Volume 7 Issue 6, June 2012

A bioengineered thin film of M13 bacteriophage shows piezoelectric properties that are promising for small-scale device integration.

Precisely engineered DNA nanostructures can be used to deliver small interfering RNA molecules into cells and tumours to suppress genes.

Repairing disordered blood vessels in tumours can improve the delivery of small nanomedicines.

The binding and unbinding of single proteins to a gold nanorod can be detected with the help of the surface plasmon resonance of the nanorod.

A hybrid photodetector unites the electronic properties of graphene with the optical properties of colloidal quantum dots to achieve high sensitivity.

A thin film of M13 bacteriophage generates piezoelectric energy that is used to power a liquid-crystal display.

The metal–insulator transition in vanadium dioxide can be reversibly suppressed to cryogenic temperatures by doping with atomic hydrogen.

A phototransistor in which electric charges are absorbed by colloidal quantum dots and circulated in graphene exhibits high values for gain, responsivity and specific detectivity.

Quantum-dot-based infrared light-emitting diodes can achieve levels of brightness and efficiency that are competitive with state-of-the-art epitaxial devices by using linker molecules to control the distance between adjacent quantum dots.

A biochip fabricated on a silicon dioxide support grid allows genes to express proteins in the absence of cells, and the assembly of these proteins to be imaged in situ using transmission electron microscopy.

Gold nanorods coated with biotin can be used to detect single proteins in real time by monitoring the surface plasmon resonance of the nanorod with a photothermal assay.

Repairing the blood vessels in cancerous tumours can improve the delivery of small nanoparticles.

DNA strands can self-assemble into tetrahedral nanoparticles that can deliver small interfering RNA molecules to cells and suppress genes in tumours.

An atomic-scale study reveals the role of Fe and N impurities in a novel carbon-based electrocatalyst.

Silicon nanowires configured as field-effect transistors can be used to quantify the binding affinities and kinetics of protein interactions, offering a sensitive tool for disease diagnosis and drug discovery.