Boxing up molecular machines. The construction of a molecular rotor inside a nanostructured cage allows for the development of a tunable molecular device.

In Physics of Fluids, researchers used the characteristics of owl wings to inform airfoil design and significantly reduce trailing-edge noise. The team used noise calculation and analysis software to conduct a series of detailed theoretical studies of simplified airfoils with characteristics reminiscent of owl wings. They applied their findings to suppress the noise of rotating machinery. Improving the flow conditions around the trailing edge and optimizing the shape of the edge suppressed the noise.

In Review of Scientific Instruments, researchers have developed devices to automate blood smears. Their devices, called autohaem smear and smear+, can consistently create high-quality smears equivalent to those created by human experts, automating the smearing process so every smear is correct and consistent. A key goal of the project was to make the devices accessible to as many people as possible, so the researchers designed their devices to be easy to build, using readily available or 3D-printed components.

As reported in Advanced Photonics, researchers from Nanjing University recently developed a multifunctional, biocompatible, portable, and reusable microfiber probe based on a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanograting-integrated microfiber. It serves as a refractive index (RI) sensor for live, label-free sensing of intracellular RI distribution and real-time monitoring of cellular molecules.

A salt used to create a green rocket fuel is known to decompose metals—such as those in metal propellant storage tanks. Recent research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign found that there are also trace metals in the fuel itself and investigated a way to slow the decomposition using compounds that bind to metals.