Articles
The Lead
The Green Magnet
June 6, 2013 | by Paul Livingstone | Comments
Discounting its size and population, Singapore is one of world’s most productive and technologically advanced countries. For years, the small island nation has been emblematic of the growth of research, innovation, and enterprise in South Asia. Already home to several highly rated research universities, Singapore, in the last decade, has sought opportunities to bolster its capabilities by organizing a truly international research facility.
A Pinnacle of Energy Efficiency
June 6, 2013 1:06 pm | by Lindsay Hock | Comments
The Georgia Institute of Technology Carbon-Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory began as a...
Improving Past Excellence
June 6, 2013 12:58 pm | by Lindsay Hock | Comments
Following Harvard University’s creation of the Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department, a...
Joining Forces
June 6, 2013 12:51 pm | by Patrice Galvin, Editor, Laboratory Design Newsletter | Comments
When District of Columbia city leaders examined the system in place for handling forensic...
Multiphysics in the Design of Lithium-Ion Batteries
June 6, 2013 12:37 pm | by Tim Studt | CommentsNew technologies, new materials, and more sophisticated modeling systems have made lithium-ion (Li-ion)-based systems the battery of choice for many designers looking to implement high-energy advanced electric power systems. For these systems, Li-ion systems have replaced nickel-metal hydride systems.
Swiss Army CFD
June 6, 2013 12:31 pm | by Paul Livingstone and Kerem Karakoc, Mechanical Designer, and Eric Chen, Structural Engineer, Kawa Engineering Ltd. | CommentsThe first successful modeling of fluid and gas flows was accomplished by the aerospace industry, which recognized the advantages such understanding could have for successful aircraft design. Now, the once exotic application of Navier-Stokes equations for the modeling of flows is performed on just about anything, from the world’s largest hydropower plant to a mundane rear-view mirror on a car.
A Symbolic Release
June 6, 2013 12:26 pm | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsA number of major software companies are approaching milestones typically associated with far older industries. Microsoft, for instance, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in a couple of years. Apple will observe the same anniversary just a year later. Maplesoft, a Canadian-based maker of symbolic computation and mathematical software for scientists and engineers, is younger than these veteran companies, but not by a lot.
Recent Advancements in Polymer Characterization
June 6, 2013 12:17 pm | by Ed Bouvier, Manager, Advanced Materials Research Group, Mia Summers, Principal Applications Chemist, and Michael O’Leary, Principal Scientist, Chemical Materials Business Operations, Waters Corp., Milford, Mass. | CommentsInnovation in liquid chromatography instrument design and column technology over the last decade has led to substantial improvements in chromatographic throughput and resolution. This has been achieved by enabling the system to achieve pressures up to 15,000 psi, reducing the system contributions to peak broadening, and utilizing well-packed columns containing sub-2-micron particles.
PEMs Stack Up to the Competition
June 6, 2013 11:57 am | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsThe element hydrogen offers hope and headaches in equal measure. The most abundant element on the planet is also one of the most attractive for use as fuel. But because it is also the lightest element, it does not naturally occur in pure form. Hydrogen is so crucial in manufacturing, energy supply, and scientific research that new methods to improve production are being eagerly sought.
Vacuum Pump Evolution
June 6, 2013 11:51 am | by Paul Livingstone | Pfeiffer Vacuum | CommentsVacuum pumps are the veteran workhorses of the laboratory, providing the mechanical force for a host of research-related tasks that require precise atmospheric control. Over the last 100 years, a number of well-established pump designs have come to dominate the market. And for decades, many varieties of pumps have seen just incremental changes. This is not for lack of competition.
Software Takes Driver’s Seat in Test Systems
June 6, 2013 11:45 am | by Adri Kruger, Applications Engineer, National Instruments, Austin, Texas, and Paul Livingstone | CommentsFor over 50 years, test engineers have taken a PC-based approach to automating standalone instrumentation. With so much investment tied up in capital assets for test equipment, engineers and management teams need reassurance that they can satisfy current and future testing needs. This is why engineers and scientists often stay with a known software platform for many years, even after it’s become obsolete.
From Legos to Medical Devices
June 6, 2013 11:38 am | by Lindsay Hock | CommentsIn seventh grade, now 25-year-old Nikolai Begg, 2013 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize winner, was assigned a general project for English class where he had to pick a topic and write a report. That year, in life science class he took a great interest in this field, choosing to write his report on surgical robots. Able to interview surgeons using surgical robots and engineers designing them, Begg discovered an incredible field.
Team Effort
April 24, 2013 2:16 pm | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsAdvances in microscopy and fundamental science are closely intertwined. Without prior understanding of the basis for research, the tools of microscopy are useless. Without microscopy, an understanding of how materials, chemistry, or life behave(s) at the molecular and atomic level cannot be discovered.
A Close Eye on Nanotechnology
April 24, 2013 12:30 pm | by Lindsay Hock | CommentsNanotechnology typically describes any material, device, or technology where feature sizes are smaller than 100 nanometers in dimension. However, this new and uncharted direction in research provides a large spark for new product and drug delivery development. To achieve these discoveries, scientists must rely on specialized instruments and materials to drive their experiments and analysis.
The Right Touch for Control
April 24, 2013 12:19 pm | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsWhen not properly controlled or monitored, a scientific instrument is of little practical use. Developers of scientific instrumentation are aware of this, and invest considerable time and money ensuring that users can properly achieve the results promised by the instrument’s design parameters.
Remote Sensing to the Next Level
April 24, 2013 12:12 pm | by Dick Merk and Thomas J Tague Jr., PhD, Bruker Optics, Billerica, Mass. | CommentsBruker Corporation has coupled highly efficient interferometer technology and proprietary chemometric methods for automatic identification and imaging of chemical species present. The HI 90 hyperspectral imager rapidly detects molecules over a large field of regard (FOR) in seconds and provides both spatial and spectral analysis of the FOR.
IX3 Enters the Microscope Realm
April 24, 2013 12:06 pm | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsA new architecture for Olympus' IX line gives users flexibility and optics module makers a new development platform. Invented in 1850, the inverted microscope has been a laboratory stalwart, giving researchers a direct and simple platform for optically viewing samples. The concept is simple: By fixing the sample stage and allowing the optics equipment to adjust, the user has more control over the object under analysis.
2013 R&D 100 Awards: Deadline Approaches
March 21, 2013 2:00 pm | CommentsThere is still time to prepare your entry in the 51st Annual R&D 100 Awards Competition! New products or technologies that have been available for sale or commercial license during 2012 are eligible for entry.
The Optimal Fit-Out
February 26, 2013 4:33 pm | by Paul Livingstone | CommentsNew technologies and changing attitudes about effective, efficient research impact the way laboratories are equipped.
