Past News
Purdue archaeologists part of ancient horse find in Nile River Valley
April 25, 2018
An ancient horse burial at Tombos along the Nile River Valley shows that a member of the horse family thousands of years ago was more important to the culture than previously thought, which provides a window into human-animal relationships more than 3,000 years ago. The research findings are published in Antiquity, and reported by the University of California, Santa Barbara. The Tombos horse was discovered in 2011, and members of the Purdue team – professor Michele Buzon and alumna Sarah Schrader – played a part in the excavation and analysis. The horse is dated to the Third Intermediate Period, 1050-728 B.C.E., and it was found more than 5 feet underground in a tomb. The horse, with some chestnut-colored fur remaining, had been buried in a funeral position with a burial shroud.
Purdue archaeologists part of ancient horse find in Nile River Valley
New method for interpreting cryo-EM maps makes it easier to determine protein structures
April 25, 2018
A new algorithm makes interpreting the results of cryo-electron microscopy maps easier and more accurate, helping researchers to determine protein structures and potentially create drugs that block their functions. Cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, uses electron beams to obtain 3-D images of biomolecular structures. The use of this technique has skyrocketed in recent years due to technolgical advancements, but as cryo-EM gains steam in the field, additional tools are needed to interpret the images it outputs.
New method for interpreting cryo-EM maps makes it easier to determine protein structures
Switch controls light on a nanoscale for faster information processing
April 25, 2018
Purdue researchers have helped design a compact switch that enables light to be more reliably confined to small computer chip components for faster information processing.
Switch controls light on a nanoscale for faster information processing
Engineers create social media infrastructure for emergency management
April 24, 2018
Purdue researchers have developed an online platform that enables first responders to monitor emergency situations using tweets and Instagram posts. Called the Social Media Analytics and Reporting Toolkit (SMART), the browser-based platform filters social media content according to key words and geographic regions defined by the user.
Engineers create social media infrastructure for emergency management
Electrode shape improves neurostimulation for small targets
April 24, 2018
A cross-like shape helps the electrodes of implantable neurostimulation devices to deliver more charge to specific areas of the nervous system, possibly prolonging device life span, says research published in March in Nature Scientific Reports. The shape, called “fractal,” would be particularly useful for stimulating smaller areas, such as deep brain structures or the retina, since it maximizes perimeter within a smaller surface area – providing the higher resolution needed for restoring bodily functions and potentially enabling neurostimulation devices to last longer in the body without a recharge.
New test could tell doctors whether patients will respond to chemotherapy
April 23, 2018
Less than half the patients diagnosed with cancer respond favorably to chemotherapy, but a new method for testing how patients will respond to various drugs could pave the way for more personalized treatment. Using Doppler light scattering, like a weather radar, researchers can determine how a patient will respond to chemotherapy even before they begin treatment.
New test could tell doctors whether patients will respond to chemotherapy
'Key factor' in development of Parkinson's disease identified
April 19, 2018
Purdue University researchers Jean-Christophe “Chris” Rochet and Dr. Riyi Shi say their discovery of a key factor in the development of Parkinson’s disease could lead to new therapies, potentially including drugs currently on the market; it could facilitate earlier diagnosis and prevention of the neurological disorder. (Purdue University photo/Alex Kumar)
'Key factor' in development of Parkinson's disease identified
Purdue contributes to experiments on light-matter interactions for potential quantum technology applications
April 16, 2018
Purdue researchers collaborated in a Rice University-led study detecting a quantum shift that results from the strong coupling of light and an ultra-high mobility two-dimensional electron gas rotating in opposite directions. The work, published on April 16 in Nature Photonics, describes a system predicted to go into a new ground state (or state of lowest energy) that physicists could use to study phase transitions and possibly harness for the development of quantum bits for advanced computing. Researchers found that inducing strong coupling of light and matter in the form of a two-dimensional electron gas leads to a quantum interaction of counter-rotating fields called the Bloch-Siegert shift.
Microscopic oxygen bubbles could help improve cancer therapeutics and accelerate wound healing
April 12, 2018
A Purdue University-patented technology shows promise in using microscopic bubbles filled with oxygen to help with various medical treatments, including improving cancer therapeutics and helping wounds heal faster. Samara Biotech LLC, a Purdue startup, has developed an easy-to-use method to inject oxygen “nanobubbles” intravenously so they can be targeted precisely at wounds or cancerous tumors. The bubbles do not actually do the therapies, but enhance other therapies, such as improving chemotherapeutics or radiation efficacy, said Pushpak Bhandari, Samara Biotech founder.
Microscopic oxygen bubbles could help improve cancer therapeutics and accelerate wound healing
Team awarded $7.5 million grant to study multifunctional piezoelectric energetic materials
April 11, 2018
A multidisciplinary team of researchers led by Steve Son, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, has received a $7.5 million grant by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) to study piezoenergetics, which combines piezoelectric properties with energetic materials such as explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics.
Team awarded $7.5 million grant to study multifunctional piezoelectric energetic materials
