University of Michigan
Maximizing the Volt's battery weld quality
June 24, 2011 5:03 am | News | CommentsCollaborative work being done by engineers and researchers at General Motors, alongside faculty and students at the Univ. of Michigan College of Engineering is helping to guarantee the 16 kWh lithium-ion battery system used in the Chevrolet Volt meets exceptional quality standards.
Translating thoughts into movement
June 17, 2011 3:53 am | News | CommentsA brain implant developed at the Univ. of Michigan uses the body's skin like a conductor to wirelessly transmit the brain's neural signals to control a computer, and may eventually be used to reactivate paralyzed limbs.
X-ray telescope finds new voracious black holes in early universe
June 16, 2011 5:43 am | News | CommentsUsing the deepest x-ray image ever taken, a Univ. of Michigan astronomer and her colleagues have found the first direct evidence that massive black holes were common in the early universe. This discovery from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory shows that very young black holes grew more aggressively than previously thought, in tandem with the growth of their host galaxies.
Social scientists gauge comparative impact of stem cell research
June 10, 2011 6:25 am | News | CommentsNew research by sociologists from two universities and a medical center reports that studies in adult and embryonic stem cells are complementary. According to the researchers, incentives to use both types of cell in comparative studies are high, and banning either type of stems cells and the research involving them could have negative impacts on the other.
Bosch grants $10 million for energy research
June 3, 2011 9:24 am | News | CommentsUC Berkeley will be one of five leading universities to launch Bosch Group’s new $10 million energy initiative, designed to promote research and education in the United States. The Bosch Energy Research Network project will provide two-year grant opportunities—at $150,000 per year—to develop transformative energy technologies for production.
'Dead' galaxies aren't so dead after all
June 2, 2011 5:29 am | News | CommentsUniv. of Michigan astronomers examined old galaxies and were surprised to discover that they are still making new stars. The results provide insights into how galaxies evolve with time.
Lasers help form 3D crystals made of nanoparticles
June 1, 2011 4:39 am | by Jim Erickson | News | CommentsUniv. of Michigan physicists used the electric fields generated by intersecting laser beams to trap and manipulate thousands of microscopic plastic spheres, thereby creating 3D arrays of optically induced crystals. The technique could someday be used to analyze the structure of materials of biological interest, including bacteria, viruses, and proteins.
Working toward efficient harvesting of solar energy
May 4, 2011 8:04 am | News | CommentsAt the Univ. of Michigan College of Engineering, recent breakthroughs may lead to more effective means for harnessing the power of the sun.
Millimeter-scale energy harvester generates electricity from vibrations
April 26, 2011 4:17 am | News | CommentsElectrical engineers at the Univ. of Michigan have built a device that can harness energy from vibrations and convert it to electricity with five to ten times greater efficiency and power than other devices in its class. And it's smaller than a penny.
Hole poked in century-old astronomical theory
April 19, 2011 4:31 am | News | CommentsThe hottest stars in the universe spin so fast that they get a bit squished at their poles and dimmer around their middle. The 90-year-old theory that predicts the extent of this "gravity darkening" phenomenon has major flaws, according to a new study led by Univ. of Michigan astronomers.
Nanofiber spheres carrying cells into wounds help grow tissue
April 18, 2011 7:23 am | News | CommentsFor the first time, scientists have made star-shaped, biodegradable polymers that can self-assemble into hollow, nanofiber spheres, and when the spheres are injected with cells into wounds, these spheres biodegrade, but the cells live on to form new tissue.
U-M creates disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines
April 4, 2011 5:54 am | News | CommentsUniv. of Michigan researchers have created the state's first human embryonic stem cell lines that carry the genes responsible for inherited disease. The achievement will enable scientists here to study the onset and progression of genetic disorders and to search for new treatments.
New fluorescent OLEDs display greater efficiencies than believed possible
March 23, 2011 8:24 am | News | CommentsUniv. of Michigan engineering researchers have designed an efficient fluorescent blue OLED, or organic light emitting diode. Traditionally, the ceiling for the efficiency of fluorescent OLEDs was believed to be 5%. Now, the team has produced fluorescent OLEDs with close to 10% efficiency.
Discovery could lead to better memory chips
March 15, 2011 5:58 am | News | CommentsEngineering researchers at the Univ. of Michigan have found a way to improve the performance of ferroelectric materials, which have the potential to make memory devices with more storage capacity than magnetic hard drives and faster write speed and longer lifetimes than flash memory.
Silk moth antenna inspires new nanotech tool
March 1, 2011 3:21 am | News | CommentsBy mimicking the structure of the silk moth's antenna, Univ. of Michigan researchers led the development of a better nanopore—a tiny tunnel-shaped tool that could advance understanding of a class of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Alzheimer's.
U-M develops a potential 'game changer' for pathologists
February 28, 2011 5:28 am | News | CommentsA technique designed by a Univ. of Michigan-led team aims to make computer-aided tissue analysis better, faster, and simpler.
Non-invasive brain imaging technique gives hope for understanding Parkinson's
February 24, 2011 3:26 am | News | CommentsA non-invasive brain imaging technique gives new hope to patients with Parkinson's disease in finding new and better treatment plans and tracking the disease progression, a new Univ. of Michigan study shows.
Toward computers that fit on a pen tip
February 23, 2011 3:58 am | News | CommentsA prototype implantable eye pressure monitor for glaucoma patients is believed to contain the first complete millimeter-scale computing system. And a compact radio that needs no tuning to find the right frequency could be a key enabler to organizing millimeter-scale systems into wireless sensor networks. Both developments at the Univ. of Michigan are significant milestones in the march toward millimeter-scale computing, believed to be the next electronics frontier.
Mimosa plants inspire new adaptive structures
February 22, 2011 3:49 am | News | CommentsThe Mimosa plant, which folds its leaves when they're touched, is inspiring a new class of adaptive structures designed to twist, bend, stiffen, and even heal themselves. Univ. of Michigan researchers are leading their development.
Engineering atomic interfaces for new electronics
February 18, 2011 3:10 am | News | CommentsA multi-institutional team has made fundamental discoveries at the border regions, called interfaces, between oxide materials. Led by Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison materials science and engineering professor Chang-Beom Eom, the team has discovered how to manipulate electrons oxide interfaces by inserting a single layer of atoms. The researchers also have discovered unusual electron behaviors at these engineered interfaces.
Hydrogen cartridges fuel laptops and phones
February 18, 2011 3:01 am | News | CommentsHow does a Michigan State Univ. scientist fuel his enthusiasm for chemistry after 60 years? By discovering a new energy source, of course. SiGNa Chemistry Inc. unveiled its new hydrogen cartridges, which provide energy to fuel cells designed to recharge cell phones, laptops, and GPS units. The green power source is geared toward outdoor enthusiasts as well as residents of the Third World, where electricity in homes is considered a luxury.
Global warming may reroute evolution
February 17, 2011 3:28 am | News | CommentsRising carbon dioxide levels associated with global warming may affect interactions between plants and the insects that eat them, altering the course of plant evolution, research at the Univ. of Michigan suggests.
Study: Automakers manipulate fuel economy
February 16, 2011 6:25 am | News | CommentsWith the recent announcement that the U.S. government will propose new fuel economy standards this fall, a Univ. of Michigan study shows that automakers fine-tune vehicle fuel economy to qualify for more favorable treatment.
Researchers develop a new class of light-emitting material
February 14, 2011 4:21 am | News | CommentsPure organic compounds that glow in jewel tones could potentially lead to cheaper, more efficient, and flexible display screens, among other applications. Univ. of Michigan researcher Jinsang Kim and his colleagues have developed a new class of material that shines with phosphorescence—a property that has previously been seen only in non-organic compounds or organometallics.
Personal solar panel provides light for developing countries
January 28, 2011 5:12 am | News | CommentsElectricity isn't always a plug away in much of the developing world. That's why Abdrahamane Traoré, and adult from Michigan, and an engineering student from the Univ. of Michigan developed the Emerald, a personal solar panel the size of a paperback.
