News & Comment

Nanoneedle start-ups are traversing the biotech valley of death — from fundamental university research into commercial development in advanced therapeutics and diagnostics. How can academics make the most of this opportunity?

We will now explicitly ask reviewers to flag up to us and authors whether a simpler model or theory could explain the experimental data in a given manuscript.

On a Thursday in March 2022, scientists from three continents gathered in Toulouse, France, to crown the best among eight international molecular racing teams competing in the second edition of the NanoCar Race.

Academic scientists who develop entrepreneurial capabilities can make strategic, path dependent decisions that enable university spin-offs to rapidly respond to global crises.

Nature Nanotechnology fosters and promotes integration among scientific disciplines.

We reflect on the legacy that our long-serving Chief Editor leaves behind, as he moves on to pastures new.

Ned Seeman, pioneer of the field of structural DNA nanotechnology, passed away on November 16, 2021.

Nanoscale systems are ideally suited to study quantum mechanical effects and explore these as resources for emerging quantum technology such as quantum sensing, communication or computing.

Silicon spin qubits have demonstrated some promising properties at the individual level, but the technology is beleaguered by a late start and high barriers to entry. To overcome these challenges, the quantum computing and electrical engineering communities will need to find novel ways to work together.

High-performance quantum light sources based on semiconductor quantum dots coupled to microcavities are showing their promise in long-distance solid-state quantum networks.

Molecules have the potential to act as sharp energy filters for electrical currents and could thereby outperform other materials considered for thermoelectric energy conversion. Yet, there is a gap between theoretical predictions and practical implementations in molecular thermoelectricity, and this research roadmap may guide the transition from academic research to valuable technology.

The reported observation of enhanced diffusivity of simple molecules during a chemical reaction in solution is but the latest of nanoscale wonders.

A common understanding of the key regulatory term “substance” is needed for the implementation of chemicals regulations for nanomaterials.

The halide perovskite family has, arguably, become today’s most promising emerging materials sets for optoelectronic applications. Here, we discuss the underperformance to date of the colloidal nanocrystal forms of these materials when employed in electroluminescent lighting devices relative to their counterparts, in which the emitter layer is in the form of polycrystalline films. However, we highlight the bright future of halide perovskite colloidal nanocrystals in light-emission technologies such as LCD displays, quantum light sources and even alternative LED configurations, as well as key guidelines for their further development to get there.

Polyethylene glycol, used as a stabilizer in nanomedicine formulations, has recently been indicated as the possible cause of the anaphylactic reactions against the COVID-19 mRNA-based vaccines, but the evidence supporting this is contradictory, and other factors might be involved.