Fungal Breakdown:

The bane of military quartermasters may soon be a boon to biofuels producers. The genome analysis of a champion biomass-degrading fungus has revealed a surprisingly minimal repertoire of genes that it employs to break down plant cell walls, highlighting opportunities for further improvements in enzymes customized for biofuels production.

…a team led by Laurent Koechlin of the Observatoire Midi Pyrénées in Toulouse, France, says a powerful “Fresnel imager” could be made by launching a piece of metal foil, cut with the Fresnel pattern and attached to a solid frame, into space. A spacecraft equipped with a camera and other scientific instruments would sit at the focal point some distance away and record the observations…

…A 30-metre Fresnel imager would be powerful enough to see Earth-sized planets within 30 light years of Earth, and measure the planets’ light spectrum to look for signs of life, such as atmospheric oxygen.

“a new temperature-sensitive varnish that can be applied to road surfaces to visually warn drivers about dangerous conditions.

the varnish is made of a polymer containing a thermochromic pigment. the same type of coating is already used to make bath thermometers & frozen food packaging that responds to temperature change….” Full Slice

“…a group of computer scientists, mathematicians, and biologists from around the world have developed a computer algorithm that can quickly trace an individual’s genetic ancestry with only a small sample of their DNA. In fact, the program can trace the genetic ancestry of thousands of individuals in minutes, without any prior knowledge of their background….” Full Slice

The Full Paper

“A research team…has demonstrated that the metal-organic framework material MOF-74 can absorb more hydrogen than any unpressurized framework structure studied to date, and packs the molecules in more densely than they would be if frozen in a block.

By achieving technologically relevant levels of gravimetric density for stored hydrogen without either the extremely high pressures for gaseous hydrogen or extremely low temperatures for liquid hydrogen, MOF-74 could enable practical mobile hydrogen storage…MOF-74 resembles a series of tightly packed straws comprising mostly carbon atoms with columns of zinc ions running down the inside walls. A gram of the material has about the same surface area as two basketball courts….” Full Slice

The article

The 2007 Materials Research Society Fall Meeting concluded in Boston on November 30. This was the first time that the popular Science as Art competition was held at an MRS Fall Meeting. Three first place and three second place winners were selected from the various entries. Some of the images are from the nanotechnology domain but most are micro-scale.

“Chinese space officials are ready to flip Chang’e-1’s scientific instrument switch to the on position. The spacecraft has undergone a series of shakeouts since swinging into polar circular orbit around the Moon on November 7.

On Monday, the probe begins its year-long campaign of studying the Moon with a suite of devices, including a camera that is expected to relay its first image of the lunar landscape late this month.

Experts at the China National Space Administration (CNSA) feel that there’s enough fuel aboard Chang’e-1 that an extended mission — beyond the year of active duty — is likely….” Full Slice

My new desktop picture

“The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) have successfully performed the world’s first high-definition image taking of an Earth-rise* by the lunar explorer “KAGUYA” (SELENE,) which was injected into a lunar orbit at an altitude of about 100 km on October 18, 2007 (Japan Standard Time. Following times and dates are all JST.)…The image taking was performed by the KAGUYA’s onboard high definition television (HDTV) for space use developed by NHK….” Full Slice

“These small electric vehicles for two passengers would be parked throughout the city in stacks, which eliminates the residual space between cars. Users simply take the first car of the stack and drive away, and then return it to the back of another stack when they reach their destination.
Car stacks would be integrated to the city’s existing infrastructure, allowing for vehicles to be recharged while parked. Stacks could be located virtually anywhere within the electric grid, with critical mass in points such as airports, subway stops and train terminals, malls, etc.

The design uses a simple pivoting mechanism to fold the structure in a vertical position. Additionally, the back wheels are closer together, which allows for the next car to be interlocked.”

“We demonstrate an unconventional and revolutionary method for selective inactivation of micro-organisms by using near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses…This strategy targets the mechanical (vibrational) properties of micro organisms, and thus its antimicrobial efficacy is likely unaffected by genetic mutation in the micro-organisms. Such a method may be effective against a wide variety of drug resistant micro-organisms and has broad implications in disinfection as well as in the development of novel treatments for viral and bacterial pathogens…” Full Slice

Paper in PDF

“…Continuum, the name they’ve given to this car, is outfitted with U-shaped mirrors that intensify the sunlight, squeezing more energy out of every ray.

“We’re using the best solar technology on the face of the planet,”…“This is the first time this technology has been applied to a vehicle and it’s truly a breakthrough. It has the potential to revolutionize solar car technology,”…The “solar concentrator system” was designed and built by students. It’s the team’s answer to new rules by race officials seeking to slow the event by limiting the size of the solar array. The cars usually average between 50 and 60 mph during the race…but they’re capable of closing in on 90 mph….” Full Slice

“A…researcher has developed a powerful and innovative health advocacy program that uses photovoice, a combination of digital photography and storytelling, to empower minority teens to identify and address important health problems in their communities.

“Photovoice confronts a fundamental problem of community assessment: What professionals, researchers, specialists and outsiders think is important may completely fail to match what the community thinks is important,”…“Photovoice goes beyond the conventional role of community assessment by inviting people to promote their own and their community’s well-being,”…” Full Slice

“SABLE-3 was launched on Saturday, August 11th, 2007, at 9:31 AM with a payload…that the Kaysam 1200 gram balloon carried to over 117,597 feet…” Full Slice (w/photos !) - Good science learning project for just about anyone.

“Dictionaryofsign.com is a brand new community compiled international dictionary of sign language. With your help we would like to create a massive searchable database of sign languages from around the world - available to all for free…” Full Slice

“The Second Young Engineers’ Satellite (YES2) was activated and separated from the Foton-M3 spacecraft…The Fotino capsule was due to be deployed on a 30 km long tether in space, the longest ever. As the tether deployed slower than planned, it reached a length of 8.5 km before a preprogrammed command cut Fotino loose from the spacecraft…” Full Slice