space outpost in future

Following the discovery of water on the Moon by an instrument aboard India's recently ended Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, researchers from NASA and Case Western Reserve University have found a key to unlocking oxygen from the surface of the moon, which would help make a space outpost possible in the future.

Scientists from NASA and Case Western Reserve are designing and testing components of an oxygen generator that would extract the element from silicon dioxide and metal oxides in the ground.

They have designed sifters needed to produce a consistent supply of oxides.

To find out how the sifters would work in the moon's gravity, which is about one-sixth as strong as the Earth's, Katie Fromwiller, a senior civil engineering student, and Julie Kleinhenz, an assistant research professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, spent two days flying in high arcs off the Texas coast last month.

This was Fromwiller's first trip on the plane, which space researchers refer to as the "vomit comet," due to the unsettling ride.

Inside the plane, the pull of gravity approximated the moon's weak gravity during the rapid drop in each arc. The riders felt twice the pull of the Earth's gravity on the way back up. During two runs, they floated in zero gravity.

NASA wants to learn how to work with the soils, and Fromwiller's focus is geotechnical engineering. She teamed with Kleinhenz, a veteran of more than 1,000 hours on the vomit comet.

NASA engineers were testing other components of the oxygen generator on the same flight.

According to Kleinhenz, NASA has plans to build a system that includes a rover that would dig, carry and dump moon soil into a hopper or holding vessel.

Sifters would separate particles by size, collecting those that can be converted most efficiently. The particles can also be separated by composition.

The wanted particles would then be blown into a reactor with hydrogen and heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. At this time, the oxygen released from the oxides would attach to the hydrogen and be collected.

David Zeng, Frank H. Neff Professor and Chair of Civil Engineering from the Case School of Engineering and one of the principal investigators of the study, and his team, are continuing to analyze data produced over the two days. Ultimately, NASA will decide which kind of device to use in the oxygen generator.

scientists design

In a new research, scientists have discovered that cellulose, which is the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for plant cell-wall structure, is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed, an understanding that can lead to the design of energy-rich crops in the future.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology led the research.
The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
"Cellulose is the most abundant reservoir of renewable hydrocarbons in the world," said Carnegie's David Ehrhardt.
"To understand how cellulose might be modified and how plant development might be manipulated to improve crop plants as efficient sources of energy, we need to first understand the cellular processes that create cellulose and build cell walls," he added.
In this study, the researchers looked at how the association between the cellulose synthase complexes and microtubules begins.
The scientists were able to watch individual cellulose synthase complexes as they were delivered to the plasma membrane-the permeable film that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall- and found that the microtubules not only guide where the complexes go as they build the cell wall, but microtubules also organize the trafficking and delivery of the cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
They also looked at the role in trafficking of a structural element called the actin cytoskeleton that helps move organelles and maintains the cell's shape.
They found that it appears to be required for the general distribution of the cellulose synthase complexes, whereas microtubules appear to be required for final positioning.
When there is a disruption of the complexes through a stressor such as a rapid change in water movement (osmotic stress), active cellulose synthase complexes disappear and organelles accumulate just under the plasma membrane.
These organelles contain cellulose synthase and are tethered to the microtubules by a novel mechanism.
According to the scientists, the tethering discovered in this research allows the cellulose synthase-containing organelles to stay with the treadmilling microtubules for prolonged periods in times of stress.
They found that when the stress abates, these organelles deliver the cellulose synthase to the membrane.In a new research, scientists have discovered that cellulose, which is the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for plant cell-wall structure, is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed, an understanding that can lead to the design of energy-rich crops in the future.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology led the research.
The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
"Cellulose is the most abundant reservoir of renewable hydrocarbons in the world," said Carnegie's David Ehrhardt.
"To understand how cellulose might be modified and how plant development might be manipulated to improve crop plants as efficient sources of energy, we need to first understand the cellular processes that create cellulose and build cell walls," he added.
In this study, the researchers looked at how the association between the cellulose synthase complexes and microtubules begins.
The scientists were able to watch individual cellulose synthase complexes as they were delivered to the plasma membrane-the permeable film that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall- and found that the microtubules not only guide where the complexes go as they build the cell wall, but microtubules also organize the trafficking and delivery of the cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
They also looked at the role in trafficking of a structural element called the actin cytoskeleton that helps move organelles and maintains the cell's shape.
They found that it appears to be required for the general distribution of the cellulose synthase complexes, whereas microtubules appear to be required for final positioning.
When there is a disruption of the complexes through a stressor such as a rapid change in water movement (osmotic stress), active cellulose synthase complexes disappear and organelles accumulate just under the plasma membrane.
These organelles contain cellulose synthase and are tethered to the microtubules by a novel mechanism.
According to the scientists, the tethering discovered in this research allows the cellulose synthase-containing organelles to stay with the treadmilling microtubules for prolonged periods in times of stress.
They found that when the stress abates, these organelles deliver the cellulose synthase to the membrane.In a new research, scientists have discovered that cellulose, which is the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for plant cell-wall structure, is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed, an understanding that can lead to the design of energy-rich crops in the future.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology led the research.
The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
"Cellulose is the most abundant reservoir of renewable hydrocarbons in the world," said Carnegie's David Ehrhardt.
"To understand how cellulose might be modified and how plant development might be manipulated to improve crop plants as efficient sources of energy, we need to first understand the cellular processes that create cellulose and build cell walls," he added.
In this study, the researchers looked at how the association between the cellulose synthase complexes and microtubules begins.
The scientists were able to watch individual cellulose synthase complexes as they were delivered to the plasma membrane-the permeable film that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall- and found that the microtubules not only guide where the complexes go as they build the cell wall, but microtubules also organize the trafficking and delivery of the cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
They also looked at the role in trafficking of a structural element called the actin cytoskeleton that helps move organelles and maintains the cell's shape.
They found that it appears to be required for the general distribution of the cellulose synthase complexes, whereas microtubules appear to be required for final positioning.
When there is a disruption of the complexes through a stressor such as a rapid change in water movement (osmotic stress), active cellulose synthase complexes disappear and organelles accumulate just under the plasma membrane.
These organelles contain cellulose synthase and are tethered to the microtubules by a novel mechanism.
According to the scientists, the tethering discovered in this research allows the cellulose synthase-containing organelles to stay with the treadmilling microtubules for prolonged periods in times of stress.
They found that when the stress abates, these organelles deliver the cellulose synthase to the membrane.In a new research, scientists have discovered that cellulose, which is the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for plant cell-wall structure, is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed, an understanding that can lead to the design of energy-rich crops in the future.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology led the research.
The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
"Cellulose is the most abundant reservoir of renewable hydrocarbons in the world," said Carnegie's David Ehrhardt.
"To understand how cellulose might be modified and how plant development might be manipulated to improve crop plants as efficient sources of energy, we need to first understand the cellular processes that create cellulose and build cell walls," he added.
In this study, the researchers looked at how the association between the cellulose synthase complexes and microtubules begins.
The scientists were able to watch individual cellulose synthase complexes as they were delivered to the plasma membrane-the permeable film that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall- and found that the microtubules not only guide where the complexes go as they build the cell wall, but microtubules also organize the trafficking and delivery of the cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
They also looked at the role in trafficking of a structural element called the actin cytoskeleton that helps move organelles and maintains the cell's shape.
They found that it appears to be required for the general distribution of the cellulose synthase complexes, whereas microtubules appear to be required for final positioning.
When there is a disruption of the complexes through a stressor such as a rapid change in water movement (osmotic stress), active cellulose synthase complexes disappear and organelles accumulate just under the plasma membrane.
These organelles contain cellulose synthase and are tethered to the microtubules by a novel mechanism.
According to the scientists, the tethering discovered in this research allows the cellulose synthase-containing organelles to stay with the treadmilling microtubules for prolonged periods in times of stress.
They found that when the stress abates, these organelles deliver the cellulose synthase to the membrane.In a new research, scientists have discovered that cellulose, which is the underlying protein network that provides the scaffolding for plant cell-wall structure, is also the traffic cop for delivering the critical growth-promoting molecules where needed, an understanding that can lead to the design of energy-rich crops in the future.
Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Plant Biology led the research.
The research, conducted in collaboration with colleagues at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, is a significant step for understanding how the enzymes that make cellulose and determine plant cell shape arrive at the appropriate location in the cell to do their job.
"Cellulose is the most abundant reservoir of renewable hydrocarbons in the world," said Carnegie's David Ehrhardt.
"To understand how cellulose might be modified and how plant development might be manipulated to improve crop plants as efficient sources of energy, we need to first understand the cellular processes that create cellulose and build cell walls," he added.
In this study, the researchers looked at how the association between the cellulose synthase complexes and microtubules begins.
The scientists were able to watch individual cellulose synthase complexes as they were delivered to the plasma membrane-the permeable film that surrounds the cell, but is inside the cell wall- and found that the microtubules not only guide where the complexes go as they build the cell wall, but microtubules also organize the trafficking and delivery of the cellulose synthase complexes to their place of action.
They also looked at the role in trafficking of a structural element called the actin cytoskeleton that helps move organelles and maintains the cell's shape.
They found that it appears to be required for the general distribution of the cellulose synthase complexes, whereas microtubules appear to be required for final positioning.
When there is a disruption of the complexes through a stressor such as a rapid change in water movement (osmotic stress), active cellulose synthase complexes disappear and organelles accumulate just under the plasma membrane.
These organelles contain cellulose synthase and are tethered to the microtubules by a novel mechanism.
According to the scientists, the tethering discovered in this research allows the cellulose synthase-containing organelles to stay with the treadmilling microtubules for prolonged periods in times of stress.
They found that when the stress abates, these organelles deliver the cellulose synthase to the membrane.

Top 10 technologies

A laser-based system called LightLane, which can help keep cyclists safe from fast moving vehicles, is being proposed as one of the newest technologies that can improve that morning commute.
The system clearly mark, in bright red lights, where car lanes end and bike lanes begin, helping keep cyclists safe even at night when reflective devices don't quite cut it.
Second top new technology in the same field is for the benefit of commuters who have to choose between breakfast and catching the bus, reports Fox News.
Companies like TransitTracker keep tags on buses and trains so that people can track them online or on their cell phones.
The system follows a commuter's ride's actual location - not an estimated schedule - so that he/she knows exactly when it will arrive at his/her station or stop.
Third on the list is an ingenious iPhone application called iNap, which involves the phone's in-built GPS device to track a sleeping commuter's location, and set off an alarm to wake him up when he is near his destination.
Following is the Attention Assist technology, through which Mercedes-Benz is planning to manage fatigue, which it says is the cause of most accidents.
The technology reads telltale signals, such as the way one is steering and braking, monitoring one's sleepiness and flashing an alert when the person seems too tired.
Wrapping up the top five was a program being developed by Enter Nissan, which will sense obstacles and incoming vehicles, instantly reacting to avert a crash.
It uses a laser to give it 360 degrees of protection, modelled on a bumblebee's compound eyes that can see in most directions.
The technology has not been worked into an auto yet, and currently remains housed inside a duck-sized robot.
Sixth on the list was IntelliDrive, which is aimed at allowing vehicle-to-vehicle interaction, so that if a car brakes suddenly, it could transmit a signal to cars behind, allowing drivers or computers to brake in time.
It was followed by an Audi-sponsored technology called Travolution, which lets a car communicate with traffic systems, and determine when lights will turn green, allowing the driver to coast through intersections.
It even calculates the speed the driver should maintain to get to lights at the right time, something that can help ease up and achieve better fuel economy.
Eighth on the list was a technology that can allow to charge music players and other small electronics just by shaking them.
Another top idea would be to design high-tech parking spots that can alert people when they are empty via e-mails or text messages.
Wrapping up the top 10 was an idea to make self-parking cars. Ford is said to have embraced self-parking technology, and plans to equip two of its 2010 models with cameras and sensors that let their Lincolns do the work for you.