MikeLigalig.com

Transparency

ExxonMobil recognizes that public disclosure of payments companies make to governments, and of governmental use of those payments, strengthen accountability and good governance, reduce corruption, and promote greater economic stability. To achieve the shared goal of revenue transparency, we participate in transparency capacity building initiatives, as well as a variety of multi stakeholder discussions.

Source: Transparency

Our brands

Worldwide, ExxonMobil markets fuels and lubricants under three brands:  Exxon, Mobil and Esso.

Source: Our brands

National Math and Science Initiative

ExxonMobil became a founding sponsor of the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) in 2007 and committed $125 million to support it. Since inception, NMSI has also attracted more than $32 million in funding from other organizations.

Source: National Math and Science Initiative

Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps

The two-week residential camps offer innovative programs which enhance middle school students knowledge in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while encouraging youth to stay in school and fostering leadership and citizenship.

Source: Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps

FAQs - Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a five-day training seminar for third through fifth-grade educators. Phil and Amy Mickelson and ExxonMobil created the Academy to provide selected teachers with the opportunity to enhance their mathematics and science teaching skills and discover new ways to motivate their students.

Source: FAQs - Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy

About sendmyteacher.com

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy works with local superintendents to select teacher teams from communities where Phil Mickelson plays on the PGA Tour or where ExxonMobil has operations.

Source: About sendmyteacher.com

Online Tool Creates Catch-Up Immunization Schedules for Missed Childhood Vaccinations

A new online tool takes the guesswork out of developing individualized catch-up immunization schedules by allowing parents and health care providers to easily create a schedule that ensures missed vaccines and future vaccines are administered according to approved guidelines.

Source: Online Tool Creates Catch-Up Immunization Schedules for Missed Childhood Vaccinations

Microneedle Patch May Advance World Measles Vaccination Effort

Measles vaccine given with painless and easy-to-administer microneedle patches can immunize against measles at least as well as vaccine given with conventional hypodermic needles, according to research done by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Source: Microneedle Patch May Advance World Measles Vaccination Effort

Research Will Study How Diversity Helps Microbial Communities Respond to Change

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have received a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to study how complex microbial systems use their genetic diversity to respond to human-induced change. The work is important because these microbial communities play critical roles in the environment, breaking down pollutants, recycling nutrients ? and serving as major sources of nitrogen and carbon.

Source: Research Will Study How Diversity Helps Microbial Communities Respond to Change

New Whale Shark Study Used Metabolomics to Help Understand Shark and Ray Health

New research from Georgia Aquarium and Georgia Institute of Technology provides evidence that a suite of techniques called ?metabolomics? can be used to determine the health status of whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), the world?s largest fish species. The study, led by Dr. Alistair Dove, director of Research & Conservation at Georgia Aquarium and an adjunct professor at Georgia Tech, found that the major difference between healthy and unhealthy sharks was the concentration of homarine in their in serum?indicating that homarine is a useful biomarker of health status for the species.

Source: New Whale Shark Study Used Metabolomics to Help Understand Shark and Ray Health

Corals Attacked by Toxic Seaweed Use Chemical 911 to Summon Help

Corals under attack by toxic seaweed do what anyone might do when threatened ? they call for help. A study reported this week in the journal Science shows that threatened corals send signals to fish ?bodyguards? that quickly respond to trim back the noxious alga.

Source: Corals Attacked by Toxic Seaweed Use Chemical 911 to Summon Help

Georgia Tech Awarded $1.2 Million Diabetes Training Grant

The Innovation and Leadership in Engineering Technologies and Therapies for diabetes postdoctoral training grant is a cross-disciplinary training program in cell- and tissue-based therapies and novel insulin delivery technologies.

Source: Georgia Tech Awarded $1.2 Million Diabetes Training Grant

Study Suggests Immune System Can Boost Regeneration of Peripheral Nerves

Modulating immune response to injury could accelerate the regeneration of severed peripheral nerves, a new study in an animal model has found. By altering activity of the macrophage cells that respond to injuries, researchers dramatically increased the rate at which nerve processes regrew.

Source: Study Suggests Immune System Can Boost Regeneration of Peripheral Nerves

Eliminating Visual Clutter Helps People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

A new study from Georgia Tech and the University of Toronto suggests that memory impairments for people diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer?s disease may be due, in part, to problems in determining the differences between similar objects. The findings also support growing research indicating that a part of the brain once believed to support memory exclusively ? the medial temporal lobe - also plays a role in object perception.

Source: Eliminating Visual Clutter Helps People with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Study Identifies Genes Associated with Genomic Expansions that Cause Disease

A study of more than 6,000 genes in a common species of yeast has identified the pathways that govern the instability of GAA/TTC repeats. In humans, the expansions of these repeats is known to inactivate a gene ? FXN ? which leads to Friedreich?s ataxia, a neurodegenerative disease that is currently incurable. In yeast, long repeats also destabilize the genome, manifested by the breakage of chromosomes. 

Source: Study Identifies Genes Associated with Genomic Expansions that Cause Disease

Automated Worm Sorter Detects Subtle Differences in Tiny Animals Used in Genetic Research

Scientists have demonstrated an automated system that uses artificial intelligence and cutting-edge image processing to rapidly examine large numbers of individual nematodes, a tiny animal widely used in biological research.

Source: Automated Worm Sorter Detects Subtle Differences in Tiny Animals Used in Genetic Research

Cathepsin Cannibalism: Enzymes Attack One Another Instead of Harming Proteins

Researchers for the first time have shown that members of a family of enzymes known as cathepsins ? which are implicated in many disease processes ? may attack one another instead of the proteins they normally degrade. Dubbed ?cathepsin cannibalism,? the phenomenon may help explain problems with drugs that have been developed to inhibit the effects of these powerful proteases.

Source: Cathepsin Cannibalism: Enzymes Attack One Another Instead of Harming Proteins

The Science of Running: Follow the Bouncing Ball

Muscle size, genetics and training are among the countless factors that separate Olympic sprinters from the average person. On a fundamental level, however, the mechanics of running are the same for all humans. In fact, they?re basically identical for animals too.

Source: The Science of Running: Follow the Bouncing Ball

Researchers Show Potential of Microneedles to Target Drugs to the Back of the Eye

Thanks to tiny microneedles, eye doctors may soon have a better way to treat diseases such as macular degeneration that affect tissues in the back of the eye. That could be important as the population ages and develops more eye-related illnesses ? and as pharmaceutical companies develop new drugs that otherwise could only be administered by injecting into the eye with a hypodermic needle.

Source: Researchers Show Potential of Microneedles to Target Drugs to the Back of the Eye

Giving Ancient Life Another Chance to Evolve

Using a process called paleo-experimental evolution, Georgia Tech researchers have resurrected a 500-million-year-old gene from bacteria and inserted it into modern-day Escherichia coli(E. coli) bacteria. This bacterium has now been growing for more than 1,000 generations, giving the scientists a front row seat to observe evolution in action.

Source: Giving Ancient Life Another Chance to Evolve

Atlanta Pharma Community Collaborates on Drug Development Education

Doctoral students from four Atlanta universities worked together recently to learn how to develop new pharmaceutical products during a two-week interdisciplinary short course at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Source: Atlanta Pharma Community Collaborates on Drug Development Education

Georgia Tech Establishes a New Research Center Focused on Cancer

Seven different schools and departments join together to form the new Integrated Cancer Research Center.

Source: Georgia Tech Establishes a New Research Center Focused on Cancer

Study Will Provide Information on How Infectious Diseases May be Transmitted on Aircraft

A new study is expected to provide the first detailed information on how infectious diseases may be transmitted aboard commercial airliners. Sponsored by aircraft manufacturer Boeing, the research will document patterns of passenger movement inside aircraft cabins and inventory the microbes present in cabin air and on surfaces such as tray tables and lavatory fixtures.

Source: Study Will Provide Information on How Infectious Diseases May be Transmitted on Aircraft

Cell Contents May be Key to Controlling Toxicity of Huntington?s Disease Protein

A new study proposes novel therapeutic targets for treating Huntington?s disease. The study found the toxic effects of the huntingtin protein on cells may not be driven exclusively by the length of the protein?s expansion, but also by which other proteins are present in the cell. 

Source: Cell Contents May be Key to Controlling Toxicity of Huntington?s Disease Protein

On Early Earth, Iron May Have Performed Magnesium?s RNA Folding Job

Georgia Tech researchers used experiments and numerical calculations to show that iron, in the absence of oxygen, can substitute for magnesium in RNA binding, folding and catalysis. The findings suggest that 3 billion years ago, on the early earth, iron did the chemical work now done by magnesium.

Source: On Early Earth, Iron May Have Performed Magnesium?s RNA Folding Job

Bird Vocalization Research Could Improve Poultry Production, Lower Costs

Listening to squawks and other chicken "vocalizations" using digital signal processing techniques may help farmers better manage growing conditions, contributing to both healthier birds and more productive poultry operations.

Source: Bird Vocalization Research Could Improve Poultry Production, Lower Costs

Successful Stem Cell Differentiation Requires DNA Compaction, Study Finds

New research findings show that embryonic stem cells unable to fully compact the DNA inside them cannot complete their primary task: differentiation into specific cell types that give rise to the various types of tissues and structures in the body.

Source: Successful Stem Cell Differentiation Requires DNA Compaction, Study Finds

Malaria Detection Model Wins Spring Design Expo

Five mechanical engineering undergraduates designed a cell sorter that aids in malaria detection, winning first place at the Spring 2012 Capstone Design Expo.

Source: Malaria Detection Model Wins Spring Design Expo

Robot Reveals the Inner Workings of Brain Cells

Researchers have automated the process of finding and recording information from neurons in the living brain. A robotic arm guided by a cell-detecting computer algorithm can identify and record from neurons in the living mouse brain with better accuracy and speed than a human experimenter.

Source: Robot Reveals the Inner Workings of Brain Cells

New Molecular Probes Can Identify Strain-induced Changes in Fibronectin Protein That May Lead to Disease

Researchers have identified molecular probes capable of selectively attaching to fibronectin fibers under different strain states, enabling the detection and examination of fibronectin strain events that have been linked to pathological conditions including cancer and fibrosis.

Source: New Molecular Probes Can Identify Strain-induced Changes in Fibronectin Protein That May Lead to Disease

Compressed Sensing Allows Super-Resolution Microscopy Imaging of Live Cell Structures

Researchers have advanced scientists? ability to view a clear picture of a single cellular structure in motion. By identifying molecules using compressed sensing, this new method provides needed spatial resolution plus a faster temporal resolution than previously possible.

Source: Compressed Sensing Allows Super-Resolution Microscopy Imaging of Live Cell Structures

Scientists Study the Catalytic Reactions Used by Plants to Split Oxygen from Water

Green plants produce oxygen from water using a catalytic technique powered by sunlight. Scientists have now shown the importance of a hydrogen-bonding water network to that process -- which is the major source of the Earth's oxygen.

Source: Scientists Study the Catalytic Reactions Used by Plants to Split Oxygen from Water

Weakness Can Be an Advantage in Surviving Deadly Parasites, a New Study Shows

When battling an epidemic of a deadly parasite, less resistance can sometimes be better than more. A new study suggests that a lake?s ecological characteristics influence how freshwater zooplankton Daphnia dentifera evolve to survive epidemics of a virulent yeast parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidate. The study found that Daphnia populations evolved either enhanced resistance or susceptibility to infection depending on the nutrient concentration and predation levels in the lake.

Source: Weakness Can Be an Advantage in Surviving Deadly Parasites, a New Study Shows

Novel Compound Halts Tumor Spread, Improves Brain Cancer Treatment in Animal Studies

By stopping the spread of cancer cells into normal brain tissue in animal models, researchers from Georgia Tech and Emory University have developed a new strategy for treating brain cancer that could improve clinical outcomes. The researchers treated animals possessing an invasive tumor with a novel molecule called imipramine blue, followed by conventional doxorubicin chemotherapy. The tumors ceased their invasion of healthy tissue and the animals survived longer than animals treated with chemotherapy alone.

Source: Novel Compound Halts Tumor Spread, Improves Brain Cancer Treatment in Animal Studies

Researchers Show How New Viruses Evolve, and in Some Cases, Become Deadly

In the current issue of the journal Science, researchers demonstrate how a new virus evolves, which sheds light on how easy it can be for diseases to gain dangerous mutations.

Source: Researchers Show How New Viruses Evolve, and in Some Cases, Become Deadly

Snakes Improve Search-and-Rescue Robots

Designing an all-terrain robot for search-and-rescue
missions is an arduous task for scientists. The machine must be flexible enough
to move over uneven surfaces, yet not so big that it?s restricted from tight
spaces. It might also be required to climb slopes of varying inclines. Existing
robots can do many of these things, but the majority require large amounts of energy
and are prone to overheating. Georgia Tech researchers have designed a new machine
by studying the locomotion of snakes.

Source: Snakes Improve Search-and-Rescue Robots

Startup Receives $4 Million to Develop Drug Delivery Targeted to the Back of the Eye

Technology developed by Georgia Tech and Emory University researchers for delivering drugs and other therapeutics to specific locations in the eye provides the foundation for a startup company that has received a $4 million venture capital investment.

Source: Startup Receives $4 Million to Develop Drug Delivery Targeted to the Back of the Eye

Survey Reveals Scientists Have Trouble Accessing Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines

A survey of U.S. stem cell researchers found that nearly four in ten researchers have faced excessive delay in acquiring a human embryonic stem cell line and that more than one-quarter were unable to acquire a line they wanted to study.

Source: Survey Reveals Scientists Have Trouble Accessing Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines

Study Identifies Mechanisms Cells Use to Remove Bits of RNA from DNA Strands

When RNA ribonucleotides become embedded in genomic DNA, they can cause problems for cells, but not much is known about the fate of these ribonucleotides. A new study identifies two mechanisms cells use to recognize and remove ribonucleotides from DNA.

Source: Study Identifies Mechanisms Cells Use to Remove Bits of RNA from DNA Strands

Study to Explore Microneedle Patches for Polio Vaccination

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have received a grant to study the use of microneedle patches for the low-cost administration of polio vaccine.

Source: Study to Explore Microneedle Patches for Polio Vaccination

"Junk DNA" Defines Differences Between Humans and Chimps

DNA sequences for human and chimpanzees are nearly indentical, despite vast phenotypical differences between the two species. Georgia Tech researchers have determined that the insertion and deletion of large pieces of DNA near genes
are highly variable between humans and chimpanzees and may account for these major
differences.

Source: "Junk DNA" Defines Differences Between Humans and Chimps

Studying Bacteria Communication for Future Nanoscale Networks

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working on communication solutions for networks so futuristic they don?t even exist yet.The team is investigating how to get devices a million times smaller than the length of an ant to communicate with one another to form nanonetworks. And they are using a different take on ?cellular? communication?namely how bacteria communicate with one another?to find a solution.

Source: Studying Bacteria Communication for Future Nanoscale Networks

Georgia Tech and Shepherd Center Awarded $4.75 Million Grant

The Georgia Institute of Technology and Shepherd
Center have been awarded a $4.75 million, five-year grant from the U.S.
Department of Education?s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) for research and development of wireless technologies aimed at
enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. The
grant supports the continuation of a decade of innovative research and
engineering at the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC),
a collaboration between Shepherd Center and Georgia Tech.

Source: Georgia Tech and Shepherd Center Awarded $4.75 Million Grant

Scientists Identify Molecules Used by Certain Seaweed to Harm Coral

Scientists for the first time have identified and mapped the chemical structure of molecules used by certain species of marine seaweed to kill or inhibit the growth of reef-building coral.

Source: Scientists Identify Molecules Used by Certain Seaweed to Harm Coral

Georgia Tech Researchers Receive Three NSF Emerging Frontiers Awards

The National Science Foundation has awarded $6 million through its Division of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation to fund three projects involving researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Source: Georgia Tech Researchers Receive Three NSF Emerging Frontiers Awards

Scientists Turn Back the Clock on Adult Stem Cells Aging

Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human
adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate.
The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of
ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. 

Source: Scientists Turn Back the Clock on Adult Stem Cells Aging

Transformative NIH Grant Will Support Development of Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $2 million to researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University to develop a new class of therapeutics for treating traumatic injuries and degenerative diseases.

Source: Transformative NIH Grant Will Support Development of Tissue Regeneration Therapeutics

Fast-Evolving Genes Control Developmental Differences in Social Insects

A new study found that genes involved in creating different sexes, life stages and castes of fire ants and honeybees evolved more rapidly than genes not involved in these developmental processes.

Source: Fast-Evolving Genes Control Developmental Differences in Social Insects

Scientists Spend Ten Days Underwater to Study Coral Reef Protection

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology is using the Aquarius underwater laboratory off the coast of Florida to study how the diversity of seaweed-eating fish affects endangered coral reefs.

Source: Scientists Spend Ten Days Underwater to Study Coral Reef Protection

Seaweed Polymer May Improve Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

By looking to Mother Nature for solutions, researchers have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes that could not only boost energy storage, but also eliminate the use of toxic compounds now used in manufacturing the components.

Source: Seaweed Polymer May Improve Electrodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Researchers are Developing Technologies to Improve the Treatment for Premature Fusion of Skull Bones in Children

Researchers in the Atlanta-based Center for Pediatric Healthcare Technology Innovation are developing technologies to better diagnose and treat children with craniosynostosis.

Source: Researchers are Developing Technologies to Improve the Treatment for Premature Fusion of Skull Bones in Children

Study of Tricuspid Valve Mechanics Uncovers Causes for Leakage

Millions experience leakage from their heart's tricuspid valve, but what causes it is not well understood. A new study found that either dilating the valve opening or displacing the papillary muscles that control its operation can cause the valve to leak.

Source: Study of Tricuspid Valve Mechanics Uncovers Causes for Leakage

Scientists Uncover an Unhealthy Herds Hypothesis

Biologists worldwide subscribe to the healthy herds
hypothesis, but could it be that predators can also make prey populations more
susceptible to other predators or even parasites? Biologists at the Georgia
Institute of Technology have discovered at least one animal whose defenses
against a predator make it a good target for one opportunistic parasite. The
research appears online in the journal Functional
Ecology.

Source: Scientists Uncover an Unhealthy Herds Hypothesis

New Study Supports Darwin's Hypothesis on Competition Between Species

A new study provides support for Darwin's hypothesis that the struggle for existence is stronger between more closely related species.

Source: New Study Supports Darwin's Hypothesis on Competition Between Species

Audio Streaming: Speech of Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have A Dream"

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Ikaw Ra Ang Kanunay Nga Ginadamgo

Novel Radiation Surveillance Technology Could Help Thwart Nuclear Terrorism

Georgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype radiation-detection system that uses rare-earth elements and other materials at the nanoscale. The system could be used to enhance radiation-detection devices used at ports, border crossings, airports and elsewhere.

Source: Novel Radiation Surveillance Technology Could Help Thwart Nuclear Terrorism

Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Receives $1.5 Million to Create Online Collaborative Vehicle Design Capability

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has received a $1.5 million contract to produce an online environment that would let multiple design teams work together to develop new military vehicles.

Source: Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) Receives $1.5 Million to Create Online Collaborative Vehicle Design Capability

Georgia Tech Helps to Develop System That Will Detect Insider Threats from Massive Data Sets

Researchers at Georgia Tech are developing new approaches for identifying "insider threats" before an incident occurs. They are creating a suite of algorithms that can detect threats by analyzing massive amounts of computer data for unusual activity.

Source: Georgia Tech Helps to Develop System That Will Detect Insider Threats from Massive Data Sets

Paper-based Wireless Sensor Could Help Detect Explosive Devices

Georgia Tech researchers have developed a prototype wireless sensor capable of detecting trace amounts of a key ingredient found in many explosives. The low-cost sensors include carbon nanotubes and can be printed on paper.

Source: Paper-based Wireless Sensor Could Help Detect Explosive Devices

Georgia Tech Research Institute Leads $10 M Open Source Initiative

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate has named the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to lead implementation efforts for the five-year, $10 million Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) program.

Source: Georgia Tech Research Institute Leads $10 M Open Source Initiative

Team Robot: Autonomous Vehicles Collaborate to Explore, Map Buildings

In a project sponsored by the Army Research Laboratory, researchers are giving autonomous robots the ability to work together to explore and map the interiors of buildings. Beyond soldiers, the capability could also help civilian first responders.

Source: Team Robot: Autonomous Vehicles Collaborate to Explore, Map Buildings

Georgia Tech Assists in Identifying Files for United Kingdom Archive

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are sharing results of advanced file-format recognition research with The National Archives of the United Kingdom.  The effort could enhance worldwide capability to manage the vast array of file formats.

Source: Georgia Tech Assists in Identifying Files for United Kingdom Archive

Unstable Protein Can Mediate Effects of Cellular Stress on Prions

Scientists discover how an unstable protein, known as Lsb2 can control and regulate the formation of infectious protein particles called prions. 

Source: Unstable Protein Can Mediate Effects of Cellular Stress on Prions

New Contrast Agents Detect Bacterial Infections with High Sensitivity and Specificity

Novel contrast agents that sneak into bacteria disguised as glucose food can detect bacterial infections in animals with high sensitivity and specificity. These agents can also distinguish a bacterial infection from other inflammatory conditions.

Source: New Contrast Agents Detect Bacterial Infections with High Sensitivity and Specificity

R&D Collaboration Focuses on Measuring & Improving Human Vision

With R&D assistance from Georgia Tech and seed funding from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), an Atlanta-based company is developing what it hopes will be the next-generation instrument for optimizing eyesight for the hundreds of millions of people who wear glasses or contacts.

Source: R&D Collaboration Focuses on Measuring & Improving Human Vision

Study Shows H1N1 Microneedle Vaccine Protects Better Than Injection

Vaccine delivered to the skin using a microneedle patch gives better protection against the H1N1 influenza virus than a vaccine delivered through subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, researchers have found.

Source: Study Shows H1N1 Microneedle Vaccine Protects Better Than Injection

Unique Gel Capsule Structure Enables Multiple Drug Delivery

Chemists have designed a multiple-compartment gel capsule that can simultaneously deliver hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs. The microcapsules could be used for the treatment of diseases like cancer, which is often treated using combination chemotherapy.

Source: Unique Gel Capsule Structure Enables Multiple Drug Delivery

Meta-Analysis Reveals Patterns of Bacteria-Virus Infection Networks

A meta-analysis of bacteria-virus infections reveals a nested structure, with hard-to-infect bacteria infected by generalist viruses and easy-to-infect bacteria attacked by generalist & specialist viruses.

Source: Meta-Analysis Reveals Patterns of Bacteria-Virus Infection Networks

Application for iPhone May Help Monitor Parkinson's Disease

Researchers have developed a novel iPhone application that may enable persons with Parkinson?s disease and certain other neurological conditions to use the devices to collect data on hand and arm tremors and relay the results to medical personnel.

Source: Application for iPhone May Help Monitor Parkinson's Disease

Engineers Control the Environment to Direct Stem Cell Differentiation

New research shows that systematically controlling the local and global environments during stem cell development helps to effectively direct their differentiation.

Source: Engineers Control the Environment to Direct Stem Cell Differentiation

NIH Awards $5 Million for Development of Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccines

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded nearly $5.4 million to a collaborative team of scientists at Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology and Texas Biomedical Research Institute to develop vaccines for prevention of deadly hemorrhagic fevers.

Source: NIH Awards $5 Million for Development of Hemorrhagic Fever Vaccines

Study Provides New Means for Classifying E. Coli Bacteria & Testing for Fecal Contamination

The meaning of the standard fecal coliform test used to monitor water quality has been called into question by a new study that identified sources of Escherichia coli bacteria that might not indicate an environmental hazard.

Source: Study Provides New Means for Classifying E. Coli Bacteria & Testing for Fecal Contamination

Adaptation in Proteins Provides Evidence that Organisms on Early Earth Lived in a Hot, Acidic Environment

A new study reveals that a group of ancient enzymes adapted to substantial changes in ocean temperature and acidity during the last four billion years, providing evidence that life on Early Earth evolved from a much hotter, more acidic environment.

Source: Adaptation in Proteins Provides Evidence that Organisms on Early Earth Lived in a Hot, Acidic Environment

Bird Embryo Provides Unique Insights into Developmental Phenomena

Avian embryos could become model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, a developmental process involving mass movement of cells as a sheet that is linked with medical conditions that include wound healing and cancer.

Source: Bird Embryo Provides Unique Insights into Developmental Phenomena

Two Georgia Tech Faculty Listed Among Top Chemists and Material Scientists of the Decade

Mostafa El-Sayed and Jean-Luc Bredas, both faculty in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry in Georgia Tech's College of Sciences, were each named as one of the top scientists of the past decade by Thomson-Reuters.

Source: Two Georgia Tech Faculty Listed Among Top Chemists and Material Scientists of the Decade

How Do People Respond to Being Touched by a Robot?

In an initial study, researchers at the Georgia
Institute of Technology found people generally had a positive response toward
being touched by a robotic nurse, but that their perception of the robot?s
intent made a significant difference.

Source: How Do People Respond to Being Touched by a Robot?

Researchers Predict Age of T Cells to Improve Cancer Treatment

Researchers are accurately predicting T cell age and quality in order to improve the effectiveness of the cancer therapy known as adoptive T cell transfer, which is currently limited by the cells' finite lifespan.

Source: Researchers Predict Age of T Cells to Improve Cancer Treatment

Compounds from Tropical Seaweed May be Promising Anti-malarial Drugs

A group of chemical compounds used by a species of tropical seaweed to ward off fungus attacks may have promising anti-malarial properties for humans.  The compounds are part of a unique chemical signaling system that seaweeds use to battle enemies.

Source: Compounds from Tropical Seaweed May be Promising Anti-malarial Drugs

GTRI Supports Health Resources Systems in Kenya and Zimbabwe

Researchers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are helping to automate human resource information systems for health care professionals in two African nations, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

Source: GTRI Supports Health Resources Systems in Kenya and Zimbabwe

Discovery May Lead to Turning Back the Clock on Ovarian Cancer

Cancer
researchers have discovered that a type of regulatory RNA may be effective in
fighting ovarian cancer. This new discovery may allow
physicians to turn back the clock of the tumor's life cycle to a phase where
traditional chemotherapy can better do its job.

Source: Discovery May Lead to Turning Back the Clock on Ovarian Cancer

Study Suggests New Treatment Option for Ovarian Cancer

A paper published in the January issue of the journal Nanomedicine could provide the foundation for a new ovarian cancer treatment option -- using an outside-the-body filtration device to remove a large portion of free-floating cancer cells.

Source: Study Suggests New Treatment Option for Ovarian Cancer

Study Maps Process Used by T Cells to Discriminate Pathogens

Researchers have for the first time mapped the complex choreography used by the immune system's T cells to recognize pathogens while avoiding attacks on the body's own cells.

Source: Study Maps Process Used by T Cells to Discriminate Pathogens

Software Quantifies Leaf Vein Networks, Enables Plant Biology Advances

By studying a plant's vein network pattern, biologists can investigate the plant's response to changing environments. To quickly examine leaves, researchers developed software that extracts information about macroscopic vein structures directly from leaf images.

Source: Software Quantifies Leaf Vein Networks, Enables Plant Biology Advances

Georgia Tech Team Helps Decode Newly Sequenced Strawberry Genome

Georgia Tech Regents professor Mark Borodovsky led efforts in identifying protein-coding genes in the newly sequenced woodland strawberry genome. The development is expected to yield tastier, hardier varieties of the berry and other crops in its family.

Source: Georgia Tech Team Helps Decode Newly Sequenced Strawberry Genome

Microfluidic Device Rapidly Orients Hundreds of Fly Embryos

Researchers have developed a microfluidic device that orients hundreds of fruit fly embryos to prepare them for research. The device could facilitate the study of such issues as how organisms develop their complex structures from single cells.

Source: Microfluidic Device Rapidly Orients Hundreds of Fly Embryos

New Study Classifies and Analyzes Protein-Protein Interfaces

A new study published this week suggests that there may be roughly a thousand structurally-distinct protein-protein interfaces -- and that their structures depend largely on the simple physics of the proteins.

Source: New Study Classifies and Analyzes Protein-Protein Interfaces

States Now Fund Majority of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

States, not the federal government, now fund the majority of
human embryonic stem cell research conducted in the United States, according to
a study by Aaron Levine in the journal Nature Biotechnology.  In addition, much of the research performed
in the states could likely have been funded by the National Institutes of
Health under federal guidelines established by President Bush in 2001. 

Source: States Now Fund Majority of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research

Traveling Through the Volcanic Conduit

Scientists widely believe that volcanic particle size is determined by the initial fragmentation process, when bubbly magma deep in the volcano changes into gas-particle flows. But new Georgia Tech research indicates a more dynamic process where the amount and size of volcanic ash actually depend on what happens afterward, as the particles race toward the surface.

Source: Traveling Through the Volcanic Conduit

Study Shows Availability of Hydrogen Controls Chemical Structure of Graphene Oxide

A new study shows that the availability of hydrogen plays a significant role in determining the chemical and structural makeup of graphene oxide, a material that has potential uses in nano-electronics, nano-electromechanical systems, sensing, composites, optics, catalysis and energy storage.

Source: Study Shows Availability of Hydrogen Controls Chemical Structure of Graphene Oxide

Technique Creates Single Photons for Quantum Information Processing

Using lasers to excite just one atom from a cloud of ultra-cold rubidium gas, physicists have developed a new way to rapidly and efficiently create single photons for potential use in optical quantum information processing ? and in the study of dynamics and disorder in certain physical systems. 

Source: Technique Creates Single Photons for Quantum Information Processing

IceCube Neutrino Observatory Explores Origin of Cosmic Rays

In a paper published in the journal Nature, scientists using data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory describe a search for neutrinos emitted from 300 gamma ray bursts. The study's findings contradict 15 years of predictions and challenge one of the leading theories for the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays.

Source: IceCube Neutrino Observatory Explores Origin of Cosmic Rays

Researchers Develop Blueprint for Nuclear Clock Accurate Over Billions of Years

A clock accurate to within a tenth of a second over 14 billion years ? the age of the universe ? is the goal of research being reported this week in the journal Physical Review Letters. The research provides the blueprint for a nuclear clock based on a single thorium ion.

Source: Researchers Develop Blueprint for Nuclear Clock Accurate Over Billions of Years

Scientists Score Another Victory Over Uncertainty in Quantum Physics Measurements

Uncertainty affects the accuracy with which measurements can be made in quantum physics. To reduce this uncertainty, physicists have learned to "squeeze" certain measurements. Researchers are now reporting a new type of measurement that can be squeezed to improve precision.

Source: Scientists Score Another Victory Over Uncertainty in Quantum Physics Measurements

New Technique Produces Free-standing Piezoelectric Ferroelectric Nanostructures from PZT Material

Researchers have developed a ?soft template infiltration? technique for fabricating free-standing piezoelectrically active ferroelectric nanotubes and other nanostructures from PZT ? a material that is attractive because of its large piezoelectric response. Developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the technique allows fabrication of ferroelectric nanostructures with user-defined shapes, location and pattern variation across the same substrate.

Source: New Technique Produces Free-standing Piezoelectric Ferroelectric Nanostructures from PZT Material

$8.5 Million Research Initiative Will Study Best Approaches for Quantum Memories

The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has awarded $8.5 million to a consortium of seven U.S. universities that will work together to determine the best approach for generating quantum memories based on interaction between light and matter.

Source: $8.5 Million Research Initiative Will Study Best Approaches for Quantum Memories

Low-Cost Instrument Developed by Students Could Aid Weather Research

Under the guidance of Georgia Tech researchers, a group of high school students has designed, built and tested a low-cost version of a device that monitors the buildup of electrical charge in clouds. A network of such devices, known as field mills, could be used to learn more about the lightning that is part of severe weather -- while providing real-world science and engineering experience for the students.

Source: Low-Cost Instrument Developed by Students Could Aid Weather Research

A Two-Dimensional Electron Liquid Solidifies in a Magnetic Field

Physicists from the Georgia Institute of
Technology have developed a theory that describes, in a unified manner, the
coexistence of liquid and pinned solid phases of electrons in two dimensions
under the influence of a magnetic field. The theory also describes the
transition between these phases as the field is varied.

Source: A Two-Dimensional Electron Liquid Solidifies in a Magnetic Field

Zinc Oxide Microwires Improve Performance of  Light-Emitting Diodes

Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light.

Source: Zinc Oxide Microwires Improve Performance of  Light-Emitting Diodes

New Study Shows Role of Insoluble Dust Particles in Cloud Formation

New information on the role of insoluble dust particles in forming cloud droplets could improve the accuracy of regional climate models, especially in areas of the world that have significant amounts of mineral aerosols in the atmosphere.

Source: New Study Shows Role of Insoluble Dust Particles in Cloud Formation