Tag: physical sciences
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Metal-Organic Framework Developed that Responds to UV Light
27 January 2014. Chemists at University at Buffalo in New York and Pennsylvania State University in Hazelton developed a sponge-like material that changes shape and color in response to ultraviolet (UV) rays. The team led by Buffalo’s Jason Benedict published its findings online last week in the journal Chemical Communications (paid subscription required). Metal-organic frameworks…
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Techniques Boost Range, Accuracy of Wireless ID Signals
Engineers at University of Cambridge in the U.K. developed techniques to vastly improve the range and accuracy of passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags used to identify passports, luggage, and goods in transit. The team led by Cambridge research fellow Sabesan Sithamparanathan published its findings online in the journal IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation (paid…
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Simple, Sensitive Biosensors Derived from Engineered Viruses
Bioengineers at University of California in Berkeley developed a process for making sensors from genetically-engineered viruses simple enough to package in a smartphone app, yet can discriminate among volatile chemical vapors. The team from the lab of bioengineering professor Seung-Wuk Lee, with colleagues from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab — where Lee is also on the…
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Biotech, National Lab Partner on Gas-to-Liquid Conversion
Calysta Energy, a biotechnology company in Menlo Park, California and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California are developing a biological process for converting methane to liquid fuel. Financial aspects of the agreement were not disclosed. Livermore National Lab is a facility of the U.S. Department of Energy. The project aims to devise a technique…
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Institutes Developing Power Grid Cybersecurity Technology
Engineering labs at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta are designing a suite of tools to better protect electric power grids, incorporating lessons from recent smart grid developments. The $1.7 million grant from U.S. Department of Energy will fund the work of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, with two other organizations affiliated with Georgia Tech:…
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DNA Diagnostics Company to Crowdfund Malaria Testing Device
QuantuMDx, a biotechnology company in Newcastle, U.K. says it will start a crowdfunding campaign next month to finance development and field trials of a handheld device to test for malaria. The device is an application of its Q-POC point-of-care diagnostics system, which will be the subject of an Indiegogo campaign beginning 12 February. The company,…
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Heart Vessel Surgical Glue Shown Effective in Animal Tests
Surgeons and biomedical engineers at Boston Children’s and Brigham and Women’s hospitals and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, developed a non-toxic, biocompatible surgical glue that in tests with pigs patches heart defects, such as those in large blood vessels. The team led by Boston Children’s Pedro del Nido and Jeffrey Karp of Brigham and Women’s Hospital…
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Columbia Team to Study Electric Power Switching Transistors
An engineering research group at Columbia University in New York received a $3 million grant from U.S. Department of Energy to create high-power electric switching devices with the speed and efficiency of electronic transistor circuits. The team led by electrical and biomedical engineering professor Ken Shepard — that includes members from MIT, IBM, and the…
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MRI Technique Developed to Capture Wrist Anatomy in Motion
Medical researchers at University of California in Davis designed a technique based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that makes it possible to display the complex anatomy of the wrist in motion, offering a better method for diagnosing orthopedic injuries. A team led by Davis radiology professor Abhijit Chaudhari published the results of its first test…
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Imaging Technique Captures RNA Viral Infections in Progress
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University in Atlanta, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville devised a method with advanced microscopy to follow the process of viral infections without affecting the virus or its host. The team led by Georgia Tech biomedical engineering professor Philip Santangelo appeared online yesterday in the journal ACS Nano…