Monthly Archives: March 2019

A.I./Robotics, Science

Georgian Technical University How Intelligent Is Artificial Intelligence ?

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Georgian Technical University How Intelligent Is Artificial Intelligence ?

The heatmap shows quite clearly that the algorithm makes its ship/not ship decision on the basis of pixels representing water and not on the basis of pixels representing the ship. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms such as Deep Learning have become integral parts of our daily lives: they enable digital speech assistants or translation services improve medical diagnostics and are an indispensable part of future technologies such as autonomous driving. Based on an ever increasing amount of data and powerful novel computer architectures learning algorithms appear to reach human capabilities, sometimes even excelling beyond. The issue: so far it often remains unknown to users, how exactly AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems reach their conclusions. Therefore it may often remain unclear, whether the AI’s decision making behavior is truly ‘intelligent’ or whether the procedures are just averagely successful. Researchers from Georgian Technical University and Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University have tackled this question and have provided a glimpse into the diverse “intelligence” spectrum observed in current AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems specifically analyzing these AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems with a technology that allows automatized analysis and quantification. The most important prerequisite for this novel technology is a method developed earlier by Georgian Technical University algorithm that allows visualizing according to which input variables AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems make their decisions. Extending Georgian Technical University the Spectral relevance analysis (SpRAy) can identify and quantify a wide spectrum of learned decision making behavior. In this manner it has now become possible to detect undesirable decision making even in very large data sets. This so-called ‘explainable AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals)’ has been one of the most important steps towards a practical application of AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) according to Dr. X Professor for Machine Learning at Georgian Technical University. “Specifically in medical diagnosis or in safety-critical systems no AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems that employ flaky or even cheating problem solving strategies should be used”. By using their newly developed algorithms researchers are finally able to put any existing AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) system to a test and also derive quantitative information about them: a whole spectrum starting from naive problem solving behavior to cheating strategies up to highly elaborate “Georgian Technical University intelligent” strategic solutions is observed. Dr. Y group leader at Georgian Technical University said: “We were very surprised by the wide range of learned problem-solving strategies. Even modern AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems have not always found a solution that appears meaningful from a human perspective but sometimes used”. The team around X and Y strategies in various AI systems. For example an AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) system that won several international image classification competitions a few years ago pursued a strategy that can be considered naïve from a human’s point of view. It classified images mainly on the basis of context. Images were assigned to the category “Georgian Technical University ship” when there was a lot of water in the picture. Other images were classified as “Georgian Technical University train” if rails were present. Still other pictures were assigned the correct category by their copyright watermark. The real task namely to detect the concepts of ships or trains, was therefore not solved by this AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) system – even if it indeed classified the majority of images correctly. The researchers were also able to find these types of faulty problem-solving strategies in some of the state-of-the-art AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) algorithms the so-called deep neural networks – algorithms that were so far considered immune against such lapses. These networks based their classification decision in part on artifacts that were created during the preparation of the images and have nothing to do with the actual image content. “Such AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems are not useful in practice. Their use in medical diagnostics or in safety-critical areas would even entail enormous dangers” said X. “It is quite conceivable that about half of the AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems currently in use implicitly or explicitly rely on such strategies. It’s time to systematically check that so that secure AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems can be developed”. With their new technology, the researchers also identified AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems that have unexpectedly learned “Georgian Technical University smart” strategies. Examples include systems that have learned to play. “Here the AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) clearly understood the concept of the game and found an intelligent way to collect a lot of points in a targeted and low-risk manner. The system sometimes even intervenes in ways that a real player would not” said Y. “Beyond understanding AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) strategies our work establishes the usability of explainable AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) for iterative dataset design, namely for removing artefacts in a dataset which would cause an AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) to learn flawed strategies, as well as helping to decide which unlabeled examples need to be annotated and added so that failures of an AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) system can be reduced” said Georgian Technical University Assistant Professor Z. “Our automated technology is open source and available to all scientists. We see our work as an important first step in making AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals) systems more robust, explainable and secure in the future and more will have to follow. This is an essential prerequisite for general use of AI (In computer science, artificial intelligence, sometimes called machine intelligence, is intelligence demonstrated by machines, in contrast to the natural intelligence displayed by humans and other animals)” said X.

Lasers, Science

Georgian Technical University Light-Shaking Device Is A Breakthrough For Photonics.

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Georgian Technical University Light-Shaking Device Is A Breakthrough For Photonics.

The ability to control light with electronics is a critical part of advanced photonics a field with applications that include telecommunications and precision time-keeping. But the limits of available optical materials have stymied efforts to achieve greater efficiency. Researchers at Georgian Technical University though have developed a device that combines mechanical vibration and optical fields to better control light particles. The device has demonstrated an efficient on-chip shaping of photons enabled by nanomechanics driven at microwave frequencies. Currently the most common technique for manipulating photon frequency is with what’s known as nonlinear optical effects in which a strong laser essentially acts as a pump, controlling the color and pulse shape of a signal photon by providing extra photons to mix with the original one. The effect is weak though so the process requires a very strong laser, which creates “Georgian Technical University noise” — the loss of certain quantum properties. To break beyond these limits the Georgian Technical University researchers have created a device that consists of a series of waveguides — structures through which microwaves are directed. Light and microwave are sent through the device and the light wends its way through alternating suspended and clamped waveguides on a single chip. This creates a positive and negative effect corresponding to the microwave which always has a positive and a negative component. The light spirals in each of the waveguides to prolong the interaction and maximize efficiency. “The deeper the modulation the better” X said “and you can have better control of the photon”. Mechanical vibrations modulate the optical phase in each suspended waveguide spiral. The mechanical vibrations essentially ‘shake’ the photons dispersing them as if they were grains of sand. This accumulates to generate what’s known as deep phase modulation. Previously the X lab had created a single waveguide device. With this new device the alternating positive and negative waveguides dramatically boost efficiency.

 

 

Battery Technology, Science

Georgian Technical University Elucidation Of Structural Property In Li-Ion Batteries That Deliver Ultra-Fast Charging.

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Georgian Technical University Elucidation Of Structural Property In Li-Ion Batteries That Deliver Ultra-Fast Charging.

The BaTiO3 (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots concentrate electric current in a ring around them and create paths through which Li ions (A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging) can pass even at really high charge/discharge rates. Scientists at Georgian Technical University found a way of greatly improving the performance of LiCoO2 (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO ₂. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state, hence the IUPAC name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) cathodes in Li-ion batteries by decorating them with BaTiO3 (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots. Most importantly they elucidated the mechanism behind the measured results concluding that the BaTiO3 (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots create a special interface through which Li ions can circulate easily even at very high charge/discharge rates. It should be no surprise to anyone that batteries have enabled countless applications related to electric and electronic devices. Nowadays modern advances in electrical devices and cars have created the need for even better batteries in terms of stability, rechargeability, and charging speeds. While Li-ion batteries (LIBs) have proven to be very useful it is not possible to charge them quickly enough with high currents without running into problems such as sudden decreases in cyclability and output capacity owing to their intrinsic high resistance and unwanted side reactions. The negative effects of such unwanted reactions hinder Li-ion batteries (LIBs) using LiCoO2 (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO ₂. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state, hence the name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) (LCO) as a cathode material. One of them involves the dissolution of Co4+ ions (Carbon tetroxide is a highly unstable oxide of carbon with formula CO 4. It was proposed as an intermediate in the O-atom exchange between carbon dioxide and oxygen at high temperatures. The equivalent carbon tetrasulfide is also known from inert gas matrix. It has D2d symmetry with the same atomic arrangement) into the electrolyte solution of the battery during charge/discharge cycles. Another effect is the formation of a solid electrolyte interface between the active material and the electrode in these batteries, which hinders the movement of Li ions (A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging) and thus degrades performance. In a previous research scientists reported that using materials with a high dielectric constant such as BaTiO3 (BTO) (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) enhanced the high-rate performance of LCO cathodes (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO 2. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state hence the name lithium cobalt(III) oxide). However the mechanism behind the observed improvements was unclear. To shed light on this promising approach a team of scientists from Georgian Technical University led by Prof. X, Dr. Y and Mr. Z studied LCO (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO 2. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state, hence the IUPAC name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) cathodes with BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) applied in different ways to find out what happened at the BTO-LCO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties-Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO 2. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state, hence the IUPAC name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) interface in more detail. The team created three different LCO (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO 2. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state, hence the IUPAC name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) cathodes: a bare one, one coated with a layer of BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) and one covered with BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots (Figure 1). The team also modeled an LCO (Lithium cobalt oxide, sometimes called lithium cobaltate or lithium cobaltite, is a chemical compound with formula LiCoO 2. The cobalt atoms are formally in the +3 oxidation state hence the IUPAC name lithium cobalt(III) oxide) cathode with a single BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodot and predicted that, interestingly the current density close to the edge of the BTO nanodot was very high. This particular area is called the triple phase interface (BTO-LCO-electrolyte) and its existence greatly enhanced the electrical performance of the cathode covered with microscopic BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots. As expected after testing and comparing the three cathodes they prepared, the team found that the one with a layer of BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) dots exhibited a much better performance, both in terms of stability and discharge capacity. “Our results clearly demonstrate that decorating with BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots plays an important role in improving cyclability and reducing resistance” states X. Realizing that the BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) dots had a crucial effect on the motility of Li ions (A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging) in the cathode the team looked for an explanation. After examining their measurements results, the team concluded that BTO (Barium titanate is an inorganic compound with chemical formula BaTiO₃. Barium titanate appears white as a powder and is transparent when prepared as large crystals. It is a ferroelectric ceramic material that exhibits the photorefractive effect and piezoelectric properties) nanodots create paths through which Li ions (A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the negative electrode to the positive electrode during discharge and back when charging) can easily intercalate/de-intercalate even at very high charge/discharge rates (Figure 2). This is so because the electric field concentrates around materials with a high dielectric constant. Moreover the formation of a solid electrolyte interface is greatly suppressed near the triple phase interface which would otherwise result in poor cyclability. “The mechanism by which the formation of a solid electrolyte interface is inhibited near the triple phase interface is still unclear” remarks X. While still much research on this topic needs to be done, the results obtained by the team are promising and might hint at a new way of greatly improving LIBs (Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy is a type of atomic emission spectroscopy which uses a highly energetic laser pulse as the excitation source. The laser is focused to form a plasma, which atomizes and excites samples). This could be a significant step for meeting the demands of modern and future devices.

 

Imaging, Science

Georgian Technical University Cancer Imaging Technology Can Help Reveal Life-Threatening Pregnancy Disorder.

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Georgian Technical University Cancer Imaging Technology Can Help Reveal Life-Threatening Pregnancy Disorder.

An imaging technique used to detect some forms of cancer can also help detect preeclampsia in pregnancy before it becomes a life-threatening condition a new Georgian Technical University study says. Preelcampsia (Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a disorder of pregnancy characterized by the onset of high blood pressure and often a significant amount of protein in the urine) is a hypertensive disorder that accounts for 14 percent of global maternal deaths annually and affects 5 to 8 percent of all pregnancies. Symptoms may include high blood pressure and protein in the urine and typically occurs after the 20th week of pregnancy. The study was conducted on pregnant rats using spectral photoacoustic imaging, a noninvasive procedure that can detect placental ischemia – a sign of possible preeclampsia – prior to the onset of symptoms such as high blood pressure, severe headaches and dizziness. Photoacoustic images were acquired of the placenta of normal pregnant rats and rats with preeclampsia on various days of gestation. Two days after inducing preeclampsia the average placental oxygenation decreased 12 percent in comparison to normal pregnant rats. “Spectral photoacoustic imaging is a powerful preclinical tool that has many promising applications in the understanding and treatment of pregnancy-related diseases” X said. “It provides new imaging techniques to look at the progression of the disease through gestation which might be a better way to understand which patients need interventions to treat the preeclampsia”. Because it is a noninvasive procedure it poses little to no risk to the fetus compared to cordocentesis a fetal blood sampling that is much more dangerous. Photoacoustic imaging may be used to detect breast ovarian and other types of cancers.

Energy, Science

Georgian Technical University Movie Technology Inspires Wearable Liquid Unit That Aims To Harvest Energy.

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Georgian Technical University Movie Technology Inspires Wearable Liquid Unit That Aims To Harvest Energy.

A Georgian Technical University team created wearable technology to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.  A fascination with movie technology that showed robots perform self-repair through a liquid formula inspired a Georgian Technical University professor to make his own discoveries – which are now helping to lead the way for advancements in self-powering devices such as consumer electronics and defense innovations. The Georgian Technical University team led by X Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at Georgian Technical University has created wearable technology to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. “Our work presents an important step toward the practical realization of self-powered human-integrated technologies” X said. The Georgian Technical University team invented a liquid-metal-inclusion based triboelectric nanogenerator called GTUWearable. Triboelectric energy harvesting transducers – devices which help conserve mechanical energy and turn it into power. The GTUWearable can harvest and sense the biomechanical signals from the body and use those to help power and direct technological devices. The GTUWearable consists of a layer of liquid metal embedded functional silicone sandwiched between two layers. “We realized that liquid represents the ultimate form of anything that can be deformable and morphing into different shapes” X said. “Our technology will enable wearable electronics to take otherwise wasted energy and transform it into energy that can power and control electronic devices and tools used in military defense and consumer applications. Our technology allows the synergistic engineering of GTUWearable components at the material, structural and output levels”. X said the Georgian Technical University has applications for many self-powered innovations for emerging technologies such as wearable sensors, pervasive computing, advanced health care, human-machine interfaces, robotics, user interfaces, augmented reality, virtual reality, teleoperation and the Internet of Things.

 

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Nanochannels Function As Highways For Water Molecules.

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Georgian Technical University Nanochannels Function As Highways For Water Molecules.

Removing water vapor from air and other gas mixtures which is crucial for many industrial processes and air conditioning could become cheaper and more effective through polymer membrane technology now developed at Georgian Technical University. “We have made a polymer film with extremely high permeability for water vapor while presenting an effective barrier for other gases” explains X a Georgian Technical University Ph.D. student. The researchers found a way to create tiny nanochannels in the membrane structure that they describe as highways for water molecules. The channels attract water and divert it away for extraction leaving dry gases behind. “The water transport is extremely fast” X adds. The membranes are composed of a commercial polymer. This is a block copolymer that assembles when short blocks of one repeating molecular unit become sequentially linked with short blocks of another type of unit. The chemical structure of the blocks controls the interaction with water vapor and other gases. The key innovation however was the discovery that the fine structure of bumps and ridges in the membranes can be controlled by varying the conditions in which the polymer self-assembles. Changing the solvents used during the polymer formation generates membranes with a variety of ordered or disordered channels. “Getting the right polymer morphology was very challenging and interesting” says team leader Y. He explains that the polymer contains water-friendly and water-repellent sections. When prepared using appropriate solvents the water-friendly sections orient themselves like pearls on a string forming the highways for water transport. “It took us a long time to find the right conditions” X points out. To succeed theoretical understanding of the chemical interaction between the chosen solvents and the polymer was combined with a fair bit of trial and error. Through science and perseverance the researchers eventually identified a procedure to make ordered structures that yield a six-fold increase in water permeability compared to disordered membranes. Having demonstrated the basic potential of the membrane technology the team now plan to scale-up the manufacturing process and to test it in realistic industrial applications. The commercial opportunities are considerable. More effective dehumidification methods could drastically reduce the energy consumption of an energy-intensive procedure.

 

 

 

Battery Technology, Science

Georgian Technical University Technology Aims To Improve Lithium Metal Battery Life, Safety.

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Georgian Technical University Technology Aims To Improve Lithium Metal Battery Life, Safety.

A reactive polymer composite, picturing the electrochemical interface between lithium metal anode and electrolyte is stabilized by the use of a reactive polymer composite enabling high-performance rechargeable lithium metal batteries.  Rechargeable lithium metal batteries with increased energy density, performance and safety may be possible with a newly-developed solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) according to Georgian Technical University researchers. As the demand for higher-energy-density lithium metal batteries increases — for electric vehicles, smartphones, and drones — stability of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) has been a critical issue halting their advancement because a salt layer on the surface of the battery’s lithium electrode insulates it and conducts lithium ions. “This layer is very important and is naturally formed by the reaction between the lithium and the electrolyte in the battery” said X professor of mechanical and chemical engineering. “But it doesn’t behave very well which causes a lot of problems”. One of the least-understood components of lithium metal batteries, the degradation of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) contributes to the development of dendrites, which are needle-like formations that grow from the lithium electrode of the battery and negatively affect performance and safety. “This is why lithium metal batteries don’t last longer — the interphase grows and it’s not stable” X said. “W e used a polymer composite to create a much better solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI)”. Led by chemistry doctoral student Y the enhanced solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) is a reactive polymer composite consisting of polymeric lithium salt lithium fluoride nanoparticles, and graphene oxide sheets. The construction of this battery component has thin layers of these materials which is where Z Professor of Chemistry lent his expertise. “There is a lot of molecular-level control that is needed to achieve a stable lithium interface” Z said. “The polymer that X and Y designed reacts to make a claw-like bond to the lithium metal surface. It gives the lithium surface what it wants in a passive way so that it doesn’t react with the molecules in the electrolyte. The nanosheets in the composite act as a mechanical barrier to prevent dendrites from forming from the lithium metal”. Using both chemistry and engineering design the collaboration between fields enabled the technology to control the lithium surface at the atomic scale. “When we engineer batteries we don’t necessarily think like chemists all the way down to the molecular level but that’s what we needed to do here” said Z. The reactive polymer also decreases the weight and manufacturing cost further enhancing the future of lithium metal batteries. “With a more stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) it’s possible to double the energy density of current batteries while making them last longer and be safer” X said.

Science, Sensors

Georgian Technical University Space Radiation Detector Investigates Fake Masterpieces.

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Georgian Technical University Space Radiation Detector Investigates Fake Masterpieces.

The Georgian Technical University chip sensor was originally developed through Georgian Technical University collaboration and used in the Large Hadron Collider at the Georgian Technical University. Later it was incorporated into a satellite sensing instrument by the Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics of the Georgian Technical University. Technology originally developed for Georgian Technical University’s Large Hadron Collider and then flown in space by Georgian Technical University is now being used to analyze historic artworks helping to detect forgeries. “The art market is a jungle — some say that around 50 percent of art pieces and paintings are either fakes or are incorrectly attributed” explains X. “This has huge consequences for the value of such artworks”. The chip’s origin goes back to deep underneath the Georgian Technical University border: Georgian Technical University Nuclear Research needed a detector with sufficient sensitivity and dynamic range to gather snapshots of what would be coming from the Georgian Technical University Large Hadron Collider when it became operational. Subsequently a collaboration called GTU was established to transfer the technology beyond the high-energy physics field. Georgian Technical University uses a 256 x 256-pixel silicon sensor. The key to its effectiveness is that each pixel — each about 55 micrometers square around half the thickness of an average human hair —processes radiation and sends signals independently from all the other pixels capturing very high levels of detail. Georgian Technical University are using this inherent sensitivity to investigate artworks in a way that was previously only possible using huge synchrotron particle accelerators — which are both rare and hard to access. A standard X-ray of a painting can show underlying detail hidden by the top layer of paint. Georgian Technical University-based sensing device can “Georgian Technical University  expose” every individual pigment separately. Each pigment can be assigned a color to help with visual analysis and a filtering process can show only brush strokes made with a specific pigment such as lead paint. An art expert can then analyze the results to judge if the underlying images and materials are consistent with both the supposed artist’s style and the date ascribed to the painting. Georgian Technical University’s Large Hadron Collider and other particle accelerators Georgian Technical University sensors deliver 3D snapshots of charged particle tracks. In orbit they accomplish similar tasks. A Georgian Technical University chip has been flying aboard. Georgian Technical University has been invaluable in probing the high radiation region. A new generation of radiation detectors intended to fly on future telecommunications satellites. Meanwhile down on the ground Georgian Technical University devices are also finding wider uses including the non-destructive testing of high-performance structures such as aircraft wings as well as artworks. “In future we want to combine our X-ray imaging with virtual reality to make it easier and more natural to use when scanning objects” adds X. “Ultimate this could even be used for medical applications — it will take time but it holds so much potential”.

 

 

 

Chemistry, Science

Georgian Technical University Research Team Makes Strides Towards Synthetic Cells.

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Georgian Technical University Research Team Makes Strides Towards Synthetic Cells.

X (left) and Y (right). The ability to develop artificial membranes that mimic complex living cells can provide insight into the building blocks of life and pave the way for scientists to someday create a slew of artificial systems, including artificial blood, immune cells and organelles that could ultimately help treat diseases. A research team led by X PhD a professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the Georgian Technical University was the first to synthesize an artificial cell membrane that sustains continual growth just like a living cell. “We created an artificial membrane and we’ve been using that to study synthetic cells materials that mimic the function and form of cells” X said in an exclusive interview. “From a knowledge perspective we can get closer to answering one of the ultimate scientific questions: what is life ? A cell is extraordinarily complex it has so many different molecules and it is all coming together and working. It would be interesting to understand how that comes about and to try to build a synthetic cell from the bottom up. Doing so is going to greatly improve our understanding”. In the short-term X explained that the synthetic membranes could be used to develop drug-filled liposomes that serve as drug delivery systems. X said there are more ambitious long-term goals for his work with artificial membranes. “One of the long-term big ideas would be, can we actually create life in the lab and could we then start synthesizing cells that mimic the function and maybe go beyond the function of currently useful living cells like red blood cells and immune cells” he said. “I think to do so we will need to have a better understanding of the interface between living and non-living materials”. X explained how the innovation resulted from his interest in better understanding how non-living matter like organic molecules can assemble to form life. “I got really fascinated as a chemist by this question of what is the transition between non-living matter and living matter” he said. “To put it another way, when does chemistry become biology ? We thought it was important to start some experiments and at least try to get into this area. So I became interested in thinking about pursuing work chemically generating lipid membranes”. X’s group wanted to reveal some of the fundamental chemical principles that lead to the origin of life and use that understanding to study membrane’s localized structures and processes. He said initially they wanted to separate the two hydrocarbon chains of a phospholipid one of the main components of a membrane and then chemically couple them back together. “A very simple idea was to split the phospholipid into two single chains and use chemical reactions to join them back up together” he said. “We basically take single chains and couple them together and make your two-tailed two-chained phospholipid and that leads to membrane formation”. To develop the growing membrane made from lipids the researchers substituted a complex network of biochemical pathways used in nature with a single autocatalyst that simultaneously drives membrane growth. The researchers eventually created hybrid synthetic membranes composed of several biological components that can perform functions like gene expression. The membranes mimic several features of complex living organisms including the ability to adapt their composition in response to environmental cues. Impact of this research. Already this research has resulted in new knowledge about how lipids affect various diseases. “We’ve been learning a lot about how to manipulate lipids and how lipids react with one another” X said. “Stepping back a little bit we see that lipid dysregulation is very important in diseases like atherosclerosis and diabetes. So we have been using the understanding we developed from our artificial membrane project and applying that understanding to lipid dysregulation”. He also explained several questions the lab is working to answer in the near future. “We are starting to integrate more with proteins so the questions is can we start integrating with DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid is a molecule composed of two chains that coil around each other to form a double helix carrying the genetic instructions used in the growth, development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses) ?” X said. “Can we start mimicking higher order functions so we can get our vesicles to predictively and robustly divide ?”.