Research news from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. http://www.rpi.edu/news/research/index.html en-us Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2009 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 2009 November 12, 2009: Novel nanomaterials developed at Rensselaer are scheduled to blast off into orbit aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2658 12 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST November 6, 2009: Through incentives for nighttime deliveries, real-time traffic reporting, and improved safety, professors William Wallace and José Holguín-Veras are seeking to address the critical human elements of where, when, and how we drive.   http://green.rpi.edu/archives/green_transportation/index.html 6 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST October 22, 2009: With $16.75 million in funding from ARL, Rensselaer will launch a center devoted to the study of social and cognitive networks.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2647 22 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST October 22, 2009: Miriam Katz has spent the past two decades studying ancient, deep-sea fossils to reconstruct the climates of Earth up to 250 million years ago.  http://green.rpi.edu/archives/fossils/index.html 22 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST October 21, 2009: The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the IEEE Computer Society (IEEE-CS) will jointly present the inaugural Ken Kennedy Award to Francine Berman, vice president for research at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Berman is being recognized for her efforts to build a national cyberinfrastructure.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2645 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST October 15, 2009: A new study under a grant from the Department of Defense and led by Suvranu De could lead to more effective performance of electronic shielding materials in satellites.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2643 15 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST October 1, 2009: Funded by a $1.1 million from ARRA, Web scientists at Rensselaer will use the World Wide Web to compile and share scientific data on an unprecedented scale.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2637 01 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST September 16, 2009: With a $4.6 million grant, Rensselaer researchers will make final steps toward the development of a synthetic alternative to current heparin.  http://news.rpi.edu/update.do?artcenterkey=2631 16 Sept 2009 09:00:00 EST September 15, 2009: The Lally School announces the Lally Innovation Competition, designed to attract top entrepreneurial candidates to its MBA Program.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2629 15 Sept 2009 09:00:00 EST September 16, 2009: A group of ambitious Rensselaer students will soon sail up the Hudson River, propelled by pollution-free hydrogen fuel cells.  http://green.rpi.edu/archives/ncp/index.html 16 Sept 2009 09:00:00 EST September 8, 2009: Rensselaer Receives More Than $4.8 Million in Recovery Act Funding  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2620 08 Sept 2009 09:00:00 EST September 1, 2009: Just a few years ago, most conversations Christian Wetzel had about his research began with a quick explanation of LEDs. More recently he’s noticed that the mention of LEDs — light-emitting diodes — no longer prompts puzzled looks.  http://green.rpi.edu/archives/greenleds/ 01 Sept 2009 09:00:00 EST August 27, 2009: Satish Nambisan sees issues such as healthcare, energy, and education as an opportunity to foster collaboration and innovation  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2619 27 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST August 24, 2009: An experimental heat transfer system designed by researchers at Rensselaer is scheduled to depart Earth on Aug. 25 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2618 24 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST July 9, 2009: Rensselaer Professor Michael Symans is among the team ofresearchers who will converge in the Japanese city of Miki toperform the largest earthquake simulation ever attempted on a wooden structure.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2604 9 July 2009 09:00:00 EST June 16, 2009: Mark Changizi has spent the past several years researching, writing, and challenging some of the most basic scientific assumptions about human vision.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2599 16 June 2009 09:00:00 EST June 9, 2009: A Rensselaer researcher reveals the molecular-level changes that occur within sperm after it enters the female reproductive tract.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2597 9 June 2009 09:00:00 EST June 8, 2009: Researchers have developed a new method using computer graphics to simulate and render an accurate visualization of a lunar eclipse.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2596 8 June 2009 09:00:00 EST June 2, 2009: Scientists at Rensselaer’s LRC have tested a goggle-like device designed to deliver blue light directly to the eyes to improve sleep quality in older adults.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2593 2 June 2009 09:00:00 EST May 26, 2009: Robert J. Linhardt, the Ann and John H. Broadbent Jr. ’59 Senior Constellation Professor of Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering at Rensselaer, has been named one of the Scientific American 10. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2591 26 May 2009 09:00:00 EST May 19, 2009: Research by a team led by Robert Linhardt, the Ann and John H. Broadbent Jr. ’59 Senior Constellation Professor of Biocatalysis and Metabolic Engineering, could provide an entirely new tool to combat the flu.  http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2587 19 May 2009 09:00:00 EST May 8, 2009: An opioid drug that Mark Wentland and his group discovered holds unusual promise for treating nervous system disorders and addiction. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2572 8 May 2009 09:00:00 EST April 10, 2009: A “smart” power strip that boosts energy efficiency, a simple water treatment and sanitation solution for people in developing countries, and a solar-powered brick maker are among the winning ideas in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s spring 2009 Change the World Challenge contest. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2559 10 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST April 6, 2009: Francine Berman, High Performance Computing Endowed Chair at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, will join Rensselaer as the vice president for research. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2555 6 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST March 26, 2009: A new research discovery at Rensselaer could lead to tougher, more durable composite frames for aircraft, watercraft, and automobiles. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2549 26 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 24, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have won a $1.6 million federal grant to develop new methods for manufacturing a key fuel cell component. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2548 24 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 23, 2009: Two groups of Rensselaer researchers each have received a $1.08 million grant from New York through the state’s stem cell research initiative. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2547 23 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 20, 2009: A team of Rensselaer students is among several collegiate teams from around the country that will showcase their innovative technologies during the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA) annual March Madness for the Mind exhibition. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2546 20 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 19, 2009: A new study answers a key question at the very heart of nanotechnology: Why are nanorods so small? Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered the origins of nanorod diameter. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2545 19 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 17, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a new technique for growing slimmer copper nanorods, a key step for advancing integrated 3-D chip technology. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2542 17 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 6, 2009: Ideas for a patent-pending detection system and a light therapy technology have both received funding by the Rensselaer Class of ’51 Student Entrepreneurship Award, established to help transform student ideas into successful ventures. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2540 6 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST March 4, 2009: Yuehua “Tony” Yu, a doctoral student in Rensselaer’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has developed a new method for harnessing the enormous potential of nanoparticles, which could lead to a new generation of medical devices, drug delivery technologies, and other applications. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2538 4 Mar 2009 15:00:00 EST February 23, 2009: In new research published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Rensselaer Senior Constellation Professor George Makhatadze and colleagues detail a targeted strategy to substantially increase the thermodynamic stability of nearly any protein. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2536 23 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST February 19, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have shown that creating drugs that inactivate a part of the matrix metalloproteinases enzyme could have the capacity to target the tumor without the damaging side effects. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2534 19 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST February 3, 2009: When even the new president can’t be separated from his wireless device, two undergraduates from Rensselaer have developed an open source solution that combines smart personal financial management with your smartphone. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2531 3 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST January 23, 2009: More than 12,000 high school students have filed applications to attend Rensselaer. Applications are still being counted, but the current record total represents a growth of more than 117 percent since 2005, when the Institute received just over 5,500 applications. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2529 23 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST Jan. 20, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have discovered a new method for controlling the nature of graphene, bringing academia and industry closer to realizing the mass production of graphene-based nanoelectronics. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2528 20 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST Jan. 12, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed and demonstrated a new type of light emitting diode (LED) with significantly improved lighting performance and energy efficiency. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2526 12 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST Jan. 6, 2009: A study being led by researchers at Rensselaer is looking at what occurs in the development of children who have had a seizure that would lead to some eventually being diagnosed with epilepsy and others never having another seizure. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2525 6 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST Dec. 18, 2008: A "revolution" in the way we illuminate our world is imminent, according to a paper published this week by two professors at Rensselaer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2524 18 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST Dec. 9, 2008: New research, led by cognitive scientist Mark Changizi of Rensselaer, shows why direct exposure to repeated ads initially increases a consumer’s preference for promoted product. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2521 9 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST Dec. 8, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed and demonstrated a new method for detecting the magnetic behaviors of nanomaterials. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2520 24 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST Nov. 24, 2008: With a $7.5 million grant from NASA, Rensselaer extends the search for life in the universe with the opening of the New York Center for Astrobiology, which will be part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2517 24 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST Nov. 24, 2008: After almost 75 years, researchers at Rensselaer have the technology to solve the apparent contradiction that Sir James Gray observed — the muscles of dolphins could not support the speed at which they traveled. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2518 24 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST Nov. 14, 2008: On Friday, November 14, Rensselaer and the renowned architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill officially launched the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE). http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2512 14 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST Nov. 4, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a measurement technique that will help scientists and companies map nanomaterials as they grow. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2509 4 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST Nov. 3, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2507 3 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST October 31, 2008: Trustee Thomas R. Baruch has given a gift that will help to establish a new center devoted to bio-energy research. The Baruch '60 Center for Biochemical Solar Energy Research will conduct unprecedented research on biochemical solar technology. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2508 31 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST October 6, 2008: A new research center at Rensselaer, funded by a five-year, $18.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, aims to supplant the common light bulb with next-generation lighting devices that are smarter, greener, and ripe for innovation. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2503 3 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST September 24, 2008: Arturo Estrella, professor of economics and new head of the economics department at Rensselaer, says that a model he developed forecasted the current economic slowdown at least one year before it became apparent to most observers. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2496 23 Sept 2008 15:00:00 EST September 22, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have designed and tested an adaptive liquid lens that captures 250 pictures per second and requires considerably less energy to operate than competing technologies. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2494 22 Sept 2008 15:00:00 EST September 11, 2008: The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer has earned the notable distinction of receiving one of only 13 first-ever research grants awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2491 11 Sept 2008 15:00:00 EST September 9, 2008: Scientists in the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer have developed the first ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2489 9 Sept 2008 15:00:00 EST September 3, 2008: A new six-year, $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow researchers at Rensselaer to investigate how different civil infrastructures within a city or county interact with each other after a disaster. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2488 3 Sept 2008 15:00:00 EST August 29, 2008: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission awarded two grants totaling $850,000 to boost nuclear engineering education, research, and workforce development at Rensselaer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2487 29 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST August 28, 2008: A new study from a scientist at Rensselaer has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to using two eyes to see the world around us: our ability to see through things. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2486 28 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST August 18, 2008: Ravi S. Kane, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer, has won the 2008 Young Investigator Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers' Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2481 18 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST August 17, 2008: At the national conference of the American Chemical Society on August 17, 2008, Robert Linhardt announced that his research team is building the largest dose of the first fully synthetic heparin ever created in the lab. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2480 17 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST August 7, 2008: A fluids mechanics professor at Rensselaer is using experimental flow measurement techniques to help American swimmers sharpen their strokes, shave seconds from their lap times, and race toward a gold medal in Beijing this summer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2477 08 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST August 7, 2008: An international team of researchers has identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of the most diverse and complex historic origins on Earth. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2479 07 Aug 2008 15:00:00 EST July 23, 2008: A Rensselaer researcher has begun to develop a technique to turn our eyes and visual system into a programmable computer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2472 23Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST July 17, 2008: A new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2471 17 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST July 16, 2008: A study by researchers in Rensselaer's Lighting Research Center (LRC) provides a new framework for studying the effects of circadian disruption on breast cancer, obesity, sleep disorders, and other health problems. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2470 16 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST July 2, 2008: The normal nematodes in Fern Finger's lab move in beautiful S-shaped curves across their Petri dish. But the dish also contains worms with a very specific genetic defect, which are identified as the clumsiest dancers on the dance floor. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2466 01 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EST June 26, 2008: A new study from researchers at Rensselaer shows that by adding an invisible layer of the nanomaterials to the bottom of a metal vessel, an order of magnitude less energy is required to bring water to boil. This increase in efficiency could have a big impact on cooling computer chips, improving heat transfer systems, and reducing costs for industrial boiling applications. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2464 26 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST June 23, 2008: Researchers at the Darrin Fresh Water Institute of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed one of the most comprehensive databases in existence on the impacts of acid rain at the foundation of the biological community. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2461 23 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST June 6, 2008: In a new study published in the June issue of Neuroscience Letters, researchers have demonstrated that when it comes to the circadian system, not all light exposure is created equal. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2456 6 Jun 2008 12:00:00 EST May 27, 2008: James Jian-Qiang Lu will be recognized this week for research and technical achievements toward the design and realization of 3-D integrated computer chips. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2452 27 May 2008 12:00:00 EST May 15, 2008: Mark Changizi claims the visual system has evolved to compensate for neural delays, allowing it to generate perceptions of what will occur one-tenth of a second into the future. Some common optical illusions are explained by this compensation. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2448 15 May 2008 12:00:00 EST May 6, 2008: An undergraduate student at Rensselaer has learned very quickly that a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. In fact, with his invention, the sugar may actually be the medicine. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2432 6 May 2008 12:00:00 EST April 25, 2008: The mysterious death of patients around the world following a routine dosage of the common blood thinner, heparin, sent researchers on a frantic search to uncover what could make the standard drug so toxic. A researcher at Rensselaer was among a small group of scientists with the expertise and the high-tech equipment necessary to determine the source of the contamination. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2427 25 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST April 16, 2008: A handheld device to detect skin cancer and a disposable robot capable of removing land mines are just two of the winning ideas in the Change the World Challenge, which supports entrepreneurship education and stimulates ideas to improve the human condition http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2424 16 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST March 14, 2008: Ideas for a "wired" law enforcement badge and an online ordering platform have both received funding as the winners of Rensselaer's Class of '51 Entrepreneurship Fund, established to help transform student ideas into sustainable ventures. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2414 14 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST March 13, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have created a road map that brings academia and the semiconductor industry one step closer to realizing carbon nanotube interconnects, and alleviating the current bottleneck of information flow. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2412 13 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST March 10, 2008: A group of researchers from Rensselaer is working to engineer Second Life characters with the capacity to have beliefs and to reason about the beliefs of others. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2410 10 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EST February 28, 2008: Martin Schubert, a doctoral student in electrical, computer, and systems engineering, has developed the first polarized LED, an innovation that could vastly improve LCD screens, conserve energy, and usher in the next generation of ultra-efficient LEDs. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2406 28 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST February 26, 2008: The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer has launched an initiative, called the Lighting Technology Greenhouse, to support the growth of new and existing lighting companies in and around New York state. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2405 26 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST February 19, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer in a project led by Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc have demonstrated that liquids embedded with nanoparticles show enhanced performance and stability when exposed to electric fields. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2402 19 Feb 2008 13:00:00 EST January 28, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer and Polyset Company have developed a new inexpensive, quick-drying polymer that could lead to dramatic cost savings and efficiency gains in semiconductor manufacturing and computer chip packaging. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2394 22 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST January 22, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer and Rice University have created the darkest material ever made by man. The material absorbs more than 99.9 percent of light. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2393 22 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST January 17, 2008: Two theoretical physicists at Rensselaer have uncovered what they believe is the long-sought-after pathway that an HIV peptide takes to enter healthy cells. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2392 17 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST January 8, 2008: A new study by a management professor at Rensselaer suggests that the prevalence of telecommuters in an office can adversely impact coworkers who do not telecommute in terms of their job satisfaction. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2387 08 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST January 8, 2008: Jacob Fish, the Rosalind and John J. Redfern Chaired Professor of Engineering at Rensselaer and director of the university's Multiscale Science and Engineering Center, has been elected a fellow of the American Academy of Mechanics http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2386 08 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST December 19, 2007: Rensselaer professor E. Fred Schubert and doctoral student Brian Schulkin have been named to the 2007 Scientific American 50 — the magazine's prestigious annual list recognizing leadership in science and technology from the past year. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2378 19 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST December 18, 2007: Researchers from Rensselaer have developed a new set of modeling tools that could enable safer, more accurate, and more effective radiation therapy and nuclear medicine imaging procedures for pregnant women. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2377 18 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST December 17, 2007: A new biochip technology could eliminate animal testing in the chemicals and cosmetics industries, and drastically curtail its use in the development of new pharmaceuticals. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2376 17 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST December 9, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer, on a team led by Ravi S. Kane, have developed a new way to seek out specific proteins, including dangerous proteins such as anthrax toxin, and render them harmless using nothing but light. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2369 9 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST December 5, 2007: Ecovative Design LLC, a company started by two recent graduates of Rensselaer, was recently awarded £10,000 (approximately $20,500 U.S.) as a winner of the 21st Century Challenge Competition — hosted by Oxford University's Saïd Business School. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2368 5 Dec 2007 09:00:00 EST November 29, 2007: Leslie Hayden's research into deep Earth interactions has led to some important findings, particularly for someone so new to the field, and the scientific world is paying attention. Hayden, a graduate student at Rensselaer, is first author on a paper to be published in the scientific journal Nature. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2362 29 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST November 13, 2007: Two Rensselaer student start-up companies — Ecovative Design LLC and JDAxis Corporation — took first and second place at this year's inaugural Innovation Showcase competition. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2355 13 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST November 8, 2007: Engineers at Rensselaer have transformed a polymer found in common brown seaweed into a device that can support the growth and release of stem cells at the site of a bodily injury or at the source of a disease. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2351 08 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST November 1, 2007: Rensselaer is leading a $3 million research project that will pair two of the world's most powerful supercomputers to boost the safety and reliability of next-generation nuclear power reactors. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2344 01 Nov 2007 09:00:00 EST October 23, 2007: Blocks of carbon nanotubes can be used to create effective and powerful pressure sensors, according to a new study by researchers at Rensselaer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2339 23 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST October 23, 2007: Chang Y. Ryu, polymer chemist from Rensselaer, is the recipient of a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support a partnership between American and Korean researchers. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2340 23 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST October 9, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer have won a competitive $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to identify the perfect combination of technology and financial incentives that could help alleviate daytime traffic congestion and boost economic growth in New York City. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2323 9 Oct 2007 09:00:00 EST September 27, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a simple new technique for identifying and repairing small, potentially dangerous cracks in high-performance aircraft wings and many other structures made from polymer composites. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2321 27 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 24, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer have created a razor-like material that is truly on the "cutting edge" of nanotechnology. Called nanoblades, these first-of-their-kind magnesium nanomaterials challenge conventional wisdom about nanostructure growth, and could have applications in energy storage and fuel cell technology. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2318 24 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 20, 2007: A group of computer scientists, mathematicians, and biologists from around the world have developed a computer algorithm that can help trace the genetic ancestry of thousands of individuals in minutes, without any prior knowledge of their background. The team's findings will be published in the September 2007 edition of the journal PLoS Genetics. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2315 20 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 20, 2007: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute had an impressive showing at the 234th American Chemical Society Meeting held in late August. Along with professor Jonathan S. Dordick winning a pair of major awards, nearly 60 faculty, researchers, and students presented papers and research findings on diverse topics ranging from proteomics to bioinformatics and the design of functional nanostructure materials. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2314 19 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 19, 2007: Rensselaer geochemists are challenging commonly held ideas about how gases are expelled from Earth. Their theory, which is described in the Sept. 20 issue of the journal Nature, could change the way scientists view the formation of Earth's atmosphere and those of our distant neighbors, Mars and Venus. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2311 19 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 17, 2007: Rich Radke was one of a dozen researchers to participate in the 2007 CS Study Panel, a competitive program administered by the Institute for Defense Analyses for the DoD's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2310 10 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 14, 2007: George Makhatadze is a designer. But instead of expensive jeans and haute handbags, he is creating custom proteins that could improve everything from medication to detergent. Makhatadze is bringing his expertise in biology, chemistry, and computation to Rensselaer as a chaired professor in the Biocomputation and Bioinformatics research constellation. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2309 10 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 10, 2007: Engineers at Rensselaer have developed tools to help solve two of the main problems slowing the progress of stem cell research - how to quickly test stem cell response to different drugs or genes, and how to create a large supply of healthy, viable stem cells to study from only a few available cells. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2307 10 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 10, 2007: A new partnership between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Sandia National Laboratories, and a select group of leading universities and corporations will present Rensselaer graduate students with a host of new cutting-edge internship and research experiences. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2305 10 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST September 7, 2007: Scientists have long known that the human body runs like clockwork, guided by a circadian system that responds to daily patterns of light and darkness. Now a team of researchers is developing a personal device to measure daily light intake and activity, which could allow them to predict optimal timing for light therapy to synchronize the circadian clock to the 24-hour solar day and relieve psychosocial stress. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2303 07 Sep 2007 09:00:00 EST August 29, 2007: As summer temperatures cool in the United States, fewer mosquitoes whir around our tiki torches. But mosquitoes swarming around nearly 40 percent of the world's population will continue to spread a deadly parasitic disease — malaria. Now an interdisciplinary team led by researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has found a key link that causes malarial infection in both humans and mosquitoes. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2302 29 Aug 2007 09:00:00 EST August 13, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a new energy storage device that easily could be mistaken for a simple sheet of black paper. The nanoengineered battery is lightweight, ultra thin, completely flexible, and geared toward meeting the trickiest design and energy requirements of tomorrow's gadgets, implantable medical equipment, and transportation vehicles. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2280 13 Aug 2007 08:00:00 EST July 23, 2007: Saroj Nayak, associate professor of physics, has worked with graduate student Philip Shemella and others for two years to determine how graphene's extremely efficient conductive properties can be exploited for use in nanoelectronics. After running dozens of robust computer simulations, the group has demonstrated for the first time that the length, as well as the width, of graphene directly impacts the material's conduction properties. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2253 23 Jul 2007 13:00:00 EST July 2, 2007: The ability of carbon nanotubes to withstand repeated stress yet retain their structural and mechanical integrity is similar to the behavior of soft tissue, according to a new study from Rensselaer. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2217 02 Jul 2007 08:00:00 EST June 29, 2007: A new study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, ATT Labs, and the University of Nevada, Reno suggests that an Internet where all traffic is treated identically would require significantly more capacity than one in which differentiated services are offered. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2204 29 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST June 27, 2007: The new supercomputer at Rensselaer has been ranked seventh in the world, and it is the most powerful of any system based at a university, according to the 29th edition of the closely watched Top500 list. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2200 27 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST June 18, 2007: Mimicking the agile gecko, with its uncanny ability to run up walls and across ceilings, has long been a goal of materials scientists. Researchers at Rensselaer and the University of Akron have taken one sticky step in the right direction, creating synthetic "gecko tape" with four times the sticking power of the real thing. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2200 18 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST June 14, 2007: Specialized pulsed lasers have been used to inject individual cells with a variety of materials, but little is known about how this type of injection might affect living cells. For the first time, researchers at Rensselaer have analyzed this nanoscale injection process on living cells and discovered that minor changes in the intensity of the laser could mark the difference between a healthy cell and a dead one. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2188 14 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST June 6, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a new method of compacting carbon nanotubes into dense bundles. These tightly packed bundles are efficient conductors and could one day replace copper as the primary interconnects used on computer chips and even hasten the transition to next-generation 3-D stacked chips. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2186 06 Jun 2007 08:00:00 EST May 30, 2007: With a $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers from Rensselaer are developing a physics-based virtual model that can simulate a patient's breathing in real time. When used in conjunction with existing 3-D models, adding the fourth dimension of time could significantly improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiation treatment for lung and liver cancers. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2169 30 May 2007 08:00:00 EST May 29, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer are challenging current thinking on the causes and prevention of Alzheimer's disease, offering a new hypothesis that could be the key to preventing this form of dementia. The researchers have found that a specific imbalance between two peptides may be the cause of the fatal neurological disease that affects more than five million people in the United States. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2168 29 May 2007 08:00:00 EST May 18, 2007: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute today offered the first glimpse of what is planned to be the world's most powerful university-based supercomputing center. The Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI) is designed to continue advancing semiconductor technology to the nanoscale, while also enabling key nanotechnology innovations in the fields of energy, biotechnology, arts, and medicine. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2157 18 May 2007 08:00:00 EST May 16, 2007: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a new method to bond materials that don't normally stick together. The team's adhesive, which is based on self-assembling nanoscale chains, could impact everything from next-generation computer chip manufacturing to energy production. http://news.rpi.edu/campusnews/update.do?artcenterkey=2156 16 May 2007 08:00:00 EST April 16 2007: With a major grant from the Office of Naval Affairs, Rensselaer researchers are collaborating with four other universities to address a hot topic in today's military: how to keep modern ships cool in extreme environments. http://news.rpi.edu:80/update.do?artcenterkey=2087 16 Apr 2007 08:00:00 EST March 29, 2007: New research suggests that carbon nanotubes may soon be integrated into cell phones, digital audio players, and personal digital assistants to help ensure the equipment does not overheat, malfunction, or fail. http://news.rpi.edu:80/campusnews/update.do?artcenterkey=1960 29 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST March 26, 2007: Nanomaterials are being used in everything from golf clubs to computer circuitry, but little is known about the effects these minuscule materials could have on our health and environment. Rensselaer scientists recently worked to better understand the effect of nanomaterials on both mammalian cells and bacteria. http://news.rpi.edu:80/campusnews/update.do?artcenterkey=2037 26 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST March 22, 2007: The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami are now infamous for the damage they caused, but at the time many scientists believed this area was unlikely to create a quake of such magnitude. In the March 23 issue of the journal Science, geophysicist Rob McCaffrey urges the public and policy makers to consider all subduction-type tectonic boundaries to be "locked, loaded, and dangerous." http://www.rpi.edu/news/research/032207-earthquake.html?artcenterkey=2034 22 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST March 12, 2007: You might want to reconsider your feelings about bacteria. These microscopic creatures have been assaulted by hand soap and antibacterial gels, but a shining star among these organisms could one day transform the way we remove polychlorinated biphenyls from our environment. Rensselaer researchers have discovered an organism that could be the key to developing methods that help detoxify commercial PCB compounds on site — without the need for dredging. http://news.rpi.edu:80/campusnews/update.do?artcenterkey=1973 12 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST March 12, 2007: Rensselaer researchers have discovered what likely triggered the eruption of a "supervolcano" that coated much of the western half of the United States with ash fallout 760,000 years ago. Their research sheds light on what causes these large-scale, explosive eruptions, and it could help geologists develop methods to predict such eruptions in the future. http://news.rpi.edu:80/campusnews/update.do?artcenterkey=1971 12 Mar 2007 08:00:00 EST