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Linking two labs a learning opportunity for Ph.D. student

Aaron Held’s research merges and draws on the expertise of two of the labs in Brown’s broad effort to combat ALS. That role has given him several opportunities to learn novel skills and new science during graduate school.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Timing is everything. When doctoral student Aaron Held came to Brown University in 2012, the opportunities he’s enjoying today had only just begun to take shape. But more than three years into his work, he’s become the vital linchpin between two labs in a diverse collaboration dedicated to disarming a horrible disease. That has given him several chances to learn new techniques and new biology. (more…)

Kasseler Biologin erforscht die innere Uhr

Science

Die Zeitumstellung steht kurz bevor und damit eine Art kollektiver Jetlag. Viele Menschen müssen ihre innere Zeit schnellstmöglich wieder mit der Armbanduhr synchronisieren – aber auch Haus- und Nutztiere geraten aus dem Takt. Eine Biologin der Uni Kassel erforscht mit ihrem Team am Beispiel der Madeira-Schabe und des Tabakschwärmers die Grundlagen von inneren Uhren. Die Ergebnisse können biologische Uhren bei anderen Tieren und beim Menschen erklären helfen. (more…)

Scientists Find Leukemia’s Surroundings Key to its Growth

Health

AUSTIN, Texas — Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have discovered that a type of cancer found primarily in children can grow only when signaled to do so by other nearby cells that are noncancerous. The finding, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, contributes to a growing body of research that implicates the environment around a cancer in its spread — an area of study that holds promise for new alternatives to treat the disease. (more…)

Zur richtigen Zeit an Bord

Technology

Roboter SPENCER weist Passagieren auf dem Flughafen den Weg zum Gate und verfügt über soziale Kompetenzen

Den Anschlussflug nicht verpassen, das richtige Gate unter Zeitdruck und trotz Sprachbarriere finden und sich nicht am Flughafen verlaufen: In dieser Situation können künftig Roboter Passagieren helfen. Ein Prototyp ist Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern des internationalen Forschungsprojekts „Social situation-aware PErceptioN and action for CognitivE Robots“ (SPENCER) gelungen, das das Institut für Informatik der Universität Freiburg koordiniert hat. Bei abschließenden Tests hat ein Roboter erfolgreich Passagiere am Flughafen Schiphol in Amsterdam/Niederlande zu ihrem richtigen Abfluggate begleitet.

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BAK USA: First US manufacturer of tablets nourishes communities, one device at a time

Technology

It has been said that knowledge feeds the soul – which is why it’s no surprise that on a random Tuesday in March, BAK USA Co-Founder and Director of Products Christian Bak can be found nourishing himself alongside several dozen other employees striving to redefine the word “company.” (more…)

Schmetterlinge gibt’s (fast) nicht mehr

Nature

In den letzten 200 Jahren ist in Deutschland ein deutlicher Rückgang von Schmetterlingsarten zu verzeichnen – dies belegen Senckenberg-Wissenschaftler in ihrer kürzlich im Fachjournal „Conservation Biology“ erschienenen Studie. Waren es im Jahr 1840 noch 117 Arten, flatterten im Jahr 2013 nur noch 71 verschiedene Tagfalter im Untersuchungsgebiet. Als bedrohende Faktoren nennen die Wissenschaftler die Intensivierung der Landschaftsnutzung, den globalen Klimawandel sowie die Belastung durch Stickstoff. (more…)

Stir no more: UW scientists show that draining speeds up bioassays

Science

For many research scientists, idle time has long been an unwelcome feature of the discovery process. Advances in cellular biology have yielded popular and powerful tools to detect cellular proteins and DNA — largely by exploiting the unique and intricate interactions between these microscopic molecules. Scientists use these tools to advance research and diagnose diseases. But these come at a cost in time — from hours to days — before they yield accurate answers. (more…)

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and IBM Collaborate to Build Brain-Inspired Supercomputer

Technology

Chip-architecture breakthrough accelerates path to exascale computing; Helps computers tackle complex, cognitive tasks such as pattern recognition and sensory processing

LIVERMORE, Calif. and ARMONK, N.Y. – 29 Mar 2016: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) today announced it has purchased a first-of-a-kind brain-inspired supercomputing platform for deep learning inference developed by IBM Research. Based on a breakthrough neurosynaptic computer chip called IBM TrueNorth, the scalable platform will process the equivalent of 16 million neurons and 4 billion synapses and consume the energy equivalent of a tablet computer – a mere 2.5 watts of power for the 16 TrueNorth chips. The brain-like, neural network design of the IBM Neuromorphic System is able to infer complex cognitive tasks such as pattern recognition and integrated sensory processing far more efficiently than conventional chips. (more…)