Gizmorama

May 10, 2010
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Good Morning,

While studying simple bacteria found at the bottom of water
masses, scientists have determined that the natural structure
of said bacteria is optimal for harvesting solar energy.
Check out the first article for more details on this find
and how it could improve our understanding of solar energy.

Until Next Time,
Erin

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Bacteria may aid solar energy technology

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - U.S. scientists say they are studying
the light harvesting properties of purple bacteria in hopes
of adapting their natural designs in solar technologies.
University of Miami scientists said purple bacteria are
single-celled microscopic organisms that live in aquatic
environments, such as the bottom of lakes and in sea corals.
They said the bacteria's natural design seems the best struc-
tural solution for harvesting solar energy. Professor Neil
Johnson, a physicist who is leading the research, says the
bacteria's cellular arrangement could be adapted for use in
solar panels and other energy conversion devices to offer a
more efficient way to garner energy from the sun. "These
bacteria have been around for billions of years, you would
think they are really simple organisms and that everything
is understood about them," Johnson said. "However, purple
bacteria were recently found to adopt different cell designs
depending on light intensity. Our study develops a math-
ematical model to describe the designs it adopts and why,
which could help direct design of future photoelectric
devices." Johnson and his collaborators from the University
of the Andes in Colombia report their findings in the journal
Physical Review Letters.

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New clues found about Earth's formation

CALGARY, Alberta - University of Calgary scientists in
Canada say they have used measurements of distant earth-
quakes to learn more about the Earth's core and its form-
ation. Professor David Eaton and doctoral student Catrina
Alexandrakis said knowledge of the composition and the of
that core is key to unraveling the source of the Earth's
magnetic field and the formation of our planet. To determine
the materials that make up the Earth's core, which is 1,797
miles below the surface, Eaton and Alexandrakis said they
measured the seismic wave speed at the top of the core.
"Observation of distant earthquakes is one of the few tools
that scientists have to investigate deep parts of the Earth,"
Alexandrakis said. "This isn't the first time earthquake data
has been used, but our research method is the most definitive
to date." Using a digital processing approach, they said they
analyzed faint signals produced by 44 earthquakes and were
able to measure the sound speed at the top of Earth's core
with unprecedented accuracy. They said their results will
help to guide research efforts at laboratories where core
composition is studied by simulating extreme pressure and
temperature conditions that exist in the Earth's core. The
study appears in the journal Physics of the Earth and
Planetary Interiors.


NASA announces undersea mission

WASHINGTON - NASA says it will send two astronauts to the
Atlantic Ocean's floor off Florida's east coast to learn
more about such environments. Officials said the 14th
expedition of NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations
will begin May 10. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will
lead the NASA team on a 14-day undersea mission aboard the
Aquarius Underwater Laboratory near Key Largo, Fla. Aquarius
is owned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion and operated by the University of North Carolina-
Wilmington. Joining Hadfield will be NASA astronaut and
flight surgeon Thomas Marshburn, Lunar Electric Rover Deputy
Project Manager Andrew Abercromby and Steve Chappell, a
research scientist. Abercromby and Chappell work for Wyle
Integrated Science and Engineering of Houston. During
NEEMO 14, the ocean floor will simulate aspects of another
planet's surface and a low-gravity environment, the space
agency said. In October, a team of aquanauts set the stage
for NEEMO 14 by placing mockups near Aquarius of a lander,
rover and small crane that simulates a robotic arm. "The
NEEMO 14 crew will live aboard the underwater laboratory,
venture out on simulated spacewalks, operate the crane and
maneuver the vehicles much like explorers would in setting
up a habitat on another planet," NASA said in a statement.
"As the aquanauts interact with these developing technolo-
gies, they will provide information and feedback to NASA
engineers." More information is available at
http://www.nasa.gov/neemo.

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New battlefield wound treatment developed

BOSTON - A U.S.-funded research project is using light-activ-
ated technology to treat battlefield injuries in place of
conventional sutures, staples and glues. The Defense Depart-
ment-funded and U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research-
managed study involves a technology called Photochemical
Tissue Bonding, which can repair skin wounds and reconnect
severed peripheral nerves, blood vessels and tendons, as
well as incisions in the eye. Harvard Medical School Pro-
fessor Irene Kochevar and Associate Professor Robert Redmond
of the Massachusetts General Hospital Wellman Center are
leading the study. "We have demonstrated that this technology
is very helpful in medicine for the Air Force because it
produces better healing and functional outcomes than the
same wounds that were treated with conventional materials,"
Kochevar said. The scientists said the bonding or nanosuture
process is accomplished by applying a dye to a wound or
damaged tissue and then exposing it briefly to green light.
The dye absorbs the light and that helps it to molecularly
bond proteins on the tissue surface. "An immediate, water-
tight seal is formed between the tissue surfaces leading
to reduced inflammation in the near term and better scar
formation in the long term," Kochevar said. The researchers
say they are now seeking a shorter treatment time that
yields an even stronger bond.

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