Montana Technological University

Today on Earth Day, scientists have announced a collaboration to develop an affordable photovoltaic system capable of concentrating solar radiation 2,000 times and converting 80 percent of the incoming radiation into useful energy. The system can also provide desalinated water and cool air in sunny, remote locations where they are often in short supply. A

DIYbio, short for do-it-yourself biology   Cathal Garvey’s home laboratory in Cork, Ireland, is filled with makeshift equipment. His incubator for bacteria is an old Styrofoam shipping box with a heating mat and thermometer that he has modified into a thermostat. He uses a pressure cooker to sterilize instead of an autoclave. Some instruments are

The breakthrough marks the first time human stem cells have been produced via nuclear transfer and follows several unsuccessful attempts by research groups worldwide Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University and the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) have successfully reprogrammed human skin cells to become embryonic stem cells capable of transforming into any other cell

Unhappy with the life of your smartphone battery? Thought so. Help could be on the way from one of the most common, yet poorly understood, forms of power generation: static electricity. “Nearly everyone has zapped their finger on a doorknob or seen child’s hair stick to a balloon. To incorporate this energy into our electronics,

Necessary Evil?   Random House, the world’s largest publisher of the kinds of books you and I read, has made some adjustments to the way it sells e-books to libraries. Notably, they have tripled the price of many titles. Librarians across the country are expressing their discontent. The changes were telegraphed by an announcement a

“If there is a chemical you want to break down, there is probably a microbe that can do it.  If there is a compound you wish to synthesize, a microbe can probably help” Microbes can be highly efficient, versatile and sophisticated manufacturing tools, and have the potential to form the basis of a vibrant economic

In Europe, transport is responsible for nearly 30% of the total CO2 emissions, of which 72% comes from road transportation*. While the use of electric vehicles for personal transportation could help lower that number, reducing emissions from commercial transport – such as trucks or buses – is a much greater challenge. Researchers at EPFL Valais

UNIGE researchers have developed an approach that combines genomics and machine learning tools to explore the microbial biodiversity of ecosystems. Microorganisms perform key functions in ecosystems and their diversity reflects the health of their environment. However, they are still largely under-exploited in current biomonitoring programs because they are difficult to identify. Researchers from the University

  Each built a working gun that included a part made in plastic with a 3-D printer A man in Wisconsin viewed it as a technical challenge. Another, in New Hampshire, was looking to save some money. And in Texas, a third wanted to make a political point. The three may have had different motivations

Authors recommend dedicated attention to and investment in “potentially transformative” technologies to complement traditional approaches to prevention, preparedness, and response Strategic investment in 15 promising technologies could help make the world better prepared and equipped to prevent future infectious disease outbreaks from becoming catastrophic events. This subset of emerging technologies and their potential application are