Visions of Discovery

Ultrasensitive imaging method uses gold-silver 'nanocages'

New research findings suggest that an experimental ultrasensitive medical imaging technique that uses a pulsed laser and tiny metallic "nanocages" might enable both the early detection and treatment of disease.

The system works by shining near-infrared laser pulses through the skin to detect hollow nanocages and solid nanoparticles - made of an alloy of gold and silver - that are injected into the bloodstream.

Unlike previous approaches using tiny metallic nanorods and nanospheres, the new technique does not cause heat damage to tissue being imaged. Another advantage is that it does not produce a background "auto fluorescent" glow of surrounding tissues, which interferes with the imaging and reduces contrast and brightness, said Ji-Xin Cheng (pronounced Gee-Shin), an associate professor of biomedical engineering and chemistry at Purdue University.

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Purdue to find game changing way to produce biofuels

The U.S. Department of Energy is funding a $20 million effort to create an Energy Frontier Research Center to advance work in biofuels at Purdue. The Center for Direct Catalytic Conversion of Biomass to Biofuels, known as C3Bio and led by Purdue biology professor Maureen McCann, is investigating methods to bypass current processes involving biological fermentation, reducing the need for large and expensive biorefineries and expanding the range of biofuels beyond ethanol. The Department of Energy also chose Purdue's project as one of 16 that will be funded by President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The project will create at least 20 new jobs for students, postdoctoral researchers and professional staff in Indiana and another eight jobs at partner institutions.

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GlucaGo, Currently Cultured win Purdue elevator pitch competition

A medical device concept for diabetics and an Internet-based global etiquette and information service took top honors Friday (April 2) at the fourth annual Purdue University Elevator Pitch Competition in Discovery Park.

GlucaGo LLC's Rush Bartlett won the open division and the $1,000 top prize for his two-minute pitch about developing an emergency kit that automatically mixes and injects medication for diabetics. Preston Holb was first, also capturing $1,000 for his Currently Cultured business concept in the undergraduate student division.

Tying for second in the open division were Sean Connell of Biognostic LLC, a developer of a biosensor for quickly detecting upper respiratory infections, and Rich Mussman, whose West Lafayette company Nano-Rad LLC is developing an innovative breast cancer radiation therapy process. Each won $375 for their pitches.

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'Microrings' could nix wires for communications in homes, offices

Purdue University researchers have developed a miniature device capable of converting ultrafast laser pulses into bursts of radio-frequency signals, a step toward making wires obsolete for communications in the homes and offices of the future.

Such an advance could enable all communications, from high-definition television broadcasts to secure computer connections, to be transmitted from a single base station, said Minghao Qi, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

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Grad Students Help Advance Fish Monitoring Project for Native Alaskan Villages

Two Purdue graduate students have developed sampling kits and educational materials for three Native Alaskan villages as part of an interdisciplinary partnership between Purdue faculty and the Alaska Native Youth Institute. Leila Nyberg (Civil Engineering/Ecological Sciences and Engineering) and Laurel Royer (Agronomy) became involved with the project in February 2008. Dr. Krista Nichols (Biological Sciences & Forestry and Natural Resources) and Dr. Marisol Sepulveda (Forestry and Natural Resources) have been working with Native Alaskans for 3 years, facilitated by Dr. Mike Smolen (Alaska Native Youth Institute) and Purdue University Center for the Environment.

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Indiana life-sciences firm signs deal to use research space at Purdue's Birck Nanotechnology Center

An Indiana medical-device company has signed a research agreement through the Purdue Research Foundation to use laboratories and equipment at Purdue University's Birck Nanotechnology Center, officials announced Thursday (July 16).

Nanovis Inc., a Columbia City, Ind.-based company with offices at the Purdue Research Park in West Lafayette, will work with Birck researchers and the center's facilities to improve the interactive process between medical implants and human tissues for reducing rejection or infection.

"This industry partnership opens the door at the Birck Nanotechnology Center for enhanced opportunities for joint research with industry partners," said Timothy Sands, the Mary Jo and Robert L. Kirk Director of the Birck Nanotechnology Center.

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Purdue 'nanoHUB' tops 100,000 annual users, popularity growing

An interactive Web site called nanoHUB.org, which makes available scientific simulations, seminars, interactive courses and other specialized nanotech-related materials, has reached a milestone: 100,000 users in one year.

Researchers and educators from New York to London and Moscow to Madrid are logging onto nanoHUB.org because it offers a wide range of nanotech-related content.

"Attracting 100,000 users in a single year demonstrates the practical utility of nanoHUB," said Gerhard Klimeck, director of the Network for Computational Nanotechnology and a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University. "Growing popularity has been directly tied to the dramatic improvement of user interfaces and content that cannot be found anywhere else."

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New aluminum-water rocket propellant promising for future space missions

Researchers are developing a new type of rocket propellant made of a frozen mixture of water and "nanoscale aluminum" powder that is more environmentally friendly than conventional propellants and could be manufactured on the moon, Mars and other water-bearing bodies.

The aluminum-ice, or ALICE, propellant might be used to launch rockets into orbit and for long-distance space missions and also to generate hydrogen for fuel cells, said Steven Son, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University.

Purdue is working with NASA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Pennsylvania State University to develop ALICE, which was used earlier this year to launch a 9-foot-tall rocket. The vehicle reached an altitude of 1,300 feet over Purdue's Scholer farms, about 10 miles from campus.

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