Solving hydrogen storage issues with layered graphene sheets

Mar 18 | News

Graphene—carbon formed into sheets a single atom thick—now appears to be a promising base material for capturing hydrogen, according to recent research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Univ. of Pennsylvania. The findings suggest stacks of graphene layers could potentially store hydrogen safely for use in fuel cells and other applications.

Hand bacteria study holds promise for forensics identification

Mar 16 | News

Forensic scientists may soon have a valuable new item in their toolkits—a way to identify individuals using unique, telltale types of hand bacteria left behind on objects like keyboards and computer mice, says a new Univ. of Colorado at Boulder study.

Testing century-old calculations

Mar 15 | News

Calculations are fine, but seeing is believing. That's the thought behind a new paper by Rice Univ. students who decided to put to the test calculations made more than a century ago.

Silk's secrets revealed

Mar 15 | News

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.

Organic catalysts could greatly ease polymer recycling, reuse

Mar 15 | News

Scientists from IBM and Stanford University have recent detailed polymer discoveries that could lead to the development of new types of biodegradable, biocompatible plastics. The result of a multi-year research effort, the breakthrough is based on organocatalysis, specifically oxide-based catalysts that show activities rivaling the most active metal-based catalysts. Harnessing this activity could enable us to significantly increase the ability to recycle and reuse PET.

Berkeley scientists find way to get physical in cancer fight

Mar 12 | News

Conventional biological wisdom holds that living cells interact with their environment through an elaborate network of chemical signals, which is most therapies rely on drugs that block chemical signals. Scientists can now show, however, for the first time, that direct physical force can also change the way cellular proteins conduct chemical activity.

Nature gives clues to a way to break down a common greenhouse gas

Mar 10 | News

A recent discovery in understanding how to chemically break down the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into a useful form opens the doors for scientists to wonder what organism is out there—or could be created—to accomplish the task.

Molecular midwives may have helped give birth to the genetic material of life

Mar 9 | News

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have discovered that small molecules could have acted as “molecular midwives” in helping the building blocks of life’s genetic material form long chains and may have assisted in selecting the base pairs of the DNA double helix.

Alternative energy crops in space

Mar 9 | News

What if space held the key to producing alternative energy crops on Earth? That's what researchers are hoping to find in a new experiment on the International Space Station. The experiment, National Lab Pathfinder-Cells 3, is aimed at learning whether microgravity can help jatropha curcas plant cells grow faster to produce biofuel, or renewable fuel derived from biological matter.

Creating synthetic sea shells from chalk and polystyrene cups

Mar 9 | News

Scientists have made synthetic ‘sea shells’ from a mixture of chalk and polystyrene cups—and produced a tough new material that could make our homes and offices more durable.

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Much ado about next to nothing

Mar 15

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

Mar 5

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

Jan 7

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

Jan 7

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