Commentary in 2013

Many materials-based therapeutic systems have reached the clinic or are in clinical trials. Here we describe materials design principles and the construction of delivery vehicles, as well as their adaptation and evaluation for human use.

Cancer nanomedicines approved so far minimize toxicity, but their efficacy is often limited by physiological barriers posed by the tumour microenvironment. Here, we discuss how these barriers can be overcome through innovative nanomedicine design and through creative manipulation of the tumour microenvironment.

For the case of water on supported graphene, about 30% of the van der Waals interactions between the water and the substrate are transmitted through the one-atom-thick layer.

The challenge to link understanding and manipulation at the microscale to functional behaviour at the macroscale defines the frontiers of mesoscale science.

In spite of substantial progress over the past 35 years, underfunding and lack of evaluation are preventing Greek research and technology from reaching its true potential. A coordinated effort between government, academia and industry could lead to viable solutions to the current crisis.

Semiconducting quantum dots have been extensively investigated with the idea of using single spins for quantum computing. Whereas access to single electrons and their spins has become routine, the challenges posed by nuclear spins remain ever present.

A comparison of the mechanical responses of (bio)polymer networks and shape-memory alloys to cyclic loading reveals strong phenomenological similarities resulting from strain-induced structural changes.

Unique opportunities arise from exceptional points that coalesce states of an open system in synthetic photonic media, where delicately balanced complex dielectric functions produce unprecedented optical properties.