Unique Exoplanet Photobombs CHEOPS study of Nearby Star System

This infographic reveals the details of the Nu2 Lupi planetary system. This bright, Sun-like star is located just under 50 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Lupus (the Wolf), as shown to the left of the frame, and is known to host three planets (named ‘b’, ‘c’ and ‘d’, with the star deemed to be object ‘A’). The relative sizes, orbital periods, and possible compositions of these three planets are depicted to the centre and lower right of the frame, while planet d’s comparative position within our Solar System is shown to the upper right (as defined by the amount of incident light it receives from its star, Nu2 Lupi).© ESA

While studying two exoplanets in a bright nearby star system, the CHEOPS satellite has unexpectedly spotted the system’s third kn...

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Advanced care: Smart Wound Dressings with Built-in Healing Sensors

A sample of glowing material, held by tweezers
The fluorescent nanosensors respond to changes in pH, making them ideal for use as sensors to track healing.

Fluorescent sensors glow brightly under UV light if infection starts to set in. Researchers have developed smart wound dressings with built-in nanosensors that glow to alert patients when a wound is not healing properly.

The multifunctional, antimicrobial dressings feature fluorescent sensors that glow brightly under UV light if infection starts to set in and can be used to monitor healing progress.

The smart dressings, developed by a team of scientists and engineers at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, harness the powerful antibacterial and antifungal properties of magnesium hydroxide.

They are cheaper to produce than silver-based dressings but equally as effect...

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Pushing through Nanopores: Genetic Sequencing with MXene

Pushing through nanopores: Genetic sequencing with MXene
MXene’s superior mechanical ability, and thermal and chemical stability, make it a strong option for solid-state, nanopore DNA sequencing. Credit: Mechanical and AI Lab, College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University

It took 13 years and one billion dollars to sequence the human genome, an enormous scientific undertaking that launched a new era of medicine. With today’s advances in sequencing technology, that same task would have only taken about a day at a fraction of the cost. Tomorrow’s tech could whittle that down to mere seconds.

Nanopore-based DNA sequencing is a third generation technology that has the potential to further transform health care by providing rapid diagnostics of illnesses and personalizing medicine. The more efficient the method, the better...

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Nanotech OLED electrode liberates 20% more light, could slash display power consumption

A new electrode that could free up 20% more light from organic light-emitting diodes has been developed at the University of Michigan. It could help extend the battery life of smartphones and laptops, or make next-gen televisions and displays much more energy efficient.

The approach prevents light from being trapped in the light-emitting part of an OLED, enabling OLEDs to maintain brightness while using less power. In addition, the electrode is easy to fit into existing processes for making OLED displays and light fixtures.

“With our approach, you can do it all in the same vacuum chamber,” said L. Jay Guo, U-M professor of electrical and computer engineering and corresponding author of the study.

Unless engineers take action, about 80% of the light produced by an OLED gets tr...

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