Keck Futures Initiative Announces Grant Recipients; $1 Million Awarded for 14 Research Projects: “KAM LEONG and LINGCHONG YOU, Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Engineering ‘Microbial Swarmbots’ for Medical Applications - $75,000
These researchers will engineer microbial swarmbots as a platform technology for delivery of bioactive agents to combat infectious diseases. A microbial swarmbot is a small population of bacterial cells that are autonomously regulated by synthetic gene circuits and are encapsulated in microcapsules built from synthetic or natural polymers.”

Lingchong You’s research focuses on a strategy of promoting cell to cell communication. His goal is that he will be able to promote hte natural quorum communication potential in cell’s and combine this with “cell killing” traits. The purpose is to reduce variability such that the cells will perform as intended as a group.

Kam Leong came from John Hopkins to the Pratt School of Engineering to lead the nanomedicine initiative. Kam Leong has a long history in working with biodegradable polymers intended to deliver medicines or agents to targeted locations in a system.

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The fine folks at NASA are working on a new and improved Positron powered space ship for the future mission to Mars.

Typically, a Positron drive would create power through Gama ray emissions.

Gama rays are extremely dangerous, can pass through most any type of matter on Earth, and tend to break cells down, which is obviously not a healthy side effect.

Today NASA is working on a new and improved drive that would create less powerful Gama Rays with a less dangerous side effect.

NASA - New and Improved Antimatter Spaceship for Mars Missions

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“A South Korean company developed a coin-size laser video projector module that can fit into portable gadgets such as mobile phones and digital cameras.”

Iljin Display has come up with a projector that can be built into a cell phone. Iljin expects about 5% of cell phones will offer a built in projector by 2010.

On a humorous note, 2020 will be an even more interesting year. In 2020, Airports will ban cell phones with built in light sabers.

The Korea Times : Phone to Carry Video Projector

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At a press conference in Korea intended to promote the new Samsung Origami unit called Q1, the presenters ran into technical issues. They were attempting to run the presentation with an actual Q1 (Samsung Origami unit) and technical glitches seemed to steel the show.

The presenter from Samsung had difficulty toggling pages & then before his presentation ended the battery on his Q1 died.

The presenter from Microsoft didn’t fair much better, requiring assistance and then a technical glitch fast forwarded through his slides in just a few seconds.

The third and final presenter from Intel tried to make a brave show of it, but also required assistance from a staff member to get the unit to function.

The unit has already been criticized for having a short battery life (3 hours normal use/ 2 hours DVD), and to have one die in the middle of a presentation by the makers does not help ease the situation.

It would appear that all three groups are going to have to push for an upgrade option for a better battery. Training programs might not hurt either.

The Korea Times : ‘Origami’ Stumps CEOs in Jobs-Style Presentation

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Researchers are getting closer to finding a light source to compete with incadescent lighting. If successful, they could provide lighting that reduces energy requirements by 20%.

Next stop is to find a plastic that does not allow any moisture as current versions of the light source degrade in the presence of moisture. For you plastic makers out there, lets get to work!

Perfect light source invented - vnunet.com: “‘With a future emphasis on manufacturing technology, this structure may provide an important, low-cost and efficient means that will replace incandescent lighting in many different applications.’”

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