1. Optical Waveguide Connects Semiconductor Chips: Photonic Wire Bond Transmits Data in the Terabit Range
“A team of KIT researchers directed by
Professor Christian Koos has succeeded in developing a novel optical connection
between semiconductor chips. "Photonic wire bonding" reaches data
transmission rates in the range of several terabits per second and is suited
perfectly for production on the industrial scale. In the future, this
technology may be used in high-performance emitter-receiver systems for optical
data transmission and, thus, contribute to reducing energy consumption of the
internet. The scientists published their results in the journal Optics
Express.
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| (The wire bond is adapted to the position and orientation of the chips. (Credit: N. Lindenmann and G. Balthasar)) |
Communication
processes can be made quicker and more energy-efficient with photonic
components. Development of high-performance optical emitters and receivers
integrated on microchips has already reached a high level. However, there have
not yet been any satisfactory possibilities of bridging semiconductor chips
optically.”--ScienceDaily
2.
3-D Time-Lapse Imaging Captures Twisted Root
Mechanics for First Time
“Using an
advanced 3-D time-lapse imaging system, a group of physicists and plant
biologists from Cornell University and the Boyce Thompson Institute for
Plant Research have discovered how certain plant roots exhibit powerful
mechanical abilities while navigating their environment.
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(Twisted
cell file patterns. Columnar cell files above the helical region. Twisted cell
files in the helical region. (Credit: Cornell University)
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The research,
published in this week's online Early Edition of Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences, could eventually assist in breeding crop
plants optimized for growth in areas where climate change or over farming has
led to difficult soil conditions.The researchers grew Medicago truncatula plants
in a transparent gel consisting of two layers -- a soft, top layer and a stiff,
lower layer. The roots grew straight down until reaching the lower layer, where
they began to twist and buckle into spring-like shapes, much like a string
begins to curl if it's continuously twisted in one direction.
Combining 3-D
movies with measurements and mathematical modeling, the research sheds new
light on root growth revealing the role mechanics plays in determining the root
shapes. Ultimately, this led to a previously unknown connection between root
geometry, growth, and force generation” --ScienceDaily
3. First-Ever
Imaging of Cells Growing On Spherical Surfaces
“Shengyuan
Yang, Florida Institute of Technology assistant professor of mechanical and
aerospace engineering, with graduate student Sang Joo Lee, has published a
paper on the first-ever imaging of cells growing on spherical surfaces. The
paper is published in the online journal Review of Scientific Instruments,
and will appear later in September in the print version.The potential
biomedical applications of the researchers' technique include new strategies
and devices for the early detection and isolation of cancer cells, facilitating
new methods of treating cancer tissues. "We also foresee new strategies
and techniques to control the differentiation of stem cells and the
morphologies and structures of the resulting cells and tissues," said
Yang.
The effects
of substrate stiffness on cell behaviors have been extensively studied;
however, the effects of substrate curvature are not well-documented. The
curvature of the surface on which cells adhere can have profound effects on
cell behaviors, according to Yang.” --ScienceDaily
4.
New Tool Offers Unprecedented
Access for Root Studies
“Plant roots are fascinating plant organs --
they not only anchor the plant, but are also the world's most efficient mining companies.
Roots live in darkness and direct the activities of the other organs, as well
as interact with the surrounding environment. Charles Darwin posited in The
Power of Movement of Plants that the root system acts as a plant's brain.
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Due
to the difficulty of accessing root tissue in intact live plants, research of
these hidden parts has always lagged behind research on the more visible parts
of plants. But now: a new technology--developed jointly by Carnegie and
Stanford University--could revolutionize root research. The findings will be
published in the large-scale biology section of the December issue of The
Plant Cell.” --ScienceDaily
