? The future of nano-biology: regenerating tissue and artificial proteins | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com: "The future of nano-biology: regenerating tissue and artificial proteins
-Posted by Dan Farber @ 5:45 pm?
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Future in Review
The last day the Future in Review conference focused on big societal issues, rather than the usual techno-centric topics. During a panel on the future of nano-biotechnology, Alan Russell, head of regenerative medicine at the University of Pittsburg, described progress in moving from treating symptoms to generating cures and regenerating tissues as a result of the convergence of nanotechnology and biology. 'Every tissue from head to toe is being regenerated somewhere across the planet,' Russell said. Corneal epithelium are being grown in dishes at one temperature and then cooled and peeled off and placed on an eye. Three patients in the U.S. have received whole cultured bladders grown using nano-biology techniques. A uterus can be grown outside the body in animal tests, placed inside the body and subsequently produce babies. He predicted that within the next five years, spinal cord injuries will be treated with stem cells and some of the paralyzing effects reversed. In South America, stem cell therapy is used to eliminate disease in failing hearts. U.S. trails are starting next week, Russell said. The Department of Defense has allocated $20 million to study whole limb generation. 'If a newt can do it, why not we,' Russell said. However, limb regeneration is more than five years out.
Michael Knapp, CEO of nano-startup Cambrios, described applying techniques of molecular biology to synthesizing electronic components and other materials. His company is discovering and creating artificial proteins (nanostructures) that will attach to inorganic materials, such as semiconductors. Instead of harsh chemical conditions and expensive machines, Cambrios can physically self assemble and bind elements via molecular affinity at room temperature in a bathtub type environment. 'The implementation of bio manufacturing technology will happen first by replacing existing steps in the manufacturing chain in three to five years,' Knapp said. He predicted that the Holy Grail of simply mixing biochemicals and organic salts to create a computer will occur in the 20 to 50 year timeframe."
23 May 2005
News in Science - Cloth bag catches shoplifter - 23/05/2005 : "Cloth bag catches shoplifter
Tracy Staedter
Discovery News
Monday, 23 May?2005?
The next generation of bags are being engineered to tell us when they're carrying stolen goods (Image: iStockphoto)
At first glance, a cloth bag may seem an unlikely security device. But if it's made from a new electronic fabric, it could not only resist tampering, but sound an alarm or send an alert to the owner and authorities.'You wouldn't need a safe if you had this,' says Dr Jerry Krill of Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, and the technology's inventor.The cloth is woven with conductive fibres and can be designed to support a variety of electronic components such as tiny circuits, sensors and wireless communication devices. Like other fabrics, the electronic cloth can be sewn into many shapes, such as a bag or a tag. The key to Krill's invention seems to be the way such a bag would be sealed or such a tag might be affixed as a lock. But he's reluctant to talk about the method of attachment until after June, when he expects to file for a patent. Once fashioned into the appropriate device, though, the cloth can be programmed to respond differently to a variety of situations. If it were a bag used to secure a laptop computer, for example, the owner might link it via wireless technology to an existing alarm system, which can sound if the bag is moved or tampered with. It could also trigger a video camera to record the intrusion or place a call to the owner's mobile phone to alert him or her of the breach. Incorporating electronic cloth into such a variety of security devices is completely reasonable, says Tom Martin, an assistant professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, whose own group develops wearable computers and electronic textiles. Martin says conductive fibres can feel soft or be made 'strong enough that somebody would have to take a crowbar to it'. Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory is seeking commercialisation development partners for this technology."
Tracy Staedter
Discovery News
Monday, 23 May?2005?
The next generation of bags are being engineered to tell us when they're carrying stolen goods (Image: iStockphoto)
At first glance, a cloth bag may seem an unlikely security device. But if it's made from a new electronic fabric, it could not only resist tampering, but sound an alarm or send an alert to the owner and authorities.'You wouldn't need a safe if you had this,' says Dr Jerry Krill of Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, and the technology's inventor.The cloth is woven with conductive fibres and can be designed to support a variety of electronic components such as tiny circuits, sensors and wireless communication devices. Like other fabrics, the electronic cloth can be sewn into many shapes, such as a bag or a tag. The key to Krill's invention seems to be the way such a bag would be sealed or such a tag might be affixed as a lock. But he's reluctant to talk about the method of attachment until after June, when he expects to file for a patent. Once fashioned into the appropriate device, though, the cloth can be programmed to respond differently to a variety of situations. If it were a bag used to secure a laptop computer, for example, the owner might link it via wireless technology to an existing alarm system, which can sound if the bag is moved or tampered with. It could also trigger a video camera to record the intrusion or place a call to the owner's mobile phone to alert him or her of the breach. Incorporating electronic cloth into such a variety of security devices is completely reasonable, says Tom Martin, an assistant professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute in Blacksburg, whose own group develops wearable computers and electronic textiles. Martin says conductive fibres can feel soft or be made 'strong enough that somebody would have to take a crowbar to it'. Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory is seeking commercialisation development partners for this technology."
21 May 2005
JPMorgan Chase to Roll Out No-Swipe Card - Yahoo! News: "JPMorgan Chase to Roll Out No-Swipe Card
By Vivian Chu, AP Business Writer Thu May 19, 1:34 PM ET
NEW YORK - JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Thursday it will offer a new credit card that allows users to pay for items by holding the card near a terminal instead of manually swiping it.
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JPMorgan said it will start mailing out the new 'blink' cards in late June in two major U.S. cities, followed by a nationwide rollout continuing into next year. The company would not name the cities.
The cards are equipped with encrypted data readable by a point-of-sale terminal at the checkout counter. The terminal will emit a tone confirming payment, the bank said.
Besides speeding up the payment process, the new cards are aimed at bolstering credit card sales for JPMorgan Chase, the nation's second largest financial services provider and its premier credit card issuer.
'The new card makes it easier and faster for people to pay in places where they currently use cash, like convenience stores and fast-food stores,' said Thomas O'Donnell, senior vice president of Chase cards services. 'If you can get them to stop using cash, that translates into more frequent credit card use and greater loyalty with customers.'
Although the new cards will not require a customer signature, JPMorgan maintained they provide the same level of security as the traditional card-swiping method.
'The customer has to hold the card close to the terminal, but it stays in their possession at all times,' O'Donnell said. 'The card and the reader in the terminal are safe and secure, and the transaction is handled the same way that credit cards are managed today.'
7-Eleven Inc., the world's top convenience store chain, will test the new card in 170 of its stores, while Sheetz Inc., a family-owned convenience store chain, will launch a cobranded credit card offering the new service at its 300 locations, the bank said. Drugstore chain CVS Corp. and movie theater operator Regal Entertainment Group have also agreed to use the new cards.
JPMorgan said it plans to have thousands of merchants nationwide accepting the new cards by the end of the year."
By Vivian Chu, AP Business Writer Thu May 19, 1:34 PM ET
NEW YORK - JPMorgan Chase & Co. said Thursday it will offer a new credit card that allows users to pay for items by holding the card near a terminal instead of manually swiping it.
ADVERTISEMENT
JPMorgan said it will start mailing out the new 'blink' cards in late June in two major U.S. cities, followed by a nationwide rollout continuing into next year. The company would not name the cities.
The cards are equipped with encrypted data readable by a point-of-sale terminal at the checkout counter. The terminal will emit a tone confirming payment, the bank said.
Besides speeding up the payment process, the new cards are aimed at bolstering credit card sales for JPMorgan Chase, the nation's second largest financial services provider and its premier credit card issuer.
'The new card makes it easier and faster for people to pay in places where they currently use cash, like convenience stores and fast-food stores,' said Thomas O'Donnell, senior vice president of Chase cards services. 'If you can get them to stop using cash, that translates into more frequent credit card use and greater loyalty with customers.'
Although the new cards will not require a customer signature, JPMorgan maintained they provide the same level of security as the traditional card-swiping method.
'The customer has to hold the card close to the terminal, but it stays in their possession at all times,' O'Donnell said. 'The card and the reader in the terminal are safe and secure, and the transaction is handled the same way that credit cards are managed today.'
7-Eleven Inc., the world's top convenience store chain, will test the new card in 170 of its stores, while Sheetz Inc., a family-owned convenience store chain, will launch a cobranded credit card offering the new service at its 300 locations, the bank said. Drugstore chain CVS Corp. and movie theater operator Regal Entertainment Group have also agreed to use the new cards.
JPMorgan said it plans to have thousands of merchants nationwide accepting the new cards by the end of the year."
20 May 2005
ThisisLondon: "Scientists hail British cloning success
By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard
20 May 2005
Scientists around the world today welcomed a British breakthrough in human embryo cloning which they believe will pave the way to curing diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Researchers at Newcastle University have successfully cloned a human embryo, becoming only the second in the world to do so and placing Britain at the forefront of controversial stem cell technology.
The team was the first in Europe to be given the goahead to clone embryos after being granted a licence by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority last year. The clone was created as part of research into treatments for diabetes."
By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard
20 May 2005
Scientists around the world today welcomed a British breakthrough in human embryo cloning which they believe will pave the way to curing diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Researchers at Newcastle University have successfully cloned a human embryo, becoming only the second in the world to do so and placing Britain at the forefront of controversial stem cell technology.
The team was the first in Europe to be given the goahead to clone embryos after being granted a licence by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority last year. The clone was created as part of research into treatments for diabetes."
18 May 2005
New robots can build other bots, fix themselves | CNET News.com: "New robots can build other bots, fix themselves
Published: May 12, 2005, 6:44 AM PDT
By Reuters
Self-replicating robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction.
Scientists at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., have created small robots that can build copies of themselves.
Each robot consists of several 4-inch cubes that have identical machinery, a computer program for replication, and electromagnets to attach and detach to one another. The robots can bend and pick up and stack the cubes.
'Although the machines we have created are still simple compared with biological self-reproduction, they demonstrate that mechanical self-reproduction is possible and not unique to biology,' Hod Lipson said in a report in the science journal Nature on Wednesday.
He and his team believe the design principle could be used to make long term, self-repairing robots that could mend themselves and be used in hazardous situations and on space flights.
The experimental robots self-replicate by using modules placed in special 'feeding locations.'
The machines duplicate themselves by bending over and putting their top cube on the table. Then they bend again, pick up another cube, put it on top of the first and repeat the entire process. As the new robot begins to take shape it helps to build itself.
'The four-module robot was able to construct a replica in 2.5 minutes by lifting and assembling cubes from the feeding locations,' Lipson said.
The robots, which don't do anything else except make copies of themselves, are powered through contacts on the surface of the table and transfer data through their faces."
Published: May 12, 2005, 6:44 AM PDT
By Reuters
Self-replicating robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction.
Scientists at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., have created small robots that can build copies of themselves.
Each robot consists of several 4-inch cubes that have identical machinery, a computer program for replication, and electromagnets to attach and detach to one another. The robots can bend and pick up and stack the cubes.
'Although the machines we have created are still simple compared with biological self-reproduction, they demonstrate that mechanical self-reproduction is possible and not unique to biology,' Hod Lipson said in a report in the science journal Nature on Wednesday.
He and his team believe the design principle could be used to make long term, self-repairing robots that could mend themselves and be used in hazardous situations and on space flights.
The experimental robots self-replicate by using modules placed in special 'feeding locations.'
The machines duplicate themselves by bending over and putting their top cube on the table. Then they bend again, pick up another cube, put it on top of the first and repeat the entire process. As the new robot begins to take shape it helps to build itself.
'The four-module robot was able to construct a replica in 2.5 minutes by lifting and assembling cubes from the feeding locations,' Lipson said.
The robots, which don't do anything else except make copies of themselves, are powered through contacts on the surface of the table and transfer data through their faces."
RFID | News.blog | CNET News.com: "Tags, you're it in new Vegas casino
With the gala opening-night bash winding down at the Wynn Las Vegas resort, it's time to turn on the chips inside the chips.
The casino inside the new $2.7 billion, 2,700-room blue-tinted structure has adopted high-tech radio tags to help keep track of its betting chips. 'Securitywise, it will be huge for us,' Rick Doptis, vice president of table games for the Wynn, told CNET News.com earlier this year.
Located at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, hard by the Bellagio and Treasure Island, Steve Wynn's gaming-and-good-times venue is also just a short walk from the Las Vegas Convention Center, better known in years gone by as the home of Comdex--now canceled for a second straight year. Posted by Jonathan Skillings"
With the gala opening-night bash winding down at the Wynn Las Vegas resort, it's time to turn on the chips inside the chips.
The casino inside the new $2.7 billion, 2,700-room blue-tinted structure has adopted high-tech radio tags to help keep track of its betting chips. 'Securitywise, it will be huge for us,' Rick Doptis, vice president of table games for the Wynn, told CNET News.com earlier this year.
Located at the northern end of the Las Vegas Strip, hard by the Bellagio and Treasure Island, Steve Wynn's gaming-and-good-times venue is also just a short walk from the Las Vegas Convention Center, better known in years gone by as the home of Comdex--now canceled for a second straight year. Posted by Jonathan Skillings"
17 May 2005
The Four Hundred--RFID: Coming Soon to an Application Near You
: "RFID: Coming Soon to an Application Near You
by Mary Lou Roberts
Unless they hold places as direct links in the Wal-Mart or Department of Defense (DOD) supply chains, most iSeries shops have been sitting back and observing emerging RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Systems) technology with little more than passing curiosity. After all, if there's no behemoth retailer mandating that you put RFID tags on your products by some fast-approaching date, what's the worry?
Heads up. RFID may soon be coming to an application near you. RFID tags--tiny microchips that contain data and 'listen' for a radio signal that causes them to transmit a response--are piquing the imaginations of people in lots of lines of business, some of which are inventive, to say the least.
The first and most pervasive application, of course, is retail. That's the one that's been on the front pages since Wal-Mart (now joined by a number of other companies and the DOD) mandated that all of its suppliers will apply RFID tags at the pallet level. Everything coming into their stores will be read into a database that will track inventory and movement.
But that's old hat now. Let's consider the following other uses to which RFID is being applied:
Companies are attaching RFID tags to a variety of corporate assets, including computers, cell phones, PDAs, printers, and more. Companies like Stratum Global offer software that is designed to tag the assets or equipment, and then provide current location information, auditing and triggers for service and repair requirements.
Hospitals are using RFID tags in patient wristbands to make data more available at the bedside, freeing healthcare workers from additional data entry tasks, and presumably ensuring the validity and consistency of the information being collected.
Healthcare facilities also plan to use RFID for document tracking as well as tracking physical assets through their own supply chains, keeping more accurate watch on their inventories of all sorts of items, from bandages to needles, wheelchairs, bedpans, and more.
The financial industry, as well, is gearing up with RFID applications. According to Kip Jones, chief technologies for nuBridges, banks are using the tiny tags for cash tracking and for tracking bulk money movement. (Anyone thinking of robbing a Brinks truck had best beware. That bag may contain an RFID tag--and you won't be hard to find.)
Jones says that there's even talk of embedding RFID tags into currency (though at a nickel a tag, that application is not very practical right now). RFID-tagged bills, however, would make counting much easier and would certainly help to eliminate counterfeiting."
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