Unprecedented detail of the aftermath of a collision between two neutron stars depicted in a 3D computer model created by a University of Alberta astrophysicist provides a better understanding of how some of the universe’s fundamental elements form in cosmic collisions. “The collision creates heavy elements including gold and lead,” said Rodrigo Fernández, who worked with an…
High-Efficiency Discovery Drives Low-Power Computing
Announcing the Discovery of an Atomic Electronic Simulator
Mineral Weathering From Thawing Permafrost can Release Substantial Carbon Dioxide
The amount of carbon dioxide released from thawing permafrost might be greater than previously thought, according to a new study by University of Alberta ecologists. The research is the first to document the potential for substantial contributions of CO2 from thawing permafrost to the atmosphere through an inorganic process called mineral weathering. Mineral weathering occurs…
New Technology Has Bright Prospects For Understanding Plant Biodiversity
Biologists get a new look at plant biodiversity and function with new imaging technology developed at the University of Alberta. “Biodiversity and ecosystem function are both changing with human disturbance and climate change, and our research provides a new tool for assessing these changes and renewed hope for improved environmental monitoring,” explained John Gamon, professor…
Earthquakes Linked to Completion Volume and Location of Hydraulic Fracturing
The volume of hydraulic fracturing fluid and the location of well pads control the frequency and occurrence of measurable earthquakes, new Alberta Geological Survey and UAlberta research has found. Ryan Schultz has been studying earthquakes in the Fox Creek, Alberta area since they started in December 2013. The seismologist—who works at the Alberta Geological Survey…
Discovery Sets New World Standard in Nano Generators
A team of University of Alberta engineers developed a new way to produce electrical power that can charge handheld devices or sensors that monitor anything from pipelines to medical implants. The discovery sets a new world standard in devices called triboelectric nanogenerators by producing a high-density DC current–a vast improvement over low-quality AC currents produced…
Atomic Discovery Opens Door to Greener, Faster, Smaller Electronic Circuitry
A key step in unlocking the potential for greener, faster, smaller electronic circuitry was taken recently by a group of researchers led by UAlberta physicist Robert Wolkow. The research team found a way to delete and replace out-of-place atoms that had been preventing new revolutionary circuitry designs from working. This unleashes a new kind of…
Hydraulic Fracturing Rarely Linked to Felt Seismic Tremors
Blood Test Uses Nanotechnology to Accurately Predict Aggressive Prostate Cancer
A new diagnostic developed by Alberta scientists will allow men to bypass painful biopsies to test for aggressive prostate cancer. The test incorporates a unique nanotechnology platform to make the diagnostic using only a single drop of blood, and is significantly more accurate than current screening methods. The Extracellular Vesicle Fingerprint Predictive Score (EV-FPS) test…
How Molecular Machines May Drive the Future of Disease Detection, Drug Delivery
University of Alberta scientists have pulled into the lead in a race to use nanomachines for improved disease detection and drug delivery in patients. In a study published in Nature Communications, the researchers describe the creation of synthetic DNA motors in living cells. The process – previously only successful in test tubes – demonstrates how DNA…
Researchers Investigate Evolution of Bipedalism in Ancient Dinosaur Ancestors
Paleontologists at the University of Alberta have developed a new theory to explain why the ancient ancestors of dinosaurs stopped moving about on all fours and rose up on just their two hind legs. Bipedalism in dinosaurs was inherited from ancient and much smaller proto-dinosaurs. The trick to this evolution is in their tails explains…
Electrical Currents Can Now Be Switched On & Off at the Smallest Conceivable Scale
Robert Wolkow is no stranger to mastering the ultra-small and the ultra-fast. A pioneer in atomic-scale science with a Guinness World Record to boot (for a needle with a single atom at the point), Wolkow’s team, together with collaborators at the Max Plank Institute in Hamburg, have just released findings that detail how to create…
A Resonator with Nanoscale Features Detects Dangerous Chemicals in the Environment
Inspired by the anatomy of insects, an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Alberta has come up with a novel way to quickly and accurately detect dangerous airborne chemicals. The work started with Arindam Phani, a graduate student in U of A’s Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, who observed that most insects have tiny…
Flywheel Technology Could Create New Savings for Light Rail Transit
University of Alberta mechanical engineering professors Pierre Mertiny and Marc Secanell are looking to make an old technology new again and save some money for transit train operators such as the Edmonton LRT while they do it. “The flywheel is an old technology, but that’s partly what makes it so sensible,” says Mertiny. “Fundamentally, it’s…
Saved by the Sun
A new twist on the use of renewable energy is saving children’s lives in Africa. The innovation–a solar powered oxygen delivery system–is providing concentrated oxygen in hospital for children suffering from severe pneumonia. The device created by Dr. Michael Hawkes, an assistant professor in the University of Alberta’s Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, is the…