51吃瓜网Institute for Advanced Materials - Supporting and promoting the field of advanced materials at McGill

New insights into Zebra mussel attachment fibers offer potential solutions to combat invasive species, develop sustainable materials

Chloe Hedley — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:41:02 +0000

A recent study from researchers in Canada and Germany has revealed that an unlikely event, occurring over 12 million years ago , played an important role in shaping one of Canada鈥檚 most damaging invasive species.

Visualizing how polarons form in the best thermoelectric material yet developed

Bradley Siwick — Fri, 06 May 2022 18:02:35 +0000

Thermoelectrics can generate electrical power from waste heat and could make an important contribution to sustainable energy production if their efficiency is improved. Engineering efficient thermoelectrics, however, requires a sophisticated understanding of the fundamental interdependencies between electrical and thermal transport, for which improvements in our understanding of how charge carriers are coupled to lattice vibrations (phonons) is needed.

Synthetic tissue can repair hearts, muscles, and vocal cords

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:05:13 +0000

Combining knowledge of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering, scientists from 51吃瓜网 develop a聽biomaterial聽tough enough to repair the heart, muscles, and vocal cords, representing a major advance in regenerative medicine.

McGill鈥檚 Hanadi Sleiman wins 2021 Polanyi Award

51吃瓜网Newsroom — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:10:14 +0000

Hanadi Sleiman, Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in DNA Nanoscience, has transformed the field of DNA nanotechnology and revolutionized precise medical treatments for major diseases, like cancer 鈥� and she has just earned national recognition for her research.

How mussels make a powerful underwater glue News

Tobias Priemel et al in Science DOI: doi/10.1126/science.abi9702 — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:43:09 +0000

The mussels鈥� beards (which cooks remove before preparing them) are made up of byssal threads and are used to help keep the mussels tethered in place. At the end of each thread is a disc-shaped plaque that acts as an underwater glue. The unusual qualities of the glue and the byssal threads have interested people since聽ancient times, when the threads of certain species were聽woven into luxurious berets, purses, gloves, and stockings.聽More recently, scientists have developed underwater adhesives and surgical glues inspired by byssal thread chemistry.

Unbreakable glass inspired by seashells News

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:50:37 +0000

Scientists from 51吃瓜网 develop stronger and tougher glass, inspired by the inner layer of mollusk shells. Instead of shattering upon impact, the new material has the resiliency of plastic and could be used to improve cell phone screens in the future, among other applications.

Lighting the way to improved biomaterials

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:01:43 +0000

Researchers from 51吃瓜网 believe that they have found a way to improve the development of biomaterials that could be instrumental in drug delivery, tissue regeneration, nano-optics and nanoelectronics.

Surgical sutures inspired by human tendons

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 19:29:23 +0000

Sutures are used to close wounds and speed up the natural healing process, but they can also complicate matters by causing damage to soft tissues with their stiff fibers. To remedy the problem, researchers from Montreal have developed innovative tough gel sheathed (TGS) sutures inspired by the human tendon.

What do breast cancer cells feel inside the tumour?

51吃瓜网Newsroom — Mon, 07 Feb 2022 16:05:26 +0000

Using a new technique, a team of 51吃瓜网 researchers has found tiny and previously undetectable 鈥榟ot spots鈥� of extremely high stiffness inside aggressive and invasive breast cancer tumours. Their findings suggest, for the first time, that only very tiny regions of a tumor need to stiffen for metastasis to take place. Though still in its infancy, the researchers believe that their technique may prove useful in detecting and mapping the progression of aggressive cancers.

MIAM members channeling their research efforts towards the fight against COVID-19

wenrui.duan@mcgill.ca — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 16:39:28 +0000

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, MIAM members are rising up to the challenge through innovative research in the areas of:

聽

Rapid testing for early detection of COVID-19 (Prof. Andrew Kirk)
Antiviral materials and surfaces (Prof. Marta Cerruti)
Technique of microscopy regarding virus cells (Prof. Raynald Gauvin)

聽

To find out more details, read the full story here.