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NSF Computer Science Funding Addresses Robots, Big Data
National Science Foundation today unveiled $40 million in funding for this year’s Expeditions in Computing awards. The four sets of five-year grants, each set totaling $10 million, go one or more universities studying robotics, exploding volumes of data, and computer-assisted programming. Two sets of awards deal with robotics. One team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology,…
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Trial to Test Gel-Coated Coils for Treating Aneurysms
A clinical trial at Northwestern University and other sites will test a new gel-coated coil as a treatment to repair ruptured brain aneurysms. The post-market study will test the gel-coated coil against standard bare platinum coils to see which is better at preventing future rupturing or leaking. An aneurysm is a balloon-like bulge in an…
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Process Developed to Self-Assemble Materials into Objects
Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have devised a process to enable the self-assembly of smart materials into predetermined shapes. Computer science professor Daniela Rus and grad student Kyle Gilpin from MIT’s Distributed Robotics Laboratory will discuss their findings at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in May 2012. The research by Rus…
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Algae Biofuel Start-Up Secures $144M for Demo Plant
Sapphire Energy in San Diego says it received the last installment of its series C financing — the third round of funding after initial start-up — valued at $144 million. The company develops biofuels from algae and bacteria, and the new financing is expected to fund a demonstration production plant in Luna County, New Mexico.…
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Efficient, Economical Brain Imaging System in Development
Biomedical and electrical engineers at University of Toronto have developed a neural imaging system that allows researchers to make much more complex maps of the brain with just one camera and one imaging platform. The team led by engineering professor Ofer Levi published its findings yesterday in the journal Biomedical Optics Express. Clinicians use neural…
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DNA Sequencing Extended to Cancer Treatment Decisions
Medical researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have adapted DNA sequencing technology to map the genetic evolution of disease and monitor response to treatment. Up to now, researchers have used genomic sequencing to identify mutations at the root of a patient’s tumor, but that technology can also help guide treatment decisions, according to Elaine…
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Biotech Secures $25 Million in Series B Financing
AlloCure Inc., a privately-held biotechnology company in Burlington, Massachusetts, says it has closed a $25 million deal for series B venture financing. The series B round — the second financing installment after initial start-up — includes new syndicate member Lundbeckfond Ventures, as well as previous investors SV Life Sciences and Novo A/S. The company is…
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Study Urges Deep Cut in Forage Fish Catch
A task force of 13 environmental and marine researchers from North America, Australia, Europe, and South Africa recommends reducing the global catch of herring, anchovy, and other forage fish to maintain the ocean ecosystem and sustain supplies of larger commercial species. A report from the Lenfest Forage Fish Task Force, based at Stony Brook University…
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Challenge Seeks Risk Assessment Tool for Microloan Denials
A new challenge from InnoCentive calls for a tool to gauge the financial risk of people and organizations that were denied a microloan for their business. The challenge has a prize of $40,000 and a deadline of 30 May 2012. InnoCentive in Waltham, Massachusetts is a company the conducts open-innovation, crowd-sourcing competitions for corporate and…
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Robotic Hand Demonstrates Firm Grip and Gentle Touch
An engineering team at Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany has built a robotic hand with the ability to firmly grasp sturdy objects like bottles, yet with enough sensitivity to hold an egg (pictured right). The Saarland researchers collaborated with colleagues in Bologna and Naples, Italy as part of the EU-funded DEXMART project, an acronym for…