First self powered nano Fabrication of a single nanodevice is no longer considered state-of-the-art in nanotechnology.

The leading edge is research that leads to a self-powered nanoscale system that is driven by the energy harvested from its environment, and that can perform its work independently and sustainably. Selfpowered nanotechnology will lead to useful nanotechnology devices, and is vitally important for medical science, environmental monitoring, defense technology and even personal electronics. Zhong Lin Wangs group at Georgia Tech specializes in nanopiezotronics and is advancingthe work on nanogenerators that can harvest energy from body movements like breathing and heartbeats, and convert this mechanical energy into electricity. Wangs team has now provided the first demonstration that a nanogenerator can be strong enough to power a device with the capability of sensing, data processing, and wireless data transmission. This is a powerful demonstration of a self-powered nanosystem and its potential applications. We demonstrate the first self-powered system driven by a nanogenerator that works wirelessly and independently for long-distance data transmission said Wang. The power generated by a nanogenerator may not be sufficient to continuously drive a device, but an accumulation of charges generated over a period of time is sufficient to drive the device to work for a few seconds. This is very suitable for applications in the fields of sensing, infrastructure monitoring, and sensor networks.

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Showing spotlights 1 - 8 of 92 in category Sensors, Sensing Applications (newest first): Nanotechnology sensor could provide a much earlier warning signal for lung cancer
Posted: Sep 20th, 2011

Every aspect of cellular activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, Integrating biological molecules or even complex molecular machines with man-made nanoelectronic metabolism and apoptosis, cangoals of bionanotechnology. Already there is a growing community of devices is one of the ultimate be regulated by a class of tiny but very important nucleic acids fragments of bio/nano integration where biological components are interfaced with researchers interested in this area called microRNAs (miRNAs). They bind to specific messenger RNAs and cause messengerand systems that combine the desirable properties of each inorganic nanomaterials to create new devices RNA degradation or inhibit translation, thereby regulate gene expression this kind of research are level. Innanotubes (CNTs). Scientists system. One particular nanomaterial used in at the post-translational carbon Posted: Jul 21st, 2011 cancer cells,the integration of ofCNT transistor with olfactory receptor proteins. The ultimate goal of this type now report the homeostasis a these normal biological processes is disrupted, partially by is to transfer the sensing properties of biological molecular systems to artificial electronic of research dysregulated miRNAs, therefore the level of microRNAs is an indicator to the disease development, and miRNAs in cancer tissues or devices....nanotechnology article biofluids can be utilized as a diagnostic biomarker for cancer detection. Now, researchers report a miRNAs-based discovery that could provide a much Sensing the niche - cells carrying sensors monitor the cellular nano-environment in real-time earlier warning signal for lung cancer.... nanotechnology article
Posted: Jul 18th, 2011

Probing the molecular world with nanolamps Monitoring cell functions and cell-to-cell communication has enormous implications for cell biology, Posted: Aug 30th, 2011 regenerative medicine used in biomedical of transplanted dyes or Most molecular probes and tracking the fateresearch require cells in cell therapy. Unfortunately, probing what cells 'see' and how they respond in real time to surrounding signals (i.e. are fluorescence in order to obtain meaningful signals. These probes usuallycytokines) has been a major challenge. Now, simple cell-surface sensor what they can image - be it the quite limited witharegard to the complexity ofplatform that permits signalling to be monitored within the cellular environment, in real time, the number most likely also in vivo, measurable concentration range or in vitro and of molecules that can be can potentially address this problem. Researchers have developed platform that is particularly relevant when it simultaneously detected. Thisais an issuetechnology where cell-surface immobilized nanosensors allow them to monitor the the simultaneous multiple and cell-cell communication in comes to track cellular nano environment molecular transformations that real-time, at a single cell level and with potential unprecedented spatial and temporal now have come up with an dictate complicated diseases like cancer. Scientists resolution.... nanotechnology article intriguing new class of molecular probes to solve this problem. They took an Paper-based metamaterial biosensor existing spectroscopic technique - surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) -Posted:developed a unique class of nanoparticle labels that provide for different and Jun 20th, 2011 Paper has when excited by laser light.... nanotechnology article responses emerged as a focus area for researchers developing innovative techniques for printed basic electronics components. Another area where paper could lead to low-cost innovative devices and applications Measuring the force of a singlelab-on-a-chip technology. Currently, these microfluidic devices are fairly expensive due to their is synthetic small molecule Posted: Aug 26th, 2011 fabrication process with channels patterned in glass or plastic and tiny pumps and valves lithography-based Previously, synthetic fluids. Inexpensive paper-basedused to perform directing the flow of molecular machines have been sensing kits already play an important role in ready-tomechanical tasksResearchers have even managed to create inexpensive microfluidic platforms on use diagnostics. collectively, such as move liquid droplets uphill against the force of gravity, rotate microscale objects In a further advance, doped with hydrophobic paper with laser treatments. using liquid crystals scientists have now fabricated a paper-based synthetic motor-molecules, and be potentially utilized for quantitative analysis in biochemical sensing metamaterial device which can bend cantilevers. However, all these tasks are achieved by thenanotechnology article applications.... collective action of billions and billions of molecular machines. First self-powered nanosystem with wireless data transmission
Posted: Jun 1st, 2011

Fabrication of a single nanodevice is no longer the state of the art in nanotechnology. The leading edge - and also currently the most challenging area in nanotechnology - is research that leads to a self-powered nanoscale system that is driven by the energy harvested from its environment and that can perform its work independently and sustainable. This is a key step toward self-powered nanotechnology, which is vitally important for medical science, environmental monitoring, defence technology and even personal electronics. A research team has now provided the first demonstration that a nanogenerator can be strong enough to power a device with the capability of sensing, data processing and wireless data transmission. This is a powerful demonstration of the self-powered nanosystem and its potential applications.... nanotechnology article Nanodiamonds allow quantum control and measurement inside a living cell
Posted: May 26th, 2011

Groundbreaking research has shown a quantum atom has been tracked inside a living human cell and may lead to improvements in the testing and development of new drugs. Researchers conducted studies that confirm that non-invasive quantum measurement is possible on nanodiamonds containing a single nitrogenvacancy (NV) spin moving within living cells. Studying the quantum properties of a single NV defect within a diamond nanocrystal, the researchers demonstrate a new technique which enables the orientation of a nanoparticle to be determined to an accuracy of less than one degree in an acquisition time of 89 milliseconds. This new technique offers biologists an extra degree of freedom when studying the translational motion of nanoparticles. Monitoring the coherence from a single electron spin paves the ways for nanoscale bio-magnetometry allowing scientists to probe changes in the cell's electromagnetic

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