Fifty years since its discovery, scientists have finally worked out how a molecular machine found in mitochondria allows us to make the fuel we need from sugars, a process vital to all life on Earth.
Scientists at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, have worked out the structure of this machine and shown how it operates like the lock on a canal to transport pyruvate—a molecule generated in the body from the breakdown of sugars—into our mitochondria.
Known as the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier, this molecular machine was first proposed to exist in 1971, but it has taken until now for scientists to visualize its structure at the atomic scale using cryo-electron microscopy, a technique used to magnify an image of an object to around 165,000 times its real size. Details are published in Science Advances.
Controlling the uniformity in size and quantity of macroscopic three-dimensional (3D) DNA crystals is essential for their integration into complex systems and broader applications. However, achieving such control remains a major challenge in DNA nanotechnology. Here, we present a novel strategy for synthesizing monodisperse 3D DNA single crystals using microfluidic double-emulsion droplets as nanoliter-scale microreactors. These uniformly sized droplets can shrink and swell without leaking their inner contents, allowing the concentration of the DNA solution inside to be adjusted. The confined volume ensures that, once a crystal seed forms, it rapidly consumes the available DNA material, preventing the formation of additional crystals within the same droplet. This approach enables precise control over crystal growth, resulting in a yield of one DNA single crystal per droplet, with a success rate of up to 98.6% ± 0.9%. The resulting DNA crystals exhibit controlled sizes, ranging from 19.3 ± 0.9 μm to 56.8 ± 2.6 μm. Moreover, this method can be applied to the controlled growth of various types of DNA crystals. Our study provides a new pathway for DNA crystal self-assembly and microengineering.
After more than five decades of mystery, scientists have finally unveiled the detailed structure and function of a long-theorized molecular machine in our mitochondria — the mitochondrial pyruvate carrier.
This microscopic gatekeeper controls how cells fuel themselves by transporting pyruvate, a key energy source, across mitochondrial membranes. Now visualized using cryo-electron microscopy, the carrier’s lock-like mechanism could be the key to tackling diseases like cancer, diabetes, and even hair loss. By blocking or modifying this gateway, researchers believe we could reroute how cells generate energy and develop powerful, targeted treatments.
Could a tiny dose of gold restore sight? Researchers at Brown University have developed a groundbreaking retinal prosthesis using gold nanoparticles and infrared light to bypass damaged photoreceptors in retinal disorders like macular degeneration.
This minimally invasive method successfully activated the visual system in mice, offering promising early evidence for future clinical applications. Learn how this innovative fusion of nanotechnology and neuroscience could revolutionize treatment for millions suffering from vision loss.
Most energy generators currently employed within the electronics industry are based on inorganic piezoelectric materials that are not bio-compatible and contribute to the pollution of the environment on Earth. In recent years, some electronics researchers and chemical engineers have thus been trying to develop alternative devices that can generate electricity for medical implants, wearable electronics, robots and other electronics harnessing organic materials that are safe, bio-compatible and non-toxic.
Researchers at the Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur recently introduced a new device based on seeds from the mimosa pudica plant, which can serve both as a bio-piezoelectric nanogenerator and a self-chargeable supercapacitor. Their proposed device, outlined in a paper published in the Chemical Engineering Journal, was found to achieve remarkable efficiencies, while also having a lesser adverse impact on the environment.
“This study was motivated by the need for biocompatible, self-sustaining energy systems to power implantable medical devices (e.g., pacemakers, neurostimulators) and wearable electronics,” Prof. Dr. Bhanu Bhusan Khatua, senior author of the paper, told Tech Xplore.
Researchers from ICMAB are revolutionizing how we manipulate light at the nanoscale using chiral plasmonic structures—nanomaterials designed to interact with polarized light in extraordinary ways.
ICMAB researchers from the NANOPTO group at ICMAB have recently published two studies demonstrating how cost-effective fabrication techniques can produce highly efficient chiral nanostructures with potential applications in sensors, imaging, and even quantum technologies.
The first study, published in Nature Communications, showcases self-assembled chiral plasmonic architectures (triskelion patterns) made from gold and silver nanoparticles. These structures demonstrate exceptional optical responses, selectively interacting with circularly polarized light, opening up exciting possibilities for advanced optoelectronic devices.
MXene, a nanomaterial used in battery technology and as a high-performance lubricant, was previously difficult and hazardous to produce. However, researchers at TU Wien have now developed new, safer methods for its production. One of the most groundbreaking trends in materials science is the stud
A new study by Brown University researchers suggests that gold nanoparticles—microscopic bits of gold thousands of times thinner than a human hair—might one day be used to help restore vision in people with macular degeneration and other retinal disorders.
In a study published in the journal ACS Nano, the research team showed that nanoparticles injected into the retina can successfully stimulate the visual system and restore vision in mice with retinal disorders. The findings suggest that a new type of visual prosthesis system in which nanoparticles, used in combination with a small laser device worn in a pair of glasses or goggles, might one day help people with retinal disorders to see again.
“This is a new type of retinal prosthesis that has the potential to restore vision lost to retinal degeneration without requiring any kind of complicated surgery or genetic modification,” said Jiarui Nie, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institutes of Health who led the research while completing her Ph.D. at Brown. “We believe this technique could potentially transform treatment paradigms for retinal degenerative conditions.”
Our Vision Weekends are the annual festivals of Foresight Institute. Held in two countries, over two weekends, you are invited to burst your tech silos and plan for flourishing long-term futures. This playlist captures the magic of our Puerto Rico edition, held February 21–23, 2025, in the heart of Old San Juan. Come for the ideas: join the conference, unconference, mentorship hours, curated 1-1s, tech demos, biohacking sessions, prize awards, and much more. Stay for fun with new friends: join the satellite gatherings, solarpunk future salsa night, beach picnic, and surprise island adventures. This year’s main conference track is dedicated to “Paths to Progress”; meaning you will hear 20+ invited presentations from Foresight’s core community highlighting paths to progress in the following areas: Existential Hope Futures, Longevity, Rejuvenation, Cryonics, Neurotech, BCIs & WBEs, Cryptography, Security & AI, Fusion, Energy, Space, and Funding, Innovation, Progress. ══════════════════════════════════════
*About The Foresight Institute*
The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1986 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support. From molecular nanotechnology, to brain-computer interfaces, space exploration, cryptocommerce, and AI, Foresight gathers leading minds to advance research and accelerate progress toward flourishing futures.
*We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page:* https://foresight.org/donate/
*Visit* https://foresight.org, *subscribe to our channel for more videos or join us here:*
Our Vision Weekends are the annual festivals of Foresight Institute. Held in two countries, over two weekends, you are invited to burst your tech silos and plan for flourishing long-term futures. This playlist captures the magic of our Puerto Rico edition, held February 21–23, 2025, in the heart of Old San Juan. Come for the ideas: join the conference, unconference, mentorship hours, curated 1-1s, tech demos, biohacking sessions, prize awards, and much more. Stay for fun with new friends: join the satellite gatherings, solarpunk future salsa night, beach picnic, and surprise island adventures. This year’s main conference track is dedicated to “Paths to Progress”; meaning you will hear 20+ invited presentations from Foresight’s core community highlighting paths to progress in the following areas: Existential Hope Futures, Longevity, Rejuvenation, Cryonics, Neurotech, BCIs & WBEs, Cryptography, Security & AI, Fusion, Energy, Space, and Funding, Innovation, Progress. ══════════════════════════════════════
*About The Foresight Institute*
The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1986 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support. From molecular nanotechnology, to brain-computer interfaces, space exploration, cryptocommerce, and AI, Foresight gathers leading minds to advance research and accelerate progress toward flourishing futures.
*We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page:* https://foresight.org/donate/
*Visit* https://foresight.org, *subscribe to our channel for more videos or join us here:*
