomes or lipid nanoparticles, active ingredients can achieve permeability as well as maintain stability in the body.

The future of nutricosmetics has been predicted to be monumental and fast-moving, and with the incorporation of nanotechnology as a delivery system for the holistic health of skin, this field may be revolutionary.

Skin integrity is a critical component of health. With the skin being the largest organ in the body, protecting its functionality against the continuous onslaught of carcinogens and stressors from the environment should be a significant priority for wellbeing.

Dini, I., 2022. Contribution of Nanoscience Research in Antioxidants Delivery Used in Nutricosmetic Sector.Antioxidants, 11(3), p.563. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11030563

Dini, I. and Laneri, S., 2019. Nutricosmetics: A brief overview.Phytotherapy Research, 33(12), pp.3054-3063. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6494

Kaul, S., Gulati, N., Verma, D., Mukherjee, S. and Nagaich, U., 2018. Role of Nanotechnology in Cosmeceuticals: A Review of Recent Advances.Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2018, pp.1-19. Available at: https://dx.doi.org/10.1155%2F2018%2F3420204

Merchet, S., 2022.Beauty-from-within complements overall wellness strategies. [online] Natural Products INSIDER. Available at: https://www.naturalproductsinsider.com/personal-care/beauty-within-complements-overall-wellness-strategies

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.

Read this article:
Nanotechnology in the Nutricosmetics Industry - AZoNano