Crystallography

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Antifreeze proteins can stop ice melt

The same antifreeze proteins that keep organisms from freezing in cold environments also can prevent ice from melting at warmer temperatures, according to a new Ohio Univ. and Queen's Univ. study.

Tiny crystals under stress display unexpected movement

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that, under the right conditions, nanocrystalline materials—like those found in some integrated circuits—exhibit surprising activity in the tiny spaces between the geometric clusters of atoms called nanocrystals, from which they are made. This has implications for those who use thin films or manufacture MEMS.

X-rays drive formation of new crystals

A team of Northwestern Univ. researchers has discovered that X-rays can trigger the formation of a new type of crystal: charged cylindrical filaments ordered like a bundle of pencils experiencing repulsive forces, which is unknown in crystals.

Getting rid of the gas

Getting rid of the gas

Adding fluorine during the growth of certain types of crystals which are popular with makes of optical devices, microelectronics and superconductors helps transfer highly-ordered structures. But hydrogen fluoride then builds up, slowing or stopping growth. Brookhaven Lab scientists have found a way remove that gas, uniformly and by absorption.

Capturing in-between moments in molecular modeling

Capturing in-between moments in molecular modeling

A pulse propogating through a string of atoms can be visualized using a new mathematical technique developed at NIST that uses a Green’s function. It’s an important advance in understanding natural phenomenon such as vibrations propagating through crystals because even today’s supercomputers cannot handle the billions of time steps required to model the interactions of thousands of atoms.

Crystals in space

Crystals in space

An Ames Laboratory metallurgist is watching transparent crystals grow aboard the International Space Station in the hopes that the low gravity will erase the effects of convection, or the natural circulation of fluid. Removing this effect should simplify the process of matching experimental data on crystal growth to theoretical models done on the computer.

3-D DNA crystals created

3-D DNA crystals created

New York Univ. chemists have created three-dimensional DNA structures, a breakthrough bridging the molecular world to the world where we live. The work also has a range of potential industrial and pharmaceutical applications, such as the creation of nanoelectronic components and the organization of drug receptor targets to enable illumination of their 3D structures.

Magnetic nanopoles observed for the first time

Magnetic nanopoles observed for the first time

Researchers for the first time observed magnetic monopoles and how they emerge in a real material. Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles proposed by physicists that carry a single magnetic pole, either a magnetic North pole or South pole. In the material world this is quite exceptional because magnetic particles are usually observed as dipoles, north and south combined.

Poking holes in Hubbard Model

New UBC research has literally and figuratively poked holes in single-band Hubbard physics—a model that has been used to predict and calculate the behavior of high-temperature superconductors for 20 years. The findings are the first compelling evidence challenging the model under certain conditions, and could necessitate entirely new theoretical approaches to explaining superconductivity in cuprate materials, one of the outstanding mysteries in condensed-matter physics.  

Physicists see liquid-crystal interface for first time

Physicists see liquid-crystal interface for first time

The boundary where liquid and crystal meet is known as the intrinsic interface, but until now only theories existed as to how the crystal particles and the liquid particles remained separate. Images published this week show the narrow fuzzy region between the two states, an area that fluctuates due to surface waves.

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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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