Nature Video |
Featured
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Article |
Polymers with controlled assembly and rigidity made with click-functional peptide bundles
Designed tetrameric peptide bundles covalently connected end-to-end yield rigid, semiflexible and kinked chains, as well as hydrogel networks, providing a platform for synthetic biomaterials.
- Dongdong Wu
- , Nairiti Sinha
- & Darrin J. Pochan
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Article |
Dry double-sided tape for adhesion of wet tissues and devices
A new strong, biocompatible and biodegradable double-sided tape can adhere to wet tissues and devices through a mechanism involving rapid water removal from the surface, swift hydrogen and electrostatic interactions, and covalent bonding.
- Hyunwoo Yuk
- , Claudia E. Varela
- & Xuanhe Zhao
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Letter |
Emergence of tissue-like mechanics from fibrous networks confined by close-packed cells
Tissue rheology emerges from the interplay between fibrous networks and cell inclusions, and the mechanical properties of tissues are modulated by restricting the relaxation modes of fibres close to volume-conserving cells.
- Anne S. G. van Oosten
- , Xingyu Chen
- & Paul A. Janmey
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Letter |
Controlling protein assembly on inorganic crystals through designed protein interfaces
The controlled design of arrays of carboxylates geometrically matched to a potassium ion sublattice leads to the formation of extended self-assembled protein structures on mica.
- Harley Pyles
- , Shuai Zhang
- & David Baker
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Letter |
An ultra-stable gold-coordinated protein cage displaying reversible assembly
An artificial protein cage is readily assembled by metal ion coordination and disassembled by reducing agents, and displays excellent chemical and thermal stability.
- Ali D. Malay
- , Naoyuki Miyazaki
- & Jonathan G. Heddle
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Spotlight |
How biomaterials will support China’s ageing population
Materials researchers are finding innovative ways to improve the country’s health-care system.
- Sarah O’Meara
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Research Highlight |
Spider silk does the twist when the weather is right
One species’ silk can make almost a full revolution when exposed to sufficient humidity.
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Technology Feature |
Matrix mimics shape cell studies
The extracellular matrix governs a surprising number of cellular functions. New techniques are revealing how cells and matrix communicate — and why this cross-talk matters.
- Jyoti Madhusoodanan
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Toolbox |
Five innovative ways to use 3D printing in the laboratory
As the cost of 3D printers tumbles, researchers have begun using them to make everything from bespoke equipment for experiments to realistic models of human organs.
- Andrew Silver
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News & Views |
Implanted device enables responsive bladder control
Implants that electrically stimulate nerves continuously to treat disease can cause off-target effects and pain. An implant that uses light to modulate the activity of genetically modified nerve cells might offer a solution.
- Ellen T. Roche
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Outlook |
Moving skin beyond the biological
Skin-like electronics that stretch and sense will create a way to monitor vital signals and build prosthetics with a sense of touch.
- Katherine Bourzac
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Article |
Active superelasticity in three-dimensional epithelia of controlled shape
Theoretical modelling in combination with measurements of tension and shape in epithelial domes of controlled geometry reveals a plateau of tension in tissue that is maintained by heterogeneous strain across cells.
- Ernest Latorre
- , Sohan Kale
- & Xavier Trepat
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Research Highlight |
Bionic algae barrel through blood to deliver drugs
Plant cells pressed into service as swift and biodegradable couriers.
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Nature Podcast |
Podcast: A wearable biosensor and a metamaterial's strange behaviour
Hear the latest science news, brought to you by Benjamin Thompson and Shamini Bundell.
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Letter |
Three-dimensional printing of hierarchical liquid-crystal-polymer structures
3D printing of liquid-crystal polymers can create lightweight hierarchical structures with very high stiffness and toughness.
- Silvan Gantenbein
- , Kunal Masania
- & André R. Studart
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Research Highlight |
An eggshell mixture that sheds water and shrugs off punishment
A layer of this eco-friendly substance could prevent corrosion and ice build-up.
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Research Highlight |
Synthetic nerve flexes a cockroach’s muscle
Electronic system recreates an advanced sense of touch.
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Career Q&A |
An ultralight way to manipulate brain signals
Materials scientist Bozhi Tian reveals the story behind a nanoscale device that stimulates neural activity when illuminated.
- Virginia Gewin
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Review Article |
Bioengineering strategies to accelerate stem cell therapeutics
- Christopher M. Madl
- , Sarah C. Heilshorn
- & Helen M. Blau
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Letter |
Hyperexpandable, self-healing macromolecular crystals with integrated polymer networks
The integration of macromolecular ferritin protein crystals with hydrogel polymers gives a composite material that expands isotropically and reversibly to twice its size while maintaining periodicity, resists fragmentation and self-heals efficiently.
- Ling Zhang
- , Jake B. Bailey
- & F. Akif Tezcan
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Letter |
Skin electronics from scalable fabrication of an intrinsically stretchable transistor array
A scalable process is described for fabricating skin-like electronic circuitry that can be bent and stretched while retaining desirable electronic functionality.
- Sihong Wang
- , Jie Xu
- & Zhenan Bao
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Nature Podcast |
Podcast: Electric-eel batteries, magma viscocity, and protein shells
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Letter |
An electric-eel-inspired soft power source from stacked hydrogels
Miniature hydrogel compartments in scalable stacked and folded geometries were used to prepare a contact-activated artificial electric organ.
- Thomas B. H. Schroeder
- , Anirvan Guha
- & Michael Mayer
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Nature Video |
Electric eel batteries
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News |
Electric eel-inspired devices could power artificial human organs
Power source is flexible, transparent and runs on salt water.
- Emma Young
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Letter |
Force loading explains spatial sensing of ligands by cells
The formation of cellular adhesion complexes is important in normal and pathological cell activity, and is determined by the force imposed by the combined effect of the distribution of extracellular matrix molecules and substrate rigidity.
- Roger Oria
- , Tina Wiegand
- & Pere Roca-Cusachs
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Outlook |
Bioengineering: Doing without donors
Stem cells and artificial substitutes could ease the dependence on blood donations.
- Elie Dolgin
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Letter |
Molecular machines open cell membranes
Rotary molecular machines, activated by ultraviolet light, are able to perturb and drill into cell membranes in a controllable manner, and more efficiently than those exhibiting flip-flopping or random motion.
- Víctor García-López
- , Fang Chen
- & James M. Tour
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Research Highlight |
Slug-inspired glue stays sticky when wet
Adhesive could have applications in wound care.
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Letter |
A wet-tolerant adhesive patch inspired by protuberances in suction cups of octopi
The suction cups found in octopus tentacles are the inspiration for a synthetic adhesive that functions well in dry and wet conditions and is resistant to chemical contamination.
- Sangyul Baik
- , Da Wan Kim
- & Changhyun Pang
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News & Views |
An improved gel for detached retinas
Surgical repair of a detached retina involves the injection of a gas or silicone oil into the eye to hold the retina in place. The development of a gel with more-desirable properties than these substances might improve the success of this procedure.
- Stanley Chang
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Research Highlights |
A super-strong underwater glue
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Letter |
Abiotic tooth enamel
Nanometre-scale columnar structures in tooth enamel inspire novel nanocomposites containing layers of vertically aligned nanowires, produced by layer-by-layer fabrication and combining high values of both storage modulus and energy dissipation.
- Bongjun Yeom
- , Trisha Sain
- & Nicholas A. Kotov
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Letter |
Enzymatic mineralization generates ultrastiff and tough hydrogels with tunable mechanics
Synthetic hydrogels are here created by enzyme-induced mineralization of hydrogel networks, yielding materials that are tough yet impressively stiff, with calcium phosphate particles distributed homogeneously throughout the network.
- Nicolas Rauner
- , Monika Meuris
- & Joerg C. Tiller
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Research Highlights |
Silk gland mimic spins strong fibres
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Research Highlights |
How additives preserve vaccines
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Outlook |
Technology: The promise of printing
Machines that deposit cell-laden inks are constructing tissues and organs, one layer at a time.
- Neil Savage
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Letter |
Designer matrices for intestinal stem cell and organoid culture
The authors have designed modular synthetic hydrogel networks for mouse and human intestinal stem cell cultures that support intestinal organoid formation.
- Nikolce Gjorevski
- , Norman Sachs
- & Matthias P. Lutolf
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News |
Pioneering brain implant restores paralysed man's sense of touch
More-advanced implants will be needed to restore full sensation throughout the body.
- Linda Geddes
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Research Highlights |
'Bones' made with 3D printer
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Letter |
Molecular modifiers reveal a mechanism of pathological crystal growth inhibition
Like citrate, the molecule hydroxycitrate is shown to inhibit growth of the crystal that is the principal component of kidney stones, suggesting that hydroxycitrate could be another treatment for kidney stone disease.
- Jihae Chung
- , Ignacio Granja
- & Jeffrey D. Rimer
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Research Highlights |
Robotic stingray follows the light
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Research Highlights |
Liquid-like solid lets cells grow
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Letter |
Design of a hyperstable 60-subunit protein icosahedron
The computational design of an extremely stable icosahedral self-assembling protein nanocage is presented; the icosahedron should be useful for applications ranging from calibrating fluorescence microscopy to drug delivery.
- Yang Hsia
- , Jacob B. Bale
- & David Baker
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Letter |
Self-assembly of microcapsules via colloidal bond hybridization and anisotropy
The self-assembly of colloidal particles into hollow micrometre-scale capsules is achieved through the combination of anisotropic particle morphology, deformable surface ligands that re-distribute on binding and the mutual attraction between particles, suggesting a design strategy for colloidal self-assembly
- Chris H. J. Evers
- , Jurriaan A. Luiken
- & Willem K. Kegel
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News |
Transparent film smoothes sagging skin back into shape
Silicone polymer mimics youthful elasticity of skin.
- Linda Geddes
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Letter |
Self-assembly of coherently dynamic, auxetic, two-dimensional protein crystals
Mutants of the C4-symmetric protein RhuA were designed to self-assemble into two-dimensional crystalline lattices with precise spatial arrangements and patterns; the lattices of one of the variants are auxetic and deform perpendicularly to an applied force in a way that is contrary to what is generally expected in typical materials.
- Yuta Suzuki
- , Giovanni Cardone
- & F. Akif Tezcan
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Letter |
Continuous directional water transport on the peristome surface of Nepenthes alata
Insects are captured by the carnivorous plant Nepenthes alata when they ‘aquaplane’ on the wet rim, or ‘peristome’, of the plant’s pitcher organ; here it is shown that unidirectional water flow is crucial to the complete wetting of the peristome, and that the underlying mechanism involves multiscale structural features.
- Huawei Chen
- , Pengfei Zhang
- & Lei Jiang
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Research Highlights |
Shells spark strong graphene fibre