News on research labs and their facilities. Covers lunar research sites, national-lab partnerships, obesity classification, and cloud-lab funding.
A recent Regenstrief Institute study explores the impact of health information exchange on patient outcomes in emergency departments. The research reveals that access to complete medical records via health information exchange may lead to reduced hospitalizations, improved decision-making, and better patient care.
Lawreen H. Connors is awarded a $411,459 NIH grant to study wild-type transthyretin amyloidosis, a fatal protein deposition disease affecting millions of older Americans. Her research aims to improve recognition, monitoring, and treatment of the condition.
The LIGO-Virgo Collaboration observed the merger of two neutron stars, producing gravitational waves and a gamma-ray burst, marking the birth of multi-messenger astronomy. This discovery confirms kilonova formation, providing insight into the universe's heaviest elements.
Army researchers have discovered subtle variations in the dynamic behavior of materials under fatigue cycles, including shifts in natural frequency. The study aims to develop new sensing techniques for predicting service life and enabling self-responsive, damage-adaptive structures.
The CSAIL team developed a VR system that lets users teleoperate robots using an Oculus Rift headset. The system mimics the user's movements to complete various tasks, making it feel like they are inside the robot's head. This technology could enable blue-collar workers to telecommute and benefit from the IT revolution.
A global research team of 22 scientists has created a comprehensive glossary of terms to describe cellular processes in plants, aiming to clarify confusion among experts. The lexicon covers key structures and processes involved in cytokinesis, a crucial phase of cell division that could accelerate breeding for sustainable materials.
The Virtual Training Agent for Veterans (VITA4VETS) program uses virtual simulation practice to build job interviewing competence and confidence among veterans. With a high success rate of 93% in securing employment, VITA4VETS provides customizable training to address the challenges faced by transitioning service members.
A study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences found that experienced male cyclists performed better when they didn't have to pace their efforts. The researchers used open-ended Time-To-Exhaustion trials and compared them with race-like Time-Trials, discovering that pacing restrictions hindered performance.
Scientists at ETH Zurich and Roche have developed a new diagnostic method using light diffraction on molecules, allowing for quick and easy disease detection in doctors' offices. The technique uses molecular recognition and focused laser light to identify specific protein interactions.
Researchers identify patterns of cell-to-cell communication as the core feature that makes possible rigorous distinctions among neuron types. The study points to 'core genetic recipe' for constructing diverse nerve cells, resolving long-standing debates about neuronal classification.
Researchers at Oxford University have discovered that tectonic plates are weaker than previously believed, thanks to laboratory experiments. The study sheds light on how plates break and form new boundaries, with implications for understanding earthquake-generating faults.
Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine successfully transported medical samples 160+ miles using a drone, setting a new delivery distance record. The flight maintained temperature control, ensuring the samples were viable for laboratory analysis after landing.
Dr. Philip Perconti, ARL Director, emphasizes the importance of innovation in basic research, highlighting recent successes in micro-autonomous systems and technology. He also discusses the Laboratory's Open Campus initiative, a collaborative framework that fosters mutual reliance and interdependent research.
Researchers at MIT's CSAIL developed ComText, a system that allows robots to understand contextual commands, enabling them to perform complex tasks. With this technology, Baxter, a two-armed humanoid robot, achieved success in executing commands with a 90% accuracy rate.
The Army-led Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology (MAST) Collaborative Technology Alliance has demonstrated futuristic robotic research platforms, showcasing state-of-the-art benchmarks. The program aims to develop small autonomous robots for collaborative operation with large systems in complex environments.
The new lab will help researchers characterize thermal properties of rock samples and model subsurface heterogeneity for more efficient geothermal systems. Professor Jasmin Raymond's team aims to develop environments conducive to shallow and deep geothermal systems, improving their design and competitiveness.
A study by researchers from the German Center for Diabetes Research found that nearly 22% of hospitalized patients in Tübingen had diabetes or prediabetes. Patients with diabetes required longer hospital stays and were at a higher risk of complications, highlighting the need for early detection and treatment.
Researchers at NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases have developed a laboratory model to study tick-borne flaviviruses, including Powassan virus. The new model involves culturing organs from Ixodes scapularis ticks with flaviviruses, which can infect salivary glands and midgut.
A recent study by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory reveals the intricate interactions between chandelier cells and pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex. The research shows that these inhibitory cells can receive information from hundreds of excitatory cells, influencing their firing patterns and local circuit activity.
The Privileged Sensing Framework proposes integrating human and autonomous agents based on individual characteristics. The framework improves joint human-autonomy performance without sacrificing human strengths.
A new test has been developed to differentiate between Lyme disease and Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI) with an accuracy of up to 98 percent. This breakthrough offers improved early detection and diagnosis for Lyme disease, a vector-borne illness affecting the US.
A new version of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing technique has been developed to correct molecular mistakes that lead to microsatellite repeat expansion diseases. The approach eliminated 95% or more of RNA foci linked to myotonic dystrophy and other diseases in laboratory models and patient-derived cells.
The development of enhanced single cell genomics techniques by Bigelow Laboratory has revolutionized the study of microbes and their impact on the environment. These advancements have also led to increased accessibility and affordability for research and industrial communities.
The Pacific Northwest Research Institute (PNRI) is partnering with Merck to develop a comprehensive plan to bring a promising antifungal agent from the laboratory to clinical practice. The compound has potential to reduce the burden of opportunistic infections in people living with HIV in developing countries.
The Jackson Laboratory will investigate a new mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with a $3.2 million federal research grant. The study aims to link genetic mutations in the mouse models to human ALS or other neuromuscular diseases.
A team of scientists has made a groundbreaking discovery about the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery, revealing that it can multiply its effect on repressing gene expression. This process is essential for cell survival and regulation of genetic activity.
The Penn Center for Precision Medicine has awarded $565,000 in funding to eight research teams for their personalized medicine projects. The projects aim to improve treatment outcomes for various diseases, including idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease and hepatocellular carcinoma.
A new library of CRISPR targeting sequences enhances precision and efficacy, reducing off-target effects. The tool facilitates multiplexing and combinatorial targeting, improving gene editing outcomes.
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified the specific hormone receptors and brain regions responsible for masculinization in mice. The study found that estrogen receptor alpha is essential in inhibitory neurons for male sexual and aggressive behaviors to emerge, while deleting it had no impact on excitatory neurons.
By adding polydopamine, a material isolated from shellfish, scientists can increase the sensitivity of common bioassays by 100-1,000 times, enabling more accurate diagnoses and reducing uncertainty in laboratory research.
A new era in human genomic variation interpretation is underway, driven by the need for standardized and accurate clinical care. Data sharing has become increasingly important, with payers requiring labs that share data to be reimbursed.
Researchers generate high-energy shock waves in a laboratory setting, simulating the formation of supersonic shock waves that propel cosmic rays and particles. This breakthrough enables new studies on the acceleration of astrophysical particles and complements present remote sensing observations.
A new machine learning technique can help identify plasma behavior that precedes disruptions in tokamaks, allowing scientists to steer the plasma towards stability. By analyzing past experiments and predicting disruption precursors, researchers can implement a system to monitor the plasma for signs of instability.
A team led by Northwestern University's Erik Luijten and Steve Granick discovered a non-equilibrium system that quantitatively behaves like an equilibrium system. The finding could lead to a set of rules making it possible to predict the properties of non-equilibrium systems.
Salk scientists discovered that mathematical rules governing plant growth are similar to brain cell connections. The team used 3D laser scanning to analyze plant architecture and found a Gaussian branch density function, suggesting universal rules of logic governing branching growth across biological systems.
Scientists have successfully observed a spatial transition between two plasma states, where the magnetic field is stretched into space while maintaining thrust generation. This finding provides significant insights into overcoming the problem of detaching plasma from the MN in plasma thrusters.
Researchers at Linköping University have successfully applied a thin layer of a ferroelectric material to control electronic nonlinearity in ion-doped conducting polymers. This breakthrough enables precise switching of transistors and color changes in displays, opening up new possibilities for applications in printed electronics.
Research sheds light on how conserved mechanism regulates development and cancer; implications for new cancer therapies. TUTase enzymes interact with let-7, a small RNA molecule important in development and cancer.
A new study found that EPO blood doping has little effect on high-intensity laboratory cycling tests and endurance road-race performances. However, the drug was associated with increased risk of thrombosis due to elevated haemoglobin and adhesion molecule levels.
A streamlined method of tracking medical records reduced racial disparities in HIV care, with blacks and Latinos showing significant improvements in viral suppression rates. The study found that integrated medical records improved use of anti-retroviral therapy and reduced gaps between whites and minorities in HIV health outcomes.
A specific protein called prokineticin 2 plays a critical role in setting the correct balance between sleep and wakefulness in response to light and darkness. The study found that Prok2 suppresses the awakening effect of light and the sedating effect of darkness, suggesting a new mechanism for regulating sleep behavior.
A recent study found that pyrethroid pesticides can persist in homes for up to a year, with 70% of one common ingredient still present in dust after a year. This persistence increases the risk of exposure for young children and household pets who spend more time on surfaces where the pesticides are present.
The Pew Charitable Trusts has awarded funding to ten Latin American postdoctoral scientists conducting innovative research in the US. The program aims to foster global collaboration and address regional health challenges.
Researchers at MDI Biological Laboratory studied various parameters of health in C. elegans to develop an empirical definition of old age and predict healthy lifespan. They found movement speed as a key marker for assessing the effect of anti-aging interventions.
Researchers at UC Berkeley created a robot called DexNet 2.0 that can pick up and move unfamiliar objects with high accuracy, using deep learning to learn grasps for 6.7 million 3D shapes.
Researchers identify the developmental pathway of human vasculature and discover cell markers to distinguish between different types of vascular cells. This breakthrough provides a blueprint for engineering blood vessels in the lab for disease modeling, drug screening, and therapeutic purposes.
Researchers from MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory have developed a new system called Catena that uses Bitcoin's security machinery to defend against online identity theft and equivocation. The system requires the download of only about 40 megabytes of data, making it suitable for smartphones.
A team of MIT researchers created a system that allows directors to specify a shot's framing and generate control signals for a camera-equipped autonomous drone, preserving the framing as actors move. The system guarantees safe collision avoidance with obstacles.
Researchers successfully synthesized Zika virus from a viral sequence detected in infected tissue, allowing them to induce microcephaly in pregnant mice and study its transmission by mosquitoes. This breakthrough helps advance research into the mysterious emergence of Zika virus, which causes devastating foetal brain infections.
JAX researcher Catherine Kaczorowski will receive a $2.7M federal grant to investigate the complex processes involved in both healthy aging and Alzheimer's disease through genomic studies. The goal is to identify genetic factors, mechanisms underlying normal aging, and potential targets for intervention against Alzheimer's.
Wild mice have highly-activated immune systems due to exposure to infections, with more activated myeloid cells compared to laboratory mice. The study's findings emphasize the importance of considering natural variability when interpreting research results.
Dr. Xiao-Ming Yin's pioneering research has significantly impacted our understanding of cellular degradation pathways, leading to novel cancer treatment approaches and potential therapeutic strategies for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
A team of international researchers has found that a 80-year-old 'viable' anthrax strain was, in reality, a much younger standard laboratory strain due to contamination. Advanced genomic sequencing technology enabled precise tracking of bacterial strains used in biological warfare and terrorist attacks.
Researchers from MIT CSAIL create an app called WaitSuite that tests users on vocabulary words during wait times, such as WiFi connectivity and email updates. The system, called "wait-learning," helps users make the most of small moments, enabling them to focus on primary tasks and learn new words simultaneously.
Scientists from Linköping University successfully applied an ion pump device to a small flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, allowing them to control root growth and auxin response. This breakthrough enables localized application of hormones to study their impact on plant growth and development at tissue and cellular resolution.
Researchers grew stem cells from children with Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease to understand the genetic causes of common symptoms. The study identified defects in brain cell function linked to patient genetics, suggesting distinct subgroups requiring different clinical approaches.
Researchers from MIT's CSAIL develop a new system called Flowtune that allocates network bandwidth more fairly in data centers, reducing lag and improving page load speeds. In tests, Flowtune completed the slowest 1% of data requests nine to 11 times as rapidly as existing systems.
The ACMG Foundation/Shire Laboratory Geneticist Fellowship Awards and Clinical Genetics Residency Program supports the training of future medical geneticists. The program provides funding for three specialties: Clinical Genetics Residencies, Clinical Laboratory Fellowships, and Medical Biochemical Genetics Subspecialty Fellowships.
The Association for Molecular Pathology published consensus recommendations to validate next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based oncology panels. The guidelines address NGS test development, optimization and familiarization, and best practices for establishing test performance characteristics.
The Human Frontier Science Program has awarded $30 million in grants to the top 3% of research applications, supporting innovative and collaborative projects globally. The 2017 HFSP Research Grants will fund cutting-edge research in various fields, including engineering, biology, and medicine.