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Self-assembling computer chips

Self-assembling computer chips

The features on computer chips are getting so small that soon the process used to make them, which has hardly changed in the last 50 years, won’t work anymore. One of the alternatives that academic researchers have been exploring is to create tiny circuits using molecules that automatically arrange themselves into useful patterns.  

Silk's secrets revealed

Silk's secrets revealed

Silks are among the toughest materials known, stronger and less brittle, pound for pound, than steel. Now scientists at MIT have unraveled some of their deepest secrets in research that could lead the way to the creation of synthetic materials that duplicate, or even exceed, the extraordinary properties of natural silk.

Next wave of microelectronic biomedical devices

Next wave of microelectronic biomedical devices

A team of  engineers from MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratory (MTL) are working on tiny, low-power chips that could diagnose heart problems, monitor patients with Parkinson’s disease or predict seizures in epileptic patients.

Thermopower waves draw big power from tiny wires

Thermopower waves draw big power from tiny wires

Carbon nanotubes with a special coating of reactive fuel can, when ignited, create a thermal wave that not only spreads quickly but also pushes electrons along the tube, creating a substantial electric current. The energy created by MIT engineers far exceeds that predicted by thermoelectric calculations.

Transforming polyethylene into heat-conducting material

Transforming polyethylene into heat-conducting material

Most polymers—materials made of long, chain-like molecules—are very good insulators for both heat and electricity. But an MIT team has found a way to transform the most widely used polymer, polyethylene, into a material that conducts heat just as well as most metals, yet remains an electrical insulator.

Phytoplankton play role in global climate change

Phytoplankton play role in global climate change

Phytoplankton are single-celled organisms that serve as the base of the marine food web and provide half the oxygen we breathe on Earth. They also play a key role in global climate change by removing carbon from the atmosphere and injecting it deep into the oceans.

Stamping microelectromechanical devices onto plastic

Stamping microelectromechanical devices onto plastic

MIT researchers have discovered a way to make microelectromechanical devices, or MEMS, by stamping them onto a plastic film. This discovery should reduce their cost, and open up the possibility of large sheets of sensors that could, one day, cover the wings of an airplane to gauge their structural integrity.

Reactor that burns depleted fuel attracts R&D leaders

Peter Behr of ClimateWire wrote yesterday about a new type of nuclear reactor pioneered by a former Bechtel Corp. physicist John Gilleland. He and his company, TerraPower LLC, have developed the traveling wave reactor concept, which has now attracted DOE attention. The venture already has help from Argonne Lab and MIT.

Harnessing micro-sources of power

Harnessing micro-sources of power

It can be inconvenient to replace batteries in devices that need to work over long periods of time. But new technology being developed by MIT researchers could make such replacements unnecessary.

Computational model to identify genetic interactions

To meet the challenge of interpreting cell image data, a team of researchers developed a novel computational model to identify genetic interactions using high-dimensional morphological data. Integrating very basic prerequisite knowledge of a pathway, their model maps potential interactions within a network by looking for similar morphological features upon genetic perturbation.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Much ado about next to nothing

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.

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P2i showcases liquid repellent nano-coating for hearing aids
P2i showcases liquid repellent nano-coating for hearing aids

At the AudiologyNOW! 2010 show in San Diego next month, UK-based coatings company P2i will display their relatively new Aridion liquid-repellant nano-coating. Designed for exposure to humidity or sweat, the polymer layer is applied by a pulsed ion gas process that lower’s the hearing aid’s surface energy, coaxing water away from delicate components.

Submersible FlowCAM catches particle images and data in-situ and real-time

Fluid Imaging Technologies recently introduced its Submersible FlowCAM particle and cell imaging and analysis system at Ocean Sciences 2010 in Portland, Ore. The remote sensing platform can be used for continuous, unattended monitoring tethered to research vessels or autonomous submersibles.

Tools & Technology

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Benchtop NMR analyzer
Benchtop NMR analyzer

Oxford Instruments America, Inc.’s Magnetic Resonance Group released the second generation of its MQC analyzers.

Software solution for microarray image analysis

BioDiscovery Inc. released ImaGene 9.0 for microarray image analysis. The new features include improved memory performance for the latest high density arrays, streamlined processing pipeline focused on image quantification and intensity extraction, and new modular design with options to add modules for analysis of gene/miRNA expression or CGH data.

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