Highlights
Silicon
Clear predictions
22 April 2014Computer modeling is assisting the design of optical modulators with low losses to improve optical communications
B Cells
Subverting the sneeze
22 April 2014Disease-causing IgE antibodies are kept under wraps to avoid allergic responses
Heart
Building a heart
22 April 2014Newly identified hormone ELABELA regulates the generation of the embryo’s endoderm and is required for the normal formation of the heart
Conformal Mapping Transformation
More speed, less interference
22 April 2014A semi-analytical model can compute electromagnetic interference on an electronic circuit board ten times faster than existing commercial software
Data Storage Institute (DSI)
A transistor for light
22 April 2014A high-performance ‘photonic transistor’ that switches light signals instead of electronic signals could revolutionize optical signal processing
Cancer
The significance of silence
22 April 2014An enzyme that silences DNA activity may be crucially involved in health and cancer
Metal-organic Frameworks
Metal–organic ‘micromushrooms’ repel all
8 April 2014A clever chemical transformation yields surface-bound microstructures that efficiently drive away oil- and water-based contaminants
Piezoelectric Materials
Multilayer polymers spring into action
8 April 2014Flexible plastics that turn mechanical vibrations into electrical energy could spur the development of self-powered sensors and devices
A*STAR Singapore Immunology Network (A*STAR SIgN)
Flu vaccine enables rapid response
8 April 2014A more efficient production process for influenza vaccines could help to cope with future pandemics
Plasmonics
A modern twist on Young’s slits
8 April 2014A landmark experiment on wave interference from the early 1800s is revisited using gold nanoparticles
Microfluidics
Microbeads are easily fixed
8 April 2014A passive method for sorting and fixing microbeads of different sizes could lead to cheaper and more functional biological assays
Diabetes
Sweet sensing
8 April 2014A highly sensitive and specific biological assay requires only a tiny sample volume to monitor glucose levels in patients with diabetes
Ferroelectric
Probing polarization puzzles
25 March 2014Using electron beams to encode data in nanocrystals could help to improve the capacity of computer memory devices
