Butterfly proboscis to sip cells
A butterfly's proboscis looks like a straw -- long, slender, and used for sipping -- but it works more like a paper towel, according to Konstantin Kornev of Clemson University. He hopes to borrow the tricks of this piece of insect anatomy to make small probes that can sample the fluid inside of cells. view more (2009-11-23)
New nanochemistry technique encases single molecules in microdroplets
Inventing a useful new tool for creating chemical reactions between single molecules, scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have employed microfluidics-the manipulation of fluids at the microscopic scale-to make microdroplets that contain single molecules of interest. view more (2009-09-23)
Researchers link jellyfish, other small sea creatures to large-scale ocean mixing
The ocean's smallest swimming animals, such as jellyfish, can have a huge impact on large-scale ocean mixing, researchers have discovered. view more (2009-07-30)
Green industrial lubricant developed
A team of researchers from the University of Huelva has developed an environmentally-friendly lubricating grease based on ricin oil and cellulose derivatives, according to the journal Green Chemistry. view more (2009-07-13)
Ancient volcanic eruptions caused global mass extinction
A previously unknown giant volcanic eruption that led to global mass extinction 260million years ago has been uncovered by scientists at the University of Leeds. view more (2009-05-29)
Back to basics: Scientists discover a fundamental mechanism for cell organization
Scientists have discovered that cells use a very simple phase transition -- similar to water vapor condensing into dew -- to assemble and localize subcellular structures that are involved in formation of the embryo. view more (2009-05-22)
New contraceptive device is designed to prevent sexual transmission of HIV
Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College have published results showing that a new contraceptive device may also effectively block the transmission of the HIV virus. view more (2009-05-20)
A sticky business -- how cancer cells become more 'gloopy' as they die
The viscosity, or 'gloopiness', of different parts of cancer cells increases dramatically when they are blasted with light-activated cancer drugs, according to new images that provide fundamental insights into how cancer cells die, published in Nature Chemistry today (15 March). view more (2009-03-16)
Viscosity-enhancing nanomaterials may double service life of concrete
Engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are patenting a method that is expected to double the service life of concrete. view more (2009-02-12)
How Do Bacteria Swim? Brown Physicists Explain
Imagine yourself swimming in a pool: It's the movement of your arms and legs, not the viscosity of the water, that mostly dictates the speed and direction that you swim. view more (2008-11-20)
New molecules with many branches will help unleash potential of nanotechnology
Materials science and the pharmaceutical industry could soon be revolutionized by emerging nanotechnologies based on designer molecules with long complex tree-and branch structures. view more (2008-10-27)
Surface tension drives segregation within cell mixtures
What does a mixture of two different kinds of cells have in common with a mixture of oil and water? The same basic force causes both mixtures to separate into two distinct regions. view more (2008-10-07)
Simple device which uses electrical field could boost gas efficiency
With the high cost of gasoline and diesel fuel impacting costs for automobiles, trucks, buses and the overall economy, a Temple University physics professor has developed a simple device which could dramatically improve fuel efficiency as much as 20 percent. view more (2008-09-26)
Slippery customer: A greener antiwear additive for engine oils
Titanium, a protean element with applications from pigments to aerospace alloys, could get a new role as an environmentally friendly additive for automotive oil, thanks to work by materials scientists from Afton Chemical Corporation (Richmond, Va.) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). view more (2008-07-24)
Atomic force microscopy reveals liquids adjust viscosity when confined, shaken
Getting ketchup out of the bottle isn't always easy. However, shaking the bottle before trying to pour allows the thick, gooey ketchup to flow more freely because it becomes more fluid when agitated. The opposite is not typically true - a liquid such as water does not become a gel when shaken. view more (2008-04-30)
Hyperviscous fluids: Better treatment for severe blood loss
Intravenous administration of isotonic fluids is the standard emergency treatment in the U.S. for patients with severe blood loss, but UC San Diego bioengineering researchers have reported improved resuscitation with a radically different approach. view more (2008-04-29)
Engineers demonstrate a new type of optical tweezer
Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) demonstrated a new type of optical tweezer with the potential to make biological and microfluidic force measurements in integrated systems such as microfluidic chips. view more (2008-02-26)
Videos extract mechanical properties of liquid-gel interfaces
Blood coursing through vessels, lubricated cartilage sliding against joints, ink jets splashing on paper-living and nonliving things abound with fluids meeting solids. view more (2008-01-24)
'Electrospray' droplet research yields surprising, practical results
Chemical engineers at Purdue University are the first to mathematically describe precisely how droplets form when liquids are exposed to electric fields, an advance that could have applications in areas ranging from manufacturing to medical diagnostics. view more (2008-01-08)
New designer lipid-like peptide with lipid nanostructures for drug delivery systems
Scientists from Institute of Biophysics and Nanosystems Research (IBN), Austrian Academy of Sciences and of Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA report the study of "Tuning Curvature and Stability of Monoolein Bilayers by Designer Lipid-Like Peptide Surfactants" in the May 30th issue of... view more... (2007-05-30)
|
|
