Science and Enterprise

Month: July 2011

  • Challenge Seeks Cost-Effective Fleet Vehicle Data Capture

    A challenge at InnoCentive seeks a more cost-effective way of capturing data from a large fleet of vehicles with little, if any, intervention by the drivers. The competition has a prize of $25,000 and requires a written proposal. The deadline for entries is 28 September 2011. InnoCentive in Waltham, Massachusetts is a company the conducts…

  • Wireless Bridge Safety Sensor Developed, Commercialized

    An engineer at University of Maryland in College Park has developed a wireless, self-powered safety sensor for bridges, and started a company to take the device to market. Electrical engineering researcher Mehdi Kalantari says the sensor can provide public works authorities with an effective structural monitoring system for bridges at about 1 percent of the…

  • Surfactants Discovered Among Naturally Occurring Yeasts

    Scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Peoria, Illinois have found naturally-grown yeasts that can produce molecules with surfactant properties. Surfactants are wetting agents that lower a liquid’s surface tension, used in a variety of consumer and industrial products, and normally derived from petroleum. Surfactants work by enabling the cleaning solution to fully wet…

  • Laser-Printed Drone Aircraft Developed, Flown

    Engineers at University of Southampton in the U.K. have designed and flown an unmanned aircraft made with a three-dimensional laser printing process. The university worked with 3T RPD Ltd, a company in Newbury, U.K., for the aircraft’s manufacturing. The Southampton University Laser Sintered Aircraft (SULSA) project led by engineering professors Andy Keane and Jim Scanlan…

  • NSF Unveils Innovation Corps to Extend Innovation Impact

    National Science Foundation launched today its Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program, a public-private partnership to help turn scientific and engineering discoveries into useful technologies and products. I-Corps expects to support up to 100 projects at $50,000 a project. In I-Corps, NSF will ask members of the private sector to share their knowledge and experience with I-Corps…

  • Baxter Sets Up Venture Fund for New Therapies

    Baxter International in Deerfield, Illinois has established Baxter Ventures to invest in promising early-stage companies developing therapies that complement Baxter’s product lines. Baxter Ventures will make up to $200 million in equity investments and report to Norbert Riedel, the company’s chief scientific officer. Baxter is a developer of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology solutions. The…

  • Study: Computer Detection No Aid in Finding Breast Tumors

    A group of university, research institute, and National Cancer Institute researchers have concluded that computer-aided detection (CAD) technology, often used with mammograms, is ineffective in finding breast tumors. The research indicates that CAD may also increase a woman’s risk of being called back needlessly for additional testing following mammography. The study, published online in the…

  • Lab Creates Graphene Composite for Lithium Ion Batteries

    Researchers with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California have developed a graphene and tin nanoscale composite material for high-capacity energy storage in renewable lithium ion batteries, like those used in electric cars. The team at the lab, funded by the Department of Energy, published its findings in a recent issue of the journal Energy…

  • FDA Alerting Pharmas Over Work of Contract Research Company [UPDATED]

    The Food and Drug Administration has notified pharmaceutical companies that hired contract research organization Cetero Research of Houston, Texas that the work done by Cetero may need to be redone or confirmed. The alert to pharmaceutical companies follows an FDA letter sent yesterday to Cetero identifying problems in the company’s research, including falsification of entries…

  • Head Cap Devised to Capture Brain Signals to Control Devices

    A neuroscience/engineering team at University of Maryland in College Park has developed headgear like a swim cap with sensors that read brain signals and let the wearer control electronic devices. The Maryland team’s findings appear in the current issue of the Journal of Neurophysiology (paid subscription required). The non-invasive cap, lined with sensors that connect…