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Grad Student Develops Process to Recycle Paper Mill Waste
A graduate student at Hebrew University in Israel has developed a method for converting paper mill sludge into eco-friendly industrial foams. Shaul Lapidot (pictured right), a Ph.D. candidate in agriculture, also started a company that licensed the technology and plans to take the process to market. A paper mill uses wood fibers long enough to…
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Contracts Awarded for GI Tract Radiation Syndrome Drugs
The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awarded two contracts for further research and development of drugs to treat gastrointestinal (GI) tract injuries associated with acute radiation syndrome. BARDA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The contracts are part of BARDA’s program to develop tools and drugs to…
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Sensor Lab Chip Detects Manganese in Humans
Engineers at University of Cincinnati in Ohio have created a sensor that quickly detects the presence and levels of the element manganese in humans. The disposable diagnostic tool that requires just a few drops of blood is described in the August issue of the journal Biomedical Microdevices (paid subscription required). Manganese is used to make…
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Cold Electrons Aid Nanoscale Imaging and Processes
Physicists at University of Melbourne in Australia have developed a new source of ultra-cold electrons that can improve the quality and speed of nanoscale imaging for processes such as drug and materials development. The team’s findings appear online in the journal Nature Physics (paid subscription required). The researchers led by Melbourne physics professor Robert Scholten…
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Corp/Univ Project to Research Green Energy for Data Centers
Chip maker AMD says it will take part with HP, Clarkson University, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in a project researching the challenge of channeling renewable energy to data centers. Because wind and solar energy are intermittent power sources, the study will also seek ways to automatically shift a…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…