Imagine tiny LEGO pieces that automatically snap together to form a strong, flat sheet. Then, scientists add special chemical "hooks" to these sheets to attach glowing molecules called fluorophores. University of Missouri researchers have created these tiny, clay-based materials — called fluorescent polyionic nanoclays. They can be customized for many uses, including advancing energy and sensor technology, improving medical treatments and protecting the environment.

The University of Missouri’s transformative initiative to build a new, state-of-the-art research reactor — NextGen MURR — is officially underway with the signing of the first agreement, announced today. Mizzou will partner with a consortium that includes Hyundai Engineering America, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Hyundai Engineering Company and MPR Associates for the design and licensing of the new reactor.

Physicists in the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have created a compact laser that emits extremely bright, short pulses of light in a useful but difficult-to-achieve wavelength range, packing the performance of larger photonic devices onto a single chip.

Repeated administration of imaging agents to the mouse brain during live multiphoton microscopy is enabled by a newly developed delivery system. This low-profile cannula, implanted at a shallow angle, preserves optical access for high-resolution imaging while allowing direct infusion of compounds. The new approach was validated through experiments tracking fluorescent markers, degenerating neurons in Alzheimer's disease mice, and measuring brain tissue oxygen levels over time. This advancement promises to enhance longitudinal brain imaging studies, providing valuable insights into brain function and disease progression.

A team of Lehigh University researchers has successfully predicted abnormal grain growth in simulated polycrystalline materials for the first time—a development that could lead to the creation of stronger, more reliable materials for high-stress environments, such as combustion engines. A paper describing their novel machine learning method was recently published in Nature Computational Materials.