Researchers carry out the largest genetic sequencing of human diseases to date

According to reports published on May 23, 2013, researchers at the University of London, England, have carried out the largest human disease sequencing study to date. In their study, the scientists investigated the genetic basis of six autoimmune diseases. The exact cause of these diseases is unknown: autoimmune thyroid diseases, Celia’s disease, Cohn’s disease, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, and type 1 diabetes, but it is believed to be a complex combination of genetic and environmental factors.

The scientists, who published their findings in the journal Nature, estimate that rare risk gene variants account for only about 3 percent of the heritability of these conditions that can be explained by common variants. They say the genetic risk for these diseases is more likely to involve a complex combination of hundreds of weak-effect variants, each of which is common in people.

Biological engineers create sweat resistant fabrics

Biological engineers at the University of California, USA, said on May 21, 2013 that they had invented a waterproof fabric that can wick sweat away using micro-fluid technology. The new fabric works like human skin. Converts excessive sweat into droplets that drain on their own. In their research, they developed a new microfluidic platform using water-attracting (hydrophilic) threads that are sewn into a highly water-repellent fabric. They were able to create thread patterns that suck water droplets from one side of the fabric, propel them along the threads, and eventually push them out the other side.

It is not just that the threads conduct water by capillarity. The water-repellent properties of the surrounding fabric also help guide water through the channels. Unlike conventional fabrics, the water pumping effect continues to work even when the water-conducting fibers are completely saturated, due to the pressure generated by the surface tension of the droplets. The rest of the fabric remains completely dry. By adjusting the pattern of the water-conducting fibers and how they are sewn on each side of the fabric, researchers can control where sweat collects and where it drains to the outside.

Human skin cells converted to embryonic stem cells

According to a report published on May 16, 2013, in a medical breakthrough, scientists have for the first time converted human skin cells into embryonic stem cells. These newly created stem cells are capable of transforming into any other type of cell in the human body. Cloned embryos, created by scientists at the National Primate Health Center in Oregon, USA, can produce new heart muscles and new bones in addition to brain tissue or any other type of cell in the body. The scientists used the same cloning technique that Dolly the sheep (the first cloned mammal) had created in 1996, overcoming the technical problems that had frustrated them for more than a decade on how to create batches of body super cells from donated skin.

The new technique devised by the scientists is a variation on a commonly used method called somatic cell nuclear transfer. It involves transplanting the nucleus of a cell, which contains an individual’s DNA, into an egg from which its genetic material has been extracted. The fertilized egg then develops and eventually produces stem cells. The process is relatively efficient and requires a relatively small number of human eggs to produce each cell line, making it practical and feasible.

A mask that grants “superhuman” powers to the wearer

The Royal College of Art in London announced on May 9, 2013 that its researchers had developed two 3D printed masks that can give the wearer “superhuman” sight and hearing. One of the masks covers the wearer’s ears, mouth, and nose and uses a directional microphone to give them the ability to hear isolated sound in a noisy environment. With the mask on, the user can select a person from the crowd and hear their words without any surrounding noise.

The other prototype must be worn over the eyes. A camera captures video and sends it to a computer, which can apply a set of effects to it in real time and return it to the user. The user can use the mask to see patterns of movement, similar to the effects of long exposure photography.

According to the developers, the technology has many possible applications. The wearer could use the visual mask to analyze movement and technique in sports. Concert goers can use the hearing mask to focus on a specific performer.

Scientists find a green way to forge steel

According to a report published on May 8, 2013, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, have developed a technique to reduce smoke emissions during the steel forging process. This can go a long way toward changing the image of steelmaking as one of the most polluting industries. In addition, there may be other side benefits as the resulting steel, according to scientists, could be of higher purity. The process can also be cheaper than existing ones.

The researchers found that a process known as molten oxide electrolysis could use iron oxide from the lunar soil to create oxygen without special chemistry. They tested the process using moon-like soil from a meteor crater in Arizona, USA, where there are enough traces of iron oxide, and found that it produced steel as a by-product. The researchers’ method used an iridium anode, which is expensive and in limited supply, making it not feasible for bulk steel production. However, after further research, they identified an inexpensive metal alloy that can replace the iridium anode in molten oxide electrolysis.

An insect-inspired camera with a 180-degree view

According to reports published on May 2, 2013, scientists from the University of Illinois and Northwestern University, USA, have developed a new insect-inspired camera that can take 180-degree photos and deliver exceptionally sharp images. The camera has 180 miniature lenses and an exceptionally wide field of view. Humans capture images using the two lenses of our relatively flat eyes, whereas a high-quality SLR camera has only one flat lens. The new camera has a rounded half bubble, similar to the bulging eye of a fly, and has 180 microlenses mounted, allowing you to take pictures at almost 180 degrees. This is only possible for an insect eye camera.

With its wide-angle field of view, the new technology could be used in future surveillance devices or for imaging in medical procedures (such as endoscopy). Its developers say that it would be quite simple to combine two of the hemispheres they have demonstrated to get a 360-degree view. This is basically because the procedure involves mounting many small eyes on one large eye. Each small eye, made up of a microlens and a microscale photodetector, is an independent imaging system. When all of these eyes are taken together, they will be able to take a clear picture, with just one click, in almost 360 degrees.

New aerial robot inspired by flies



Researchers from Harvard University, USA, have successfully designed, manufactured and piloted a small robot inspired by flies. The demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot marks the culmination of more than a decade of work. It was created jointly by the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard.

The project is called Robbie. It is inspired by the biology of a fly, with sub-millimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap almost invisibly (about 120 times per second). The tiny device represents the absolute cutting edge of micro manufacturing and control systems.

Scientists develop technology that can turn any surface into a touch screen

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, have developed a new technology that can allow users to turn any surface into a touch screen with just a wave of the hand. It proved that the based interface can be created ‘anywhere almost at will. This is a significant improvement on previous technologies that required some depth camera systems combined with ‘a projector to turn any surface into a touch screen.

The new system is known as the World Kit. It allows one person to rub the arm of a sofa to “paint” a TV remote or run a hand through an office door to post a calendar from which subsequent users can ” download “an extended version. These temporary interfaces can be moved, modified, or removed with similar gestures, making them highly customized.

The researchers used a ceiling-mounted camera and projector to record room geometries, detect hand gestures, and project images onto desired surfaces. Users can summon switches, message boards, indicator lights, and a variety of other interface designs from one menu. The developers say that users will finally be able to design custom interfaces with gestures.

A robot that can accurately predict human actions

Scientists at Cornell University’s Personal Robotics Laboratory, USA, said on May 4, 2013 that they had developed a new “smart” robot that can predict human actions with surprising accuracy. The robot can refill its teacher’s empty coffee cup and can also hold the door open for him / her. In addition, it can perform various other tasks. Basically the robot learns to anticipate human actions and then adjust accordingly.

Using a database of 120 3D videos of people doing common household activities, the robot has been trained to identify human activities by tracking body movements. By observing a new scene with its 3D camera, the robot identifies the activities it sees, considers what uses are possible with the objects in the scene, and how those uses fit in with the activities.