science wire

Experts To Focus on Safety Strategies for US Infrastructure at Carnegie Mellon’s Washington Speaker Series
Press Release: Experts To Focus on Safety Strategies for US Infrastructure at Carnegie Mellon's Washington Speaker Series-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University : Chriss Swaney / 41

Engineers’ new nanoscavenger purifies water, gets retrieved by magnet
A new nanoparticle developed by Stanford engineers offers promising advancement in the way water is purified.

Making frequency-hopping radios practical
New hardware could lead to wireless devices that identify and exploit unused transmission frequencies, using radio spectrum much more efficiently.

Engineering Tissue to Rebuild Damaged Bones and Organs
From the chimera in Greek mythology to the sphinx in ancient Egypt, humans have imagined making creatures from pieces of different organisms for millennia. Tissue engineering, the innovative field that uses engineering principles to develop biological substitutes for cells or even major organs, is just the latest version, says Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic , the Mikati Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Sciences.

New PhD program in molecular engineering marks historic first for UChicago
The University of Chicago will offer an engineering PhD for the first time, emphasizing the development of solutions to technological problems of society based on molecular-level science.

Engineer John Hutchinson elected to the Royal Society
Honor recognizes his expertise in solid mechanics and materials engineering, especially buckling and cracking John W. Hutchinson , Abbott and James Lawrence Professor of Engineering and

U-M launches new center to transform mobility
Francine Romine, (734) 763-4668, fromine [a] umich (p) edu or David Lampe, (734) 647-7768, drlampe [a] umich (p) edu or Bernie DeGroat (734) 647-1847, bernied [a] umich (p) edu ANN ARBOR-The

Car wars: Advanced vehicles show range of technologies
The 21st Century Automotive Challenge will give visitors a chance to check out vehicles powered by a number of alternative energy sources, including electricity, compressed natural gas and biodiesel.

A revolution in three dimensions, maybe four: Penn State explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

A revolution in three dimensions ... maybe four: PSU explores 3-D printing
David Saint John, an instructor in Penn State's College of Engineering, working with a 3-D printer constructed by engineering students.

Printable 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology
Posted May 8, 2013; 01:30 p.m. by John Sullivan, Office of Engineering Using 3-D printing tools, scientists at Princeton University have created a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability.

Logan named deputy editor of new environmental journal
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Bruce Logan, Evan Pugh Professor and the Stand and Flora Kappe Professor of Environmental Engineering, has been named the inaugural deputy editor of the newly launched Environmental Science and Technology (ES&T) Letters journal. The journal, from American Chemical Society (ACS) Publications, is designed to accelerate the pace of research across the environmental field by providing the global multidisciplinary research community with an outlet to highlight urgent critical findings in a letters format.

UCLA bioengineers simplify fluid flows by removing complex math
A research team led by UCLA bioengineers has developed a way to program and control the shape of fluids flowing through pipes or conduits without the need to solve complex and time-consuming fluid-motion equations.

Bulldogs Racing places first in major hybrid racecar contest

Team's Innovative Design Recognized in EPA's First Campus RainWorks Challenge
Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics Professor Patricia J. Culligan and her doctoral student, Robert Elliott, were members of an interdisciplinary team at Columbia University whose desig

Carnegie Mellon Engineering Professor Develops New High-Stress Steel for Industry, Aerospace Sectors
Press Release: Carnegie Mellon Engineering Professor Develops New High-Stress Steel for Industry, Aerospace Sectors-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University : Chriss Swaney / 412-268

Brain Research at UC San Diego Brings Excitement to Celebration of Former Engineering Dean
Within days of each other, Robert W. Conn recently made two trips to Washington, D.C. to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

Riju Agrawal ’13 wins 2013 SAME award

Changing cellulose-forming process may tap plants' biofuel potential
Lin Fang, graduate student in agricultural and biological engineering at Penn State, displays a purified microbial cellulose sample in her lab on the University Park campus. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Changing the way a plant forms cellulose may lead to more efficient, less expensive biofuel production, according to Penn State engineers.

Six faculty members to be applauded for their outstanding teaching

PPPL and Princeton scientists developing novel system for verifying nuclear warheads
Posted April 23, 2013; 01:15 p.m. by John Greenwald, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory Scientists at Princeton University and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) are developing a unique process to verify that nuclear weapons to be dismantled or removed from deployment contain true warheads.

Robots, solar-powered cars at Engineering Discovery Days, April 26-27
Posted under: Engineering , Research , Science , Technology , UW and the Community Which is better for electrical storage: A potato, a lemon, an AA battery or a car battery?

Engineering’s annual Tech Forum to focus on future of engineering research

No to all of the above
MIT engineers find that in the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage. Osteoarthritis, which affects at least 20 percent of adults in the United States, leads to deterioration of cartilage, the rubbery tissue that prevents bones from rubbing together. By studying the molecular properties of cartilage, MIT engineers have now discovered how the earliest stages of arthritis make the tissue more susceptible to damage from physical activities such as running or jumping.

To Build a Better Battery: Two Takes on Lithium-ion Batteries from Berkeley Lab Researchers
Lithium-ion batteries have transformed our lives. Without them, we wouldn't have laptop computers or cell phones - at least, not the long-lived, lightweight kind we're used to - and in the near future they may become more important yet.

Engineers craft material for high-performance ’supercapacitor’
Taking a significant step toward improving the power delivery of systems ranging from urban electrical grids to regenerative braking in hybrid vehicles, researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School o

Researchers tunnel path from lab to real world
Thirty metres below street level, UAlberta engineers test tunnel-boring technology that could save construction time and money.

Want to Connect with the Future? Attend Research Expo at UC San Diego’s Jacobs School of Engineering
Advances in tattoo sensors for health monitoring, on-chip optical networking, low-cost cancer diagnostics, video games designed to teach computer programming, new materials for protecting soldiers from blasts, and energy-efficient high-wire robots.

Grandson of Enola Gay pilot gives 70th anniversary lecture

Los Alamos, Sandia National labs recognize New Mexico small businesses for innovation

Swords to Plowshares: Engineering Plants for More Biofuel Sugars
Xylan is a polysaccharide composed of pentoses - five carbon sugars - that represents a double-edged sword for advanced biofuels.

NASA selects Penn State nanosatellite for launch
Aerospace engineering senior Andre Coleman Jr. serves as the thermal subsystems lead for the Penn State OSIRIS nanosatellite mission, slated to be launched by NASA between 2014 and 2016.

Engineers Develop Nanofoams for Better Body Armor, Layers of Protection for Buildings
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are developing nanofoams that could be used to make better body armor; prevent traumatic brain injury and blast-related lung injuries in soldiers; and protect buildings from impacts and blasts. It's the first time researchers are investigating the use of nanofoams for structural protection.

U-M regents appoint two to fill vice provost positions

Penn State, Pratt & Whitney inaugurate most advanced turbine testing lab in U.S
Al Brockett, Pratt & Whitney's vice president of engineering module centers, has spearheaded the company's collaboration with Penn State.

Can control theory make software better?
Techniques used to ensure that airplanes won't stall out in flight could be adapted to prove that computer programs won't divide by zero. "Formal verification" is a set of methods for mathematically proving that a computer program does what it's supposed to do. It's universal in hardware design and in the development of critical control software that can't tolerate bugs; it's common in academic research; and it's beginning to make inroads in commercial software.

Predictability: The Brass Ring For Synthetic Biology
Predictability is often used synonymously with "boring," as in that story or that outcome was soooo predictable . For practioners of synthetic biology seeking to engineer valuable new microbes, however, predictability is the brass ring that must be captured. Researchers with the multi-institutional partnership known as BIOFAB have become the first to grab at least a portion of this ring by unveiling a package of public domain DNA sequences and statistical models that greatly increase the reliability and precision by which biological systems can be engineered.

New York’s fossil fuel: Gone with the wind ... water and sun
Converting all of the state's energy sources from natural gas, coal and fossil fuel to wind, water and sunlight by 2030 will stabilize electricity prices, reduce power demand by about 37 percent and

Stanford’s GCEP will award $6.6 million for novel energy research
Stanford Report, March 11, 2013 The Global Climate and Energy Project will award $6.6 million for research that leads to cleaner fuels and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Device may lead to quicker, more efficient diagnostics
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - A twist on thin-film technology may provide a way to optically detect and analyze multiple substances simultaneously, leading to quicker diagnostics in such industries as health care and homeland security, according to Penn State researchers.

Renewed Harvard-BASF initiative to advance functional materials
Multi-university research will focus on innovative materials for the automotive, building and construction, and energy sectors A major goal of this initiative is to jointly develop new materials for the automotive, building and construction, and energy industries.

Illuminating fractures: X-ray imaging sheds new light on damage in bone
From athletes to individuals suffering from osteoporosis, bone fractures are usually the result of tiny cracks accumulating over time - invisible rivulets of damage that, when coalesced, lead to that painful break.

Startup using U of M technology to manufacture key industrial chemicals from renewable sources
News Release MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/06/2013) —Startup Ascenix BioTechnologies will perfect and commercialize production methods to synthesize chemicals from renewable feedstocks.

Fukushima anniversary: Nuclear experts available
ANN ARBOR-Two years after a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11, 2011, triggering partial meltdowns in three nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi, decommissioning of the damaged reactors is still in its early stages and recovery is slow in the region around the plant.

Engineering Professor Elected to the Club of Rome
Noam Lior, professor of mechanical engineering and applied mechanics in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Engineering and Applied Science, has been elected to the Club of Rome , an interdisciplinary, international think tank dedicated to sustainability issues.

LED Café -- where art and science meet
Yale's vast art collection includes celebrated works by van Gogh, Cezanne, Hopper, and Rothko. But the flashiest new canvas on campus hangs on a wall - and ceiling - in the School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS).

Stanford ’Makers-in-Residence’ program gives teens taste of real-world engineering
Stanford Report, March 4, 2013 New research aims to shed light on how "FabLabs" may enhance the way high school students learn science, technology, engineering and math.

Mars travel expert: Aerospace engineer can discuss challenges
MEDIA ADVISORY ANN ARBOR-A University of Michigan aerospace engineer who studies advanced thrusters is available to discuss the challenges of getting humans to Mars.

Researchers to help make electric cars cheaper
McGill University researchers are developing low-cost and high-performance electric engines for the next generation of electric vehicles, in collaboration with industrial partners Linamar, TM4, and Infolytica.

Rethinking wind power
Harvard research suggests real-world generating capacity of wind farms at large scales has been overestimated : Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 "People have often thought there's no upper b

Celebrating excellence in mentoring

Engineer, Alumna and Olympic Runner
Meet Sonali Merrill, a Jacobs School alumna, who also is a member of Sri Lanka's Olympic track and field team.

Engineering cells for more efficient biofuel production
Yeast research takes a step toward production of alternatives to gasoline. In the search for renewable alternatives to gasoline, heavy alcohols such as isobutanol are promising candidates. Not only do they contain more energy than ethanol, but they are also more compatible with existing gasoline-based infrastructure.

DiscoverE wins top honours from Google
DiscoverE, a youth outreach program run by the University of Alberta's Faculty of Engineering, has won a Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Award for its achievements in increasing access and interest in engineering, technology and science.

A cure for the common hangover?
In a discovery that could derail the popular "Hangover" movie franchise, a team of researchers led by UCLA engineers has identified a method for speeding up the body's reaction to the consumption of alcohol. In a paper published online Feb. 17 in the peer-reviewed , Yunfeng Lu, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science , and his colleagues describe successfully placing two complementary enzymes in a tiny capsule to speed up the elimination of alcohol from the body.

Alumni couple’s generous gift born of deep commitment
Paulette ('80 BCom) and Tony ('79 BCom) Lashuk know something about commitment. The high-school sweethearts committed to each other in marriage while they attended the Alberta School of Business together.

Sciences, Engineering Join Therapeutics in UC San Diego "Express License" Program
Almost 160 active companies in San Diego County have been established by UC San Diego alumni, faculty and staff.

Jay Humphrey named to the inaugural John C. Malone Professorship
Jay D. Humphrey, newly appointed as the inaugural John C. Malone Professor of Biomedical Engineering, studies vascular mechanics and mechanobiology.

McGill, ÉTS announce collaborative aerospace projects
Close to one hundred and fifty professors, students and members of Montreal's aerospace community were present last week, at the McGill Faculty Club, to celebrate the official announcement of six maj

Decoys could blunt spread of ash-killing beetles
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - As the emerald ash borer ravages North American ash trees, threatening the trees' very survival, a team of entomologists and engineers may have found a way to prevent the spread of the pests.

UW-Madison engineer named to National Academy of Engineering
David Gustafson , a University of Wisconsin-Madison industrial and systems engineer, was named Feb. 7 to the 2013 class of new members of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).

Making mobile robots work together
New NSERC Canadian Field Robotics Network will offer key to future environmental, hydroelectric, and resource identification and monitoring.

University of Minnesota professor Steven Crouch elected to the National Academy of Engineering
News Release Dean of the College of Science and Engineering receives highest professional honor awarded to an engineer MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (02/07/2013) —Steven Crouch, professo

UCLA professor elected to National Academy of Engineering

Engineering a Future
The UC San Diego chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers demonstrated some culinary magic at the organizational fair, combining dry ice with cream and sugar to make homemade ice cream.

Fiat lux: alumni launch NanoLight
Three University of Toronto graduates are set to flip the switch on “the world's most energy-efficient lightbulb”—and investors are scrambling to support them, with their company's start-up goal already having been surpassed by more than 500 per cent.

Vanderlick named to second term as dean of engineering school

If you give a bioengineer a cookie
By studying hand motions, Maurice Smith is creating an instruction manual to help repair a broken-down brain "When you grab a cookie and want to break off a piece with a chocolate chip," says

Martha Pollack selected as next U-Michigan provost
ANN ARBOR-Martha E. Pollack, who has served as the University of Michigan's vice provost for academic and budgetary affairs, today was selected as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs by President Mary Sue Coleman.

With Popsicle Sticks and a Glue Gun, Penn’s Allison Pearce Got Her Start in Engineering
It was 3 a.m. at an engineering camp in Houston when insight struck Allison Pearce, now a junior at the University of Pennsylvania.

Second skin: U of’T invention offers hope for burn victims
Tissue engineering has taken a big leap forward with the University of Toronto invention of a process that can create functional replacement skin quickly and inexpensively.

Rare earth oxides make water-repellent surfaces that last
Ceramic forms of hydrophobic materials could be far more durable than existing coatings or surface treatments. Water-shedding surfaces that are robust in harsh environments could have broad applications in many industries including energy, water, transportation, construction and medicine. For example, condensation of water is a crucial part of many industrial processes, and condensers are found in most electric power plants and in desalination plants.

Microbes, nanomaterials and gas turbines
Most people choose not to think about the trillions of microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and fungi – that live on and inside our bodies.

New material harvests energy from water vapor
Polymer film could be used in artificial muscle and to power microand nanoelectronic devices. MIT engineers have created a new polymer film that can generate electricity by drawing on a ubiquitous source: water vapor.

Jennifer A. Lewis, pioneer in 3D printing and bioinspired materials, joins Harvard faculty
: Caroline Perry , (617) 496-1351 Jennifer A. Lewis , an internationally recognized leader in the fields of 3D printing and biomimetic materials, has been appointed as the first Hansjörg Wys

Chips that can steer light
Record-setting 'optical phased arrays' could lead to better laser rangefinders, smaller medical-imaging devices and even holographic TVs.

Research update: Jumping droplets help heat transfer
Scalable nanopatterned surfaces designed by MIT researchers could make for more efficient power generation and desalination. Many industrial plants depend on water vapor condensing on metal plates: In power plants, the resulting water is then returned to a boiler to be vaporized again; in desalination plants, it yields a supply of clean water.

Boosting Galactan Sugars Could Boost Biofuel Production
Galactan is a polymer of galactose, a six-carbon sugar that can be readily fermented by yeast into ethanol and is a target of interest for researchers in advanced biofuels produced from cellulosic biomass. Now an international collaboration led by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) has identified the first enzyme capable of substantially boosting the amount of galactan in plant cell walls.

Cellphone data helps pinpoint source of traffic tie-ups
Study: Congestion can be alleviated throughout a metropolitan area by altering the trips of drivers in specific neighborhoods.

Remembering UAlberta’s humble benefactor

Asking the hard questions about climate change
David Keith is Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School.

Engineers develop new energy-efficient computer memory using magnetic materials
By using electric voltage instead of a flowing electric current, researchers from UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science have made major improvements to an ultra-fast, high-capacity class of computer memory known as magnetoresistive random access memory, or MRAM.

Nanocrystals Not Small Enough to Avoid Defects
Nanocrystals as protective coatings for advanced gas turbine and jet engines are receiving a lot of attention for their many advantageous mechanical properties, including their resistance to stress. However, contrary to computer simulations, the tiny size of nanocrystals apparently does not safeguard them from defects.

Celebrating color with rainbows, flames, and an electrified pickle
Annual Holiday Lecture delights families, encourages curiosity about science and engineering As the nights grow longer, the landscape turns gray, and the holidays approach, it seems natural that communities would gravitate towards lights, candles, and color.

Engineers roll up their sleeves and then do same with inductors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - On the road to smaller, high-performance electronics, University of Illinois researchers have smoothed one speed bump by shrinking a key, yet notoriously large element of integrated circuits. Three-dimensional rolled-up inductors have a footprint more than 100 times smaller without sacrificing performance.

University of Minnesota to lead international virtual institute for study of climatic and human effects on Earth
News Release MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (12/12/2012) —The National Science Foundation (NSF) announced that it will award an $720,000 grant to the University of Minnesota to lead an international, multi-university virtual institute for the study of Earth-surface systems, with a special emphasis on watersheds and deltas.

The archives of Road & Track magazine come to Stanford
Stanford Report, December 11, 2012 The archives of Road & Track magazine come to Stanford An interdisciplinary team of Stanford researchers exploring the place of the automobile in modern society has inherited the entire 65-year archives of Road & Track magazine.

UCLA doctors remove man’s heart, replace it with total artificial heart
Imagine living without a heart. It is possible — if you have a new artificial heart pumping blood through your body.

Faculty Senate chair describes trajectory of his academic career
Stanford Report, December 5, 2012 Raymond E. Levitt, who joined Stanford's faculty in 1980, is the Kumagai Professor in the School of Engineering, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment and chair of the 45 th Faculty Senate.

Weapons Program Associate Directors named
Bob Webster has been named Associate Director for Weapon Physics and John Benner has been named Associate Director for Weapon Engineering and Experiments.

Stanford School of Engineering names new engineering heroes
Stanford Report, December 4, 2012 Yahoo! founders, earthquake engineering pioneer, cryptography inventor and other Stanford engineers honored for their contributions to technology and society.

Engineers get $2.6 million for power generation project
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded two Yale engineering researchers more than $2.6 million to develop a low-cost power generation system that relies on waste heat for fuel.

Bioreactors for algae-based biofuels get $900K grant
A Cornell research team has received a $910,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to work toward revolutionizing how biofuels are produced from algae.

Seven Faculty Members Named Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
AUSTIN, Texas — Seven faculty members at The University of Texas at Austin have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Gates Foundation backs U of’T efforts to design toilet for developing world
A University of Toronto engineering team has received a major grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to continue work on designing a waterless, hygienic toilet that is safe and affordable for people in the developing world.

U receives $1.8 million grant for research that could improve efficiencies in fuel and plastics production
News Release MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (11/28/2012) —The University of Minnesota has been awarded a $1.8 million grant over three years from the Department of Energy's Advanced Research P

Bascom Palmer Receives $10 Million Gift
— One of the world's most prominent businessmen and leading philanthropists has donated $10 million to the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami to establish an interdisciplinary research center dedicated to eradicating blinding injuries and lethal orbital malignancies.

Underwater robots from Stanford smart enough to explore treacherous deep-ocean terrain
Stanford Report, November 26, 2012 Engineers at Stanford's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have developed autonomous underwater vehicl

Modeling the Breaking Points of Metallic Glasses
Metallic glass alloys (or liquid metals) are three times stronger than the best industrial steel, but can be molded into complex shapes with the same ease as plastic. These materials are highly resistant to scratching, denting, shattering and corrosion. So far, they have been used in a variety of products from golf clubs to aircraft components.

U. of I. alumnus named Marshall Scholar

Advocate for women in STEM disciplines speaks on today’s barriers to ’breaking into the lab’
For Sue Rosser, the obstacles women in the STEM disciplines face today may be less obvious than they were 40 years ago, but they're as real as ever.