A researcher from Northwestern University, together with collaborators from Cambridge University and Centro Nacional de Biotecnologia, have verified the Landau-Squire theory in the smallest submerged jet.

The diameter of the jets used were between 20 and 150 nanometers which corresponds with the length of only a few hundred water molecules positioned in a row.

There are a number of possible applications that have been identified for the nanojet, some of which are quite creative, as reported in Science Daily.

It may be possible for an ultra-low-volume injector to be used for the transference of biomolecules into cells or vesicles. This is a process that is familiar to recombinant DNA technologies which are pivotally important to the production of human insulin and the disease-resistance of crops.

The nanojet may be useful as a ‘flow rectifier’ used in microfluidic logic circuits, which is comparable in function to semicondutor diodes in microelectronics. Another possible use is in applications which have nanoscale patterning and manipulation at the micro level.

A new filtering system is able to remove the carbon dioxide from the smokestacks of electric power stations prior to greenhouse gases flowing into the atmosphere and adding to the negative impacts of climate change. The new system was inspired by the lungs of birds and the swim bladders of fish.

This technology offers greater efficiency than other alternatives and was addressed at the 246th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, according to EurekAlert.

Climate change is an issue of global concern, not in the least because numerous power plants depend on the capture of carbon dioxide and methods of sequestration to decrease their greenhouse gas emissions.

To create the new filtering system, researchers closely studied the way that blood vessels are situated in the lungs of birds and the fish swim bladder. The researchers reported that they were seeking to learn from nature but were able to apply computer simulations for predicting the efficiency of gas exchange.

From these findings, scientists will be able to carry out more research to improve the efficiency of carbon dioxide capture units. They will be able to do this through the adjustment of tubes, tube wall thicknesses and the membrane materials that comprise the tube walls.

Rohit Karnik and his team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a filter that creates safe drinking water using plant xylem, according to Technology Review.

Karnik and his colleagues capitalised on the research of plant xylem previously undertaken by biologists. In their studies of plant xylem, biologists measured the rate at which water is transported from plant roots to leaves.

As it is a porous tissue able to conduct fluid in plants, xylem allows for water to pass through conduits via holes called pits. The pits are covered in a membrane with nanoscale-sized pores which serve as a sieve.

To test his theory, Karnik used sections from the branches of white pine trees and found that the water filtered through the sections at 0.05 millilitres per second or a flow rate in excess of four litres per day.

It was discovered that the filtered water was clear and the scientists concluded that the xylem filter is able to effectively reject particles with diameters larger than 100 nanometres.

However, some limitations were also noted. The 100 nanometre limit is too large for the filtration of viruses and it is possible that plants with smaller pits could perform the same function.

Scientists from the University of Ulm and Cornell University have unintentionally discovered a sheet of glass that is only a couple of molecules thick.

The scientists’ discovery has been recognised as a world record and has subsequently received a Guinness World Records 2014 entry.

Ute Kaiser, a Professor of Experimental Physics, described the discovery as exciting and a definite thrill for science.

The discovery was made by Simon Kurasch, who was studying for a doctorate. He was using a very high-resolution transmission electron microscope for the purposes of investigating the atomic structure of a sample of graphene. Through careful and close examination, he found a new extremely thin structure layered on top of the graphene which was previously undiscovered.

The input and advice of academic contemporaries in Germany, New York and Finland was sought and through the efforts of the team, it was confirmed that the thinnest possible sheet of glass had been discovered.

When an emergency strikes, clean drinking water is vitally important but can be difficult to find. Disasters such as earthquakes, floods and cyclones can render usual sources of drinking water unsafe.

The 2004 tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean resulted in limited access to clean water for many. A water purification system that could quickly kill bacteria without the need for a source of power became the objective of researchers from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University and the University of Colorado, Boulder.

The scientists developed a spongy polymer gel that has antibacterial properties. The gel absorbs water and, when squeezed, releases it in a purified form.

This system potentially represents an incredibly fast and convenient way to access clean water. Boiling can rid contaminated water of parasites such as Giardia, but not all people can boil all the water they require following a natural disaster.

With just a four gram cylinder of the gel, half a litre of water per squeeze can be purified. The gel can also be used more than 20 times before its ability to disinfect is lost.

One of the creators of the gel, Xiao Hu, says that a pocket-sized version of the gel for the use of one person would cost approximately 50 cents to make and could be distributed after natural disasters by emergency aid workers in helicopters.

Source:  http://www.popsci.com.au/science/squeeze-the-bacteria-out-of-water-with-a-new-gel