Microfluidic
Researchers at the University of Michigan have succeeded in developing a chip used to conduct experiments on fluids which is driven by sound rather than electromechanical valves. This approach to controlling "lab-on-a-chip" devices could be a big step forward in reducing costs and complexity in areas ranging from chemical analysis to environmental monitoring, potentially leading to innovations like handheld devices you could sneeze onto to find out if you have the flu. Read More
Solar power from photovoltaic cells are widely recognized as an integral part of a clean green future, and any development that can make these cells more efficient, no matter how small, assists in making this future a reality. A team of researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a surface treatment that boosts the light absorption of silicon photovoltaic cells by trapping light in three-dimensional structures and by making the surfaces self cleaning. Read More
April 12, 2007 VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tampere University of Technology and Nanofoot Finland Oy have developed a direct-write three-dimensional forming method of biomaterials. The methodology enables fabrication of nano and micrometer scale structures that can be used as parts of tissue engineering scaffolds. The project is funded by the BioneXt Tampere Research Programme. Read More
August 5, 2006 Scientists at UW-Madison have developed a “smart” miniature man-made lens that can alter its shape and focal length in much the same way as the eye of an insect. There are no mechanical or electrical components in the liquid microlenses which incorporate hydrogels that respond to physical, chemical or biological stimuli and actuate lens function akin to the way muscles control the eye. The lens is a breakthrough and could lead to low cost microsystems for many applications. Read More
Sunday July 27, 2003: In a significant breakthrough for what promises to be one of the key technologies in the 21st century, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have built the first nano-scale motor. Measuring 500 nanometers across, the electric motor has a diameter 300 times smaller than a human hair... Read More
