Menu

Blog

Page 11619

Feb 22, 2016

Hybrid Technology Converts Sugar into Nylon

Posted by in categories: engineering, genetics

Now we can turn sugar into Nylon.


Genetically engineered yeast plus electro-catalyst yields bio-based nylon.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Etch transfer into silicon of patterns with a half-pitch of under 20nm

Posted by in category: futurism

An etching process based on a three-layer stack achieves transfer into silicon of patterns with a depth of less than 5nm and a half-pitch of less than 20nm written by thermal scanning probe lithography.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Nanoscale system reaches perfect efficiency for solar fuel production step

Posted by in categories: energy, materials, nanotechnology, sustainability

A major goal in renewable energy research is to harvest the energy of the sun to convert water into hydrogen gas, a storable fuel. Now, with a nanoparticle-based system, researchers have set a record for one of the half-reactions in this process, reporting 100% efficiency for the reduction of water to hydrogen (Nano Lett. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.5b04813).

To make such water-splitting systems, researchers must find the right materials to absorb light and catalyze the splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen. The two half-reactions in this process—the reduction of water to hydrogen gas, and the oxidation of water to oxygen gas—must be isolated from each other so their products don’t react and explode. “Completing the cycle in an efficient, stable, safe fashion with earth-abundant elements is an ongoing challenge,” says chemist Nathan S. Lewis of Caltech, who was not involved in this study.

Until recently, the efficiency of the reduction step had maxed out at 60%. One challenge is that electrons and positive charges formed in the light absorption process can rapidly recombine, preventing the electrons from reducing water molecules to form hydrogen. To overcome this problem, several years ago, Lilac Amirav of Technion–Israel Institute of Technology and her colleagues designed a nanoparticle-based system (J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2010, DOI: 10.1021/jz100075c) that would physically separate the charges formed during photocatalysis.

Continue reading “Nanoscale system reaches perfect efficiency for solar fuel production step” »

Feb 22, 2016

Target Practice in Russia Means Blowing Up Asteroids With Ballistic Missiles

Posted by in categories: military, space

Russia isn’t messing around.


It’s for a good cause — but you have good reason to be scared.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Vibrating Bat Wings Inspire Efficient Sea-Skimming Drones

Posted by in categories: drones, transportation

Membrane wings show promise for highly efficient micro air vehicles.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Astronomers discover 300,000-light-year-long gas tail stretching from galaxy

Posted by in categories: materials, physics, space

Astronomers have found an extraordinary trail of gas greater than 300,000 light years across originating from a nearby galaxy called NGC 4569, according to a report in Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The tail is comprised of hydrogen gas, the material new stars are born from, and is five times longer than the galaxy itself.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Paper demonstrates autonomous underwater vehicles can be pre-programmed to make independent decisions

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, transportation

Brings a lot of possibilities.


Robotic reasoning.

Paper demonstrates autonomous underwater vehicles can be pre-programmed to make independent decisions.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Quantum Phase Transition Underpins Superconductivity in Copper Oxides

Posted by in categories: materials, quantum physics

Physicists have zoomed in on the transition that could explain why copper-oxides have such impressive superconducting powers.

Settling a 20-year debate in the field, they found that a mysterious quantum phase transition associated with the termination of a regime called the “pseudogap” causes a sharp drop in the number of conducting electrons available to pair up for superconductivity. The team hypothesizes that whatever is happening at this point is probably the reason that cuprates support superconductivity at much higher temperatures than other materials—about half way to .

“It’s very likely that the reason superconductivity grows in the first place, and the reason it grows so strongly, is because of that ,” CIFAR Senior Fellow Louis Taillefer (Université de Sherbrooke) says. The new findings are published in Nature.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

RMIT Researchers Examine Environmental and Health Risks Posed by 3D Printing

Posted by in categories: 3D printing, computing, health, materials

3D Printing hazardous to the environment due to toxins.


Three-dimensional (3D) printing, also known as additive manufacturing, refers to those technologies capable of developing 3D objects from raw materials, like metals and polymers based on computerized 3D parametric models.

Read more

Feb 22, 2016

Breaking Through the Bacteria Barrier

Posted by in categories: bioengineering, biotech/medical, genetics

Breaking the bacteria barriers.


If that field is at just the right magnitude, it will open up pores within the cell membrane, through which DNA can flow. But it can take scientists months or even years to figure out the exact electric field conditions to reversibly unlock a membrane’s pores.

A new microfluidic device developed by MIT engineers may help scientists quickly home in on the electric field “sweet spot” — the range of electric potentials that will harmlessly and temporarily open up membrane pores to let DNA in. In principle, the simple device could be used on any microorganism or cell, significantly speeding up the first step in genetic engineering.

Continue reading “Breaking Through the Bacteria Barrier” »