Korean researchers have coated yeast cells with silica. This could lead to functionalized cells with electrical and computational properties or other properties. Corante describes the korean research and its implications They start out by coating the cells with some charged polymers that are known to serve as a good substrate for silication, and then expose …
The Wall Street Journal describes how Europe made better choices than the USA in regards to H1N1 vaccines * Europe choose to use adjuvants An adjuvanted H1N1 vaccine being used in Europe contains 3.75 micrograms of vaccine stock. The same vaccine in the U.S., without the adjuvant, requires 15 micrograms of vaccine for equal potency. …
Cross-sectional diagram of the planned 32-tesla superconducting magnet. The magnet will consist of three YBCO coils (yellow), three niobium-tin coils (red) and two niobium-titanium coils (blue). A magnet, funded by a National Science Foundation grant of $2 million and a matching award from The Florida State University of $1 million, is projected to generate a …
Here is an interview, by Sander Olson, with Richard Varvill, the Technical Director and Chief Designer at Reaction Engines Limited. Reaction Engines Limited is a UK company that is developing a fully reusable launch system called skylon. Skylon is an unpiloted reusable spaceplane that will have a hybrid jet/rocket engine and take off from an …
Viruses and Vaccines are in a race. Two new flu vaccine candidates beginning clinical trials this month, the “virus-like particle,” or VLP, vaccine may be about to fulfill a long-heralded potential as a flu vaccine that arrives more quickly. From MIT Technology Review and Forbes. VLP vaccines can be made quickly. “From the time you …
A report “The economic value generated by current and future allocations of unlicensed spectrum” indicates that WhiteFi (white space spectrum wireless communication) could be worth $15 billion per year The first White Spaces Network has been used to bring broadband internet to Claudville, Virginia Some of the key report findings are:• By 2014 sales of …
MIT Technology Review reports that REvolt of Switzerland claims to have solved issues with rechargeable Zinc Air Batteries. Nonrechargeable zinc-air batteries have long been on the market. But making them rechargeable has been a challenge. ReVolt Technology claims breakthrough achievements in developing a metal-air battery that overcomes all of the above barriers to deliver: ㆍ …
Centauri Dreams has an article by Adam Crowl on the Deuterium starship design of Freidwardt Winterberg. This site has covered the work of Winterberg several times. A comment on one part of it: Non-fission triggers are a laudable goal of fusion propulsion research, but they pose a conundrum for slowing proliferation of thermonuclear weapons. Nuclear …
The Petman robot is a follow up the Big Dog robot. Big Dog is four legged robot for carrying supplies. (H/T Sander Olson) PETMAN is an anthropomorphic robot for testing chemical protection clothing used by the US Army. Unlike previous suit testers, which had to be supported mechanically and had a limited repertoire of motion, …
1. One shot of gene therapy and children with congenital blindness can now see Starting with gene therapy treatment research on the eyes keeps the gene therapy localized so that researchers can learn to make effective treatment where this is low risk of complications and side effects. After a single injection of genes that produce …
(Left) A mechanic wearing a tracked head-worn display performs a maintenance task on a Rolls Royce DART 510 Engine. (Right) A view through the head-worn display depicts information provided using augmented reality to assist the mechanic. MIT Technology Review reports that in the not-too-distant future, it might be possible to slip on a pair of …