Living, breathing human lung-on-a-chip. Photo courtesy of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering/Harvard University The lung on a chip, shown here, was crafted by combining microfabrication techniques from the computer industry with modern tissue engineering techniques, human cells and a plain old vacuum pump. Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have created a device that mimics a living, breathing human lung on a microchip. The device, about the size of a rubber eraser, acts much like a lung in a human body and is made using human lung and blood vessel cells.
Because the lung device is translucent, it provides a window into the inner-workings of the human lung without having to invade a living body. Click here to watch an interview with Donald Ingber. The work is being published in tomorrow’s edition of Science. Room to breathe The team followed this experiment with a “real-world application of the device,” says Huh. Organs-on-chips. Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology. Tips and downloads for getting things done. Whether you're building or buying, the perfect computer isn't necessarily the product of the most expensive parts. Your perfect spec list makes up the machine that works best for you and your budget. Here's how to put it together.
Buying or building a computer used to be a little simpler, since the goal was to get a machine with as much power as you could afford. Nowadays most CPUs are exceptionally fast, and even a low-end processor will still net you a pretty fast machine. Instead, the more important choices you need to make have more to do with every other component. We're going to go over every major component, as it applies to desktops and laptops that you buy or build, to help you figure out your best options for your computing needs. The Components Case/Enclosure The case/enclosure you choose for your computer can mean a number of things, but the important consideration here is size. Motherboard / Ports and Expandability LOW END You only need a few USB ports and not much else.
Amazing Electron Microscope Shots... - melodymaker's posterous. Nanotube Power Technology Breakthrough at MIT. May 12, 2010 12:00 PM Engineers at MIT have devised what they call a new way of producing electricity. By coating a microscopic carbon nanotube with a layer of fuel and igniting one end with a spark or laser, they're able to send a wave of heat shooting through the nanotube's interior. This thermal wave pushes electrons in its path, generating a significant electric current. Prototypes already have energy density 100 times greater than lithium-ion batteries, and they can be stored indefinitely without leaking charge.
The researchers are now investigating optimal fuels and, to make the system reusable, will have to invent a way to automatically apply a fresh layer of fuel after the first burns away. How It Works: 1. 2. 3. Possible Uses For Nanotube Power: Environmental Sensors Nanotubes could power environmental sensors that, scattered like dust in the air, closely monitor wide areas.