News

A study by Yimin Luo et al. on high-throughput microscopy for analyzing coacervates was highlighted in the Soft Matter journal. It demonstrated a new platform for simultaneous measurement of morphology and microrheology in phase-separating fluids, improving efficiency in tracking material properties during compositional changes.

Advait Holkar, a UCLA PhD student, received the ESME award for his research on protocells that enhance enzymatic catalysis. His work shows that these protocells achieve significantly faster reaction rates and improved efficiency in enzyme cascade reactions, conducted at the Living BioFoundry and supported by BioPACIFIC MIP.

Researchers at Penn State have developed a new heterostructure of two-dimensional materials that could advance quantum computing by overcoming significant barriers. This involves using topological superconductors to enhance qubit stability. Their innovative synthesis technique may facilitate scalable production for future quantum applications, marking a step toward practical topological quantum computers.

Researchers at Penn State developed a novel active pixel sensor using molybdenum disulfide, enabling sharper, energy-efficient cellphone photography and IoT sensors. This technology reduces energy costs and enhances image processing, allowing for clearer photos in low-light and adverse conditions, contributing to sustainability in photography and smart manufacturing.

UCLA has introduced a shared-use electron microscope, the ThermoFisher Scientific Spectra 300C, for studying atomic structures of bio-sourced compounds. This tool enables rapid structure determination through micro-electron diffraction, significantly reducing analysis time. It supports the BioPACIFIC MIP collaboration aimed at developing sustainable bio-based materials, benefiting researchers at UCLA, UCSB, and beyond.

There’s a new shared-use electron microscope at UCLA for investigators seeking to elucidate the atomic structures of bio-sourced monomers and small molecules. The NSF’s BioPACIFIC MIP now offers access to its ThermoFisher Scientific Spectra 300C transmission electron microscope (TEM) housed at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.

The BioPACIFIC MIP X-ray Diffraction Platform offers a compact SAXS-WAXS beamline for advanced characterization of biopolymers, featuring a high brilliance liquid gallium X-ray source and a large-area pixel array detector. It allows for rapid kinetic SAXS measurements, enhancing research capabilities for U.S. scientists via a peer-review access process.

The BioPACIFIC MIP X-ray Diffraction Platform features an unparalleled laboratory SAXS-WAXS (small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering) beamline for high-throughput characterization of biopolymers and nanostructures. Custom-developed by a research team at UCSB, the new X-Ray instrument offers performance level comparable to a second-generation synchrotron but on a benchtop instrument, to help scientists elucidate materials structure in the nano- and meso-scale.