Volume 12 Issue 8, August 2017

The time has come to implement a regulatory framework tailored to manufactured materials. I propose a new legislative framework that combines registration, evaluation, authorization and categorization of nanomaterials.

The absence of nanotechnology-specific insurance policies could be detrimental to the development of the nanotechnology industry. Better communication between insurers and scientists is an essential step to provide a regulatory framework protecting both producers and consumers.

The adjustable resistive state of memristors makes it possible to implement sparse coding algorithms naturally and efficiently.

Resonant photonic structures made of thermoelectric materials can convert light into electricity without wavelength limitations.

A diode made of a self-assembly monolayer with ferrocenyl termini shows an on/off ratio of ∼10⁵.

Risk assessment and life cycle assessment are both needed in the environmental evaluation of engineered nanomaterials. Scientists from both fields should collaborate intensively to deal with mutual challenges to achieve a complete and comprehensive assessment.

The advantages and challenges of integrating the methods of life-cycle assessment and risk assessment are discussed in terms of the objectives for evaluating nanotechnologies in a safe and sustainable way.

Integrating life-cycle assessment and risk assessment makes sense only after results have been obtained in parallel from each procedure.

A novel synthetic approach makes it possible to grow MoS₂ monolayers where S is fully replaced with Se atoms only in the top layer.

Nanoscale plasma membrane curvature, generated in a controllable fashion by vertically aligned nanostructure arrays, promotes the accumulation of key endocytic proteins in live cells.

Magnetic exchange field from an EuS substrate breaks the valley degeneracy for monolayer WSe₂, leading to enhanced valley splitting.

A multivalent bi-specific nanoconjugate can promote immune cells to recognize and eradicate cancer cells in a receptor targeted manner, leading to the generation of potent and durable anti-tumour immunity.

Subwavelength nanostructures generate a localized thermoelectric voltage for non-bandgap-limited photodetection.

Soft phononic clamping dilutes the intrinsic dissipation of a mechanical resonator's material by five orders of magnitude, enabling a record value of the product between frequency and quality factor at room temperature, and mechanical coherence times otherwise only available in optical or Paul traps.

The implementation of bio-inspired sparse coding algorithms aimed at image processing is demonstrated by exploiting 32 × 32 crossbar arrays of analogue memristors.

The stress-induced martensitic transformation in shape-memory alloys shows a strong size-effect on the critical stress for superelasticity.

A self-assembled monolayer with terminal ferrocene groups involves a different number of molecules in the transport of charges depending on the polarity of the voltage bias.

A nanofluidic device can enable on-site monitoring and real-time quality assurance of biologics throughout bio-manufacturing processes.

DNA-carrying nanoparticles can efficiently introduce leukaemia-targeting CAR genes into T cell nuclei, thereby inducing long-term disease remission.

Highly bioactive supramolecular nanostructures displaying sulfated glycopeptides on their surfaces were designed in order to mimic the polysaccharides that bind and activate a plethora of proteins in mammalian biology during development and tissue regeneration.

Themis Prodromakis explains how to engage primary school students in nanotechnology — even outside the classroom.