(Press-News.org) Groundbreaking research has revealed a new way to measure incredibly minute forces at the nanoscale in water, pushing the boundaries of what scientists know about the microscopic world.
The significant nanotechnology advance was achieved by researchers from Beihang University in China with RMIT University and other leading institutions including the Australian National University and University of Technology Sydney.
The new technique, involving a super-resolved photonic force microscope (SRPFM), is capable of detecting forces in water as small as 108.2 attonewtons—a scale so minute that it compares to measuring the weight of a virus.
Lead researcher from Beihang University, Professor Fan Wang, said the key to this ultra-sensitive measurement lay in the use of lanthanide-doped nanoparticles, trapped by optical tweezers, which are then used to probe the minute forces at play within biological systems.
"Understanding these tiny forces is crucial for the study of biomechanical processes, which are fundamental to the workings of living cells," he said.
"Until now, measuring such small forces with high precision in a liquid environment was a significant challenge due to factors like probe heating and weak signal issues."
The SRPFM technique developed by Wang and his team addresses these challenges by employing advanced nanotechnology and computational techniques.
By leveraging neural network-empowered super-resolution localisation, the team is able to precisely measure how the nanoparticles are displaced by tiny forces within a fluid medium.
Study co-first author from RMIT University, Dr Lei Ding, said this innovation not only enhances the resolution and sensitivity of force measurements but also minimizes the energy required to trap the nanoparticles, thereby reducing potential damage to biological samples.
"Our method can detect forces down to 1.8 femtonewtons per square root of the bandwidth, which is near the theoretical limit imposed by thermal noise," Ding said.
The implications of this research are vast, added Dr Xuchen Shan, co-first author from Beihang University
"By providing a new tool to measure biological events at the molecular level, this technique could revolutionize our understanding of a host of biological and physical phenomena," Shan said.
This includes everything from how proteins function within human cells to new methods of detecting diseases at an early stage.
The study also explored the application of this technology in measuring electrophoresis forces acting on single nanoparticles and the interaction forces between DNA molecule and interfaces, crucial for the development of advanced biomedical engineering techniques.
The team's findings not only pave the way for new scientific discoveries but also have potential applications in the development of new nanotechnological tools and improving the sensitivity of biomedical diagnostics.
'Sub-femtonewton force sensing in solution by super-resolved photonic force microscopy' Shan, X., Ding, L., Wang, D. et al. was published in Nature Photonics (DOI: 10.1038/s41566-024-01462-7)
END
Breakthrough in nanoscale force measurement opens doors to unprecedented biological insights
Groundbreaking research has revealed a new way to measure incredibly minute forces at the nanoscale in watery solutions, pushing the boundaries of what scientists know about the microscopic world.
2024-06-21
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Scientists discover new behavior of membranes that could lead to unprecedented separations
2024-06-21
Imagine a close basketball game that comes down to the final shot. The probability of the ball going through the hoop might be fairly low, but it would dramatically increase if the player were afforded the opportunity to shoot it over and over.
A similar idea is at play in the scientific field of membrane separations, a key process central to industries that include everything from biotechnology to petrochemicals to water treatment to food and beverage.
“Separations lie at the heart of so many of the products we use in our everyday lives,” said Seth Darling, head of the Advanced Materials for Energy Water Systems (AMEWS) Center at the U.S. Department of ...
When inflicting pain on others pays off T
2024-06-21
Oh, the joy of inflicting pain upon others. The Germans have a word for it: schadenfreude, meaning “malicious pleasure.” And tapping into its sentiment properly can, ironically, do a lot of good by raising money for charity.
In a groundbreaking paper published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology, UC Riverside School of Business marketing professor and associate dean Thomas Kramer and co-authors articulate and quantify the appeal of schadenfreude (pronounced Sha-den-froid-e) through the lens of marketing psychology.
Through a series of behavioral scenario studies, their paper provides insights ...
The Lancet: Managing gestational diabetes much earlier in pregnancy can prevent complications and improve long-term health outcomes, experts say
2024-06-21
The Lancet: Managing gestational diabetes much earlier in pregnancy can prevent complications and improve long-term health outcomes, experts say
Speaking at the American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions, authors of a new Lancet Series challenge current approaches to managing gestational diabetes (a type of diabetes that can be diagnosed during pregnancy) and call for initiating treatment much earlier to prevent complications during pregnancy and beyond. [1].
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), commonly referred to as gestational diabetes, is the most common ...
New study finds dinosaur fossils did not inspire the mythological griffin
2024-06-21
A popular and widely-promoted claim that dinosaur fossils inspired the legend of the griffin, the mythological creature with a raptorial bird head and wings on a lion body, has been challenged in a new study.
The specific link between dinosaur fossils and griffin mythology was proposed over 30 years ago in a series of papers and books written by folklorist Adrienne Mayor. These started with the 1989 Cryptozoology paper entitled ‘Paleocryptozoology: a call for collaboration between classicists and cryptozoologists’, and was cemented in the seminal 2000 ...
NASA astronaut Woody Hoburg to deliver keynote address at ISSRDC focused on developing a space workforce
2024-06-20
BOSTON (MA), June 20, 2024 – NASA astronaut Warren “Woody” Hoburg will deliver a keynote address at the International Space Station Research and Development Conference (ISSRDC) in Boston on Thursday, August 1, 2024. Hoburg has close ties to Boston as a graduate and former assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Hoburg’s address will focus on his six-month science expedition on the space station and the importance of shaping the future workforce ...
Study: Fatigue-management training improved sleep, safety, well-being for Seattle police
2024-06-20
Policing is a profession that features shift work and long hours, both of which can lead to insufficient sleep and fatigue. Because of the unique demands of the job, fatigue raises risks related to decision making, impulse control, driving, and other aspects of work. In a new study, researchers tested the effect of a fatigue-management program on the sleep, mental health, well-being, and safety of police employees in Seattle. The training improved sleep duration as well as various aspects of employees’ safety and well-being.
The study, by researchers at Washington State University (WSU) and the Seattle Police Department, ...
Guiding humanity beyond the moon: OHIO’s Nate Szewczyk and students coauthor papers published in “Nature” journals that revolutionize human space biology
2024-06-20
What actually happens to the human body in space? While scientists and researchers have heavily researched how various factors impact the human body here on Earth, the amount of information available about changes that occur in the body in space is not as well-known. Scientists, including OHIO’s Nate Szewczyk and several of his trainees, have been studying for years how the body, specifically on the molecular side, changes in space. Recently, a new package of papers has been published in “Nature” journals depicting how the modern tools of molecular biology and precision medicine can help guide humanity into more challenging missions beyond where we’ve already been.
The ...
Grant supports research to identify barriers to health care for Black women
2024-06-20
A $1.58 million grant will support work by a health communication scholar at the University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science Center’s College of Nursing and a medical oncologist at West Cancer Center and Research Institute (WCCRI) to identify sociocultural and structural factors that are root causes of cancer health disparities for Black women in the Mid-South.
Assistant Professor Janeane Anderson, PhD, MPH, is a social scientist and health communication scholar at the College of Nursing whose research focuses on how interpersonal factors affect ...
Scientists at uOttawa develop innovative method to validate quantum photonics circuits performance
2024-06-20
A team of researchers from the University of Ottawa’s Nexus for Quantum Technologies Institute (NexQT), led by Dr. Francesco Di Colandreanorth_eastexternal link, under the supervision of Professor Ebrahim Karimi, associate professor of physics, has developed an innovative technique for evaluating the performance of quantum circuits. This significant advancement, recently published in the prestigious journal npj Quantum Information, represents a substantial leap forward in the field of quantum computing.
In the rapidly evolving landscape of quantum technologies, ...
New report on community-centered approach to providing vaccine education and resources to persons experiencing homelessness during COVID-19
2024-06-20
(Boston)— A community-support model for providing health resources and education is a way to continuously engage unhoused people and other underserved groups who are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Having a stable system for bringing health information to unhoused people and connecting them to providers at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), is a pathway for addressing a number of health issues they experience,” said Kareem King, Jr., research program manager at Boston University’s Clinical & Translational Science ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
You’ve never seen corn like this before
Mediterranean diet could reduce gum disease
Mount Sinai launches cardiac catheterization artificial intelligence research lab
Why AI is never going to run the world
Stress in the strands: Hair offers clues to children’s mental health
UCLA distinguished professor, CVD researcher to receive 2025 Basic Research Prize
UT San Antonio School of Public Health: The People’s School
‘Preventable deaths will continue’ without action to make NHS more accessible for autistic people, say experts
Scientists shoot lasers into brain cells to uncover how illusions work
Your ecosystem engineer was a dinosaur
New digital cognitive test for diagnosing Alzheimer's disease
Parents of children with health conditions less confident about a positive school year
New guideline standardizes consent for research participants in Canada
Research as reconciliation: Oil sands and health
AI risks overwriting history and the skills of historians have never been more important, leading academic outlines in new paper
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology: Higher doses of semaglutide can safely enhance weight loss and improve health for adults living with obesity, two new clinical trials confirm
Trauma focused therapy shows promise for children struggling with PTSD
School meals could drive economic growth and food system transformation
Home training for cerebellar ataxias
Dry eyes affect over half the general population, yet only a fifth receive diagnosis and treatment
Researchers sound warning about women with type 2 diabetes taking oral HRT
Overweight and obesity don’t always increase the risk of an early death, Danish study finds
Cannabis use associated with a quadrupling of risk of developing type 2 diabetes, finds study of over 4 million adults
Gestational diabetes linked to cognitive decline in mothers and increased risk of developmental delays, ADHD and autism among children
Could we use eye drops instead of reading glasses as we age?
Patients who had cataracts removed or their eyesight corrected with a new type of lens have good vision over all distances without spectacles
AI can spot which patients need treatment to prevent vision loss in young adults
Half of people stop taking popular weight-loss drug within a year, national study finds
Links between diabetes and depression are similar across Europe, study of over-50s in 18 countries finds
Smoking increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, regardless of its characteristics
[Press-News.org] Breakthrough in nanoscale force measurement opens doors to unprecedented biological insightsGroundbreaking research has revealed a new way to measure incredibly minute forces at the nanoscale in watery solutions, pushing the boundaries of what scientists know about the microscopic world.