European Patent Office announces winners of the European Inventor Award 2021

Award winners come from Austria, Germany, India, Norway, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US

18-Jun-2021 - The European Patent Office (EPO) announced the winners of the European Inventor Award 2021, its prestigious annual innovation prize. The individuals and teams were recognised for their innovative contributions in the fields of nasal drug delivery, DNA-based data storage, nanomaterials in ...

Study pinpoints role of proteins that produce pearls

26-Sep-2017 - Pearls are among nature's most beautiful creations, and have been treasured for countless centuries. Beneath one's iridescent surface lies a tough and resilient structure made of intricately arranged tiles of calcium carbonate organized by a crew of proteins that guide its formation and ...

Nanostructures in human teeth

06-Jun-2016 - Dentin is one of the most durable biological materials in the human body. Researchers from Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin were able to show that the reason for this can be traced to its nanostructures and specifically to the interactions between the organic and inorganic components. ...

Tooth fillings of the future may incorporate bioactive glass

24-Dec-2015 - A few years from now millions of people around the world might be walking around with an unusual kind of glass in their mouth, and using it every time they eat. Engineers at Oregon State University have made some promising findings about the ability of "bioactive" glass to help reduce the ability ...

Nanocrystals Make Dentures Shine

Chemists of Jena University develop novel glass ceramics for dentistry

09-Jan-2012 - The hardest substance in the human body is moved by its strongest muscles: When we heartily bite into an apple or a schnitzel, enormous strengths are working on the surface of our teeth. “What the natural tooth enamel has to endure also goes for dentures, inlays or bridges“, glass chemist Prof. ...

Purdue researcher cracks open secret of oysters' ability to stick together

22-Sep-2010 - A Purdue University-led research team has uncovered the chemical components of the adhesive produced by oysters, providing information that could be useful for fisheries, boating and medicine. A better understanding of oysters' ability to stick together to form complex reefs would help those ...

A safe approach to nanotechnology

Boiling up zinc oxide nanorods without toxic solvents

21-Aug-2009 - A non-toxic and environmentally friendly way to make tiny nanorods of zinc oxide has been developed for the first time by researchers in Saudi Arabia. The approach, described in the current issue of the International Journal of Nanoparticles, could allow the nanorods to be used safely in medical ...

Nanotechnology may increase longevity of dental fillings

06-Jul-2009 - Tooth-colored fillings may be more attractive than silver ones, but the bonds between the white filling and the tooth quickly age and degrade. A Medical College of Georgia researcher hopes a new nanotechnology technique will extend the fillings' longevity. "Dentin adhesives bond well initially, ...

NYU receives $7.2 million NSF grant for center to develop new materials

24-Sep-2008 - New York University has received a $7.2 million, six-year grant from the National Science Foundation to create a Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC), where NYU scientists will develop new materials through the exploration and manipulation of molecular particles. This grant ...