Uncovering hidden structures in massive data collections

Computer scientists at Princeton Univ. have developed a method that offers a solution to massive data overload. Using a mathematical method that calculates the likelihood of a pattern repeating throughout a subset of data, the researchers have been able to cut dramatically the time needed to find patterns in large collections of information such as social networks. R&D Daily 10/29/2013 I think someone at U. Waterloo is doing something like this too.

Promising Discovery for the Treatment and Prevention of Prion Diseases

Case Western Reserve Univ. researchers have published findings that point to a promising discovery for the treatment and prevention of prion diseases, rare neurodegenerative disorders that are always fatal. The researchers discovered that recombinant human prion protein stops the propagation of prions, the infectious pathogens that cause the diseases. R&D Daily Oct 10, 2013

Cellulosic Ethanol gets a boost.

Scientists report in Nature Communications that they have engineered yeast to consume acetic acid, a previously unwanted byproduct of the process of converting plant leaves, stems and other tissues into biofuels. The innovation increases ethanol yield from lignocellulosic sources by about 10%. R&D Daily summary 9 Oct 2013

Biomimetic Imaging at last!

For hundreds of years, optical devices like telescopes and microscopes have relied on solid lenses that slide up and down to magnify and to focus. To tune how much light is received, conventional devices use mechanical contraptions like the blades that form the adjustable aperture in cameras.  Engineers from the Univ. of Freiburg in Germany have built a novel type of imaging system inspired by the elegance and relative mechanical simplicity of the human eye. R&D daily highlights Oct2, 2013

Non Oxidative Gylcolysis. VERY efficient biofuel conversion

 

New metabolic pathway more efficiently converts sugars into biofuels

Univ. of California, Los Angeles chemical engineering researchers have created a new synthetic metabolic pathway for breaking down glucose that could lead to a 50% increase in the production of biofuels. The new pathway is intended to replace the natural metabolic pathway known as glycolysis, a series of chemical reactions that nearly all organisms use to convert sugars into the molecular precursors that cells need.

A stretchable, foldable transparent electronic display

Imagine an electronic display nearly as clear as a window, or a curtain that illuminates a room, or a smartphone screen that doubles in size, stretching like rubber. Now imagine all of these being made from the same material. Researchers from Univ. of California, Los Angeles have developed a transparent, elastic OLED that could one day make all these possible. R&D Highlights Sept 24, 2013

Environmentally friendly cement is stronger than ordinary cement

New research from the Niels Bohr Institute shows that cement made with waste ash from sugar production is stronger than ordinary cement. The study shows that the ash helps to bind water in the cement so that it is stronger, can withstand higher pressure and crumbles less. R&D Sept 16,2013