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Yeast Strain Could Enhance Biofuels and Biochemicals Production
Research suggests that biofuels may be able to compete economically against conventional fuels with the development and use of a mutant yeast strain.
Membranes Deliver Clean Water More Efficiently
Researchers from the Melbourne School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne, in conjunction with Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, have developed new membranes or micro-filters that are expected to clean water in a more energy efficient manner using layer-by-layer polymer assembly.
Packaging Materials Find Second Use in Rechargeable Batteries
Discarded peanut-shaped packing materials may be turned into components for rechargeable batteries, according to researchers from Purdue University.
Smart Sensors Hit the Road
Engineering360 looks at how electronics sensors are playing a role in monitoring U.S. infrastructure.
UK Government to Back Robotics and Autonomous Systems Development
The UK government plans to create a Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Leadership Council to support new types of robotics and autonomous technology. The aim is for the UK to become a global player in the sector.
University of Illinois to Create Engineering-Medical School, Said to Be a First
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is establishing what it says is among the first colleges of medicine in the U.S. focused on the intersection of medicine and engineering.
3D Printing Method Grows Objects in Liquid at a Rapid Pace
Researchers from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and start-up firm Carbon3D have created a 3D printing technology that they say can grow objects in liquid.
NEMA Publishes Roadway and Lighting Standard
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published an ANSI standard that will be useful to the roadway and area lighting manufacturers, municipalities and utilities.
Tesla to Address Range Anxiety by Tracking Charging Station Proximity
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk says that Tesla has an upcoming over-the-air software update to its Model S cars. Software Version 6.2 will constantly track the car's proximity to Tesla-dedicated charging stations, range left in the battery based on terrain and other factors.
Creating a Solar Electric Forest with 3D Printed Trees
Scientists at VTT Technical Research Center of Finland (VTT) create 3D-printed trees that harvest solar energy from their surroundings.
Interior Department Issues Rule for Fracking on U.S. Public and Tribal Land
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell released final standards that the Department says will support "safe and responsible" hydraulic fracturing on public and American Indian lands.
Wave-power Buoy Pulls Through Winter Storms Off U.S. Pacific Coast
For six years, a team of Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) engineers has been developing an experimental buoy that creates electrical energy from ocean waves.
Cyber Threats and the Wired Vehicle: Cause for Concern?
High-tech, interconnected systems are almost ubiquitous in automobiles.The result is a new arena for cyber warfare, one with the potential to place millions of drivers in the technological crosshairs.
IEC Energy Efficiency Classifications for Electric Motors
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has put in place energy-efficiency classifications for electric motors across four levels of motor efficiency: IE1 Standard Efficiency, IE2 High Efficiency, IE3 Premium Efficiency and IE4 Super Premium Efficiency.
IHS VP Ambassador Carlos Pascual Testifies on Economic Benefits of Lifting U.S. Crude Oil Export Ban
IHS Vice President, Ambassador Carlos Pascual testified March 19 on the economic benefits to be gained by lifting the 1970s-era ban on U.S exports of crude oil before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Japanese Nuclear Power Reactors to Be Retired
Kansai Electric Power Co. and Japan Atomic Power Co. (JAPC) are decommissioning three nuclear power plants that were shut down after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011 rather than applying to meet requirements introduced in 2013 by the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), reported World Nuclear News.
Many Plastics Labeled "Biodegradable" Don't Break Down as Expected
A study published in the American Chemical Society journal Environmental Science and Technology finds that plastics designed to degrade did not break down any faster than their conventional counterparts.
NASA to Test Composite Wing with Battery-powered Electric Motors
As part of NASA's Leading Edge Asynchronous Propeller Technology (LEAPTech) project, NASA will conduct a ground test of a 31-foot carbon composite wing section with 18 electric-powered motors.
Recycling Standards May Need Revision as 3D Printing Expands
Buying plastic filament for 3D printing can be expensive, says Joshua Pearce, the lead researcher in the Open Sustainability Technology group at Michigan Technological University.
Researchers Develop Cool-temperature Process to Make Better Graphene
A technique invented at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to produce graphene--a material made up of an atom-thick layer of carbon--at room temperature could help pave the way for commercially feasible graphene-based solar cells and light-emitting diodes.