{"54682":{"#nid":"54682","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Quantifies the Effects of Placing Metal Contacts on Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale supercomputer calculations, researchers have analyzed how the placement of metallic contacts on graphene changes the electron transport properties of the material as a factor of junction length, width and orientation. The work is believed to be the first quantitative study of electron transport through metal-graphene junctions to examine earlier models in significant detail. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation on the ways in which attaching metal contacts affects electron transport in graphene will be important to scientists studying the material -- and to designers who may one day fabricate electronic devices from the carbon-lattice material. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Graphene devices will have to communicate with the external world, and that means we will have to fabricate contacts to transport current and data,\u0022 said Mei-Yin Chou, a professor and department chair in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022When they put metal contacts onto graphene to measure transport properties, researchers and device designers need to know that they may not be measuring the instrinsic properties of pristine graphene. Coupling between the contacts and the material must be taken into account.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation on the effects of metal contacts on graphene was reported in the journal \u003Cem\u003EPhysical Review Letters\u003C\/em\u003E on February 19th. The research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, and involved interactions with researchers at the National Science Foundation (NSF)-supported Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) at Georgia Tech. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale, first-principles calculations done at two different NSF-supported supercomputer centers, the Georgia Tech research team -- which included postdoctoral fellows Salvador Barraza-Lopez and Mihajlo Vanevic, and assistant professor Markus Kindermann -- conducted detailed atomic-level calculations of aluminum contacts grown on graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe calculations studied two contacts up to 14 nanometers apart, with graphene suspended between them. In their calculations, the researchers allowed the aluminum to grow as it would in the real world, then studied how electron transfer was induced in the area surrounding the contacts. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022People have been able to come up with phenomenological models that they use to find out what the effects are with metallic contacts,\u0022 Chou explained. \u0022Our calculations went a few steps farther because we built contacts atom-by-atom. We built atomistically-resolved contacts, and by doing that, we solved this problem at the atomic level and tried to do everything consistent with quantum mechanics.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause metals typically have excess electrons, physically attaching the contacts to graphene causes a charge transfer from the metal. Charge begins to be transferred as soon as the contracts are constructed, but ultimately the two materials reach equilibrium, Chou said. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study showed that charge transfer at the leads and into the freestanding section of the material creates an electron-hole asymmetry in the conductance. For leads that are sufficiently long, the effect creates two conductance minima at the energies of the Dirac points for the suspended and clamped regions of the graphene, according to Barraza-Lopez. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These results could be important to the design of future graphene devices,\u0022 he said. \u0022Edge effects and the impact of nanoribbon width have been studied in significant detail, but the effects of charge transfer at the contacts may potentially be just as important.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers modeled aluminum, but believe their results will apply to other metals such as copper and gold that do not form chemical bonds with graphene. However, other metals such as chromium and titanium do chemically alter the material, so the effects they have on electron transport may be different. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the new information provided by the calculations, the research further proposes quantitative models that can be used under certain circumstances to describe the impact of the contacts. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Earlier models had been based on physical insights, but nobody really knew how faithfully they described the material,\u0022 Kindermann said. \u0022This is the first calculation to show that these earlier models apply under certain circumstances for the systems that we studied.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData from the study may one day help device designers engineer graphene circuits by helping them understand the effects they are seeing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we modify graphene, we need to understand what changes occur as a result of adding materials,\u0022 added Chou. \u0022This is really fundamental research to understand these effects and to have a numerical prediction for what is going on. We are helping to understand the basic physics of graphene.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported by Department of Energy grant DE-FG02-97ER45632. Comments and conclusions in this article are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing large-scale supercomputer calculations, researchers have analyzed how the placement of metallic contacts on graphene changes the electron transport properties of the material as a factor of junction length, width and orientation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Placing contacts onto graphene changes the material\u0027s properties."}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-25 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-25T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"54683":{"id":"54683","type":"image","title":"Research team and findings","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21","alt":"Research team and findings","file":{"fid":"172616","name":"tlq13442.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":702218,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlq13442_0.jpg?itok=vUuBgEHz"}},"54684":{"id":"54684","type":"image","title":"Graphic showing metal contacts","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21","alt":"Graphic showing metal contacts","file":{"fid":"172617","name":"tjy13058.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":199182,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjy13058_0.jpg?itok=-Zf8NoJS"}}},"media_ids":["54683","54684"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/prl.aps.org\/abstract\/PRL\/v104\/i7\/e076807","title":"Physical Review Letters paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8858","name":"contacts"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"7415","name":"transport"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"52024":{"#nid":"52024","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Medical Device Startup Company Wins Georgia Tech Edison Prize","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech startup company being formed to commercialize a new device that could help prevent pressure ulcers in hospital and nursing home patients has won the first Georgia Tech Edison Prize. The $15,000 prize will help launch the new company, which will be known as Multispectral Imagers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETreatment of pressure ulcers costs an estimated $8 billion each year in the United States alone, but the painful skin injury can be prevented if detected early. The device, a hand-held multispectral imaging system that provides data in real-time, could be used by health care professionals to detect signs of pressure ulcers before they can be seen with conventional visual screening techniques -- especially in patients with darker skin. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed a novel multispectral imager that can be integrated onto a chip,\u201d said Fengtao Wang, a Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering graduate student who explained the company\u2019s plan to a judging panel. \u201cWe can deliver a compact, real-time and low-cost multispectral imager to detect erythema at an early stage.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe device would be marketed to clinics, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and other facilities that treat patients whose mobility problems can result in development of pressure ulcers. In addition to the medical applications, Wang said the device may also have military, agricultural, manufacturing and environmental uses. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to Wang, the company team includes Ali Adibi and Fuhan Liu in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Linghua Kong and Stephen Sprigle of the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) in the Georgia Tech College of Architecture. Adibi and Sprigle are both professors; Kong is a senior faculty engineer and Liu is research engineer. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Edison Prize was established to encourage formation of startup companies based on technology developed at Georgia Tech, and was made possible by a multi-year grant from the Charles A. Edison Fund, named for the inventor\u2019s son. Awarding of the first Georgia Tech Edison Prize was part of the Georgia Tech Graduate Research and Innovation Conference held February 8. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThomas Edison often receives credit for inventing the electric light bulb, but his real accomplishment was in making that device -- along with the phonograph and motion picture camera -- commercially successful to create new companies and new industries,\u201d said Stephen Fleming, Georgia Tech\u2019s vice provost for economic development and technology ventures. \u201cThrough the Edison Prize, we want to advance this kind of company-producing technology commercialization at Georgia Tech.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Edison Fund, which is managed by Fleming, also provides seed funding to startup companies that have a close association with Georgia Tech. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe judges for the first Georgia Tech Edison Prize heard a number of excellent presentations,\u201d Fleming explained. \u201cThe judges selected Fengtao Wang because he had successfully identified an un-served market for the product and had begun approaching potential partners to commercialize the technology. Innovation is ultimately about turning knowledge into money.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EApproximately 100 entries were received for the prize competition from among the 300 graduate students who submitted posters to the Graduate Research and Innovation Conference. Those entries were evaluated by a committee of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and Georgia Tech faculty to create a list of 11 finalists. Those finalists were each invited to make presentations to a judging committee, which selected the winner announced at a reception on the evening of February 8. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe judging committee included: \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2022 Jamie Bardin, former CEO of EZ-Prints\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Nelson Chu, general partner of Kinetic Ventures\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Merrick Furst, distinguished professor in the Georgia Tech College of Computing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Gary Lee, former CEO of Flexlight Systems\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Keith McGreggor, manager of technology evaluation in the ATDC\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Nina Sawczuk, assistant director for biosciences in the ATDC\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u2022 Jim Stratigos, president of Broadband Strategies \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout the Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute helps companies, entrepreneurs, economic developers and communities improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. It is one of the most comprehensive university-based programs of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization and economic development in the nation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech startup company being formed to commercialize a new device that could help prevent pressure ulcers in hospital and nursing home patients has won the first Georgia Tech Edison Prize.  The $15,000 prize will help launch the new company, to be known as Multispectral Imagers.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A startup developing a device for preventing pressure ulcers wins an award"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-10 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"52025":{"id":"52025","type":"image","title":"Filter on CMOS camera chip","body":null,"created":"1449175449","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:09","changed":"1475894473","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:13","alt":"Filter on CMOS camera chip","file":{"fid":"146059","name":"tjh41035.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjh41035_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjh41035_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":601934,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjh41035_0.jpg?itok=v-Qft8lk"}},"52026":{"id":"52026","type":"image","title":"Image showing skin erythema","body":null,"created":"1449175449","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:09","changed":"1475894473","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:13","alt":"Image showing skin erythema","file":{"fid":"146060","name":"tae41035.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tae41035_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tae41035_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":284473,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tae41035_0.jpg?itok=U7jmgGqG"}}},"media_ids":["52025","52026"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.arch.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Architecture"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8451","name":"erythema"},{"id":"398","name":"health"},{"id":"6057","name":"image"},{"id":"1480","name":"multispectral"},{"id":"8452","name":"pressure ulcer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"52890":{"#nid":"52890","#data":{"type":"news","title":"One-step Process Produces Both P-type and N-type Doping in Graphene","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA simple one-step process that produces both n-type and p-type doping of large-area graphene surfaces could facilitate use of the promising material for future electronic devices. The doping technique can also be used to increase conductivity in graphene nanoribbons used for interconnects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy applying a commercially-available spin-on-glass (SOG) material to graphene and then exposing it to electron-beam radiation, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created both types of doping by simply varying the exposure time. Higher levels of e-beam energy produced p-type areas, while lower levels produced n-type areas. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technique was used to fabricate high-resolution p-n junctions. When properly passivated, the doping created by the SOG is expected to remain indefinitely in the graphene sheets studied by the researchers. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is an enabling step toward making possible complementary metal oxide graphene transistors,\u0022 said Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer in Georgia Tech\u0027s Nanotechnology Research Center. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA paper describing the technique appeared February 10, 2010 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E. The research was supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) through the Interconnect Focus Center. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the new doping process, Murali and graduate student Kevin Brenner begin by removing flakes of graphene one to four layers thick from a block of graphite. They place the material onto a surface of oxidized silicon, then fabricate a four-point contact device. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENext, they spin on films of hydrogen silsesquoxane (HSQ), then cure certain portions of the resulting thin film using electron beam radiation. The technique provides precise control over the amount of radiation and where it is applied to the graphene, with higher levels of energy corresponding to more cross-linking of the HSQ. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We gave varying doses of electron-beam radiation and then studied how it influenced the properties of carriers in the graphene lattice,\u0022 Murali said. \u0022The e-beam gave us a fine range of control that could be valuable for fabricating nanoscale devices. We can use an electron beam with a diameter of four or five nanometers that allows very precise doping patterns.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EElectronic measurements showed that a graphene p-n junction created by the new technique had large energy separations, indicating strong doping effects, he added. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers elsewhere have demonstrated graphene doping using a variety of processes including soaking the material in various solutions and exposing it to a variety of gases. The Georgia Tech process is believed to be the first to provide both electron and hole doping from a single dopant material. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDoping processes used for graphene are likely to be significantly different from those established for silicon use, Murali said. In silicon, the doping step substitutes atoms of a different material for silicon atoms in the material\u2019s lattice. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the new single-step process for graphene, the doping is believed to introduce atoms of hydrogen and oxygen in the vicinity of the carbon lattice. The oxygen and hydrogen don\u0027t replace carbon atoms, but instead occupy locations atop the lattice structure. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Energy applied to the SOG breaks chemical bonds and releases hydrogen and oxygen which bond with the carbon lattice,\u0022 Murali said. \u0022A high e-beam energy converts the whole SOG structure to more of a network, and then you have more oxygen than hydrogen, resulting in a p-type doping.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn volume manufacturing, the electron beam radiation would likely be replaced by a conventional lithography process, Murali said. Varying the reflectance or transmission of the mask set would control the amount of radiation reaching the SOG, and that would determine whether n-type or p-type areas are created. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Making everything in a single step would avoid some of the expensive lithography steps,\u0022 he said. \u0022Gray-scale lithography would allow fine control of doping across the entire surface of the wafer.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor doping bulk areas such as interconnects that do not require patterning, the researchers simply coat the area with HSQ and expose it to a plasma source. The technique can make the nanoribbons up to 10 times more conductive than untreated graphene. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause HSQ is already familiar to the microelectronics industry, the one-step approach to doping could help integrate graphene into existing processes, avoiding a disruption of the massive semiconductor design and fabrication system, Murali noted. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two years, researchers in the Nanotechnology Research Center had observed changes caused by application of HSQ during electrical testing. Only recently did they take a closer look at what was happening to understand how to take advantage of the phenomenon. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, they\u0027d like to better understand how the process works and whether other polymers might provide better results. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need to have a better understanding of how to control this process because variability is one of the issues that must be controlled to make manufacturing feasible,\u0022 Murali explained. \u0022We are trying to identify other polymers that may provide better control or stronger doping levels.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A simple one-step process that produces both n-type and p-type doping of large-area graphene surfaces could facilitate use of the promising material for future electronic devices.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A simple doping technique could facilitate graphene devices"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-11 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"52891":{"id":"52891","type":"image","title":"Electrical measurements of graphene","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Electrical measurements of graphene","file":{"fid":"146095","name":"toj27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1326151,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/toj27664_0.jpg?itok=e5Df_xSv"}},"52892":{"id":"52892","type":"image","title":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","file":{"fid":"146096","name":"the27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1386708,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/the27664_0.jpg?itok=TvoYkyqH"}},"52893":{"id":"52893","type":"image","title":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Graduate student Kevin Brenner","file":{"fid":"146097","name":"tpa27664.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":735708,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpa27664_0.jpg?itok=if3W9je0"}}},"media_ids":["52891","52892","52893"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.nrc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Nanotechnology Research Center"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mirc.gatech.edu\/raghu\/","title":"Raghunath Murali"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8458","name":"doping"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"7435","name":"material"},{"id":"4261","name":"transistor"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"52917":{"#nid":"52917","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Computational Modeling Helps Design Improved Membrane Technology","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EComputational modeling tools developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology could accelerate development of a new type of membrane technology that will boost the efficiency of energy-related gas separations. The tools will help researchers identify the best candidate materials for use in new metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes now under development. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMOF membranes offer an alternative to more energy intensive processes for separating gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen and hydrogen. The technology has generated significant interest because of the broad range of crystalline structures that can be synthesized, but development of new MOF membranes is still at an early stage. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMetal-organic framework membranes will be useful for doing large-scale energy-related separations in an efficient way. We are trying to accelerate their development to help move the world\u2019s energy economy toward a more sustainable path,\u201d said David Sholl, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cA lot of chemists are interested in developing these metal-organic frameworks, and we hope to provide a new approach to designing the membranes.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA publication on the use of atomically detailed calculations for designing metal-organic framework membranes was recently cited by ScienceWatch as its \u201cfast-breaking paper in engineering\u201d for February 2010. Details of the work were published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EIndustrial Engineering Chemical Research \u003C\/em\u003Ein January 2009. The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMetal-organic framework materials are nanoporous crystals that combine metal-organic complexes with organic linkers to create highly porous frameworks. They offer advantages such as high surface area, porosity, low density and both thermal and mechanical stability \u2013 all important for separation membranes. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere are many possible material combinations that could be used in the membranes. By comparing such properties as binding strength and flow rates, the computational modeling could give researchers a way to rapidly identify the materials that will work best in high-volume industrial applications. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe extra challenge with using metal-organic frameworks is that there are literally thousands of different materials that could be considered for use,\u201d said Sholl, who is a Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in energy sustainability. \u201cThis is where computational modeling really helps. We are doing the materials screening problem computationally to guide us in attacking the actual fabrication problem experimentally.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESholl hopes the technique will narrow the list of candidate materials from thousands down to as few as 10. Researchers would then fabricate the membranes and test them in real-world conditions. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we were testing all of these in the lab without the computational guidance, it\u2019s unlikely that we would ever choose the right material,\u201d he said. \u201cThe biggest challenge for making a new membrane is that it really requires a lot of work to make a functioning device. Even if we know exactly what material to use, there is a very long development path.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, Sholl\u2019s modeling group is working with experimentalists such as Sankar Nair and Christopher Jones \u2013 both professors in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering \u2013 to produce prototype membranes for evaluation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe big push right now is to make some devices and get test data,\u201d Sholl said. \u201cIn particular, we want to do this within a technology framework that we know can scale up to real-world industrial levels quickly.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to colleagues at Georgia Tech, the group is also working with industrial partners to help ensure that the membranes work in industrial conditions. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we can go from the idea in the academic lab to a serious field test within five years, that would be a real success,\u201d said Sholl, who holds the Michael Tennenbaum Family Chair in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford for this to take 25 years because there is a need for this technology now.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new membrane technology could be used to address environmental issues such as removal of carbon dioxide from stack gases of coal-burning facilities in a cost-effective way. The technology could also make it economically attractive to use natural gas supplies that are contaminated with carbon dioxide, potentially expanding supplies of that fuel. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers, including graduate student Seda Keskin, have modeled how the membrane technology would operate in separating methane from carbon dioxide, hydrogen from carbon dioxide, nitrogen from carbon dioxide, hydrogen from methane, nitrogen from hydrogen and methane from nitrogen. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe common thread of this work is that we are interested in very large scale, large volume applications that can only be economical with very low energy input,\u201d Sholl added. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under grants CTS-0413027 and CTS-0556831. The content of this article is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: David Sholl (404-894-2822)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:david.sholl@chbe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edavid.sholl@chbe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Computational modeling tools developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology could accelerate development of a new type of membrane technology that will boost the efficiency of energy-related gas separations.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New membrane technology could boost energy-related separations"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-15 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:33","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-15T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"52918":{"id":"52918","type":"image","title":"How an MOF membrane works","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"How an MOF membrane works","file":{"fid":"149144","name":"tyi50387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyi50387_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyi50387_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":235089,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyi50387_0.jpg?itok=2AvnZLhU"}},"52919":{"id":"52919","type":"image","title":"Prof. David Sholl","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894476","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:16","alt":"Prof. David Sholl","file":{"fid":"149145","name":"tjb50387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjb50387_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjb50387_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":903188,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjb50387_0.jpg?itok=F4aEuIU7"}}},"media_ids":["52918","52919"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemical \u0026 Biomolecular Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty\/sholl.php","title":"David Sholl"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"7440","name":"membrane"},{"id":"8464","name":"metal-organic"},{"id":"169566","name":"separation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"50806":{"#nid":"50806","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Arthritis Simulation Gloves Aid Design of Easy-to-Use Products","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs the U.S. population ages, manufacturers of consumer goods are realizing that many customers may not be as nimble-fingered or sharp-sighted as they once were. To help product designers and engineers address those changing requirements, researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have been developing evaluation methods and design techniques to identify and address the needs of all consumers, including those with functional limitations. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u2019s latest product is a pair of arthritis simulation gloves, which reproduce the reduction in functional capacity experienced by persons with arthritis. The gloves help those responsible for consumer products better understand how arthritis affects a person\u2019s ability to grasp, pinch, turn, lift and twist objects. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA product manager or designer can put these gloves on and attempt to open their company\u2019s products or packaging,\u201d explained GTRI principal research scientist Brad Fain. \u201cIf they are unable to open a product or package, then chances are high that people with moderate to severe symptoms of arthritis will also have difficulty opening it.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gloves can be used with a variety of consumer products, including medicine bottles, beverage containers, office supplies, medical devices, vehicles, cell phones and many other consumer products. They can also be used with many different types of packaging, including clamshell packages, cardboard boxes, cereal containers and foil packages. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThree companies, including Kraft Foods, are currently using the gloves in-house.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMaxwell House always keeps our consumers\u2019 needs in mind when designing packaging,\u201d said Linda Roman, senior group leader for packaging strategic research at Kraft Foods. \u201cFor example, we used the gloves created by the Georgia Tech Research Institute to verify that the lid on our new instant coffee jar is accessible for those who have difficulty opening jars with regular caps. The gloves helped us evaluate the EZ Grip lid to be sure that our lid is, in fact, easy for our consumers to use.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gloves were designed to reduce a wearer\u2019s functional ability to grasp something and either pull or rotate it by 33-50 percent. They also stiffen an individual\u2019s finger joints and restrict the range of motion of his or her fingers. To create the finger stiffness and reduced finger strength experienced by individuals with arthritis, the gloves were designed with metal wires between layers of neoprene and other fabrics. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to identifying ease of use issues with products, the gloves are also intended to raise awareness about issues faced by people with disabilities and to support programs focused on ease of use in design. Currently, the Arthritis Foundation in the United States and Arthritis Australia are using the gloves for such educational purposes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gloves can be purchased alone, or as part of GTRI\u2019s disability awareness kit, which also includes a low-vision simulation kit, a finger strength simulation kit and a CD training program. The finger strength simulation kit consists of finger exercises that are calibrated to certain amounts of force recommended for packaging and the training program teaches individuals how to use the gloves. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe low-vision simulation kit contains a pair of glasses that simulate common visual disabilities, including various degrees of cataracts, visual acuity problems, contrast sensitivity issues and age-related macular degeneration.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA product manager can put the glasses on and observe products to see if he or she can read important things written in small print, like instructions or an expiration date,\u201d added Fain.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, many baby boomers will likely demand the same access to products that they currently have -- even as their functional abilities decline.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese older individuals will attribute any inability to open or use a product with deficiencies in the product itself,\u201d added Fain. \u201cThat message or perception can be detrimental to companies because they want to avoid being associated with a product that\u2019s difficult to use. The arthritis simulation gloves and the rest of the items in the disability awareness kit can help companies avoid these design mistakes.\u201d \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gloves were created through funding by GTRI\u2019s independent research and development program. To purchase the arthritis simulation gloves or the disability awareness kit, please visit: \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/facilities\/aef\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/facilities\/aef.\u003C\/a\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel (avogel@gatech.edu; 404-385-3364); Kirk Englehardt (kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu; 404-407-7280); or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers have designed arthritis simulation gloves that reproduce the reduction in functional capacity experienced by those with arthritis. The gloves help consumer product designers realize how arthritis affects one\u2019s ability to open and use products.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Arthritis simulation gloves help consumer product designers"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-02-03 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:16","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-03T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"50807":{"id":"50807","type":"image","title":"Brad Fain arthritis simulation gloves","body":null,"created":"1449175437","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:57","changed":"1475894471","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:11","alt":"Brad Fain arthritis simulation gloves","file":{"fid":"144678","name":"tra07123.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tra07123_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tra07123_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1366640,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tra07123_0.jpg?itok=KhGRQkNO"}},"50808":{"id":"50808","type":"image","title":"Kraft Foods Maxwell House jar arthritis simulation","body":null,"created":"1449175437","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:57","changed":"1475894471","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:11","alt":"Kraft Foods Maxwell House jar arthritis simulation","file":{"fid":"144679","name":"ttf08227.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttf08227_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttf08227_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":894191,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttf08227_0.jpg?itok=tTSRDPyU"}},"50809":{"id":"50809","type":"image","title":"Brad Fain arthritis simulation gloves medicine bot","body":null,"created":"1449175437","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:57","changed":"1475894471","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:11","alt":"Brad Fain arthritis simulation gloves medicine bot","file":{"fid":"144680","name":"tlz07123.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlz07123_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlz07123_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":856414,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlz07123_0.jpg?itok=EjUXXUpR"}}},"media_ids":["50807","50808","50809"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/facilities\/aef","title":"Arthritis Simulation Gloves\/Disability Awareness Kit"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2097","name":"arthritis"},{"id":"4256","name":"awareness"},{"id":"7075","name":"container"},{"id":"823","name":"design"},{"id":"359","name":"disability"},{"id":"8382","name":"Glove"},{"id":"8385","name":"Kraft"},{"id":"8386","name":"maxwell house"},{"id":"4187","name":"packaging"},{"id":"8384","name":"product design"},{"id":"8383","name":"Product Development"},{"id":"167045","name":"simulation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"48976":{"#nid":"48976","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grant Aims to Reduce Cost of Wind Turbines for Generating Electricity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA technology originally developed to increase lift in aircraft wings and simplify helicopter rotors may soon help reduce the cost of manufacturing and operating wind turbines used for generating electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis \u201ccirculation control\u201d aerodynamic technology could allow the wind turbines to produce significantly more power than current devices at the same wind speed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearch aimed at adapting circulation control technology to wind turbine blades will be conducted by a California company, PAX Streamline, in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The two-year project, which will lead to construction of a demonstration pneumatic wind turbine, will be supported by a $3 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy -- the federal energy research and development organization also known as ARPA-E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal will be to make generation of electricity from wind turbines less expensive by eliminating the need for the complex blade shapes and mechanical control systems used in current turbines,\u201d said Robert J. Englar, principal research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u201cBecause these new blades would operate effectively at lower wind speeds, we could potentially open up new geographic areas to wind turbine use. Together, these advances could significantly expand the generation of electricity from wind power in the United States.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECirculation control techniques use compressed air blown from slots on the trailing edges of wings or hollow blades to change the aerodynamic properties of those wings or blades. In aircraft, circulation control wings improve lift, allowing aircraft to fly at much lower speeds \u2013 and take off and land in much shorter distances. In helicopter rotor blades, the technique -- also known as the \u201ccirculation control rotor\u201d -- both simplifies the rotor and its control system and produces more lift.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ARPA-E project will apply the technique to controlling the aerodynamic properties of wind turbine blades, which now must be made in complicated shapes and controlled by complex control mechanisms to extract optimal power from the wind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe speed at which these turbines would begin to operate will be much lower than with existing blades,\u201d said Englar. \u201cPlaces that wind maps have previously indicated would not be suitable locations for wind turbines may now be useful. The blown technology should also allow safe operation at higher wind speeds and in wind gusts that would cause existing turbines to be shut down to prevent damage.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause they would produce more aerodynamic force, torque and power than comparable blades, these blown structures being developed by Georgia Tech and PAX could also allow a reduction in the size of the wind turbines.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you need a specific amount of wind force and torque generated by the wind turbine to generate electricity, we could get that force and torque from a smaller blade area because we\u2019d have more powerful lifting surfaces,\u201d Englar explained.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA major question awaiting study is how much energy will be required to produce the compressed air the blown blades need to operate. Preliminary studies done by Professor Lakshmi Sankar in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Aerospace Engineering suggest that wind turbines with the blown blades could produce 30 to 40 percent more power than conventional turbines at the same wind speed -- even when the energy required to produce the compressed air is subtracted from the total energy production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new turbine blades will be developed at GTRI\u2019s low-speed wind tunnel research facility located in Cobb County, north of Atlanta.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOfficials of PAX Streamline see the circulation control technology as key to the development of a new generation of turbines that could significantly lower the cost of producing electricity from the wind.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is a significant validation of our established turbine R\u0026amp;D,\u201d said PAX CEO John Webley. \u201cWith this grant, we can rapidly accelerate our research program and, within the next two years, deploy a prototype wind turbine which demonstrates our game-changing technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E Georgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E 75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E Atlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA technology originally developed to increase lift in aircraft wings and simplify helicopter rotors may soon help reduce the cost of manufacturing and operating wind turbines used for generating electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Technology may reduce cost of building and operating wind turbin"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-01-13 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-01-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48977":{"id":"48977","type":"image","title":"Wind turbine farm","body":null,"created":"1449175408","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:28","changed":"1475894463","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:03","alt":"Wind turbine farm","file":{"fid":"101300","name":"tqq35072.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqq35072_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqq35072_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":45669,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqq35072_0.jpg?itok=5F8zUeLa"}}},"media_ids":["48977"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8249","name":"circulation-control"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"8248","name":"turbine"},{"id":"2329","name":"wind"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"49711":{"#nid":"49711","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Study Documents Reaction Rates for Three Key Greenhouse Gases","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) provides new information about the rates at which three of the most powerful greenhouse gases are destroyed by a chemical reaction that takes place in the upper atmosphere. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three compounds are potentially important because they absorb infrared energy in the so-called \u201catmospheric window\u201d region \u2013 at wavelengths where other major greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide allow radiation to pass freely out into space. Though these long-lived compounds now exist in relatively low concentrations, their ability to absorb energy at these wavelengths means their contributions to global warming could increase if their levels continue to rise. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the compounds are relatively inert chemically, information on how they react with electronically excited atomic oxygen \u2013 known as O(1D) \u2013 will help improve the accuracy of global climate models by providing a better estimate of how long these absorbers remain in the atmosphere. The information could also inform public policy debate about whether the chemicals, now used in industrial applications, should be replaced with compounds that have less climate change impact. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis study will contribute to an understanding of the long-term effect of these compounds on climate,\u201d said Paul Wine, a professor in the Schools of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u201cThere is significant interest in trying to establish the role of these heavy absorbers of infrared radiation, especially the compounds that absorb in the window region where other greenhouses gases are not factors.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInformation on the reaction rates of sulfuryl fluoride (SO2F2), nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) and trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride (SF5CF3) was published Jan. 25, 2010, in the early edition of the PNAS, and will be part of a special issue on atmospheric chemistry. The research was funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESulfuryl fluoride is a fumigant widely used as a replacement for the ozone-depleting compound methyl bromide (CH3Br). Nitrogen trifluoride is used in the electronics industry for plasma etching and equipment cleaning. Trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride \u2013 the most powerful known greenhouse gas on a per-molecule basis \u2013 is believed to be a breakdown product of an insulating compound used in high-voltage equipment. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe three compounds have some of the highest global warming potentials (GWP) of any compounds in the atmosphere. Trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride has a global warming potential approximately 18,000 times greater \u2013 on a per unit mass basis \u2013 than carbon dioxide when evaluated over a 100-year time period. Nitrogen trifluoride has a GWP of approximately 17,000, while sulfuryl fluoride is approximately 4,000 times more effective than carbon dioxide at trapping infrared radiation. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe presence of these compounds in the atmosphere and their potential contributions to climate change were only recently recognized. Reaction with electronically-excited oxygen atoms is the only known pathway by which these compounds are destroyed at atmospheric altitudes below the ionosphere. Though present at relatively low levels today, studies show that their concentrations are increasing \u2013 with atmospheric levels of NF3 growing at more than 10 percent per year. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese chemicals are relatively inert, which makes them useful for specific applications,\u201d Wine said. \u201cBut because of their chemical inertness, they tend to have long lifetimes in the atmosphere and are available to trap radiation for a long time. That contributes to their high global warming potential.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study the rate at which the compounds react with and deactivate the atomic oxygen species, Wine and Georgia Tech collaborators Zhijun Zhao, Patrick Laine and J. Michael Nicovich used laser flash photolysis in the laboratory to create O(1D) and expose it to the three compounds in controlled environments at temperatures ranging from about 200 to 350 degrees Kelvin. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EO(1D) is produced in the atmosphere by the interaction of ozone (O3) and molecular oxygen (O2) with ultraviolet light. This electronically-excited oxygen interacts quickly with other molecules around it \u2013 such as N2 and O2 \u2013 to form ground-state atomic oxygen. Hence, its levels are higher in the upper atmosphere than in the lower atmosphere. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found that O(1D) interaction with trifluoromethyl sulfur pentafluoride destroys this compound in \u2013 at most \u2013 one out of a thousand interactions. That means amounts of that compound released into the atmosphere will remain there for long periods of time, probably around a thousand years. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor NF3, the researchers found a reaction rate more than double one that had been reported in a previous study, meaning the material may have less warming impact than previously thought. For SO2F2, which also may be taken up by the ocean, the Georgia Tech findings agreed with one earlier study. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWine said the new data on these compounds will be factored into the next major report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Knowing how long the compounds will likely remain in the atmosphere permits more accurate accounting for what could be a significant infrared trapping effect. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you put new molecules into the atmosphere that absorb infrared radiation where carbon dioxide and methane already absorb, they would have to be present in very large quantities to have any effect at all,\u201d Wine noted. \u201cBut because these molecules absorb in the window region at wavelengths between 8 and 12 microns, they don\u2019t have to be present at high levels to have an effect.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364) (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A study published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) provides new information about the rates at which three of the most powerful greenhouse gases are destroyed by a chemical reaction that takes place in the upper atmosphere.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Study shows how three greenhouse gases react with atmospheric chemicals"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-01-26 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:08","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-01-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"49712":{"id":"49712","type":"image","title":"Researchers in lab","body":null,"created":"1449175428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:48","changed":"1475894468","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:08","alt":"Researchers in lab","file":{"fid":"124701","name":"tqy13705.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqy13705_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqy13705_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1677181,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqy13705_0.jpg?itok=84b06TIh"}},"49713":{"id":"49713","type":"image","title":"Reseachers in lab","body":null,"created":"1449175428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:48","changed":"1475894468","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:08","alt":"Reseachers in lab","file":{"fid":"124702","name":"tmh13705.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmh13705_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmh13705_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1900067,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmh13705_0.jpg?itok=izM4DW1o"}}},"media_ids":["49712","49713"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.eas.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7455","name":"greenhouse"},{"id":"1657","name":"oxygen"},{"id":"8324","name":"reaction"},{"id":"2327","name":"warming"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"48923":{"#nid":"48923","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Delivering Stem Cells Improves Repair of Major Bone Injuries in Rats","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA study published this week reinforces the potential value of stem cells in repairing major injuries involving the loss of bone structure.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study shows that delivering stem cells on a polymer scaffold to treat large areas of missing bone leads to improved bone formation and better mechanical properties compared to treatment with the scaffold alone. This type of therapeutic treatment could be a potential alternative to bone grafting operations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Massive bone injuries are among the most challenging problems that orthopedic surgeons face, and they are commonly seen as a result of accidents as well as in soldiers returning from war,\u0022 said the study\u0027s lead author Robert Guldberg, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u0022This study shows that there is promise in treating these injuries by delivering stem cells to the injury site. These are injuries that would not heal without significant medical intervention.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDetails of the research were published in the early edition of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E on January 11, 2010. This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was conducted in rats in which two bone gaps eight millimeters in length were created to simulate massive injuries. One gap was treated with a polymer scaffold seeded with stem cells and the other with scaffold only. The results showed that injuries treated with the stem cell scaffolds showed significantly more bone growth than injuries treated with scaffolds only. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGuldberg and mechanical engineering graduate student Kenneth Dupont experimented with scaffolds containing two different types of human stem cells -- bone marrow-derived mesenchymal adult stem cells and amniotic fluid fetal stem cells. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We were able to directly evaluate the therapeutic potential of human stem cells to repair large bone defects by implanting them into rats with a reduced immune system,\u0022 explained Guldberg, who is also the director of the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMicro-CT measurements showed no significant differences in bone regeneration between the two stem cell groups. However, combining the two types of stem cells produced significantly higher bone volume and strength compared to scaffolds without cellular augmentation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough stem cell delivery significantly enhanced bone growth and biomechanical properties, it was not able to consistently repair the injury. Eight weeks after the treatment, new bone bridged the gaps in four of nine defects treated with scaffolds seeded with adult stem cells, one of nine defects treated with scaffolds seeded with fetal stem cells, and none of the defects treated with the scaffold alone.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We thought that the functional regeneration of the bone defects may have been limited by stem cells migrating away from the injury site, so we decided to investigate the fate and distribution of the delivered cells,\u0022 said Guldberg.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo do this, Guldberg labeled stem cells with fluorescent quantum dots -- nanometer-scale particles that emit light when excited by near-infrared radiation -- to track the distribution of stem cells after delivery on the scaffolds and completed the same experiments as previously described. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThroughout the entire study, the researchers observed significant fluorescence at the stem cell scaffold sites. However, beginning seven to 10 days after treatment, signals appeared at the scaffold-only sites. Additional analysis with immunostaining revealed that the quantum dots present at the scaffold-only sites were contained in inflammatory cells called macrophages that had taken up quantum dots released from dead stem cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022While our overall study shows that stem cell therapy has a lot of promise for treating massive bone defects, this experiment shows that we still need to develop an improved way of delivering the stem cells so that they stay alive longer and thus remain at the injury site longer,\u0022 explained Guldberg.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also found that the quantum dots diminished the function of the transplanted stem cells and thus their therapeutic effect. When the stem cells were labeled with quantum dots, the results showed a failure to enhance bone formation or bridge defects. However, the same low concentration of quantum dots did not affect cell viability or the ability of the stem cells to become bone cells in laboratory studies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Although in vitro laboratory studies remain important, this work provides further evidence that well-characterized in vivo models are necessary to test the ability of regenerative tissue strategies to effectively integrate and restore function in complex living organisms,\u0022 added Guldberg. \u0022Improved methods of non-invasive cell tracking that do not alter cell function in vivo are needed to optimize stem cell delivery strategies and compare the effectiveness of different stem cell sources for tissue regeneration.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGuldberg is currently exploring alternative cell tracking methods, such as genetically modifying the stem cells to express green fluorescent protein and\/or other luminescent enzymes such as luciferase. He is also investigating the addition of programming cues to the scaffold that will direct the stem cells to differentiate into bone cells. These signals may be particularly effective for fetal stem cells, which are believed to be more primitive than adult stem cells, according to Guldberg. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELessons learned from the current work are also being applied to develop effective stem cell therapies for severe composite injuries to multiple tissues including bone, nerve, vasculature and muscle. This follow-on work is being conducted in the Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Bioengineering for Soldier Survivability in collaboration with Ravi Bellamkonda and Barbara Boyan, professors in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther authors on the paper include Andres Garcia, professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in Georgia Tech\u0027s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience; Georgia Tech research scientist Hazel Stevens, Georgia Tech graduate student Joel Boerckel; and National University of Ireland medical student Kapil Sharma.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was funded by grant number R01-AR051336 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and by grant number EEC-9731643 from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH or NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel (avogel@gatech.edu; 404-385-3364) or John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu; 404-894-6986).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A new study published this week shows that delivering stem cells on a polymer scaffold to treat large areas of missing bone leads to improved bone formation and better mechanical properties compared to treatment with scaffold alone.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Study reinforces potential value of stem cells to repair bone in"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2010-01-11 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:04","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-01-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48924":{"id":"48924","type":"image","title":"Robert Guldberg bone regeneration","body":null,"created":"1449175408","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:28","changed":"1475894463","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:03","alt":"Robert Guldberg bone regeneration","file":{"fid":"101291","name":"try39853.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/try39853_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/try39853_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1255705,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/try39853_0.jpg?itok=V0huypJw"}},"48925":{"id":"48925","type":"image","title":"Bone regeneration with stem cell scaffold","body":null,"created":"1449175408","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:28","changed":"1475894463","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:03","alt":"Bone regeneration with stem cell scaffold","file":{"fid":"101292","name":"tyd39853.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyd39853_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyd39853_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":405535,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyd39853_0.jpg?itok=SU7f1o5P"}},"48926":{"id":"48926","type":"image","title":"Robert Guldberg bone regeneration","body":null,"created":"1449175408","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:28","changed":"1475894463","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:03","alt":"Robert Guldberg bone regeneration","file":{"fid":"101293","name":"the39853.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the39853_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/the39853_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1050118,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/the39853_0.jpg?itok=crlQN6aN"}}},"media_ids":["48924","48925","48926"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/guldberg.shtml","title":"Robert Guldberg"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/","title":"Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8233","name":"amniotic fluid fetal stem cells"},{"id":"530","name":"bone"},{"id":"8227","name":"bone defect"},{"id":"8231","name":"Bone Marrow Derived Stem Cells"},{"id":"8226","name":"Bone Regeneration"},{"id":"8225","name":"Bone Repair"},{"id":"8232","name":"fetal stem cells"},{"id":"6891","name":"fluorescence"},{"id":"8230","name":"Mesenchymal Stem Cells"},{"id":"8228","name":"Orthopedics"},{"id":"8229","name":"polymer scaffold"},{"id":"2363","name":"quantum dots"},{"id":"1489","name":"Regenerative Medicine"},{"id":"167413","name":"Stem Cell"},{"id":"167139","name":"Stem Cell Research"},{"id":"167130","name":"Stem Cells"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbby Vogel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News and Publications\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=avogel6\u0022\u003EContact Abby Vogel\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-385-3364\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"53839":{"#nid":"53839","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Photonic Material May Facilitate All-Optical Switching and Computing","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA class of molecules whose size, structure and chemical composition have been optimized for photonic use could provide the demanding combination of properties needed to serve as the foundation for low-power, high-speed all-optical signal processing. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAll-optical switching could allow dramatic speed increases in telecommunications by eliminating the need to convert photonic signals to electronic signals \u2013 and back \u2013 for switching. All-optical processing could also facilitate photonic computers with similar speed advances. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetails of these materials \u2013 and the design approach behind them \u2013 were reported February 18th in Science Express, the rapid online publication of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E. Conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research (ONR). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis work provides proof that at least from a molecular point of view, we can identify and produce materials that have the right properties for all-optical processing,\u201d said Seth Marder, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-author of the paper. \u201cThis opens the door for looking at this issue in an entirely different way.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe polymethine organic dye materials developed by the Georgia Tech team combine large nonlinear properties, low nonlinear optical losses, and low linear losses. Materials with these properties are essential if optical engineers are to develop a new generation of devices for low-power and high-contrast optical switching of signals at telecommunications wavelengths. Keeping data all-optical would greatly facilitate the rapid transmission of detailed medical images, development of new telepresence applications, high-speed image recognition \u2013 and even the fast download of high-definition movies. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBut favorable optical properties these new materials developed at Georgia Tech have only been demonstrated in solution. For their materials to have practical value, the researchers will have to incorporate them in a solid phase for use in optical waveguides \u2013 and address a long list of other challenges. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe have developed high-performing materials by starting with optimized molecules and getting the molecular properties right,\u201d said co-author Joseph Perry, also a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u201cNow we have to figure out how to pack them together so they have a high density and useful physical forms that would be stable under operation.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarder, Perry and collaborators in Georgia Tech\u2019s Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) have been working on the molecules for several years, refining their properties and adding atoms to maximize their length without inducing symmetry breaking, a phenomenon in which unequal charges build up within molecules. This molecular design effort, which builds on earlier research with smaller molecules, included both experimental work \u2013 and theoretical studies done in collaboration with Jean-Luc Bredas, a also a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe design strategies identified by the research team \u2013 which also included Joel Hales, Jonathan Matichak, Stephen Barlow, Shino Ohira, and Kada Yesudas \u2013 could be applied to development of even more active molecules, though Marder believes the existing materials could be modified to meet the needs of all-optical processing \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor this class of molecules, we can with a high-degree of reliability predict where the molecules will have both large optical nonlinearities and low two-photon absorption,\u201d said Marder. \u201cNot only can we predict that, but using well-established chemical principles, we can tune where that will occur such that if people want to work at telecommunications wavelengths, we can move to where the molecules absorb to optimize its properties.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESwitching of optical signals carried in telecommunications networks currently requires conversion to electrical signals, which must be switched and then converted back to optical format. Existing electro-optical technology may ultimately be able to provide transmission speeds of up to 100 gigabits-per-second. However, all-optical processing could theoretically transmit data at speeds as high as 2,000 gigabits-per-second, allowing download of high-definition movies in minutes rather than hours. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven if the frequency of signals coming and going is high, there is a latency that causes a bottleneck for the signals until the modulation and switching are done,\u201d Perry explained. \u201cIf we can do that all optically, then that delay can be reduced. We need to get electronics out of the system.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPerry and Marder emphasize that many years of research remain ahead before their new materials will be practical. But they believe the approach they\u2019ve developed charts a path toward all-optical systems. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile we have not made all-optical switches, what we have done is provide a fundamental understanding of what the systems are that could have the combined set of properties that would make this possible,\u201d Marder said. \u201cConceptually, we have probably made it over the hump with this class of molecules. The next part of this work will be difficult, but it will not require a fundamental new understanding of the molecular structure.\u201d \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is based on work supported in part by the STC program of the National Science Foundation under agreement DMR-0120967, the DARPA MORPH Program and ONR (N00014-04-0095 and N00014-06-1-0897) and the DARPA ZOE Program (W31P4Q-09-1-0012). The comments and opinions expressed are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the views of the NSF, DARPA or ONR.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 314\u003Cbr \/\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364)(\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA class of molecules whose size, structure and chemical composition have been optimized for photonic use could provide the demanding combination of properties needed to serve as the foundation for low-power, high-speed all-optical signal processing.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Dye-based materials may provide the basis for all-optical networks"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2010-02-23 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:05","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2010-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2010-02-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"53840":{"id":"53840","type":"image","title":"Professor Seth Marder","body":null,"created":"1449175342","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:22","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Professor Seth Marder","file":{"fid":"170991","name":"tiz58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1150222,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiz58650_0.jpg?itok=eaL-O43G"}},"53841":{"id":"53841","type":"image","title":"Seth Marder \u0026 team","body":null,"created":"1449175342","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:22","changed":"1475894406","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:06","alt":"Seth Marder \u0026 team","file":{"fid":"170992","name":"tmr58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1097968,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmr58650_0.jpg?itok=Md_XMabo"}},"53842":{"id":"53842","type":"image","title":"Prof. Joe Perry","body":null,"created":"1449175428","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:43:48","changed":"1475894468","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:08","alt":"Prof. Joe Perry","file":{"fid":"171058","name":"ted58650.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1417499,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ted58650_0.jpg?itok=ArlnPF6D"}}},"media_ids":["53840","53841","53842"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Chemistry and Biochemistry"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cope.gatech.edu\/","title":"COPE"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Marder\/","title":"Seth Marder"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chemistry.gatech.edu\/faculty\/Perry\/","title":"Joseph Perry\\\u0027s home page"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bredators.gatech.edu\/","title":"Jean-Luc Bredas"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1745","name":"networks"},{"id":"2768","name":"optics"},{"id":"2290","name":"photonics"},{"id":"170836","name":"switching"},{"id":"1463","name":"Telecommunications"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}