Category Archives: Research

Gene Linked to Fish and Human Pigmentation

Until now, the genetics underlying human skin pigmentation have remained a mystery. But while studying the zebrafish–a fish common to household aquariums and research laboratories–a team of interdisciplinary scientists found a gene that plays a major role in human coloration.

Besides unraveling some of the mysteries of human variation, the research, which is featured on the cover of the Dec. 16 issue of Science, has implications for understanding a host of human diseases including cancer, diabetes and rickets.

Superconductivity and Superfluidity

Ultracold test produces long-sought quantum mix – Unbalanced superfluid could be akin to exotic matter found in quark star, Rice University:

In the bizarre and rule-bound world of quantum physics, every tiny spec of matter has something called “spin” — an intrinsic trait like eye color — that cannot be changed and which dictates, very specifically, what other bits of matter the spec can share quantum space with. When fermions, the most antisocial type of quantum particle, do get together, they pair up in a wondrous dance that enables such things as superconductivity.
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In the Rice experiment, when temperatures drop to within a few billionths of a degree of absolute zero, fermions with equal but opposite spin become attracted to one another and behave, in some respects, like one particle. Like a couple on the dance floor, they don’t technically share space, but they move in unison. In superconductors, these dancing pairs allow electrical current to flow through the material without any resistance at all, a property that engineers have long dreamed of harnessing to eliminate “leakage” in power cables, something that costs billions of dollars per year in the U.S. alone.

Self Aware Robot

Robot Demonstrates Self Awareness by Tracy Staedter, Discovery News (they broke the the link so I removed it):

Some interesting news from Junichi Takeno and a team of researchers at Meiji University in Japan as the year nears completion:

A new robot can recognize the difference between a mirror image of itself and another robot that looks just like it.

This so-called mirror image cognition is based on artificial nerve cell groups built into the robot’s computer brain that give it the ability to recognize itself and acknowledge others.

Science Researchers: Need for Future Employees

Scientists and engineers: Crisis, what crisis? by Mario Cervantes. More data on the question of a shortage of skilled workers, this time, researchers from January 2004:

The number of researchers in OECD countries rose from 2.4 million in 1990 to 3.4 million in 2000, a 42% increase, and demand is still expanding – the EU estimates it will need 700,000 new researchers to meet its commitment to increase investment in R&D to 3% of GDP by 2010. The US National Science Foundation projects that some 2.2 million new jobs in science and engineering will be created over 2000-2010, especially in computer-related occupations. In Japan the University Council predicted in 1998 that demand for masters students would exceed supply by 2010.

In other words, while few scientists are out of work, a significant proportion of them are not finding jobs in occupations that are closely related to their studies. This would weaken the claim of a widespread shortage of science and engineering graduates, but may signal another problem: “mismatches” between what the market (industry or academia) needs and is willing to pay in terms of research, and the skill sets, interests and salary aspirations that graduates have.

Well, if they are employed then there is a match between workers and jobs. The whole idea of the market working to match up the workers to jobs is based on the idea that workers and employers will react to shortages and surpluses by paying more and offering inducements to change career paths (employers facing a shortage) and some workers will decide to take them up on these offers.

I don’t doubt the market has and will continue to be dynamic. Knowledge workers should expect continuing education and learning throughout their careers. And I think most do expect that.

The strong case that the system was failing to match workers to jobs would be high unemployment rates and open jobs that employers couldn’t fill because people did not have the right skills. Taking actions to align higher education with the needs of the economy for science and engineering knowledge is wise. However, I think there will always be slight adjustments needed once students graduate. The key is that they are prepared to quickly learn the specific needs of the current marketplace. That I think is achievable and should be one of the goals of institutions of higher education.

“Fluid” State of Matter

Physicists Describe a New “Fluid” State of Matter, photo – granular jets forming at atmospheric pressure (top) and in a vacuum (bottom), see larger photo.

Using nothing more than a container of loosely packed sand and a falling marble, a research team led by University of Chicago physicist Heinrich Jaeger has discovered a new state of fluid matter.
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Why doesn’t air pressure just blow the sand grains apart? “One of the biggest questions that we have still not solved is why this jet is so sharply delineated,” says Jaeger. “Why are there these beautiful boundaries?”

Physicists describe strange new fluid-like state of matter, University of Chicago news release.

See more science and engineering research related posts.

Nanotechnology Research

Nanotech’s super salesman by Darin Barney, Globe and Mail (Canada), review of
The Dance of Molecules: How Nanotechnology is Changing Our Lives by Ted Sargent.:

As one might expect, the biggest prizes are medical. Nanoscale “chips that merge computer technologies with cells and genes and proteins” will act as early warning beacons in the detection of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Spread of these diseases will be checked at the earliest stages by pharmacies on a chip, implanted in our bodies and programmed remotely by our physician’s cellphone to deliver “a veritable cocktail of drugs.” And if this doesn’t work (or even if we are just overcome by “our unquenchable thirst for self-improvement”), nanoscale tissue engineering will provide a ready supply of replacement parts.

Panel looks at ways to clean up nanotech’s act:

But nanotech may also introduce unwanted side effects that, if not managed effectively, might prompt bans on useful nanomaterials.

Nanotech pioneers can look at asbestos and DDT as examples of materials that solved critical long-standing problems, but caused health and environmental problems so severe as to nullify the materials’ benefits. Nanotechnology is setting out on the same road, promising effective medical treatments and “miracle” consumer products, but also posing threats that must be neutralized if the technology is to be accepted.

Nanotechnology provides great promise. The dangers cannot be ignored, however. Managing those dangers is not an easy task. Those promoting moving forward quickly often ignore potential problems. And given the way the scientific and engineering landscape is changing worldwide, if any country creates to many barriers to research that research will likely move elsewhere, along with many high paying jobs.

Google opens research office near CMU

Google to open new research facility in Pittsburgh:

Google Inc., the leading online search engine company, will open a new engineering and research office in Pittsburgh next year to be headed by a Carnegie Mellon University professor, the company announced Thursday.

The facility will be charged with creating software search tools for Google. It is expected to create as many as 100 new high-tech jobs in the Pittsburgh area over the next few years, said Craig Nevill-Manning, director of Google’s New York engineering office.

This is another specific example how higher education in engineering and science can create jobs. Obviously, there are many cheaper places for Google to start new offices.

Massive Project Will Reveal How Humans Continue to Evolve

Massive Project Will Reveal How Humans Continue to Evolve by Gregory Mone

By comparing differences among those groups’ DNA, HapMap gives scientists a better shot at distinguishing the genetic factors involved in disease from the environmental ones. Ultimately, it will help them explain why, for instance, some people have a higher or lower risk of certain illnesses. And once scientists understand how deleterious genes affect various populations, they’ll be better equipped to develop more-effective, targeted drugs to combat them.

2005 intercollegiate Genetically Engineered Machine competition

Davidson College: Kristen DeCelle 2006 and Andrew Drysdale 2007

2005 Intercollegiate Genetically Engineered Machine Competition. Thirteen schools participated in the 2005 Intercollegiate Genetically Engineered Machine competition (iGEM 2005): Berkeley, Caltech, Cambridge, Davidson, ETH Zurich, Harvard, MIT, Oklahoma, Penn State, Princeton, Toronto, UCSF, and UT Austin. Learn about and sign up for the 2006 competition.

Photo of Davidson College students: Kristen DeCelle ’06 and Andrew Drysdale ’07. Davidson Students “Ace” Presentation at MIT Synthetic Biology Competition.

The Davidson team-“The Synth-Aces,” a word play on enzymes called synthases-presented their design of a genetically-engineered, E. coli-based “digital decoder.” The device detects which combination of three common chemicals (with eight combinations possible) is present, and then displays a human-readable number that glows in the dark. The number is produced by genetically customized bacteria that grow in a familiar pattern of a digital numeric display. The resulting readouts of “0” through “7” correspond to the specific chemical combination detected in solution. One real world application of a decoder device might be to monitor water for contaminants or toxins.

Scientists crack 40-year-old DNA puzzle

Scientist at University of Bath: Stefan Bagby, Jean van den Elsen and Huan-Lin Wu

Scientists crack 40-year-old DNA puzzle and point to ‘hot soup’ at the origin of life:

A new theory that explains why the language of our genes is more complex than it needs to be also suggests that the primordial soup where life began on earth was hot and not cold, as many scientists believe.
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The University of Bath researchers suggest that the primordial ‘doublet’ code was read in threes – but with only either the first two ‘prefix’ or last two ‘suffix’ pairs of bases being actively read.

The University of Bath researchers suggest that the primordial ‘doublet’ code was read in threes – but with only either the first two ‘prefix’ or last two ‘suffix’ pairs of bases being actively read.

By combining arrangements of these doublet codes together, the scientists can replicate the table of amino acids – explaining why some amino acids can be translated from groups of 2, 4 or 6 codons. They can also show how the groups of water loving (hydrophilic) and water-hating (hydrophobic) amino acids emerge naturally in the table, evolving from overlapping ‘prefix’ and ‘suffix’ codons.
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The theory also explains how the structure of the genetic code maximises error tolerance. For instance, ‘slippage’ in the translation process tends to produce another amino acid with the same characteristics, and explains why the DNA code is so good at maintaining its integrity.

“This is important because these kinds of mistakes can be fatal for an organism,” said Dr van den Elsen. “None of the older theories can explain how this error tolerant structure might have arisen.”