Quantum Dots News and Research

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A quantum dot is a semiconductor whose excitons are confined in all three spatial dimensions. As a result, they have properties that are between those of bulk semiconductors and those of discrete molecules.

Study suggests silicon nanocrystals may be safe tool for diagnostic imaging in humans

Tiny silicon crystals caused no health problems in monkeys three months after large doses were injected, marking a step forward in the quest to bring such materials into clinics as biomedical imaging agents, according to a new study.

1 Aug 2013

Biomolecular interactions of nanoparticles can improve drug development, optical sensors and more

In chemical reactions, left and right can make a big difference. A "left-handed" molecule of a particular chemical composition could be an effective drug, while its mirror-image "right-handed" counterpart could be completely inactive.

30 Jun 2013

Bioapplications of nanoparticles: an interview with Dr Catherine Berry, University of Glasgow

These particles are all classed as inorganic particles, which can all be utilised in biomedical applications. They differ in terms of their inherent material and size dependent physiochemical properties, for example, their optical and magnetic properties.

18 Jun 2013

Hydrogel scaffolds can help evaluate how engineering nanoparticles interact with cells

A class of water-loving, jelly-like materials with uses ranges ranging from the mundane, such as superabsorbent diaper liners, to the sophisticated, such as soft contact lenses, could be tapped for a new line of serious work: testing the biological effects of nanoparticles now being eyed for a large variety of uses.

16 May 2013

Protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a powerful weapon to control cancer

The protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a powerful weapon in the arsenal to control cancer. Unfortunately, as is the case with many potent cancer therapies, the use of TNF-alpha as an anti-cancer therapy has been severely limited.

8 May 2013

Quantum dots can rapidly deliver calcitriol to targeted tumor sites for treatment of IBC

The shortened daylight of a Maine winter may make for long, dark nights - but it has shone a light on a novel experimental approach to fighting inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), an especially deadly form of breast cancer.

2 Feb 2013

Researchers discover safe and efficient way to get large molecules through the cell membrane

Living cells are surrounded by a membrane that tightly regulates what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier is necessary for cells to control their internal environment, but it makes it more difficult for scientists to deliver large molecules such as nanoparticles for imaging, or proteins that can reprogram them into pluripotent stem cells.

24 Jan 2013

Biophysical Society Annual Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, physics, and more

Honeybee silk-inspired materials; a deconstruction of the Ebola virus; how microbes evolve resistance to antibiotics; and a possible connection between Alzheimer's disease and type II diabetes are just some of the intriguing topics that will be presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Biophysical Society (BPS).

22 Jan 2013

Scientists successfully tag serotonin transporter to track movements of single molecules

In a process akin to belling an infinitesimal cat, scientists have managed to tag a protein that regulates the neurotransmitter serotonin with tiny fluorescent beads, allowing them to track the movements of single molecules for the first time.

29 Jun 2012

First study to test safety of quantum dots in primates

A pioneering study to gauge the toxicity of quantum dots in primates has found the tiny crystals to be safe over a one-year period, a hopeful outcome for doctors and scientists seeking new ways to battle diseases like cancer through nanomedicine.

21 May 2012

IBN develops biochip for investigating the effect of drugs on cancer stem cells

Researchers at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have developed a miniaturized biochip for investigating the effect of drugs on cancer stem cells (CSCs). Published recently in Nano Today, this new technology could boost the development of more effective cancer drugs.

9 May 2012

Scientists discover tumor-targeting neural stem cells

Could engineered human stem cells hold the key to cancer survival? Scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have discovered that neural stem cells possess the innate ability to target tumor cells outside the central nervous system. This finding, which was demonstrated successfully on breast cancer cells, was recently published in leading peer reviewed journal, Stem Cells.

21 Apr 2012

New, more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain

By harnessing quantum dots—tiny light-emitting semiconductor particles a few billionths of a meter across—researchers at the University of Washington (UW) have developed a new and vastly more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain.

9 Feb 2012

Intra-arterial technique of stem cell transplantation may enhance functional recovery from TBI

Experiments in brain-injured rats show that stem cells injected via the carotid artery travel directly to the brain, where they greatly enhance functional recovery, reports a study in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

2 Feb 2012

LANL's top 10 science stories of 2011

Los Alamos National Laboratory's top 10 science stories of 2011 illustrate the broad variety of scientific excellence that's the hallmark of the Laboratory. This year's stories include alternative energy research, world record magnetic fields, disease tracking, the study of Mars, climate change, fuel cells, solar wind, and magnetic reconnection.

26 Dec 2011

Latest breakthroughs in lasers and optics to be discussed at 95th OSA meeting

Scientists and engineers from around the world will gather in the heart of Silicon Valley next week to discuss some of the latest breakthroughs in lasers and optics and their applications to cutting-edge science, the development of new materials, and medicine.

13 Oct 2011

IBN scientists harness ultrasmall peptides to repair spinal disc damage

New ultrasmall peptides that can be used as building blocks for a wide range of regenerative applications such as spinal disc replacement and cartilage repair have been developed by scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute. These peptides spontaneously assemble in water to form hydrogels, which resemble collagen, a major component of connective tissues found in cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bone and skin.

12 Sep 2011

Quantum Dots News and Research

Further Reading

Study suggests silicon nanocrystals may be safe tool for diagnostic imaging in humans

Biomolecular interactions of nanoparticles can improve drug development, optical sensors and more

Bioapplications of nanoparticles: an interview with Dr Catherine Berry, University of Glasgow

Hydrogel scaffolds can help evaluate how engineering nanoparticles interact with cells

Protein tumor necrosis factor-alpha is a powerful weapon to control cancer

Quantum dots can rapidly deliver calcitriol to targeted tumor sites for treatment of IBC

Researchers discover safe and efficient way to get large molecules through the cell membrane

Biophysical Society Annual Meeting to highlight innovations in medicine, physics, and more

Scientists successfully tag serotonin transporter to track movements of single molecules

First study to test safety of quantum dots in primates

IBN develops biochip for investigating the effect of drugs on cancer stem cells

Scientists discover tumor-targeting neural stem cells

New, more targeted way to stimulate neurons in the brain

Intra-arterial technique of stem cell transplantation may enhance functional recovery from TBI

LANL's top 10 science stories of 2011

Latest breakthroughs in lasers and optics to be discussed at 95th OSA meeting

IBN scientists harness ultrasmall peptides to repair spinal disc damage

Scientists discover nanoparticles can disrupt intracellular transport pathways

Blood stored in banks may undergo changes and damage

New device can reduce pain during colon cancer screening

Snapping at new biotech breakthroughs with Gator Pro

Realizing the Importance of Medical Electronic Devices

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