Science

• New solar-cell design based on dots and wires
  Using exotic particles called quantum dots as the basis for a photovoltaic cell is not a new idea, but attempts to make such devices have not yet achieved sufficiently high efficiency in converting sunlight to power. A new wrinkle added by a team of researchers at MIT — embedding the quantum dots within a forest
• Putting the squeeze on cells –By deforming cells, researchers can deliver RNA, proteins and nanoparticles for many applications
  Living cells are surrounded by a membrane that tightly regulates what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier is necessary for cells to control their internal environment, but it makes it more difficult for scientists to deliver large molecules such as nanoparticles for imaging, or proteins that can reprogram them into pluripotent stem
• SCHOTT developers are using glass-ceramic as a separator material for lithium-air batteries
    IMAGE: Inside a lithium-air battery, positively charged lithium ions wander from the anode (positive electrode) to the cathode (negative electrode) during discharging.  At the same time, the remaining free electrons flow to the cathode through an external circuit and bond here with the oxygen and lithium ions. This process is reversed when the battery
• How to treat heat like light
  New approach using nanoparticle alloys allows heat to be focused or reflected just like electromagnetic waves. An MIT researcher has developed a technique that provides a new way of manipulating heat, allowing it to be controlled much as light waves can be manipulated by lenses and mirrors. The approach relies on engineered materials consisting of
• More than two hundred genes identified for Crohn’s Disease
    More than two hundred gene locations have now been identified for the chronic bowel condition Crohn’s Disease, in a study that analysed the entire human genome. Published today in The American Journal of Human Genetics, scientists at UCL have devised a new method for identifying and mapping gene locations for complex inherited diseases. Using