Nanoscience and technology articles within Nature Materials

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  • News & Views |

    A magnetic on/off switch for cell-death signalling in cancer cells is developed using antibodies conjugated to magnetic nanoparticles. The control of cell death in in vivo systems is demonstrated by a tell-tale morphological change within the zebrafish.

    • Jon Dobson

  • Letter |

    The dynamical processes associated with the magnetization of a material can be drastically altered by the application of a spin current. This study now demonstrates the feasibility of selectively exciting coherent auto-oscillation modes in magnetic nanostructures.

    • Vladislav E. Demidov
    • , Sergei Urazhdin
    •  & Sergej O. Demokritov

  • Article |

    Three-dimensional bioactive scaffolds can support tissue growth for studies in cellular biophysics and regenerative medicine. Such scaffolds have now been integrated with semiconductor nanowires to probe their porous interior, allowing for real-time monitoring of signals such as the response of neural and cardiac tissue models to drugs.

    • Bozhi Tian
    • , Jia Liu
    •  & Charles M. Lieber

  • News & Views |

    The development of synthetic strategies enabling the fabrication of well-defined polymer–biomolecule conjugates, together with advances in top-down nanofabrication, are two highlights from a recent meeting of polymer scientists.

    • Jeffrey Pyun

  • News & Views |

    Self-assembled barrel-like DNA nanostructures carrying active payloads and pre-programmed with logic operations to reconfigure in response to cell-surface cues can trigger a variety of intracellular functions.

    • Johann Elbaz
    •  & Itamar Willner

  • News & Views |

    A new plasmonic sensing platform that not only allows the detection of ultrasmall quantities of biomolecules, but is also sensitive to their identity and conformational state, represents a significant advance in the study of biomolecular interactions.

    • Na Liu
    •  & Annemarie Pucci

  • News & Views |

    Surfaces are known to act as catalysts for the nucleation of crystals. Using polymer films patterned with nanopores, it is now shown that the shape of the pores can control the kinetics of surface-induced crystal nucleation.

    • Richard P. Sear

  • Letter |

    The arrangement of defects in solid-state phases has an enormous influence on material properties. It is here shown that powerful X-rays can be used to change the properties of an oxide superconductor, thus effectively writing superconducting regions within an insulating matrix. The results open the way to the manipulation of superconductors and potentially other phases.

    • Nicola Poccia
    • , Michela Fratini
    •  & Antonio Bianconi

  • Commentary |

    As complex new materials such as nanoparticles increasingly make their way into commercial products, regulatory frameworks need to overcome a number of key challenges to remain fit for purpose.

    • Andrew Maynard
    • , Diana Bowman
    •  & Graeme Hodge

  • News & Views |

    A system comprising 'signalling' and 'receiving' modules — where the receiving module circulating in the bloodstream is directed to the tumour by a cascade triggered by the signalling module — improves the targeting effect of a nanomedicine.

    • Yucai Wang
    • , Paige Brown
    •  & Younan Xia

  • Article |

    A two-component nanoparticle system that communicates and enhances in vivo drug delivery and diagnostics has been devised. The system comprises ‘signalling’ nanoparticles that target tumours and then broadcast the tumour’s location to ’receiving’ nanoparticles in circulation, which carry therapeutic or diagnostic cargos, hence amplifying tumour targeting.

    • Geoffrey von Maltzahn
    • , Ji-Ho Park
    •  & Sangeeta N. Bhatia

  • Letter |

    Considerable attention has been given in the past few years to two-dimensional electron gases formed at the interface between two bulk insulators. It is now shown that a similar electronic system can be created on the surface of an oxide insulator simply by exposure to UV light.

    • W. Meevasana
    • , P. D. C. King
    •  & Z-X. Shen

  • News & Views |

    Heating and cooling of peptide amphiphile suspensions converts disorganized nanofibres into liquid-crystalline nanofibre bundles that gel on addition of salts. The noodle-shaped strings of gel can entrap and align cells.

    • Timothy J. Deming

  • Article |

    The ability to control the surface chemistry of silicon is important for microelectronic applications. Chemical species can now be stabilized on Si(111) surfaces using a partially alkoxylated surface as a nanopatterning template.

    • David J. Michalak
    • , Sandrine Rivillon Amy
    •  & Yves J. Chabal

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