In normal differentiated cells, most of the genome is densely methylated, except CpG islands near promoters of actively transcribed genes. Maintaining this boundary between unmethylated promoter-associated and adjacent methylated regions is crucial as loss of segregation can lead to disease. Unfortunately, it is not clear where these boundaries are,...

Background Additive manufacturing has contributed to the growth of technology to fabricate structures that have enhanced performance in a wide range of applications. One example family of these structures is cellular, or meta-materials, which include honeycombs, foams, and lattices. These materials enable novel properties that exploit the nature of...

Piezoelectric materials can convert mechanical energy to electricity or vice versa and have enabled diverse applications such as energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. A wide variety of inorganic ceramics and organic polymers have been considered as piezoelectric materials. However, neither the piezoelectric ceramics nor the piezoelectric polymers...

Background Nanoparticles can be selectively deposited and aligned on complex and flexible substrates in order to tune material properties and enrich structural versatility for applications in microelectronics, optoelectronics, sensors, and human-machine interfaces. However, it is difficult for most current nanoprocessing methods to effectively manipulate...

The demand for rechargeable batteries is rapidly rising due to increased sales of consumer electronics, electric and hybrid automobiles, and the need for grid-based energy storage systems. Currently, the most widely used rechargeable batteries are manufactured with lithium-ion and liquid electrolyte materials. Unfortunately, as these batteries are charged...