News Archive - Liezel Labios

Light-Shrinking Material Lets Ordinary Microscope See in Super Resolution

UC San Diego engineers developed a technology that turns a conventional light microscope into what's called a super-resolution microscope. It improves the microscope's resolution (from 200 nm to 40 nm) so that it can be used to directly observe finer structures and details in living cells.

Thin, Large-Area Device Converts Infrared Light into Images

An infrared imager developed by UC San Diego engineers could be used to see through smog and fog; easily locate blood vessels on a patient; and see through silicon wafers to inspect the quality of electronic boards. It is also slim, compact and less costly to fabricate than similar technologies.

Combining Nanomaterials in 3D to Build Next-Generation Imaging Devices

UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Oscar Vazquez-Mena is taking nanomaterials to the next dimension. By integrating different nanoscale materials together in 3D, he is creating a new generation of devices for environmental monitoring, energy harvesting and biomedical applications.

Artificial Neuron Device Could Shrink Energy Use and Size of Neural Network Hardware

Neural network training could one day require less computing power and hardware, thanks to a new nanodevice that can run neural network computations using 100 to 1000 times less energy and area than existing CMOS-based hardware.

How to Speed Up Muscle Repair

By studying how different pluripotent stem cell lines build muscle, researchers have for the first time discovered how epigenetic mechanisms can be triggered to accelerate muscle cell growth, providing new insights for developing therapies for muscle disease, injury and atrophy.

With Gene Therapy, Scientists Develop Opioid-Free Solution for Chronic Pain

A gene therapy for chronic pain could offer a safer, non-addictive alternative to opioids. By temporarily repressing a gene involved in sensing pain, the treatment increased pain tolerance in mice, lowered their sensitivity to pain and provided months of pain relief without causing numbness.

‘Wearable Microgrid’ Uses the Human Body to Sustainably Power Small Gadgets

This shirt harvests and stores energy from the human body to power small electronics. UC San Diego nanoengineers call it a "wearable microgrid"—it combines energy from the wearer's sweat and movement to provide renewable power for wearable devices.

Coronavirus-Like Particles Could Ensure Reliability of Simpler, Faster COVID-19 Tests

Rapid COVID-19 tests are on the rise to deliver results faster to more people, and scientists need an easy, foolproof way to know that these tests work correctly and the results can be trusted. Nanoparticles that pass detection as the novel coronavirus could be just the ticket.

Weakness is Strength for this Low-Temperature Battery

Armed with new fundamental insights into the interactions between lithium ions and electrolyte, UC San Diego engineers developed the first lithium metal battery that can be repeatedly recharged at temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius.

New Skin Patch Brings Us Closer to Wearable, All-In-One Health Monitor

UC San Diego engineers have developed a soft, stretchy skin patch that can be worn on the neck to continuously track blood pressure and heart rate while measuring the wearer’s levels of glucose as well as lactate, alcohol or caffeine. It performs as well as several commercial devices in one.