In a finding that could provide controlled motion in futuristic nanomachines used for drug delivery, fuel cells, and other applications, researchers in Pennsylvania report that chemical signaling between synthetic microcapsules can trigger and direct movement of these capsules. Their study is scheduled for the currrent isssue of
ACS Nano.
Researchers theorize that synthetic capsules can communicate with each other by physically shuffling chemical signals from capsule to capsule, much like passing water through a fireman’s bucket brigade. Scientists recently suggested that this same signaling process also appears capable of sending cues to direct cell movement.
In the new study, Anna C. Balazs and colleagues used computer models to simulate the chemical signaling.
They modeled a porous polymer microcapsule filled with nanonparticles to imitate a biological cell. When placed next to an empty capsule, nanoparticles from the filled capsule initiated the motion of the empty capsule, which in turn caused the movement of the filled “signaling” capsule.
The same locomotion process could be engineered into futuristic nanomachines to help direct their movement through the body or through fuel cells, the researchers suggest.
Source: ACS
Related stories:
Scientists Sequence Genome of Soil-Dwelling Green Alga
The genome analysis of a tiny green alga has uncovered hundreds of genes that are uniquely associated with carbon dioxide capture and generation of biomass. Among the 15,000-plus genes revealed in the study are those that encode the structure and function of the specialized organelle that houses the photosynthetic apparatus, the chloroplast, which is responsible for converting light to chemical energy. The genome also provides a glimpse back through time to the last common ancestor of plants and animals.
Scientists learn how food affects the brain
In addition to helping protect us from heart disease and cancer, a balanced diet and regular exercise can also protect the brain and ward off mental disorders.
Protein discovery may bolster antibiotic development
A team of scientists from Queen’s University has discovered the first ever three-dimensional structure of a protein family that may help in developing more effective antibiotics.
Road wends its way through stomach
A computer model or "virtual stomach" revealed a central "road" in the human stomach, dubbed the Magenstrasse, that could explain why pharmaceuticals sometimes have a large variability in drug activation times, according to a team creating computer simulations of stomach contractions.
The lost kingdom of Tambora is found
History's largest volcanic eruption destroyed the island kingdom of Tambora in 1815 and now the first remnants of a Tambora village have been found.
Artificial Cells
Do cells always have to be developed from organic carbon-containing compounds? When resourceful scientists stretch their imaginations, they quickly find an answer to this question. This is demonstrated by the work of Achim Müller of Bielefeld, Germany, and his co-workers, who have constructed an "artificial cell" from an inorganic macromolecule: a spherical polyoxymolybdate cluster.
Taikonauts set Chinese space record
China's Shenzhou 6 spacecraft was in its second day in orbit Thursday, making the mission that nation's longest manned space flight.
Shenzhou-6 Mission In Final Preparation For Possible Launch On October 13
The Shenzhou-6 mission is in final preparation with the integration of the spacecraft to its launcher this week at the launch site, and the expected arrival of the six-crew candidates from Beijing.
