Technologies & Strategies That Enable R&D
Micro-RNA plays role in wood formation
June 11, 2013 8:10 am | News | CommentsFor more than a decade, scientists have suspected that hairpin-shaped chains of micro-RNA regulate wood formation inside plant cells. Now, scientists at North Carolina State Univ. have found the first example and mapped out key relationships that control the process. The research describes how one strand of micro-RNA reduced by more than 20% the formation of lignin, which gives wood its strength.
“Popcorn” particle pathways promise better lithium-ion batteries
June 11, 2013 7:59 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Sandia National Laboratories have confirmed the particle-by-particle mechanism by which lithium ions move in and out of electrodes made of lithium iron phosphate (LFP), findings that could lead to better performance in lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, medical equipment and aircraft.
A potential target to thwart antibiotic resistance
June 11, 2013 7:41 am | News | CommentsBacteria in the gut that are under attack by antibiotics have allies no one had anticipated, a team of Harvard Univ. Wyss Institute scientists has found. Gut viruses that usually commandeer the bacteria, it turns out, enable them to survive the antibiotic onslaught, most likely by handing them genes that help them withstand the drug.
Agilent demonstrates new generation of ion mobility technology
June 11, 2013 7:40 am | News | CommentsAt the American Society of Mass Spectroscopy conference in Minneapolis this week, Agilent Technologies introduced analytical research findings using new ion mobility technology combined with a modified high-resolution iFunnel quadrupole-time-of-flight liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) system. The prototype systems have provided significantly greater analytical detail for complex samples than high-resolution MS alone.
New family of quasicrystals discovered
June 11, 2013 7:29 am | News | CommentsScientists at Ames Laboratory have discovered a new family of rare-earth quasicrystals using an algorithm they developed to help pinpoint them. Quasicrystalline materials may be found close to crystalline phases that contain similar atomic motifs, called crystalline approximants. And just like fishing experts know how to hook a big catch, the scientists used their knowledge to hone in on the right spot for their discovery.
“One giant leap” toward a NASA Armstrong center?
June 11, 2013 7:25 am | by Alicia Chang, AP Science Writer | News | CommentsNeil Armstrong's name is attached to a lunar crater, an asteroid, more than a dozen schools and a museum, but not a single NASA facility is christened in honor of the man whose "giant leap" made him the first to walk on the moon. All that could soon change on the fringes of the Mojave Desert, where leaders at the space agency's top flight research center are mulling a name change.
Agilent announces compliance with RoHS directive
June 10, 2013 4:25 pm | News | CommentsAgilent Technologies Inc. announced that the majority of its electronic test and measurement products are now designed for compliance with the European Union’s restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. Commonly referred to as RoHS, the European directive bans the sale of equipment containing more than the agreed level of lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances.
Why the shape of nanoparticles matters
June 10, 2013 4:13 pm | News | CommentsA new study involving researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Center and the University of California, Santa Barbara, found that the shape of nanoparticles can enhance drug targeting. The study found that rod-shaped nanoparticles—or nanorods—as opposed to spherical nanoparticles, appear to adhere more effectively to the surface of endothelial cells that line the inside of blood vessels.
Simple theory may explain mysterious dark matter
June 10, 2013 3:54 pm | News | CommentsMost of the matter in the universe may be made out of particles that possess an unusual, donut-shaped electromagnetic field called an anapole. This proposal, which endows dark matter particles with a rare form of electromagnetism, has been strengthened by a detailed analysis performed by a pair of theoretical physicists at Vanderbilt University.
Sanofi says FDA approves 4-strain flu vaccine
June 10, 2013 2:04 pm | by The Associated Press | News | CommentsFrench drugmaker Sanofi said Monday the Food and Drug Administration approved a new version of its flu vaccine Fluzone that is designed to prevent four types of the virus. Sanofi said Fluzone Quadrivalent is designed to protect against two types of influenza A and two types of influenza B. Fluzone is the only flu shot recommended in the U.S. for infants and very young children.
Researchers build testbed for artificial photosynthesis
June 10, 2013 1:47 pm | by Lynn Yarris, Berkeley Lab | News | CommentsA team of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists have developed the first fully integrated microfluidic testbed for evaluating and optimizing solar-driven electrochemical energy conversion systems. This test-bed system has already been used to study schemes for photovoltaic electrolysis of water, and can be readily adapted to study proposed artificial photosynthesis and fuel cell technologies.
Researchers move closer to low-cost, implantable electronics
June 10, 2013 1:37 pm | News | CommentsNew technology under development at Ohio State Univ. is paving the way for low-cost electronic devices that work in direct contact with living tissue inside the body. The first planned use of the technology is a sensor that will detect the very early stages of organ transplant rejection.
Early exposure to bisphenol A might damage the enamel of teeth
June 10, 2013 12:53 pm | News | CommentsAre teeth the latest victims of bisphenol A (BPA)? Yes, according to the conclusions of a team lead by researchers in France. They have shown that the teeth of rats treated with low daily doses of BPA could be damaged the chemical.
Making new cartilage from stem cells
June 10, 2013 11:20 am | by Evan Lerner, Univ. of Pennsylvania | News | CommentsCartilage injuries have ended many athletes’ career, and the general wear-and-tear of the joint-cushioning tissue is something that almost everyone will endure as they age. Unfortunately, repairing cartilage remains difficult. Bioengineers are interested in finding innovative ways to grow new cartilage from a patient’s own stem cells. A new study from the Univ. of Pennsylvania brings such a treatment one step closer to reality.
Halogenated graphene may replace platinum in low-cost fuel cells
June 10, 2013 10:56 am | News | CommentsThe research team of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology paved a new way to affordable fuel cells with efficient metal-free electrocatalysts using edge-halogenated graphene nanoplatelets. The research team, for the first time, reportedly synthesized a series of edge-selectively halogenated graphene nanoplatelets by ball-milling graphite flake in the presence of chlorine, bromine or iodine, respectively.
