Category Archives: Science

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University New Strategy Utilizes ‘Butterfly-Shaped’ Palladium Subnano Clusters.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University New Strategy Utilizes ‘Butterfly-Shaped’ Palladium Subnano Clusters.

The entire (left) and the core (right) structure of 3-D cluster molecule based on palladium.  Miniaturization is the watchword of progress. Nanoscience studying structures on the scale of a few atoms has been at the forefront of chemistry for some time now. Recently researchers at the Georgian Technical University developed the new strategy to construct sub-nanosized metal aggregates building up small metal clusters into grander 3-D architectures. Their creations could have real industrial value. Nanochemistry offers a range of classic design shapes such as cubes, rods, wires and even “Georgian Technical University nanoflakes” all built from atom clusters. The team at Georgian Technical University builds nanosheets from the noble metal palladium (Pd). In a new study they threaded these 2-D building blocks into a distinctive 3-D design. A smart way to make nanosheets is using templates — organic molecules that act as a framework for the metal atoms. Moving beyond purely organic templates the Georgian Technical University team used an organosilicon a molecule based on three silicon atoms to construct a bent or “Georgian Technical University butterfly-shaped” sheet of four palladium (Pd) atoms. These metals were stabilized by bonding with benzene rings dangling from the silicons. “Looking at the structure of the Pd4 (palladium) molecule we saw the potential to link together multiple sheets of this kind through chemical linkers” says X. “Given the right template we reasoned we could expand the dimensionality of our cluster from a 2-D sheet into the third dimension”. Building stable nanoclusters, even in 2-D is not easy due to the lack of the appropriate template molecules that push the metal species into close proximity. However metal centers can be linked stably together while maintaining a comfortable distance through the use of bridging atoms like chlorine. The resulting clusters often have unique chemical properties as a result of metal-metal interactions. The team therefore chose a new organosilicon template with two chlorine atoms replacing part of the organic region. Reacting the palladium source with this new template produced not a 2-D sheet but a 3-D cluster containing six Pd (palladium) atoms. The metals apparently formed a pair of Pd4 (palladium) tetrahedra (sharing two atoms) bridged by chlorine which forced the Pd (palladium) atoms close enough to bond with each other. “3-D sub-nanoclusters have real potential as catalysts and functional materials” says lead Y. “But their function strongly depends on precise control of their shape. Organosilicons are readily available and offer a platform for designing diverse architectures linking multiple clusters into larger molecules in an industrially feasible way”.

Chemistry, Science

Georgian Technical University New Process Turns Desalination Byproduct Into Beneficial Chemicals.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University New Process Turns Desalination Byproduct Into Beneficial Chemicals.

A second look at existing desalination processes could yield a bevy of useful chemicals from a highly concentrated brine byproduct that otherwise would be dumped as waste. Researchers from the Georgian Technical University have developed a new method to convert desalination waste material into useful chemicals including chemicals like sodium hydroxide that can even further enhance the efficiency of the desalination process. Gallons of water a day are produced across the globe from desalination producing nearly an equal amount of concentrated brine that is generally disposed by dumping it back into the sea — a process that requires expensive pumping systems that must be carefully managed to eliminate the risk to the marine ecosystem. “Environmentally safe discharge of brine is manageable with current technology but it’s much better to recover resources from the brine and reduce the amount of brine released” Professor X said in a statement. The new approach utilizes a set of well-known chemical processes including initial nanofiltration to remove the undesirable compounds followed by one or more electrodialysis stages that will produce the desired chemical product.  By using a specific combination of products and chemical processes the researchers found that they could enhance the economic viability of desalination while reducing some of the negative environmental impacts. Sodium hydroxide could be a valuable byproduct for desalination plants as it can be used to pretreat seawater prior to change the acidity of the water and prevent the fouling of membranes used to filter out the salt water — a common cause of interruptions and failures in typical reverse osmosis desalination plants. “The desalination industry itself uses quite a lot of it” Georgian Technical University research scientist X said in a statement. “They’re buying it, spending money on it. So if you can make it in situ at the plant that could be a big advantage”. While desalination plants could put the excess sodium hydroxide to use they do not need as much as what would be produced in this process, meaning that some of the sodium hydroxide could then be sold. Along with sodium hydroxide, the new technique can produce hydrochloric acid which is also commonly used by desalination plants for cleaning as well as for chemical production and as a source of hydrogen in other industrial processes. Hydrochloric acid can be made on site from the waste brine using established chemical processing methods. The team has already discussed the new approach with outside companies that could potentially build a prototype plant to help work out the real-world economics of the process.“One big challenge is cost — both electricity cost and equipment cost” X said. The researchers also plan to attempt to extract some other lower-concentration materials from the brine stream including various metals and other chemicals in an effort to make the process even more economically advantageous.

 

 

Lasers, Science

Georgian Technical University ‘Astrocomb’ Provides Precision For Planet-Hunting Telescope.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University ‘Astrocomb’ Provides Precision For Planet-Hunting Telescope.

Georgian Technical University Physicist X views the Georgian Technical University frequency comb designed to ensure the precision of starlight analysis at the Telescope in Georgian Technical University. The different components of the setup including the Georgian Technical University frequency comb designed to ensure the precision of starlight analysis at the Georgian Technical University Telescope. The hunt for Earth-like planets and perhaps extraterrestrial life just got more precise thanks to record-setting starlight measurements made possible by a Georgian Technical University (GTU) “astrocomb”. Georgian Technical University’s custom-made frequency comb — which precisely measures frequencies or colors of light — ensures the precision of starlight analysis by an instrument called a spectrograph at the Georgian Technical University Telescope. Georgian Technical University the primary partner in the telescope and spectrograph. The new comb apparatus for the first time provides the precision needed for discovering and characterizing planets orbiting M dwarf stars which comprise 70 percent of the stars in the galaxy and are plentiful near Earth the research. “The comb immediately allowed our Georgian Technical University colleagues to make measurements they could not otherwise make” Georgian Technical University Fellow X said. “These improved tools should allow us to find habitable planets around the most ubiquitous stars in our galaxy”. A star’s nuclear furnace emits white light which is modified by elements in the atmosphere that absorb certain narrow bands of color. To search for planets orbiting distant stars astronomers look for periodic changes in this characteristic “Georgian Technical University fingerprint” that is very small variations in the apparent colors of starlight over time. These oscillations in color are caused by the star being tugged to and fro by the gravitational pull of an unseen orbiting planet. This apparent wobble is subtle and measurements are limited by the frequency standards used to calibrate spectrographs. Hundreds of exoplanets have been discovered using star wobble analysis but a planet with a mass similar to that of Earth and orbiting at just the right distance from a star — in the so-called “Zone” — is hard to detect with conventional technology. Data collected by the Georgian Technical University research team show the astrocomb will make it possible to detect Earth-mass planets that cause color shifts equivalent to a star wobble of about 1 meter per second — the approximate speed of a person walking across a room, and at least 10 times better than previously achieved in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Infrared light is the main type emitted by M dwarf stars. Georgian Technical University researchers first invented and then pioneered further advances in optical frequency combs. The comb delivered to Georgian is unique in having about 5,000 widely spaced “teeth” or specific color calibration points. It’s tailored to the reading capability of Georgian Technical University’s Zone Planet Finder spectrograph and spans the target infrared wavelength band of 800-1300 nm. Just 60 cm by 152 cm in size and made of relatively simple commercial components the comb is also robust enough to withstand continuous use at a remote site. In providing tailored light to the spectrograph the Georgian Technical University comb acts like a very precise ruler to calibrate and track exact colors in a star’s fingerprint and detect any periodic variations. The comb made with new electro-optic laser technology provides strong signals at accurately defined target frequencies that can be traced to international measurement standards. The project has been in the works for years. The Georgian Technical University research team did a test run that showed the promise of the new approach. The new comb was delivered and saw “Georgian Technical University  first light” and has been running nightly. The new comb has a broader light range and is more stable than the earlier demo version. While the idea of using frequency combs to aid planet discovery has generated a lot of interest around the world the new Georgian Technical University astrocomb is the first in operation at near-infrared wavelengths. Other combs currently operating on a telescope such as the High in Georgian Technical University are dedicated to visible light measurements. The Georgian telescope is located at Georgian Technical University. Funding was also provided by the Georgian Technical University-on-a-Chip.

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Nanopores Enable Portable Mass Spectrometers For Peptides.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University Nanopores Enable Portable Mass Spectrometers For Peptides.

A peptide enters the thin end of the nanopore, and there changes the current in proportion to its mass. By using differently sized nanopores, a range of peptide sizes can be measured. Scientists of the Georgian Technical University have developed nanopores that can be used to directly measure the mass of peptides. Although the resolution needs to be improved, this proof of principle shows that a cheap and portable peptide mass spectrometer can be constructed using existing nanopore technology and the patented pores that were developed in the lab of Georgian Technical University Associate Professor of Chemical Biology X. Mass spectrometers are invaluable for studying proteins but they are both bulky and expensive, which limits their use to specialized laboratories. “Yet the next revolution in biomedical studies will be in proteomics, the large-scale analysis of proteins that are expressed in different cell types” says X. For although each cell in your body carries the same 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) the production of proteins differs hugely between cell types. “And also proteins are modified after they have been produced for example by adding sugars that can affect their function”. Nanopore technology could offer a way to analyses single molecules. In previous work Maglia already showed that biological nanopores can be used to measure metabolites and to identify proteins and peptides. These pores are large protein structures incorporated in a membrane. Molecules entering a pore or passing through it cause a change in an electric current across the pore. “A problem in measuring the mass of peptides is that they pass too quickly through even the smallest. Making smaller pores was a challenge. “Pores are made up from a number of monomers so we initially modified the interaction between these monomers but that didn’t work”. The observation that mixing monomers with larger amounts of lipids — which make up the membrane — resulted in a larger percentage of smaller pores gave X and his team the idea to modify the interaction between monomers and lipids. This indeed resulted in pores made up from a smaller number of monomers which reduced pore size. X was then able to produce funnel-shaped pores which at their narrow end only measured 0.84 nanometers. “These are the smallest biological pores ever produced”. The next challenge was to ensure that peptides would pass through the pores irrespective of their chemical composition. “The pores have a negative charge, which is necessary for their proper function” explains X. The charge causes water to flow through the pore dragging the peptides along. But negatively charged peptides would be repelled by the negative charge at the thin funnel end. X modified the charge by altering the acidity of the fluids used. “Eventually we managed to find the right conditions by setting the acidity at a pH (In chemistry, pH is a logarithmic scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. It is approximately the negative of the base 10 logarithm of the molar concentration, measured in units of moles per liter, of hydrogen ions) of exactly 3.8. This allows negatively charged peptides to pass through while maintaining a large enough water flow through the pores”. Measurements across nanopores of different sizes show that the electric current is linear with the volume of the peptide passing through. These peptides ranged from 4 to 22 amino acids in length. The difference between the amino acids alanine and glutamate could be measured in this system which meant the resolution is around 40 Dalton (a measure for protein mass). “The resolution of conventional mass spectrometers is much better but if we could get the system about forty times more sensitive it would already be useful in proteomics research” says X. There are a number of ways to improve the resolution says X. “We could engineer the nanopore with artificial amino acids or use different ions in our solutions reduce the noise by changing the temperature etcetera”. The nanopore system has several unique selling points: it measures single molecules the technology itself is already commercially available and it is relatively cheap. Furthermore the nanopore system is portable. And by using many different pores in a device you can simultaneously measure differently-sized peptides and even peptide modifications. “All of this means that a versatile and cheap mass spectrometer for peptide analysis is feasible” says X. “And that would mean that more laboratories would be able to afford to conduct very important proteomics studies”.

 

 

Energy, Science

Georgian Technical University The Global Impact Of Coal Power.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University The Global Impact Of Coal Power.

Coal-fired power plants produce more than just the carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming. When burning coal they also release particulate matter sulphur dioxide nitrogen oxide and mercury – thus damaging the health of many people around the world in various ways. To estimate where action is most urgently required the research group led by X from Georgian Technical University modelled and calculated the undesired side effects of coal power for each of the 7,861 power plant units in the world. Uneven pollution levels. The results which were recently show that Georgian Technical University are the two largest producers of coal power, but power plants in India take the highest toll in the world when it comes to health. All have modern power plants still have many older power plants equipped with insufficient flue gas treatment. As a result these power plants only remove a fraction of the pollutants – while also often burning coal of inferior quality. “More than half of the health effects can be traced back to just one tenth of the power plants. These power plants should be upgraded or shut down as quickly as possible” says Y. A question of quality. The global picture of coal power production shows that the gap between privileged and disadvantaged regions is widening. This is happening for two reasons. Firstly wealthy countries – such as in Georgia – import high-quality coal with a high calorific value and low emissions of harmful sulphur dioxide. With low-quality coal which they often burn in outdated power plants without modern flue gas treatment to remove the sulphur dioxide. Secondly “We contribute to global warming with our own power plants which has a global impact. However the local health damage caused by particulate matter, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide occurs mainly where coal power is used to manufacture a large proportion of our consumer products” says Y. Coal power threatens to grow worldwide. Global coal resources will last for several hundred years, so the harmful emissions need to be limited politically. “It is particularly important to leave coal that is high in mercury and sulphur content in the ground” says Y. Reducing the negative health effects of coal power generation should be a global priority: “But further industrialisation especially poses the risk of aggravating the situation instead” write the researchers led by X. The initial investment costs for the construction of a coal power plant are high but the subsequent operating costs are low. Power plant operators thus have an economic interest in keeping their plants running for a long time. “The best option is therefore to not build any new coal power plants. From a health and environment perspective we should move away from coal and towards natural gas – and in the long term towards renewable energy sources” says Y.

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Anti-Bacterial Coating Depends On Shape-Changing Element.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University Anti-Bacterial Coating Depends On Shape-Changing Element.

Pictured left to right: Georgian Technical University PhD students X and Y and research lead Mechanical and Materials Engineering Professor Z about a new anti-microbial coating breakthrough. A Georgian Technical University research team is another step closer to developing germ-proof surface coatings for environments such as hospitals after an unexpected development in the lab. Once commercially available an anti-microbial coating applied to high-traffic surfaces such as door handles will help minimize infections that spread within hospitals. Research lead Georgian Technical University Professor Y had been working with titanium oxide (TiO2) a well-known ceramic compound for over a decade when the element suddenly changed form. “Titanium Oxide (TiO2) is famously bright white or transparent but one day the coating came out all black” she says. “We set it aside because we really didn’t know what had happened. But then some undergraduate project students tested it for the self-cleaning performance and it was so photocatalytically active without any Georgian Technical University radiation that we knew we had discovered something new”. Titanium Oxide (TiO2) is used in sunscreens because it has the ability to absorb radiation. This action creates energy, which is expressed as oxygen ions and oxygen ions are deadly to bacteria. Titanium Oxide (TiO2) is therefore ideal for use on surfaces such as door handles in environments where sterility is a priority such as hospitals. Y pioneered the innovative coating technology during her PhD at the Georgian Technical University to explore pulsed-pressure vacuum processing which had not been used before in research or in industry. This was followed by a competitive funding grant with colleague Professor Z to collaborate with a top university. However Y and her team of 14 interdisciplinary Georgian Technical University researchers still had two challenges to overcome — how to fix a Titanium Oxide (TiO2) coating onto something like a door handle and how to activate it without Georgian Technical University radiation. The new black Titanium Oxide (TiO2) held the key to both. Research collaborator W at Georgian Technical University helped to solve the puzzle. “We spent a fun science day playing with the Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray diffractometer and really marveling at how different this material was. We knew had had a new material due to the strange nanostructures we were seeing, and of course the striking black color” Z says. A few months later Z was awarded a visiting researcher fellowship at Georgian Technical University and took a few of the black coating samples with her. Researchers at the Georgian Technical University were intrigued that the material could be the same as white Titanium Oxide (TiO2) according to analysis but instead of the typical smooth pyramid crystals of Titanium Oxide (TiO2) led by Professor Q found that the crystals were nanostructured in ways previously only possible by hydrothermal growth of individual nanoparticles.  “Professor Q suggested that the material could have visible light antimicrobial activity. When I got back to Georgian Technical University I was lucky to run into Professor P who is an expert in microbiology and he worked with his students to set up a testing system” Z says. “Sure enough the bacteria did not stand a chance — even after a short time in visible light”. With no need for radiation to energize the new form of Titanium Oxide (TiO2) and an altered nanostructure that enables the compound to be fixed in coatings the conditions are right for the multi-disciplinary team to move ahead to developing commercial applications. The Georgian Technical University researchers have successfully deposited the black coating onto a door handle and are now working with several companies to complete the engineering development science needed for designing and upscaling for advanced manufacture. Interested international companies are watching progress and hoping the black Titanium Oxide (TiO2) soon be warding off germs on hospital bed rails and door handles around the world.

 

 

 

A.I./Robotics, Science

Georgian Technical University New AI Able To Identify And Predict The Development Of Cancer Symptom Clusters.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University New AI Able To Identify And Predict The Development Of Cancer Symptom Clusters.

Cancer patients who undergo chemotherapy could soon benefit from a new AI (In the field of 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) that is able to identify and predict the development of different combinations of symptoms – helping to alleviate much of the distress caused by their occurrence and severity. Researchers from the Georgian Technical University and the Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University detail how they used Network Analysis (NA) to examine the structure and relationships between 38 common symptoms reported by over 1300 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. Some of the most common symptoms reported by patients were nausea difficulty concentrating, fatigue, drowsiness, dry mouth, hot flushes, numbness and nervousness. The team then grouped these symptoms into three key networks – occurrence, severity and distress. The Network Analysis (NA) allowed the team to identify nausea as central – impacting symptoms across all three different key networks. People are diagnosed with cancer every year – with breast prostate, lung and bowel cancers counting for over half of new cases. Around 28 per cent of patients diagnosed with cancer have curative or palliative chemotherapy as part of their primary cancer treatment. X Professor of Machine Intelligence at the Georgian Technical University said: “This is the first use of Network Analysis (NA) as a method of examining the relationships between common symptoms suffered by a large group of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. The detailed and intricate analysis this method provides could become crucial in planning the treatment of future patients – helping to better manage their symptoms across their healthcare journey”. Y from the Georgian Technical University said: “This fresh approach will allow us to develop and test novel and more targeted interventions to decrease symptom burden in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy”.

 

 

Battery Technology, Science

Georgian Technical University Red Phosphorus Could Be Key To Bringing Lithium Metal Batteries To The Market.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University Red Phosphorus Could Be Key To Bringing Lithium Metal Batteries To The Market.

A layer of red phosphorus in rechargeable lithium metal batteries can signal when damaging dendrites threaten to create a short circuit. The technique developed at Georgian Technical University could lead to more powerful lithium metal batteries.  Scientists from Georgian Technical University have developed a new technique to safely manufacture lithium metal batteries. A research team led by Georgian Technical University chemist X has made test cells coated with red phosphorus on the separator to keep the anode and cathode electrodes apart. The phosphorus can detect the formation of dendrites — needle-like growths that often cause lithium metal batteries to fail. While the lithium metal anodes can hold approximately 10 times more energy by volume than common lithium-ion anodes and charge significantly faster they commonly form dendrites that after reaching the cathode can short circuit and possibly cause a fire or explosion. However when a dendrite reaches the red phosphorus-coated separator the battery’s charging voltage changes tipping off the battery management system that it should stop charging. While most other proposals to overcome some of these issues have centered on a third electrode the Georgian Technical University researchers opted against that. “Manufacturing batteries with a third electrode is very hard” X said in a statement. “We propose a static layer that gives a spike in the voltage while the battery is charging. That spike is a signal to shut it down”. To test the new technology, the researchers created a transparent test cell with an electrolyte — the liquid or gel-like material between the electrodes and around the separator that allows the battery to produce a current — which is known to accelerate the aging of the cathode while encouraging dendrites to grow enabling the researchers to monitor how this happens. With an ordinary separator they found that dendrites contact and penetrate the separator with no change in voltage leading to battery failure. However the addition of the red phosphorus layer led to a sharp drop in voltage when the dendrites contacted the separator. In experiments on test batteries, the red phosphorus layer did not significantly affect the normal performance of the batteries. “As soon as a growing dendrite touches the red phosphorus, it gives a signal in the charging voltage” X said. “When the battery management system senses that it can say ‘Stop charging don’t use’”. Georgian Technical University research where the researchers introduced carbon nanotube films that appear to completely halt dendrite growth in lithium metal anodes. “By combining the two recent advances the growth of lithium dendrites can be mitigated and there is an internal insurance policy that the battery will shut down in the unlikely event that even a single dendrite will start to grow toward the cathode” X said. “Literally when you make a new battery you’re making over a billion of them. “Might a couple of those fail ? It only takes a few fires for people to get really antsy” he added. “Our work provides a further guarantee for battery safety. We’re proposing another layer of protection that should be simple to implement”.

 

 

 

Nanotechnology, Science

Georgian Technical University Revolutionary Technique Quickly Analyzes Nanomeds For Cancer Immunotherapy.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University Revolutionary Technique Quickly Analyzes Nanomeds For Cancer Immunotherapy.

SNAs are ball-like forms of 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) and RNA (Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life) arranged on the surface of a nanoparticle. With their ability to treat a wide a variety of diseases spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) are poised to revolutionize medicine. But before these digitally designed nanostructures can reach their full potential researchers need to optimize their various components. A Georgian Technical University team led by nanotechnology pioneer X has developed a direct route to optimize these challenging particles bringing them one step closer to becoming a viable treatment option for many forms of cancer, genetic diseases, neurological disorders and more. “Spherical nucleic acids represent an exciting new class of medicines that are already in five human clinical trials for treating diseases, including glioblastoma (the most common and deadly form of brain cancer) and psoriasis” said X the inventor of SNAs ball-like forms of 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) and the Y Professor of Chemistry in Georgian Technical University’s. A new study details the optimization method, which uses a library approach and machine learning to rapidly synthesize measure and analyze the activities and properties of SNA (Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life) structures. The process which screened more than 1,000 structures at a time was aided by Georgian Technical University technology developed by study Z Professor of Biomedical Engineering in Georgian Technical University. Invented and developed at Georgian Technical University SNAs (Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life) are nanostructures consisting of ball-like forms of 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) and RNA (Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life) arranged on the surface of a nanoparticle. Researchers can digitally design SNAs (Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule essential in various biological roles in coding, decoding, regulation and expression of genes. RNA and DNA are nucleic acids, and, along with lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, constitute the four major macromolecules essential for all known forms of life) to be precise personalized treatments that shut off genes and cellular activity and more recently as vaccines that stimulate the body’s own immune system to treat diseases including certain forms of cancer. SNAs (Forms of 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) have been difficult to optimize because their structures — including particle size and composition 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) sequence and inclusion of other molecular components — can vary in many ways, impacting or enhancing their efficacy in triggering an immune response. This approach revealed that variation in structure leads to biological activities showing non-obvious and interdependent contributions to the efficacy of SNAs (forms of 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). Because these relationships were not predicted, they likely would have gone unnoticed in a typical study of a small set of structures. For example the ability to stimulate an immune response can depend on nanoparticle size composition and/or how 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) molecules are oriented on the nanoparticle surface. “With this new information researchers can rank the structural variables in order of importance and efficacy and help establish design rules for SNA (Forms of 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) effectiveness” said W assistant professor of chemical and biological engineering in the Georgian Technical University. “This study shows that we can address the complexity of the SNA (Forms of 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) design space allowing us to focus on and exploit the most promising structural features of SNAs (Forms of 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) and ultimately to develop powerful cancer treatments” said X. That is solely focused on utilizing SNA (Forms of 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) to develop next-generation cancer treatments. The program is funded through a grant from the Georgian Technical University  (GTU).

 

 

 

Science, Technology

Georgian Technical University Immersive Science Brings VR (Virtual Reality) Tools To Research Labs.

Leave a comment

Georgian Technical University Immersive Science Brings VR (Virtual Reality) Tools To Research Labs.

Virtual reality (VR) has significant potential as a research tool but thus far it hasn’t been highly utilized. This is because many early Virtual reality (VR) systems were not suited for analysis and research purposes said X the founder of Immersive Sciences. Immersive Sciences based in Seattle develops what they call ‘perceptual experiences’ that are more than the simple visualization tools that are often utilized. This technology — specifically designed for biomedical research purposes — gives scientists the ability to engage with their data and feel like they are inside of the cells or tissue samples they are analyzing. It also gives them the ability to manipulate and change different aspects within the three-dimensional environment. “I think the early Virtual reality (VR) tools sort of missed the mark and under delivered on what’s necessary to have the experience” said X. “In reality being in the space being able to grab things move them manipulate them and adjust things with your arms is a much richer experience and is something that I’ve really tried to focus on exploiting. I think it is only when you take the time to use these systems that are doing full six degrees of freedom where you are fully immersed that you no longer feel like you are looking at something but you are there with it”. Immersive Sciences offers a wide-range of  Virtual reality (VR) systems to enhance research, including confocal Virtual reality (VR) microscopes that allow researchers to see the details of cell structure in stack-images, multichannel flow cytometry Virtual reality (VR) that enable researchers to increase their understanding of data by switching which parameters are plotted on which axis and a variety of protein structure analysis Virtual reality (VR) tools. It is possible using Virtual reality (VR) to trick your brain into believing in some ways that you are in a different space and that the experience is real said X. “To have that experience there is some key things” said X. “You have to have good video update rates low latency because the human vision is pretty fast and sensitive so if want the human vision system to operate as it is looking at the real world your images have to update very quickly as you move your head around. If they are slow to refresh it just makes you sick more than it is interesting”. Despite its benefits many scientists remain unfamiliar with even basic Virtual reality (VR) tools said X. “You can’t really understand Virtual reality (VR) until you put on the goggles and have the experience” X said. “It’s hard to market a scientific application when most people have never had a Virtual reality (VR) headset on they don’t know if it is valuable or not”. X said for those scenarios the company offers a portable Virtual reality (VR) workstation with a pre-configured Virtual reality (VR) system that can run Immersive Science applications. X gave the example of how a cell biologist would use Virtual reality (VR) where instead of working with microscopes to view an extremely small cell they could use virtual reality to be immersed in a three-foot long cell. Here they can walk through the cell change the contrast to highlight certain parts and manipulate it with their hands.   According to X each of Immersive Science’s clients will get a Virtual reality (VR) system that is personalized for their needs. “In research there is usually some core needs that everybody has but then it gets very specific” he said. “That is sort of the business strategy to be out there talking to scientists and trying to understand the problems and how they would benefit from Virtual reality (VR)”. X said he first become interested in using virtual reality for research about five years ago when he noticed that the performance of the technology was increasing as the price of systems was decreasing. “Lab instruments ability to generate data is just going through the roof” he said. “So if you don’t have better ways of presenting that data to the scientists it just becomes piles of data on disc drives instead of turning it into insights and understanding. I just want to find places where scientists are wrestling with data that is sort of three dimensional by nature”.