Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Vermont have discovered a key molecular mechanism that allows tiny flies and other "no-see-ums" to whirl their wings at a dizzying rate of up to 1,000 times per second. The findings are being reported in the Oct. 30-Nov. 3 online early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
A team of researchers has received a four-year, $1 million grant from the NSF to study improved methods for biological separations. Led by Ravi Kane, the Merck Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer, the group plans to develop nanoscale surfaces that actively reassemble in the presence of DNA, which could eventually lead to more efficient separation tools for genomics and proteomics.
As part of a newly formed alliance of international scientists, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be exploring advanced technologies for wireless sensor networks in urban environments. The consortium, which is funded through the United States Army Research Laboratory and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence, will receive up to $138 million over the next 10 years to rethink network computing and communications.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today announced an in-kind contribution commercially valued at $513,949,200 from the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE). PACE is a joint philanthropic initiative of General Motors, EDS, Sun Microsystems, and UGS Corp. to support key academic institutions worldwide with computer-based design tools to prepare students to compete in the future.
Using an off-the-shelf inkjet printer, a team of scientists has developed a simple technique for printing patterns of carbon nanotubes on paper and plastic surfaces. The method, which is described in the August 2006 issue of the journal Small, could lead to a new process for manufacturing a wide range of nanotube-based devices, from flexible electronics and conducting fabrics to sensors for detecting chemical agents.
In a new approach to treating anthrax exposure, a team of scientists has created an inhibitor designed to tackle the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant strains. Reporting in PNAS, researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Toronto describe the new anthrax toxin inhibitor, which performed successfully in both laboratory and animal tests.
A team of researchers from RPI has received $1.8 million in federal funding to improve the energy efficiency of green light-emitting diodes (LEDs). As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Solid-State Lighting Program, the team aims to close the "green gap" in LED technology by doubling or tripling the power output of green LEDs in three years.
Combining the sense of touch with 3-D computer models of organs, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute are developing a new approach to training surgeons, much as pilots learn to fly on flight simulators. The team is developing a virtual simulator that will allow surgeons to touch, feel, and manipulate computer-generated organs with actual tool handles used in minimally invasive surgery.
Researchers need a clear agenda to harness the rapidly evolving potential of the World Wide Web, according to an article in the Aug. 11 issue of the journal Science. Calling for the creation of an interdisciplinary "science of the Web," a group of computer scientists suggests the need for new approaches to tap the full richness of this powerful tool, while ensuring that it develops in a way that benefits society as a whole.
A self-balancing human transporter designed by undergraduate engineering students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will take center stage at an international conference attended by thousands of engineers. The students will demonstrate their device, which is modeled after the Segway Human Transporter, during an Aug. 9 keynote address at NIWeek.
The Department of Cognitive Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host the 2006 North American Computing and Philosophy (NA-CAP) conference Aug. 10 "“ 12, 2006. The three-day symposium will feature lectures and demonstrations from leading researchers in the fields of cognitive science, philosophy, artificial intelligence (AI), computer science, information technology, and engineering.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered a communication signal between cells that plays an important role in cell adhesion and detachment. The finding provides new information about how cells and tissues determine when to let go from surfaces during new growth, according to the researchers.
Researchers have created organic gel nanomaterials that could be used to encapsulate pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic products and to build 3-D biological scaffolds for tissue engineering. Using olive oil and six other liquid solvents, the scientists added a simple enzyme to chemically activate a sugar that changed the liquids to organic gels.
A researcher at Rensselaer has uncovered mathematics embedded in the designs of various aspects of native and contemporary culture, from traditional beadwork and basket weaving to modern hairstyles and music. Using the discovery, he's developed a series of interactive, Web-based teaching tools that are capturing the interest "“ and imagination "“ of students in math classes across the country.
As part of a major international project to design more earthquake-resistant woodframe buildings, an engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be testing a damping system designed to act as a seismic shock absorber. The dampers, which have never been tested before in wood construction, will be installed inside the walls of a full-scale, 1,800-square-foot townhouse "” the world's largest wooden structure to undergo seismic testing on a shake table.
Changing a surface from sticky to slippery could now be as easy as flipping a molecular light switch. Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created an "optically switchable" material that alters its surface characteristics when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) light. The new material could have a wide variety of applications, from a protein filter for biological mixtures to a tiny valve on a "lab-on-a-chip."
A new book written by Katherine Isbister, associate professor of language, literature, and communication at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, reveals that the key to good character design is leveraging player psychology. Better Game Characters By Design (Morgan Kauffman, June 2006) explains how concepts from psychology and social science can be applied to character design to create powerful social and emotional connections with players.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, and Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center have discovered the presence of the genetic material RNA in the centrosome, the organizing structure inside each cell that assures proper cell division.
Bombarding a carbon nanotube with electrons causes it to collapse with such incredible force that it can squeeze out even the hardest of materials, much like a tube of toothpaste, according to an international team of scientists. The researchers suggest that carbon nanotubes can act as minuscule metalworking tools, offering the ability to process materials as in a nanoscale jig or extruder.
In addition to taking on the task of a rigorous academic schedule, a select group of students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have also undertaken the rigorous preparation to serve their country. They are among the 36 Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) men and women who will receive their diplomas during Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's 200th Commencement on May 20, at 9:30 a.m. on the Harkness Field.
As the Institute prepares to celebrate its 200th Commencement on Saturday, May 20, the School of Architecture is marking its 75th anniversary.
Final of six brothers to graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute on May 20, 2006.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in collaboration with IBM and New York state, has announced a $100 million partnership to create the world's most powerful university-based supercomputing center, and a top 10 supercomputing center of any kind in the world.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute announced that General Wesley K. Clark will deliver the 2006 Commencement address, and will receive an honorary degree at the Institute's 200th Commencement, on Saturday, May 20, 2006 at 9:30 a.m., at the Harkness Field.
By stacking layers of ceramic cloth with interlocking nanotubes in between, a team of researchers has created new composites with significantly improved properties compared to traditional materials. The "nanotube sandwiches," which are described in the May 7 online edition of the journal Nature Materials, could find use in a wide array of structural applications.
Two driven Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute science students who will participate in the university's 200th Commencement on May 20 are speeding up their education. Part of a new accelerated Ph.D. science program at Rensselaer, Jordan Mader (chemistry and chemical biology) and Amanda Lund (biology) are on track to finish their bachelor and doctoral degrees in seven years, two ahead of average.
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have engineered nanoscale materials that are blood compatible using heparin, an anticoagulant. The heparin biomaterials have potential for use as medical devices and in medical treatments such as kidney dialysis.
As nuclear power returns to the energy agenda in the United States and continues to grow in popularity around the world, the need for engineers and scientists in all sectors of the field grows as well. Educating the next generation of nuclear engineers is a key step toward filling this gap, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is leading the way.
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., the nation's oldest technological university, are collaborating to further research at the intersection of medicine and engineering.
The School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will host the third annual Game Festival and Symposium "GameFest" on April 28 "“ 29, 2006. The two-day exposition will feature discussions with prominent members of the game industry and an exhibition of the latest work from Rensselaer's aspiring game developers.
Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Toronto have designed a nanoscale assembly of molecules that successfully counteracts and inhibits anthrax toxin in animal and laboratory experiments. The novel approach used to neutralize anthrax toxin could be applied in designing potent therapeutics for a variety of pathogens and toxins, according to the researchers.
This year's American Nuclear Society (ANS) national student conference, to be held March 30-April 1 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, will offer a glimpse at the future leaders in academia, government, and industry, while featuring presentations from experts working in these arenas.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Hurricane Katrina Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force (IPET) has released video footage of a small-scale centrifuge model of the 17th Street Canal.
Researchers have developed a new process to make flexible, conducting "nano skins" for a variety of applications, from electronic paper to sensors for detecting chemical and biological agents. The materials combine the strength and conductivity of carbon nanotubes with the flexibility of traditional polymers.
Engineers will be studying small-scale models of sections of the New Orleans flood-protection system. The researchers will replicate conditions during Hurricane Katrina, supplying important information to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers prepare the city for next hurricane season and beyond.
Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a tabletop accelerator that produces nuclear fusion at room temperature, providing confirmation of an earlier experiment, while offering substantial improvements over the original design.
A new study suggests that integrating nanotubes into traditional materials dramatically improves their ability to reduce vibration, especially at high temperatures. The findings could pave the way for a new class of materials with a multitude of applications.
Researchers at RPI and UNC have discovered an alternative way to produce heparin, a drug commonly used to stop or prevent blood from clotting. The findings could enable the current supply of the drug "“ now extracted from animal tissue "“ to be replaced or supplemented by the synthetic version.
Calling for a renewed national focus on science and technology, in an open letter to President George W. Bush, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson has urged the President to use the State of the Union to outline a national agenda to "spark a legacy of innovation."
A team of researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Purdue University, and the Russian Academy of Sciences has used sound waves to induce nuclear fusion without the need for an external neutron source, according to a paper.
A collaborative group of researchers says that identifying which drug candidates are toxic early in the discovery process can help prevent harmful pharmaceuticals from being placed on the market in the first place, and they have developed a tool to do it.
Rensselaer researcher awarded NSF grant to study solar-powered heating and cooling systems operating at the micrometer scale.
Sixteen Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute researchers will present results ranging from imaging earthquake activity at the San Andreas Fault to exploring life in extreme environments at the 2005 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting Dec. 5-9 in San Francisco.
Films of aligned carbon nanotubes can act like a layer of mattress springs, flexing and rebounding in response to a force. But unlike a mattress, which can sag and lose its springiness, these nanotube foams maintain their resilience even after thousands of compression cycles.
From tissue engineering to treating water with nanotubes, more than 30 scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will be presenting findings at the 2005 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting Nov. 28-Dec. 2 in Boston.
It is clear that there were multiple causes for the levee failures in New Orleans, but researchers need to gather more data to better understand what they were and how to rebuild properly after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, according to testimony today before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Researchers have started a new fundamental research project on the component that is often referred to as the heart of a fuel cell "“ the polymer membrane. Researchers are testing a new type of polymer membrane, created at Rensselaer, for potential use in proton exchange membrane fuel cell and hydrogen applications.
Echoes of a "hydrogen economy" are reverberating across the country, but a number of roadblocks stand in the way. One of the biggest is the high cost of manufacturing fuel cells. A new project aims to tackle the challenge of mass production by using robots to assemble fuel cell stacks.
A Rensselaer researcher has been awarded $845,000 in DARPA funding to create improved computer representations of terrain on the surface of the Earth and beyond. The research could have a variety of both military and civilian applications.
One of the first things we learn in chemistry class is that solids conduct heat better than liquids. But a new study suggests that in nanoscale materials, this is not necessarily the case.
RSS
Medicine keyboard_arrow_right
Sciencekeyboard_arrow_right
Life keyboard_arrow_right
Business keyboard_arrow_right
Journal News keyboard_arrow_right
By Location keyboard_arrow_right
Meetings, Grants, and Events keyboard_arrow_right