ScienceDaily: Matter & Energy News

Biologists partner bacterium with nitrogen gas to produce more, cleaner bioethanol Posted: 02 Feb 2015 06:21 PM PST Biologists believe they have found a faster, cheaper and cleaner way to increase bioethanol production by using nitrogen gas, the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere, in place of more costly industrial fertilizers. The discovery could save the industry millions of dollars and make cellulosic ethanol -- made from wood, grasses and inedible parts of plants -- more competitive with corn ethanol and gasoline.

Computer chips: Engineers use disorder to control light on the nanoscale Posted: 02 Feb 2015 01:07 PM PST A breakthrough could lead to the more precise transfer of information in computer chips, as well as new types of optical materials for light emission and lasers.

Winding borders may enhance graphene Posted: 02 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST Theoretical physicists show precise control of grain boundaries in graphene may give it predictable mechanical and semiconducting properties.

Toward the next biofuel: Secrets of Fistulifera solaris Posted: 02 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST Biofuels are an attractive alternative to fossil fuels, but a key challenge in efforts to develop carbon-neutral, large-scale methods to produce biofuels is finding the right organism for the job. One emerging candidate is the microalga Fistulifera solaris. An international collaboration of scientists has revealed the genome of F. solaris and provided exciting hints at the roots of its ability to grow and produce oil at the same time.

To save your energy while strolling, walk this sway Posted: 02 Feb 2015 11:10 AM PST The first people to walk across the original Millennium Bridge may have been unnerved when it began to sway, but the bridge was actually doing them a favor: the swaying enabled them to walk the distance with 5 percent less effort, a new study shows.

Wrinkle predictions: New mathematical theory may explain patterns in fingerprints, raisins, and microlenses Posted: 02 Feb 2015 10:26 AM PST As a grape slowly dries and shrivels, its surface creases, ultimately taking on the wrinkled form of a raisin. Similar patterns can be found on the surfaces of other dried materials, as well as in human fingerprints. While these patterns have long been observed in nature, and more recently in experiments, scientists have not been able to come up with a way to predict how such patterns arise in curved systems, such as microlenses.

Dance of the nanovortices captured and recorded with help of X-ray holography Posted: 02 Feb 2015 09:36 AM PST It is a familiar phenomenon: If a spinning top is set in rotation on an inclined surface, it scribes a series of small arches. Researchers have now succeeded in capturing this pattern of movement in a magnetic thin film system -- in the form of small magnetic nanovortices. The researchers made a new discovery: The nanovortices possess mass.

Graphene displays clear prospects for flexible electronics Posted: 02 Feb 2015 08:43 AM PST Semi-transparent, flexible electronics are no longer just science-fiction thanks to graphene's unique properties, researchers have found. Researchers now show that new 2D 'designer materials' can be produced to create flexible, see-through and more efficient electronic devices.

Microscopic monitoring may yield big advances in production of consumer products, pharmaceuticals Posted: 02 Feb 2015 08:42 AM PST A team of physicists has developed a method to monitor the properties of microscopic particles as they grow within a chemical reaction vessel, creating new opportunities to improve the quality and consistency of a wide range of industrial and consumer products.

New reset button discovered for circadian clock Posted: 02 Feb 2015 08:41 AM PST A team of biologists has found a way to use a laser and an optical fiber to reset an animal's master biological clock: A discovery that could in principle be used therapeutically to treat conditions like seasonal affect disorder, reduce the adverse health effects of night shift work and possibly even cure jet lag.

Cyanobacterium found in algae collection holds promise for biotech applications Posted: 02 Feb 2015 07:57 AM PST Cyanobacteria are attractive organisms for the bio-production of fuels, chemicals and drugs but have the drawback that most strains in common use grow slowly. Scientists now report that they have recovered a fast-growing strain of cyanobacteria from a stored culture of a cyanobacterium originally discovered in a creek on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin in 1955.

Laser treatment reverses effects of early age-related macular degeneration Posted: 02 Feb 2015 07:56 AM PST During early stages, it might be possible to reverse age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness that is currently irreversible, researchers report. The treatment involving a nanosecond laser may also have further implications for other eye diseases such as diabetic macular oedema, diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity.

Finding valuable materials in metallurgical dumps Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:07 AM PST Since metallic raw materials are scarce in Germany, it is reliant on imports. Yet some of these valuable materials are lying around unnoticed in dumps. Researchers are now compiling a Germany-wide registry of these resources, which reveals where these deposits are located and what metals they contain.

New technique captures real-time diagnostic 3-D images Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:07 AM PST A new technique uses Optical Projection Tomography, which is “similar to X-rays, but uses light,” explains a researcher.  With this technique, it is possible to use optical markers which are often used with transgenic animals.  One such marker is green fluorescent protein.  Thanks to this substance, one can observe the anatomy and functions of living organisms like flies or very small fish.

Scalable electric drive for buses, trucks and more Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:07 AM PST Although electric cars meet current trends, driving axles are still too heavy, too expensive and too large for them. To address this situation, researchers have designed an optimized axle module for commercial vehicles. It is powerful, lightweight, compact and cost-effective.

Safe production in Industry 4.0 Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:07 AM PST Production facilities and components of Industry 4.0 are linked to the Internet, networked with each other, and thus open to attack. Using an IT security laboratory, researchers offer a test environment in order to simulate attacks on this network and to detect any gaps.

Non-damaging, efficient sterilization: Plasma sterilizer for medical, aerospace applications Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:07 AM PST Traditional sterilization methods are no longer effective against all pathogens. By means of plasma, on the other hand, exceptionally stubborn bacteria stems can be killed off, researchers have demonstrated. A new sterilizer that is specifically suited for ridding medical instruments of germs efficiently, yet without damaging the material, has been developed and may also have applications for the aerospace industry.

Novel technology could combat flight pollution Posted: 02 Feb 2015 05:06 AM PST A breakthrough propulsion technology to provide greener air transport could be developed after the underlying engineering was declared a success.

Transforming biochar into activated carbon Posted: 30 Jan 2015 09:16 AM PST It's about transforming corn stover, dried distillers grain solids and even native grasses into a product more than 1,000 times more valuable--graphene. A team of researchers is converting biochar into graphene which they hope can one day be used in place of expensive, activated carbon to coat the electrodes of supercapacitors.

Minimally invasive treatment based on electrical muscle stimulation corrects spinal curvature in children Posted: 30 Jan 2015 05:15 AM PST Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) affects 2-3% of children aged between 10 and 16. It is more common in girls than in boys (with a ratio of 10-1). Besides the obvious physical signs derived from the visible spinal deformity, AIS can cause psychological and emotional problems (low self-esteem, poor self-image body, etc.) that significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Now researchers say that a treatment based on electrical muscle stimulation may correct the problem.