{"343521":{"#nid":"343521","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clean-Tech to Market: Young Companies Utilize Georgia Tech Research to Help Ease Global Environmental Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by Rick Robinson\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs pump prices gyrate and global temperatures rise, the world\u2019s dependence on hydrocarbon fossil fuels looks increasingly precarious. Elevated greenhouse gas levels and a string of particularly destructive storms have created new interest in ways to reduce impacts on the world\u2019s environment and slow climate change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the Georgia Institute of Technology, young companies arising from the Institute\u2019s $500 million-per-year research program are developing cleaner, more-sustainable technologies. Focusing mainly on cleaner production or more efficient use of energy, these ventures are converting research discoveries into applications with broad benefits.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cClean technologies have very significant environmental and economic promise,\u201d says Stephen Fleming, vice provost of Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute, and director of its Commercialization Services Division. \u201cSeveral companies based on Georgia Tech research are producing clean-tech products today here in Georgia or are knocking at that door, and numerous others show real promise.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommercialization Services identifies, evaluates and promotes Georgia Tech research discoveries that show commercial potential. Most such discoveries fall into two categories: those that may be licensed to established corporations, and those few \u2013 about one in 10 \u2013 that can provide foundations for new companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe VentureLab program of the Georgia Research Alliance supports development of those companies through grants and other assistance that helps them get started. Here are some highlights of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u201cgreen\u201d companies:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESuniva: High-Efficiency Crystalline-Silicon Photovoltaic Cells\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva Inc. began manufacturing high-efficiency crystalline-silicon photovoltaic cells in October 2008 at a 73,000-square-foot facility in Norcross, Ga. Suniva is the Southeast\u2019s first maker of solar cells, and it has plans to expand quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing technology based on the research of Georgia Tech Regents\u2019 professor Ajeet Rohatgi, the company is presently manufacturing its ARTisun\u2122 solar cells at a rate of 32 megawatts (MW) annually \u2013 which would produce enough electricity to supply about 6,300 homes, Rohatgi says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva plans to triple its annual output to nearly 100 MW. The company currently employs about 70 people and expects to add more staff as it grows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva uses a patented technology it calls Star\u2122 to extract maximum performance from wafers of mono-crystalline silicon, a material often used for solar power generation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA solar cell contains several layers, and every layer plays a role in the cell\u2019s overall efficiency. Rohatgi has studied solar cells in depth for some 30 years, learning how to optimize each layer to get maximum output \u2013 at the least cost.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe want to be right at the sweet spot,\u201d explains Rohatgi, who is both Suniva\u2019s founder and chief technology officer. \u201cWe want cells that are highly efficient but low in cost, and that can generate power at a cost comparable to the power you buy from the electric company.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERohatgi\u2019s solar-cell research has received significant funding over many years from the U.S. Department of Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSuniva is a shining example of how government support for research can lead to very real job creation,\u201d notes Robert Knotts, director of federal relations for Georgia Tech. \u201cIt\u2019s a strong reminder of why we should invest in research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva\u2019s current solar-cell output falls in the 17- to 18-percent efficiency range, which Rohatgi classifies as high, especially among lower-cost cells. But the company is continuing to improve its technology, and recently the National Renewable Energy Laboratory certified a new Suniva cell and cell structure at 20 percent efficiency.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva is a graduate of Georgia Tech\u2019s Commercialization Services, which evaluates the commercial potential of technology developed at Georgia Tech and helps faculty members and other research staff form companies based on their research. In early 2008, Suniva joined the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech\u2019s science and technology incubator. It graduated from that program in April 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo date, Suniva has received total funding of $55.5 million from several venture capital organizations, including Menlo Park, Calif.-based New Enterprise Associates (NEA). Even more significant, Suniva now has contracts worth more than $1 billion through 2013.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERohatgi, who runs the University Center of Excellence for Photovoltaic Research and Education in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, gained one important advantage early on: first-class management.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWith the help of NEA and Commercialization Services, Suniva has assembled a great management team with enormous experience in running technology manufacturing companies,\u201d he says. \u201cBeing able to put together such a well-established team played a big role in my decision to start the company.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuniva\u2019s chairman and CEO, John W. Baumstark, is a technology-industry veteran with wide experience that includes serving as CEO of DWL before its acquisition by IBM and as chief operating officer of TRADEX Technologies before and during its acquisition by Ariba Inc. for $5.6 billion in 2000.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company\u2019s vice president of manufacturing, Stephen P. Shea, ran BP Solar\u2019s manufacturing line for many years. Daniel L. Meier, vice president of research and development, has worked for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and has managed R\u0026amp;D for two other companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the next two to three years, we expect the quality-price balance of our product will put us at grid parity at a dollar per watt,\u201d Baumstark says. That means power from Suniva cells would cost about the same as buying power from an electric company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClimate Forecast Applications Network: Long-Range Weather and Climate Forecasts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EClimate Forecast Applications Network (CFAN) is using cutting-edge computer models to develop weather and climate forecasts on time scales from days to decades. The three-year-old company caters to clients needing forecast products beyond the traditional five-day forecasts provided by the National Weather Service, such as energy and insurance companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECFAN\u2019s capabilities include proprietary extended-range hurricane forecasting. They\u2019ve been providing this service for an energy-sector company for two years. CFAN\u2019s forecasts help that company manage both its energy-production and energy-trading activities in advance of a storm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELast summer, CFAN correctly informed this energy-sector client that Hurricane Ike would strike Houston directly. What\u2019s more, CFAN did so a week before the storm hit land, several days ahead of other forecasters.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur clients took a direct hit on this one,\u201d says Judith Curry, professor and chair of the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and a CFAN principal. \u201cThey used our forecasts for all their storm-related logistics, including evacuation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECompanies in the retail sector also have a strong stake in accurate hurricane forecasts, she explains. For example, building supply companies want to move plywood and other materials to the correct hurricane target area. Sending it to the wrong spot can mean a financial loss.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther CFAN clients include the insurance sector, which wants weather models that anticipate storm and flooding risks over the next 10 to 30 years. Insurance companies seek such data, Curry says, because they believe that ongoing climate change will alter future weather patterns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECFAN\u2019s secret?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLet\u2019s just say we have a proprietary multi-model statistical dynamical method that includes European weather models,\u201d says Peter J. Webster, a School of Earth and Atmospheric Science professor who is also a CFAN principal. \u201cWe give a customized forecast product to each client. They come to us with a particular problem requiring particular forecasting, and we come up with a product just for them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELike most Georgia Tech companies, CFAN has its roots in a research project. Webster was developing flood forecasts for the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center, an organization that works to prevent loss of life from storm-related flooding in such vulnerable countries as Bangladesh.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat work brought the team to the attention of Ben Hill, a technology advisor for Georgia Tech Commercialization Services. He told them their research might have the right stuff to be the basis of a new company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday CFAN has a scientific staff of eight, income approaching seven figures and good prospects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company has also worked with the World Bank, helping the Caribbean adapt to climate change. At issue: finding ways for those regions to deal with rising sea levels, more hurricanes and less rainfall.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESays Curry: \u201cThe whole issue of climate services is becoming potentially a growth area as companies, resources managers and agencies grapple with climate variability and change.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERideCell: Making Existing Urban Transportation More Efficient\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell aims to make existing urban transportation more efficient by making it more accessible.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis young company covers both the private and public sides of the street. It uses technology that\u2019s already in the hands of millions \u2013 mobile phones and global positioning system (GPS) chips \u2013 to offer on-demand car pooling that\u2019s safe as well as flexible. It can also supply mobile-phone users with the kind of information \u2013 including schedules and actual in-route arrival times \u2013 that increases the usability of public transit systems like MARTA and localized systems such as Georgia Tech\u2019s Stinger buses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThink of it as accessing all modes of transit via your mobile phone, in real time,\u201d says RideCell CEO Dave Kaufman. \u201cWe want to make car pooling, van pooling and MARTA much more attractive and reliable options than they are now.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn today\u2019s Atlanta, he explains, 71 percent of people ride in single-occupancy vehicles, while only 10 percent of 2.5 million commuters car pool. The top reason that people continue using their private vehicles is flexibility. If they need to work late, or leave early to pick up a sick child, they don\u2019t want to be tied to a car pooling schedule.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell\u2019s service, based on technology developed by Stephen L. Dickerson, an emeritus professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering, can make car pooling almost as convenient as that personal car, says company chief technology officer Aarjav Trivedi. A user can input travel time, destination and other preferences into a RideCell-enabled mobile phone, then watch as the system shoots back a range of ride options that offers smoking and even gender-preference choices.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first concern people raise for a system like this involves security, Trivedi acknowledges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s not as simple as just matching people up \u2013 developing trust is key,\u201d he says. \u201cEveryone wants to be sure the ride they\u2019re getting is a safe one.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003ERideCell\u2019s solution, he says, is \u201climited networks of trust\u201d based on existing social networks. A corporate or university directory would represent one such existing network. Georgia Tech faculty and staff, for example, could agree to ride with other Georgia Tech employees.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA multi-layered registration process would ensure that only bona fide staff would find their way into the RideCell system. Various kinds of vehicle and\/or driver identification, from license-plate numbers and online photos to on-vehicle decals, might heighten security.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell even uses the mobile phone\u2019s Bluetooth capability to automate authentication between driver and rider. And GPS-tracking technology could detect when a vehicle went off course, which might signal trouble.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce established, individual networks of trust could combine forces. For example, Georgia Tech employees could agree to share ride information with employees from nearby Coca-Cola.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell is still working on its software, and not every mobile phone can host the company\u2019s system \u2013 although text messaging enables coverage of most of the mobile market. In addition, RideCell has made its product available to in-car GPS platforms including Dash Express.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell\u2019s software even includes an integrated-billing function. The system adjusts subscriber accounts for transportation in either private vehicles or van pools \u2013 riders get billed, drivers get a credit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd that\u2019s just the beginning,\u201d says company founder Dickerson. \u201cThis technology can be extended to high-occupancy toll lanes and even traffic metering, which could save billions in infrastructure build-out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERideCell is already moving into the real world of convenient car pooling. The company is setting up a system trial involving some 150 Georgia Tech faculty, students and staff. It\u2019s hoped that the trial, performed in cooperation with Georgia Tech Parking and Transportation, will help iron out software glitches and provide a major step toward wider deployment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhy would people give up their beloved private vehicles to car pool or take MARTA?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETrivedi says there are several motivations. One is that gasoline prices can be expected to go back up \u2013 maybe not tomorrow but soon. A second is that \u201cmany people really do want to be green.\u201d A third is that some want to limit wear and tear on their cars \u2013 or avoid having to own a car at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnd some people simply like riding with other people,\u201d he adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EQoil: Getting the Most Service from Motor Oil \u0026amp; Protecting Engines\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMany ventures aim to conserve oil, but few specifically target engine oil.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQoil uses a patent-pending electrochemical sensor to continually evaluate the condition of lubricating oil. Its technology can provide data on not only the motor oil but also on the engine it\u2019s protecting.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHistorically, it\u2019s been cheaper just to change your oil every 3,000 miles than to take a chance on damaging your engine,\u201d says Frank Mess, CEO of Qoil (pronounced \u201ccoil\u201d). \u201cThe net result is that hundreds of millions of barrels of oil or more are wasted every year as perfectly good motor oil is thrown out.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, he explains, vehicle-fleet owners who want to evaluate engine oil must have samples extracted and sent to a lab. It\u2019s a bit like what diabetics had to go through before portable blood testing equipment, he says. It\u2019s laborious, and periodic lab results are generally a poor substitute for on-the-spot information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQoil\u2019s technology provides real-time electrochemical analysis of engine oil by placing sensors in the oil flow. The result is that owners can extract maximum life from their increasingly expensive motor oil. And, by monitoring for early signs of engine damage, the Qoil approach can help head off expensive repairs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBased on the research of Steven Danyluk, the Morris M. Bryan Jr. Chair in Mechanical Engineering for Advanced Manufacturing Systems at Georgia Tech, Qoil\u2019s sensors initially make the most sense for fleet vehicles, Mess says. But private vehicles could also benefit as the technology becomes more widespread and affordable. The company is also working with potential customers in other industrial segments who need to protect high-value engines and gearboxes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EQoil now has 24 prototype oil-monitoring systems operational on commercial vehicles in the field. These installations use a bypass flow loop, in which oil flows past the sensor and back into the engine. Ultimately, Mess says, the sensor will likely be threaded straight into an engine port.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESignals from the sensor are processed and transmitted to Qoil\u2019s analysis system in Atlanta, where the company uses internally developed algorithms to analyze the data and produce detailed reports on oil and engine health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve had significant success in monitoring the chemical degradation of the oil as a function of time, as well as successes in detecting early failure symptoms that prevented expensive equipment failures,\u201d Mess says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to VentureLab seed funding, Qoil has received a first round of venture capital. Qoil sensors are currently being manufactured in-house, but the company has engaged external partners as it prepares to ramp up production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe company is a member of the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther companies growing at Georgia Tech include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVehicle Monitoring Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(VMT) monitors vehicle activity and vehicle emissions in conjunction with driver behavior to promote safety, better air quality and energy efficiency. Its technologies are based on the research of Randall Guensler, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Jennifer Ogle, now at Clemson University. Guensler and Ogle are also principals in the company.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVMT is currently providing monitoring services for vehicle activity and emissions in various U.S. localities. The company specializes in several areas including technology development for instrumented vehicle-data collection and analyzing the impact of pricing schemes, such as HOV toll lanes, on traffic and emissions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EC2 Biofuels\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is an outgrowth of a Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) project that seeks to develop fuel-ethanol production from biomass material available in large quantities in the Southeast, including Southern yellow pine.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EC2 Biofuels is supported by Sam Shelton of SEI and the Georgia Tech School of Mechanical Engineering and Bill Bulpitt of SEI. In addition, a team at the Georgia Tech School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the University of Georgia is helping to evaluate and develop processes and technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe startup is led by Roger Reisert, a Georgia Tech alumnus who has designed, built and operated refineries. Reisert says the company plans to build and begin operation of a pilot plant in 2009. The schedule also calls for a larger demonstration plant, to be built in 2010, and a commercial plant by 2012.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe goal: to deliver fuel-grade cellulosic ethanol to service stations at $1.70 a gallon.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EApplied Nanomaterials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is working on nanoscale generators that could power very small devices and bio-sensors. The company is based on the work of Zhong Lin Wang, a professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInnovolt\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;uses patented technology to enhance energy management and energy efficiency, especially in the area of power protection and the prevention of equipment damage from energy surges. The technology is based on the work of Deepak Divan, a professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The company graduated from ATDC in May 2009.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELumoFlex\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;is developing organic photovoltaic materials that could result in substantial power savings and flexible form factors in a number of products. The company derives from research by Seth Marder and Joe Perry of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Bernard Kippelen and Greg Durgin of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EVirtual Aerosurface Technologies\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;develops tiny devices that, installed in aircraft wings or wind turbines, emit \u201cmicrojets\u201d of air that adjust lift and drag to improve control and save fuel. These microjet devices are based on the work of Ari Glezer of the School of Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBach Energy\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;seeks to extract biofuels from municipal solid waste via a gasification process. The technology is based on the research of Art Ragauskas, a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At the Georgia Institute of Technology, young companies arising from the Institute\u2019s $500 million-per-year research program are developing cleaner, more-sustainable technologies. Focusing mainly on cleaner production or more efficient use of energy,"}],"uid":"28152","created_gmt":"2014-11-10 14:23:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:26","author":"Claire Labanz","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"343471":{"id":"343471","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - Clean Tech - pseudo square solar cell","body":null,"created":"1449245639","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:59","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"Research Horizons - Clean Tech - pseudo square solar cell","file":{"fid":"200836","name":"cleantech_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cleantech_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/cleantech_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":800322,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/cleantech_1_0.jpg?itok=v2CRUbcv"}},"343481":{"id":"343481","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - 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Decades into the nation\u2019s war on cancer, we have learned that the disease is far more complex than we originally believed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\u0022wp-caption-text\u0022\u003EKirill Lobachev, associate professor in the School of Biology, uses this gel documentation system to capture images of DNA on a gel. (Click image for high-resolution version. Credit: Gary Meek)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are pursuing many different directions in their quest to understand how cancer arises. They are adding their findings to a deepening understanding of the complex molecular pathways that turn a normal cell into a malignant one. Ultimately, that knowledge may lead to new strategies for preventing cancer, new diagnostic techniques for finding it early \u2013 and to drugs and other agents that may provide cures.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis article describes Georgia Tech research into the origins of cancer including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHow hormones fuel certain cancers;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EThe potential role of non-mutational changes, called epigenetics;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EAn integrated approach to studying ovarian cancer;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMechanisms for repairing double-strand DNA breaks;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EPredicting where DNA will break, and how often it will break; and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUnderstanding the role of cell-signaling molecules such as sphingolipids.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the first in a series of three reports that will focus on cancer research at Georgia Tech. The other two will highlight efforts to develop new diagnostics and new treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERevealing Hormone Links to Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHormones fuel some types of cancer, including breast cancer, in which malignant cells feed on estrogen \u2013 the principal female sex hormone. That suggests strategies to stop the cancer\u2019s spread might include blocking the site where estrogen binds to its receptor or inhibiting the gene that controls production of estrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarion Sewer, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology, focuses her research on a protein called liver receptor homolog 1 (LRH1). Inhibiting LRH1 could potentially slow the progression of hormone-sensitive breast cancer by stopping estrogen production.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are investigating LRH1 because it binds to sequences of DNA and activates the gene that produces estrogen,\u201d says Sewer. \u201cAlthough LRH1 is not typically present in normal breast tissue, it is present at high levels in breast cancer cells. We\u2019re trying to figure out what activates it and causes it to be overproduced in cancerous tissue.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiologists know that activation of LRH1 cannot occur until a particular small molecule binds to it, but they are unclear about the identity of that molecule. Sewer and Eric Ortlund, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Emory University, are trying to identify the molecule \u2013 called a ligand \u2013 that binds to LRH1 and activates it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with Alfred Merrill, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Biology and the Smithgall Chair in Molecular Cell Biology, Sewer is also isolating LRH1 from breast cancer cells and using mass spectrometry techniques to identify any ligands that are bound to the receptor.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf we can figure out what the ligand is and design some analog of the ligand that would inhibit its ability to bind to DNA and produce estrogen, we may discover a better anti-cancer therapy method,\u201d explains Sewer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a related project, Sewer is investigating the genes that control production of vitamin D. These are members of the same family of genes \u2013 called cytochromes P450 \u2013 that control production of estrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSince vitamin D levels have been shown to be much lower in breast cancer patients and studies have linked insufficient vitamin D to an increased risk for breast cancer, we are investigating sphingolipid molecules that increase the presence of the genes that produce the active form of vitamin D,\u201d notes Sewer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe molecules \u2013 called 1-deoxysphinganines \u2013 were originally isolated from mollusks and have been shown to have anti-cancer properties. Graduate student Tenzing Phanthok and undergraduate student Viniya Patidar are investigating the role of 1-deoxysphinganine in increasing vitamin D production and in turn preventing cancer cells from multiplying.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince these 1-deoxysphinganines are naturally produced in the body, it is possible that cancer progression is a result of altered production of 1-deoxysphinganine. Perhaps the level of these molecules could be used as a cancer biomarker or indicator, Sewer says.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESewer\u2019s work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Scientist Award.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis project was supported by Award No. R01GM073241 from the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences (NIGMS) and Award No. MCB-0347682 from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the researcher and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NIGMS, the National Institutes of Health or the NSF.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInvestigating the Role of Epigenetics in Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile many biologists investigate cancer genetics \u2013 mutations in DNA sequences that cause the disease \u2013 a growing group of biologists is examining the role of cancer epigenetics, which are changes that contribute to malignancy without causing changes in DNA sequences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EYuhong Fan, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Biology, believes that the scientific field of epigenetics may help shape the future of cancer diagnosis and treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCancer cells have drastically different epigenetic patterns compared to normal cells,\u201d explains Fan, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar. \u201cMany epigenetic changes may appear prior to the development of invasive cancer, so I think that doctors might one day be able to detect epigenetic markers for cancer before a tumor appears.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEpigenetic studies concentrate on the way the genome is marked and packaged inside a cell\u2019s nucleus. Much of Fan\u2019s research focuses on the role of H1 linker histones, a family of 10 proteins that helps to package the DNA within chromosomes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFan and Arthur Skoultchi, chair of the Department of Cell Biology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at New York\u2019s Yeshiva University, previously observed the effects of partially reducing H1 levels in mice. The work showed that H1 histones are important to an organism\u2019s normal development. Expanding on these findings, Fan recently teamed with John McDonald, chief scientist of the Ovarian Cancer Institute and associate dean for biology development in the School of Biology, to determine if the multiple H1 subtypes are regulated differently in benign and malignant ovarian cancer tissues.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that some of the H1 subtypes were expressed at significantly higher levels in the cancerous tissue compared to the benign tissue and some were expressed at significantly lower levels,\u201d notes Fan. \u201cThe most remarkable finding was that these differences, whether increases or decreases, were consistent among multiple samples.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith this knowledge, Fan\u2019s next step is to find out what genes and functions are affected by changes in expression of each subtype. To do this, her group plans to change the level of each H1 subtype in cancer cell culture and monitor what happens to cell growth and cell fate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe hope that measuring the expression level of one or more of these H1 subtypes can be used as an epigenetic biomarker for the cancer diagnosis of the future,\u201d adds Fan. \u201cSince the expression patterns are consistent, you could easily measure a few epigenetic characteristics, rather than looking at thousands of genes.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunding for Fan\u2019s research is provided by the National Institutes of Health and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExamining How Ovarian Cancer Develops\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnlike many cancer biology researchers who investigate general processes underlying many cancers, John McDonald focuses his investigations broadly on one type of cancer \u2013 ovarian.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOvarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological cancer, with the American Cancer Society predicting that in the United States alone each year, more than 20,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 16,000 will die from it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOvarian cancer is called the silent killer because by the time symptoms arise and it\u2019s detected, it has typically spread throughout the body,\u201d says McDonald, chief scientist of the Ovarian Cancer Institute and associate dean for biology development in the School of Biology. \u201cOur laboratory takes an integrated approach to studying ovarian cancer by investigating its causes, establishing accurate and reliable diagnostic tests, and developing novel and effective therapies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne focus of McDonald\u2019s research is to determine how cancer cells develop in the ovaries. While it is estimated that up to 90 percent of ovarian carcinomas are derived from ovarian surface epithelial cells \u2013 cells that create the thin layer of tissue that covers the ovaries \u2013 the behavior of these cells differs from other epithelial-derived carcinomas because they become more specialized as malignancy progresses.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo investigate this behavior in more detail, McDonald and Nathan Bowen, a research scientist and Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar, compared the gene expression profiles of ovarian surface epithelial cells isolated from the surface of healthy ovaries with those of malignant ovarian tumors collected by the Ovarian Cancer Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results showed that more than 2,000 genes were expressed at significantly different levels in the two sample types. Genes associated with adult stem cell maintenance were expressed at a much higher level in the cells isolated from healthy ovaries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that changes in the expression of genes involved in maintaining the inertness and stem cell nature of epithelial surface ovarian cells may be instrumental in the initiation and development of ovarian cancer,\u201d explains McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results also showed that the surface of the ovary exhibits the characteristics of an adult stem cell niche, which is a protected environment where stem cells remain inactive until a signal triggers their cell cycle and they differentiate.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExpanding on these results, McDonald, Bowen and postdoctoral fellows Roman Mezencev and Lijuan Wang are currently examining the sensitivity of ovarian cancer stem cells and differentiated cancer cells to existing chemotherapy agents.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe preliminary results indicate that existing chemotherapy agents may effectively kill cancer cells but not touch these cancer stem cells, which could be why ovarian tumors and other cancers frequently recur,\u201d adds McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work was supported by the Ovarian Cancer Institute, Georgia Cancer Coalition, Golfers Against Cancer Foundation, Ovarian Cycle Foundation, Robinson Family Foundation and Deborah Nash Harris Foundation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInvestigating DNA Repair Mechanisms\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExposure to environmental carcinogens such as tobacco smoke and ultraviolet radiation can result in various types of DNA damage and subsequently lead to the development of cancer if the damage is not repaired.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDouble-strand breaks, in which both strands in the DNA double helix are severed, are particularly hazardous to cells because they can lead to genome rearrangements. And their repair is intrinsically more difficult.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBiologists typically believed that double-strand breaks could only be repaired by homologous intact DNA \u2013 until recently, when Francesca Storici, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Biology, showed that RNA could be used as a template to directly repair DNA in yeast cells. This contradicted the dogma that genetic information had to flow from DNA to RNA.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cUsing RNA that naturally resides inside a cell to repair damaged DNA could represent an additional line of defense against DNA damage,\u201d says Storici, who is also a Georgia Cancer Coalition Scholar. \u201cThe capacity of RNA to record itself into DNA could be the basis of a wholly unexplored process of RNA-driven DNA evolution.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThese unique RNA functions may have important implications in gene targeting and gene therapy because RNA molecules mimicking RNA oligonucleotides could be generated directly in the nucleus of targeted cells via transcription from vectors.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince her initial discovery in yeast, Storici has used RNA to repair broken chromosomal DNA in human cells in culture and to correct a base defect in the genome of bacterial cells, suggesting that RNA-templated DNA repair is a more general mechanism. She is currently examining exactly how this direct transfer of RNA information to DNA occurs.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile we can gain a lot of insight from understanding how a cell can repair its DNA, we can also use that information to create a better method for correcting genetic defects,\u201d notes Storici.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHer goal is to develop a tool to correct a particular mutation on a specific chromosome while causing minimal damage to the DNA. One way to do that, Storici says, might be to search for factors that facilitate delivery of the targeting molecule to the nucleus and promote the exchange of DNA strands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo test the tool she develops, Storici is working with and constructing different human cell lines, and monitoring the repair of specific genetic defects with a simple flow cytometry assay.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiven the ability of RNA to transfer genetic information to chromosomal DNA and the possibility of amplifying RNA within cells at will, Storici plans to continue investigating new directions in gene targeting and treatment of cancer and other genetic diseases.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUnderstanding the Role of Sphingolipids in Cancer Development\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor almost 30 years, Georgia Tech professor Alfred Merrill has been studying lipids \u2013 the fats, oils, cholesterols and certain vitamins that our bodies need to grow and survive. Today, his expertise lies in a subgroup of lipids called sphingolipids, which influence cell structure, signaling and interaction.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe lipid backbones of sphingolipids are important cell-signaling molecules that turn on and turn off intracellular proteins that are involved in cell growth, death, and an interesting process called autophagy that has recently gained much attention in the cancer research field,\u201d says Merrill, who is also the School of Biology\u2019s Smithgall Chair in Molecular Cell Biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutophagy \u2013 meaning \u201cself-eating\u201d \u2013 involves the degradation of cellular compartments, called organelles, and cellular proteins. During this process, a cell forms a vesicle that encapsulates its cytoplasm and some of the organelles and then fuses with digestive enzymes that degrade the contents of the vesicle and make them available for cell nutrition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInterestingly, autophagy has been implicated in both cancer cell death and survival. Since Merrill\u2019s research has shown that sphingolipid signaling is essential for creating autophagy vesicles, these metabolites may be involved in both promoting and limiting tumor growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAutophagy promotes cancer cell survival by allowing cells to respond to changing environmental conditions, such as nutrient deprivation. During starvation, autophagy allows cells to degrade proteins and organelles and thus obtain a source of nutrients that would not be available otherwise.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCancer cells use autophagy because as they are developing they have a period in which they go into a nutrient crisis because they haven\u2019t established their own blood and nutrient flow, so they use autophagy as a way to survive in the meantime,\u201d explains Merrill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHowever, this same process of gaining nutrients can lead to tumor cell death as well. Merrill\u2019s laboratory found that a number of anti-cancer agents promote the formation of these vesicles through sphingolipid signaling.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPreliminary data supports the theory that the autophagic vesicles in cancer cells are unstable, so if one of their components\u2014 the sphingolipids\u2014is out of balance, this can cause them to break apart and spill out their toxic contents, killing the cancer cell,\u201d adds Merrill.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile the mechanism through which autophagy inhibits tumor development is still unclear, graduate student Kacee Sims is examining the role of sphingolipid pathways in the conversion of autophagy from a cancer cell survival pathway to a cell death pathway.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe project described was supported by Award No. U54GM069338 from the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences (NIGMS). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the researcher and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NIGMS or the National Institutes of Health. Significant funding to support this research was also provided by the Smithgall Endowment to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInvestigating the Complexity of Chromosome Breaks\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEveryone has fragile sites on their chromosomes that are particularly prone to breaking, making them hot spots for rearrangements that can lead to hereditary diseases and cancer. Georgia Tech School of Biology associate professor Kirill Lobachev is trying to understand what\u2019s special about these regions, the consequences of the breaks, and the pathways that are involved in promoting and repairing these breaks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt is becoming clear that the fragile sites often contain unstable repetitive sequences that can adopt unusual DNA structures,\u201d says Lobachev. \u201cWe think that everyone is probably a carrier of these unstable motifs that can cause chromosomes to break anytime, so we ultimately want to be able to predict where a chromosome is going to break and how frequently this break will occur, and determine if we can prevent it.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDetermining whether a particular chromosomal region is predisposed to breakage requires knowledge about the structural parameters of the unstable sequences that make chromosomes fragile, such as their size or composition of the genetic sequences they contain. Using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model organism, Lobachev\u2019s laboratory has been able to mimic some of the structural instability that cancer cell chromosomes exhibit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a recent study, Lobachev and colleagues demonstrated that DNA replication machinery sometimes stalls when it reaches a long sequence of palindromes \u2013 sequences that read the same way backward and forward. Further analysis has shown that chromosomes break when DNA replication is slowed or altered.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cLong palindromes were known to change the shape of DNA from a double helix into a hairpin or cruciform structure, but this was one of the first studies to show that these changes could affect DNA integrity,\u201d explains Lobachev.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, Lobachev and postdoctoral fellow Vidhya Narayanan determined that palindromic sequences induce a particular type of DNA break that is a precursor to a process involved in cancer called gene amplification. Amplification of genes involved in metabolism or inactivation of drugs can lead to chemotherapy resistance, and amplification of genes that turn normal cells into cancer cells are known to occur in several late-stage cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey showed that gene amplification depends on the location of an oncogene relative to the break \u2013 called a hairpin-capped double strand break \u2013 and the end of the chromosome. The study indicated that restricting breakage of the unstable sequences may be a promising strategy for pharmaceutical cancer prevention and treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, knowing what genetic sequences are more likely to lead to chromosomal fragility and being able to explore genetic pathways involved in this process may help researchers identify persons who might be prone to developing cancer, adds Lobachev.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECollaboration with the Georgia Cancer Coalition\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Cancer Coalition\u2019s (GCC) mission is to reduce the number of cancer deaths in Georgia. One key initiative toward accomplishing that goal is naming Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists. In concert with Georgia\u2019s academic universities, the GCC supports the recruitment of national leaders in cancer research to Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, 11 researchers have been named Distinguished Cancer Scholars, including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ERavi Bellamkonda, professor, biomedical engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ENathan Bowen, senior research scientist, biology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EErin Dickerson, research scientist, biology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EYuhong Fan, assistant professor, biology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMelissa Kemp, assistant professor, biomedical engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EValeria Tohver Milam, assistant professor, materials science and engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EShuming Nie, professor, biomedical engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMarion Sewer, associate professor, biology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFrancesa Storici, assistant professor, biology\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDongmei \u201cMay\u201d Wang, assistant professor, biomedical engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EMing Yuan, assistant professor, industrial and systems engineering\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Cancer Coalition has also awarded seven Cancer Research Awards to Georgia Tech faculty members investigating how to prevent, treat and cure breast, ovarian and prostate cancers. Michelle Dawson, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, recently received one of these grants for her research into the development of specialized cells designed as gene delivery vehicles to target and treat breast cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Decades into the nation\u2019s war on cancer, we have learned that the disease is far more complex than we originally believed."}],"uid":"28152","created_gmt":"2014-11-05 18:00:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:26","author":"Claire Labanz","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"342221":{"id":"342221","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - Origins of Cancer - Kirill Lobachev","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"Research Horizons - 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Because the odds of survival approach 90 percent if the disease is found early, scientists worldwide are on a quest to develop ways to detect and diagnose cancer early.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are pursuing many different directions in cancer detection and diagnostic techniques including:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EUsing gold nanoparticles to locate and kill cancer cells inside the body;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECreating software programs that improve the process of identifying cancer biomarkers from gene expression data;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003ECollecting and characterizing tumor cells in a person\u2019s bloodstream with microfluidic devices;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDetermining which gases exhaled in a person\u2019s breath indicate the presence of breast cancer;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDetecting ovarian cancer from patterns of metabolites found in a drop of blood; and\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EDeveloping algorithms to visualize the prostate in real-time during robotic biopsy and radioactive seed-placement procedures.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis is the second in a series of three reports focusing on cancer research at Georgia Tech. The first, published in the Winter\/Spring 2009 issue of Research Horizons, highlighted efforts to understand how cancer arises. The third report will highlight new cancer treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EUsing the Power of Gold Against Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA precious metal long used for jewelry, gold may soon be considered precious for cancer detection and treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOnce you cut the size of gold down to a few nanometers, its properties change and it reacts with other elements, catalyzes reactions and interacts with light, which makes it valuable for medical applications,\u201d says Mostafa El-Sayed, the Julius Brown Chair and Regents\u2019 Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile his wife was fighting breast cancer \u2013 a battle she ultimately lost \u2013 El-Sayed began reading journal articles about cancer research and realized that the properties of gold might make it useful for detecting and killing cancer cells. To investigate the possibility, he began collaborating with his son, Ivan El-Sayed, a head and neck cancer surgeon at the University of California, San Francisco.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMostafa El-Sayed designed nanometer-sized spheres of gold and attached them to antibodies targeting specific receptors on cancer cells, which were provided by his son. Using dark-field imaging, they were able to detect the cancer cells to which the antibodies had attached. They could see the cancer cell surfaces and distinguish them from healthy cells due to the strong scattering of light from the gold nanoparticles.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThen the father-son team observed that these metal nanoparticles could also act as light-activated heaters for killing cancer cells. By shining visible laser light on cells, they were able to selectively destroy cancer cells with much lower power than was required to kill healthy cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDuring these experiments, we realized that gold nanoparticles have advantages over other nanostructures because they can achieve both diagnostics and therapy simultaneously,\u201d notes Mostafa El-Sayed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter seeing the clinical potential of gold nanospheres on cells, the researchers conducted mouse experiments in collaboration with John McDonald, associate dean for biology program development at Georgia Tech, and Erin Dickerson, formerly a research scientist in McDonald\u2019s laboratory. Xiaohua Huang, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech and Emory University, and graduate student Erik Dreaden also contributed to this research.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy changing the shape of the nanospheres to cylindrical gold nanorods, the researchers were able to use near-infrared laser light to detect malignant tumors hidden more deeply under the skin and selectively destroy them without harming the healthy cells. Currently, research is being conducted to investigate the effects of gold nanoparticles on animals to clear the way for human clinical trials.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe unique ability to tune the gold nanoparticle properties by varying their size, shape, composition and medium has allowed us to design nanostructures geared for specific bio-applications,\u201d explains Mostafa El-Sayed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSince light converted into heat selectively kills cancer cells, this treatment can be used for different kinds of cancers, avoids normal drug resistance and does not require invasive surgery, thus avoiding post surgery infections.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was funded by grant number DE-FG02-97ER14799 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the DOE or the United States Government. Significant funding to support this research was also provided by the Julius Brown endowment to Georgia Tech.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECancer Biomarker Identification Software Tools Earn Certification\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe explosive growth of genomic and proteomic data has ushered in a new era of molecular medicine in which cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment are tailored to each individual\u2019s molecular profile. But this personalized medicine approach requires that researchers discover and link biomarkers \u2013 such as genes or proteins \u2013 to specific disease behaviors, such as the rate of tumor progression and different responses to treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETwo new software programs that help address that challenge have recently earned silver-level compatibility certification from the National Cancer Institute\u2019s cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid\u00ae, also known as caBIG\u00ae.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDeveloped by May Dongmei Wang and her team in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, the programs \u2013 caCORRECT and omniBio-Marker \u2013 remove noise and artifacts, and identify and validate biomarkers from microarray data. Funding to develop the programs was provided by the National Institutes of Health \u2013 primarily the Emory-Georgia Tech National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE), the Georgia Cancer Coalition, Microsoft Research and Hewlett-Packard.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cCertification by caBIG means the tools can be easily used by everyone in the cancer community to improve approaches to cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention,\u201d says Wang, an associate professor in the Coulter Department, a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar and director of the CCNE biocomputing and bioinformatics core.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EcaCORRECT \u2013 chip artifact CORRECTion \u2013 is a software program that improves the quality of collected microarray data, ultimately leading to improved biomarker selection. Because each microarray chip contains thousands of spots, it is easy for a few spots to become marred due to experimental variations by different laboratory technicians or errors that create scratches, edge effects and bubble effects on the data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EcaCORRECT removes the noise and artifacts from the data, while retaining high-quality genes on the array. The software can also effectively recover lost information that has been obscured by artifacts. In collaboration with Andrew N. Young, an associate professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University\u2019s School of Medicine and clinical laboratory director at Grady Health System, Wang and graduate students Todd Stokes, Martin Ahrens and Richard Moffitt validated the caCORRECT software.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe caBIG-certified omniBioMarker software identifies and validates biomarkers from high-throughput gene expression data. Candidate cancer biomarkers are typically genes expressed at different levels in cancer patients compared to healthy subjects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EomniBioMarker searches these groups of patient data for genes with the highest potential for accurately determining whether a patient has cancer. However, because individual genes are not expressed independently, the software also identifies groups of genes that act in concert. Wang, Young and graduate student John Phan tested the ability of the software to identify biomarkers in clinical renal cancer microarray data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince receiving caBIG silver-level compatibility certification for caCORRECT and omniBioMarker, Wang and her team have been working on getting two more software programs certified: Q-IHC and omniVisGrid.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was funded by grant numbers R01CA108468, P20GM072069 and U54CA119338 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding Microdevices That Separate and Analyze Cancer Cells\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMicrofluidic devices developed at Georgia Tech are enabling cancer researchers to collect and characterize tumor cells in a person\u2019s bloodstream. Analyzing the quantity and diversity of the cancerous cells allows for early detection of tumors and cancer metastasis, as well as the monitoring of treatment. The analysis can also indicate the type of cancer, its aggressiveness and its receptiveness to particular treatments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMicrofluidic devices have advantages over many typical laboratory analysis systems like flow cytometry because they cost less, require only a small population of cells, demand less time and can be combined for multiple sequential analyses,\u201d says Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering professor Bruno Frazier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrazier and graduate student Youngdo Jung designed a microfluidic device that attracts and collects magnetically labeled cells into a center channel while allowing untagged cells to travel along outer channels. To test the device with cancer cells, they teamed with Emory University researchers Lily Yang, an associate professor of surgical oncology research; Georgia Chen, an associate professor of hematology and oncology; and Dong Shin, a professor of hematology and oncology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause the proteins located on the surfaces of cancer and normal cells are different, the researchers selectively targeted the proteins on the cancer cell surfaces and tagged them with magnetic nanoparticles. In experiments, the researchers were able to collect 86 percent of the tagged cancer cells in the center outlet and 95 percent of the non-tagged red blood and white blood cells in the side outlet, with a flow rate of 100 microliters per hour.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EExcited with the experimental results, Frazier\u2019s team combined the microseparator with a downstream impedance spectroscopy microsystem, which traps a single cell in an analysis cavity and measures its electrical impedance.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis impedance spectroscopy system allows us to determine the heterogeneity of a tumor, including the percentages of normal cells and different stage cancer cells, which is information that can be used to create a personalized treatment regimen,\u201d explains Frazier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn experiments with normal and cancerous breast cells, the researchers observed significant differences in the magnitude and phase of the impedance signal, enabling them to easily classify the cells. The technique can distinguish normal human breast tissue cells, early-stage breast cancer cells, invasive breast cancer cells and metastasized breast cancer cells.\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince completing the cellular experiments, the Georgia Tech and Emory researchers have begun testing the microsystems with blood and tissue samples from breast and head\/neck cancer animal models.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe believe that the microfluidic devices we\u2019ve built will eventually play a key role in numerous aspects of cancer diagnosis and treatment, including detecting and evaluating metastatic disease, selecting and individualizing initial surgical and medical therapies, monitoring disease progression and understanding the fundamental biology of metastasis,\u201d notes Frazier.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was funded by grant number ES10846 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIEHS or the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreath Test Studied for Detecting Breast Cancer\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarly breast cancer detection can significantly improve survival rates. However, current diagnostic tests expose women to the potentially harmful effects of radiation \u2013 and often fail to detect cancer in the earliest stages.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA team of researchers from Georgia Tech, Emory University and the University of Ulm in Germany are using a portable, non-invasive device to determine which biomarker gases exhaled in a person\u2019s breath indicate the presence of breast cancer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cScientists know that it\u2019s possible to detect different chemical compounds from a person\u2019s breath and relate them to illness,\u201d explains Charlene Bayer, principal research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). \u201cYet they haven\u2019t been able to quantify results \u2013 such as determining a patient has a tumor because he or she has X amount of Y compounds in his or her breath.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBreath biomarkers are volatile organic compounds originating in the lower lungs. Certain compounds are related to oxidative stress, the body\u2019s response to inflammation, and are often an indication of disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs a patient breathes into the device, these compounds are trapped and examined by a sensor. The researchers\u2019 sensing methodology combines gas chromatography \u2013 a technique for separating complex compounds \u2013 with mass spectrometry, which identifies the chemical makeup of a substance. Specific patterns in the compounds are then found and used to confirm the presence or absence of the disease.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team recently conducted a clinical study analyzing more than 300 volatile organic compounds in breath samples of 20 healthy women over the age of 40 and 20 women recently diagnosed with stage II-IV breast cancer and who had not received treatment. The results showed that the breath analysis was able to determine whether the sample came from a cancer patient or healthy subject 78 percent of the time.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are currently adding to their clinical database of breath data and trying to determine which compounds are most important for detecting breast cancer. That could help reduce the number of compounds tested.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBecause it can offer immediate results right in a physician\u2019s office, Bayer expects the device will help increase early detection among those who do not have the resources for a mammogram, more easily conduct interval testing for those with a genetically high risk for breast cancer, and facilitate recurrence testing after breast cancer treatment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers involved in this project include Brani Vidakovic, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University; Sheryl G.A. Gabram, a professor of surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Emory University; and University of Ulm professor Boris Mizaikoff.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating an Ovarian Cancer Detection Tool\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EScientists at Georgia Tech are using patterns of metabolites found in a drop of blood to detect ovarian cancer. Using an analytical technique called mass spectrometry, the researchers have been able to differentiate between serum samples taken from patients with ovarian cancer and those from unaffected individuals.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOvarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in women, but it is a relatively rare cancer, so a functionally useful diagnostic test has to be 99 percent accurate or you are going to get too many false positives,\u201d says John McDonald, chief scientist of the Ovarian Cancer Institute and associate dean for biology development in the School of Biology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDonald teamed with mass spectrometry expert Facundo Fernandez, an associate professor in the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, to sort molecules in the serum based on their weight and electrical charge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe focused on metabolites as opposed to proteins or peptides because we get better quantification and higher resolution for the smaller molecules that comprise the human metabolome,\u201d explains Fernandez.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith the help of Alexander Gray, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech College of Computing\u2019s Computational Science and Engineering Division, the research team was able to detect patterns of key metabolites in the blood. Using a sophisticated artificial intelligence computer program, they were able to \u201ctrain\u201d the computer to distinguish patterns of small metabolites found in the blood of cancer patients from those of control subjects.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe scientists first used serum samples from known cancer patients and unaffected individuals to establish metabolomic patterns that were present at different levels in the two groups. The machine learning program identified a pattern consisting of only a few dozen metabolites, among thousands of candidates, which could be used to distinguish between women with ovarian cancer and women with non-cancerous conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce these patterns were identified, the researchers tested the patterns of the same metabolites in a different set of serum samples from other patients with and without cancer. The researchers identified the samples with 99 percent accuracy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe identity of the key metabolites and the role they may play in ovarian cancer is still under investigation, but the development of an accurate and reliable diagnostic test will save lives when combined with existing therapies, according to McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAnother great thing about this approach is that it may be possible to extend it for the early detection of any type of cancer or any disease from a droplet of blood,\u201d adds McDonald.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis work is supported by the Ovarian Cancer Institute, Deborah Nash Harris Endowment Fund, the Ovarian Cycle Foundation and the Georgia Research Alliance VentureLab program.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPerfecting Robotic Image-Guided Surgical Procedures\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobots are being used more frequently today in hospitals around the country. Many of these robots, like the one developed by Queen\u2019s University associate professor Gabor Fichtinger to perform needle-based prostate biopsy and therapy procedures, require medical images to accurately guide the surgical tool to the desired target.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMagnetic resonance imaging enables real-time scanning of the needle from its insertion through the skin to contact with the target, but the difficulty lies in being able to develop algorithms that immediately display and analyze the images while the patient is in the imaging scanner,\u201d says Allen Tannenbaum, who holds a joint appointment as the Julian Hightower Chair in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo visualize the prostate in real-time during biopsy and radioactive seed-placement procedures, Tannenbaum and graduate student Yi Gao developed fast image segmentation and registration algorithms to locate the prostate in magnetic resonance images and correct for movement during the procedure. The algorithms have been integrated into the transrectal prostate magnetic resonance imaging module of Slicer3, an open-source surgical navigation software.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETannenbaum employed two methods to \u201cextract\u201d the prostate from the magnetic resonance images: a shape-based algorithm and a semi-automatic method. The shape-based algorithm required inputting manually segmented three-dimensional prostate images into an artificial intelligence program. Then, given a new image, the program was able to isolate the prostate from nearby structures. For the semiautomatic method, users selected points inside and outside of the prostate and the program used that information to decide whether a pixel belonged to the organ or the background.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to segmentation, images of the same patient taken at different points in time require registration to cope with deformation of the organ.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cImagine you have a balloon \u2013 that\u2019s the prostate \u2013 and you take a needle and push on the balloon. Pushing on it deforms the prostate and these changes have to be accounted for,\u201d explains Tannenbaum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe prostate presents a number of difficulties for traditional image registration approaches because there are no easily discernable landmarks. However, because the surface of the prostate is almost half convex and half concave, Tannenbaum was able to capture the concave region in each image and use it to register the whole prostate. \u201cOur segmentation and registration algorithms provide much greater accuracy for the robot to stick a needle in the prostate, while also requiring less than a second for computation and no special supercomputers,\u201d adds Tannenbaum.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap Initiative called The National Alliance for Medical Imaging Computing (NA-MIC). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At the Georgia Institute of Technology, researchers are pursuing many different directions in cancer detection and diagnostic techniques."}],"uid":"28152","created_gmt":"2014-11-05 17:45:48","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:26","author":"Claire Labanz","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"342091":{"id":"342091","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons -Diagnosing Cancer shine laser light on cells with gold attached","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"Research Horizons -Diagnosing Cancer shine laser light on cells with gold attached","file":{"fid":"200793","name":"diagnosing_cancer_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1411155,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_1_0.jpg?itok=MY-MN-wJ"}},"342101":{"id":"342101","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons -Diagnosing Cancer - 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Allen Tannenbaum","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"research Horizons -Diagnosing Cancer - Allen Tannenbaum","file":{"fid":"200798","name":"diagnosing_cancer_6.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_6_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_6_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1048870,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/diagnosing_cancer_6_0.jpg?itok=Bky0coJe"}}},"media_ids":["342091","342101","342111","342131","342141","342151"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171382","name":"Summer\/Fall 2009 Issue"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"342211":{"#nid":"342211","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Slithering Snakes, Swimming Lizards: Researchers Study Reptile Locomotion for Insights into Future Robotics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EReptiles use unique forms of locomotion to get around in the world. Legless reptiles use their entire bodies for movement, while some reptiles with legs choose between using legs or their bodies \u2013 depending on the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers recently published studies detailing how lizards and snakes move across and through different environments. Insights from this research could give the developers of future generations of robots more options for locomotion, especially in confined areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Sandfish Swim\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the July 17, 2009, issue of the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;details how sandfish \u2013 small lizards with smooth scales \u2013 move rapidly within desert sand. In this first thorough examination of subsurface sandfish locomotion, Georgia Tech researchers found that the animals place their limbs against their sides and create a wave motion with their bodies to propel themselves through granular media.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen started above the surface, the animals dive into the sand within a half second. Once below the surface, they no longer use their limbs for propulsion \u2013 instead, they move forward by propagating a traveling wave down their bodies like a snake,\u201d says study leader Daniel Goldman, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s School of Physics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from the National Science Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the research team used high-speed X-ray imaging to visualize sandfish \u2013 formally known as Scincus scincus \u2013 burrowing into and through sand. The team used that information to develop a physics model of the lizard\u2019s locomotion.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe sandfish used in this study inhabits the Sahara desert in Africa and is approximately four inches long. It uses its long, wedge-shaped snout and countersunk lower jaw to rapidly bury into and swim within sand. The sandfish\u2019s body has flattened sides and is covered with smooth shiny scales, its legs are short and sturdy with long and flattened fringed toes and its tail tapers to a fine point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo conduct controlled experiments with the sandfish, Goldman and graduate students Ryan Maladen, Yang Ding and Chen Li built a seven-inch by eight-inch by four-inch-deep glass bead-filled container with tiny holes in the bottom through which air could be blown. The air pulses elevated the beads and caused them to settle into a loosely packed solid state. Repeated pulses of air compacted the material, allowing the researchers to closely control the density of the material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause loosely packed media is easier to push through and closely packed is harder to push through, we thought there should be some difference in the sandfish\u2019s locomotion,\u201d says Goldman. \u201cBut the results surprised us because the density of the granular media did not affect how the sandfish traveled through the sand; it was always the same undulatory wavelike pattern.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking the sandfish in the X-ray images as it swam through the glass beads, Goldman was able to characterize the sandfish\u2019s motion \u2013 called its kinematics \u2013 using a single-period sinusoidal wave that traveled from the head to the tail.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe large amplitude waves over the entire body are unlike the kinematics of other undulatory swimming organisms that are the same size as the sandfish, like eels, which propagate waves that start with a small amplitude that gets larger toward the tail,\u201d explains Goldman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter collecting the experimental data, Goldman\u2019s team developed a physics model to predict the speed at which sandfish swim. The model allowed the researchers to partition the body of the sandfish into segments, each of which generated thrust and experienced drag when moving through the granular environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo establish the equations for drag through sand, the researchers measured the granular thrust and drag forces on a small stainless steel cylindrical rod, thus allowing them to predict the wave efficiency and optimal kinematics. They found that the faster the sandfish propagate the wave, the faster they move forward through granular media \u2013 up to speeds of six inches per second. This speed allows the animal to escape predators and the heat of the desert surface, and to quickly swim to ambush surface prey they detect from vibrations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe results demonstrate that burrowing and swimming in complex media like sand can have intricacy similar to that of movement in air or water, and that organisms can exploit the solid and fluid-like properties of these media to move effectively within them,\u201d notes Goldman.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the mechanics of subsurface movement could reveal how small organisms like worms, scorpions, snakes and lizards can transform landscapes by their burrowing actions. This research may also help engineers build sandfish-like robots that can travel through complex environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf something nasty was buried in unconsolidated material, such as rubble, debris or sand, and you wanted to find it, you would need a device that could scamper on the surface, but also swim underneath the surface,\u201d Goldman says. \u201cSince our work aims to fundamentally understand how the best animals in nature move in these complex unstructured environments, it could be very valuable information for this type of research.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow Snakes Slither\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESnakes use both friction generated by their scales and redistribution of their weight to slither along flat surfaces, researchers at Georgia Tech and New York University have learned. Their findings, which appeared June 8, 2009, in the journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E, run counter to previous studies that have suggested snakes move by pushing laterally against rocks and branches.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInsights from the research could give developers of future generations of robots more options for locomotion, especially in confined areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe found that snakes\u2019 belly scales are oriented so that snakes resist sliding toward their tails and flanks,\u201d says the paper\u2019s lead author, David Hu, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering. \u201cThese scales give the snakes a preferred direction of motion, which makes snake movement a lot like that of wheels, cross-country skis, or ice skates. In all these examples, sliding forward takes less work than does sliding sideways.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study, conducted while Hu was a postdoctoral researcher at New York University\u2019s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, centered on the frictional anisotropy \u2013 or resistance to sliding in certain directions \u2013 of a snake\u2019s belly scales. While previous investigators had suggested that the frictional anisotropy of these scales might play a role in locomotion over flat surfaces, the details of this process had not been understood.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo explore this issue, the researchers first developed a theoretical model of a snake\u2019s movement. The model determined the expected speed of a snake\u2019s center of mass as a function of the speed and size of its body waves, taking into account the laws of friction and the scales\u2019 frictional anisotropy. The model suggested that a snake\u2019s motion arises through the interaction of surface friction and its internal body forces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe animals propel themselves using their muscles to move their bodies in a wave. As the wave travels backwards through its body, the snake\u2019s scales catch the ground, generating a frictional force that propels it forward,\u201d explains Hu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo study the model\u2019s accuracy in describing the movement of real snakes, the researchers measured the sliding resistance of snake scales and monitored the movement of snakes through a series of experiments on flat, inclined, smooth and rough surfaces. They employed video and time-lapse photography to gauge movements of the snakes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFirst, the research team measured the ability of milk snakes to slither on rough cloth and a smooth plank. The snakes had trouble moving on the smooth surface, but could move more easily on the cloth-covered one. However, the snakes ran into movement difficulties again when researchers fitted them with a cloth jacket, which eliminated the scale frictional anistropy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHu also anesthetized snakes and placed them head-first, backwards and sideways over inclined smooth and rough surfaces. On the smooth surface, friction was fairly evenly matched in all directions, whereas on the rough surface, snakes slid easily in the forward direction, but their scale friction resisted sliding backwards or sideways. The researchers found that it was twice as hard to move the snakes sideways as it was to slide the animals forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe friction was caused by the orientation of the snakes\u2019 scales, which are arranged like shingles on a roof to resist such movements,\u201d notes Hu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat test provided a friction coefficient that could be studied with the computer model. With that value included, the theoretical snake followed roughly the same path as the real snakes. However, the speeds predicted by the model were lower than those the researchers observed in the snake experiments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo find out why, Hu\u2019s team placed moving snakes on a photoelastic gelatin that lit up when force was applied. They found that the snakes lift parts of their bodies slightly off the ground when moving. This helps reduce unwanted friction and applies greater pressure to the parts of the body wave that are pushing the snake forward. While friction accounts for about 65 percent of the forward movement, this weight redistribution by the snake accounts for the other 35 percent, according to Hu.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAfter factoring this into the model, the results showed a close relationship between what the model predicted and the snakes\u2019 actual movements. The theoretical predictions of the model were generally consistent with the snakes\u2019 actual body speeds on both flat and inclined surfaces.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the future, understanding snake locomotion might help engineers design better snake robots, which can be used to maneuver into tight spaces,\u201d Hu adds.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe study\u2019s other co-authors were Jasmine Nirody and Terri Scott, both undergraduate researchers at New York University, and Michael Shelley, a professor of mathematics and neural science and the Lilian and George Lyttle Professor of Applied Mathematics at Courant.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe information on the sandfish is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. PHY- 0749991 and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the researcher and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. James Devitt, deputy director for media relations at New York University, contributed to the portion of this article relating to snakes.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By studying movement of reptiles, researchers could develop more options of locomotion of robots, especially in confined areas."}],"uid":"28152","created_gmt":"2014-11-05 17:52:09","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:17:26","author":"Claire Labanz","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"342171":{"id":"342171","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - Snakes - sandfish","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"Research Horizons - Snakes - sandfish","file":{"fid":"200799","name":"snakes_1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_1_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_1_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":642874,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/snakes_1_0.jpg?itok=incwKIdS"}},"342181":{"id":"342181","type":"image","title":"Research Horizons - Snakes - high-speed X-ray","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"Research Horizons - Snakes - high-speed X-ray","file":{"fid":"200800","name":"snakes_2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_2_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_2_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1387121,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/snakes_2_0.jpg?itok=g7oDPT2a"}},"342191":{"id":"342191","type":"image","title":"research Horizons - Snakes - gelatin","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"research Horizons - Snakes - gelatin","file":{"fid":"200801","name":"snakes_3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_3_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_3_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":753844,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/snakes_3_0.jpg?itok=gEB3YVDa"}},"342201":{"id":"342201","type":"image","title":"research Horizons - Snakes - visualizing snakes","body":null,"created":"1449245616","gmt_created":"2015-12-04 16:13:36","changed":"1475895062","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:51:02","alt":"research Horizons - Snakes - visualizing snakes","file":{"fid":"200802","name":"snakes_4.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_4_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/snakes_4_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":631650,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/snakes_4_0.jpg?itok=c2xGsX7j"}}},"media_ids":["342171","342181","342191","342201"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"42941","name":"Art Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"171382","name":"Summer\/Fall 2009 Issue"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E177 North Avenue\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAtlanta, Georgia 30332-0181\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrett Israel\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-385-1933\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ebrett.israel@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"54702":{"#nid":"54702","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ECE Receives $2 Million Commitment from Harris Corporation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has received a $2 million commitment from the Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe gift, made through the Harris Foundation, will help support a capital campaign for construction of a new ECE headquarters facility and the renovation of the school\u2019s 47-year-old Van Leer Building, where some 7,000 students receive instruction each year.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHarris will donate $500,000 each year for four years beginning in 2010 \u2013 the anticipated completion date of the Georgia Tech Foundation\u2019s private fund drive for the new facilities.  Specifically, the Harris gift is intended for construction of an auditorium or other similar space. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson, president of Georgia Tech and Howard L. Lance, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris,  today signed an agreement for the donation during a special ceremony at the Harris Customer Briefing Center in Melbourne, Florida.  The event also included a reception attended by Harris employees who are Georgia Tech graduates and by other representatives from the university.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur faculty and students are currently scattered across 10 buildings around the campus, the Van Leer classrooms are outdated, and the building lacks adequate laboratory facilities,\u201d said Dr. Gary S. May, professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE, who also attended the check presentation.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cClearly, this generous lead gift from Harris Corporation provides significant momentum for the school\u2019s long-term capital needs and helps to create a new presence that will serve us well in the 21st Century.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHarris has a decades-long partnership with Georgia Tech and its School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which is the largest producer of electrical and computer engineers by degree in the nation.  The company employs nearly 200 of the school\u2019s graduates.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the $2 million gift announced today, Harris has donated some $280,000 to the university since 2006.  This includes a five-year, $250,000 pledge for a research lab in the Nanotechnology Research Center, and another $30,000 to support various programs within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Gift to Support Capital Improvement Projects"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology\u2019s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has received a $2 million commitment from the Harris Corporation.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ga. Tech receives $2 million gift from Harris Corporation."}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-09-17 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:05:38","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"54703":{"id":"54703","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449175459","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:44:19","changed":"1475894481","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:41:21"}},"media_ids":["54703"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2435","name":"ECE"},{"id":"3406","name":"Harris Corporation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"48082":{"#nid":"48082","#data":{"type":"news","title":"3-D Solar Cell that Uses \u0022Towers\u0022 to Boost Efficiency Wins Patents","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA three dimensional solar cell design that uses micron-scale \u0022towers\u0022 to capture nearly three times as much light as flat solar cells made from the same materials has been awarded broad patent protection in both China and Australia.  Modeling suggests that the 3-D cell could boost power production by as much as 300 percent compared to conventional solar cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause it can capture more power from a given area, the 3-D design could be useful for powering satellites, cell phones, military equipment and other applications that have a limited surface area.  Developed at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the \u0022three dimensional multi-junction photovoltaic device\u0022 uses its 3-D surface structure to increase the likelihood that every photon striking it will produce energy.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One problem with conventional flat solar cells is that the sunlight hits a flat surface and can bounce off, so the light only has one chance to be absorbed and turned into electricity,\u0022 explained John Bacon, president of IP2Biz\u00c2\u00ae, an Atlanta company that has licensed the technology from GTRI.  \u0022In the GTRI 3-D solar cell, we build a nanometer-scale version of Manhattan, with streets and avenues of tiny light-capturing structures similar to tall buildings.  The sunlight bounces from building to building and produces more electricity.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe arrays of towers on the 3-D solar cell can increase the surface area by several thousand percent, depending on the size and density of the structures.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Conventional cells have to be very large to make adequate amounts of electricity, and that limits their applications,\u0022 Bacon explained.  \u0022The large surface area of our 3-D cell means that applications from satellites to cell phones will be more practical since we can pack so much light gathering power into a small footprint.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three dimensional structure also means that the cells don\u0027t have to be aimed directly at the sun to capture sunlight efficiently, Bacon added.  Conventional solar cells work best when the sunlight hits them at a narrow range of angles, but the new 3-D system remains efficient regardless of the angle at which the light hits.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe tower structures on the GTRI solar cells are about 100 microns tall, 40 microns by 40 microns square, 50 microns apart \u2014 and grown from arrays containing millions of vertically aligned carbon nanotubes.  The nanotubes primarily serve as the structure on which current-generating photovoltaic p\/n coatings are applied. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The carbon nanotubes are like the framing inside of buildings, and the photovoltaic materials are like the outer skin of the buildings,\u0022 said Tom Smith, president of 3-D Solar LLC, a company formed to commercialize the cells.  \u0022Within the three-dimensional structures, multiple materials could be used to create the physical framing.  Carbon nanotubes were used in the original solar cells, but they are not required for the technology to work.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 3-D solar cells were developed in the laboratory of Jud Ready, a GTRI senior research engineer.  Tests comparing the 3-D solar cells produced in Ready\u0027s lab with traditional planar cells produced from the same materials showed an increase in power generation, Smith said.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers chose to make their prototype cells from cadmium materials because they were familiar with them from other research.  However, a broad range of photovoltaic materials could also be used, and selecting the best material for specific applications will be the goal of future research.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the cells begins with a silicon wafer, which also serves as the solar cell\u0027s bottom junction.  The researchers first coat the wafer with a thin layer of iron using a photolithography process that can create a wide variety of patterns.  The patterned wafer is then placed into a furnace heated to approximately 700 degrees Celsius.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHydrocarbon gases are then flowed into the furnace, where the carbon and hydrogen separate.  In a process known as chemical vapor deposition, the carbon grows arrays of multi-walled carbon nanotubes atop the patterns created by the iron particles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the carbon nanotube towers have been grown, the researchers use a process known as molecular beam epitaxy to coat the nanotube arrays with cadmium telluride (CdTe) and cadmium sulfide (CdS), which serve as the p-type and n-type photovoltaic layers.  Atop that, a thin coating of indium tin oxide, a clear conducting material, is added to serve as the cell\u0027s top electrode.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the finished solar cells, the carbon nanotube arrays serve both as support for the 3-D arrays and as a conductor connecting the photovoltaic materials to the silicon wafer.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe 3-D solar cells were described in the March 2007 issue of the journal JOM, published by the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, and in the Journal of Applied Physics in 2008.  The research leading to their development was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Air Force Research Laboratory.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the patents in China and Australia, IP2Biz has applied for protection in the United States, Canada, Europe, Korea and India, Smith noted.  The patents granted so far apply to any photovoltaic application in which three dimensional structures are used to capture light bouncing off them, he added.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The 3-D photovoltaic cell could be of great value in satellite, cell phone and defense applications given its order of magnitude reduction in footprint, coupled with the potential for increased power production compared to planar cells,\u0022 Smith added.  \u0022We are very pleased with the level of interest in licensing or acquiring this innovation as means of addressing the world\u0027s growing need for energy.\u0022\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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A three dimensional solar cell design that uses micron-scale \u201ctowers\u201d to capture nearly three times as much light as flat solar cells made from the same materials has been awarded broad patent protection in both China and Australia.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"International patents awarded to a 3-D solar cell design"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-12-09 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:04","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-09T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48083":{"id":"48083","type":"image","title":"3-D structures for solar cells","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"3-D structures for solar cells","file":{"fid":"101261","name":"tvv82432.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvv82432_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvv82432_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":394547,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvv82432_0.jpg?itok=Z2xa_tj9"}},"48084":{"id":"48084","type":"image","title":"Jud Ready \u0026 3-D Cells","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Jud Ready \u0026 3-D Cells","file":{"fid":"101262","name":"tjk82432.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjk82432_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjk82432_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":998699,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjk82432_0.jpg?itok=4bzIh9Po"}}},"media_ids":["48083","48084"],"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":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8103","name":"3-D"},{"id":"3155","name":"patent"},{"id":"1073","name":"photovoltaic"},{"id":"167182","name":"solar"}],"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":""}},"48132":{"#nid":"48132","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Team Wins Key Insights - and Second Place - in DARPA Challenge","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA national competition aimed at quickly locating 10 red weather balloons tethered at locations across the United States has netted a second-place finish for a Georgia Tech team -- along with a set of new insights into the use of social networks for gathering information.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the DARPA Network Challenge attracted hundreds of teams to tackle the problem of how to locate the balloons, which were positioned Dec. 5 at locations ranging from San Francisco and Portland to Memphis and Miami.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA team from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology won the $40,000 prize for correctly locating all 10 balloons.  A team led by researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) found nine of the 10 balloons during the nine-hour competition.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDARPA\u0027s interest in the competition was in assessing how social networks could be used to address massive information-gathering tasks.  In addition to its research component, the challenge also marked the 40th anniversary of the ARPANET, the forerunner of today\u0027s Internet.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers Erica Briscoe and Ethan Trewhitt began discussing the challenge in early November, and quickly organized a core team of seven co-workers.  They established a Web site and began using Facebook and word-of-mouth communications to build a network that eventually included more than a thousand people pledged to help.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of their initial decisions was that if they should win, the prize would be donated to the American Red Cross -- rather than being split among the team members and balloon spotters.  Team members believe that was important to attracting altruistic volunteers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOne thing that surprised us was that many balloon reporters specifically chose our team because we had decided to donate the winnings,\u201d said Betty Whitaker, a GTRI principal research scientist who helped coordinate the team.  \u201cWe pledged any winnings to charity to encourage recruitment and avoid complicated issues with money after the contest.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAnother key was establishing the Web site \u201cI Spy A Red Balloon,\u201d which built a high ranking on Google thanks to references on established Web sites.  That allowed the team to attract people who may have seen a red balloon on Dec. 5 and wondered what was going on.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThough we focused on getting the word out to the public prior to launch day, our strong presence on that day made it possible for people who were unaware of the competition to find our team after running across a balloon,\u201d explained Trewhitt, a GTRI research engineer. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team also connected established networks and used the news media to get information out to potential balloon-spotters.  Beyond those who pledged to help, thousands more people knew about the effort and would have made contact had they seen a balloon.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut as with popular social networking services, not everybody could be trusted.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBecause teams were commonly infiltrated by members of competing teams, one of the toughest parts of this competition was not being able to trust any particular members of the group,\u201d Trewhitt added.  \u201cThis led us to realize that trust in large groups is a tricky issue -- and a topic for future research.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOn competition day, which began at 10 a.m. with balloons being raised in the 10 previously-undisclosed locations, team members searched Twitter and Facebook for news of balloon sightings.  They called friends, family and local businesses to validate alleged sightings, and analyzed incoming photographs to spot fakes and confirm the location of authentic red balloons.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThey also used a variety of tools, some of which they built, to help track sightings.  Their Web site, for instance, used Google Maps to summarize reports.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the GTRI team didn\u0027t win the top prize, its leaders believe the effort established credibility and planted seeds for future research projects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe would like to study issues of trust in large social networks, as well as how to extract and validate useful and correct information from un-moderated online media such as Twitter,\u201d said Erica Briscoe, a GTRI research scientist.  \u201cTwitter is often the fastest medium for notification of real-time events because it is unfiltered and raw.  It would be useful to research methods for determining the accuracy and authenticity of rumors in this type of environment.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe competition also showed how much could be done on a budget of just $200, which was what the \u201cI Spy A Red Balloon\u201d team spent in total.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor its part, the agency also seemed pleased with what the teams had done.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201c[The DARPA Network] Challenge explores basic research issues such as mobilization, collaboration and trust in diverse social networking constructs, and could serve to fuel innovation across a wide spectrum of applications,\u201d the agency said in a news release.  \u201cDARPA plans to meet with teams to review the approaches and strategies used to build networks, collect information and participate in the Challenge.\u201d\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond those already mentioned, the team also included Stephen Cuzzort, Jessica Pater, Rick Presley and Miles Thompson, all from the Georgia Tech Research Institute.\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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"A national competition aimed at quickly locating 10 red weather balloons tethered at locations across the United States has netted a second-place finish for a Georgia Tech team -- along with a set of new insights into the use of social networks for gathering information.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A GTRI team placed second in a competition on social networking"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-12-11 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:04","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-11T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48133":{"id":"48133","type":"image","title":"Atlanta balloon","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Atlanta balloon","file":{"fid":"101268","name":"red-balloons.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/red-balloons_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/red-balloons_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1695862,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/red-balloons_0.jpg?itok=XfmGU2dW"}},"48134":{"id":"48134","type":"image","title":"Team working","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Team working","file":{"fid":"101269","name":"tyu56851.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyu56851_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyu56851_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1389965,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyu56851_0.jpg?itok=u4Ry7wdy"}},"48135":{"id":"48135","type":"image","title":"Map of balloons","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Map of balloons","file":{"fid":"101270","name":"tzg56851.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzg56851_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzg56851_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":288808,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzg56851_0.jpg?itok=C8Ikt2YE"}}},"media_ids":["48133","48134","48135"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4100","name":"challenge"},{"id":"690","name":"darpa"},{"id":"1620","name":"Information"},{"id":"1144","name":"networking"}],"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":""}},"48170":{"#nid":"48170","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Doctoral Candidate Named Marshall Sherfield Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech doctoral candidate Mitchel Keller has been awarded a Marshall Sherfield Fellowship for the 2010 academic year. Keller is Georgia Tech\u0027s third fellowship winner, making the Institute the nation\u0027s top-producer of Marshall Sherfield fellows.\u0026nbsp; He is also the first mathematician to receive the honor.\u0026nbsp; Up to two honorees are selected each year for their exceptional character, intellect, purpose, communication skills, research acumen, and ability to make a significant contribution to society.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEstablished in 1998 by the Marshall Commission, the Marshall Sherfield Fellowship encourages the academic advancement of intellectually gifted young Americans, who have recently received a Ph.D. in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, through the opportunity to work with the United Kingdom\u0027s most innovative scientists and engineers.\u0026nbsp; Fellows will conduct research over a one-to-two-year period at a college or university in the U.K.\u0026nbsp; The fellowship also seeks to strengthen mutual respect and collaboration between the U.K. and the United States.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeller plans to study mathematics at London School of Economics.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI applied for a Marshall Sherfield Fellowship because of the opportunity to work with a leader in my area of mathematics in the United Kingdom,\u201d said Keller.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI plan to conduct research in combinatorics, particularly the combinatorics of partially ordered sets with Professor G.R. Brightwell,\u201d he said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI chose London School of Economics because of Professor Brightwell\u0027s reputation in this area of mathematics as well as the overall strength of the math department in discrete mathematics,\u201d said Keller.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch in partially ordered sets could offer critical solutions to important issues facing the global community, specifically improving healthcare or encouraging fiscal responsibility in large organizations.\u0026nbsp; \u201cPartial orders arise in many settings, such as comparing the severity of ailments of hospital patients for triage purposes or making purchasing decisions by comparing complex systems where multiple factors enter the decision making process,\u201d said Keller.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeller\u0027s interest in mathematics began as an undergraduate at North Dakota State University. \u201cI became interested in combinatorics because I started my undergraduate career as a computer science major and saw combinatorics as the mathematics most applicable to computer science,\u201d Keller said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cAfter a while, I realized that the mathematics was more interesting to me than computer science.\u201d\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EImpressed by the strength of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Mathematics in the area of combinatorics, Keller entered the Institute in 2004.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI became interested in my specific research area when I took a graduate course from my advisor, Dr. Tom Trotter, during my first year of graduate school,\u201d Keller said.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u201cGeorgia Tech has given me many opportunities to develop as a researcher.\u0026nbsp; I\u0027ve been fortunate to collaborate with fellow students and my Ph.D advisor on research,\u201d Keller said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThese skills should be helpful as I start working with new individuals. Working and studying in the diverse environment here has also helped prepare me to conduct research in another country with scholars from around the world.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeller\u0027s research skills have also helped him form an interdisciplinary interest in the history of mathematics. \u201cHistory is one of my personal interests, especially political and scientific history,\u201d Keller said.\u0026nbsp; For the past seven years, Keller has been involved with the Mathematics Genealogy Project.\u0026nbsp; \u201cThe project records the history of mathematics by recording doctoral advising relationships [and mentorship relationships for those without doctorates].\u201d\u0026nbsp; Keller said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cWhile the Project has very complete records from some countries, the records from U.K. Universities are incomplete in some cases.\u0026nbsp; Spending an extended time in the U.K. would allow me to visit a number of universities to request help completing the records to better reflect the importance of the British contribution to the development of modern mathematics.\u201d\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EKeller also used his time at Georgia Tech to give back to his community of peers.\u0026nbsp; Among other honors, Keller served as the Graduate Student Government Association President, received the Helen E. Grenga Friend of the Graduate Student Award, and was named Outstanding Teaching Assistant.\u0026nbsp; \u201cFrom the first moment you meet Mitch, you sense that he a special kind of person.\u0026nbsp; He has extraordinary levels of enthusiasm for everything he does,\u201d said Keller\u0027s advisor, Professor, and Chair of Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Mathematics, Dr. William Trotter.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ERaised on his family\u0027s farm in the small town of Halliday, North Dakota, Keller graduated from high school with eight other students.\u0026nbsp; His academic merits have afforded him many opportunities to travel stateside, but he is ready to see the world. \u201cThe opportunity to live abroad for two years also appealed to me,\u201d Keller said.\u0026nbsp; \u201cI have never been abroad, so this opportunity was very exciting.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Prestegious Honor Awarded By Marshall Commission"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech doctoral candidate Mitchel Keller has been awarded a Marshall Sherfield Fellowship for the 2010 academic year. Keller is Georgia Tech\u0027s third fellowship winner, making the Institute the nation\u0027s top-producer of Marshall Sherfield fellows.  He is also the first mathematician to receive the honor.  Up to two honorees are selected each year for their exceptional character, intellect, purpose, communication skills, research acumen, and ability to make a significant contribution to society.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Mitchel Keller awarded fellowship for 2010 academic year"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-12-16 15:48:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:04","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-16T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48171":{"id":"48171","type":"image","title":"MitchKeller","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"MitchKeller","file":{"fid":"101277","name":"MitchKeller.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MitchKeller_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/MitchKeller_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1085700,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/MitchKeller_0.jpg?itok=NivrSyM4"}}},"media_ids":["48171"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8149","name":"keller"},{"id":"8150","name":"london school of economics"},{"id":"3075","name":"marshall"},{"id":"8148","name":"Marshall sherfield"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKaren Adams,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:karen.adams@provost.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekaren.adams@provost.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["sarah.mallory@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"48185":{"#nid":"48185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bioengineered Materials Promote the Growth of Functional Vasculature","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERegenerative medicine therapies often require the growth of functional, stable blood vessels at the site of an injury. Using synthetic polymers called hydrogels, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have been able to induce significant vasculature growth in areas of damaged tissue.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This study shows that bio-artificial materials are suitable for promoting vasculature growth and remodeling,\u0022 said lead author on the study Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, professor and Woodruff Faculty Fellow in Georgia Tech\u0027s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. \u0022Because hydrogels are very compatible with biological tissues, they are a promising therapeutic delivery vehicle to improve treatment of peripheral artery disease, ischemic heart disease, and survival of cell and tissue transplants.\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 December 21, 2009. The work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI) through the Georgia Tech\/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the American Heart Association.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs part of the research, Garc\u00eda and Georgia Tech graduate student Edward Phelps tailored the biochemical and mechanical properties of polyethylene glycol-based hydrogel matrices to enable vasculature to form in and around them. First, the researchers incorporated specific chemical cross-links into the gels so that they would maintain their structural integrity and only degrade in the presence of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases that are typically expressed by invading cells. They also incorporated into the matrices a protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates the growth of blood vessels.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Incorporating these cross-links controlled the release of VEGF from the matrix so that VEGF was only released as the matrix was digested by invading cells,\u0022 explained Garc\u00eda. \u0022This was very important because if you have something solid such as a matrix that cannot degrade, you will not have any vasculature growth into that area.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdhesive amino acid sequences were also added to the gel so that cells could spread within the gel and interact with nearby endothelial cells undergoing the blood vessel growth process called angiogenesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen the researchers implanted the pre-formed hydrogel constructs into small animals, the matrix exhibited constant levels of VEGF for two days followed by a gradual decrease during the following 12 days. When animals were injected with soluble VEGF, a steady decline of VEGF was recorded until 90 percent of the compound was lost within two weeks.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With the degradable implant that included growth factors, after two weeks we saw that new vessels were growing into and around the implant,\u0022 noted Phelps.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional studies with micro-CT imaging showed a six-fold increase in vascular density at two weeks and a 12-fold increase in vascular density at four weeks with the degradable matrix compared to an injection of soluble VEGF. In addition, the hydrogel degraded in a controlled fashion and was replaced by normal tissue. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We found that the vasculature was functional and connected to the host circulatory system, which we saw when a contrast agent injected through the aorta reached the vessels in the implant,\u0022 added Garc\u00eda.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo place the hydrogel deeper inside the body than the pre-formed matrix construct would allow and to be able to fill in an injured area of any shape, the researchers developed a liquid material that forms a gel inside the body when exposed to ultraviolet light.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In reality, most injuries are not well-defined defects so you can\u0027t take a pre-formed construct and fill the irregular-sized site,\u0022 added Garc\u00eda. \u0022Instead, you want to be able to access the area in a minimally invasive way and injecting this solution through the skin allows us to do that without surgery.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers injected the VEGF-containing matrix solution into mice suffering from restricted blood flow, known as ischemia, in one leg. After seven days, the animals exhibited a 50 percent increase in blood perfusion to the affected leg and a 100 percent increase in perfusion to the affected foot. The blood flow to the affected leg was greatly enhanced compared to treatment with a non-degradable hydrogel and injection of soluble growth factors alone. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The engineered matrix containing VEGF performed much better than injecting soluble VEGF, indicating that the delivery vehicle acted synergistically to amplify the effect of the growth factor,\u0022 noted Phelps.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the researchers, the increased perfusion was due to growth factor sequestration in the matrix, resulting in prolonged exposure that persisted as the matrix was degraded and remodeled.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional studies are currently being conducted to determine the clinical viability of these hydrogels as therapeutic vascularization therapies to treat peripheral artery disease and ischemic heart disease, and cell transplantation to treat diabetes. Future studies may incorporate more or different growth factors to achieve even more robust healing effects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther researchers involved in the study include W. Robert Taylor, a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Emory\u0027s Division of Cardiology, and the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Peter Thul\u00e9, an associate professor in Emory University\u0027s Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Lipids, and the Atlanta Veteran\u0027s Affairs Medical Center; and Natalia Land\u00e1zuri, a postdoctoral fellow in the Emory University Division of Cardiology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was partly funded by grant number R01-EB004496 from the National Institutes of Health and by PHS Grant UL1 RR025008 from the Clinical and Translational Science Award program, National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\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\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel (404-385-3364; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986; \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda (404-894-9384); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:andres.garcia@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eandres.garcia@me.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"In a paper published Dec. 21 in the early edition of PNAS, Georgia Tech researchers show that they are able to induce significant functional vasculature growth in areas of damaged tissue through the use of synthetic polymers called hydrogels.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Bioengineered Materials Promote the Growth of Functional Vascula"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-12-21 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:04:04","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-21T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"48186":{"id":"48186","type":"image","title":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Andres Garcia and vascularization hydrogels","file":{"fid":"101280","name":"tan24921.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":833544,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tan24921_0.jpg?itok=JU24rSM5"}},"48187":{"id":"48187","type":"image","title":"Hydrogel vasculature","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Hydrogel vasculature","file":{"fid":"101281","name":"tsf24921.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsf24921_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsf24921_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":591383,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsf24921_0.jpg?itok=1nFQm9N_"}},"48188":{"id":"48188","type":"image","title":"Ed Phelps + hydrogels","body":null,"created":"1449175379","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:42:59","changed":"1475894455","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:55","alt":"Ed Phelps + hydrogels","file":{"fid":"101282","name":"tgw24921.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgw24921_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgw24921_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":950338,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgw24921_0.jpg?itok=lFy1mK5x"}}},"media_ids":["48186","48187","48188"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garcia.shtml","title":"Andres Garcia"},{"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":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"8169","name":"Angiogenesis"},{"id":"8162","name":"Blood Vessel Formation"},{"id":"8164","name":"Blood Vessel Function"},{"id":"8163","name":"Blood Vessel Growth"},{"id":"3356","name":"hydrogel"},{"id":"8165","name":"Ischemic Injury"},{"id":"8168","name":"Metalloproteinase"},{"id":"3227","name":"micro-CT"},{"id":"6898","name":"polyethylene glycol"},{"id":"170931","name":"synthetic polymer"},{"id":"8159","name":"Vascular Development"},{"id":"8167","name":"Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor"},{"id":"8160","name":"vascularization"},{"id":"1443","name":"vasculature"},{"id":"8166","name":"VEGF"}],"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":""}},"47402":{"#nid":"47402","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Student Center Hosts Organic Farmer\u0027s Market","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Dining (GT Dining) hosted a farmer\u0027s market in the Student Center on November 12.\u0026nbsp; The market featured a variety of local products including fresh produce and organic yogurt. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022GT Dining is committed to purchasing local and organic products,\u0022 said GT Dining Marketing Manager Dori Martin. \u0022We want to support the local economy and offer our customers an array of local and organic items for purchase.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe farmers that attended the market were already familiar with Georgia Tech\u0027s commitment to sustainable dining practices. \u0022We have been purchasing from the featured farmers for some time and wanted our customers to have the opportunity to meet them, and vice versa,\u0022 said Martin.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003ESpecial efforts to support sustainable dining are encouraged by many groups in the Georgia Tech community, such as Students Organizing for Sustainability (S.O.S.) and The Office of Environmental Stewardship.\u0026nbsp; \u0022GT Dining committed to hosting a farmer\u0027s market once a semester to Students Organizing for Sustainability,\u0022 said Martin.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next farmer\u0027s market will take place during Georgia Tech\u0027s Earth Day celebration on April 23.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Dining (GT Dining) hosted a farmer\u0027s market in the student center on November 12.  The market featured a variety of local products including fresh produce and organic yogurt.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-11-18 19:36:39","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47403":{"id":"47403","type":"image","title":"Farmer\u0027s Market","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Farmer\u0027s Market","file":{"fid":"101209","name":"farmers_market.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/farmers_market_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/farmers_market_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2792114,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/farmers_market_1.jpg?itok=pgpnU5W4"}}},"media_ids":["47403"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1776","name":"GT dining"},{"id":"1642","name":"organic food"},{"id":"166904","name":"SOS"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDori Martin,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGT Dining, Marketing Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["dori.martin@sodexho.com"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47415":{"#nid":"47415","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Challenges University of Georgia To A Food Fight","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Community Service Council and Student Government Association are challenging the University of Georgia to a food fight.\u0026nbsp; The second annual GT vs. UGA food fight collects canned goods on behalf of the Atlanta Community and Northeast Georgia Food Banks. \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022Tech has never turned down a challenge from U(sic)GA,\u0022 said Rob Parrish, a student organizer for the event.\u0026nbsp; Last year, Georgia Tech collected one barrel of cans, approximately 300 pounds.\u0026nbsp; The University of Georgia collected more than 20,000 pounds of cans.\u0026nbsp; \u0022We are hoping for ten full barrels of cans,\u0022 said Parrish\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022I know we are going to win the game on Saturday. It is my sincere hope that we can do almost as well with this challenge,\u0022 said Parrish. \u0022Georgia Tech\u0027s motto is Progress and Service, and we must not forget the second part of that.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003EMembers of the Georgia Tech community may donate canned items through November 25 (by 5:00 p.m.).\u0026nbsp; Blue collection bins are located near the library fountain, next to the Student Government Office in the Student Center, and in the Athletic Association.\u0026nbsp; Large donations or questions about donations should be directed to Parrish at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:robparrish@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erobparrish@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Students Collect Canned Goods For Local Food Bank"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Community Service Council and Student Government Association are challenging the University of Georgia to a food fight.  The second annual GT vs. UGA food fight collects canned goods on behalf of the Atlanta Community and Northeast Georgia Food Banks.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"27309","created_gmt":"2009-11-19 19:37:50","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Daniel Treadaway","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-19T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7814","name":"canned"},{"id":"4607","name":"drive"},{"id":"116","name":"food"},{"id":"7813","name":"food fight"},{"id":"1823","name":"UGA"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERob Parrish,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:robparrish@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Erobparrish@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["robparrish@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47424":{"#nid":"47424","#data":{"type":"news","title":"AIDS Quilt Display At Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESeveral panels from the AIDS Quilt will be displayed on campus in conjunction with World AIDS Day on December 1.\u0026nbsp; A panel of experts will also discuss AIDS at 11:00 a.m. in the Piedmont Room in the Student Center Commons.\u0026nbsp; Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend both events.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EEach panel of the AIDS quilt is comprised of eight patches.\u0026nbsp; Each patch symbolizes a life lost to AIDS.\u0026nbsp; Three panels of the AIDS quilt will be displayed in the Campus Recreation Center.\u0026nbsp; An additional set of panels will be on display in the Student Center from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESeveral Georgia Tech student organizations are responsible for coordinating the events, specifically MOVE, Pride Alliance, and GT HEROs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Students Recognize World AIDS Day with Quilt, Panel Discussion"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Several panels from the AIDS Quilt will be displayed on campus in conjunction with World AIDS Day on December 1.  A panel of experts will also discuss AIDS at 11:00 a.m. in the Piedmont Room in the Student Center Commons.  Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend both events.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Panels from the AIDS Quilt will be displayed on December 1"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-11-23 19:27:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-23T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-23T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.aidsquilt.org\/","title":"AIDS Quilt"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7718","name":"AIDS"},{"id":"7721","name":"GT HEROs"},{"id":"4210","name":"move"},{"id":"7820","name":"Pride Alliance"},{"id":"7818","name":"quilt"},{"id":"7819","name":"world"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMatlock Rogers\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Matlock@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EMatlock@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Matlock@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47425":{"#nid":"47425","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Collecting Gifts For Refugees Living In Atlanta","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStudent members of Georgia Tech\u0027s Chapter of AIESEC are partnering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to collect gifts for high school-aged refugees living in Atlanta. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBring new or softly used gifts to the Student Involvement Center (in the Student Center above Einstein\u0027s), the Student Success Center, North Avenue Housing Office, East Campus Housing Office, or the Office of Success Programs (located on the third floor of the Instructional Center) by December 4.\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGifts should be appropriate for males and females between the ages of 15 and 19.\u0026nbsp; Gift recommendations include used MP3 players, headphones, DVDs, blank CDs, art supplies, clothing, or shoes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAIESEC \u0022is a global, non-political, independent, not-for-profit organization run by students\nand recent graduates of institutions of higher education. Its members are interested in world issues,\nleadership, and management. AIESEC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual\norientation,creed, religion, national, ethnic, or social origin,\u0022 according to the organization\u0027s Web site.\u0026nbsp; They seek to \u0022enable young people to explore and develop their leadership potential for them to have a positive impact in society.\u0022 In addition to hosting numerous event on the Georgia Tech campus, AIESEC members volunteer throughout communities in Atlanta and the organization sponsors international internship experiences.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Student members of Georgia Tech\u0027s Chapter of AIESEC are partnering with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to collect gifts for high school-aged refugees living in Atlanta.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Students collecting gifts for high-school aged refugees"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-11-24 11:09:15","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"41548":{"id":"41548","type":"image","title":"Campanile","body":null,"created":"1449174325","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:25","changed":"1475894373","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:33"}},"media_ids":["41548"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMelissa McCoy,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Melissa.L.McCoy@gmail.com\u0022\u003EMelissa.L.McCoy@gmail.com\u003C\/a\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Melissa.L.McCoy@gmail.com"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47445":{"#nid":"47445","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Air Force Center of Excellence Awarded to Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has been awarded a U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials, and to develop tools to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe $10.5 million Center, known as the Bio-nano-enabled Inorganic\/Organic Nanostructures and Improved Cognition (BIONIC) center, is being led by Vladimir Tsukruk and Kenneth Sandhage, professors in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Materials Science and Engineering. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Advanced materials is an area of importance for the Air Force since the landscape of materials science is rapidly changing and bio-nano-materials are classes of pervasive materials that exhibit unique capabilities and have the potential to address Air Force needs,\u0022 explained Rajesh Naik, a scientist in the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. \u0022In addition, improved cognition tools are required for assessing the cognitive ability of the warfighter as we ask for more from our human operators in the most demanding environments.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe BIONIC center includes a group of core members from six departments within the Georgia Tech Colleges of Sciences and Engineering, a researcher at The Ohio State University, and scientists and engineers at AFRL. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company is also an industrial collaborator.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFunding for the Center of Excellence is provided by the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate and Human Effectiveness Directorate of AFRL, the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Georgia Tech. The initial award is for three years, with the possibility of an additional two-year extension.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech was chosen to lead this Center of Excellence because of its investment in infrastructure development, including new facilities and instrumentation; its recruitment of high-caliber faculty members and students; and its emphasis in bio-nanotechnology and cognitive sciences,\u0022 said Morley Stone, chief scientist of the Human Performance Wing of AFRL\u0027s Human Effectiveness Directorate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere are three major research thrusts, called interdisciplinary research groups, within the BIONIC center. Each group contains several collaborators from AFRL\u0027s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate or Human Effectiveness Directorate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the first thrust, which is led by Sandhage, researchers are designing, fabricating, characterizing and modeling the performance of inorganic\/organic nanocomposites for efficient, remote energy-harvesting devices, such as photovoltaics and batteries. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The U.S. Air Force utilizes autonomous drones that they would like to operate for longer periods of time,\u0022 explained co-director Sandhage, who holds the B. Mifflin Hood Professorship in the School of Materials Science and Engineering and an adjunct position in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. \u0022To do that, they need a cost-effective energy source that can perform efficiently for extended periods of time, while also providing high pulses of power when needed.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETsukruk is leading the second interdisciplinary research group, which is focused on designing, fabricating, characterizing and simulating the performance of inorganic\/organic nanocomposites for tunable, adaptive materials.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When these adaptive materials are exposed to heat or light or both, they will change their properties in ways that will be useful for sensing or morphing surfaces,\u0022 said co-director Tsukruk, who also holds a joint appointment in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe third thrust is being led by Michelle LaPlaca, an associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. LaPlaca and her team plan to develop tools and assessment methods to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022U.S. Air Force analysts must remain attentive to computers and controls for hours at a time, so we aim to find a molecular signature of cognition that is sensitive to changes in stress levels and correlate these molecules with functional brain maps using magnetic resonance imaging techniques,\u0022 said LaPlaca. \u0022We want to learn about a warfighter\u0027s physiological response to different situations and use this information to optimize training and work effectiveness.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to its research objectives, another goal for the Center of Excellence is to conduct stimulating collaborative research that will motivate students to consider working at AFRL.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022At Georgia Tech, we\u0027ve had a history of sending outstanding alumni to work at AFRL, including three of our recent Ph.D. graduates. As students, they were able to collaborate with researchers at AFRL and spend extended periods of time at the AFRL facilities, which opened their eyes to AFRL\u0027s exciting opportunities and dynamic research atmosphere,\u0022 said Sandhage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther core members of the Center include Regents\u0027 Professor Mostafa El-Sayed, professor Seth Marder and assistant professor Nils Kroger from the Georgia Tech School of Chemistry and Biochemistry; professor Bernard Kippelen from the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Shella Keilholz, an assistant professor in the Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering; Eric Schumacher, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Psychology; and Hamish Fraser, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers will be added to this core group as early as next year, when the Center begins awarding seed grants to Georgia Tech faculty members.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The goal of this seed grant program is to establish new connections to talented Georgia Tech faculty members that can result in long-term relationships and fruitful collaborations with the U.S. Air Force,\u0022 added Sandhage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Air Force under Award No. FA9550-09-1-0162. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the principal investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Air Force.\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\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"BIONIC Center Will Focus on Nanostructures and Improved Cognition"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech was awarded a $10.5 million U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials, and to develop tools to optimize critical cognitive processes of the modern warfighter.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Air Force Center of Excellence awarded to Georgia Tech"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-12-01 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:49","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-12-01T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47450":{"id":"47450","type":"image","title":"Ken Sandhage Thumbnail","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ken Sandhage Thumbnail","file":{"fid":"101216","name":"Ken.Sandhage.100_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":32939,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ken.Sandhage.100_0_0.jpg?itok=IdBo2qD8"}},"47446":{"id":"47446","type":"image","title":"Ken Sandhage","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ken Sandhage","file":{"fid":"101212","name":"tme79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1240835,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tme79646_0.jpg?itok=66ybmPTC"}},"47447":{"id":"47447","type":"image","title":"Vladimir Tsukruk","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Vladimir Tsukruk","file":{"fid":"101213","name":"tfj79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1603065,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfj79646_0.jpg?itok=T90toAMp"}},"47448":{"id":"47448","type":"image","title":"Michelle LaPlaca","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Michelle LaPlaca","file":{"fid":"101214","name":"tix79646.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":989237,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tix79646_0.jpg?itok=fT1xGEIx"}}},"media_ids":["47450","47446","47447","47448"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bionicafcoe.gatech.edu\/","title":"BIONIC Center of Excellence"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Tsukruk\/tsukruk.html","title":"Vladimir Tsukruk"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Sandhage\/sandhage.html","title":"Prof. Ken Sandhage"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=20","title":"Michelle LaPlaca"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7826","name":"Batteries"},{"id":"7828","name":"Bionanomaterials"},{"id":"2014","name":"Cognition"},{"id":"7827","name":"Cognitive Processes"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"4249","name":"inorganic"},{"id":"1692","name":"materials"},{"id":"525","name":"military"},{"id":"6189","name":"Nanocomposites"},{"id":"1785","name":"nanomaterials"},{"id":"2289","name":"organic"},{"id":"953","name":"photovoltaics"},{"id":"3517","name":"power"}],"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":""}},"47375":{"#nid":"47375","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students to Discuss Diversity at Tonight\u0027s Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFinding Common Ground, the Diversity Forum, and the Student Government Association are sponsoring the Student Diversity Symposium tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0022We felt that the Faculty Diversity Symposium deserved a follow-up from a student perspective,\u0022 said Travis Horsley, Georgia Tech student and Executive Chair of Finding Common Ground.\u0026nbsp; After a discussion with Georgia Tech\u0027s Dean of Diversity Programs Stephanie Ray, Horsely and others decided to sponsor a discussion-based forum to give students the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about diversity at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe symposium\u0027s program includes student-led roundtable discussions addressing intellectual, cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity, as well as a speech from Gilda Barabino, Vice Provost for Academic Diversity and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and Professor in the Walter H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering. \u0022We chose the topics for discussion based on some of the key principles of diversity President Bud Peterson highlighted at the Faculty Diversity Symposium,\u0022 said Horsley.\u0026nbsp; \u003Cbr \/\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EAllowing students the opportunity to engage in discussions with their peers about issues that impact their lives is one of the symposium\u0027s primary goals.\u0026nbsp; \u0022We hope to make students more aware of the diversity on campus,\u0022 said Horsley.\u0026nbsp; \u0022We want to develop an inclusive definition of diversity.\u0026nbsp; Student input can change the future of Tech.\u0022 \u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Vice Provost of Academic Diversity, Students To Speak"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Finding Common Ground, the Diversity Forum, and the Student Government Association are sponsoring the Student Diversity Symposium tonight at 7:00 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom.  The Symposium allows students to discuss their thoughts and opinions on intellectual, cultural, ethnic, and gender diversity.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Student diversity symposium offers Georgia Tech students an opportunity for discussion with peers"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-11-12 16:06:05","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-13T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47376":{"id":"47376","type":"image","title":"FCG","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"FCG","file":{"fid":"101202","name":"FCG.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FCG_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/FCG_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":232322,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/FCG_0.jpg?itok=MtK1w8Mb"}}},"media_ids":["47376"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.diversity.gatech.edu\/","title":"Office of Diversity Programs"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=103","title":"Gilda Barabino"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.sga.gatech.edu\/","title":"Student Government Association"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"2047","name":"academic diversity"},{"id":"3480","name":"Diversity Symposium"},{"id":"167058","name":"Student"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETravis Horsely,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trhorsley@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etrhorsley@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47379":{"#nid":"47379","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Ranks Among Top 10 in \u0027Patent Scorecard\u0027","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology has joined prestigious research universities in the top 10 of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.patentboard.com\/Portals\/0\/docs\/ip_2009_usc.pdf\u0022\u003E2009 \u0022Patent Scorecard,\u0022\u003C\/a\u003E which ranks technology innovations generated from patents. With a 36 percent increase in patent activity during the past year, Georgia Tech jumped from 11th to 8th place, with a focus on semiconductors and electronics, according to the report.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The great news is that Georgia Tech had the third highest \u0027impact score,\u0027 which measures the extent to which our patents are being built upon,\u0022 said Jilda Garton, Georgia Tech\u0027s associate vice provost for research. \u0022We are also proud of the fact that Georgia Tech which reports as a single entity compares favorably with university systems such as the California University System.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the Patent Board, the 2009 Universities Patent Scorecard represents the universities and university-based laboratories from around the world involved in patenting their research in all disciplines within the United States. The report ranks 124 of the top universities according to the relative strengths of their patent portfolios.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"With a 36 percent increase in patent activity during the past year, Georgia Tech jumped from 11th to 8th place, with a focus on semiconductors and electronics, according to a report from The Patent Board.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech jumps from 11th to 8th place in patent activity"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-11-13 20:06:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtrc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Corporation"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtarc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Applied Research Corporation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7791","name":"electtronic"},{"id":"7789","name":"patent scorecard"},{"id":"1543","name":"patents"},{"id":"834","name":"Rankings"},{"id":"167609","name":"semiconductor"},{"id":"7790","name":"top 10"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELisa Grovenstein, 404-894-8835\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47203":{"#nid":"47203","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Women\u0027s Leadership Conference Honors Impact","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s annual Women\u0027s Leadership Conference was held this past\nweekend drawing hundreds of women for workshops, speeches, and\nnetworking opportunities.\u0026nbsp; The conference\u0027s theme, \u003Cem\u003Eunleash your potential impact the world\u003C\/em\u003E, was exemplified through the recognition of five women of distinction within the Georgia Tech community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Woman of Distinction Award is presented each year to students, faculty, stuff, and alums who exhibit exemplary leadership, heart, and innovative problem solving.\u0026nbsp; This year\u0027s honorees lead inspiring lives that uplift the\nentire Georgia Tech Community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2009 Women of Distinction\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStaff Award, Dr. Lynn Fountain\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFaculty Award, Dr. Julia Kubanek\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlumna Award, Clemmie Whatley\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGraduate Student Award, Kathryn Smith\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUndergraduate Student Award, Melissa Minneci\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Encourages Women To Unleash Their Potential And Impact The World"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s annual Women\u0027s Leadership Conference was held this past weekend drawing hundreds of women for workshops, speeches, and networking opportunities.  The conference\u0027s theme, unleash your potential impact the world, was exemplified through the recognition of five women of distinction within the Georgia Tech community.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-10-26 18:41:08","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47204":{"id":"47204","type":"image","title":"WLC","body":null,"created":"1449174526","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:28:46","changed":"1475894440","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:40","alt":"WLC","file":{"fid":"101177","name":"WLC.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/WLC_2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/WLC_2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":99733,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/WLC_2.jpg?itok=ixFCqbyj"}}},"media_ids":["47204"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtwlc.com\/about.php","title":"Georgia Tech Women\u0027s Leadership Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4328","name":"wlc"},{"id":"4476","name":"Women\u0027s Leadership Conference"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYvette Upton,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Dean of Students\/Director of the Women\u0027s Resource Center\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["womens.center@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47239":{"#nid":"47239","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Gloria Steinem, Beverly Guy-Sheftall To Speak At Georgia Tech Hotel","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYoung feminist scholar and activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs will moderate a discussion with feminist icons Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Gloria Steinem about their impact on the history and future of feminism.\u0026nbsp; Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Women\u0027s Resource Center and Charis Books, the event will take place on November 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Free tickets are available to Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff when they R.S.V.P. to the event on the Women\u0027s Resource Web site.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECharis Books, established more than 35 years ago, is a source for feminist literature in Atlanta. Charis co-owner Sara Look approached Upton about co-sponsoring the event.\u0026nbsp; \u0022Partnering with Charis to bring such a well-known woman to Georgia Tech helps us remind the Atlanta \u0026mdash; and Georgia Tech \u0026mdash; community that women are now an integral part of Georgia Tech,\u0022 said Upton.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe event is an important step in increasing awareness about the role of women on Tech\u0027s campus.\u0026nbsp; \u0022Women\u0027s career opportunities have vastly expanded in the past 50 years, but there are still fewer women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields and leadership positions,\u0022 Upton remarked. \u0022It\u0027s disproportionate to the number of women who have the capability to be scientists, engineers and leaders. Georgia Tech is making major strides in encouraging women to succeed; we are poised to make a big impact on the future.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe changing roles of women, specifically the actions of Steinem and Guy-Sheftall, will be a prominent theme of the event.\u0026nbsp; \u0022The women\u0027s movement of the 1960s and \u002770s changed the landscape of our country and provided new opportunities for young women today,\u0022 Upton said.\u0026nbsp; \u0022It\u0027s important to understand that history, determine what we believe and what we want to be, and then strive to fulfill these dreams for ourselves and future generations.\u0022\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe public may purchase tickets through Charis Books. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Charis Circle.\u0026nbsp; \u0022Charis Circle is our sister non-profit that funds and supports free community programs at Charis,\u0022 Look said. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Panel Discussion On The Legacy And Future Of Feminism"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Young feminist scholar and activist Alexis Pauline Gumbs will moderate a discussion with feminist icons Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Gloria Steinem about their impact on the history and future of feminism.  Sponsored by the Georgia Tech Women\u0027s Resource Center and Charis Books, the event will take place on November 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center. Free tickets are available to Georgia Tech students, faculty and staff when they R.S.V.P. to the event on the Women\u0027s Resource Web site.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-10-28 19:57:24","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47270":{"id":"47270","type":"image","title":"Women at Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Women at Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"101186","name":"women.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/women_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/women_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2326057,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/women_0.jpg?itok=dfn3bWKe"}}},"media_ids":["47270"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.womenscenter.gatech.edu\/plugins\/rsvp\/","title":"Free Student Tickets"},{"url":"http:\/\/foundingthefuturecharis35th.eventbrite.com\/","title":"Additional Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3360","name":"Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center"},{"id":"170896","name":"steinham"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYvette Upton,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistant Dean of Students\/Director of the Women\u0027s Resource Center \u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["womens.center@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47329":{"#nid":"47329","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Community Education \u0026 Planning Cut Death Toll in Samoa Tsunami","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECommunity-based education and awareness programs minimized the death toll from the recent Samoan tsunami, though there are still ways to improve the warning and evacuation process, according to a team of researchers that traveled to Samoa last month.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team, funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant, collected data Oct. 4 through Oct. 11 to document the impacts of the category 8.1 earthquake and the ensuing tsunami that occurred on Sept. 29. They examined flow depths, run-up heights, inundation distances, sediment depositions and damage patterns at various scales.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In addition to timing -- the fact that the tsunami struck in the daylight morning hours when most people were on their way to work or school -- tsunami education, awareness and evacuation exercises really contained the death toll,\u0022 noted Hermann Fritz, one of the principal investigators and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022The technical solution doesn\u0027t always work for coastlines near the epicenter with less than 30 minutes between earthquake and onslaught of the tsunami. Earthquakes with durations of more than 30 seconds serve as a natural warning, resulting in a spontaneous self-evacuation.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENearly 190 people were killed in the tsunami, with the majority of deaths reported in Samoa, a country governing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and Savai\u0027i. American Samoa, a territory of the United States southeast of Samoa, is comprised of main island Tutuila, the Manu\u0027a Islands, Rose Atoll and Swains Island. The Samoan government estimates the total damage from the tsunami at $147 million.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u0027s survey circled all of the main Samoan islands and spanned 350 kilometers from Ofu in the east to Savai\u0027i in the west. The researchers learned that the tsunami impact peaked at Poloa near Tutuila\u0027s western tip and Lepa at Upola\u0027s southeast coast. Maximum run-up heights reached 17 meters at Poloa, and inundation distances and damage were recorded at Pago Pago, more than 500 meters inland. The harbor at Pago Pago, well-protected from ordinary storm waves, is vulnerable to long-period tsunami waves.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, researchers noticed a marked difference between the evacuation process in Samoa and American Samoa. While most villagers in Samoa knew to rapidly evacuate after experiencing an earthquake, only a month earlier they had been told that cars help with evacuations, a deadly directive since most roads run parallel to the beach.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Many perished trapped inside cars waiting in congested small roads or in long lines behind vehicles stopped by landslides or debris on the road,\u0022 said Costas Synolakis, principal investigator and professor of civil engineering at University of Southern California. \u0022I have been on more than 20 tsunami field surveys, and in many ways this was one of the most surprising in terms of how carnage varied over fairly short distances. This was also the first time we noted what we suspected: misinformation kills.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEmile Okal, a seismologist and professor of earth and planetary sciences at Northwestern University, conducted approximately 120 interviews with tsunami survivors in 70 different locations around Tutuila and Upolu. He found that most people were educated about tsunamis and knew how to react because of community-based educational programs, not ancestral stories. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The last significant tsunami in Samoa occurred in 1917 and was very similar in seismology to the Sept. 29 tsunami. Surprisingly, no one I interviewed said they knew of family members being in a similar situation,\u0022 Okal observed. \u0022Since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami, there has been a concerted effort on the part of the local government in American Samoa to post signs and conduct evacuation drills in some Samoan communities. Many villages were completely destroyed, so I am impressed that the death toll was not larger. The bottom line is education worked.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Synolakis agreed that the death toll was probably minimized due to educational efforts, he said there is still a lot of progress that can be made. While working in the field on Oct. 7, the team experienced a real tsunami warning and witnessed first-hand the tremendous confusion and disorganization that followed. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Although there are warning signs along the beaches in American Samoa, there is no information about where the evacuation routes are,\u0022 he said. \u0022It\u0027s also just as important to let people know when it\u0027s safe to come back as it is to warn them. We definitely have our work cut out for us.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe collected field data serves as benchmarking and validation of numerical tsunami models with wide-ranging applications including forecasting, warning and sediment transport. The researchers will present their findings at special sessions at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in San Francisco this December. Brief publications summarizing the immediate results will follow in research journals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis survey was partially supported by the Pacific Earthquake Research Center (PEER).\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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nancy Fullbright (912-963-2522); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Enancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Eric Mankin (213-821-1887); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mankin@usc.edu\u0022\u003Emankin@usc.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Megan Fellman (847-491-3115); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:fellman@northwestern.edu\u0022\u003Efellman@northwestern.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nancy Fullbright\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Survey Team Visited October 4-11 to Assess Impact"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Community-based education and awareness programs minimized the death toll from the recent Samoan tsunami, though there are still ways to improve the warning and evacuation process, according to a team of researchers that traveled to Samoa last month.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The September 29 Samoa tsunami showed the value of education"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-11-05 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-05T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47330":{"id":"47330","type":"image","title":"Tsunami damage","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Tsunami damage","file":{"fid":"101188","name":"tpy40014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpy40014_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpy40014_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1822954,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpy40014_0.jpg?itok=B6OvFcP6"}},"47331":{"id":"47331","type":"image","title":"Somoa shipyard","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Somoa shipyard","file":{"fid":"101189","name":"tgu40014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgu40014_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgu40014_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1776017,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgu40014_0.jpg?itok=2B667vuK"}},"47332":{"id":"47332","type":"image","title":"Interviewing eyewitnesses","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Interviewing eyewitnesses","file":{"fid":"101190","name":"tfv40014.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfv40014_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfv40014_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1724119,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfv40014_0.jpg?itok=jlfcqy4J"}}},"media_ids":["47330","47331","47332"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty-listing\/research-interests\/?active_id=hf31","title":"Hermann Fritz"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cee.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"5770","name":"Earthquake"},{"id":"1432","name":"education"},{"id":"7754","name":"evacuation"},{"id":"170900","name":"Samoa"},{"id":"347","name":"tsunami"}],"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\u003ENancy Fullbright\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Nancy Fullbright\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E912-963-2522\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47361":{"#nid":"47361","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Device Enables World\u0027s First Voluntary Gorilla Blood Pressure Reading","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EZoo Atlanta recently became the first zoological institution in the world to obtain voluntary blood pressure readings from a gorilla. This groundbreaking stride was made possible by the Gorilla Tough Cuff, a blood pressure reading system devised through partnership with the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECreated as a senior design project by biomedical engineering undergraduates David Sotto, Nisha Bhatia, Stephanie Drewicz and Scott Seaman, the prototype has now been successfully tested on one of Zoo Atlanta\u0027s 22 western lowland gorillas. The students also had guidance from Hanjoong Jo, the Ada Lee and Pete Correll Professor in Biomedical Engineering and the Division of Cardiology; and Professor Franklin Bost, the Coulter Department director of design instruction.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Zoo Atlanta is home to the nation\u0027s largest collection of gorillas, so there is an ongoing responsibility to contribute to the zoological community\u0027s understanding of their care,\u0022 said Dennis Kelly, President and CEO. \u0022We are proud to have spearheaded an effort that will ultimately benefit gorillas living in captive settings around the world.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Gorilla Tough Cuff operates in the same manner as the mechanism familiar to humans, with the patient slipping an arm into a cuff. As the cuff inflates, the blood pressure reading is measured and displayed on a monitor. The student design team\u0027s biggest set of challenges, however, was constructing a durable, comfortable cuff large enough to fit an adult male gorilla weighing upwards of 300 pounds. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe prototype system was comprised of a blood pressure cuff bolted to a casing made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. The casing was zip-tied to a rectangular mesh trap and the trap was temporarily attached to the gorilla cage. The pressure cuff tubing was connected to an off-the-shelf veterinary blood pressure monitor located outside of the gorilla cage.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We also built a safety mechanism into the device so that the gorillas would not be injured if they became alarmed or frightened and tried to remove their arm from the cuff,\u0022 said Sotto, who is currently a graduate student at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the prototype was complete, the Tough Cuff had its first tester: Ozzie, a 48-year-old male western lowland gorilla. Gorillas aren\u0027t typically keen on the idea of inserting their arms into inflatable cuffs: Ozzie\u0027s accomplishment is the result of months of patience and diligent voluntary positive reinforcement training on the part of Zoo Atlanta\u0027s Primate Team. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of four geriatric gorillas living at the Zoo (the others are Shamba, 50; Choomba, 48; and Ivan, 47), Ozzie is at an age where he may be subject to health concerns similar to those experienced by mature humans. Cardiac disease is the leading cause of mortality in adult male gorillas living in captive settings, and the new system will enable veterinarians to more effectively monitor precursory signs such as high blood pressure. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a great step forward in the medical management and care of captive gorillas,\u0022 said Dr. Sam Rivera, Associate Veterinarian at Zoo Atlanta. \u0022Our Veterinary and Primate Teams are extremely fortunate to have the biomedical engineering department at Georgia Tech and Emory University as a resource.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Gorilla Tough Cuff has already been demonstrated for veterinarians and animal care professionals from numerous other accredited zoos. The device could ultimately prove invaluable to the more than 100 institutions around the world currently housing the species. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Zoo Atlanta\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAn accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), Zoo Atlanta inspires value and preservation of wildlife through a unique mix of education and outdoor family fun. From well-known native wildlife to critically endangered species on the brink of extinction, the Zoo offers memorable close encounters with more than 1,000 animals from around the world. The Zoo\u0027s newest attraction, Boundless Budgies: A Parakeet Adventure, opened in April 2009. The interactive new experience is the largest of its kind in the Southeast. Zoo Atlanta is also the proud home of Xi Lan, the only giant panda cub born in the U.S. in 2008. Other highlights include the nation\u0027s largest collection of great apes and a global center of excellence for the care and reproduction of vanishing amphibians and reptiles. Zoo Atlanta is open daily with the exceptions of Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Keeper talks, interactive wildlife shows, education programs and special events run year-round. For more information, call 404.624.WILD or go to zooatlanta.org. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u0027s premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News \u0026amp; World Report\u0027s top public universities, Georgia Tech\u0027s more than 19,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Georgia Tech is among the nation\u0027s top producers of women and African American engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units and the Georgia Tech Research Institute.\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:\u003Cem\u003E Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E -- Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EZoo Atlanta\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E -- Keisha Hines (404-624-5980 office; 404-309-2238 cell); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:khines-davis@zooatlanta.org\u0022\u003Ekhines-davis@zooatlanta.org\u003C\/a\u003E)\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Cuff Was Designed by Students Collaborating with Zoo Atlanta"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Zoo Atlanta recently became the first zoological institution in the world to obtain voluntary blood pressure readings from a gorilla. This was made possible by the Gorilla Tough Cuff developed by Georgia Tech students.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"World\u0027s first voluntary gorilla blood pressure reading"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-11-10 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:45","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47362":{"id":"47362","type":"image","title":"Ozzie Zoo Atlanta gorilla","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ozzie Zoo Atlanta gorilla","file":{"fid":"101197","name":"tyx84424.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyx84424_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyx84424_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":275786,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyx84424_0.jpg?itok=uLzyMLqF"}},"47363":{"id":"47363","type":"image","title":"Ozzie blood pressure reading","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Ozzie blood pressure reading","file":{"fid":"101198","name":"txy84424.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txy84424_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txy84424_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":692940,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txy84424_0.jpg?itok=KJ51L6PL"}},"47364":{"id":"47364","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech Gorilla Tough Cuff","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Georgia Tech Gorilla Tough Cuff","file":{"fid":"101199","name":"tba84424.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tba84424_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tba84424_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1355058,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tba84424_0.jpg?itok=MLVl8oIx"}}},"media_ids":["47362","47363","47364"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7780","name":"anesthesia"},{"id":"7776","name":"blood pressure"},{"id":"7777","name":"cardiac disease"},{"id":"7775","name":"gorilla"},{"id":"7460","name":"monitor"},{"id":"7778","name":"primate"},{"id":"7779","name":"veterinary medicine"},{"id":"2643","name":"zoo"}],"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":""}},"46236":{"#nid":"46236","#data":{"type":"news","title":"City of Savannah Reduces Energy Consumption in Buildings","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESavannah, the \u0022Hostess City of the South,\u0022 is known for its southern hospitality and charm, but it is also making a bid to be known as environmentally friendly. Already, the city has implemented a number of initiatives, including converting all of its traffic lights to more energy-efficient and long-lasting LEDs, expanding use of treated wastewater for irrigation and implementing a much-anticipated single-stream curbside recycling program. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn August 2008, Mayor Otis Johnson held a town hall meeting to pledge that the city of Savannah will be a more environmentally sustainable community and to launch a new sustainability initiative, dubbed Thrive. However, Johnson wanted to focus on leading by example rather than making policies that force citizens to get on board with the program.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There\u0027s a lot of talk about being green and sustainable,\u0022 Johnson said. \u0022If we\u0027re going to lift up being environmentally healthy, we have to walk that walk.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERachel Smithson, Thrive coordinator for the city of Savannah, began collecting data to establish the city\u0027s carbon footprint. The city conducted employee commuter surveys and analyzed electricity consumption, fuel usage and gas emissions. By plugging all of this data into a formula created by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, Smithson realized that Savannah city government produces roughly 75,320 tons of equivalent carbon emissions per year. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Now we had a baseline and we just needed to set an emissions reduction target,\u0022 Smithson recalled. \u0022Just about that time, the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority came up with the Governor\u0027s Energy Challenge that invited statewide business, county and city governments to reduce their energy consumption 15 percent by the year 2020.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter studying the carbon footprint data, Smithson noticed that city government buildings were the number one source of energy consumption, a trend that coincides with national data. The Thrive Committee decided to focus its initial efforts on buildings, and through its connection with the Georgia Environmental Partnership, called on Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute for assistance. One of the most comprehensive university-based programs of business and industry assistance, technology commercialization and economic development in the nation, the Enterprise Innovation Institute has a local office on Georgia Tech\u0027s Savannah campus.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We wanted to have an energy audit because we didn\u0027t want to randomly start replacing lights and windows; we wanted to make sure that we were going to have the greatest impact on our electricity and energy consumption,\u0022 Smithson said. \u0022The city was really excited about using Georgia Tech because it isn\u0027t trying to sell us a particular product; the staff there gives us a good, third-party, neutral analysis of what we need.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMike Brown, an energy specialist with the Enterprise Innovation Institute, and two Georgia Tech co-op students conducted energy audits at three government buildings: City Hall, the Thomas Gamble Building and the Broughton Municipal Building. All three are designated historic buildings, and house the mayor\u0027s office and council chambers, human resources, information technology, auditing, utility services and revenue, among others. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBrown and the students placed data loggers in each of the buildings, measuring temperature, lighting and energy consumption, even over nights and weekends. They studied each building\u0027s energy consumption history and measured the major energy-consuming equipment. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the recommendations that the Georgia Tech specialists made were: replace incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps, improve fluorescent lighting efficiency by replacing T-12 lights with T-8 lights, and manage the building plug-load. They also recommended installing occupancy sensors in restrooms, vending machine controllers to reduce lighting and cooling, a building automation system to automatically control HVAC systems, and variable-air volume fans to reduce air flow when cooling is not needed.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to Smithson, the biggest challenge now is implementing Georgia Tech\u0027s recommendations. As part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the City was able to establish a revolving loan with its stimulus funding. Although the City cannot implement all of the recommendations immediately, Smithson says that as soon as one investment is paid back, another project can begin with the energy savings from the previous project.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Other challenges we face include changing the mindset of our employees, but behavior modification and organizational and culture shifts take time,\u0022 she said. \u0022We also don\u0027t want to harm the historic integrity of our facilities, but at the same time we don\u0027t want to be so concerned that we\u0027re throwing energy out the window because we\u0027re using single-pane glass.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready, the benefits are outweighing the challenges. Georgia Tech\u0027s assistance allowed the city to have an energy conservation strategy in place, a requirement of the stimulus funding application that some cities have spent more than $250,000 to obtain. And although a lot of investments have yet to be made, electricity expenditures were $350,000 below what the city had targeted through May 2009, something Smithson attributes to changing employee behavior alone. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Having Georgia Tech on board doing the energy audit has helped us transform our messaging from \u0027this is good for the environment\u0027 to \u0027this is good for the bottom line,\u0027 and that has helped us sell this larger Thrive initiative to our elected officials and the community,\u0022 said Bret Bell, director of Savannah\u0027s Public Information Office. \u0022We\u0027re taking it seriously enough that we want to document where we started and where we are going. It has given us credibility.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout Enterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe 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.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nancy Fullbright (404-894-2214); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Enancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Nancy Fullbright\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Conducts Energy Audits to Help City Government"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has helped reduce energy consumption in historic buildings operated by the city of Savannah.  The effort involved energy audits and a series of recommendations.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech has helped the city of Savannah reduce energy use"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-08-31 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46237":{"id":"46237","type":"image","title":"Thomas Gamble Building","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Thomas Gamble Building","file":{"fid":"101036","name":"tfg32432.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfg32432_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfg32432_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1809682,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfg32432_0.jpg?itok=MgF_z2Qt"}},"46238":{"id":"46238","type":"image","title":"Savannah City Hall","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Savannah City Hall","file":{"fid":"101037","name":"tjg32432.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjg32432_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjg32432_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":64011,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjg32432_0.jpg?itok=6FXwC8I0"}}},"media_ids":["46237","46238"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7088","name":"audits"},{"id":"783","name":"conservation"},{"id":"213","name":"energy"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"167277","name":"Savannah"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46225":{"#nid":"46225","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Develops New Technologies to Secure Cargo Containers","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) demonstrated two cargo container security systems at a recent event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two projects -- GTRI\u0027s Container Security Device (CSD) and the Composite Container Security System -- were developed under contract to the Department of Homeland Security\u0027s Science and Technology Directorate.  They were among projects featured and demonstrated in simulated and realistic supply chain scenarios at the Department\u0027s Cargo Conveyance Security Technology Demonstrations held August 17-28 at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque, N.M.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERepresentatives from a broad range of organizations with interest in cargo security -- including federal agencies, congressional and committee staffers, shipping industry representatives, and government officials from Japan, Canada, Singapore, and the European Union -- attended the event.  Among the federal agencies with cargo security responsibilities are the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, Department of State, Transportation Security Administration and Department of Energy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022GTRI was awarded a contract to develop a container security device based on a unique solution to this complex problem,\u0022 said Gisele Bennett, director of GTRI\u0027s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory.  \u0022The GTRI Container Security Device (CSD) is a small, inexpensive system that will detect unauthorized door opening or removals on ISO marine containers.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EISO containers by design can flex because of forces applied to them as they travel through the supply chain.   The GTRI design can account for the normal flexing of the containers without indicating a door opening when one has not occurred. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The GTRI CSD design has been assessed by the government test team to be highly promising for its resistance to tamper or compromise,\u0022 Bennett added.  \u0022The GTRI CSD is integrated with another DHS-funded system, the Marine Asset Tag Tracking System (MATTS) developed by iControl Inc.  MATTS will communicate GTRI CSD alarm data to customs organizations and industry.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with the University of Maine, Georgia Tech has also developed a system to secure lightweight composite containers.  Teaming with the University\u0027s AEWC: Advanced Structures and Composites Center and Maine Secure Composites, LLC, Georgia Tech has developed a novel, lightweight sensor grid to incorporate within the walls, doors and floors of the composite container developed at the University of Maine.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When combined with GTRI\u0027s CSD, the resulting container will be approximately 10-15 percent lighter and more durable than current generation steel containers, but with an embedded security and communication system that will detect breaches to any of the container\u0027s six sides and communicate security information, via MATTS, to customs organizations or carriers,\u0022 Bennett noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShipping containers are potential means for smuggling weapons, drugs and other contraband items across national borders.  Security systems are part of the solution because they can sound an alarm if the containers are tampered with in-transit.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe two-week demonstration was held in Albuquerque for those in government, research and industry to highlight technologies being developed to ensure that the contents of cargo containers are not tampered with or removed.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Department of Homeland Security is sponsoring research in key topical areas to discovery the necessary requirements for robust shipping container security standards.  This research is structured to develop representative container security technologies that can be integrated into an effective system.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The Systems Were Demonstrated for the Dept. of Homeland Security"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) demonstrated two cargo container security systems at a recent event sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Two systems for securing cargo containers were demonstrated"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46226":{"id":"46226","type":"image","title":"Container ship","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Container ship","file":{"fid":"101028","name":"tdj48457.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdj48457_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdj48457_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":44631,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdj48457_0.jpg?itok=Nx1yJfH2"}},"46227":{"id":"46227","type":"image","title":"Cargo containers","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Cargo containers","file":{"fid":"101029","name":"tlg48457.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlg48457_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlg48457_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":59735,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlg48457_0.jpg?itok=hW_ic1SH"}}},"media_ids":["46226","46227"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6428","name":"cargo"},{"id":"7075","name":"container"},{"id":"416","name":"GTRI"},{"id":"167055","name":"security"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46228":{"#nid":"46228","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nano Research Has Strong Multidisciplinary Roots, Study Shows","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe burgeoning research fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology are commonly thought to be highly multidisciplinary because they draw on many areas of science and technology to make important advances.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch reported in the September issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Nanotechnology \u003C\/em\u003Efound that nanoscience and nanotechnology indeed are highly multidisciplinary -- but not much more so than other modern disciplines such as medicine or electrical engineering that also draw on multiple areas of science and technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith $1.6 billion scheduled to be invested in nano-related research during 2010, assessing the multidisciplinary nature of the field could be important to policy-makers, research managers, technology-transfer officers and others responsible for managing the investment and creating a supportive environment for it.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Research in nanoscience and nanotechnology is not just a collection of isolated \u0027stove pipes\u0027 drawing knowledge from one narrow discipline, but rather is quite interdisciplinary,\u0022 said Alan Porter, co-author of the paper and a professor emeritus in the Schools of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022We found that research in any one category of nanoscience and nanotechnology tends to cite research in many other categories.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe study was sponsored by the National Science Foundation through the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at Arizona State University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPorter and collaborator Jan Youtie, manager of policy services in Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, analyzed abstracts from more than 30,000 papers with \u0022nano\u0022 themes that were published between January and July of 2008.  They found that although materials science and chemistry dominated the papers, fields as diverse as clinical medicine, biomedical sciences and physics also contributed.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThese \u0022nanopapers\u0022 studied by the researchers appeared in more than 6,000 journals that were part of a database known as the Science Citation Index (SCI).  The researchers found nanopapers in 151 of SCI\u0027s 175 subject categories, with 52 of the categories containing more than 100 such papers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo explore how well knowledge was integrated across the disciplines, the researchers also studied the journal articles that were cited in the nanopapers.  They found more than one million cited references, a mean of 33 per paper.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing text mining techniques to extract sources from the cited references, they further found that 45 subject categories were cited by five percent or more of the nanopapers -- and 98 categories that were cited by at least one percent of the papers.  The text mining was done using VantagePoint software developed by Georgia Tech and Search Technology Inc.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESix subject categories dominated both the original nanopapers and the cited references.  Each of the six contained 10 percent or more of the original nanopapers and was cited by 39 percent or more of the references.  They are: \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026bull; Materials science, multidisciplinary\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Physics, applied\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Chemistry, physical\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Physics, condensed matter\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Nanoscience and nanotechnology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Chemistry, multidisciplinary\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers found considerable interdisciplinary representation within those six categories.  Though 86 percent of the 3,863 nanopapers in the \u0022nanoscience and nanotechnology\u0022 category cited papers in materials science, another 80 subject categories had 40 or more cited papers each.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis representation continued even outside the top six categories.  The 808 nanopapers in electrical engineering cited papers in journals from 138 different subject categories, while the 435 nanopapers in organic chemistry cited papers in journals from 140 different subject categories.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also used a metric they called an \u0022integration score\u0022 to gauge how interdisciplinary nature of a particular paper or set of papers.  The integration score ranged from zero for stand-alone disciplines that don\u0027t cite work from other disciplines to one for highly-integrated disciplines that heavily cite work from other areas.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIntegration scores ranged from 0.65 for nanoscience and nanotechnology to 0.60 for electrical engineering and 0.64 for organic chemistry.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our results show the multidisciplinary nature of research in nanoscience and nanotechnology, although the integration scores make it clear that much non-nano research is also comparably interdisciplinary,\u0022 Porter said.  \u0022Much of the nanoresearch is also concentrated in \u0027macrodisciplines\u0027 such as materials science and chemistry, and researchers tend to cite work from neighboring fields more often than work in more distant fields.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnderstanding the interdisciplinary nature of nanoscience and nanotechnology could be important to creating the right environment for the field to produce results.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022There is a broad perspective that most scientific breakthroughs occur at the interstices among more established fields,\u0022 said Youtie.  \u0022Nanotechnology R\u0026amp;D is believed to be an area where disciplines converge.  If nanotechnology does have a strong multidisciplinary character, attention to communication across disciplines will be an important feature in its emergence.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the future, Porter and Youtie hope to explore other policy-focused nano topics, including:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026bull; How research and development patterns can forecast likely commercial innovations;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; The societal implications of nanoscience and nanotechnology innovations so that potential negative efforts can be mitigated before they occur;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; How corporations develop their strategies for nanoscience and nanotechnology, and\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u0026bull; Where nanoscience and hotspots for research and development -- called \u0022nanodistricts\u0022 -- exist around the world.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A nanodistrict is a regional concentration of research institutions and firms where nanotechnologies are developed,\u0022 Youtie explained.  \u0022Although nanotechnology applications are deployed widely across the world, a smaller number of nanodistrict locations are appearing where nanotechnology research, development and initial commercialization are clustered.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Center for Nanotechnology in Society is part of a broad U.S. effort to anticipate the societal implications of nanotechnology.  Georgia Tech\u0027s role in the multi-university effort is to characterize the type of nanotechnology research being done and to identify early indicators of emerging technologies in that field.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoutie and Porter are also part of Georgia Tech\u0027s Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP), a collaboration of the School of Public Policy and the Enterprise Innovation Institute that advances research and practice in science, technology, innovation and spatial development policy.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe findings and opinions contained in this news release are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Other Research Fields Are Also Highly Multidisciplinary"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Research reported in the journal Nature Nanotechnology found that nanoscience and nanotechnology are highly multidisciplinary -- but not much more so than other modern disciplines that also draw on multiple areas of science and technology.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new study confirms that nano research is multidisciplinary"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46229":{"id":"46229","type":"image","title":"Nano Map","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Nano Map","file":{"fid":"101030","name":"tam36215.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tam36215_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tam36215_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":243761,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tam36215_0.jpg?itok=RlMD9GVR"}},"46230":{"id":"46230","type":"image","title":"Nano citations","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Nano citations","file":{"fid":"101031","name":"tcf36215.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcf36215_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tcf36215_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":151193,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tcf36215_0.jpg?itok=WfqvJPmv"}},"46231":{"id":"46231","type":"image","title":"Jan Youtie","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Jan Youtie","file":{"fid":"101032","name":"tbm35717.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbm35717_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbm35717_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":522126,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbm35717_0.jpg?itok=9DPtjcmN"}}},"media_ids":["46229","46230","46231"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.spp.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Public Policy"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cherry.gatech.edu\/stip\/","title":"Georgia Tech Program in Science, Technology and Innovation Policy"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7076","name":"map"},{"id":"2515","name":"multidisciplinary"},{"id":"382","name":"nanoscience"},{"id":"107","name":"Nanotechnology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46284":{"#nid":"46284","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI Team Tackles an Urgent Aircraft Defense Upgrade","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen the U.S. Air Force found that one of its key combat aircraft needed more protection from an enemy missile threat, a multidisciplinary team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) went into action.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe problem was a pressing one. The A-10 attack aircraft, an Air Force workhorse, needed important additions to its electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures systems.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This was a rush program -- they needed it right away,\u0022 said research engineer Melanie Hill, who was GTRI\u0027s lead engineer on the program. \u0022We made it a priority across many different GTRI groups because of the broad requirements, which included electrical engineering, software development, systems engineering and mechanical engineering.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt issue was the ability of the A-10 to detect infrared signals from certain classes of enemy weapons. The A-10, an attack aircraft that often flies at lower altitudes to use its heavy guns and missiles against ground targets, could be vulnerable to those weapons.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe A-10 already carried extensive electronic warfare equipment, including the ALQ-213, a central controller that is the core of the airplane\u0027s electronic warfare systems. Essentially, it is the pilot\u0027s control center for threat protection.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ALQ-213 takes information from the aircraft\u0027s individual EW systems -- which include a radar warning receiver and signal-jamming pods -- and processes that data in a coordinated manner. The controller also handles the dispensing of chaff and flares, which are countermeasures used to decoy hostile missiles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe GTRI team\u0027s first task was to take an existing infrared-detection tool, the AAR-47 missile warning system, and determine whether it could do the job on the A-10. Then the team had to decide exactly how to add the AAR-47 to the A-10, and how to integrate the new missile-warning functions into the ALQ-213 controller.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe effort, called the A-10 Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM) Program, was on a tight schedule from the start, with 200 days to move from concept to flight test. The project was sponsored by the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEngineers from across GTRI pulled together to meet the deadline. GTRI principal research scientist Charlie Carstensen used a pedestal-mounted A-10 located at an Air Force facility in Rome, N.Y., to establish that the AAR-47 was a viable option for the A-10.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith principal research engineer Mike Willis as program manager, principal research engineer Jeff Hallman led the AAR-47 research effort, and principal research engineer Byron Coker led the team developing the software that allowed the AAR-47 to communicate with the ALQ-213. A successful flight test kept the program on schedule.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI\u0027s next task was to take the prototype equipment that had passed the flight test and use it to develop a standardized installation kit that included a complete package of technical drawings. The kit would then be used to perform hundreds of upgrades on U.S. A-10s worldwide.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch associate Kim Wood was a leader in electrical\/mechanical design and aircraft installation, and principal research engineer Rod Beard and electrical engineer Wallace Gustad were among the GTRI personnel who worked on the original prototype used for flight testing, as well as on development of the upgrade installation kits. Numerous other engineers, technologists and scientists worked on the program\u0027s mechanical engineering and drafting needs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help get the actual A-10 upgrade process under way, GTRI supported the manufacture of the initial production kits, and then turned the engineering over to the Air Force for continued production.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe upgrade is now active on the U.S. A-10 fleet worldwide.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn a separate but related project, a GTRI team that included Byron Coker, Mike Willis and Lee Monta\u0026ntilde;a was successful in automating the functions of the ALQ-213 on the A-10 and the F-16 combat aircraft. Now pilots of those aircraft can put their entire EW suite on fully automatic operation, giving them greater freedom to concentrate on missions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I think the success of the IRCM program says something about GTRI\u0027s ability and readiness to focus a broad spectrum of expertise on a given need, even in a short timeframe,\u0022 Hill said. \u0022A lot of different disciplines in GTRI worked on this program, and they worked together in ways that were both timely and highly effective.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Cont\u003C\/strong\u003Eacts: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirkeng@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirkeng@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Improvement to A-10 Aircraft Made Quickly"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"When the U.S. Air Force found that one of its key combat aircraft needed more protection from an enemy missile threat, a multidisciplinary team from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) went into action.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech helped protect a key U.S. aircraft from missiles"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46285":{"id":"46285","type":"image","title":"A-10 Maintenance","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"A-10 Maintenance","file":{"fid":"101069","name":"twb97359.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twb97359_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twb97359_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1704431,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twb97359_0.jpg?itok=BdWZjwyy"}},"46286":{"id":"46286","type":"image","title":"Jeff Hallman","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Jeff Hallman","file":{"fid":"101070","name":"tqv97360.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqv97360_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqv97360_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":676370,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqv97360_0.jpg?itok=ZP1-MEC4"}},"46287":{"id":"46287","type":"image","title":"A-10 Team","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"A-10 Team","file":{"fid":"101071","name":"tiw97360.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiw97360_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiw97360_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":74580,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiw97360_0.jpg?itok=_ePiXrkt"}}},"media_ids":["46285","46286","46287"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1832","name":"A-10"},{"id":"1833","name":"aircraft"},{"id":"1366","name":"defense"},{"id":"1834","name":"missile"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46222":{"#nid":"46222","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Friction Differences Offer New Means for Manipulating Nanotubes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENanotubes and nanowires are promising building blocks for future integrated nanoelectronic and photonic circuits, nanosensors, interconnects and electro-mechanical nanodevices.  But some fundamental issues remain to be resolved -- among them, how to position and manipulate the tiny tubes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPublishing in the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials \u003C\/em\u003Ethis week, researchers from four different institutions report measuring different friction forces when a carbon nanotube slides along its axis compared to when it slides perpendicular to its axis.  This friction difference has its origins in soft lateral distortion of the tubes when they slide in the transverse direction.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe findings not only could provide a better understanding of fundamental friction issues, but from a more practical standpoint, offer a new tool for assembling nanotubes into devices and clarify the forces acting on them.  Asymmetries in the friction could potentially also be used in sorting nanotubes according to their chirality, a property that is now difficult to measure with other means.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen an atomic force microscope (AFM) tip is scanned transversely across a multi-walled carbon nanotube, the amount of friction measured is twice as much as when the same tube is scanned longitudinally, along the length of the tube.  The researchers attribute this difference to what they call \u0022hindered rolling\u0022 -- additional effort required to overcome the nanotube\u0027s tendency to roll as the AFM tip strokes across it rather than along it.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because the energy required to move in one direction is twice as much as required to move in the other direction, this could be an easy way to control the assembly of carbon nanotubes for nanoelectronics, sensors and other applications,\u0022 said Elisa Riedo, co-author of the study and an associate professor in the School of Physics at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022To assemble nanotubes on a surface, you need to know how they interact and what force is needed to move them.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe combined theoretical and experimental study was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.  Other institutions contributing to the project include the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, International School for Advanced Studies and CNR Democritos Laboratory -- all in Trieste, Italy -- and the University of Hamburg in Germany.  The paper was published in advance online on September 13 by the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Materials\u003C\/em\u003E. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECarbon nanotubes have exceptional thermal, mechanical and electrical properties that have generated considerable interest since they were first reported in 1991.  Though friction has been studied before in nanotubes, this research is the first to provide detailed information about the frictional forces at work in both the longitudinal and transverse directions when the tubes interact with an AFM tip. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFriction is one of the oldest problems in physics and one of the most important to everyday life.  It is estimated that the losses in the U.S. economy due to friction total about 6 percent of the gross national product.  Friction is even more important to micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and nanoscale devices because these smaller systems are more affected by surface forces than large systems.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As systems become smaller and smaller, it becomes more important to understand how to address friction,\u0022 said Riedo.  \u0022Surface forces can prevent micro and nano systems from operating at all.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EExperimentally, the researchers scanned an atomic force microscope tip longitudinally along a series of multiwalled carbon nanotubes held stationary on a substrate.  They also conducted a series of similar scans in the transverse direction. The researchers applied a consistent force on the AFM tip in both scanning directions, and relied on powerful Van der Waals forces to hold tubes in place on the substrate. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When you scan a nanotube transversely, you are probing something very different,\u0022 said Riedo.  \u0022You are also probing additional dissipation modes due to a kind of swaying motion in which energy is also dissipated through movement of the nanotube as it alters its cross section.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe experiment showed that greater forces were required to move the tip in the transverse direction.  Using molecular dynamics simulations, collaborators Erio Tosatti and Xiaohua Zhang at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics, International School for Advanced Studies and CNR Democritos Laboratory analyzed the phenomenon to understand what was happening.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In principle, there seems to be no reason why the frictional forces required to move the AFM tip would be different in one direction,\u0022 Riedo noted.  \u0022But the theory confirmed that this \u0027hindered rolling\u0027 and soft mode movement of the nanotubes are the sources of the higher friction when the tip moves transversely.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause the nanotube-tip system is so simple, it offers an ideal platform for studying basic friction principles, which are important to all moving systems.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This kind of system gives you the opportunity to explore friction using an ideal experiment so you can really probe the energy dissipation mechanism,\u0022 Riedo explained.  \u0022The system is so simple that you can distinguish between the dissipation mechanisms, which you can\u0027t usually do well in macro-scale systems.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBased on the molecular dynamics simulations, Riedo and Tosatti believe that the friction anisotropy will be very different in chiral nanotubes versus non-chiral -- left-to-right symmetric -- nanotubes.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because of the chirality, the tip moves in a screw-like fashion, creating hindered rolling even for longitudinal sliding,\u0022 Tosatti said.  \u0022Thus, the new measuring technique may suggest a simple way to sort the nanotubes; among the next steps in the research will be to show experimentally that this can be done.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the researchers already mentioned, co-authors for this paper include Christian Klinke at the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the University of Hamburg, and Marcel Lucas and Ismael Palaci at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Understanding the basic mechanism of friction in carbon nanotubes will help us in designing devices with them in the future,\u0022 Riedo added.  \u0022We have shown an anisotropy in the friction coefficient of carbon nanotubes in the transverse and longitudinal directions, which has its origin in the soft lateral distortion of tubes when the tip-tube contact is moving in the transverse direction.  Our findings could help in developing better strategies for chirality sorting, large-scale self-assembling of nanotubes on surfaces, and designing nanotube adhesives and nanotube-polymer composite materials.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Variations Could Help in Assembling and Sorting Structures"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Publishing in the journal Nature Materials, researchers report measuring different friction forces when a carbon nanotube slides along its axis compared to when it slides perpendicular to its axis. The observation could provide a new tool for assembling and sorting nanotubes.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists discover variations in friction forces on nanotubes"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46223":{"id":"46223","type":"image","title":"AFM tip interactions","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"AFM tip interactions","file":{"fid":"101026","name":"tsb28437.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsb28437.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsb28437.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":374096,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsb28437.jpg?itok=NUGo8kuV"}},"46224":{"id":"46224","type":"image","title":"Hindered rolling","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Hindered rolling","file":{"fid":"101027","name":"tlc28437.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlc28437.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlc28437.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":58941,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlc28437.jpg?itok=Qd9P4wkl"}}},"media_ids":["46223","46224"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/people\/faculty\/eriedo.html","title":"Elisa Riedo"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"}],"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":"4340","name":"assembly"},{"id":"379","name":"friction"},{"id":"7073","name":"manipulation"},{"id":"3246","name":"nanotubes"},{"id":"7074","name":"nanowires"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46220":{"#nid":"46220","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Motorola Veteran Joins Georgia Tech to Head FutureMedia Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith world-class university research, proven engineering and commercialization expertise, a successful community of entrepreneurs -- and leading digital media, communications and entertainment industries -- Georgia is poised to be a global pioneer and innovator in shaping the future of social, digital and multimedia.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs head of Georgia Tech\u0027s FutureMedia Initiative, Renu Kulkarni\u0027s charter is to help bring all these elements together in an open-innovation environment that will make the state of Georgia both a leader in developing new media and a model for how to bring new ideas to market.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Mine is a collaborative role, one that will help all the players span the innovation cycle from research to discovery to creation, commercialization and scale-up,\u0022 she said.  \u0022My job will be to connect universities, venture capitalists, entrepreneurs and industry to create a rich and robust open innovation ecosystem that builds on and leverages our world-class resources.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMost recently vice president for technology partnerships at communications giant Motorola, Kulkarni has more than 20 years of experience in turning research and development into new products, building strategic alliances for industry, and developing new business.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore becoming vice president, she also directed Motorola\u0027s research and development portfolio, managing a $150 million-per-year fund, a technology and market trend analysis program, and research and development partnerships with customers.  She also served as Motorola\u0027s senior director for corporate strategy and held a variety of business consulting, marketing and technical management positions for companies including Deloitte Consulting, BellSouth International, Sprint and GTE Corp.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKulkarni holds an M.B.A. from Emory University\u0027s Goizueta Business School and a B.S. degree from Georgia Tech\u0027s Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.  She is also a graduate of the Stuyvesant High School, the famed mathematics and science magnet school in New York City.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt Georgia Tech, she reports to the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Georgia Tech\u0027s applied research organization, and to the Enterprise Innovation Institute, which helps enterprises of all kinds become more competitive through the application of science, technology and innovation.  Together, the two institutions span the innovation cycle from research and discovery to commercialization and scale-up.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With its more than seven decades of experience in integrating research results to solve real-world problems, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) can play a key role in bringing resources together to ensure that Georgia takes advantage of the opportunities in future media,\u0022 said Stephen E. Cross, GTRI\u0027s director and a Georgia Tech vice president.  \u0022With her background in technology collaborations, Renu Kulkarni is the ideal person to lead this initiative.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of Kulkarni\u0027s first assignments has been to lead development of the FutureMedia conference (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.futuremediaga.org\u0022 title=\u0022www.futuremediaga.org\u0022\u003Ewww.futuremediaga.org\u003C\/a\u003E) to be held on October 15, an event she expects will \u0022start the conversation\u0022 about what Georgia needs to do to capitalize on its strengths.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe broad-based event features Chris Klaus, founder and CEO of Kaneva, Krishna Bharat, creator of Google News and Ron Clark, founder of The Ron Clark Academy.  It will also include speakers from the University of Georgia, the Savannah College of Art and Design, Emory University and Georgia Tech -- and demonstrations from more than 60 startup companies and dozens of university researchers.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESpeakers from Georgia Tech will include G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson, Georgia Tech\u0027s president; Elizabeth Mynatt, director of the GVU Center, and Janet Murray, Dean\u0027s Recognition Professor in the School of Literature, Communication and Culture (LCC) and director of LCC\u0027s Graduate Program in Digital Media.  Stephen Fleming, vice provost of Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, will moderate a panel discussion on the state of digital media.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHosted by Georgia Tech, the event is sponsored by Turner Broadcasting.  Partners include the Creative Coast Alliance, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Research Alliance, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta, the New Media Institute at the University of Georgia, the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Technology Association of Georgia, the Technology Executives Roundtable, and Venture Atlanta 09. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond the event, Kulkarni has been meeting with more than a dozen campus leaders in digital media and with business organizations across the state that have a strategic interest in future media. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s the ultimate goal of FutureMedia?  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We envision a physical and virtual place where all are invited to experiment, discover, create, commercialize and shape the future of digital media,\u0022 Kulkarni said.  \u0022We want to create an open innovation ecosystem that will make Georgia a global pioneer in this field and provide a model not only for what we do in future digital media, but also in how we do it.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Renu Kulkarni Leads Effort to Create Open Innovation Environment"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Renu Kulkarni, formerly vice president for technology partnerships at the Motorola Corp., has been named to head Georgia Tech\u0027s new FutureMedia Initiative.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Renu Kulkarni named to head Tech\u0027s FutureMedia Initiative"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46221":{"id":"46221","type":"image","title":"Renu Kulkarni","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Renu Kulkarni","file":{"fid":"101025","name":"teo36792.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teo36792_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/teo36792_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":502675,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/teo36792_0.jpg?itok=OWmpNDX-"}}},"media_ids":["46221"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.futuremediaga.com\/","title":"FutureMedia Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"1446","name":"digital"},{"id":"4932","name":"FutureMedia"},{"id":"1976","name":"Media"},{"id":"167295","name":"social"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46216":{"#nid":"46216","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Radiation-Hardened Microelectronics Could Reduce Spacecraft Weight","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESpace environments can deliver a beating to spacecraft electronics. For decades, satellites and other spacecraft have used bulky and expensive shielding to protect vital microelectronics -- microprocessors and other integrated circuits -- from space radiation.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are developing ways to harden the microchips themselves against damage from various types of cosmic radiation.  With funding from NASA and other sponsors, a Georgia Tech team is investigating the use of silicon-germanium (SiGe) to create microelectronic devices that are intrinsically resistant to space-particle bombardment.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKey to the investigation is determining exactly what happens inside a device at the instant a particle hits, says principal investigator John D. Cressler, who is a Ken Byers Professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Cosmic radiation can go right through the spacecraft, and right through electronics on the way, generating charge inside the device that can cause electronic systems to produce errors or even die,\u0022 Cressler said.  \u0022There\u0027s a lot of interest in improved hardening capabilities from NASA, the Department of Defense and communications companies, because anything that flies into space has to withstand the effects of this radiation.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESilicon-germanium holds major promise for this application, he adds. SiGe alloys combine silicon, the most common microchip material, with germanium, at nanoscale dimensions.  The result is a material that offers important gains in toughness, speed and flexibility.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAny space vehicle, from NASA spacecraft and military vehicles to communications and global positioning system (GPS) satellites, must contend with two principal types of cosmic radiation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-- \u003Cstrong\u003EIonizing radiation \u003C\/strong\u003Eincludes ubiquitous particles such as electrons and protons that are relatively high in energy but not deeply penetrating.  A moderate amount of metal shielding can reduce their destructive effect, but such protection increases a space vehicle\u0027s launch weight.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E-- \u003Cstrong\u003EGalactic cosmic rays \u003C\/strong\u003Einclude heavy ions and other extremely high-energy particles.   It is virtually impossible to protect against these dangers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFaced with damaging radiation, engineers have for decades augmented shielding with a circuit-design technique called \u0022triple modular redundancy.\u0022 This approach utilizes three copies of each circuit, all tied into logic circuitry at one end. If one copy of the circuit is corrupted by cosmic radiation and begins producing bad data, the logic circuit opts for the matching data produced by the other two circuits.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The problem with this approach is that it requires three times the overhead in power, real-estate and cost,\u0022 Cressler said.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOther traditional circuit-protecting techniques have included the hardening-by-process method.  In this approach, integrated circuits are produced using special processes that harden the chips against radiation damage.  The problem is this processing generally increases chip costs by 10 to 50 times.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, the space community is eager to find ways to produce space-hardened microelectronic devices using only everyday commercial chip-making technologies, Cressler says.  The savings in cost, size and weight could be very significant.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESilicon-germanium is a top candidate for this application because it has intrinsic immunity to many types of radiation. The catch is that, like other materials, SiGe cannot stand up to the extremely destructive heavy ions present in galactic cosmic rays.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt least, not yet.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECressler\u0027s team is analyzing exactly what happens inside a SiGe device when it\u0027s subjected to the type of energy found in heavy ions. Using sophisticated new equipment, including an extremely high-speed oscilloscope, researchers can capture details of particle-strike events that last only trillionths of a second (picoseconds).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWorking with NASA and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Cressler is using an ultrafast laser to inject current into a silicon-germanium transistor.  The aim is to emulate the effect of a heavy-ion strike in space.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When I shine a laser on the device, it generates a pulse of current that may only last for a few picoseconds,\u0022 Cressler said. \u0022Capturing the dynamics of that process -- what it looks like in time and in its magnitudes -- is important and challenging.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECressler\u0027s investigation also involves firing actual ions at SiGe circuits. Using a focused ion microbeam at the Sandia National Laboratories, the Georgia Tech team can aim a single heavy ion at a given point on a device and capture those results as well.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ultimate aim is to alter silicon-germanium devices and circuits in ways that will make them highly resistant to nearly all cosmic radiation, including heavy ions, without adding overhead.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EObserving actual particle impacts in real time is key, Cressler says. Detailed computer 3-D models of particle strikes on SiGe devices and circuits -- created with sophisticated numerical simulation techniques -- have already been developed.  But until researchers can compare these models to actual observed data, they can\u0027t be sure the models are correct. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If we get good fidelity between the two,\u0022 he added, \u0022then we\u0027ve know we have a good understanding of the physics.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStep two, he adds, will involve using that information to design devices and circuits that are highly immune to radiation. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022One of the holy grails in this field is getting sufficient radiation hardness without resorting to any of the high overhead schemes such as shielding, process hardening, or triple modular redundancy,\u0022 he said.  \u0022And, in fact, we are closing in on that goal, using SiGe electronics.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Cressler (404-894-5161); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.cressler@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.cressler@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Silicon-Germanium Circuits Could Also Cut Costs"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers are developing new ways to harden microelectronics for space applications using silicon-germanium, an alloy that is intrinsically resistant to space-particle bombardment.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers are developing new ways to harden circuits for space"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-28 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-28T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46217":{"id":"46217","type":"image","title":"Studying silicon-germanium","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Studying silicon-germanium","file":{"fid":"101022","name":"tly64084.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tly64084.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tly64084.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1432913,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tly64084.jpg?itok=Q0n_Ka_V"}},"46218":{"id":"46218","type":"image","title":"John Cressler","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"John Cressler","file":{"fid":"101023","name":"tgr64084.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgr64084.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tgr64084.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1893724,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tgr64084.jpg?itok=2HTyaLTI"}},"46219":{"id":"46219","type":"image","title":"Studying silicon-germanium","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Studying silicon-germanium","file":{"fid":"101024","name":"tfh64084.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfh64084.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfh64084.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1421894,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfh64084.jpg?itok=-mcphuBD"}}},"media_ids":["46217","46218","46219"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=123","title":"John Cressler"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2832","name":"microelectronics"},{"id":"1963","name":"particles"},{"id":"170841","name":"silicon-germanium"},{"id":"167146","name":"space"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46280":{"#nid":"46280","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Clinical Trial Shows That Quadriplegics Can Use Tongue Drive System","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAn assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This clinical trial has validated that the Tongue Drive system is intuitive and quite simple for individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries to use,\u0022 said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. \u0022Trial participants were able to easily remember and correctly issue tongue commands to play computer games and drive a powered wheelchair around an obstacle course with very little prior training.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the annual conference of the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) on June 26, the researchers reported the results of the first five clinical trial subjects to use the Tongue Drive system. The trial was conducted at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta-based catastrophic care hospital, and funded by the National Science Foundation and the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe clinical trial tested the ability of these individuals with tetraplegia, as a result of high-level spinal cord injuries (cervical vertebrae C3-C5), to perform tasks related to computer access and wheelchair navigation -- using only their tongue movements. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt the beginning of each trial, Ghovanloo and graduate students Xueliang Huo and Chih-wen Cheng attached a small magnet -- the size of a grain of rice -- to the participant\u0027s tongue with tissue adhesive. Movement of this magnetic tracer was detected by an array of magnetic field sensors mounted on wireless headphones worn by the subject. The sensor output signals were wirelessly transmitted to a portable computer, which was carried on the wheelchair.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe signals were processed to determine the relative motion of the magnet with respect to the array of sensors in real-time. This information was then used to control the movements of the cursor on a computer screen or to substitute for the joystick function in a powered wheelchair. Details on use of the Tongue Drive for wheeled mobility were published in the June 2009 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGhovanloo chose the tongue to operate the system because unlike hands and feet, which are controlled by the brain through the spinal cord, the tongue is directly connected to the brain by a cranial nerve that generally escapes damage in severe spinal cord injuries or neuromuscular diseases.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore using the Tongue Drive system, the subjects trained the computer to understand how they would like to move their tongues to indicate different commands. A unique set of specific tongue movements was tailored for each individual based on the user\u0027s abilities, oral anatomy and personal preferences. For the first computer test, the user issued commands to move the computer mouse left and right. Using these commands, each subject played a computer game that required moving a paddle horizontally to prevent a ball from hitting the bottom of the screen. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter adding two more commands to their repertoire -- up and down -- the subjects were asked to move the mouse cursor through an on-screen maze as quickly and accurately as possible.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThen the researchers added two more commands -- single and double mouse clicks -- to provide the subject with complete mouse functionality. When a randomly selected symbol representing one of the six commands appeared on the computer screen, the subject was instructed to issue that command within a specified time period. Each subject completed 40 trials for each time period.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter the computer sessions, the subjects were ready for the wheelchair driving exercise. Using forward, backward, right, left and stop\/neutral tongue commands, the subjects maneuvered a powered wheelchair through an obstacle course. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe obstacle course contained 10 turns and was longer than a professional basketball court. Throughout the course, the users had to perform navigation tasks such as making a U-turn, backing up and fine-tuning the direction of the wheelchair in a limited space. Subjects were asked to navigate through the course as fast as they could, while avoiding collisions. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEach subject operated the powered wheelchair using two different control strategies: discrete mode, which was designed for novice users, and continuous mode for more experienced users. In discrete mode, if the user issued the command to move forward and then wanted to turn right, the user would have to stop the wheelchair before issuing the command to turn right. The stop command was selected automatically when the tongue returned to its resting position, bringing the wheelchair to a standstill.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Discrete mode is a safety feature particularly for novice users, but it reduces the agility of the wheelchair movement,\u0022 explained Ghovanloo. \u0022In continuous mode, however, the user is allowed to steer the powered wheelchair to the left or right as it is moving forward and backward, thus making it possible to follow a curve.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEach subject completed the course at least twice using each strategy while the researchers recorded the navigation time and number of collisions. Using discrete control, the average speed for the five subjects was 5.2 meters per minute and the average number of collisions was 1.8. Using continuous control, the average speed was 7.7 meters per minute and the average number of collisions was 2.5.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile this initial performance trial only required six tongue commands, the Tongue Drive system can potentially capture a large number of tongue movements, each of which can represent a different user command. The ability to train the system with as many commands as an individual can comfortably remember and having all of the commands available to the user at the same time are significant advantages over the common sip-n-puff device that acts as a simple switch controlled by sucking or blowing through a straw. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESome sip-n-puff users also consider the straw to be a symbol of their disability. Since Tongue Drive users simply wear headphones that are commonly worn to listen to music, the system is more acceptable to potential users.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EJohn Anschutz, manager of the assistive technology program at the Shepherd Center, identified advantages the Tongue Drive system has over the tongue-touch keypad.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The Tongue Drive system seems to be much more supportable if there were a failure of some component within the system. With the old tongue-touch keypad, if the system went down then the user lost all of the functions of the wheelchair, phone, computer and environmental control,\u0022 explained Anschutz. \u0022Ghovanloo\u0027s approach should be much more repairable should a fault arise, which is critical for systems for which so much function is depended upon.\u0022  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA future system upgrade will be to move the sensors inside the user\u0027s mouth, according to Ghovanloo. This will be an important step for users who are very impaired and cannot reposition the system for best results, according to Anschutz. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022All of the subjects successfully completed the computer and powered wheelchair navigation tasks with their tongues without difficulty, which demonstrates that the Tongue Drive system can potentially provide individuals unable to move their arms and hands with effective control over a wide variety of devices they use in their daily lives,\u0022 said Ghovanloo.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Maysam Ghovanloo (404-385-7048); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mgh@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emgh@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Participants Used System to Operate Powered Wheelchair and Computer"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"An assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Clinical trial shows tongue drive system assists disabled."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-07-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46281":{"id":"46281","type":"image","title":"Cruise Bogle - wheelchair obstacle course","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Cruise Bogle - wheelchair obstacle course","file":{"fid":"101066","name":"ttd83741.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttd83741_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttd83741_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1416823,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttd83741_0.jpg?itok=YIgJK6zz"}},"46282":{"id":"46282","type":"image","title":"Cruise Bogle training session","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Cruise Bogle training session","file":{"fid":"101067","name":"tze83742.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tze83742_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tze83742_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1097689,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tze83742_0.jpg?itok=fcISwkEW"}},"46283":{"id":"46283","type":"image","title":"Cruise Bogle and GT researchers","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Cruise Bogle and GT researchers","file":{"fid":"101068","name":"txn83742.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txn83742_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txn83742_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1543373,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txn83742_0.jpg?itok=txnxgddu"}}},"media_ids":["46281","46282","46283"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=147","title":"Maysam Ghovanloo"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1109\/TBME.2009.2018632","title":"IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering paper"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2652","name":"assistive"},{"id":"439","name":"computer"},{"id":"7134","name":"cord"},{"id":"2646","name":"disabled"},{"id":"521","name":"injury"},{"id":"7132","name":"magnet"},{"id":"7131","name":"quadriplegic"},{"id":"167318","name":"sensor"},{"id":"170848","name":"spinal"},{"id":"623","name":"Technology"},{"id":"7135","name":"tetraplegia"},{"id":"7130","name":"tongue"},{"id":"1652","name":"wheelchair"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46212":{"#nid":"46212","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Conference Launches Initiative to Shape Georgia\\\u0027s Role in Future Media","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPrivate cloud computing. Augmented mobile reality. Immersive Internet. Unicasting. Exclusive films on Facebook.  Hulu TV.  Twitter valued at $1 billion.  A year or so ago these phrases would have been alien.  Today, they herald the future.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat do these trends suggest for the future of media companies around the world?\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERenu Kulkarni doesn\u0027t know for sure, but she wants to \u0022start the conversation\u0022 about the question -- and the role that Georgia will play in shaping the future of digital, social and multimedia.  As head of the new FutureMedia Initiative at the Georgia Institute of Technology, she believes the Peach State is uniquely positioned to be both a global pioneer and innovator in helping define the future of media.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With world-class university research, proven engineering and commercialization expertise, a successful community of entrepreneurs -- and leading digital media, communications and entertainment industries -- Georgia really does have what it will take to help chart the future of media,\u0022 said Kulkarni, who joined Georgia Tech after a 20-year career in the high-tech industry, most recently serving as vice president for technology partnerships at communications giant Motorola.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe FutureMedia Initiative will kick off October 15 with a day-long conference aimed at encouraging dialogue about what Georgia needs to do to create an open innovation ecosystem for developing media of the future.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be held at the Palomar Hotel adjacent to the Georgia Tech campus, the FutureMedia Conference (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.futuremediaga.com\u0022 title=\u0022www.futuremediaga.com\u0022\u003Ewww.futuremediaga.com\u003C\/a\u003E) will feature media visionaries, thought leaders from Georgia universities and industry -- and demonstrations of technologies already in the innovation pipeline from the startup and university research communities.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the speakers will be Chris Klaus, founder and CEO of Kaneva; Krishna Bharat, creator of Google News, and Ron Clark, founder of The Ron Clark Academy.  The event will also include speakers from the University of Georgia\u0027s New Media Institute, the Savannah College of Art and Design, Emory University\u0027s Goizueta Business School, Georgia Tech\u0027s GVU Center and its School of Literature, Communication and Culture.  Industry represented will include Cisco, Motorola, Turner Broadcasting, Music Intelligence Solutions, Noro-Moseley Partners and Chrysalis Ventures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn afternoon session will provide demonstrations of university research, including innovative music technology, gesture navigation, augmented reality -- and advanced high-speed network and mobile technologies.  As many as 60 startup companies are expected to demonstrate their new products and services.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHosted by Georgia Tech, the event is sponsored by Turner Broadcasting.  Partners include the Creative Coast Alliance, Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia Research Alliance, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the MIT Enterprise Forum of Atlanta, the New Media Institute at the University of Georgia, the Savannah College of Art and Design, the Technology Association of Georgia, the Technology Executives Roundtable and Venture Atlanta 09.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia has created an integrated innovation pipeline for developing new commercially-important technologies and moving them into the marketplace, noted Susan Shows, senior vice president at the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA).  The GRA\u0027s VentureLab program has already spun off dozens of startups based on university research.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Investments in Georgia\u0027s research universities are paying off in the formation of new companies that are creating the industries and jobs of the future,\u0022 Shows said.  \u0022By bringing university-industry resources together, FutureMedia will accelerate our success in the media industries that will be important 5, 10 or 20 years from now.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech intends to play a strong role in expanding Georgia\u0027s media industry and startup infrastructure, said Georgia Tech Vice President Stephen Cross, who also serves as director of the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) -- where the FutureMedia Initiative is headquartered.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022What\u0027s unique about Georgia Tech is that we already have a number of fabulous thought leaders, researchers and scientists, companies and startups,\u0022 he said.  \u0022Many of the pieces of the story are already well known, but we haven\u0027t integrated them yet into a common and mutually supportive story line.  The plot is evolving quickly, but the ending is not yet clear.  We intend to be the authors of a great ending and FutureMedia will help us do that.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore than a dozen Georgia Tech units are already developing digital media.  The goal of FutureMedia, said Kulkarni, will be to expand the Institute\u0027s overall role.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We want to make the pie larger for all without getting in the way of what is already going on,\u0022 she explained.  \u0022The conference is meant to bring the community together to begin a dialogue.  FutureMedia is something that has lots of opportunities for all of us if we work together.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u0027s the ultimate goal of FutureMedia?\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We envision physical and virtual places where all are invited to experiment, discover, create, commercialize and shape the future of media,\u0022 Kulkarni explained.  \u0022We want to create a rich, open innovation ecosystem that will make Georgia a global pioneer in this field and provide a model not only for what we do in enabling the future, but also in how we do it.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"FutureMedia Brings Together Industry and Universities"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The FutureMedia Initiative will kick off October 15 with a day-long conference aimed at encouraging dialogue about what Georgia needs to do to create an open innovation ecosystem for developing media of the future.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"FutureMedia brings together industry and universities"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-09-30 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46213":{"id":"46213","type":"image","title":"Augmented reality games","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Augmented reality games","file":{"fid":"101019","name":"tuh59908.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuh59908.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuh59908.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1118875,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tuh59908.jpg?itok=_eP0z2YF"}},"46214":{"id":"46214","type":"image","title":"AR Presence","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"AR Presence","file":{"fid":"101020","name":"tve59908.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tve59908.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tve59908.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":869579,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tve59908.jpg?itok=76fNhsqh"}},"46215":{"id":"46215","type":"image","title":"Virtual aquarium","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Virtual aquarium","file":{"fid":"101021","name":"txs59908.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txs59908.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txs59908.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1649064,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txs59908.jpg?itok=wJK6wcWu"}}},"media_ids":["46213","46214","46215"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.futuremediaga.com\/","title":"FutureMedia Conference"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7036","name":"augumented reality"},{"id":"4932","name":"FutureMedia"},{"id":"1976","name":"Media"},{"id":"167543","name":"social media"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46278":{"#nid":"46278","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Stephen Fleming Chosen to Head Enterprise Innovation Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStephen Fleming has been named vice provost of Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, the nation\u0027s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of assistance to business and industry.  Since 2005, Fleming has served as Georgia Tech\u0027s chief commercialization officer and led the Enterprise Innovation Institute\u0027s Commercialization Services Division in creating new companies based on research discoveries.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA venture capitalist and former telecom engineer with a degree in theoretical physics, Fleming will succeed Wayne Hodges, who retired recently after a 40-year career at Georgia Tech.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In these challenging times, I am very pleased that someone with Stephen\u0027s experience, leadership, enthusiasm and drive has elected to take on this very important position,\u0022 said Mark Allen, senior vice provost for research and innovation at Georgia Tech.  \u0022The size, scope and success of the Enterprise Innovation Institute are among the key differentiators for Georgia Tech among leading institutions around the world, and are essential to Georgia Tech\u0027s core mission of disseminating technological discoveries and enhancing technology\u0027s impact.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EState budget cuts have significantly reduced support for the Enterprise Innovation Institute, and Fleming has said that broadening the organization\u0027s financial base will be among his top priorities.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Though we\u0027ve done our best to align our costs with our projected state, federal and private-sector dollars, we must continue to seek other sources of funding to fuel the job-creating engine that Georgia needs,\u0022 Fleming said.  \u0022I am excited about the challenges ahead as we more fully apply the resources of Georgia Tech to help build Georgia\u0027s economy. Our strength is based on the people in the Enterprise Innovation Institute.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith approximately 200 staff members and students, the Enterprise Innovation Institute includes five major divisions:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), a division of the Enterprise Innovation Institute\u0027s Industry Services, which provides direct technical assistance and professional education to help companies become more competitive in world markets;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Entrepreneur Services, which includes the Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), Georgia Tech\u0027s science and technology incubator, which helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Strategic Partners, which serves as an industry-centric doorway into Georgia Tech for companies seeking multi-faceted interdisciplinary research;\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Community Policy and Research Services, which helps government at all levels address the challenges of technology-based economic development, and \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* Commercialization Services, which evaluates Georgia Tech inventions and helps form startup companies around commercially-promising technologies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFleming praised Hodges, who led the development of the Enterprise Innovation Institute and served as director of the ATDC for more than 20 years.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The Enterprise Innovation Institute is widely seen as the model for 21st century technology-based economic development organizations at research universities,\u0022 said Fleming.  \u0022What Georgia Tech has today in the Enterprise Innovation Institute is due to Wayne Hodges\u0027 vision, creativity and tenacity.  Through his hard work and support from Georgia Tech and partner organizations such as the Georgia Research Alliance, we have an organization that universities around the world would like to emulate.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFleming has more than 13 years of private equity experience at the general partner level. Prior to his venture capital career, he spent 15 years in operations roles at AT\u0026amp;T Bell Laboratories, Nortel Networks, and LICOM -- a venture-funded startup. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn Atlanta native and summa cum laude graduate of Georgia Tech, Fleming is active in the \u0022alternative space\u0022 industry -- an investor in three private aerospace companies and is a founding member of the Space Angels Network. He also serves on the boards of trustees for the Spiritual Living Center of Atlanta and for Tech High School, a charter high school emphasizing science, math and technology in urban Atlanta.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFleming is a member of the IEEE, the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America and a number of regional technology organizations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Nancy Fullbright (404-894-2214); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:nancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Enancy.fullbright@innovate.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Stephen Fleming has been named vice provost of Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, the nation\u0027s largest and most comprehensive university-based program of assistance to business and industry.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech names Stephen Fleming at Enterprise Innovation Inst"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46279":{"id":"46279","type":"image","title":"Stephen Fleming","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Stephen Fleming","file":{"fid":"101065","name":"thc77449.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thc77449_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thc77449_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1724427,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thc77449_0.jpg?itok=RVNVpIEt"}}},"media_ids":["46279"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"2579","name":"commercialization"},{"id":"3671","name":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46208":{"#nid":"46208","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Material Could Expand Applications for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new ceramic material described in this week\u0027s issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience \u003C\/em\u003E could help expand the applications for solid oxide fuel cells -- devices that generate electricity directly from a wide range of liquid or gaseous fuels without the need to separate hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the long-term durability of the new mixed ion conductor material must still be proven, its development could address two of the most vexing problems facing the solid oxide fuel cells: tolerance of sulfur in fuels and resistance to carbon build-up known as coking.  The new material could also allow solid oxide fuel cells -- which convert fuel to electricity more efficiently than other fuel cells -- to operate at lower temperatures, potentially reducing material and fabrication costs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The development of this material suggests that we could have a much less expensive solid oxide fuel cell, and that it could be more compact, which would increase the range of potential applications,\u0022 said Meilin Liu, a Regent\u0027s professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022This new material would potentially allow the fuel cells to run with dirty hydrocarbon fuels without the need to clean them and supply water.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy\u0027s Basic Energy Science Catalysis Science Program.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELike all fuel cells, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) use an electrochemical process to produce electricity by oxidizing a fuel.  As the name implies, SOFCs use a ceramic electrolyte, a material known as yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fuel cell\u0027s anode uses a composite consisting of YSZ and the metal nickel.  This anode provides excellent catalytic activity for fuel oxidation, good conductivity for collecting current generated, and compatibility with the cell\u0027s electrolyte -- which is also YSZ.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut the material has three significant drawbacks: even small amounts of sulfur in fuel \u0022poison\u0022 the anode to dramatically reduce efficiency, the use of hydrocarbon fuels creates carbon build-up which clogs the anode -- and because YSZ has limited conductivity at low temperatures -- SOFCs must operate at high temperatures.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs a result, fuels used in SOFCs, such as natural gas or propane, must be purified to remove sulfur, which increases their cost.  Water in the form of steam must also be supplied to a reformer that converts hydrocarbons to hydrogen and carbon monoxide before being fed to the fuel cells, adding complexity to the overall system and reducing energy efficiency.  And the high-temperature operation means the cells must be fabricated from costly exotic materials, which keeps SOFCs too expensive for many applications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe new material developed at Georgia Tech addresses all three of those anode issues.  Referred to as BZCYYb as shorthand for its complex composition, the material tolerates hydrogen sulfide in concentrations as high as 50 parts-per-million, does not accumulate carbon -- and can operate efficiently at temperatures as low as 500 degrees Celsius.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe BZCYYb (Barium-Zirconium-Cerium-Yttrium-Ytterbium Oxide) material could be used in a variety of ways: as a coating on the traditional Ni-YSZ anode, as a replacement for the YSZ in the anode and as a replacement for the entire YSZ electrolyte system.  Liu believes the first two options are more viable.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo far, the new material has provided steady performance for up to 1,000 hours of operation in a small laboratory-scale SOFC.  To be commercially viable, however, the material will have to be proven in operation for up to five years -- the expected lifespan of a commercial SOFC.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We don\u0027t see any problems ahead for fabrication or other issues that might prevent scale-up,\u0022 said Liu.  \u0022The material is produced using standard solid-state reactions and is straightforward.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers don\u0027t yet understand how their new material resists deactivation by sulfur and carbon, but theorize that it may provide enhanced catalytic activity for oxidizing sulfur and both cracking and reforming hydrocarbons.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to its tolerance of sulfur and resistance to coking, the BZCYYb material\u0027s conductivity at lower temperature could also provide a significant advantage for SOFCs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If we could reduce operating temperatures to 500 or 600 degrees Celsius, that would allow us to use less expensive metals as interconnects,\u0022 Liu noted.  \u0022Getting the temperature down to 300 to 400 degrees could allow use of much less expensive materials in the packaging, which would dramatically reduce the cost of these systems.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond its use in fuel cells, the material developed by Liu and his team -- which also included Lei Yang, Shizhong Wang, Kevin Blinn, Mingfei Liu, Ze Liu and Zhe Cheng -- could also be used for fuel reforming to feed other types of fuel cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThough the technology for solid oxide fuel cells is currently less mature than that for other types of fuel cells, Liu believes SOFCs will ultimately win out because they don\u0027t require precious metals such as platinum and their efficiency can be higher -- as much as 80 percent with co-generation use of waste heat.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Solid oxide fuel cells offer high energy efficiency, the potential for direct utilization of all types of fuels including renewable biofuels, and the possibility of lower costs since they do not use any precious metals,\u0022 said Liu.  \u0022We are working to reduce the cost of solid oxide fuel cells to make them viable in many new applications, and this new material brings us much closer to doing that.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThis research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy\u0027s Basic Energy Science Catalysis Science Program under grant DE-FG02-06ER15837.  The comments and conclusions in this document are those of the researchers and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy.\u003C\/strong\u003E\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Meilin Liu (404-894-6114); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:meilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emeilin.liu@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Devices Can Directly Use a Wide Range of Fuels"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A new ceramic material described in this week\u0027s issue of the journal Science could help expand the applications for solid oxide fuel cells \u201d\u201c devices that generate electricity directly from a wide range of liquid or gaseous fuels without the need to separate hydrogen.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Solid oxide fuel cells could be less costly thanks to a new mate"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-10-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46209":{"id":"46209","type":"image","title":"Evaluating fuel cells","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Evaluating fuel cells","file":{"fid":"101016","name":"tqe33387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqe33387.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqe33387.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1510148,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqe33387.jpg?itok=vkWWRspR"}},"46210":{"id":"46210","type":"image","title":"Lab-scale fuel cell","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Lab-scale fuel cell","file":{"fid":"101017","name":"tsg33387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsg33387.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsg33387.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":914670,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsg33387.jpg?itok=v3AYvzgj"}},"46211":{"id":"46211","type":"image","title":"Evaluating fuel cells","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Evaluating fuel cells","file":{"fid":"101018","name":"tlf33387.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlf33387.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlf33387.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1508917,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlf33387.jpg?itok=yCcs-Usx"}}},"media_ids":["46209","46210","46211"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Liu\/liu.html","title":"Meilin Liu"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7070","name":"anode"},{"id":"7071","name":"ceramic"},{"id":"436","name":"electricity"},{"id":"2044","name":"Fuel Cell"},{"id":"170840","name":"sulfur"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46204":{"#nid":"46204","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Protocols Will Test Effects of RFID Systems on Medical Devices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERadio frequency identification (RFID) systems are widely used for applications that include inventory management, package tracking, toll collection, passport identification and airport luggage security. More recently, these systems have found their way into medical environments to track patients, equipment assets and staff members.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHowever, there is currently no published standardized, repeatable methodology by which manufacturers of RFID equipment or medical devices can assess potential issues with electromagnetic interference and evaluate means to mitigate them.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo resolve these concerns, the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently began developing testing protocols for RFID technology in the health care setting. The test protocol development is being overseen by AIM Global, the international trade association representing automatic identification and mobility technology solution providers, and also includes MET Laboratories, a company that provides testing and certification services for medical devices.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A comprehensive set of test protocols, which are sufficiently precise to permit repeatable results, is required to understand if there is an interaction between various types of RFID systems and active implantable medical devices, electronic medical equipment, in vitro diagnostic equipment and biologics. Only after the protocols are developed will we be able to investigate the cause of any interactions, the result of any interactions, and ways manufacturers might eliminate or mitigate interactions,\u0022 said Craig K. Harmon, president and CEO of Q.E.D. Systems and chairman of AIM Global\u0027s RFID Experts Group. This group is overseeing the Health Care Initiative and includes representatives from 40 organizations in the United States, Europe and Asia.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI researchers will test how RFID systems affect the function of implantable and wearable medical devices, such as pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators, neurostimulators, implantable infusion pumps and cardiac monitors. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The internal components, firmware and hardware of every company\u0027s devices are different, meaning that each device can respond differently to the same electromagnetic environment. Since there have been various preliminary tests and publications from different organizations indicating that there may or may not be issues with RFID system environments and these devices, it is important to standardize the way to test such devices,\u0022 said Ralph Herkert, director of GTRI\u0027s Medical Device Test Center.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHerkert and Gisele Bennett, director of GTRI\u0027s Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory, will evaluate and determine the best method for measuring whether interference takes place as a result of RFID emission in both active and passive RFID technologies covering the spectrum from low-frequency to ultra high-frequency. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers will test whether radio frequency-emitting devices cause any negative effects on the medical devices, and under what conditions these effects might occur. Testing will also determine whether specific medical devices are particularly susceptible to certain radio frequency identification characteristics and if any corrective actions can be taken to mitigate such susceptibility.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedical device testing is not new for GTRI, which established its Medical Device Test Center more than 14 years ago. The facility was created to enable manufacturers of implantable cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators to work with providers of electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems, used by retailers, libraries and other establishments to prevent theft and track inventory. The center\u0027s original mission was to help manufacturers improve compatibility between implantable medical devices and EAS systems that radiate electromagnetic energy. In 2006, GTRI expanded its operations and facilities to test new types of security and logistical systems (SLS), including RFID. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo test the effects of RFID systems on medical devices, the researchers simulate real-world conditions by placing a medical device in a tank of saline solution that simulates the electrical characteristics of body tissue and fluid. The medical device is then exposed to different RFID technologies. Several tests are performed with the device placed in different orientations to represent how people typically interact with the emissions. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We think the testing procedure for RFID systems will be similar to the EAS system procedure, but there are a few more challenges with the RFID systems because a person doesn\u0027t always pass through a portal,\u0022 noted Bennett, who is also a member of AIM Global\u0027s RFID Experts Group. \u0022Medical devices can be affected by active tags with stronger signals or RFID systems reading passive tag signals.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe test protocols developed by GTRI will be submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for concurrence, after which a worldwide certification program will be launched and other testing facilities will be invited to participate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFunding to develop these test guidelines is currently being provided by GTRI, but the researchers are actively looking for external funding.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We have more than 35 years of experience at GTRI testing medical device interference and we think that testing the effects of RFID on medical devices is an important area to pursue,\u0022 added Bennett.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\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":"The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) recently began developing testing protocols for RFID technology in the health care setting. The researchers will test whether radio frequency-emitting devices cause any negative effects on the medical devices.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTRI is developing protocols to test RFID systems in medical set"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-10-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46205":{"id":"46205","type":"image","title":"Ralph Herkert RFID","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Ralph Herkert RFID","file":{"fid":"101013","name":"tfh34608.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfh34608_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfh34608_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1257665,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfh34608_1.jpg?itok=nSq5CQtq"}},"46206":{"id":"46206","type":"image","title":"GTRI medical device RFID testing","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"GTRI medical device RFID testing","file":{"fid":"101014","name":"tec34608.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tec34608.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tec34608.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1145146,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tec34608.jpg?itok=1iUKy02y"}},"46207":{"id":"46207","type":"image","title":"Ralph Herkert medical device testing","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Ralph Herkert medical device testing","file":{"fid":"101015","name":"tuy34608.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuy34608.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tuy34608.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":845938,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tuy34608.jpg?itok=Lc6R11qE"}}},"media_ids":["46205","46206","46207"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/eosl.gtri.gatech.edu\/Capabilities\/CentersofExcellence\/MedicalDeviceTesting\/tabid\/141\/Default.aspx","title":"GTRI Medical Device Test Center"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4468","name":"cardiac monitors"},{"id":"4465","name":"Cardioverter Defibrillator"},{"id":"4462","name":"Electromagnetic Interference"},{"id":"4464","name":"Implantable Device"},{"id":"4467","name":"infusion pumps"},{"id":"4460","name":"Medical Devices"},{"id":"4463","name":"Medical Equipment"},{"id":"4466","name":"Neurostimulators"},{"id":"4461","name":"Pacemaker"},{"id":"4459","name":"Radio Frequency Identification"},{"id":"503","name":"RFID"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46274":{"#nid":"46274","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Heat-Transfer Material Could Allow More Powerful Radar Electronics","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EOpen any computer and you\u0027re sure to see at least one massive cooling device, complete with metal fins and a noisy fan. Today\u0027s high-power processing chips generate lots of heat -- and those chips can fry quickly without some serious cooling.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing a novel material for transferring heat away from ultra-high-power defense electronics. The exotic material, a composite of diamond and copper, is one of the materials under development as part of a new concept called a \u0022Thermal Ground Plane\u0022 that aims to remove heat up to 100 times more effectively than present thermal-conducting schemes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESuch a performance leap could be vital to cooling next-generation radars, said Jason Nadler, a GTRI research engineer. Nadler is investigating ways to bring new materials and techniques to bear on the problem.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Many areas of electronics are running up against the same issue: you just can\u0027t move the heat away fast enough to let the devices be reliable,\u0022 Nadler said. \u0022As we rely increasingly on very high-power devices, the methods of getting heat away from them have to become more efficient.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is working with the Raytheon Co. on a project that seeks to raise thermal conductivity capabilities to 20,000 watts per meter Kelvin (a measure of thermal-conductivity efficiency). That\u0027s a tall order, considering that the current conductivity champion, for radar applications, is a copper material with performance of approximately 200 to 300 watts per meter Kelvin.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe three-phase, four-year project is sponsored by the Microsystems Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis improved cooling capability could benefit future high-power transmit-receive (T\/R) module packages. Because of their higher power, those transmit-receive modules will also have higher cooling needs that may require a Thermal Ground Plane -- a sort of heat-dissipating sandwich about one millimeter thick that would be part of the T\/R module\u0027s packaging.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A Thermal Ground Plane is basically a materials system,\u0022 Nadler explained. \u0022The most thermally conductive natural material, pure diamond, has a conductivity of about 2,000 watts per meter Kelvin. We\u0027re aiming for 20,000, and to do that we have to look at the problem from a materials systems standpoint.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENadler\u0027s material is one of those under development to serve as the heart of the Thermal Ground Plane. The conductivity of that material would be improved with the addition of a liquid coolant able to carry heat away from the T\/R module devices in the same way that sweat cools a body. A metal heat sink would help the liquid coolant dissipate the heat by condensing the vapor back to a fluid.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing a liquid coolant takes advantage of phase changes -- the conversion of matter between liquid and vapor states. The diamond-copper material would conduct heat to the liquid coolant and optimize cooling through wicking and evaporation. Then, the heat would be rejected as the vapor is re-condensed to a liquid on the side attached to the metal heat sink.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The trick is to use evaporation, condensation and intrinsic thermal conductivity together, in series, in a continuous system,\u0022 Nadler said. \u0022The whole device is a closed loop.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EChallenges remain, however, including some specific materials issues. To form the desired materials, diamond and copper must be integrated into a porous structure that can best transfer heat and facilitate efficient evaporation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBut diamond and copper don\u0027t bond well, due in part to their different coefficients of thermal expansion and chemical incompatibility. Diamond doesn\u0027t expand much when heated, while copper expands moderately. That difference leads to a thermal-expansion mismatch, which can fracture the interface between the two materials when they\u0027re heated.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the porous internal structure of the diamond-copper material must have exactly the right size and shape to maximize its own intrinsic heat conductivity. Yet its internal structure must also be designed in ways that can help draw the liquid coolant toward the heat source to facilitate evaporation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENadler explained that liquid coolant flow can be maximized by fine tuning such mechanisms as the capillarity of the diamond-copper material. Capillarity refers to a given structure\u0027s ability to draw in a substance, especially a liquid, the way a sponge absorbs water or a medical technician pulls a drop of blood up into a narrow glass tube.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo be effective, the size of a capillary structure must be precisely controlled; if it\u0027s too large or too small, the wicking phenomenon won\u0027t occur. The GTRI team must size the diamond-copper material\u0027s internal structure to maximize capillarity.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We\u0027re finding ways to change the cellular structure of the diamond-copper material at the nanoscale and the microscale,\u0022 Nadler said. \u0022We\u0027re doing this by making complex open-celled structures -- basically tiny foams with exactly the right properties.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirkeng@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirkeng@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Rick Robinson\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) are developing a novel material for transferring heat away from ultra-high-power defense electronics. The exotic material is a composite of diamond and copper.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new material based on diamond could improve electronics coolin"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-09 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46275":{"id":"46275","type":"image","title":"Electronics Cooling","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Electronics Cooling","file":{"fid":"101062","name":"tas56071.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tas56071_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tas56071_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":709360,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tas56071_0.jpg?itok=iaS0H-dl"}},"46276":{"id":"46276","type":"image","title":"Electronics cooling","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Electronics cooling","file":{"fid":"101063","name":"tfk56072.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfk56072_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfk56072_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1180865,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfk56072_0.jpg?itok=dlsLGGWr"}},"46277":{"id":"46277","type":"image","title":"Electronics cooling","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Electronics cooling","file":{"fid":"101064","name":"tvt56072.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvt56072_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvt56072_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1793066,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvt56072_0.jpg?itok=Jrbss3ju"}}},"media_ids":["46275","46276","46277"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"437","name":"cooling"},{"id":"7129","name":"diamond"},{"id":"609","name":"electronics"},{"id":"7128","name":"heat-transfer"},{"id":"2621","name":"radar"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46270":{"#nid":"46270","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Korean Government And Georgia Tech Form Historic Partnership","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EImagine watching your favorite TV show and talking about it with one friend on the phone, while at the same time trading messages with others on Twitter and e-mail. Sound like an impossible juggling act? A team of faculty from the Georgia Institute of Technology has formed a historic partnership with the Korean government, industry, and universities to develop a single platform where these and even more multimedia functions can take place, even anticipating what show you might like to watch or what music you might want to listen to.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAwarded a $9 million contract through the 2008 KORUS Tech Program, an initiative of the Korean Industrial Technology Foundation, Georgia Tech was chosen out of 109 universities to lead the development and design of the next generation of digital convergence devices that will let users establish and participate in digitally connected communities. This award marks the first time that the Korean government has chosen a U.S. university to lead one of its research and development programs.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EProject investigators will develop immersive technologies on a hybrid graphics processing unit (GPU) - central processing unit (CPU) platform, which will be created at the newly established KORUS Research Center for Informersive Systems (CIS). The center will be headed by Jongman Kim, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the lead investigator for this project and consortium.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn enabling technology for personalized, interactive media convergence, the platform will consist of a custom-designed massively parallel architecture with a hybrid GPU accelerated many-core and heterogeneous multicore fusion system for new machine learning and multimedia algorithms and techniques. To balance resources and computationally demanding applications for high performance, Kim and his team are developing new mechanisms -- dynamically decomposed computing and hardware-based load balancing techniques. He will introduce a new holistic design analysis model -- the Performance, Energy, and Fault-Tolerance Metric.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The interdependence among speed\/throughput, energy, and fault-tolerance shows the importance of having this new metric that can identify the best tradeoffs among these three competing traits and desired design goals,\u0022 said Kim, who leads the computer architecture part of this project.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPlans call for the system to be a smart, updated engine that understands user behavior; it will feature a tailored software interface that is based on intelligence and immersion with advanced three-dimensional graphics support. Ghassan AlRegib, a Georgia Tech ECE associate professor and editor-in-chief of the \u003Cem\u003EICST Journal on Immersive Telecommunications\u003C\/em\u003E, leads the multimedia processing and immersive communications portion of project, where data about home environments, modes of entertainment, and viewing and listening preferences are captured, processed, and interpreted by using motion, temperature, and light sensors; microphones; and multiple cameras that are placed in a user\u0027s home. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our challenge is to intelligently process this data and digitally understand the user,\u0022 said AlRegib, who serves as area editor for \u003Cem\u003EIEEE Signal Processing Magazine\u003C\/em\u003E. \u0022We are trying to create smart agents within media centers that understand users and adapt media accordingly.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the hub for home-networked entertainment, this platform will have wireless connectivity to other devices and will be operated with hand gestures, body movements, and facial expressions. AlRegib also noted that the platform would further advance the use of social networks by the broadcast industry to broaden its viewer base. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This system will allow users to have a personalized media experience; content providers and Internet-based or TV broadcasters will be able to adjust their delivered media according to individuals\u0027 needs and interests rather than regional needs,\u0022 AlRegib said. \u0022We have witnessed the impact of social networking media on our daily lives, so merging them with TV seems to be a natural next step toward complete digital convergence.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHelping Kim and AlRegib -- both faculty members at the Georgia Tech Savannah campus -- tackle these technical challenges are ECE faculty members specializing in digital signal processing, telecommunications, computer architecture, and human-computer interaction: Monson H. Hayes, III, professor and associate director at Georgia Tech Savannah; Biing-Hwang \u0022Fred\u0022 Juang, Motorola Foundation Chair Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar; and Associate Professor Sung Kyu Lim. Kim and AlRegib will create undergraduate and graduate courses related to this project, while students at the Atlanta and Savannah campuses will assist with developing technologies and testing prototypes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFour Korea-based partners will work with Georgia Tech to make this platform into a reality. Celrun, an Internet protocol television company, will handle graphic engine, media processing, and display layout issues. C\u0026amp;S Microwave, a wireless communications company, has conducted a feasibility study on Femtocell (a small cellular base station for residential or small business environments) and mobility between handheld devices and the proposed system. Sungkyunkwan University will work on embedded software, semiconductor technology, operating system, virtual ware, migration, and load balancing. The Korean Electronics Technology Institute will focus on personalized service solutions for various multimedia, data fusion, and digital communities, especially in social network modeling.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKim said that interested parties from Georgia Tech and other organizations are welcome to join CIS in creating technologies for this platform. The center will also continue working with Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, which has provided crucial marketing research and commercialization plan assistance. \u0022Growth in this area and industry interest is only expected to increase,\u0022 said Kim, who has held R\u0026amp;D positions at both LG Electronics and Neopoint. \u0022We believe that digital convergence will happen and that our work will be pivotal in its realization.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute officials enthusiastically support this new international partnership. \u0022Georgia Tech and ECE have long been world leaders in digital media and its supporting technologies,\u0022 said Gary S. May, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair for ECE. \u0022The Korean government\u0027s decision to ask Georgia Tech to lead this effort further solidifies our international reputation in this arena.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe establishment of CIS and its future success could also lead to collaborations in areas like the automotive industry, according to Georgia Tech Vice Provost for International Initiatives Steven W. McLaughlin. \u0022Georgia Tech has many longstanding collaborations in Korea and a very healthy representation here in Atlanta. The KORUS Tech program is emblematic of the partnerships we have, the kind of impact we continue to develop in the region, and the benefits those relationships have in Georgia,\u0022 McLaughlin said. \u0022Korea is a gateway to Asia for Georgia Tech, and we expect to have increasing interactions with Korean companies, institutes, universities, and ministries in the coming years.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the Georgia Tech study conducted for this project, Korea ranks among the world\u0027s top seven countries with the most households subscribing to broadband and is projected to move into the top five in the near future. Per capita, Korea ranks among the top four broadband subscribers, according to a June 2007 study conducted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, and had more total subscribers than the other top eight countries combined. The United States ranked 15th per capita, but had the largest number of total subscribers. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EKorean officials cited Georgia Tech\u0027s stellar reputation in research, education, and translation of technology into useful products and successful companies as the primary reasons for choosing the institute for this project. \u0022The Georgia Tech team\u0027s innovative ideas were backed by technological rigor and complemented by detailed analysis of state-of-the-art technologies and competing initiatives,\u0022 said Sungjin (Bryan) Baik, senior researcher and project manager of the KORUS Tech Program from the Korea Institute of Advancement of Technology. \u0022Atlanta\u0027s stature in the telecommunications and information media industries was also key in deciding that Georgia Tech was the proper home for this center.\u0022 The majority of CIS operations will be based at the Atlanta campus of Georgia Tech and will receive additional support from facilities and personnel at Georgia Tech Savannah.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia 30308 USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); Email: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Jackie Nemeth (404-894-2906); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jongman Kim (912-965-2385); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jkim@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejkim@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Ghassan AlRegib (912-966-7937); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gregib@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egregib@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); Biing Hwang (Fred) Juang (404-894-6618); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:juang@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejuang@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: Jackie Nemeth\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Research Will Develop All-Inclusive Multimedia System"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A team of Georgia Tech faculty has formed a historic partnership with the Korean government, industry, and universities to develop a single platform where multiple multimedia functions can take place.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech will develop an all-inclusive multimedia system"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46271":{"id":"46271","type":"image","title":"Reviewing research","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Reviewing research","file":{"fid":"101059","name":"tsg94547.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsg94547_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsg94547_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1221479,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsg94547_0.jpg?itok=Rq7dp2Km"}},"46272":{"id":"46272","type":"image","title":"Traditional ribbon-cutting","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Traditional ribbon-cutting","file":{"fid":"101060","name":"tif94547.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tif94547_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tif94547_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1358226,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tif94547_0.jpg?itok=VR-yCsEC"}},"46273":{"id":"46273","type":"image","title":"Research demonstration","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Research demonstration","file":{"fid":"101061","name":"txd94547.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txd94547_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txd94547_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1384383,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txd94547_0.jpg?itok=qA2k12x_"}}},"media_ids":["46271","46272","46273"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=154","title":"Jongman Kim"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=106","title":"Ghassan AlRegib"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/faculty-staff\/fac_profiles\/bio.php?id=124","title":"Biing Hwang (Fred) Juang"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.kgin.or.kr\/panel\/overview_eng.asp","title":"KORUS Tech Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7127","name":"graphics"},{"id":"7126","name":"immersive"},{"id":"2482","name":"interactive"},{"id":"2340","name":"korea"},{"id":"3008","name":"multimedia"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJackie Nemeth\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Jackie Nemeth\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-2906\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jackie.nemeth@ece.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46266":{"#nid":"46266","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Reveals Sandfish Tucks Legs to Slither Like Snake Through Sand","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA study published in the July 17 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E details how sandfish -- small lizards with smooth scales -- move rapidly underground through desert sand. In this first thorough examination of subsurface sandfish locomotion, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the animals place their limbs against their sides and create a wave motion with their bodies to propel themselves through granular media.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When started above the surface, the animals dive into the sand within a half second. Once below the surface, they no longer use their limbs for propulsion -- instead, they move forward by propagating a traveling wave down their bodies like a snake,\u0022 said study leader Daniel Goldman, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith funding from the National Science Foundation and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the research team used high-speed X-ray imaging to visualize sandfish -- formally called \u003Cem\u003EScincus scincus \u003C\/em\u003E-- burrowing into and through sand. The team used that information to develop a physics model of the lizard\u0027s locomotion.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe sandfish used in this study inhabits the Sahara desert in Africa and is approximately four inches long. It uses its long, wedge-shaped snout and countersunk lower jaw to rapidly bury into and swim within sand. The sandfish\u0027s body has flattened sides and is covered with smooth shiny scales, its legs are short and sturdy with long and flattened fringed toes and its tail tapers to a fine point.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWatch a video of a sandfish using its limbs to run on the surface and rapidly bury into the interior of granular media \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/movies\/1172490s1.mov\u0022\u003E here\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWatch a video of a sandfish slither like a snake through granular media \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/movies\/1172490s2.mov\u0022\u003E here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWatch a video of a sandfish swim through granular media with opaque markers on its body that clearly show that its limbs are held close to its body during swimming \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/movies\/1172490s3.mov\u0022\u003E here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ETo conduct controlled experiments with the sandfish, Goldman and graduate students Ryan Maladen, Yang Ding and Chen Li built a seven-inch by eight-inch by four-inch-deep glass bead-filled container with tiny holes in the bottom through which air could be blown. The air pulses elevated the beads and caused them to settle into a loosely packed solid state. Repeated pulses of air compacted the material, allowing the researchers to closely control the density of the material. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince a sandfish might encounter and need to move through different densities of sand in the desert, the researchers tested whether sandfish locomotion changed when burrowing through media with volume fractions of 58 and 62 percent -- typical values for desert sand. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Since loosely packed media is easier to push through and closely packed is harder to push through, we thought there should be some difference in the sandfish\u0027s locomotion,\u0022 said Goldman. \u0022But the results surprised us because the density of the granular media did not affect how the sandfish traveled through the sand; it was always the same undulatory wavelike pattern.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor a given wave frequency, the swimming speed depended only on the frequency of the wave and not on the density. Unexpectedly though, the animals could swim a bit faster in closely packed material by using a higher frequency range. The team also varied the diameter of the glass beads, but still observed similar wavelike motion. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy tracking the sandfish in the X-ray images as it swam through the glass beads, Goldman was able to characterize the sandfish\u0027s motion -- called its kinematics -- as the form of a single-period sinusoidal wave that traveled from the head to the tail. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The large amplitude waves over the entire body are unlike the kinematics of other undulatory swimming organisms that are the same size as the sandfish, like eels, which propagate waves that start with a small amplitude that gets larger toward the tail,\u0022 explained Goldman. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter collecting the experimental data, Goldman\u0027s team developed a physics model to predict the speed at which sandfish swim through sand. The model was inspired by the resistive force theory, which allowed the researchers to partition the body of the sandfish into segments, each of which generated thrust and experienced drag when moving through the granular environment. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When you balance the thrust and drag, you get motion at some velocity, but we needed to determine the forces on the animal segments because we don\u0027t have the appropriate equations for drag force during movement through granular media,\u0022 explained Goldman.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo establish these equations, the researchers measured the granular thrust and drag forces on a small stainless steel cylindrical rod, thus allowing them to predict the wave efficiency and optimal kinematics. They found that the faster the sandfish propagate the wave, the faster they move forward through granular media -- up to speeds of six inches per second. This speed allows the animal to escape predators, the heat of the desert surface and quickly swim to ambush surface prey they detect from vibrations. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The results demonstrate that burrowing and swimming in complex media like sand can have intricacy similar to that of movement in air or water, and that organisms can exploit the solid and fluid-like properties of these media to move effectively within them,\u0022 noted Goldman.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to having a biological impact, this study\u0027s results also have ecological significance, according to Goldman. Understanding the mechanics of subsurface movement could reveal how the actions of small burrowing organisms like worms, scorpions, snakes and lizards can transform landscapes by their burrowing actions. This research may also help engineers build sandfish-like robots that can travel through complex environments.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If something nasty was buried in unconsolidated material, such as rubble, debris or sand, and you wanted to find it, you would need a device that could scamper on the surface, but also swim underneath the surface,\u0022 Goldman said. \u0022Since our work aims to fundamentally understand how the best animals in nature move in these complex unstructured environments, it could be very valuable information for this type of research.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. PHY-0749991 and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the researcher and do not necessarily reflect the views of the 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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Daniel Goldman (404-894-0993); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:daniel.goldman@physics.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Edaniel.goldman@physics.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) \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":"In the first thorough examination of subsurface sandfish locomotion, researchers found that the small lizards place their limbs against their sides and create a wave motion like snakes to propel themselves through granular media.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Study shows how small lizards move rapidly underground through s"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-07-16 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46267":{"id":"46267","type":"image","title":"Sandfish lizard","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Sandfish lizard","file":{"fid":"101056","name":"tjw66159.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjw66159_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjw66159_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":633936,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjw66159_0.jpg?itok=98LitytK"}},"46268":{"id":"46268","type":"image","title":"Dan Goldman scincus scincus","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Dan Goldman scincus scincus","file":{"fid":"101057","name":"tpd66160.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpd66160_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpd66160_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1373316,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpd66160_0.jpg?itok=yHS8UAZS"}},"46269":{"id":"46269","type":"image","title":"Dan Goldman sandfish","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Dan Goldman sandfish","file":{"fid":"101058","name":"tbc66160.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc66160_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tbc66160_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":682990,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tbc66160_0.jpg?itok=HNynnYb3"}}},"media_ids":["46267","46268","46269"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/research\/goldman\/","title":"Daniel Goldman"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.physics.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Physics"},{"url":"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1172490","title":"Science article"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7118","name":"desert"},{"id":"7123","name":"drag"},{"id":"987","name":"imaging"},{"id":"7121","name":"kinematics"},{"id":"7116","name":"lizard"},{"id":"377","name":"locomotion"},{"id":"1383","name":"model"},{"id":"960","name":"physics"},{"id":"169242","name":"sand"},{"id":"169581","name":"sandfish"},{"id":"170845","name":"scincus"},{"id":"170846","name":"skink"},{"id":"170847","name":"slither"},{"id":"169001","name":"Snake"},{"id":"7122","name":"thrust"},{"id":"7119","name":"undulation"},{"id":"7120","name":"wave"},{"id":"1448","name":"x-ray"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46262":{"#nid":"46262","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientists Assess Flooding and Damage from 2008 Myanmar Cyclone","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETropical Cyclone Nargis made landfall in the Asian nation of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, causing the worst natural disaster in the country\u0027s recorded history -- with a death toll that may have exceeded 138,000.  In the July 2009 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003ENature Geoscience\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers report on a field survey done three months after the disaster to document the extent of the flooding and resulting damage.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe information -- which may be the first reliable measurements of cyclone damage in the area -- could lead to development of computer models for predicting how future storms may impact the geologically complex Ayeyarwady River delta.  Those models could be the basis for planning, construction and education that would dramatically reduce future loss of life.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the findings of the study: the cyclone created a storm surge as much as five meters high -- topped by two-meter storm waves -- that together inundated areas as much as 50 kilometers inland.  Fatality rates reached 80 percent in the hardest-hit villages, and an estimated 2.5 million people in the area lived in flood-prone homes less than 10 feet above sea level.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The recorded high water marks serve as benchmarking for numerical models for the complex hydraulic response of the giant Ayeyarwady delta,\u0022 noted Hermann M. Fritz, an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022Ongoing numerical simulations will allow us to determine flood zones and vulnerabilities for future cyclone scenarios.  Based on those, evacuation scenarios and evaluation plans will be derived in collaboration with international partners and the Myanmar government.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlready, a local non-governmental organization in the nation has developed a cyclone education program to raise awareness among residents, said Fritz, who was the only international scientist leading a team that surveyed 150 kilometers of the country\u0027s coastline during a two-week period August 9-23, 2008.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The aim of our project was to document the extent of the flooding and associated damage in the delta,\u0022 Fritz explained.  \u0022Field surveys in the immediate aftermath of major disasters focus on perishable data, which would otherwise be lost forever -- such as infrastructure damage prior to repair and reconstruction.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the flood zone, for instance, the researchers searched for evidence of water marks on buildings, scars on trees and rafted debris as indicators of the maximum water height.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nargis washed away entire settlements, often without leaving a single structure standing, which forced us to focus on evidence left on large trees,\u0022 added Fritz, who has studied other natural disasters in Asia, Africa and the United States.  \u0022High water marks were photographed and located using global positioning system instruments.  Transects from the nearest beach or waterway to the high water marks were recorded with a laser range finder.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe survey team documented soil erosion of as much as one meter vertically and more than 100 meters horizontally.  Highlighting the loss of land was a golden Buddhist stupa -- originally constructed on dry land -- that was left 150 meters offshore following the storm.  Cyclone Nargis also scoured several drinking water wells, leaving them in the beach surf zone -- and depriving survivors of safe water supplies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the storm surge and waves weren\u0027t unusually high, the impact may have been worsened by the lack of nearby high ground for evacuation and loss of coastal mangrove forests that could have slowed the storm waves, Fritz said.  Structures in the area were not built to survive cyclones, and there was no evacuation plan for the area -- where people had no previous experience with such storms.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThose finding point to recommendations, including implementation of a cyclone education program, development of flood and vulnerability maps, construction of cyclone-safe buildings to serve as shelters, implementation of an improved warning system, and planning for evacuation, Fritz said.  Partial reconstruction of the mangroves that had been removed for agriculture and fuel could also help protect the coastline.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe expedition\u0027s itinerary was planned based on unofficial damage reports, physical storm and cyclone track data, satellite imagery, numerical model benchmark requirements and experience gained in surveying other disasters.  The group traveled to the country by cargo boat and did most surveying from the vessel.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research was in part supported by the Pyoe Pin Programme of the Department for International Development in the United Kingdom.  The program is also sponsoring detailed modeling and a follow up study being done at Georgia Tech by Fritz and Christopher Blount, one of his doctoral students.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA Category 4 storm, Nargis was the eighth deadliest cyclone recorded worldwide.  It is one of seven tropical cyclones generated in the Bay of Bengal that had death tolls in excess of 100,000.  With damage estimated at more than $10 billion, the storm is the most destructive ever recorded in the Indian Ocean.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFritz hopes the work done by the survey team -- which also included Swe Thwin of the Myanmar Coastal Conservation Society and Moe Kyaw and Nyein Chan of the Mingalar Myanmar NGO -- will ultimately help reduce the human cost of major cyclones.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022In the 21st century with modern communication and all that has been learned about cyclones in the Bay of Bengal, there is no need for 138,000 people to be killed by a storm like this,\u0022 Fritz said.  \u0022With adequate planning, education and shelters, it should be possible to reduce fatality rates from future cyclones by at least one order of magnitude.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As Many as 138,000 Persons Killed in Disaster"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"In the July 2009 issue of the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers report on a field survey done to assess flooding and damage in the nation of Myanmar from the 2008 cyclone that killed an estimated 138,000 people.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists have assessed the damage from the 2008 cyclone in Mya"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-17 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46263":{"id":"46263","type":"image","title":"Coastal erosion","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Coastal erosion","file":{"fid":"101053","name":"tvi45126.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvi45126_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvi45126_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1693646,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvi45126_0.jpg?itok=1ysDzvI8"}},"46264":{"id":"46264","type":"image","title":"Measuring erosion","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Measuring erosion","file":{"fid":"101054","name":"tih45126.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tih45126_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tih45126_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1933201,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tih45126_0.jpg?itok=Z7WrwkoG"}},"46265":{"id":"46265","type":"image","title":"Debris in trees","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Debris in trees","file":{"fid":"101055","name":"txi44912.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txi44912_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txi44912_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1529657,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txi44912_0.jpg?itok=haNHKQpW"}}},"media_ids":["46263","46264","46265"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cee.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty-listing\/research-interests\/?active_id=hf31","title":"Hermann Fritz"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7114","name":"cyclone"},{"id":"3939","name":"disaster"},{"id":"2323","name":"flood"},{"id":"1787","name":"measurement"},{"id":"7115","name":"Myanmar"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46258":{"#nid":"46258","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scientists Unlock Optical \u0026 Chemical Secrets of Jeweled Beetles","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA small green beetle may have some interesting lessons to teach scientists about optics and liquid crystals -- complex mechanisms the insect uses to create a shell so strikingly beautiful that for centuries it was used in jewelry.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn an article published in the July 24 issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, researchers provide a detailed analysis of how the jeweled beetle \u003Cem\u003EChrysina gloriosa \u003C\/em\u003Ecreates the striking colors using a unique helical structure that reflects light of two specific colors -- and of only one polarization: left circular polarization.  The reflecting structures used by the beetle consist predominately of three different polygonal shapes whose percentages vary with the curvature of the insect\u0027s shell.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Iridescent beetles, butterflies, certain sea organisms and many birds derive their unique colors from the interaction of light with physical structures on their external surfaces,\u0022 said Mohan Srinivasarao, a professor in the School of Polymer, Textile and Fiber Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology.  \u0022Understanding how these structures give rise to the stunning colors we see in nature could benefit the quest for miniature optical devices and photonics.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWith support from the National Science Foundation, Srinivasarao and colleagues Vivek Sharma, Matija Crne and Jung Ok Park used two different microscopy techniques to study the surface structures on the shell of the beetle.  What they found confirmed earlier suggestions that the colors are produced from liquid crystalline material, which self-assembles into a complex arrangement of polygonal shapes each less than 10 microns in size.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022When we looked at the beetle\u0027s surface, we found tiles in the shapes mostly of hexagons, pentagons and heptagons,\u0022 Srinivasarao said.  \u0022These patterns arise, we think, because of the nature of the cholesteric liquid crystal and how the liquid crystal phase structures itself at the interface between air and fluid.  We think these patterns result because the liquid crystal must have defects on the surface when exposed to air, and those defects create the patterns in the beetle\u0027s shell or exoskeleton.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause of simple geometric restrictions, the percentage of each shape depends on the curvature of that particular section of the shell.  \u0022This is really a pattern formation issue,\u0022 said Srinivasarao.  \u0022It is difficult to pack only hexagons onto a curved surface.  On flat surfaces, there are fewer defects in the form of five- and seven-sided cells.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, the five- and seven-sided cells normally appear in pairs, an issue also dictated by the geometric difficulties of packing the shapes onto curved surfaces.  The researchers found very similar structures in the ten different beetles purchased from an insect supply house.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELiquid crystalline materials are valuable industrially, used in displays for laptop computers, portable music players and other devices.  They are also used in children\u0027s thermometers, where temperature affects the color of light reflected from the material, indicating whether or not a child has a fever.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile the structures are determined genetically, their final form depends on the living conditions the beetle experiences during its growth and development, Srinivasarao noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe fact that these jeweled beetles reflect circular polarization was identified in the early 1900s by a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, A.A. Michelson, who hypothesized that the circular polarization might result from a \u0022screw structure\u0022 within the insect\u0027s cuticle, but he did not elaborate on it further.  The solidified structures produced from a cholesteric liquid crystal and its defects on the beetle\u0027s shell reflect bright green light with a wavelength of 530 nanometers mixed with yellow light in a wavelength of 580 nanometers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The most dramatic way to get saturated color is through what this beetle does with the circularly-polarized light,\u0022 Srinivasarao said.  \u0022The reflection is very metallic and angle-dependent, and this is due to the helical pitch of the cholesteric liquid crystal.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESunlight normally contains light in equal quantities with a left circular polarization and a right circular polarization.  The jewel beetle\u0027s exoskeleton, however, reflects only light with a left circular polarization.  Only a few members of the scarab family of beetles reflect both polarizations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHow the beetles benefit from the specific color and polarization isn\u0027t known for sure, but scientists speculate that the optical properties may confuse predators, causing them to misjudge the location of the insects -- or suggest that they may not be good to eat.  The colors may also help the insects find mates. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn future research, Srinivasarao hopes to study other insects that use complex structures to create unique colors.  He believes that scientists still have a lot to learn by studying the optical structures of beetles and other insects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are just now starting to catch up with what these beetles have been doing for many, many years,\u0022 he said.  \u0022There are hundreds of thousand of species, and the way they generate color is just stunning -- especially since it is all done with water-based systems, mostly based on the biopolymer chitin.  This is self-assembly at several levels, and we need to learn a lot more to duplicate what these insects do.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: Mohan Srinivasarao (404-894-9348); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:mohan.srinivasarao@ptfe.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emohan.srinivasarao@ptfe.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Research has applications in optics, liquid crystal displays"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A small green beetle may have some interesting lessons to teach scientists about optics and liquid crystals -- complex mechanisms the insect uses to create a shell so strikingly beautiful that for centuries it was used in jewelry.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Scientists are learning the optical secrets of a small beetle"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-23 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46259":{"id":"46259","type":"image","title":"Jeweled beetle","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Jeweled beetle","file":{"fid":"101050","name":"twq78748.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq78748.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twq78748.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":932318,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twq78748.jpg?itok=2z083pTI"}},"46260":{"id":"46260","type":"image","title":"Mohan Srinivasarao","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Mohan Srinivasarao","file":{"fid":"101051","name":"tlq78748.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq78748.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq78748.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1397177,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlq78748.jpg?itok=d4QXF_uU"}},"46261":{"id":"46261","type":"image","title":"Jung Ok Park","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Jung Ok Park","file":{"fid":"101052","name":"tqd78748.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqd78748.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tqd78748.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1358978,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tqd78748.jpg?itok=hZl0XO23"}}},"media_ids":["46259","46260","46261"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ptfe.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/index.php?id=ms308","title":"Mohan Srinivasarao"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ptfe.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/news\/newsmedia\/beetles\/","title":"National Science Foundation slideshow on beetles"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"141","name":"Chemistry and Chemical Engineering"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7065","name":"beetle"},{"id":"3248","name":"crystals"},{"id":"7064","name":"iridescent"},{"id":"2768","name":"optics"},{"id":"7066","name":"polarize"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46256":{"#nid":"46256","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ATDC Opens Membership to More Companies, Consolidates Staff","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EATDC, one of the nation\u0027s largest, longest running, and best-known university-based technology accelerators, is expanding its mission. ATDC has been merged with Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab and with the Georgia SBIR Assistance Program. By pooling resources, the new ATDC has increased the staff available to serve its expanded mission of helping Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful technology companies. The change will allow ATDC to greatly extend its reach to serve more technology companies along multiple growth paths and at all stages of development. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1980, ATDC has helped create millions of dollars in tax revenues by graduating more than 120 companies, which together have raised more than a billion dollars in outside financing. However, according to Stephen Fleming, vice provost at Georgia Tech, \u0022the startup market has changed dramatically over the past few years. Many startup companies do not want or need to pursue venture funding. Some are not even seeking traditional office space. ATDC\u0027s new initiatives directly address the demands of today\u0027s startup environment.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATDC will open its membership to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia, from those at the earliest conception stage to the well-established, venture-fundable companies. \u0022We\u0027re interested in any technology business opportunity,\u0022 said David Sung, one of ATDC\u0027s startup catalysts and a former partner with H.I.G. Ventures. \u0022There are many ways ATDC can help startups, from business coaching and providing networking opportunities to financing through angel investment, government grants and contracts, corporate partnerships, and classic bootstrapping. We will support all entrepreneurs, whatever path they may take, through their entire growth process.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATDC will continue to offer traditional \u0022bricks-and-mortar\u0022 incubation space on entrepreneur-friendly terms, both in midtown Atlanta and Savannah. The center will be expanding its recent \u0022SeedSpace\u0022 offering of small single-office leases in Technology Square for the earliest entrepreneurs and will provide a variety of co-working spaces to promote casual interaction among entrepreneurs. Recognizing the sprawl of the Atlanta metro area, ATDC will offer programs outside the Perimeter where dense clusters of entrepreneurs can benefit from its services. ATDC will also take full advantage of social media to build connections with entrepreneurs across the entire state of Georgia. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince 1999, the state-funded ATDC Seed Capital Fund has made equity investments in Georgia startup companies alongside angel investors and traditional venture firms. With this new merger, ATDC will also manage the Georgia Tech Edison Fund, an innovative investment fund established in 2007 which draws its resources from charitable donors who are interested in helping expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem surrounding Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022ATDC has always been a focal point for entrepreneurship in Georgia,\u0022 said Sig Mosley, president of Imlay Investments and member of ATDC\u0027s board of advisors. \u0022With these moves, ATDC now is aligned to support the specific needs of the new startup environment. The open door policy is a strong, positive shift and reinforces ATDC\u0027s leadership role in the startup community not just within the Atlanta metro area, but throughout the entire state.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe merger of the three units will bring together a broader knowledge base to provide comprehensive services to Georgia\u0027s technology entrepreneurs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By working at the very earliest stage with university spinouts -- not just pre-revenue but pre-incorporation -- we have learned a great deal about the coaching required by brand-new entrepreneurial teams that are still establishing their business model,\u0022 said Roberto Casas, previously assistant director of Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab. \u0022To date, we\u0027ve focused on startups based on Georgia Tech intellectual property. By merging with ATDC, we\u0027ll be able to offer similar services to any Georgia startup, whether connected to Georgia Tech or not.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATDC, the former Georgia Tech VentureLab, and the SBIR Assistance program are part of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at Georgia Tech, which helps Georgia enterprises improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. Stephen Fleming, the former head of Georgia Tech VentureLab, was recently promoted to vice provost of Georgia Tech overseeing all of EI2. He will serve as the initial director of the new ATDC. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Despite the economic downturn, it\u0027s still a great time to build a startup company in Georgia,\u0022 said Fleming. \u0022The last four years have seen an explosion of groups and organizations supporting the early-stage entrepreneur. With this expansion, we\u0027re rebooting the franchise of ATDC as the hub of technology entrepreneurship in Georgia. We hope to work with everyone, at any stage, along any path, to accelerate more technology startups and weave them into the economic fabric of Georgia.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAll employees of ATDC, Georgia Tech VentureLab, and the SBIR Assistance Program will be retained in the consolidation. The new ATDC organization will continue to assist Georgia Tech faculty members and other research staff in forming new companies, and will continue to provide assistance to any Georgia small business seeking SBIR funding. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout ATDC:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nATDC helps Georgia entrepreneurs launch and build successful technology companies. Founded in 1980, the Advanced Technology Development Center has provided business incubation and acceleration services to hundreds of Georgia startups -- most of which are not based on Georgia Tech research, but which benefit from the close proximity to the university. ATDC currently has three facilities: two at Georgia Tech\u0027s main campus in Atlanta, and one at Georgia Tech\u0027s satellite campus in Savannah. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout SBIR Assistance Program of Georgia:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nThe state of Georgia has one of the nation\u0027s leading SBIR\/STTR assistance programs which, since being established in 2005, has educated and helped hundreds of Georgia entrepreneurs access these sources of federal funds. With the program\u0027s direct assistance, 150 companies have submitted one or more proposals resulting in more than $30 million in federal awards. By merging into ATDC, the program will be able to interact with more entrepreneurs across the state, including those who may have never considered applying for federal grants, and bring more of these awards into Georgia\u0027s startup ecosystem. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAbout VentureLab:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nIn 2001, Georgia Tech became a founding member of VentureLab, a program of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA). VentureLab helps build spinout companies around cutting-edge university research. With its emphasis on technologically-grounded business analysis, access to early-stage funds, and recruitment of experienced management, Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab has launched more than two dozen successful companies and serves as a model for other universities seeking to commercialize their discoveries. GRA\u0027s VentureLab Program now extends to four other research universities in Georgia; with an investment of some $13 million from GRA, more than 150 Georgia-based startups have been created around university intellectual property in the state. GRA also recently launched a new venture fund to make equity investments into these spinout companies. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"ATDC, one of the nation\u0027s largest, longest running, and best-known university-based technology accelerators, is expanding its mission. ATDC has been merged with Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab and with the Georgia SBIR Assistance Program.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The ATDC is expanding its mission and consolidating staff"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-26 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46257":{"id":"46257","type":"image","title":"Centergy Building","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Centergy Building","file":{"fid":"101049","name":"thd40592.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thd40592_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/thd40592_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1584801,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/thd40592_0.jpg?itok=k0QD8cob"}}},"media_ids":["46257"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.atdc.org\/","title":"ATDC"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gra.org\/","title":"Georgia Research Alliance"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"7113","name":"entrepreneurs"},{"id":"4239","name":"incubator"},{"id":"166973","name":"startup"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46254":{"#nid":"46254","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graphene Shows High Current Capacity \u0026 Thermal Conductivity","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ERecent research into the properties of graphene nanoribbons provides two new reasons for using the material as interconnects in future computer chips.  In widths as narrow as 16 nanometers, graphene has a current carrying capacity approximately a thousand times greater than copper -- while providing improved thermal conductivity.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe current-carrying and heat-transfer measurements were reported by a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology.  The same team had previously reported measurements of resistivity in graphene that suggest the material\u0027s conductance would outperform that of copper in future generations of nanometer-scale interconnects.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Graphene nanoribbons exhibit an impressive breakdown current density that is related to the resistivity,\u0022 said Raghunath Murali, a senior research engineer in Georgia Tech\u0027s Nanotechnology Research Center.  \u0022Our measurements show that these graphene nanoribbons have a current carrying capacity at least two orders of magnitude higher than copper at these size scales.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMeasurements of thermal conductivity and breakdown current density in narrow graphene nanoribbons were reported June 19 in the journal \u003Cem\u003EApplied Physics Letters\u003C\/em\u003E.  The research was supported by the Semiconductor Research Corporation\/DARPA through the Interconnect Focus Center and by the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative through the Institute for Nanoelectronics Discovery and Exploration (INDEX). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe unique properties of graphene -- which is composed of thin layers of graphite -- make it attractive for a wide range of potential electronic devices.  Murali and his colleagues have been studying graphene as a potential replacement for copper in on-chip interconnects, the tiny wires that are used to connect transistors and other devices on integrated circuits.  Use of graphene for these interconnects, they believe, would help extend the long run of performance improvements in integrated circuit technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our measurements show that graphene nanoribbons have a current carrying capacity of more than 10^8 amps per square centimeter, while a handful of them exceed 10^9 amps per square centimeter,\u0022 Murali said. \u0022This makes them very robust in resisting electromigration and should greatly improve chip reliability.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EElectromigration is a phenomenon that causes transport of material, especially at high current density.  In on-chip interconnects, this eventually leads to a break in the wire, which results in chip failure.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are learning a lot of new things about this material, which will lead researchers to consider other potential applications,\u0022 said Murali.  \u0022In addition to the high current carrying capacity, graphene nanoribbons also have excellent thermal conductivity.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause heat generation is a significant cause of device failure, the researchers also measured the ability of the graphene nanostructures to conduct heat away from devices.  They found that graphene nanoribbons have a thermal conductivity of more than 1,000 watts per meter Kelvin for structures less than 20 nanometers wide.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This high thermal conductivity could allow graphene interconnects to also serve as heat spreaders in future generations of integrated circuits,\u0022 said Murali.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo study the properties of graphene interconnects, Murali and collaborators Yinxiao Yang, Kevin Brenner, Thomas Beck and James Meindl began with flakes of multi-layered graphene removed from a graphite block and placed onto an oxidized silicon substrate.  They used electron beam lithography to construct four electrode contacts, then used lithography to fabricate devices consisting of parallel nanoribbons of widths ranging between 16 and 52 nanometers and lengths of between 0.2 and 1 micron.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe breakdown current density of the nanoribbons was then studied by slowly applying an increasing amount of current to the electrodes on either side of the parallel nanoribbons.  A drop in current flow indicated the breakdown of one or more of the nanoribbons.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn their study of 21 test devices, the researchers found that the breakdown current density of graphene nanoribbons has a reciprocal relationship to the resistivity. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause graphene can be patterned using conventional chip-making processes, manufacturers could make the transition from copper to graphene without a drastic change in chip fabrication.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Graphene has very good electrical properties,\u0022 Murali said.  \u0022The data we have developed so far looks very promising for using this material as the basis for future on-chip interconnects.\u0022\t\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Study Examined Graphene Nanoribbons as Narrow as 16 Nanometers"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Recent research into the properties of graphene nanoribbons provides two new reasons for using the material as interconnects in future computer chips.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Research gives new reasons for using graphene in computer chips"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-07-29 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-29T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46255":{"id":"46255","type":"image","title":"Graphene nanoribbons","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Graphene nanoribbons","file":{"fid":"101048","name":"tco80273.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tco80273_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tco80273_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":174089,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tco80273_0.jpg?itok=a-DN97Uv"}}},"media_ids":["46255"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=kd6zzwhfEqw","title":"Graphene Nanoscale Heat Pipes for Chip Cooling (YouTube Video)"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.nrc.gatech.edu\/","title":"Nanotechnology Research Center"}],"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":"2505","name":"conductivity"},{"id":"2123","name":"current"},{"id":"429","name":"graphene"},{"id":"432","name":"nanoribbon"},{"id":"7112","name":"thermal"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46191":{"#nid":"46191","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nina Sawczuk Joins ATDC as Assistant Director for Biosciences","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVeteran biosciences entrepreneur Nina Sawczuk has joined Georgia Tech\u0027s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) as assistant director for biosciences.  In this role, she will support the commercialization of bioscience innovation throughout the state of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the past ten years, Sawczuk has served as CEO of Zygogen LLC, an Atlanta-based biotechnology company that advanced the use of zebra fish for drug screening.  Prior to co-founding that company, she served in drug discovery, biotechnology consulting and business development roles for several organizations in the Boston, Research Triangle Park and Southern California areas.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESawczuk also served ATDC as a consultant in 1999, assisting bioscience companies and participating in the formation of EmTech Bio, an incubator at Emory University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAt ATDC, she will help companies tap a comprehensive set of services designed to help commercialize innovations, support the launch and growth of technology companies, obtain early-stage commercialization grants and secure Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from federal agencies.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAmong the key resources is the ATDC Biosciences Center, an incubator located in Georgia Tech\u0027s Biosciences Complex.  Life sciences research now accounts for approximately 20 percent of Georgia Tech\u0027s $500 million-per-year research program.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Through ATDC and the Georgia Research Alliance\u0027s VentureLab commercialization program, we can provide an integrated set of services designed to support the startup and growth of bioscience companies statewide,\u0022 said Sawczuk.  \u0022This combination of resources gives Georgia entrepreneurs a strong advantage as they launch and build new companies in the biosciences.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESawczuk\u0027s education and entrepreneurial experience give her an ideal background for leading ATDC\u0027s biosciences program, said Stephen Fleming, vice provost at Georgia Tech\u0027s Enterprise Innovation Institute, ATDC\u0027s parent organization.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are pleased to have Nina return to ATDC and Georgia Tech to lead our initiatives aimed at expanding the state\u0027s community of bioscience companies,\u0022 he said.  \u0022With its research universities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and established companies, Georgia\u0027s life sciences community has a strong economic impact on the state.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESawczuk holds a master\u0027s degree in molecular and cellular biology from Harvard Medical School, an M.B.A. from Duke University\u0027s School of Business and a bachelor\u0027s degree in social and behavior sciences from Johns Hopkins University.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EShe has served in a variety of positions with Georgia BIO, and as a member of the external review committee for the Georgia Research Alliance VentureLab Program.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATDC is a startup accelerator that helps Georgia technology entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies. Founded in 1980, ATDC has helped create millions of dollars in tax revenues by graduating more than 120 companies, which together have raised more than a billion dollars in outside financing.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERecently ATDC expanded its mission by merging with Georgia Tech\u0027s VentureLab and with the Georgia SBIR Assistance Program. The change will enable ATDC to greatly extend its reach to serve more technology companies along multiple growth paths and at all stages of development. ATDC has opened its membership to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia, from those at the earliest conception stage to the well-established, venture-fundable companies.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EATDC is part of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at Georgia Tech, which helps Georgia enterprises improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation. ATDC currently has three facilities; two at Georgia Tech\u0027s main campus in Atlanta, and one at Georgia Tech\u0027s satellite campus in Savannah.\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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail; (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Veteran biosciences entrepreneur Nina Sawczuk has joined Georgia Tech\u0027s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) as assistant director for biosciences.  In this role, she will support the commercialization of bioscience innovation throughout the state of Georgia.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Biosciences entrepreneur Nina Sawczuk has joined the ATDC"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-10-25 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-25T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-25T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46192":{"id":"46192","type":"image","title":"Nina Sawczuk","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Nina Sawczuk","file":{"fid":"101009","name":"tjd84919.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjd84919.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tjd84919.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1306624,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tjd84919.jpg?itok=b8llAVzX"}}},"media_ids":["46192"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.innovate.gatech.edu\/","title":"Enterprise Innovation Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.atdc.org\/","title":"ATDC"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4238","name":"atdc"},{"id":"7043","name":"biosciences"},{"id":"2301","name":"entrepreneur"},{"id":"4239","name":"incubator"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46250":{"#nid":"46250","#data":{"type":"news","title":"MRI Simulation of Blood Flow Helps Plan Child?s Delicate Heart Surgery","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology, collaborating with pediatric cardiologists and surgeons at The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia, have developed a tool for virtual surgery that allows heart surgeons to view the predicted effects of different surgical approaches. By manipulating three-dimensional cardiac magnetic resonance images of a patient\u0027s specific anatomy, physicians can compare how alternative approaches affect blood flow and expected outcomes, and can select the best approach for each patient before entering the operating room.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This tool helps us to get the best result for each patient,\u0022 said co-author Mark A. Fogel, M.D., an associate professor of cardiology and radiology, and director of Cardiac MRI at The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia. \u0022The team can assess the different surgical options to achieve the best blood flow and the optimum mixture of blood, so we can maximize the heart\u0027s energy efficiency.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the August issue of the \u003Cem\u003EJournal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Imaging\u003C\/em\u003E, the researchers describe the surgical planning methodology, detailing how the tool helped them to plan the surgery of a four-year-old girl who was born with just one functional ventricle, or pumping chamber, instead of two.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo in every 1,000 babies in the United States are born with this type of single ventricle heart defect. These children typically suffer from low levels of oxygen in their tissues because their oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood mix in their one functional ventricle before being redistributed to their lungs and body.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo correct this, the children undergo a series of three open-heart surgeries -- called the staged Fontan reconstruction -- to reshape the circulation in a way that allows oxygen-poor blood to flow from the limbs directly to the lungs without going through the heart. While these vascular modifications can eliminate blood mixing and restore normal oxygenation levels, surgeons and cardiologists must ensure that the lungs will receive proper amounts of blood and nutrients after the surgery so that normal development occurs. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Preoperatively determining the Fontan configuration that will achieve balanced blood flow to the lungs is very difficult and the wide variety and complexity of patients\u0027 anatomies requires an approach that is very specific and personalized,\u0022 said Ajit Yoganathan, Ph.D., Regents\u0027 Professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. \u0022With our surgical planning framework, the physicians gain a better understanding of each child\u0027s unique heart defect, thus improving the surgery outcome and recovery time.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe patient described in this paper, Amanda Mayer, age four, of Staten Island, N.Y., had previously undergone all three stages of the Fontan procedure at The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia, but developed severe complications. Her oxygen saturation was very low -- only 72 percent, compared to normal levels of at least 95 percent -- which indicated the possibility of abnormal connections between the veins and arteries in one of her lungs. Normally, the liver releases hormonal factors that prevent these abnormal connections, so the presence of the malformations indicated a low supply of hepatic blood to the lung.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo improve the distribution of these hormonal factors to both lungs, the surgeons needed to re-operate and reconfigure the patient\u0027s cardiovascular anatomy. Georgia Tech\u0027s surgical planning framework helped Thomas L. Spray, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Children\u0027s Hospital, to determine the optimal surgical option. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022MRI acquires images of the child\u0027s heart without using radiation,\u0022 said Spray. \u0022Then we use the computerized technology to model different connections to simulate optimum blood flow characteristics, before we perform the surgery.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe image-based surgical planning consisted of five major steps: acquiring magnetic resonance images of the child\u0027s heart at different times in the cardiac cycle, modeling the preoperative heart anatomy and blood flow, performing virtual surgeries, using computational fluid dynamics to model the proposed postoperative flow, and measuring the distribution of liver-derived hormonal factors and other clinically relevant parameters as feedback to the surgeon.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFogel collected three different types of magnetic resonance images, and Yoganathan, along with graduate students Kartik Sundareswaran and Diane de Z\u0026eacute;licourt, generated a three-dimensional model of the child\u0027s cardiovascular anatomy. From the model they reconstructed the three-dimensional pre-operative flow fields to understand the underlying causes of the malformations. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor this particular patient, the team saw a highly uneven flow distribution -- the left lung was receiving about 70 percent of the blood pumped out by the heart, but only five percent of the hepatic blood. Both observations suggested left lung malformations, but closer examination of the flow structures in that particular patient revealed that the competition between different vessels at the center of the original Fontan connection effectively forced all hepatic factors into the right lung even though a vast majority of total cardiac output went to the left lung.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo facilitate the design of the surgical options that would correct this problem, Jarek Rossignac, Ph.D., a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Interactive Computing, developed Surgem, an interactive geometric modeling environment that allowed the surgeon to use both hands and natural gestures in three-dimensions to grab, pull, twist and bend a three-dimensional computer representation of the patient\u0027s anatomy. After analyzing the three-dimensional reconstruction of the failing cardiovascular geometry, the team considered three surgical options.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003CA href=\u0022http:\/\/gtresearchnews.gatech.edu\/movies\/movie_Surgical_Planning_Movie.wmv\u0022\u003EWatch a video showing the interactive surgical planning environment.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team then performed computational fluid dynamics simulations on all three options to investigate for each how well blood would flow to the lungs and the amount of energy required to drive blood through each connection design. These measures of clinical performance allowed the cardiologists and surgeons to conduct a risk\/benefit analysis, which also included factors such as difficulty of completion and potential complications.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOf the three choices, Spray favored the option that showed a slightly higher energy cost but exhibited the best performance with regards to hepatic factor distribution to the left and right lungs. Five months after the surgery, Mayer showed a dramatic improvement in her overall clinical condition and oxygen saturation levels, which increased from 72 to 94 percent. Mayer is breathing easier and is now able to play actively like other children, according to her cardiologist, Donald Putman, M.D., of Staten Island, N.Y.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The ability to perform this work is a team effort,\u0022 Fogel added. \u0022State-of-the-art three-dimensional cardiac MRI married to modern biomedical engineering and applied anatomy and physiology enabled this approach. With the advanced pediatric cardiothoracic surgery we have here at The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia, patients can benefit from this new method.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditional authors on the paper include Shiva Sharma from Pediatric Cardiology Services, Kirk Kanter from the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Emory University, and Fotis Sotiropoulos from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Minnesota.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis work was funded by grant number HL67622 from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NHLBI or the NIH.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: \u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E -- Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E); \u003Cem\u003EThe Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/em\u003E -- Juliann Walsh (267-426-6054); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:walshj1@email.chop.edu\u0022\u003Ewalshj1@email.chop.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Ajit Yoganathan (404-894-2849); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ajit.yoganathan@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eajit.yoganathan@bme.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Teamed with The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia to Develop Virtual Surgery Tool"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers at Georgia Tech, collaborating with pediatric cardiologists and surgeons at The Children\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia, developed a tool for virtual surgery that allows heart surgeons to view the predicted effects of different surgical approaches.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tool allows surgeons to view predicted outcomes pre-surgery"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-08-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46252":{"id":"46252","type":"image","title":"Ajit Yoganathan anatomy","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Ajit Yoganathan anatomy","file":{"fid":"101046","name":"tiy32735.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiy32735_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tiy32735_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":172637,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tiy32735_0.jpg?itok=2gz2wpGC"}},"46253":{"id":"46253","type":"image","title":"Ajit Yoganathan blood flow","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Ajit Yoganathan blood flow","file":{"fid":"101047","name":"tlq32735.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq32735_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tlq32735_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":382299,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tlq32735_0.jpg?itok=9P7qBBln"}}},"media_ids":["46252","46253"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=5","title":"Ajit Yoganathan"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.chop.edu\/","title":"The Children\\\u0027s Hospital of Philadelphia"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1440","name":"blood"},{"id":"7104","name":"cardiovascular"},{"id":"7111","name":"dynamics"},{"id":"2473","name":"fluid"},{"id":"2586","name":"Fontan"},{"id":"2583","name":"heart"},{"id":"7110","name":"hepatic"},{"id":"987","name":"imaging"},{"id":"7108","name":"lung"},{"id":"2053","name":"magnetic"},{"id":"7107","name":"oxygenation"},{"id":"2585","name":"pediatric"},{"id":"7109","name":"reconstruction"},{"id":"7106","name":"resonance"},{"id":"169511","name":"surgery"},{"id":"1443","name":"vasculature"},{"id":"1441","name":"vessel"},{"id":"4598","name":"virtual"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46246":{"#nid":"46246","#data":{"type":"news","title":"FalconView Mapping Software Goes Open Source","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) has released an open-source version of its popular FalconViewTM software. The program displays topographical maps, aeronautical charts, satellite images and other maps, along with overlay tools that can be displayed on any map background.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe U.S. Department of Defense has used the FalconView software program since the 1990s to analyze and display geographical and other data crucial to mission planners. The program\u0027s ease of use, open architecture and interoperability all contribute to its popularity. There were an estimated 45,000 users before the open-source version was released.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are excited to broaden our user base outside of the Department of Defense,\u0022 said Chris Bailey, GTRI principal research engineer and FalconView project director. \u0022We expect that individual municipalities, including state, city and town governments; police forces; architects, environmental researchers and utility companies will be among those who will benefit from this new FalconView open-source software.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPolice forces can plot information on burglaries, robberies, sex crimes and other major incidents on maps in FalconView, according to Bailey. School districts can reformat school zones easily using a number of different data analyses and visualization techniques. FalconView can also be valuable for companies trying to determine the best location for their business to meet customer needs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the past, the U.S. Department of Defense typically funded companies to develop software and these companies rarely shared the source code, which led to \u0022knowledge monopolies\u0022 because there were usually not mechanisms for secondary vendors to make improvements to the software, Bailey said. Open-source practices allow third parties to freely use source code and provide formal mechanisms to submit improvements or patches back to the main source code repository. With open source software, bugs are typically caught and repaired faster.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince FalconView already had hundreds of registered developers creating \u0022plug-in\u0022 tools for the software, and because third parties within the Department of Defense had developed programs that were integrated with FalconView, the software was a perfect candidate for becoming open source.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn July 2008, the U.S. Air Force Office of Advanced Systems and Concepts funded GTRI to create the open-source version of FalconView, which involved removing components that were not applicable to non-defense users and code that depended on classified data. Since its release on June 22, 2009, more than 1,000 copies of open-source FalconView have been downloaded from the FalconView Web site [http:\/\/www.falconview.org].\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Windows-based FalconView software package allows users to view many different imagery formats, including popular geographic information systems formats and KML, which is the code used by Google Earth and Google Maps. Municipalities can upload archived maps of their localities into FalconView and users can also download topographical, nautical, aeronautical and satellite maps from the Internet for use in FalconView.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022FalconView has advantages over most of the free mapping software products because FalconView can be used without an active Internet connection,\u0022 said GTRI research scientist Joel Odom, a member of the 11-person FalconView development team. \u0022Someone can take a file they\u0027re viewing in another program and look at it in FalconView to get a top-down two-dimensional view that they can thoroughly analyze even if they\u0027re in a boat in the middle of the ocean without a satellite uplink and downlink.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe open-source version of FalconView also contains several analysis tools. The drawing utility allows users to create custom shapes in an overlay that can be saved and shared. Calculating distances between points on a map is easy with the analysis tool. The tool also allows users to calculate the visibility between areas on the map if elevation data is available.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition, a global positioning system and camera can be hooked up to the FalconView software to allow users to track their movements on a \u0022moving\u0022 map and record the exact locations where they snapped photographs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBailey and his team plan to continue creating new features for FalconView and accepting components developed by non-GTRI programmers. GTRI will also continue to serve as the systems integrator for the software.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This new open-source version of FalconView allows us to share all of the interesting mapping capabilities of this once defense-only software with users around the world,\u0022 added Bailey. \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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\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":"GTRI has released an open-source version of its popular FalconView software. The program displays topographical maps, aeronautical charts, satellite images and other maps, along with overlay tools that can be displayed on any map background.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"GTRI released an open-source version of its FalconView software."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-08-12 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46247":{"id":"46247","type":"image","title":"FalconView development team","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"FalconView development team","file":{"fid":"101043","name":"tsh90067.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsh90067_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tsh90067_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1358932,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tsh90067_0.jpg?itok=4WqQ8a8_"}},"46248":{"id":"46248","type":"image","title":"FalconView","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"FalconView","file":{"fid":"101044","name":"tyb90067.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyb90067_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyb90067_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":66984,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyb90067_0.jpg?itok=jPfju6e_"}},"46249":{"id":"46249","type":"image","title":"FalconView screenshot","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"FalconView screenshot","file":{"fid":"101045","name":"tio90344.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tio90344_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tio90344_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":72659,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tio90344_0.jpg?itok=t_hm2W46"}}},"media_ids":["46247","46248","46249"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.falconview.org\/","title":"FalconView"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7099","name":"aeronautical"},{"id":"7096","name":"FalconView"},{"id":"7103","name":"global positioning system"},{"id":"7102","name":"GPS"},{"id":"7100","name":"imagery"},{"id":"7101","name":"KML"},{"id":"7076","name":"map"},{"id":"2572","name":"open"},{"id":"169609","name":"satellite"},{"id":"167449","name":"software"},{"id":"170844","name":"source"},{"id":"7098","name":"topographical"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46242":{"#nid":"46242","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Cancer Biomarker Identification Software Tools Earn Certification","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe explosive growth of genomic and proteomic data has ushered in a new era of molecular medicine in which cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment are tailored to each individual\u0027s molecular profile. But this personalized medicine approach requires that researchers discover and link biomarkers -- such as genes or proteins -- to specific disease behaviors, such as the rate of tumor progression and different responses to treatments. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETwo new software programs that help address that challenge have recently earned silver-level compatibility certification from the National Cancer Institute\u0027s cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid\u0026reg;, also known as caBIG\u0026reg;.  The programs improve the process of identifying cancer biomarkers from gene expression data.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDeveloped by May Dongmei Wang and her team in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, the programs -- caCORRECT and omniBioMarker -- remove noise and artifacts, and identify and validate biomarkers from microarray data. Funding to develop the programs was provided by the National Institutes of Health, the Georgia Cancer Coalition, Microsoft Research and Hewlett-Packard.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Certification by caBIG means the tools can be easily used by everyone in the cancer community to improve approaches to cancer detection, diagnosis, treatment and prevention,\u0022 said Wang, an associate professor in the Coulter Department and a Georgia Cancer Coalition Distinguished Cancer Scholar.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EcaBIG is a collaborative information network that enables researchers, physicians, and patients to share data, tools and knowledge to accelerate the discovery of new approaches that they hope will ultimately improve cancer patient outcomes. To become caBIG-certified, caCORRECT and omniBioMarker passed a rigorous set of requirements, ensuring the cancer research community that the software tools are high quality and interoperable with all other caBIG-certified systems for nationwide deployment. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EcaCORRECT -- chip artifact CORRECTion -- is a software program that improves the quality of collected microarray data, ultimately leading to improved biomarker selection. Widely used Affymetrix microarrays contain thousands of probes, each including a 25-oligo sequence, which are used to detect mRNA expression levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Once someone has collected microarray data, it is important to run quality control on it and remove any problematic points of data that could highlight incorrect biomarkers when analyzed,\u0022 explained Wang, who is also director of the biocomputing and bioinformatics core in the Emory-Georgia Tech National Cancer Institute Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence (CCNE).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince each microarray chip contains thousands of spots, it is easy for a few spots to become marred by artifacts and noise. These unusable portions are typically the result of experimental variations by different laboratory technicians or errors that create scratches, edge effects and bubble effects on the data.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EcaCORRECT removes the noise and artifacts from the data, while retaining high-quality genes on the array. The software can also effectively recover lost information that has been obscured by artifacts.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn collaboration with Andrew N. Young, an associate professor in pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and clinical laboratory director at Grady Health System, Wang and graduate students Todd Stokes, Martin Ahrens and Richard Moffitt validated the caCORRECT software. A large-scale survey of public data and data from Young\u0027s laboratory demonstrated the ability of caCORRECT to assess and improve the quality of a wide array of datasets.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022caCORRECT is a quality assurance tool that allows researchers to utilize and trust imperfect experimental microarray data that they spent a tremendous amount of time and money to generate,\u0022 added Wang. \u0022caCORRECT improves the downstream analysis of microarray data and should be used before conducting biomarker selection, therapeutic target studies, or pathway analysis studies in bioinformatics and systems biology.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce the quality of the data is assured with caCORRECT, researchers can use the caBIG-certified omniBioMarker software to identify and validate biomarkers from the high-throughput gene expression data. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECandidate cancer biomarkers are typically genes expressed at different levels in cancer patients compared to healthy subjects. omniBioMarker searches these groups of patient data for genes with the highest potential for accurately determining whether a patient has cancer. However, because individual genes are not expressed independently, the software also identifies groups of genes that act in concert.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe advantage of the omniBioMarker software is that it fine-tunes biomarker selection to a particular dataset or clinical problem based on prior biological knowledge. It also applies unique analysis parameters for each specific clinical problem. The parameters are optimal when the software selects genes that are known to be relevant biomarkers based on clinical observations and laboratory experiments available in literature and public databases. Then the software finds new potential biomarkers for experimental validation.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWang, graduate student John Phan and Young tested the ability of the software to identify biomarkers in clinical renal cancer microarray data. The researchers selected renal cancer for study because it has several distinct subtypes, which can appear in the same person in varying degrees and must be treated according to the diagnosed subtype to maximize treatment success. The results indicate that integrating prior laboratory and clinical knowledge with the microarray data improves biomarker selection. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using omniBioMarker to create an optimal metric for ranking and identifying novel biomarkers reduces the number of false discoveries, increases the number of true discoveries, reduces the required time for validation and increases the overall efficiency of the process,\u0022 noted Wang.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince receiving caBIG silver-level compatibility certification for caCORRECT and omniBioMarker, Wang and her team have been working on getting two more software programs certified -- Q-IHC,  a tool that analyzes and quantifies multi-spectral images such as quantum dot-stained histopathological images, and omniVisGrid, a grid-based tool that visualizes data and analysis processes of microarrays, biological pathways and clinical outcomes.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis work was funded by grant numbers R01CA108468, P20GM072069 and U54CA119338 from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The content is solely the responsibility of the principal investigator and does not necessarily represent the official view of the NIH.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E May Dongmei Wang (404-385-2954); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maywang@bme.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaywang@bme.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E)\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Abby Vogel\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"caCORRECT and omniBioMarker Made Available to Cancer Researchers"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Two new software programs that improve the process of identifying cancer biomarkers from gene expression data earned silver-level compatibility certification from the the National Cancer Institute\u0027s cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid, also known as caBIG.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Cancer biomarker identification software certified by NCI caBIG."}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-08-18 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46243":{"id":"46243","type":"image","title":"May Dongmei Wang","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"May Dongmei Wang","file":{"fid":"101040","name":"tij00389.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tij00389_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tij00389_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1408641,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tij00389_0.jpg?itok=SvWvk_4-"}},"46244":{"id":"46244","type":"image","title":"May Dongmei Wang caCORRECT","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"May Dongmei Wang caCORRECT","file":{"fid":"101041","name":"tog00389.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tog00389_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tog00389_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1478500,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tog00389_0.jpg?itok=kBi47mN1"}},"46245":{"id":"46245","type":"image","title":"May Dongmei Wang omniBioMarker","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"May Dongmei Wang omniBioMarker","file":{"fid":"101042","name":"tti00389.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tti00389_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tti00389_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1542134,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tti00389_0.jpg?itok=a1al1gIT"}}},"media_ids":["46243","46244","46245"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/facultystaff\/faculty_record.php?id=41","title":"May Dongmei Wang"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.bme.gatech.edu\/","title":"Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2546","name":"bioinformatics"},{"id":"5723","name":"Biomedical Informatics"},{"id":"7093","name":"caBIG"},{"id":"7094","name":"caCORRECT"},{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"7092","name":"gene expression"},{"id":"7091","name":"microarray"},{"id":"7095","name":"omniBioMarker"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46239":{"#nid":"46239","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bio-enabled Technique Produces Nanoparticle Composites","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EUsing thin films of silk as templates, researchers have incorporated inorganic nanoparticles that join with the silk to form strong and flexible composite structures that have unusual optical and mechanical properties.  This bio-enabled, surface-mediated approach mimics the growth and assembly processes of natural materials, taking advantage of the ability of biomolecules to chemically reduce metal ions to produce nanoparticles -- without harsh processing conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELess than 100 nanometers thick, silk-silver nanoparticle composite films formed in this process can be used as flexible mirrors. The technique could also be used to create films that reflect light in specific wavelengths, anti-microbial coatings, thin film sensors, self-cleaning coatings, catalytic materials and potentially even flexible photovoltaic cells.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We are taking advantage of biological molecules that have the ability to bind metallic ions of silver or gold from solution,\u0022 said Vladimir Tsukruk, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.  \u0022These molecules can create mono-dispersed metallic nanoparticles of consistent sizes under ambient conditions -- at room temperature and in a water-based environment without high vacuum or high temperatures.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Air Force Research Laboratory, the research was described August 19 at the Fall 2009 National Meeting of the American Chemical Society.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe nanoparticles produced range in size from four to six nanometers in diameter, surrounded by a biological shell of between one and two nanometers.  The silk template permits good control of the nanoparticle placement, creating a composite with equally dispersed particles that remain separate.  The optical properties of the resulting film depend on the nanoparticle material and size.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This system provides very precise control over nanoparticle sizes,\u0022 said Eugenia Kharlampieva, a postdoctoral researcher in Tsukruk\u0027s laboratory.  \u0022We produce well-defined materials without the problem of precipitation, aggregation or formation of large crystals.  Since the silk fibroin is mono-dispersed, we can create uniform domains within the template.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFabrication of the nanocomposites begins by dissolving silk cocoons and making the resulting fibroin water soluble.  The silk is then placed onto a silicon substrate using a spin-coating technique that produces multiple layers of thin film that is then patterned into a template using a nanolithography technique.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Because silk is a protein, we can control the properties of the surface and design different kinds of surfaces,\u0022 explained Kharlampieva.  \u0022This surface-mediated approach is flexible at producing different shapes.  We can apply the method to coat any surface we want, including objects of complex shapes.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENext, the silk template is placed in a solution containing ions of gold, silver, or other metal.  Over a period of time ranging from hours to days, nanoparticles form within the template.  The relatively long growth process, which operates at room temperature and neutral pH in a water-based environment, allows precise control of the particle size and spacing, Tsukruk notes. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We operate at conditions that are suitable for biological activities,\u0022 he explained.  \u0022No reducing agents are required to produce the particles because the biomolecules serve as reducing agents.  We don\u0027t add any chemicals that could be toxic to the protein.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUse of these mild processing conditions could reduce the cost of producing the composites and their potential environmental impact. When dried, the resulting silk-nanoparticle film has high tensile strength, high elasticity and toughness.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Silk is almost as strong as Kevlar, but it can be deformed by 30 percent without breaking,\u0022 said Tsukruk.  \u0022The silk film is very robust, with a complicated structure that you don\u0027t find in synthetic materials.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the future, the researchers plan to use the bio-assisted, surface-mediated technique to produce nanoparticles from other metals.  They also hope to combine different types of particles to create new optical and mechanical properties.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If we combine gold-binding and silver-binding peptides, we can make composites that will include a mixture of gold and silver nanoparticles,\u0022 said Kharlampieva.  \u0022Each particle will have its own properties, and combining them will create more interesting composite materials.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to find additional applications for the films in such areas as photovoltaics, medical technology and anti-microbial films that utilize the properties of silver nanoparticles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeyond Tsukruk and Kharlampieva, the research team has included Dmitry Zimnistky, Maneesh Gupta and Kathryn Bergman of Georgia Tech; David Kaplan of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tufts University, and Rajesh Naik of the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Nanomaterials grown under environmentally friendly conditions can be as good as synthetic materials that are produced under harsh conditions,\u0022 Tsukruk added.  \u0022This technique allows us to grow very useful materials under natural conditions.\u0022\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Vladimir Tsukruk\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(404-894-6081); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:vladimir@mse.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Evladimir@mse.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Thin Films of Silk Produce and Combine with Metallic Particles"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Using thin films of silk as templates, researchers have incorporated inorganic nanoparticles that join with the silk to form strong and flexible composite structures that have unusual optical and mechanical properties.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nanoparticles and silk form composites with unique properties"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-08-19 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-19T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46240":{"id":"46240","type":"image","title":"Analyzing nanocomposites","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Analyzing nanocomposites","file":{"fid":"101038","name":"tra16332.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tra16332_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tra16332_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1270523,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tra16332_0.jpg?itok=m6y1pct9"}},"46241":{"id":"46241","type":"image","title":"Gold nanoparticles","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Gold nanoparticles","file":{"fid":"101039","name":"tpc16332.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpc16332_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpc16332_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":46485,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpc16332_0.jpg?itok=IXYCMpej"}}},"media_ids":["46240","46241"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/FacultyStaff\/MSE_Faculty_researchbios\/Tsukruk\/tsukruk.html","title":"Vladimir Tsukruk"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"6189","name":"Nanocomposites"},{"id":"2973","name":"nanoparticles"},{"id":"170843","name":"silk"},{"id":"7090","name":"templates"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46232":{"#nid":"46232","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Systems Biology Reveals Diversity in Key Environmental Cleanup Microbe","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have completed the first thorough, system-level assessment of the diversity of an environmentally important family of microbes known as \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E. Microbes belonging to that genus frequently participate in bioremediation by confining and cleaning up contaminated areas in the environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory analyzed the gene sequences, proteins expressed and physiology of 10 strains of \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E. They believe the study results will help researchers choose the best \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E strain for bioremediation projects based on each site\u0027s environmental conditions and contaminants.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe findings, which further advance the understanding of the enormous microbial biodiversity that exists on the planet, appear in the early online issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences\u003C\/em\u003E. This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Shewanella Federation consortium and the Proteomics Application project.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESimilar to a human breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide, many \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E microbes have the ability to \u0022inhale\u0022 certain metals and compounds and convert them to an altered state, which is typically much less toxic. This ability makes \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E very important for the environment and bioremediation, but selecting the best strain for a particular project has been a challenge.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022If you look at different strains of \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E under a microscope or you look at their ribosomal genes, which are routinely used to identify newly isolated strains of bacteria, they look identical. Thus, traditional microbiological approaches would suggest that the physiology and phenotype of these \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E bacteria are very similar, if not identical, but that is not true,\u0022 explained Kostas Konstantinidis, an assistant professor in the Georgia Tech School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Konstantinidis, who also holds a joint appointment in the Georgia Tech School of Biology, led the research team in analyzing the data.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing the traditional method for determining interrelatedness between microbial strains -- sequencing of the 16S ribosomal gene -- the researchers determined that the 10 strains belonged to the same genus. However, the technique was unable to distinguish between most of the strains or define general properties that would allow the researchers to differentiate one strain from another. To do that, they turned to genomic and whole-cell proteomic data. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy comparing the 10 \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E genomes, which were sequenced at the Department of Energy\u0027s Joint Genome Institute, the research team found that while some of the strains shared 98 percent of the same genes, other strains only shared 70 percent. Out of the almost 10,000 protein-coding genes in the 10 strains, nearly half -- 48 percent -- of the genes were strain-specific, and the differences in expressed proteins were consistently larger than their differences at the gene content level. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022These findings suggest that similarity in gene regulation and expression constitutes an important factor for determining phenotypic similarity or dissimilarity among the very closely related \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E genomes,\u0022 noted Konstantinidis. \u0022They also indicate that it might be time to start replacing the traditional microbiology approaches for identifying and classifying new species with genomics- or proteomics-based methods.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUpon further analysis, the researchers found that the genetic differences between strains frequently reflected environmental or ecological adaptation and specialization, which had also substantially altered the global metabolic and regulatory networks in some of the strains. The \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E organisms in the study appeared to gain most of their new functions by acquiring groups of genes as mobile genetic islands, selecting islands carrying ecologically important genes and losing ecologically unimportant genes.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most rapidly changing individual functions in the \u003Cem\u003EShewanellae\u003C\/em\u003E were related to \u0022breathing\u0022 metals and sensing mechanisms, which represent the first line of adaptive response to different environmental conditions. \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E bacteria live in environments that range from deep subsurface sandstone to marine sediment and from freshwater to saltwater. All but one of the strains was able to reduce several metals and metalloids. That one exception had undertaken a unique evolution resulting in an inability to exploit strictly anaerobic habitats.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Let\u0027s say you have a strain of \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E that is unable to convert uranium dissolved in contaminated groundwater to a form incapable of dissolving in water,\u0022 explained Konstantinidis. \u0022If you put that strain in an environment that contains high concentrations of uranium, that microbe is likely to acquire the genes that accept uranium from a nearby strain, in turn preventing uranium from spreading as the groundwater flows.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis adaptability of bacteria is remarkable, but requires further study in the bioremediation arena, since it frequently underlies the emergence of new bacterial strains. Konstantinidis\u0027 team at Georgia Tech is currently investigating communities of these \u003Cem\u003EShewanella\u003C\/em\u003E strains in their natural environments to advance understanding of the influence of the environment on the evolution of the bacterial genome and identify the key genes in the genome that respond to specific environmental stimuli or conditions, such as the presence of heavy metals. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOngoing studies should broaden the researchers\u0027 understanding of the relationship between genotype, phenotype, environment and evolution, he said.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\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 analyzed the gene sequences, proteins expressed and physiology of 10 strains of bioremediation microbes called Shewanella. Results showed surprising diversity not seen using traditional microbiology approaches.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Diversity found in family of key environmental cleanup microbes"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-08-31 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:14","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46233":{"id":"46233","type":"image","title":"Kostas Konstantinidis","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Kostas Konstantinidis","file":{"fid":"101033","name":"tvl34376.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvl34376_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tvl34376_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1316218,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tvl34376_0.jpg?itok=zcQBn_wO"}},"46234":{"id":"46234","type":"image","title":"Kostas Konstantinidis Shewanella","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Kostas Konstantinidis Shewanella","file":{"fid":"101034","name":"tkv34376.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkv34376_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tkv34376_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":885919,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tkv34376_0.jpg?itok=0cXvqekC"}},"46235":{"id":"46235","type":"image","title":"Kostas Konstantinidis Shewanella","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Kostas Konstantinidis Shewanella","file":{"fid":"101035","name":"twi34376.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twi34376_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/twi34376_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1704188,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/twi34376_0.jpg?itok=A5XpCmtv"}}},"media_ids":["46233","46234","46235"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/fac_staff\/faculty-listing\/research-interests\/?active_id=ktk3","title":"Kostas Konstantinidis"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ce.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Civil and Environmental Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.biology.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Biology"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7077","name":"bacteria"},{"id":"7081","name":"bioremediation"},{"id":"4320","name":"ecology"},{"id":"807","name":"environment"},{"id":"3028","name":"evolution"},{"id":"7084","name":"genomic"},{"id":"7086","name":"genotype"},{"id":"7082","name":"metal"},{"id":"7078","name":"microbe"},{"id":"5696","name":"Microbiology"},{"id":"7079","name":"microorganism"},{"id":"7087","name":"phenotype"},{"id":"7085","name":"proteomic"},{"id":"7083","name":"remediation"},{"id":"170842","name":"Shewanella"},{"id":"167402","name":"Systems Biology"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46099":{"#nid":"46099","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Annual Security Report Released","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn accordance with federal law, the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Annual Security Report is now available. This report provides statistics for the past three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, within off-campus buildings owned by the Institute, and on public property adjacent to campus. The report also documents institutional policies regarding campus security and other safety protocols.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo view a copy of this report, visit\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu\/documents\/brochure.pdf\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu\/documents\/brochure.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"In accordance with federal law, the Georgia Tech Police Department\u0027s Annual Security Report is now available. This report provides statistics for the past three years concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus, within off-campus buildings owned by the Institute, and on public property adjacent to campus. The report also documents institutional policies regarding campus security and other safety protocols.\n\nTo view a copy of this report, visit\n\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu\/documents\/brochure.pdf\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.police.gatech.edu\/documents\/brochure.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The report provides reported crime statistics for the past three"}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2009-10-01 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4256","name":"awareness"},{"id":"1772","name":"crime"},{"id":"5049","name":"crime prevention"},{"id":"167169","name":"statistics"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EIan Mayberry\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EGeorgia Tech Police Department\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:ian.mayberry@police.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Ian Mayberry\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["ian.mayberry@police.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46095":{"#nid":"46095","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Monthly Testing of Campus Warning System","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo assure that Georgia Tech\u0027s Warning System is in continuous operational condition, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will begin testing the system today at 11AM. All seven speaker stations will be tested simultaneously playing the following test message twice:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E    \u0022Testing 1-2-3-4, this is a test. Test out.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe normal siren and recorded test message will not be played at this time. The e-mail and voice mail alerts will also not be transmitted during this test.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Test Part of Emergency Preparedness Efforts"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"To assure that Georgia Tech\u0027s Warning System is in continuous operational condition, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will begin testing the system today at 11AM.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assuring notification systems work prior to an emergency"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-04-02 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46096":{"id":"46096","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449174347","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:47","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"100979","name":"tso70116.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tso70116_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tso70116_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":58313,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tso70116_0.jpg?itok=nOEQG8rO"}}},"media_ids":["46096"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167127","name":"siren"},{"id":"156","name":"testing"},{"id":"1032","name":"warning system"}],"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\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46097":{"#nid":"46097","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ga. Tech Professor Selected for NAE Symposium","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Institute of Technology faculty member has been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering\u0027s (NAE) Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDr. Dirk Schaefer, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will join 48 of the nation\u0027s brightest young engineering researchers and educators who have been selected to take part in the inaugural symposium. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESchaefer, who works at Georgia Tech\u0027s Savannah campus, was selected along with other top engineering faculty members in the first half of their careers who are developing and implementing innovative educational approaches in a variety of disciplines. They will gather in Herndon, Va., November 15-18 to share ideas and best practices to bring back to their home institutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I am proud that Dr. Schaefer is playing a strategic role in transforming engineering education,\u0022 said David Frost, director of Georgia Tech-Savannah. \u0022We are fortunate to have someone of his caliber as part of our Savannah campus.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe participants were nominated by fellow engineers or deans and chosen from a highly competitive pool of applicants. Schaefer, who joined Georgia Tech in 2006, has focused his research on the strategic design of engineering education including virtual learning environments and remotely\/robotically controlled physical laboratory exercises for distance learning settings.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Program Explores Innovative Approaches to Engineering Education"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A Georgia Institute of Technology faculty member has been selected to take part in the National Academy of Engineering\u0027s (NAE) Frontiers of Engineering Education (FOEE) symposium.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Inaugural Program Explores Innovative Engineering Education"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-10-08 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46098":{"id":"46098","type":"image","title":"Dirk Schaefer","body":null,"created":"1449174347","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:47","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"Dirk Schaefer","file":{"fid":"100980","name":"tpn33205.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpn33205_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpn33205_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":28130,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpn33205_0.jpg?itok=PqFKmuwR"}}},"media_ids":["46098"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/schaefer.shtml","title":"Dirk Schaefer"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtsav.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Savannah"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/","title":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"516","name":"engineering"},{"id":"7024","name":"engineering education"},{"id":"541","name":"Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"1972","name":"NAE"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46201":{"#nid":"46201","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Vehicle Concept Would Protect Crews from Roadside Bombs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new crew survivability concept that would build military vehicles around a protected personnel compartment and use a sacrificial \u0022blast wedge\u0022 to absorb energy from improvised explosive devices could improve safety for the occupants of future light armored patrol vehicles.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearchers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have designed and tested the concept, dubbed ULTRA II, for the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR).  The crew-protection concept builds on an earlier GTRI development for the ONR that evaluated new concepts for light armored vehicles.  A blast test conducted with the ULTRA II full-sized crew compartment test article at the Aberdeen Test Center showed that the new concept could protect the vehicle crew from improvised explosions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Instead of up-armoring a standard vehicle or modifying an existing drive train, we built a bubble of force protection first and then addressed vehicle mobility,\u0022 explained Vince Camp, a GTRI senior research engineer and the project\u0027s principal investigator.  \u0022The idea was to emphasize warfighter protection first by starting with design of an improved crew compartment, as opposed to starting with an existing vehicle and trying to add armor.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ULTRA II crew compartment was designed to house six persons: a driver and commander facing forward, and two pairs of crew members behind them, each pair facing opposite sides of the vehicle.  By putting their backs toward the center of the crew compartment, the concept moves the crew away from the outside walls to reduce the likelihood of injury from side blasts, provides better visibility for the crew to monitor their surroundings, allows blast-resistant seats to be frame-mounted -- and facilitates faster egress from the vehicle.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe crew compartment envisioned by GTRI uses a \u0022space frame\u0022 constructed of tubular steel -- similar to civilian off-road racing vehicles.  An armored steel \u0022skin\u0022 provides added structure and moderate ballistic and blast protection.  Additional armor is bolted onto the frame in a modular way, allowing varying levels of protection that could be easily modified in the field and changed as new high-performance armor concepts are developed.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn integral part of the protection is provided by a sacrificial \u0022blast wedge\u0022 bolted onto the bottom of the vehicle.  Constructed of welded steel armor, the wedge both deflects energy away from the vehicle and absorbs energy from a blast, performing a function similar to \u0022crumple zones\u0022 in modern civilian vehicles.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe design and fabrication of the test article was conducted by personnel in the Aerospace, Transportation and Advanced Systems Laboratory of GTRI. Tests using a heavily-instrumented test article with instrumented dummies simulating the crew showed that the wedge deflected or absorbed nearly 70 percent of the energy from an explosion beneath it.   Damage from the blast was primarily confined to the sacrificial blast wedge and there was no structural damage and no blast penetration to the crew compartment.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Energy used up in crushing and tearing the metal in the blast wedge is energy that wouldn\u0027t go into injuring the crew,\u0022 said Kevin Massey, a GTRI senior research engineer who was part of the project team.  \u0022Data from the instrumented dummies shows that had this test been conducted with real warfighters in a real vehicle, we wouldn\u0027t have seen any spinal injuries, head trauma, neck trauma or leg injuries.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause the wedge is removable, it could be replaced if damaged.  Making the blast wedge removable also allows for an overall reduction of the vehicle\u0027s height for shipping, an important issue for rapid deployment.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research team, which also included Burt Jennings, Cal Jameson, Jake Leverett and Mark Entrekin, combined non-linear dynamic blast simulations and neural networks to study how blast forces would affect the vehicle.  Conventional finite element analysis also provided valuable design feedback in development of the ULTRA II test article. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThere were many tradeoffs to consider in designing the new concept, including vehicle height and resistance to blast forces that may come from many different angles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022To survive the blast, you want to get as high off the ground as possible,\u0022 Massey noted.  \u0022But the higher you are off the ground, the more likely you are to roll over.  This is an example of the tradeoffs that have to be balanced.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to crew protection, the researchers also designed a translating door that would provide a large side opening similar to that of existing civilian minivans.  Such a door system would provide improved ingress\/egress for the crew and could remain open when the vehicle is moving. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGTRI has presented data from the test to the Office of Naval Research, and hopes to pursue additional refinements to the blast wedge and overall vehicle concept.  Among the goals would be to improve energy absorption from the blast wedge, and to evaluate whether the crew compartment should separate from the drive train in certain types of blasts.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We think that the concept of a space-frame design is a very viable one, and we want to take the lessons we\u0027ve learned so far to improve on it,\u0022 Massey added.  \u0022We\u0027d also like to see if the concept of the energy-absorbing wedge can be applied to existing vehicles that are already out there.  The bottom line is saving people\u0027s lives and protecting them from injury.\u0022 \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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E: Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Sacrificial \u0022Blast Wedge\u0022 Deflects and Absorbs Energy"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A new crew survivability concept that would build military vehicles around a protected personnel compartment and use a sacrificial \u201cblast wedge\u201d\u009d to absorb energy from improvised explosive devices could improve safety for the occupants of future light armored patrol vehicles.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have tested a new vehicle concept to counter explosi"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-10-13 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46202":{"id":"46202","type":"image","title":"Welding the ULTRA II","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894151","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:35:51","alt":"Welding the ULTRA II","file":{"fid":"99990","name":"ttx36548.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttx36548_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/ttx36548_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1346766,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/ttx36548_1.jpg?itok=a4yUz6hZ"}},"46203":{"id":"46203","type":"image","title":"Shipping the ULTRA II","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Shipping the ULTRA II","file":{"fid":"101012","name":"tql36548.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tql36548.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tql36548.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1502610,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tql36548.jpg?itok=VfjSa7M2"}}},"media_ids":["46202","46203"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"147","name":"Military Technology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7034","name":"blast"},{"id":"3095","name":"explosion"},{"id":"7033","name":"IED"},{"id":"3938","name":"protection"},{"id":"169419","name":"survivability"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46094":{"#nid":"46094","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Collect Donations For Flood Relief","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Student Government Association, MOVE (Mobilizing Opportunities for Volunteer Experience) Georgia Tech, The President\u0027s Council Governing Board, and the American Red Cross are collecting non-perishable food, clothes and money to assist victims of Georgia\u0027s recent floods. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents, faculty and staff may drop off donations from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. this Thursday and Friday on Skiles Walkway. Donations may also be made before Mock Rock on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Ferst Center for the Arts and before the Ramblin\u0027 Reck Parade this Saturday at 8 a.m.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EStudents wanted to assist with flood relief when they learned that fellow Yellow Jackets were affected by the disaster. \u0022When we heard Governor [Sonny] Perdue give the estimate for damage at $500 million, we quickly realized we had an obligation to do our part,\u0022 said Undergraduate Student Government member Corey Boone.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor additional information, contact Andrea Fernandez at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:afernandez6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eafernandez6@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Tech Student Government Association, MOVE (Mobilizing Opportunities for Volunteer Experience) Georgia Tech, and the American Red Cross are collecting non-perishable food, clothes and money to assist victims of Georgia\u0027s recent floods.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Donate clothes, food, and money for flood victims"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-10-14 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2323","name":"flood"},{"id":"4210","name":"move"},{"id":"4857","name":"PCGB"},{"id":"3120","name":"red cross"},{"id":"166922","name":"sga"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EAndrea  Fernandez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMOVE\/SGA\/PCGB\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:afernandez6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EContact Andrea  Fernandez\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Exxx-xxx-xxxx\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["afernandez6@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46092":{"#nid":"46092","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Peterson Named to Noro-Moseley Advisory Board","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d Peterson has joined the Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP) Advisory Board. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHe will serve along with eight other Advisory Board members including Emory University President Jim Wagner and Georgia Tech alumnus Thomas Noonan, former president and chief executive officer of Internet Security Systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 1983, NMP focuses on investing in early and early-growth stage companies. The Atlanta-based venture capital firm has funded more than 160 companies primarily in Georgia, North and South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech President to Serve on Local Advisory Board"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Institute of Technology President G.P. \u201cBud\u201d\u009d Peterson has joined the Noro-Moseley Partners (NMP) Advisory Board.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"President Bud Peterson serves on local advisory board"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-10-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46093":{"id":"46093","type":"image","title":"G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson","body":null,"created":"1449174347","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:47","changed":"1484079169","gmt_changed":"2017-01-10 20:12:49","alt":"","file":{"fid":"100978","name":"tab25309.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tab25309_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tab25309_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49274,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tab25309_0.jpg?itok=gM1PWEHz"}}},"media_ids":["46093"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"581","name":"advisory board"},{"id":"7023","name":"Noro-Moseley"},{"id":"1893","name":"Peterson"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46197":{"#nid":"46197","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Study Suggests Patent Challenges Reduce Drug Innovation and Output","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe development of new and innovative pharmaceuticals is being stifled by a U.S. law and successful patent challenges that embolden generic competition, according to an article published in this week\u0027s issue of the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMatthew Higgins and Stuart Graham, assistant professors in the College of Management at the Georgia Institute of Technology, argue in their article that the recent surge in Paragraph IV patent challenges -- a provision of the Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984 -- is decreasing the incentives for pharmaceutical innovation and contributing to productivity and revenue declines in the pharmaceutical industry. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022With the current healthcare debate, consumers and policy-makers need to understand that while we are getting cheap drugs now, it may be at the cost of novel future innovations and long-term access to new treatments because in our current system, industry revenues support continued research and development, and patents support revenues,\u0022 explained Higgins, the Imlay assistant professor of strategic management at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhile Congress passed the Hatch-Waxman Act to ensure timely, affordable access to innovative drugs, 25 years later its balance between pharmaceutical innovation and access is tipping away from the incentives needed to support innovation, the researchers said. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA contributor to this shift is the recent surge in Paragraph IV challenges, which allow manufacturers of generic drugs to challenge a brand company\u0027s patents by claiming that either the patent is invalid or the generic drug does not infringe the patent. If the generic company wins the challenge, the brand company loses its remaining market exclusivity for that product.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFederal Trade Commission statistics show that generic firms won 42 percent of the Paragraph IV challenges filed from 1992 to 2000. Since 2001, pharmaceutical companies have filed 749 lawsuits responding to Paragraph IV challenges on 243 unique brand-name products. These suits nearly tripled from 2002-2003 and doubled from 2006-2007.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022A Paragraph IV lawsuit will likely cost a generic manufacturer $5 to $10 million, compared to at least $800 million required for a brand company to develop a drug and bring it to market,\u0022 said Graham, who is also a licensed attorney. \u0022And the reward for being the first successful Paragraph IV challenger is substantial -- 180 days during which no other generic-producing company may enter the market and an average potential payoff during those 180 days alone of $60 million. The law is creating incentives to bring challenges on more and different types of drugs.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the number of patent challenges has increased, the number of new compounds approved annually by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has fallen from an average of 35 in 1996-2001 to 20 in 2002-2007. Without policy intervention, the effective life of key patents will continue to decline, which will further compress the payback period during which brand-name firms can recoup research and development investments, according to the researchers.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Lawmakers should consider increasing the length of time brand-name drugs are on the market before generic drugs can enter, because the current five-year period is typically insufficient to recoup research and development costs,\u0022 added Higgins.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGraham and Higgins suggest that exclusivity be extended for first-in-class and high-risk, high-necessity drugs, such as a preventive medicine for Alzheimer\u0027s disease or osteoarthritis. In addition, they propose that policy-makers use incentives to encourage private investments in research to complement public research or offer increased exclusivity to curative and preventive drugs. Auctions could allow companies to bid on specific research projects in return for extended data or market exclusivity.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA 2007 report from The National Academies recommended that the United States should at least double the duration of data exclusivity to bring it closer to allowances awarded in the European Union, Japan and Canada. Congress is currently debating a rule allowing 12-year data exclusivity for biologic drugs. These drugs include a wide range of products such as vaccines, blood and blood components, allergenics, somatic cells, gene therapy, tissues and recombinant therapeutic proteins.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, the researchers are continuing their investigations into the causes of pharmaceutical productivity decline through a recently formalized relationship that allows them access to IMS Health\u0027s databases. The relationship came through Georgia Tech\u0027s connection with former IMS board member and Georgia Tech alum John Imlay. The company\u0027s databases -- widely considered the gold standard in pharmaceutical and healthcare market intelligence -- cover the entire life cycle of drugs from how doctors and patients used them to how they fared in the marketplace. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn other research, Higgins and Graham are investigating the causes and responses of internal productivity declines experienced by the pharmaceutical industry and Graham is examining the importance of patenting to startup biotechnology firms. \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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contacts:\u003C\/strong\u003E Matthew Higgins (404.894.4368); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:matt.higgins@mgt.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ematt.higgins@mgt.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) and Stuart Graham (404-385-5107); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:graham@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egraham@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\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":"The recent surge in Paragraph IV patent challenges is decreasing the incentives for pharmaceutical innovation and contributing to productivity and revenue declines in the pharmaceutical industry, according to a new study in Science.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Patent challenges contribute to pharmaceutical productivity decl"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-10-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46198":{"id":"46198","type":"image","title":"Graham Higgins","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"Graham Higgins","file":{"fid":"100989","name":"tyn06592.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyn06592.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tyn06592.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1178562,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tyn06592.jpg?itok=sLfCQA4H"}},"46199":{"id":"46199","type":"image","title":"Stuart Graham Matt Higgins Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"Stuart Graham Matt Higgins Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"100986","name":"tmv06592.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmv06592.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tmv06592.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1033639,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tmv06592.jpg?itok=KhzlI2Fj"}},"46200":{"id":"46200","type":"image","title":"Stuart Graham Matt Higgins Georgia Tech","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"Stuart Graham Matt Higgins Georgia Tech","file":{"fid":"100982","name":"tzq06593.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzq06593_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzq06593_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1255442,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzq06593_1.jpg?itok=SCwoVhwF"}}},"media_ids":["46198","46199","46200"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech College of Management"},{"url":"http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/higgins\/index.html","title":"Matthew Higgins"},{"url":"http:\/\/mgt.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/graham\/index.html","title":"Stuart Graham"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3937","name":"challenges"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"1707","name":"Intellectual Property"},{"id":"7030","name":"paragraph iv"},{"id":"3155","name":"patent"},{"id":"7032","name":"patent law"},{"id":"7031","name":"pharmaceutical"},{"id":"237","name":"Productivity"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46030":{"#nid":"46030","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Celebrate National Chemistry Week October 18-24","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society is promoting a wide array of activities to help everyone celebrate the importance of chemistry during this year\u0027s National Chemistry Week, October 18-24.  This year marks the 140th anniversary of Mendeleev\u0027s Periodic Table, so this year\u0027s theme, Chemistry---It\u0027s Elemental!, focuses on the elements.  Information about how you can become involved in National Chemistry Week is available at \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.acs.org\/ncw\u0022 title=\u0022www.acs.org\/ncw\u0022\u003Ewww.acs.org\/ncw\u003C\/a\u003E. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELocal activities for National Chemistry Week include the following:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 20:  Science Caf\u0026eacute; at Fernbank Science Center from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.  Joyce Palmer and David Gottfried from Georgia Tech\u0027s Nanotechnology Research Center will lead a public discussion on \u0022Nanotechnology: It\u0027s Bigger Than You Think.\u0022 See \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E or contact Mary Breen  at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:MARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us\u0022\u003EMARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us\u003C\/a\u003E for more details.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 21:  Georgia Tech radio station WREK, 91.1 FM, will broadcast a special National Chemistry Week episode of \u0022Inside the Black Box\u0022 with Professor Pete Ludovice on the topic, \u0022Chemistry: What is it Good For?\u0022  The broadcast, which airs from noon - 1  p.m., will feature a panel of chemists and questions from high school students participating live via teleconference.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 22:  Georgia Tech will host students from three area high schools for chemistry demonstrations and talks with chemists.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 22:  ChEmory, the undergraduate chemistry club at Emory University, will host a chemistry demonstration show at 5:30 pm in room 360 of the Atwood chemistry building. Contact Rachel Reiff at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rreiff@emory.edu\u0022\u003Erreiff@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E for more details.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 23:  ChEmory will host a Mole Day event outside of the chemistry buildings at Emory University, beginning at 5:30 p.m.  This event will include chemistry-themed games, the dropping of a mole ball, and the presentation of the annual \u0022periodic table of the cupcakes.\u0022 Contact Rachel Reiff at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:rreiff@emory.edu\u0022\u003Erreiff@emory.edu\u003C\/a\u003E for more details.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 24:  Fernbank Science Center will host hands-on chemistry activities from 11 a.m. -4 p.m.  Hands-on science tables will demonstrate the properties of the elements, make liquids change colors, and more.  Chemical Magic Shows at noon and 2 pm.  Free and open to the public.  See \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.fernbank.edu\/\u003C\/a\u003E or contact Mary Breen at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:MARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us\u0022\u003EMARY_BREEN@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us\u003C\/a\u003E for more details.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOctober 24:  A Girl Scout Science event will be heldon the Southern Poly campus from 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. \u0022The Case of the Kidnapped Cookies.\u0022 Volunteers are needed.  Please contact JoAnn Arceneaux at \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:JoAnn.Arceneaux@cytec.com\u0022\u003EJoAnn.Arceneaux@cytec.com\u003C\/a\u003E for more details.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Section of the American Chemical Society is promoting a wide array of activities to help everyone celebrate the importance of chemistry during this year\u0027s National Chemistry Week, October 18-24.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"This year\u0027s theme is Chemistry---It\u0027s Elemental!"}],"uid":"27310","created_gmt":"2009-10-20 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"David Terraso","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46031":{"id":"46031","type":"image","title":"National Chemistry Week","body":null,"created":"1449174347","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:47","changed":"1475894409","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:09","alt":"National Chemistry Week","file":{"fid":"100948","name":"tfc47794.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfc47794_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tfc47794_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":66795,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tfc47794_0.jpg?itok=0E7r3LHc"}}},"media_ids":["46031"],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"89","name":"chemistry"},{"id":"2660","name":"events"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["david.terraso@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46193":{"#nid":"46193","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Improved Electric Propulsion Could Boost Satellite Lifetimes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have won a $6.5 million grant to develop improved components that will boost the efficiency of electric propulsion systems used to control the positions of satellites and planetary probes.  \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFocusing on improved cathodes for devices known as Hall effect thrusters, the research would reduce propellant consumption in commercial, government and military satellites, allowing them to remain in orbit longer, be launched on smaller or cheaper rockets, or carry larger payloads.  Sponsored by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Sciences Office (DARPA-DSO), the 18-month project seeks to demonstrate the use of propellant-less cathodes with Hall effect thrusters.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022About 10 percent of the propellant carried into space on satellites that use an electric propulsion system is essentially wasted in the hollow cathode that is part of the system,\u0022 said Mitchell Walker, an assistant professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Aerospace Engineering and the project\u0027s principal investigator.  \u0022Using field emission rather than a hollow cathode, we are able to pull electrons from cathode arrays made from carbon nanotubes without wasting propellant.  That will extend the life of the vehicle by more efficiently using the limited on-board propellant for its intended purpose of propulsion.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo maintain their positions in space or to reorient themselves, satellites must use small thrusters that are either chemically or electrically powered.  Electrically-powered thrusters use electrons to ionize an inert gas such as xenon.  The resulting ions are then ejected from the device to generate thrust.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn existing Hall effect thrusters, a single high-temperature cathode generates the electrons.  A portion of the propellant -- typically about 10 percent of the limited supply carried by the satellite -- is used as a working fluid in the traditional hollow cathode.  The DARPA-funded research would replace the hollow cathode with an array of field-effect cathodes fabricated from bundles of multi-walled carbon nanotubes.  Powered by on-board batteries and photovoltaic systems on the satellite, the arrays would operate at low power to produce electrons without consuming propellant.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWalker and collaborators at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have already demonstrated field-effect cathodes based on carbon nanotubes.  This work was presented at the 2009 AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference held in Denver, Colo.  The additional funding will support improvements in the devices, known as carbon nanotube cold cathodes, and lead to space testing as early as 2015.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This work depends on our ability to grow aligned carbon nanotubes precisely where we want them to be and to exacting dimensions,\u0022 said Jud Ready, a GTRI senior research engineer and Walker\u0027s collaborator on the project.  \u0022This project leverages our ability to grow well-aligned arrays of nanotubes and to coat them to enhance their field emission performance.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to reducing propellant consumption, use of carbon nanotube cathode arrays could improve reliability by replacing the single cathode now used in the thrusters. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Existing cathodes are sensitive to contamination, damaged by the ionized exhaust of the thruster, and have limited life due to their high-temperature operation,\u0022 Ready noted. \u0022The carbon nanotube cathode arrays would provide a distributed cathode around the Hall effect thruster so that if one of them is damaged, we will have redundancy.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the carbon nanotube cathodes developed by Georgia Tech can be used on satellites, however, their lifetime will have to be increased to match that of a satellite thruster, which is typically 2,000 hours or more.  The devices will also have to withstand the mechanical stresses of space launches, turn on and off rapidly, operate consistently and survive the aggressive space environment.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPart of the effort will focus on special coating materials used to protect the carbon nanotubes from the space environment.  For that part of the project, Walker and Ready are collaborating with Lisa Pfefferle in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Yale University.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers are testing their cathodes with the same Busek Hall effect thruster that flew on the U.S. Air Force\u0027s TacSat-2 satellite.  In addition, the cathodes will be operated with Hall effect thrusters developed by Pratt \u0026amp; Whitney and donated to Georgia Tech.  The researchers are also collaborating with L-3 ETI on the electrical power system and with American Pacific In-Space Propulsion on flight qualification of the hardware.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ability to control individual cathodes on the array could provide a new capability to vector the thrust, potentially replacing the mechanical gimbals now used.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe use of carbon nanotubes to generate electrons through the field-effect process was reported in 1995 by a research team headed by Walt de Heer, a professor in Georgia Tech\u0027s School of Physics.  Field emission is the extraction of electrons from a conductive material through quantum tunneling that occurs when an external electric field is applied.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe improved carbon nanotube cathodes should advance the goals of reducing the cost of launching and maintaining satellites.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Thrust with less propellant has been one of the major goals driving research into satellite propulsion,\u0022 said Walker, who is director of Georgia Tech\u0027s High-Power Electric Propulsion Laboratory.  \u0022Electric propulsion is becoming more popular and will benefit from our innovation.  Ultimately, we will help improve the performance of in-space propulsion devices.\u0022\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\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Assistance\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or Kirk Englehardt (404-407-7280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter\u003C\/strong\u003E: John Toon\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Carbon Nanotube Components Will Cut Propellant Use"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have won a $6.5 million grant to develop improved components that will boost the efficiency of electric propulsion systems used to control the positions of satellites and planetary probes.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"New components will make electric satellite propulsion more effi"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2009-10-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46194":{"id":"46194","type":"image","title":"Preparing for tests","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Preparing for tests","file":{"fid":"101001","name":"tln43008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tln43008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tln43008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1837343,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tln43008.jpg?itok=60vRB8oJ"}},"46195":{"id":"46195","type":"image","title":"Preparing for tests","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Preparing for tests","file":{"fid":"101002","name":"tdn43008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdn43008.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdn43008.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1253609,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdn43008.jpg?itok=JVgxlAxp"}},"46196":{"id":"46196","type":"image","title":"Hall effect thruster","body":null,"created":"1449174358","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:58","changed":"1475894388","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:39:48","alt":"Hall effect thruster","file":{"fid":"100942","name":"tal43008.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tal43008_1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tal43008_1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1542434,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tal43008_1.jpg?itok=tmrXXDV5"}}},"media_ids":["46194","46195","46196"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/people\/mwalker\/HPEPL.html","title":"High Power Electric Propulsion Lab"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/","title":"Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"149","name":"Nanotechnology and Nanoscience"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"7021","name":"cathode"},{"id":"7022","name":"emission"},{"id":"7019","name":"ion"},{"id":"7020","name":"lifetime"},{"id":"7018","name":"propulsion"},{"id":"169609","name":"satellite"}],"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":""}},"46128":{"#nid":"46128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Diversity.  Define it.","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFinding Common Ground would like to invite all students to express the\nconcept of diversity from your perspective.\u0026nbsp; Interested students should\ne-mail \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trhorsley@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etrhorsley@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E by October 28 with ideas for a 3 - 4 minute\nperformance expressing diversity.\u0026nbsp; Performances can consist of a skirt,\na speech, a dance, a poetry reading, etc.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Finding Common Ground would like to invite all students to express the concept of diversity from your perspective.  Interested students should e-mail \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:trhorsley@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etrhorsley@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E by October 28 with ideas for a 3 - 4 minute performance expressing diversity.  Performances can consist of a skirt, a speech, a dance, a poetry reading, etc.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-10-23 15:30:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.diversitydefineit.com\/","title":"Diverity. Define it."}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETravis Horsley,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EChair, Finding Common Ground\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"46138":{"#nid":"46138","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Trick-or-Treat Week","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Go T.E.C.H (Teams Encouraging Campus Health) is sponsoring Trick-or-Treat Health Week each day this week.\u0026nbsp; A variety of activities will be available, such as fitness demonstrations, classes, movie screenings, and the Halloween Holla 5K walk\/run.\u0026nbsp; Students, faculty, and staff should visit the Go T.E.C.H Web site for additional information about Trick-or-Treat Health Week or to learn how to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle on the Georgia Tech campus.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrick-or-Treat Week Events\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAll Week\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFree G.I.T. FIT classes at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC)\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$1 Bowling at Tech Rec in the Student Center from 10 a.m. \u0026mdash; 5 p.m. \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003E$2 discount on all Craft Center orders if you mention Go T.E.C.H.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EBlood Drive in the Student Center Ballroom from 11a.m. \u0026mdash; 4p.m., Monday \u0026mdash; Thursday\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETuesday, October 27\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFree Chair Massages and Fitness Demos on Skiles Walkway from 10:30 a.m. \u0026mdash; 1 p.m.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EScreening of \u0022Souls of Black Girls\u0022 at 5 p.m. in room 209 of the Instructional Center \u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFree climbing from 6 \u0026mdash; 8 p.m. on the CRC climbing wall\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWednesday, October 28\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003ESafe Sister\/ Ally Training from 6 \u0026mdash; 10 p.m., location to be determined\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli\u003EFree climbing from 6 \u0026mdash; 8 p.m. on the CRC climbing wall\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThursday, October 29\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EManaging Stress for Ethnic Minorities Workshop at 11 a.m. in the Wilby Room of the Library\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFriday, October 30\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli\u003EHalloween Holla 5K Walk\/Run at 7 a.m. in front of the CRC\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Go T.E.C.H. Sponors a Week of Halloween Health"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Go T.E.C.H (Teams Encouraging Campus Health) is sponsoring Trick-or-Treat Health Week each day this week.  A variety of activities will be available, such as fitness demonstrations, classes, movie screenings, and the Halloween Holla 5K walk\/run.  Students, faculty, and staff should visit the Go T.E.C.H Web site for additional information about Trick-or-Treat Health Week or to learn how to live a healthy, balanced lifestyle on the Georgia Tech campus.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":"","uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-10-23 17:49:30","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:09","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-10-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46136":{"id":"46136","type":"image","title":"Trick-or-Treat Week","body":null,"created":"1449174347","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:25:47","changed":"1475894412","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:12","alt":"Trick-or-Treat Week","file":{"fid":"100995","name":"GT_Health.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT_Health_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/GT_Health_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82278,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/GT_Health_0.jpg?itok=v1d-Goqn"}}},"media_ids":["46136"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gotech.gatech.edu\/","title":"Go T.E.C.H."}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1015","name":"Go T.E.C.H."},{"id":"4605","name":"halloween"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChristie Stewart,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAssistiant Director, Campus Recreation Center\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVladimir Oge,\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDirector, Health Promotions\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["gotech@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"47356":{"#nid":"47356","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Work to Improve Mobile Device \u0026 Cellular Network Security","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESmart phones -- like BlackBerrys and iPhones -- have become indispensable to today\u0027s highly mobile workforce and tech-savvy youngsters. While these devices keep friends and colleagues just a few thumb-taps away, they also pose new security and privacy risks. \u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Traditional cell phones have been ignored by attackers because they were specialty devices, but the new phones available today are handheld computers that are able to send and receive e-mail, surf the Internet, store documents and remotely access data -- all actions that make them vulnerable to a wide range of attacks,\u0022 said Patrick Traynor, assistant professor in the School of Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETraynor and Jonathon Giffin, also an assistant professor in the School of Computer Science, recently received a three-year $450,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop tools that improve the security of mobile devices and the telecommunications networks on which they operate. These Georgia Tech faculty, together with a team of graduate students, are developing methods of identifying and remotely repairing mobile devices that may be infected with viruses or other malware.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMalware can potentially eavesdrop on user input or otherwise steal sensitive information, destroy stored information, or disable a device. Attackers may snoop on passwords for online accounts, electronic documents, e-mails that discuss sensitive topics, calendar and phonebook entries, and audio and video media.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Since mobile phones typically lack security features found on desktop computers, such as antivirus software, we need to accept that the mobile devices will ultimately be successfully attacked. Therefore our research focus is to develop effective attack recovery strategies,\u0022 explained Giffin.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers plan to investigate whether cellular service providers -- such as AT\u0026amp;T and Verizon Wireless -- are capable of detecting infected devices on their respective networks. Since infected devices often begin to over-utilize the network by sending a high volume of traffic to a known malicious Internet server or by suddenly generating a high volume of text messages, monitoring traffic patterns on the network should allow these infected phones to be located, according to the researchers.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022While a single user might realize that a phone is behaving differently, that person probably won\u0027t know why. But a cell phone provider may see a thousand devices behaving in the same way and have the ability to do something about it,\u0022 said Traynor.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOnce infected devices are located, those phones will need to be cleared of the malicious code. To accomplish this, the researchers are developing remote repair methods, which will allow service providers to assist in the cleaning of infected devices without requiring that the phones be brought to a service center. The methods will also have to work without much effort on the part of the customer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis repair may require disabling some functionality on the phone, such as the ability to use downloaded programs, until the malicious program is located and removed. While the repair is underway, phone calling and text messaging functionality would continue to operate.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Using this remote repair strategy, the service provider no longer has to completely disable a phone. Instead they just put the device into a safe, but reduced, mode until the malware can be removed,\u0022 said Giffin.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo assess their proposed methods of finding and repairing infected mobile devices, the researchers plan to build a cellular network test bed at Georgia Tech that will simulate how cellular devices communicate over a network.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We hope that developing these attack recovery strategies will let potential mobile phone and network attackers know that these response mechanisms are in place, ultimately making their attacks far less widespread or successful,\u0022 said Traynor.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Award No. CNS-0916047. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the researchers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.\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 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\n\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMedia Relations Contacts: Abby Vogel (404-385-3364); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:avogel@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eavogel@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E) or John Toon (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jtoon@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejtoon@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\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":"Georgia Tech computer science faculty members recently received a National Science Foundation grant to develop tools that improve the security of mobile devices and the telecommunications networks on which they operate.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A new NSF grant will help improve mobile device \u0026 network securi"}],"uid":"27206","created_gmt":"2009-11-10 01:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:02:51","author":"Abby Vogel Robinson","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2009-11-10T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"47357":{"id":"47357","type":"image","title":"Patrick Traynor Jon Giffin","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Patrick Traynor Jon Giffin","file":{"fid":"101194","name":"txz61066.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txz61066_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txz61066_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1257434,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txz61066_0.jpg?itok=lZWYZPc9"}},"47358":{"id":"47358","type":"image","title":"Traynor Giffin smart phones","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Traynor Giffin smart phones","file":{"fid":"101195","name":"txr61066.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txr61066_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/txr61066_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1234162,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/txr61066_0.jpg?itok=aAWovdJz"}},"47359":{"id":"47359","type":"image","title":"Georgia Tech computer scientists","body":null,"created":"1449175107","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:38:27","changed":"1475894442","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:42","alt":"Georgia Tech computer scientists","file":{"fid":"101196","name":"tki61066.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tki61066_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tki61066_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1415113,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tki61066_0.jpg?itok=yWsz6eQ7"}}},"media_ids":["47357","47358","47359"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/~traynor\/","title":"Patrick Traynor"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/~giffin\/index.shtml","title":"Jonathon Giffin"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/inside\/units\/cs","title":"College of Computing\\\u0027s School of Computer Science"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/","title":"College of Computing"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"153","name":"Computer Science\/Information Technology and Security"},{"id":"143","name":"Digital Media and Entertainment"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1293","name":"cell phone"},{"id":"7770","name":"cellular"},{"id":"7772","name":"malware"},{"id":"7771","name":"mobile phone"},{"id":"1385","name":"network"},{"id":"7773","name":"remote repair"},{"id":"167055","name":"security"},{"id":"168908","name":"smartphone"},{"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":"\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","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["avogel@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28072":{"#nid":"28072","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Monthly Testing of Campus Siren Warning System","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ETo assure that Georgia Tech\u0027s Siren Warning System is in continuous operational condition, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will begin testing the system today at 11AM. All seven speaker stations will be tested simultaneously playing the following test message twice:\n\n    \u0022Attention. Attention. This is a test of the Georgia Tech Emergency Notification System. This is only a test. This is a test of the Georgia Tech Emergency Notification System. This is only a test.\u0022\n\nIn addition, if you subscribe to the Georgia Tech Emergency Notification System (GTENS) through phone or e-mail, you will receive an email message, a voice message and a text message. \n\nThe System to Create and Relay Emergency Action Messages (SCREAM) will provide an alert message to classroom projectors logged in to the GT network, computer clusters on campus and digital signs around campus.\n\nFinally, the Georgia Tech Cable TV Alert System will show a test message for 30 seconds.\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Test Part of Emergency Preparedness Efforts"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"To assure that Georgia Tech\u0027s Siren Warning System is in continuous operational condition, the Office of Emergency Preparedness will begin testing the system today at 11AM.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Assuring notification systems work prior to an emergency"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-04-02 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"167127","name":"siren"},{"id":"156","name":"testing"},{"id":"1032","name":"warning system"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Lisa Grovenstein\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-8835","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"27987":{"#nid":"27987","#data":{"type":"news","title":"ECE Receives $2 Million Commitment from Harris Corporation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has received a $2 million commitment from the Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe gift, made through the Harris Foundation, will help support a capital campaign for construction of a new ECE headquarters facility and the renovation of the school\u0027s 47-year-old Van Leer Building, where some 7,000 students receive instruction each year.  \n\nHarris will donate $500,000 each year for four years beginning in 2010 \u0026mdash; the anticipated completion date of the Georgia Tech Foundation\u0027s private fund drive for the new facilities.  Specifically, the Harris gift is intended for construction of an auditorium or other similar space. \n\nDr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson, president of Georgia Tech and Howard L. Lance, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Harris,  today signed an agreement for the donation during a special ceremony at the Harris Customer Briefing Center in Melbourne, Florida.  The event also included a reception attended by Harris employees who are Georgia Tech graduates and by other representatives from the university.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Our faculty and students are currently scattered across 10 buildings around the campus, the Van Leer classrooms are outdated, and the building lacks adequate laboratory facilities,\u0022 said Dr. Gary S. May, professor and Steve W. Chaddick School Chair of ECE, who also attended the check presentation.  \n\n\u0022Clearly, this generous lead gift from Harris Corporation provides significant momentum for the school\u0027s long-term capital needs and helps to create a new presence that will serve us well in the 21st Century.\u0022\n\nHarris has a decades-long partnership with Georgia Tech and its School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which is the largest producer of electrical and computer engineers by degree in the nation.  The company employs nearly 200 of the school\u0027s graduates.\n\nIn addition to the $2 million gift announced today, Harris has donated some $280,000 to the university since 2006.  This includes a five-year, $250,000 pledge for a research lab in the Nanotechnology Research Center, and another $30,000 to support various programs within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Gift to Support Capital Improvement Projects"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology\u0027s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has received a $2 million commitment from the Harris Corporation.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ga. Tech receives $2 million gift from Harris Corporation."}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-09-17 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.ece.gatech.edu\/","title":"School of Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2435","name":"ECE"},{"id":"3406","name":"Harris Corporation"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Lisa Grovenstein\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-8835","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28012":{"#nid":"28012","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ross Advises White House Office on Urban Affairs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and director of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Institute of Technology, has been invited to assist President Barack Obama\u0027s recently created White House Office of Urban Affairs as it charts a new course for the nation. The White House Office of Urban Affairs was created for the purpose of coordinating federal agencies that impact urban policies in order to ensure thoughtful and integrated investment in urban areas.  The office is also charged with identifying policies that will best leverage the assets of our metropolitan areas.  \n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAdolfo Carri\u00c3\u00b3n Jr., director of Urban Affairs, recently stated, \u0022We want to essentially tease out what the elements of a national agenda ought to be.\u0022  Ross has extensive experience in regional planning, infrastructure planning and development.  She is the author of the recently released \u0022Megaregions: Planning for Global Competitiveness,\u0022 published by Island Press in July 2009.  Ross co-authored \u0022The Inner City: Urban Poverty and Economic Development in the Next Century,\u0022 published by Transaction Press.\n \nPresident Obama and Vice President Joe Biden created the White House Office of Urban Affairs to develop a strategy for metropolitan America and to help direct federal dollars targeted for urban areas. Carri\u00c3\u00b3n reports directly to the President and is responsible for coordinating all federal urban programs.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Atlanta (July 6, 2009) Catherine L. Ross, Harry West Professor and director of the Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development (CQGRD) at Georgia Institute of Technology, has been invited to assist President Barack Obama\u0027s recently created White House Office of Urban Affairs as it charts a new course for the nation.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech Center for Qualtiy Growth Director advises White Ho"}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2009-07-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.cqgrd.gatech.edu\/","title":"Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"137","name":"Architecture"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"648","name":"catherine ross"},{"id":"3371","name":"Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development"},{"id":"3422","name":"Urban Affairs"},{"id":"817","name":"White House"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28015":{"#nid":"28015","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech One of the Great Colleges to Work For","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is among the 10 universities named to the honor roll in the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.chronicle.com\u0022\u003EChronicle of Higher Education\u003C\/a\u003E\u0027s annual \u0022Great Colleges to Work For.\u0022  \n\nFor institutions its size, Georgia Tech was listed in 10 of 26 categories, including job satisfaction; healthy faculty-administration relationships; collaborative governance; teaching environment; physical workspace conditions; work-life balance; confidence in senior leadership; connection to institution and pride; perception of and confidence in fair treatment; and policies, resources and efficiency. Results are based on survey responses from nearly 41,000 administrators, faculty members, and staff members at more than 300 colleges and universities.\n\nAs evidence of faculty and staff confidence in fair treatment regarding pay and performance, Georgia Tech was specifically cited for its networking and mentorship programs that support professional development and conflict resolution.\n\n\u0022The survey results simply quantify what we already knew,\u0022 said Georgia Tech President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson. \u0022The fact that we have been officially recognized as a great place to work is a testament to the more than 6,000 faculty and staff dedicated to making Georgia Tech one of the nation\u0027s leading research institutions.\u0022\n\nThe annual \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/chroniclegreatcolleges.com\/\u0022\u003E\u0022Great Colleges to Work For\u0022\u003C\/a\u003E program recognizes colleges based on enrollment size for specific best practices and policies. The assessment process included an analysis of demographic data and workplace policies for each participating institution as well as survey feedback from randomly selected administration, faculty, and professional support staff.\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"The Georgia Institute of Technology is among the 10 universities named to the honor roll in the Chronicle of Higher Education\u0027s annual \u201cGreat Colleges to Work For\u201d\u009d survey.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Chronicle of Higher Education survey names Tech to its honor rol"}],"uid":"27299","created_gmt":"2009-07-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Michael Hagearty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"46300":{"id":"46300","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449174375","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:26:15","changed":"1475894414","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:40:14","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"101080","name":"tzj45782.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzj45782_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tzj45782_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":82238,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tzj45782_0.jpg?itok=-vDkkfEY"}}},"media_ids":["46300"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/chronicle.com\/indepth\/academicworkplace\/","title":"The Chronicle of Higher Education"},{"url":"http:\/\/chroniclegreatcolleges.com\/","title":"Chronicle Great Colleges Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3424","name":"chronicle"},{"id":"3423","name":"employees"},{"id":"3425","name":"HR"},{"id":"2456","name":"ranking"},{"id":"3426","name":"reputation"},{"id":"167062","name":"survey"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28010":{"#nid":"28010","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ga. Tech Team Receives Top Honors  in 2009 Imagine Cup","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA team from the Georgia Institute of Technology received worldwide recognition during the 2009 Imagine Cup competition sponsored by Microsoft Corp. Georgia Tech\u0027s Team Curious, placed first in the competition\u0027s MashUp category, the only U.S. group to receive first place honors in one of the nine invitational categories. \n\nMembers of Team Curious include Marc Pare, a mechanical engineering student and Kathy Pham, a computer science student. The program they developed aggregates information from traditional news sources on the Web and ultimately presents an authoritative view.\n\nTeam Curious was selected from a total of 444 students from 149 teams representing 70 countries and regions around the world. The Imagine Cup 2009 Worldwide Finals were held in Cairo, Egypt, and included the following categories: Software Design, Embedded Development, Game Development, IT Challenge, Robotics and Algorithm, MashUp, Photography, Short Film and Design.\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Team Curious Places First in MashUp Category"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A team from the Georgia Institute of Technology received worldwide recognition during the 2009 Imagine Cup competition sponsored by Microsoft Corp. Georgia Tech\u0027s Team Curious, placed first in the competition\u0027s MashUp category, the only U.S. group to receive first place honors in one of the nine invitational categories.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech team is a worldwide winner in 2009 Imagine Cup"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-07-08 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3420","name":"Imagine Cup"},{"id":"335","name":"Microsoft"},{"id":"3421","name":"Team Curious"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Lisa Grovenstein\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-8835","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28007":{"#nid":"28007","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dr. Manu Platt Honored as Cancer Scholar","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EManu Platt, PhD, who joined the faculty of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory in January, 2009, has been selected as one of the 19 Scholars named by the Georgia Cancer Coalition for its Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program for 2009-10. \n\nHe will receive $50,000 each year for five years to support his research efforts. The Coalition selects scientists engaged in the most promising areas of cancer research. Currently, Georgia Tech has 11 active Distinguished Cancer Scholars. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDr. Platt is a graduate of Morehouse College where he earned a degree in biology. He completed his PhD in the Emory\/Georgia Tech joint program in Biomedical Engineering, an internship at the National Institutes of Health and did postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, MA. \n\nDr. Platt\u0027s lab at Georgia Tech will continue his research on stem cells, focusing on their\nreparative and regenerative abilities, with particular attention to their homing and integration into damaged tissue.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Manu Platt, PhD, who joined the faculty of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory in January, 2009, has been selected as one of the 19 Scholars named by the Georgia Cancer Coalition for its Distinguished Cancer Clinicians and Scientists program for 2009-10. He will receive $50,000 each year for 5 years to support his research efforts. The Coalition selects scientists engaged in the most promising areas of cancer research. Currently, Georgia Tech has 11 active Distinguished Cancer Scholars.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Manu Platt has been selected as one of the 19 honored Scholars."}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-07-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-10T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3419","name":"Cancer; Scholar; Biomedical; BME; Manu Platt; Award"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Don Fernandez\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28004":{"#nid":"28004","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Professor honored With PECASE Award","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EJustin Romberg, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has been named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the nation\u0027s highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent scientific research careers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERomberg is among 100 recipients of this award, who were named by President Barack Obama on July 9. The honorees will receive their awards this fall at a White House ceremony.\n\nEstablished in 1996, PECASE honors the most promising researchers in the nation within their fields. Nine federal departments and agencies join together annually to nominate the most meritorious young scientists and engineers-researchers whose early accomplishments show the greatest promise for strengthening America\u0027s leadership in science and technology while contributing to the awarding agencies\u0027 missions.\n\n\u0022I am truly honored to receive this award,\u0022 Romberg said. \u0022I feel blessed for the education and mentoring I received at Rice University and Caltech and for the support which Georgia Tech has given me as a faculty member.\u0022\n\nAwarded an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award last summer, Justin was nominated for the PECASE award by the U.S. Department of Defense. He was one of 27 investigators selected for the ONR Young  Investigator Awards last year from a group of more than 200 applicants. Funding for Justin\u0027s ONR award lasts for three years and will fund his project, \u0022Compressive Sampling for Next-Generation Data Acquisition.\u0022 \n\nJustin\u0027s research focuses on the mathematics of data acquisition. In particular, he is interested in ways in which randomness can actually help in data acquisition, potentially reducing both the cost and the computational complexity of high-resolution sensing systems. This work will influence the design of next-generation analog-to-digital converters, radar imaging platforms and MRI systems.\n\nJustin becomes the sixth PECASE winner from ECE, joining PECASE alumni Elliot Moore, Ali Adibi, David Anderson, David Citrin and Steve McLaughlin.\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Justin Romberg, assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), has been named a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the nation\u0027s highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent scientific research careers.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Justin Romberg becomes sixth winner from ECE."}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-07-16 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3418","name":"PECASE; Award; Justin Romberg; Electrical and Computer Engineering"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Don Fernandez\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"28001":{"#nid":"28001","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Robotics Team Receives National Accolades","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA robotics team from Georgia Tech-Savannah received a design award during the recent Marine Advanced Technology Education Center\u0027s (MATE) 2009 International Student Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition. The Georgia Tech team was among more than 20 collegiate finalists competing in the challenge to design and build ROVs that function as submarine rescue systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe MATE competition, a first for Georgia Tech-Savannah, was held at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. The Savannah team received the \u0022design elegance\u0022 award and was commended for their ROV\u0027s design aesthetics, simplicity and functionality.\n\n\u0022The success of this team exemplifies Georgia Tech-Savannah\u0027s close community of undergraduates and graduate engineering students,\u0022 said David Frost, director of Georgia Tech-Savannah.  \u0022Their inspired creativity and work ethic is typical of our hands-on approach to education.\u0022\n\nFaculty sponsor Fumin Zhang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, provided limited direct guidance. \u0022Virtually all the labor, ideas, programming and fabrication came from the students,\u0022 he said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We started with a core group of four Georgia Tech-Savannah students six months ago,\u0022 explained team captain Justin Shapiro, an interdisciplinary robotics Ph.D. candidate at Georgia Tech who came from Rutgers University. \u0022We realized that this project would allow us to apply what we learned in class, and then push beyond what we learned.\u0022\n\nAlong with Shapiro from Cranbury, N.J., the Georgia Tech-Savannah team included the following members: Angel Berrocal, Silver Spring, Md.; Chasen Born, Tarrytown, Ga.; Steven Bradshaw, Cleveland, Ohio; Spencer Burch, Brunswick, Ga.; Matt Carroll, Lavonia, Ga.; Brandon Groff, Lancaster, Pa.; Scott Hales, Frisco, Texas; Winton Key, Fort Knox, Ky.; Jasmine Magerkurth, Warner Robins, Ga.; Leslie Maldonado, Miami, Fla.; Sean Maxon, Richmond Hill, Ga.; and Richard Nguyen, Marietta, Ga.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Ga. Tech-Savannah Group Receives Design Award"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A robotics team from Georgia Tech-Savannah received a design award during the recent Marine Advanced Technology Education Center\u0027s (MATE) 2009 International Student Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ga. Tech-Savannah ROV team receives design award"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-07-23 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3415","name":"Ga"},{"id":"667","name":"robotics"},{"id":"3417","name":"ROV"},{"id":"3416","name":"Tech-Savannah"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Lisa Grovenstein\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-8835","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"27998":{"#nid":"27998","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech\u0027s Robert Nerem to Address Summer Commencement","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EProfessor Robert M. Nerem will address the graduates at Georgia Tech\u0027s 234th commencement on Saturday, August 1, 2009.   Approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students will be recognized at a 9a.m. ceremony at Alexander Memorial Coliseum. \u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERobert M. Nerem joined Georgia Tech in 1987 as the Parker H. Petit Distinguished Chair for Engineering in Medicine. He currently serves as director of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, and director of the Georgia Tech\/Emory Center (GTEC) for the Engineering of Living Tissues, an NSF-funded Engineering Research Center. \n\nNerem earned a PhD in 1964 from Ohio State University, where he was promoted to professor in 1972 and served from 1975-1979 as associate dean for Research in the Graduate School. From 1979 to 1986, he was professor and chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Houston.\n\n The author of more than 200 publications, Nerem is a fellow and was the founding president of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (1992-1994), and he is past president of the Tissue Engineering Society International. In addition, he was part-time senior advisor for bioengineering in the new National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at the National Institutes of Health (2003-2006).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther awards and honors include:\n\n\u0026bull; Election to the National Academy of Engineering, 1988\n\n\u0026bull; Member of the National Academy of Engineering Council, 1998-2004\n\n\u0026bull; Election to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of\nSciences, 1992 \n\n\u0026bull; Election as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1998\n\n\u0026bull; Honorary doctorate, University of Paris, 1990\n\n\u0026bull; Election as a foreign member of the Polish Academy of Sciences, 1994\n\n\u0026bull; Honorary fellow, Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the United Kingdom, 1998 \n\n\u0026bull; Election as an honorary foreign member, Japan Society for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2004\n\n\u0026bull; Election as a foreign member, Swedish Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences, 2006\n\n\u0026bull; National Academy of Engineering Founders Award, 2008\n\n\u0026bull; Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009\n\nNerem\u0027s research interests include biomechanics, cardiovascular devices, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and stem cell technology.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Professor Robert M. Nerem will address the graduates at Georgia Tech\u0027s 234th commencement on Saturday, August 1, 2009.   Approximately 800 undergraduate and graduate students will be recognized at a 9a.m. ceremony at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Approximately 800 graduates will be recognized"}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2009-07-31 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.commencement.gatech.edu\/","title":"Commencement information"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.ibb.gatech.edu\/about\/nerem.php","title":"Robert Nerem\\\u0027s Web Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"627","name":"commencement"},{"id":"1516","name":"Nerem"},{"id":"3414","name":"Robert Nerem"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"27995":{"#nid":"27995","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Center Focuses on Personalized  Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Integrative Cancer Research Center (ICRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is joining forces with the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) to establish a Collaborative Cancer Genomics Center (CCGC).  The partnership will integrate expertise at both universities that will focus on understanding the underlying causes of prostate, ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShafiq Khan, director of Clark Atlanta\u0027s CCRTD, said, \u0022The molecular, bioinformatic and clinical expertise necessary to move forward with such a personalized cancer diagnosis and treatment program exists at the collaborating institutions.  Establishment of CCGC will complement the existing experimental infrastructure necessary to generate the genomic data required to attain our goals.\u0022\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJohn McDonald, director Georgia Tech\u0027s ICRC, added, \u0022We are particularly interested in developing algorithms that will allow us to use gene expression and DNA sequence data that we gather from specific patients to generate a customized prognosis and optimal therapeutic treatment program for individual cancer patients.\u0022\n\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder the collaborative agreement, CCRTD will house and operate the CCGC\u0027s high-throughput next generation sequencing instruments. The resulting sequence data will be assembled and analyzed at ICRC.  Patient samples will be provided by the Ovarian Cancer Institute (OCI) and Saint Joseph\u0027s Hospital\u0027s Translational Research Initiatives in Oncology for the Management of Personalized Healthcare (TRIOMPH ) program.  Clark Atlanta and Georgia Tech scientists will join clinical experts from OCI and TRIOMPH to interpret and evaluate the resulting data. \n\nHoused at CAU in the Thomas W. Cole Jr. Research Center for Science and Technology, the CCGC is scheduled to begin operation in the fall of 2009.\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\u003EThe Integrative Cancer Research Center (ICRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology is joining forces with the Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development (CCRTD) at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) to establish a Collaborative Cancer Genomics Center (CCGC).  The partnership will integrate expertise at both universities that will focus on understanding the underlying causes of prostate, ovarian, pancreatic and lung cancers.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech joins with Clark Atlanta and St. Joseph\u0027s Hospital"}],"uid":"27310","created_gmt":"2009-08-07 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:29","author":"David Terraso","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"140","name":"Cancer Research"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"385","name":"cancer"},{"id":"3411","name":"clark"},{"id":"3413","name":"joseph\\\u0027s daneker partnership"},{"id":"3412","name":"khan"},{"id":"281","name":"mcdonald"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"39619":{"#nid":"39619","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Grand Opening of Georgia Tech?s Leadership Challenge Course","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Campus Recreation Center is opening a new ropes course to teach leadership skills and team work. The new structure stands more than 40 feet tall and can handle groups from 8 to 64 people in size.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It is all about learning and collaboration,\u0022 said Mathew Marcus, Challenge Course Manager at the Campus Recreation Center. \u0022As teams go through the course, they are learning to solve both mental puzzles and physical challenges.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new course will celebrate its opening with Georgia Tech President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson riding down the zip line beside the Institute\u0027s mascot, \u0022Buzz.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022It should be a really exciting grand opening,\u0022 said Marcus. \u0022We\u0027re honored to have President Peterson and Buzz volunteer to be the first to officially slide down the zip line.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETechnology is a key component of the Institute, and it is no different for this ropes course. Teams will be able to use computers and cameras throughout the structure and communicate with other team members who may not be present via the Web. The entire structure has Wi-Fi throughout it.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne example of how technology can be used is for a team offsite to load a video onto Youtube describing how to do something on the course or how to complete a challenge. Marcus says that if the team members who are offsite do not make the instructions specific or clear enough, then they will get some quick feedback from their fellow team members who will struggle to complete the task.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The integration of technology really makes this leadership course unique,\u0022 said Marcus. \u0022Even the zip line at the end of the course has technology integrated into it. The zip line is hooked up to hydraulics and as you slide out on it, the hydraulics kick in and gently float you down to the ground.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s new Leadership Challenge Course is open to all members of the Georgia Tech community as well as organizations and businesses that may be interested in leadership development and team building.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022This is a wonderful learning tool, and we are glad that we\u0027re able to share it with the extended community as well as campus,\u0022 said Marcus. \u0022If you\u0027re interested in having a group try out the course, then please see www.crc.gatech.edu\/lcc.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u0027s Campus Recreation Center is opening a new ropes course to teach leadership skills and team work. The new structure stands more than 40 feet tall and can handle groups from 8 to 64 people in size.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech opens ropes course that teaches leadership and team work"}],"uid":"27304","created_gmt":"2009-09-15 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:25","author":"Matthew Nagel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39620":{"id":"39620","type":"image","title":"Buzz","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894263","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:43","alt":"Buzz","file":{"fid":"189703","name":"tpv05820.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpv05820_4.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tpv05820_4.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":72679,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tpv05820_4.jpg?itok=qKFX91vo"}}},"media_ids":["39620"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.crc.gatech.edu\/lcc","title":"Additional Information"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3484","name":"Campus Recreation"},{"id":"2128","name":"challenge course"},{"id":"3485","name":"Leadership Training"},{"id":"3486","name":"Matt Marcus"},{"id":"2127","name":"ropes course"}],"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\u003EGeorgia Tech Media Relations\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ELaura Diamond\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:laura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Elaura.diamond@comm.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-6016\u003Cbr \/\u003EJason Maderer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:maderer@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emaderer@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-660-2926\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["matthew.nagel@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"39656":{"#nid":"39656","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Ga. Tech President Makes Visits Across State","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Institute of Technology President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson is kicking off a tour across the state today in Columbus visiting with alumni and friends of Georgia Tech. He will follow with stops in Macon, Savannah and Brunswick.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeterson became the 11th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology on April 1 and has been meeting with key stakeholders throughout the state to gather input and direction as the Institute begins a strategic planning process.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech is one of the truly outstanding research universities in the country and benefits the state of Georgia well beyond the city of Atlanta,\u0022 said Peterson. \u0022As we begin to formulate our strategic vision for the future, we are reaching out to our alumni and to the community and state leaders all across Georgia.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech played a significant role in one of Georgia\u0027s recent economic development successes - the move of Fortune 500 corporation NCR to Georgia.  The company will be looking to Georgia Tech as a source of engineering talent and as a partner in development of future technology and innovations.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAccording to NCR\u0027s leadership, the opportunity to partner with top-tier academic institutions such as Georgia Tech was one reason among many that the company made the decision to relocate to Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech not only assists with attracting new industry to the state, the Institute also impacts the economy through research and economic development. For example, for the first time ever, Tech\u0027s research activity exceeded the $500 million mark, reaching a record $524.9 million in fiscal year 2008.  This represents a 10 percent increase over 2007 and an increase of 99 percent over the past decade, helping the Institute consistently rank among the top ten in research programs among universities without medical schools.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo help meet the state\u0027s demand for math and science teachers, this funding also helps support the newly established Tech to Teaching program designed to create pathways for students pursuing K-12 or college teaching careers.  Likewise, the Foundations for the Future initiative helps Georgia Educators incorporate technology into the classroom.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech is also leading the effort to create need-based aid for Georgia students who cannot afford the tuition and associated costs with attending a research university.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ELaunched in 2007, the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise program is designed to help Georgia students whose families have an annual income of less than $33,300 (150 percent of the federal poverty level) earn their college degree debt-free. The program is the first of its kind offered by any public university in Georgia. \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The gift of education is the most valuable gift you can give. It not only helps the individual who receives it, but also the family and the larger community,\u0022 said a student receiving Tech promise who is majoring in electrical engineering. \u0022It truly is the gift that keeps on giving. During these financial times, it\u0027s something we can\u0027t afford to cut out because it\u0027s so beneficial to society. It\u0027s really a life-changing gift.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022The Tech Promise program assures that eligible Georgia students from all economic backgrounds have the opportunity to attend Georgia Tech without placing a financial burden on their families,\u0022 said Peterson. \u0022We don\u0027t want a family\u0027s financial status to stand in the way of a qualified student pursuing a Georgia Tech degree.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis year, Tech Promise made access to a college education a reality for 198 students from 53 counties across Georgia - from Appling to Wilkes. There were 139 students who entered the program as freshmen, along with 59 transfer students. In addition, 23 Tech Promise scholars graduated this spring.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Dr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson Meets with Alumni and Friends"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Institute of Technology President G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson is kicking off a tour across the state today in Columbus visiting with alumni and friends of Georgia Tech. He will follow with stops in Macon, Savannah and Brunswick.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tour across Ga. will provide insight for new Tech president."}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-07-06 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:25","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39657":{"id":"39657","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894260","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:40","alt":"Tech Tower","file":{"fid":"100551","name":"tln80219.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tln80219_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tln80219_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":55263,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tln80219_0.jpg?itok=NPJg9rIF"}}},"media_ids":["39657"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"506","name":"alumni"},{"id":"1893","name":"Peterson"},{"id":"1894","name":"tour"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"39654":{"#nid":"39654","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Dr. G.P. \\\u0022Bud\\\u0022 Peterson Reflects on Time at  Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson was named the eleventh president of the Georgia Institute of Technology on February 25, 2009. He assumed his new post on April 1, 2009.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs Peterson marks his 100th day at Georgia Tech, he reflects on his time at the Institute. \u0022The first three months have been enormously exciting and productive,\u0022 he noted. \u0022I would like to share with you some of the things I have had the privilege to be a part of and give you a glance at what lies ahead.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EPeterson\u0027s shares his thoughts at on his initial experience at Georgia Tech and his vision for creating a strategic plan at the link below.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"New Tech President Shares Thoughts on First 100  Days"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"Dr. G.P. \u0022Bud\u0022 Peterson was named the eleventh president of the Georgia Institute of Technology on February 25, 2009. He assumed his new post on April 1, 2009. Peterson takes time out to reflect on his first 100 days at Georgia Tech.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"President Peterson comments on his first 100 days"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2009-07-10 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:25","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"39655":{"id":"39655","type":"image","title":"Dr. G.P. (Bud) Peterson","body":null,"created":"1449174110","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 20:21:50","changed":"1475894260","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:37:40","alt":"Dr. G.P. (Bud) Peterson","file":{"fid":"100553","name":"tdx52831.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdx52831_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/tdx52831_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":49274,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/tdx52831_0.jpg?itok=PjzifXDS"}}},"media_ids":["39655"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/president\/notes\/first100days","title":"My First 100 Days at Georgia Tech"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1893","name":"Peterson"},{"id":"1271","name":"President"},{"id":"1892","name":"President G.P. (Bud) Peterson"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"27990":{"#nid":"27990","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Bioengineering student named Kauffman Fellow","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech bioengineering Ph.D. student Yash Kolambkar is one of 13 postdoctoral researchers to be named among the first Kauffman Postdoctoral Fellows.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to providing a salary and benefits to support the fellows\u0027 research over the course of the yearlong fellowship, the Kauffman Foundation has matched each fellow with an academic advisor to mentor him\/her on matters beyond research, and an experienced investor or corporate leader to serve as a business mentor. During the fellowship year, each fellow also will undertake an industry internship suited to his or her research interests and objectives.\n\nKolambkar is a researcher in the biomedical field with a strong focus on translation of research ideas into commercially viable products. \n\nYash has earned a technology commercialization certificate from the nationally recognized TI:GER (Technological Innovation: Generating Economic Results) program, based at Georgia Tech and Emory Law School. In the program, he developed a commercialization plan for his PhD technology, which would restore cartilage in osteoarthritic patients. He has been a consultant to VentureLab, where he identified and evaluated Georgia Tech technologies with strong commercial potential.\n\nHe is currently preparing to successfully defend his PhD thesis.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Georgia Tech bioengineering Ph.D. student Yash Kolambkar is one of 13 postdoctoral researchers to be named among the first Kauffman Postdoctoral Fellows.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ph.D. student Yash Kolambkar named among the first Kaufman Fello"}],"uid":"15436","created_gmt":"2009-09-17 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:00:50","author":"Automator","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3407","name":"Kauffman Postdoctoral Fellow; Bioengineering; Award"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Don Fernandez\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"27993":{"#nid":"27993","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Offers Assistance to GIs","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeginning this month, qualified U.S. veterans who currently attend or wish to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology can apply for the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, according to the Institute\u0027s Veterans Services office. \n\nAt Tech, the Yellow Ribbon Program covers qualified in-state and out-of-state veterans\u0027 tuition and fees for undergraduate, professional and other graduate degrees.\n                                                   \nTo be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program, veterans must qualify 100 percent for the Post 9\/11 GI Bill, meaning they must have served at least 36 months of active duty since Sept. 10, 2001. Other provisions for disabled veterans also apply and can be found online at the Department of Veterans Affairs Web site.\n\nThe Yellow Ribbon Program, part of the Post 9\/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, allows degree-granting institutions in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Veterans Administration (VA) to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. \n\nTech joins more than 1,100 colleges and universities that have signed up to take part in the initiative.\n\nInformation on the Yellow Ribbon Program at Tech is available through Veterans Services in the  Registrar\u0027s Office. For more information on the program, contact VA Coordinator Tammy Dennis at 404-894-4953 or \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tammy.dennis@registrar.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Etammy.dennis@registrar.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"Beginning this month, qualified U.S. veterans who currently attend or wish to attend the Georgia Institute of Technology can apply for the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, according to the Institute\u0027s Veterans Services office.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech joins Yellow Ribbon program to aid veterans"}],"uid":"27310","created_gmt":"2009-08-12 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:00:50","author":"David Terraso","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2009-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2009-08-12T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.gibill.va.gov\/","title":"U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.registrar.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech\\\u0027s Office of the Registrar"}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1508","name":"assistance"},{"id":"3408","name":"GI"},{"id":"3410","name":"tuition"},{"id":"3409","name":"veteran"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"Lisa Grovenstein\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-894-8835","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}