Search by tag «Nanoparticles» 51 results

• ITMO’s Monday Science Roundup #59

  Science breakthroughs, new educational initiatives, and valuable career advice for cutting-edge fields: as always, the past two weeks have been rich in updates from the science world. Read it all in our regular digest.

  15.07.2024

• An Electric Shepherd for Electric Sheep: ITMO Researchers Develop Manipulator for Singular Nanoparticles

  Laboratory analysis of singular nanoparticles usually calls for specialized, expensive equipment and a lot of time; now, a new manipulator by researchers from ITMO promises to solve that problem. The add-on fits onto any microscope, doesn’t require any in-depth optics knowledge, and is easy to use. In a few minutes, it picks out a particle from the greater mass and secures it under the lens in a specific spot. The device should prove useful in identifying medical issues at early stages, developing new materials for nanoengineering, and studying the unique properties of particles in fundamental physics.

  11.07.2024

• Record-Breaking: Tiny Nanolasers for Ultracompact Chips Developed at ITMO

  Physicists at ITMO University have broken their own record for the world’s smallest nanolaser: they were able to decrease the nanoparticle’s size from 310 nanometers to 200 (which is 5,000 times smaller than a millimeter!). The new laser functions at room temperature, while the green light it radiates can be seen through a standard optical microscope. The solution can be applied in the development of fine parts for digital microdevices and wellness trackers, as well as in VR headsets: there, the nanolaser will be able to improve the quality of color rendering.

  29.05.2024

• ITMO Researchers Predict Carbon Particle Properties for Cancer Diagnostics

  A group of researchers at ITMO has developed a new machine learning-based approach to producing carbon nanoparticles for biomedicine. Thanks to the algorithm, scientists will be able to select the necessary parameters for synthesis of carbon particles with target properties. In the future, the particles can be used for biovisualization of tumors and their treatment with phototherapy. The new approach is described in a paper published in Small.

  20.02.2024

• Researchers Train AI to Identify Anti-Cancer Nanoparticles

  Chemists at ITMO University have designed an AI-based platform that identifies nanoparticles with selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells. According to the corresponding article in Small, the system should be expected to optimize particle synthesis and reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.

  09.10.2023

• ITMO Researchers Propose New Production Method for Biosensor Nanoparticles

  Physicists from ITMO’s International Research and Educational Center for Physics of Nanostructures have proposed a method of generating plasmonic chiral nanoparticles with the help of “twisted” laser radiation. The obtained structures can be used in biosensors and polarized photodetectors, detect impurities in gasses and liquids, as well as purify medications.

  08.09.2023

• ITMO Scientists Suggest New Synthesis Method For Nanoparticles Used in Cancer Treatment and Diagnostics

  Researchers from ITMO’s ChemBio Cluster have suggested a new way of synthesizing magnetic nanoparticles for cancer treatment and diagnostics. Thanks to machine learning at the core of the new approach, the scientists can quickly select the properties of nanoparticles for efficient MRI diagnostics and hyperthermia treatment. With the new method, the synthesis of a single nanoparticle takes just a few seconds – compared to the hours required in the conventional experimental approach. The method was described in a paper published in Small.

  18.08.2023

• ITMO Scientists Suggest Novel Nanoparticle-Based Cancer Treatment

  Cancer is the second most common death cause in the world, which in 2020 took the lives of nearly 10 million people – every sixth death, according to WHO. Globally, researchers are developing new, more efficient treatments for oncological diseases. Scientists from ITMO also contribute to these efforts: recently, they have come up with a universally applicable magnetic particle from zinc ferrite and manganese ferrite that can facilitate both cancer diagnostics and treatment. The new method increases the efficiency of radiotherapy by 40%, and during magnetic hyperthermia it can heat cancer cells in several seconds, while also securing less exposure for the healthy cells. This study was published in Journal of Materials Chemistry B.

  07.03.2023

• ITMO Researchers Developing New Cancer Treatment Using Gold Nanoparticles and Infrared Lasers

  In recent years, oncological diseases have become one of the most wide-spread causes of death in developed countries – and despite the abundant new diagnostics and treatment methods, fighting cancer is still a challenge. Nearly all known treatments have significant side effects, while some of them are even helpless against more persistent cancer cells. One solution to this problem is photothermal therapy, on its own or in combination with other treatments. Researchers from ITMO University have suggested a new method to treat melanoma more effectively and safely using gold nanoparticles. Read on to learn more about the new method.

  03.11.2022

• Bright Ideas: ITMO Researchers’ Dynamic Nanostructure Achieves 35x Light Amplification

  The staff of ITMO University’s Faculty of Physics have developed a dynamic nanostructure that changes its optical properties in response to external stimuli. At its core is a polymer that expands and contracts based on its temperature. The researchers have shown that nanostructures containing silicon nanoparticles can amplify light seven-fold – and the number blows up to 35 when the material is combined with gold. What’s more, the polymer can change its form an unlimited amount of times. Its potential uses include the development of automated heat sensors and various other smart devices.

  13.10.2022