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NIH Funding Micro-Sutures for Stem Cell Heart Muscle Repair
Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and University of Washington in Seattle are collaborating on development of tiny bio-compatible polymer threads that help stem cells repair damaged heart muscle. The work of Worcester Tech biomedical engineers Glenn Gaudette and George Pins, with Washington pathology professor Michael Laflamme is funded by a five-year $1.94 million…
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Princeton Lab, USDA Partner on Egg Pasteurization Process
Engineers from Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in Plainsboro, New Jersey and agricultural scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture research lab in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania developed a process and device for pastuerizing eggs in the shell without damaging the delicate egg white. The team inventing the process filed for a patent and is seeking licensees to…
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Balance Device, Software Devised to Measure Concussion
An exercise and nutrition researcher at San Diego State University developed a simple, inexpensive, and reliable system to test athletes for concussion. The balance tracking system, called B-TrackS, is the work of SDSU’s Daniel Goble, and in the process of commercialization, according to a statement from the university. Testing athletes in contact sports for concussions can…
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Open Source Energy-Economy Optimization Model Developed
Computer scientists and engineers at North Carolina State University in Raleigh developed a computer model to aid energy-related economic policy decisions, making both their data and source code available to the public. The model, called Tools for Energy Model Optimization and Assessment or Temoa, is the work of a team led by NC State engineering…
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Biomaterial Skin Patch Shows Promise as Tuberculosis Test
Engineers at University of Washington and colleagues from the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle found a patch made with material from crustacean shells can deliver a tuberculosis skin test as successfully as current needle-based methods. The findings from the lab of Washington materials scientist Marco Rolandi appear online in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials…
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University, Company Partner on Computer-Based Drug Discovery
The drug discovery company Serometrix in Pittsford, New York is deploying bioinformatics software developed by University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland for identifying protein structures that show subtle clues as potential targets for drugs. Financial terms of of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. The system is a result of a collaboration between Strathclyde chemistry…
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XPrize Cancels $10 Million Genomics Challenge
The XPrize Foundation in Los Angeles cancelled a $10 million challenge to bring down the cost of genomic sequencing, saying the advance of technology has overtaken the purpose of the competition. Foundation chair and CEO Peter Diamandis announced the cancellation on Thursday in a Huffington Post article and on the challenge’s Web page. The Archon…
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Fuel Cells for Refrigerated Trucks Under Development
A project combining the efforts of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in Richland, Washington with two fuel cell manufacturers is developing fuel cells to power the refrigeration units in refigerated trucks. The companies — Nuvera Fuel Cells in Billerica,, Massachusetts and Plug Power Inc. in Latham, New York — each received a $650,000 matching contract…
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Trial Testing Rose Bengal Compound as Melanoma Treatment
A new clinical trial at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida is testing a compound derived from rose bengal, a dye for diagnosing eye disorders, as an injectable treatment for melanoma, a form of skin cancer. The early-stage trial is conducted with Provectus Pharmaceuticals in Knoxville, Tennessee that is commercializing the compound, known as PV-10.…
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Portable Kidney Test Device with Smartphone App Developed
Biomedical engineers at University of California in Los Angeles invented a portable device that tests urine for kidney damage and transmits the results via a smartphone attachment. The smartphone transmission system is described online in an advance issue of the journal Lab on a Chip (paid subscription required). The lab of UCLA engineering professor Aydogan…