A significant advancement in molecular engineering has produced a large, hollow spherical shell nanostructure through the self-assembly of peptides and metal ions, report researchers from Japan. This dodecahedral link structure, measuring 6.3 nanometers in diameter, was achieved by combining geometric principles derived from knot theory and graph theory with peptide engineering. The resulting structure demonstrates remarkable stability while featuring a large inner cavity suitable for encapsulating macromolecules, opening pathways for producing complex artificial virus capsids.

An interdisciplinary team led by University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Lee C. Bassett and Dani Bassett, also of the School of Arts & Sciences, have studied the mechanical properties of prions, the mysterious shape-shifting proteins that are infamous for mad cow disease yet essential for yeast survival. Their findings could offer key insights into neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s diseases and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and pave the way for novel drug delivery systems.

An international research team including the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU, WPI) Senior Fellow Alexander Kusenko has published a new study suggesting that galaxy NGC 1068 produces neutrinos but weak gamma rays because helium nuclei may be colliding with ultraviolet light near the galaxy's core, breaking apart and releasing neutrons that eventually decay into neutrinos.

New research from the University of Houston released this week found that students don’t view all STEM subjects alike. Boys and girls generally believe that engineering and computer science are professions for males, while the tide has changed some for math and science — with girls slightly favored or equal.