Purdue University
Dividing corn stover makes ethanol conversion more efficient
October 25, 2011 6:50 am | News | CommentsNot all parts of a corn stalk are equal, and they shouldn't be treated that way when creating cellulosic ethanol, say Purdue University researchers. When corn stover is processed to make cellulosic ethanol, everything is ground down and blended together. But a research team found that three distinct parts of the stover—the rind, pith, and leaves—break down in different ways.
Computer modeling helps Coast Guard plan search and rescue on Great Lakes
October 24, 2011 8:23 am | News | CommentsPurdue University has developed a system to analyze the historic response of U.S. Coast Guard search-and-rescue operations in the Great Lakes and assess the potential risks associated with hypothetical changes in the allocation of resources in the region.
Ethanol research centers on poplars
October 20, 2011 6:34 am | News | CommentsSomeday trees could provide more than just shade, scenery, and building materials. Purdue University researchers are studying how poplars might be turned into liquid fuel.
'Microring' device could aid in future optical technologies
October 19, 2011 9:20 am | News | CommentsResearchers at Purdue University and NIST have created a device small enough to fit on a computer chip that converts continuous laser light into numerous ultrashort pulses, a technology that might have applications in more advanced sensors, communications systems, and laboratory instruments.
Hybrid trucks, buses focus of new Purdue center
October 17, 2011 12:13 pm | News | CommentsPurdue University will lead a new effort aimed at cutting fuel consumption in half for commercial vehicles by perfecting hybrid technologies for the world's burgeoning bus and truck fleets.
Purdue part of institute awarded up to $35 million by FDA
October 6, 2011 6:38 am | News | CommentsPurdue University is part of a national institute that received a grant of up to $35 million over the next five years from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA awarded the grant to the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Technology and Education, or NIPTE, to improve manufacturing standards and ultimately cut health care costs, create jobs, and improve drug safety.
Study: U.S. unlikely to hit Renewable Fuel Standard for cellulosic biofuels
October 4, 2011 8:04 am | News | CommentsThe biofuel industry will not be able to meet the cellulosic production requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standard without significant advancements in technology or investment, according to a National Academy of Sciences study prepared for Congress.
Purdue receives $3.8 million to study bioenergy crops
September 30, 2011 8:19 am | News | CommentsPurdue University researchers will use a portion of a $25 million grant to determine the potential of grasses as environmentally responsible bioenergy crops and to educate farmers and others about the findings.
Additives meant to protect vitamin C actually cause more harm
September 29, 2011 4:27 am | News | CommentsAnti-caking agents in powdered products may hasten degradation of vitamin C instead of doing what they are supposed to do: protect the nutrient from moisture. A Purdue University team is studying deliquescence, a reaction in which humidity causes a crystalline solid to dissolve, in hopes to understand how anti-caking agents protect substances such as vitamin C from humidity.
New technology uses solar UV to disinfect drinking water
September 28, 2011 8:58 am | News | CommentsA team of Purdue University researchers has invented a prototype water-disinfection system that could help the world's 800 million people who lack safe drinking water. The system uses the sun's ultraviolet radiation to inactivate waterborne pathogens. Sunlight is captured by a parabolic reflector and focused onto a UV-transparent pipe though which water flows continuously.
Gene may be good target for tough-to-kill prostate cancer cells
September 27, 2011 9:26 am | News | CommentsPurdue University scientists believe they have found an effective target for killing late-stage, metastatic prostate cancer cells. The team is focusing on the function of a gene called Polo-like kinase (Plk1), a critical regulator of the cell cycle. Plk1 is also an oncogene, which tends to mutate and can cause cancer.
New 'FeTRAM' is promising computer memory technology
September 26, 2011 9:59 am | News | CommentsResearchers are developing a new type of computer memory that could be faster than the existing commercial memory and use far less power than flash memory devices. The technology combines silicon nanowires with a "ferroelectric" polymer, a material that switches polarity when electric fields are applied, making possible a new type of ferroelectric transistor.
Purdue technology used in first fluorescence-guided ovarian cancer surgery
September 19, 2011 5:17 am | News | CommentsThe first fluorescence-guided surgery on an ovarian cancer patient was performed using a cancer cell "homing device" and imaging agent created by a Purdue University researcher. The surgery was one of 10 performed as part of the first phase of a clinical trial to evaluate a new technology to aid surgeons in the removal of malignant tissue from ovarian cancer patients.
Carbon nanoparticles break barriers
September 16, 2011 8:22 am | News | CommentsA study by researchers from the schools of science and medicine at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis examines the effects of carbon nanoparticles on living cells. This work is among the first to study concentrations of these tiny particles that are low enough to mimic the actual exposure of an ordinary individual.
Study finds more effective way to dry ethanol
September 14, 2011 4:56 am | by Brian Wallheimer, Purdue University | News | CommentsPurdue University researchers have found an alternative environmentally friendly and energy-efficient way to dry corn ethanol, and their proof is in the pudding. The Purdue team found that the shape and structure of tapioca pearls are ideal for removing water from ethanol.
Students building rocket for moon vehicle
September 13, 2011 9:10 am | News | CommentsPurdue University students are designing and building a rocket engine that might be used in a vehicle to land on the moon. These students are part of a team developing a rocket motor through the NASA-funded Project Morpheus, which includes research to develop new technologies for future trips to the moon, Mars, or asteroids.
Scientists make turfgrass more deadly for insects
September 7, 2011 9:41 am | News | CommentsThe right combination of compounds produced by a beneficial fungus could lead to grasses that require fewer pesticides and are safer for wildlife and grazing animals, according to Purdue University scientists.
Step toward digital graphene transistors
September 6, 2011 7:58 am | News | CommentsResearchers are making progress in creating digital transistors using a material called graphene, potentially sidestepping an obstacle thought to dramatically limit the material's use in computers and consumer electronics.
Tiny oxygen generators boost effectiveness of anticancer treatment
August 31, 2011 4:49 am | News | CommentsResearchers have created and tested miniature devices that are implanted in tumors to generate oxygen, boosting the killing power of radiation and chemotherapy. The technology is designed to treat solid tumors that are hypoxic at the center, meaning the core contains low oxygen levels.
Probe to uncover mechanisms key to fusion reactor walls
August 25, 2011 8:05 am | News | CommentsA new tool developed by nuclear engineers at Purdue University will be hitched to an experimental fusion reactor at Princeton University to learn precisely what happens when extremely hot plasmas touch and interact with the inner surface of the reactor.
Purdue receives $2.1 million to study link between personality traits, health
August 10, 2011 8:49 am | News | CommentsHow people's moods and self-discipline affect their physical health and longevity will continue to be studied at Purdue University thanks to a $2.1 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Material lets electrons dance and form new state
July 27, 2011 10:19 am | by Elizabeth K. Gardner | News | CommentsA small group of researchers, including a team from Purdue University, has successfully created ultrapure material that captures new states of matter, a finding that could have applications in high-speed quantum computing.
Biologists identify new strategy used by bacteria during infection
July 13, 2011 4:59 am | News | CommentsPurdue University biologists identified a new way in which bacteria hijack healthy cells during infection, which could provide a target for new antibiotics.
Laser, electric fields combined for new lab-on-chip technologies
July 5, 2011 8:20 am | by Emil Venere | News | CommentsResearchers are developing new technologies that combine laser and electric fields to manipulate fluids and tiny particles such as bacteria, viruses, and DNA for a range of potential applications, from drug manufacturing to food safety.
Cooling system may build eggs' natural defenses against salmonella
June 22, 2011 11:51 am | News | CommentsOnce eggs are laid, their natural resistance to pathogens begins to wear down, but a Purdue Univ. scientist believes he knows how to rearm those defenses.
