Harvard Scientists Train Computer to Distinguish Scents

Posted on October 20, 2016 by 41629066

A team of Harvard scientists led by Venkatesh Murthy, professor of molecular and cellular biology, tackled a seemingly complex phenomenon in their investigation: how mice can distinguish scents from one another. Using a machine-learning algorithm, Murthy and his colleagues “trained” a computer to recognize the neural patterns linked to various scents, and to identify specific odors in a mixture of smells. The study, published in the journal Neuron, focused on creating an algorithm for a compu...

NASA Aims to Sequence DNA in Space

Posted on September 28, 2016 by 41629066

NASA is conducting a lot of research in space, but interestingly enough, now they’re focusing on sequencing an integral biological molecule: DNA. Ever since the first strands of DNA were sequenced in the 1970s, researchers understood the profound significance of analyzing genetics for a wide range of medical and biological research. DNA sequencing at large can be used to identify forms of life, study organism evolution and relation, pinpoint genetic diseases in individuals and assist in crim...

How Silvon is Adding Innovation to the Textile Industry

Posted on September 12, 2016 by 41629066

A person bed’s can be covered with bacteria, allergens and fungus. Silvon is designed to change that, permanently preventing the growth of 99.9% of bacteria by literally using a silver lining (of a sort). Dermatologists recommend that people wash their pillowcases every two or three days. Given the hustle and bustle of everyday life however, it is difficult to follow through on that. The average adult washes their sheets every 2-3 weeks, with studies suggesting some men just change their shee...

Aerion Mouse

Posted on December 21, 2015 by

Aerion Mouse is a gesture-driven computer mouse that’s somewhat smaller than traditional mice. It gets placed between the top of any two of the user’s fingers. The user then points the mouse at the display to operate it and, instead of clicking on any buttons, just leans to the left to achieve what a typical left click on a mouse would and leans to the right for a right click. One main benefits to Aerion is that it allows one to keep fingers close to a typing position without having to grab a se...

Pluto Ice Volcanoes

Posted on December 4, 2015 by

Pluto may have two ice volcanoes that spew water ice, nitrogen, ammonia, and methane onto the dwarf planet's surface, NASA announced today. The potential volcanoes were spied near Pluto's South Pole, in images taken by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its July flyby. NASA scientists used the photos to measure the mountains, they are several miles high and tens of miles wide, with large holes in their summits. "On Earth that generally means one thing a volcano," said Oliver White, New Horizo...

Our Bodies, our Microbial Clouds.

Posted on November 23, 2015 by

We leave a trail of microbes on every surface we touch, from pens and keyboards to door handles and elevator buttons. Everywhere you go, in everything you do, you are surrounded by an aura of microbes. They drift down from your hair when you scratch your head, they fly off your hand when you wave to your friend, and they spew out of your mouth when you talk. Even when you sit around doing nothing, you’re sitting in your own, personal microbial bubble. In addition to leaving our mark on surfaces,...

Microbiomes could hold keys to improving life.

Posted on November 19, 2015 by

Microbial life forms including viruses, bacteria, and fungi are the most diverse and abundant organisms on earth. They have shaped our evolutionary origins for billions of years and continue to have widespread impact. The UMIC foresees the microbiomes being leveraged through genetic engineering for applications within 10 years. “Microbes are everywhere. Therefore understanding microbiomes, whether they be the ones that live in and on our bodies or the ones in the environment, is essential to ...

11,000 years of isolation: Remote village has unusual Gut Bacteria.

Posted on November 18, 2015 by

A medical checkup of people living in remote villages deep in the Amazon rainforest in Venezuela has uncovered striking details about these villagers' microbiomes and the bacteria living on and in their bodies. The villagers appear to have the highest levels of bacterial diversity ever reported in a human group, the researchers found. Their microbiomes include bacteria that have genes that could make them resistant to treatment with antibiotics. Some of these genes could even make these bacteria...

New “tricorder” technology might be able to “hear” tumors growing.

Posted on November 16, 2015 by

A team of scientists from Stanford University is testing a new “tricorder” technology able to remotely detect abnormal matter, such as buried plastic explosives or even early stage cancers in humans, by manipulating microwaves and ultrasound. The new “radio frequency (RF)/ultrasound hybrid imaging system,” the brainchild of Assistant Professor Amin Arbabian and Research Professor Pierre Khuri-Yakub, was designed for remote detection of embedded objects in a number of different kinds of matter, i...

The surprising trick jellyfish and lampreys use to swim.

Posted on November 16, 2015 by

Jellyfish and lampreys have among the most energy-efficient swimming motions of any animal. From a long time, researchers have assumed that in order to move forward, fly or swim, humans and animals exert pressure on surface, air or water around them. But a new study published in the journal Nature Communications has revealed that two sea animals do not follow the general theory. Jellyfish and lampreys pull their way through the water, as per the study. A Stanford led team shows how these anci...

UBC students develop “pro-bee-otic”, a probiotic for bees

Posted on October 20, 2015 by

University of British Columbia students have developed a probiotic for honey bees, which they’ve coined the ‘pro-bee-otic.’ This innovative study by a group of UBC students is regarding the development a probiotic for honey bees. This is a particularly important solution, as global bee declines are a major problem and so much of the food we eat depends on pollination by insects. The students want to address this important issue and they feel that betting probiotics could be the key to prot...

NASA’S New Horizons finds blue skies and red water ice on Pluto.

Posted on October 20, 2015 by

Images sent back by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft last week reveal that Pluto has blue atmospheric hazes and water ice on its surface. Pluto’s haze layer shows its blue color in this picture taken by the New Horizons Ralph/Multispectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC). The high-altitude haze is thought to be similar in nature to that seen at Saturn’s moon Titan. The source of both hazes likely involves sunlight-initiated chemical reactions of nitrogen and methane, leading to relatively small, ...

Manmade Tidal Lagoon could change the future of clean energy.

Posted on October 15, 2015 by

The Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon will be the world’s first ever plant to generate electricity using its own novel method. Should it prove successful, the plant’s template could be adopted worldwide as a way of generating green power while simultaneously providing sea wall protection to coastal communities. Just outside the Welsh city of Swansea, the U.K. is planning one of the most innovative power plants ever constructed. It’s not the plant’s size that is striking, though it could ultimately pro...

Enhancing movement with computational models.

Posted on October 13, 2015 by

MIT’s David Hill, a PhD student in media arts and sciences, builds computational models of human locomotion, which are the basis for designing ever-better prosthetics and his advisor, Hugh Herr, an associate professor of media arts and sciences, is a double amputee. Hill says living in the world of theoretical models can be somewhat insular, so having a real-life example of someone who can benefit from and pilot some of the work he does is part of what helps him stay focused. Human movement i...

ScanMarker – The incredible digital highlighter.

Posted on October 9, 2015 by

Scanmarker is a pen-shaped digital highlighter. Just slide it across any printed text, and it instantly transfers the text into any application on your computer. The pen tip is clear and relatively slim, allowing the user to see what he/she is scanning. It feels similar to a pen in your hand, but as you move over sentences on the page, it will scan them and type them onto your computer. It can retype text 30 times faster than manual typing, and your computer will read out loud what you have scan...

Researchers discover the key to staying dry underwater

Posted on September 30, 2015 by

Imagine staying dry underwater for months. The latest research from Northwestern University engineers identified a wide variety of surfaces that can do just that. Through a combination of analysis of “air-retaining insect surfaces” used by aquatic insects, aging and degassing experiments on material surfaces, and molecular simulations, these engineers believe they understand what keeps certain surfaces dry underwater. Saturation of air within “valleys” on surfaces (less than 1µm wide) defl...

Drug disarms deadly C. difficile bacteria without destroying healthy gut flora

Posted on September 28, 2015 by

Scientists find way to disarm deadly bacteria without destroying the good ones in your gut. The new discovery of a drug that blocks the intestinal pathogen without killing resident, beneficial microbes may prove superior to antibiotics, currently the front-line treatment for infection. Nearly half a million Americans get infected in a single year by Clostridium difficile, a dangerous bacteria that causes life-threatening diarrhea. It kills 15,000 people a year. It's the most common cause o...

NOAA’s Science On a Sphere is a room sized, global display system

Posted on September 10, 2015 by

Novel and revolutionary Science On a Sphere® (SOS) is an educational tool that uses computers and video projectors to help illustrate Earth System science to people of all ages. This tool has been developed by Dr. Sandy MacDonald along with researchers at NOAA. Unique and captivating, it's been used in science museums, visitor centers, zoos, aquariums, laboratories, and schools around the world. It consists of a spherical projection system created by NOAA which presents high-resolution vid...

World’s First Wipe-On Clear Nanocoating Ensures Permanent Car Paint Protection

Posted on September 8, 2015 by

A novel nanocoating promises to permanently protect surfaces from damage or deterioration. Scientist Thomas Choate has introduced the world's first Wipe-On clear nanomaterial that will protect surfaces from damage or deterioration and also help restore them. The product, named Vecdor Nano-Clear®, has the ability to permanently restore original color, gloss and surface hardness back into oxidized textured plastics, highly oxidized fiberglass and highly oxidized paint surfaces while reducing...

Unique 3D Pen that Draws In The Air

Posted on September 8, 2015 by

3Doodler is the world’s first 3D printing pen. The pen, created by science inventors Max Bogue and Peter Dilworth is called the 3Doodler, and allows the user to draw in the air. It does not require any software but simply needs to be plugged into an electrical outlet for use. This pen has been fed into with colorful plastic thread. The thread is then extruded as heated plastic that cools and solidifies instantly as it exits the tip. This allows solid 3D structures to be drawn on any surfac...

Portable water purification device for the ultimate traveler

Posted on September 6, 2015 by

Inventor Micheal Pritchard has found a solution for safe drinking water with a handheld water purification device that creates fresh water instantly. The LifeSaver bottle provides refreshing, germ free water anywhere. The bottle itself is designed to be uncomplicated and user friendly. This bottle consists of long lasting cartridges which help remove viruses and bacteria from contaminated water. One just needs to pump the products manually a few times and pristine drinking water will start t...