The Institute offers many nationally recognized, top-ranked programs. Undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in the Colleges of Architecture, Engineering, Sciences, Computing, Management, and the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts. Georgia Tech consistently ranks among U.S. News & World Report's top ten public universities in the United States. In a world that increasingly turns to technology for solutions, Georgia Tech is using innovative teaching and advanced research to define the technological university of the 21st century.

Optical-wireless convergence provides super-broadband access services from single fiber

16 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Professor Gee-Kung Chang poses with equipment used to demonstrate a hybrid wired/wired network. The new hybrid system could allow dual wired/wireless transmission of the same content such as high-definition television, data and voice up to 100 times faster than current networks. The new architecture would reduce the cost of providing dramatically improved service to conference centers, airports, hotels, shopping malls, and ultimately to homes and small offices.

Research re-examines strong hurricane studies

16 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have released a study supporting the findings of several studies last year linking an increase in the strength of hurricanes around the world to a global increase in sea surface temperature. The new study strengthens the link between the increase in hurricane intensity and the increase in tropical sea surface temperature. It found that while factors such as wind shear do affect the intensity of individual storms or storm seasons, they don't account for the global 35-year increase in the number of the most intense hurricanes. The study appears online in the March 16 edition of Science Express at www.scienceexpress.org

Nanoparticles facilitate chemical separations

14 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Using the unique properties of new nanometer-scale magnetic particles, researchers have for the first time separated for reuse two different catalysts from a multi-step chemical reaction done in a single vessel.

Georgia Tech researchers develop new approach to carbon-based electronics

14 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Tech Professor Walt de Heer holds a proof-of-principle device constructed of graphene. Using thin layers of graphite known as graphene, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States, in collaboration with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France, have produced proof-of-principle transistors, loop devices and circuitry. Ultimately, the researchers hope to use graphene layers less than 10 atoms thick as the basis for revolutionary electronic systems that would manipulate electrons as waves rather than particles, much like photonic systems control light waves.

Nanorods benefits over Nanospheres in Noninvasive Cancer Treatment

14 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California, San Francisco, have found an even more effective and safer way to detect and kill cancer cells. By changing the shapes of gold nanospheres into cylindrical gold nanorods, they can detect malignant tumors hidden deeper under the skin, like breast cancer, and selectively destroy them with lasers only half as powerful as before, without harming the healthy cells. The method, which allows for a safer, deeper penetrating noninvasive cancer treatment, has just appeared in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, volume 128.

Environmental test facility improves indoor air

10 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Using a new room-sized environmental test chamber, more than a dozen smaller chambers and a mass spectrometric center able to measure ultra-trace concentrations of airborne chemicals being emitted from products, scientists at the Georgia Tech Research Institute are helping manufacturers meet those international standards to minimize emissions.

Invasive exotic plants helped by natural enemies

10 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Although conventional wisdom suggests that invasive exotic plants thrive because they escape the natural enemies that kept them in check in their native ranges, a new study in the journal Science suggests the opposite. Exotic plants that are in the presence of their natural enemies actually do better in their introduced ranges. The research from the Georgia Institute of Technology appears in the March 10, 2006 issue of the journal Science, published by the AAAS, the science society, the world's largest general scientific organization.

National LambdaRail Network now complete

09 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology The equivalent of the golden spike in the transcontinental railroad, National LambdaRail, is now complete. As the operator of the Atlanta node of NLR, Southern Light Rail is pleased to offer connectivity to more than 150 universities, research institutions and other organizations through a nationwide advanced fiber optic network. NLR's advanced optical, Ethernet and IP network infrastructure consists of more than 10,000 miles of fiber optic cable across the United States. Southern Light Rail is one of the 12 member consortia of research organizations that invested in this network that is dedicated to facilitating research. Georgia participants in SLR include Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Medical College of Georgia and University of Georgia.

Georgia Tech develops probabilistic SoC technology

09 March 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology announce energy savings by a factor of more than 500 in simulations with their ultra energy efficient embedded architecture based on Probabilistic CMOS. The research team's PCMOS devices take advantage of noise, currently fabricated at the quarter-micron (0.25 micron) level, and uses probability to extract great energy savings. The findings will be presented at the Design, Automation and Test In Europe Conference, the leading peer-reviewed European electronic systems design meeting, on March 9 in Munich, Germany.

Georgia Tech helps implement new statewide interoperable public safety system

28 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology When a crisis occurs, it's critical for public safety officials to coordinate their efforts. Yet in Georgia, law enforcement agencies and first responders use radio systems that operate on different frequencies and technologies, making it difficult for various agencies to communicate quickly and effectively.

Maintainer's Electronic Performance support system helps U.S. Navy maintain key systems

21 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Engineers from the Georgia Tech Research Institute are assisting them, using current computer and database technology to help military aircraft maintainers get their work done more efficiently. A team from GTRI's Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory has been developing and improving maintenance software for the U.S. Navy since 2000.

Reversible Microlenses to speed chemical detection

13 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Scientists at Georgia Tech have created technology capable of detecting trace amounts of biological or chemical agents in a matter of seconds, much faster than traditional methods, which can take hours or up to a day. The system uses reusable hydrogel microlenses so small that millions of them can fit on a one-inch-square plate. It could greatly enhance the ability of authorities responding to a biological or chemical weapons attack as well as increase the speed of medical testing. The research appears in the February 20 edition of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.

New device revolutionizes nano imaging

09 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Tech researchers have created a highly sensitive atomic force microscopy technology capable of high-speed imaging 100 times faster than current AFM. This technology could prove invaluable for many types of nano-research, in particular for measuring microelectronic devices and observing fast biological interactions on the molecular scale, even translating into movies of molecular interactions in real time. The research, funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, appears in the February issue of Review of Scientific Instruments.

New Georgia Tech probe revolutionizes nano imaging

09 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology FIRAT technology simultaneously captures a variety of material properties from just one touch including (from upper left to right) topography, adhesion energy, contact time and stiffness. The technology creates a faster, more sensitive AFM capable of creating nano movies, creating material properties images.

New technology allows for more versatile portable spectrometers

08 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology But Georgia Tech researchers have developed a technology to help spectrometers, instruments that can be used as the main parts of sensors that can detect substances present in even ultra-small concentrations, analyze substances using fewer parts in a wider variety of environments, regardless of lighting. The technology can improve the portability while reducing the size, complexity, and cost of many sensing and diagnostics systems that use spectrometers. The technology has appeared in Applied Optics, Optics Express and Optics Letters and was presented as an invited talk at the IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting 2005.

New CardioMEMS device helps aneurysm patients

03 February 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Winning a thumbs-up from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, CardioMEMS Inc. has launched its EndoSure sensor, which makes testing safer and more convenient for aneurysm patients. Based on intellectual property from the Georgia Institute of Technology, EndoSure is the first implantable pressure sensor that combines wireless and microelectromechanical system technology to receive FDA clearance.

Biofuels can pick up oil's slack

27 January 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology A group of experts in science, engineering and public policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Imperial College London and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory recommend a comprehensive research and policy plan aimed at increasing the practicality of using biofuels and biomaterials as a supplement to petroleum. The review article, called 'The Path Forward for Biofuels and Biomaterials,' appears in the Jan. 27 issue of Science.

Evolution study tightens human-chimp connection

24 January 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found genetic evidence that seems to support a controversial hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees may be more closely related to each other than chimps are to the other two species of great apes, gorillas and orangutans. They also found that humans evolved at a slower rate than apes.

New device could enable more accurate injections

16 January 2006 - Georgia Institute of Technology When medics are treating trauma patients, every second counts. Yet bruises, burns, and other physical conditions often make it difficult to locate veins and administer lifesaving drugs or solutions. In response, a team of Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is developing an inexpensive, handheld device that uses Doppler ultrasound technology to find veins quickly.

Terahertz optical modulator could permit data rates in trillions of bits per second

26 December 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers set up optical components of the free electron laser at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The work represents a key step toward a new generation of optical communication systems that would be as much as 100 times faster than current technology, bringing closer such applications as real-time telemedicine and movies on demand. While operating their terahertz modulator, the research team observed an effect that is well known in atomic physics, but until now hadn't been seen in the semiconductor materials that make up optical modulators.

Fishing for the origins of genome complexity

15 December 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Studying fish, like this ocean sulfish, scientists are revealing the link between evolution and a species' genome. 'As a general rule, more complex organisms, like humans, have larger genomes than less complex ones,' said J. Todd Streelman, assistant professor in the School of Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology and co-author of the study. 'You might think this means that animals with the largest genomes are the most complex, and for the most part that would be right. But it's not always true. There are some species of frogs and some amoeba that have much larger genomes than humans.'

Researchers study hurricane impact on Gulf Areas

09 November 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology At the Georgia Institute of Technology, experts across campus responded with research, training and service projects. Among their goals are better infrastructure design, configuration of port operations to reduce down time, protection of cleanup and construction workers and accessibility to services and housing for hurricane victims with disabilities.

Web-based system helps in developing storm water pollution prevention plans

08 November 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Although storm water runoff may not seem particularly threatening, it ranks among the most common sources of water pollution in the United States. Especially at industrial sites, rain and melting snow can pick up a variety of pollutants, ranging from processing chemicals to cleaning solvents – and sweep them into nearby creeks, lakes and rivers.

Researchers uncover genetic foundation of fish jaws

08 November 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology In a study illustrating the apparent linkages between the evolutionary development and embryonic development of species, researchers have uncovered the genetic elements that determine the structure and function of a simple biomechanical system, the lower jaw of the cichlid fish. In addition, they've shown that increasing expression of a particular gene in an embryo can lead to physical changes in the adult fish. The results appear in the November 11, 2005 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Leadership Georgia Tech sets innovative approach

01 November 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology President Wayne Clough, keynote speaker at Leadership Georgia Tech, said it is important that engineers be leaders. He said the Institute strives to produce students and engineers who are leaders and who, in turn, will be a resource to the nation.

Scientists and engineers collaborate to apply natural solutions

28 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology An interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology recently formed the Center for Biologically Inspired Design with the goal of capitalizing on the rich source of design solutions present in biological processes. The researchers believe nature can inspire design and engineering solutions that are efficient, practical and sustainable and thus have the potential to greatly enhance new technologies, materials and processes.

Systematic study of cadmium selenide nanostructure growth guides future efforts

27 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers have taken an important step toward high-volume production of new nanometer-scale structures with the first systematic study of growth conditions that affect production of one-dimensional nanostructures from the optoelectronic material cadmium selenide.

Using electromagnetic waves instead of electrical current for switching, researchers

25 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology By using electromagnetic waves instead of electrical current for switching, researchers have operated an optical modulator at terahertz frequencies, an accomplishment that could one day facilitate data transmission rates in the trillions of bits per second.

Biologists at Georgia Tech have provided scientific support for a controversial hypothesis

25 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Biologists at Georgia Tech have provided scientific support for a controversial hypothesis that has divided the fields of evolutionary genomics and evolutionary developmental biology, popularly known as evo devo, for two years. Appearing in the December 2005 issue of Trends in Genetics, researchers find that the size and complexity of a species' genome is not an evolutionary adaptation per se, but can result as simply a consequence of a reduction in a species' effective population size.

Storm water ranks among the most common sources of water pollution in the United States

25 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Federal regulation calls for companies engaged in certain industrial activities to obtain a storm water permit and implement a pollution prevention program. Although an important endeavor, this can also be an onerous task, especially for small and mid-sized companies with fewer resources.

Plants found on coral reef are source of new molecular structures

12 October 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Some of these natural compounds showed the potential to kill cancer cells, bacteria and the HIV virus, according to research at the Georgia Institute of Technology. In fact, two of them exhibit anti-bacterial activity towards antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus at concentrations worth pursuing, though researchers don't know yet whether the concentrations of the compounds required to kill the bacterium would be harmful to humans.

The massive impact of Hurricane Katrina and her cousin Rita

30 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology In Dauphin Island, Ala., Assistant Professor Hermann Fritz surveys the over-washed island with a laser range finder. In the background is an offshore oil platform that broke loose.

Researchers uncover e.coli's defense mechanism

28 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom have uncovered a mechanism with which disease-causing bacteria may thwart the body's natural defense responses. The findings, which could ultimately lead to the development of more effective antibiotics, appear in the September 29, 2005 issue of the journal Nature.

ULTRA AP shows options for improving survivability and mobility in combat vehicles

13 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology A concept vehicle designed to illustrate potential technology options for improving survivability and mobility in future military combat vehicles was shown publicly for the first time Sept. 13 at a military technology meeting in Virginia.

New superlattice nanobelts could become sensors, transducers or resonators

09 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology A previously-unknown zinc oxide nanostructure that resembles the helical configuration of DNA could provide engineers with a new building block for creating nanometer-scale sensors, transducers, resonators and other devices that rely on electromechanical coupling.

Georgia Tech and CDC collaborate on combination technique

05 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology A new combination of analytical chemistry and mathematical data analysis techniques allows the rapid identification of the species, strain and infectious phase of the potential biological terrorism agent Coxiella burnetii. The bacterium causes the human disease Q fever, which can cause serious illness and even death.

Researchers learn how polymer matrix controls particle growth in nanocomposites

05 September 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Because the properties of nanoparticles depend so closely on their size, size distribution and morphology, techniques for controlling the growth of these tiny structures is of great interest to materials researchers today.

Chemical could revolutionize Polymer Fuel Cells

24 August 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Heat has always been a problem for fuel cells. There's usually either too much (ceramic fuel cells) for certain portable uses, such as automobiles or electronics, or too little (polymer fuel cells) to be efficient.

Center to develop next-generation RFIC technology

17 August 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Officials from the Samsung Electro-Mechanics Company, the state of Georgia and the Georgia Institute of Technology held a ribbon-cutting August 17 for the company's new North American radio frequency integrated circuit design center to be located in Technology Square with the Georgia Electronic Design Center.

Ga Tech developing instant-response trace sensors

04 August 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Terrorists have just laced the water supply of a major metropolis with a chemical so lethal that only small amounts are needed to kill thousands of people. But the chemical never reaches its targets. Tiny liquid phase sensors at strategic points in the city's water mains detect the chemical as it passes and tell a computer to close down the affected pipes.

Physicists entangle photon and atom in atomic cloud

26 July 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Quantum communication networks show great promise in becoming a highly secure communications system. By carrying information with photons or atoms, which are entangled so that the behavior of one affects the other, the network can easily detect any eavesdropper who tries to tap the system.

New chem-bio sensors offer simultaneous monitoring

29 June 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Vienna University of Technology have developed a modular system that combines chemical and biological sensing tools capable of providing simultaneous, nano-level resolution information on cell topography and biological activity. The tools integrate micro and nanoscale electrodes into the tips of an atomic force microscope. A veritable Swiss army knife of sensors, the patented technique is currently being tested to combine other sensing methods to give scientists a more holistic view of cellular activities. The research is published in Vol 44, 2005 of the chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie.

New Health Systems professional Ed classes launched

23 June 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology This fall Georgia Tech's renowned health systems faculty will launch a series of short courses designed for working professionals in the healthcare industry, from hospital administrators to consultants to mid-level managers and clinicians.

Georgia Tech unveils new nanoTECH web portal

15 June 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Like many areas of scientific exploration, nanoscience and nanotechnology exist on the borders between disciplines. NanoTECH brings together the research of more than 100 Georgia Tech scientists in an easily navigated Web site, showcasing groundbreaking work in the synthesis and characteristics of nanomaterials; properties of nanomaterials; nanoscale modeling and simulation; nanodevices, nanophotonics and nanomaterials; and nanomedicine and nano-biotechnology.

New device could shorten drug development

07 June 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology The sequencing of the human genome was only the beginning of a much more complex task, deciphering the secrets of cellular chemistry and the mechanisms of disease. While the genome serves as a blueprint to understanding the body, proteins represent the materials that carry out these plans. There are about 2 million distinct proteins in the human body. That's a lot of proteins, and the future of personalized medicine depends on a better understanding of proteins, including their structure and interactions with drugs and medical devices.

Gold Nanoparticles may simplify cancer detection

09 May 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Binding gold nanoparticles to a specific antibody for cancer cells could make cancer detection much easier, suggests research at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of California at San Francisco. The report is published in the May 11, 2005 edition of the journal Nano Letters.

Tech/Emory get $11.5 M for nano cardiology research

29 April 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Despite the fact that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, there is a lack of understanding of the fundamental molecular biology behind the disease and how certain genetic factors contribute to plaque build-up in blood vessels. But biomedical nanotechnology might help shed light on the molecular mechanisms responsible for one of the U.S.'s deadliest diseases.

Biomedical devices now on the drawing board

25 April 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Combination products, devices that include a combination of drug, biological and device components, are expected to be the next big thing in biomedical devices. An example of a combination product is a tissue-engineered device that combines living cells with a polymer scaffold. When implanted into a patient, the device can replace or restore damaged tissue or organ function. While the response of the body to each component is well known, considerably less is known about how their new union may affect the body's reaction to a combination device.

Research reveals how materials direct cell response

18 April 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology The body treats implanted medical devices, including everything from titanium hip replacements and blood vessel grafts, as invaders. Cells surround and attack foreign material, resulting in an inflammatory response. This unfriendly reaction prevents implants from integrating into the body and functioning as well as they could.

Georgia Tech research reveals how biomaterial properties control cellular responses

18 April 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology The body treats implanted medical devices – including everything from titanium hip replacements and blood vessel grafts – as invaders. Cells surround and attack foreign material, resulting in an inflammatory response. This unfriendly reaction prevents implants from integrating into the body and functioning as well as they could.

Molecular Science and Engineering groundbreaking

15 April 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Tech will celebrate the groundbreaking of its Molecular Science and Engineering building on Friday, April 15, at 3PM. Lawrenceville-based Scientific-Atlanta will also be marking the occasion with a check presentation of $1 million in support of the innovative new research environment. The facility is the fourth and final building in the Biotechnology Complex, which will house research at the boundaries of engineering, computing and science. The building is designed to help foster interactions between scientists and engineers whose research interests intersect in a common area, in this case, materials and the molecular basis of their structures and properties.

Device may offer alternative for stroke patients

28 March 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology As the most common cause of adult disability in the United States, stroke leaves many survivors unable to perform tasks that were once part of their daily routine. Much of the time the disabilities are treatable, but the high cost of rehabilitation therapy leaves many patients to cope on their own.

Researchers study how to make nanomaterial industry environmentally sustainable

16 March 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Research into making the emerging nanomaterial industry environmentally sustainable is showing promise in a preliminary engineering study conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Rice University.

Molecular wires & corrosion control boost performance of conductive adhesives replacing lead-based solder

14 March 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Electrically conductive adhesive (ECA) materials offer the electronics industry an alternative to the tin-lead solder now used for connecting display driver chips, memory chips and other devices to circuit boards. But before these materials find broad application in high-end electronic equipment, researchers will have to overcome technical challenges that include low current density.

New medical devices can cause new immune problems

23 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Medical devices are traditionally thought of as fairly simple implants such as stents and hip replacements, pieces of plastic or metal that are placed in the body to handle a very specific function. But biomedical devices now on the drawing board are considerably more sophisticated and represent an unprecedented melding of man and machine.

New technique reveals method for better bone grafts

22 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology New Georgia Tech research points to better ways to heal and regenerate bones using microcomputed tomography imaging, a process 1 million times more detailed than a traditional CT scan. The new micro-CT scan technique simultaneously looks at both vascularization (the process by which blood vessels invade body tissues during repair) and mineralization (the process by which mineral crystals form to harden regenerating bone) by collecting three-dimensional images in vitro and in vivo.

Computer sims vital tools in exploring nanoworld

17 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Years ago, when Uzi Landman and his colleagues set out to uncover some of the rules that govern why a non-reactive metal like gold acts as a catalyst when it is in nanoclusters only a few atoms in size, they didn't sit down in a lab with the precious metal. Instead, they ran computer simulations and discovered that gold is a very effective catalyst when it is in clusters of eight to two dozen atoms. They also found that electrical charging of gold is crucial to its catalytic capabilities. Six years later, the team has verified their earlier predictions experimentally, and they stand ready to further explore environmental effects on catalysis.

3D fabrication technique uses light-activated molecules to create complex microstructures

15 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology A three-dimensional microfabrication technique that uses a unique class of light-activated molecules to selectively initiate chemical reactions within polymers and other materials could provide an efficient way to produce complex structures with sub-micron features. Known as 'two-photon 3D lithography,' the technique could compete with existing processes for fabricating microfluidic devices, photonic bandgap structures, optical storage devices, photonic switches and couplers, sensors, actuators, micromachines -- and even scaffolds for growing living tissue.

Researchers uncover secrets behind nanotube formation

10 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Nanotubes are ubiquitous in the world of science. Although several methods for making them exist, little is known about how these techniques physically produce the hollow fibers of carbon molecules known as nanotubes, that is until now. A multinational team of scientists has discovered that multi-walled carbon nanotubes made by the pure carbon arc method are, in fact, carbon crystals that form inside drops of glass-coated liquid carbon. The research appears in the 11 February 2005, issue of the journal Science, published by the AAAS, the science society, the world's largest general scientific organization.

Scientists unlock secrets behind nanotube formation

10 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Nanotubes are ubiquitous in the world of science. Although several methods for making them exist, little is known about how these techniques physically produce the hollow fibers of carbon molecules known as nanotubes, that is until now. A multinational team of scientists has discovered that multi-walled carbon nanotubes made by the pure carbon arc method are, in fact, carbon crystals that form inside drops of glass-coated liquid carbon. The research appears in the 11 February 2005, issue of the journal Science, published by the AAAS, the science society, the world's largest general scientific organization. See http://www.sciencemag.org and also http://www.aaas.org

Tech successfully flies smarter rotary wing UAV

08 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Unmanned aerial vehicles are one step closer to someday matching, and possibly surpassing, their human-piloted counterparts, thanks to the completion of a project successfully tested by Georgia Tech and sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory. The project was supported by DARPA's Information Exploitation Office with Dr. John Bay serving as the program manager.

Researchers validate energy savings of P-Bits

04 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology For millions of users of computer devices requiring frequent recharging such as cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players, new technology developed at Georgia Tech could mean they are no longer tethered to their chargers. Dr. Krishna Palem announces that he has confirmed his probabilistic bits discovery from last spring by producing a device based on this cutting-edge new approach to making computer chips significantly more energy efficient. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, funded this research effort through DARPA's Power Aware Computing and Communications program.

Researchers validate energy savings of P-Bits

04 February 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology The validation of probabilistic bits or PBITs is most significant in the area of reduced power consumption and increased processing speeds, resulting in making computer devices run faster and more energy efficient. A PBIT is like a conventional bit in that it takes on a 0 or a 1 value, except that one is certain of its value only with a probability of p. Current hardware, using conventional bits, expends large amounts of energy calculating with absolute certainty.

Evidence of charging of nanocatalysts found

21 January 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Technical University Munich have discovered evidence of a phenomenon that may lead to drastically lowering the cost of manufacturing of materials from plastics to fertilizers. Studying nano-sized clusters of gold on a magnesium oxide surface, scientists found direct evidence for electrical charging of a nano-sized catalyst. This is an important factor in increasing the rate of chemical reactions. The research will appear in the 21 January, 2005, issue of the journal Science, published by the AAAS, the science society, the world's largest general scientific organization. See http://www.sciencemag.org and also http://www.aaas.org

When the tongue slips, the eyes have it

20 January 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology How is it that we can look at a door and accidentally call it a window or call a shovel a rake? When people mislabel objects, they often blame themselves for rushing their words or not paying attention. But research at the Georgia Institute of Technology, published in the December issue of Psychological Science, suggests the mistakes may have less to do with concentration than previously thought. The findings provide an insight into how the brain organizes speech and suggests that when the tongue slips, the eyes may be the best window into a speaker's intent.

Scientists find evidence of electrical charging of nanocatalysts

20 January 2005 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Technical University Munch have discovered evidence of a phenomenon that may lead to drastically lowering the cost of manufacturing of materials from plastics to fertilizers. Studying nano-sized clusters of gold on a magnesium oxide surface, scientists found direct evidence for electrical charging of a nano-sized catalyst. This is an important factor in increasing the rate of chemical reactions.

DenTeC and DENTSPLY partner on dental innovations

17 December 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology DenTeC, a non-profit, multidisciplinary research center focused on advancing dental science and technology, is bringing its engineering expertise to dentistry by integrating engineering and dental science to develop new products and technology for dentistry and craniofacial medicine. The center will pursue dentistry-related research in nanotechnology, photonics and optics, imaging, rapid prototyping, material development and testing, tissue-material interface evaluation and software and hardware development.

Researchers uncover change in matter's properties

02 December 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have unveiled a fundamental change in the properties of matter. The theoretical finding, that bosons placed in two-dimensional harmonic traps will crystallize when the strength of their repulsive interactions is increased, appears in the December 3 issue of the journal Physical Review Letters (volume 93, article 230405, 2004).

New microengines could provide 10 times longer life than batteries for cell phones, laptops

23 November 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The microgenerator is about 10 millimeters wide, or about the size of a dime. When coupled with a similarly sized gas-fueled microturbine (or jet) engine, the system, called a microengine, has the potential to deliver more energy and last 10 times longer than a conventional battery.

Hong Kong think tank calls for pollution standards

17 November 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology In one of the world's fastest growing industrial regions, a study finding that a class of pollutants exist at levels four times that of U.S. air quality standards has prompted a Hong Kong public policy group to call for government standards on fine particulate matter. The finding was released by Civic Exchange, a non-profit public policy think tank comprised of scientists as well as representatives from the power and oil industries, government and civic organizations.

Physicists take key step for Quantum Networks

27 October 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology A team of physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology has taken a significant step toward the development of quantum communications systems by successfully transferring quantum information from two different groups of atoms onto a single photon.

RealOpt helps Health Departments halt outbreaks

20 September 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Imagine that a terrorist has just released the smallpox virus in Atlanta, and suddenly there's a race against time to vaccinate and treat every last man, woman and child in metro Atlanta before the deadly virus can spread. In a bioterror scenario such as this, the speed at which emergency health care facilities treat patients can mean the difference between life and death for thousands (or even millions) of people. And the logistics of such a large-scale emergency plan are dizzyingly complex.

Heat-controlled drug implants offer hope for future

13 September 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a material that may one day allow patients to forgo daily injections and pills and receive prescriptions instead through micro-thin implantable films that release medication according to changes in temperature. The research, detailing results from testing insulin release in the lab, appears in the September 13 edition of the journal, Biomacromolecules.

The search for a kinder, gentler chemotherapy

09 September 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Painful and damaging chemotherapy may one day be a thing of the past. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University have developed nano-sized particles that can target and trick cancer cells into absorbing them. Once inside, the particles may soon be able to deliver a pharmaceutical payload, killing the tumor from within and avoiding the destruction of healthy cells responsible for much of the damage caused by traditional chemotherapy. The research is published in the August 25 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Computational media blends new media & computing

08 September 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology In a unique joint effort, the College of Computing and the School of Literature, Communication and Culture in the Ivan Allen College have created a new degree designed to attract undergraduates with an interest in both the computational and creative side of new media, such as film, web, television, and games. The new Bachelor of Science in Computational Media, approved by the Board of Regents in June, is designed to provide solid computing and programming skills with a strong understanding of new media design. The program combines hands-on and theoretical knowledge of computing with an understanding of visual design and the history of media.

Digital files sought for Library's SMARTech System

08 September 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology A new system available through Georgia Tech's Library and Information Center seeks to preserve the vast quantity of digital files and intellectual output produced daily at the Institute. The Scholarly Materials And Research at Georgia Tech system allows faculty, staff and students to store a wide spectrum of useful data, including dissertations, theses, research papers, databases, large data sets and digital learning objects, on the library's servers.

Tiny writing: researchers develop improved method to produce nanometer-scale patterns

30 August 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have developed an improved method for directly writing nanometer-scale patterns onto a variety of surfaces. The new writing method, dubbed 'thermal dip pen nanolithography,' represents an important extension for dip pen nanolithography (DPN), an increasingly popular technique that uses atomic force microscopy (AFM) probes as pens to produce nanometer-scale patterns.

Cichlid fish are well known to biologists for their rapid rate of evolution

04 August 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology It's no secret that life in the 21st century moves at a rapid pace. Human inventions such as the Internet, mobile phones and fiber optic cable have increased the speed of communication, making it possible for someone to be virtually in two places at once. But can humans speed up the rate of one of nature's most basic and slowest processes, evolution? A study by J. Todd Streelman, new assistant professor of biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology suggests that humans may have sped up the evolutionary clock for one species of fish.

New Center for drug design, development & delivery

26 July 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The goals of the new center are to better integrate the multi-step process involved in creating new pharmaceuticals and to focus Georgia Tech's interdisciplinary efforts on helping industry bring new products to market. The effort involves more than 20 faculty members from six different academic areas at Georgia Tech.

Flight-mapping software attracts broad audience with its diverse capabilities

20 July 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The multimedia software displays aeronautical charts, satellite images and elevation maps along with overlay tools that, for example, mark no-fly zones and ground obstructions. Originally designed for the U.S. Air Force's F-16 (known as the Fighting Falcon), FalconView has been adopted by a wide variety of aircraft and spread throughout other branches of the U.S. military. Most recently, it was enhanced for the Army's use.

High-tech tool improves incident planning & response for emergency management officials

16 July 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology In its most significant deployment to date, the Geographic Tool for Visualization and Collaboration developed by the Georgia Tech Research Institute proved its usefulness during the G-8 Summit of world leaders at Sea Island, Ga., in June 2004. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency, which is funding GTVC development and deployment, made the tool available to state and federal law enforcement agencies during the event to coordinate their combined resources and responses in real time.

Professor pedals across Iowa to test benefits on Parkinson's Disease

16 July 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology This year's Pedaling for Parkinson's cycling team will be equally absorbed in the performance of its star team members, two Parkinson's disease patients from Atlanta, GA and San Jose, CA, as they make a 490-mile journey across Iowa, July 25-31, 2004 as part of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI).

Small not necessarily different - Researchers find nanosprings follow macro-rules

12 July 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and NASA suggest that materials on the nanoscale may sometimes be subject to the same physical rules as their macro-world counterparts. The findings provide an exception to the conventional scientific notion that objects small enough to be measured in nanometers (one-billionth of a meter) behave according to different rules than larger objects.

New research supports hypothesis that Ocean currents redistributed heat during rapid warming & cooling

24 June 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Authored by the University of Bremen's Frank Lamy and colleagues, the paper in the journal Science provides new evidence that Southern Hemisphere climate may not have changed in step with Northern Hemisphere climate. Though these new measurements of ocean surface temperature off Chile are consistent with information from Antarctic ice core samples, they still contradict measurements made on land in the Southern Hemisphere, suggesting additional research will be needed to resolve the issue.

Company prepares to launch innovative sensors based on Georgia Tech Research

21 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Maintaining large rotating equipment isn't easy or cheap. Take gas turbines used in power plants: Inspecting one of these behemoths for possible wear and tear costs about $500,000 in parts and labor. If companies skip on periodic checkups, they risk breakdowns averaging $4 million per incident.

Model shows long-held constant in Ocean nutrient ratio may vary

12 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The future of these plants, called phytoplankton, is important because they exist at the base of the marine food web and represent a large source of food for fish. Also, they affect global climate by using atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

Model shows long-held constant in Ocean nutrient ratio may vary

12 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The future of these plants, called phytoplankton, is important because they exist at the base of the marine food web and represent a large source of food for fish. Also, they affect global climate by using atmospheric carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

Soybeans may reduce risk of colon cancer

11 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology A substance found in soybeans may reduce the risk of colon cancer, the third most common form of cancer in the world according to the World Health Organization. Georgia Tech researcher Al Merrill, along with colleagues from Emory University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute, found that soy glucosylceramide was effective in reducing the formation and growth of tumor cells in the gastrointestinal tract in mice. The results are published in the May issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

Aging in place with technology

07 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Younger adults might cringe at the thought of being monitored in their homes by technology. Yet a new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology indicates that older adults are willing to give up some privacy, if it enables them to remain independent longer.

Researchers developing technology to detect hidden mold

07 May 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Hoping to develop a non-destructive and less expensive method than is now available to detect mold behind walls, Georgia Tech Research Institute scientists are collaborating with humidity control expert Lew Harriman of Mason-Grant Consulting in a two-year feasibility study primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Healthy Homes Initiative. The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute in Washington, D.C., and Munters Corporation in Norcross, Ga., are also providing funds for the study.

Adventurous probabilistic hardware to pave the way for faster computers with Energy savings

30 April 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Imagine using a cell phone for hundreds of hours without recharging it. In the hope of making this dream a reality, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have made a surprising discovery that may dramatically reduce power consumption of semiconductors while simultaneously increasing speed. The discovery of probabilistic bits or PBITS shows great promise for making a major impact on the semiconductor industry, which constantly seeks new generation designs and materials to increase processing speeds, reduce power consumption and sustain Moore's Law, the doubling of transistors every couple of years. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research arm of the U.S. Department of Defense, funded this research effort in relation with DARPA's Power Aware Computing and Communications program.

Researchers help standardize information systems for Plug and Play Power

15 April 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology In response, researchers at Georgia Tech's Manufacturing Research Center and the Georgia Tech Research Institute are working with the electronics-assembly industry to develop a family of international standards for interoperability.

Researchers develop manufacturing technology to produce electrical devices from carbon nanotubes

13 April 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Carbon nanotubes are a hexagonal network of carbon atoms rolled to form a seamless cylinder, a sort of 'chicken wire' lattice of graphite. 'This material has tremendous electrical, thermal and structural properties, however, few products utilizing CNTs have hit the commercial market,' says Jud Ready, a research engineer in Georgia Tech Research Institute's Electro-Optics, Environment and Materials Laboratory.

How to boost the efficiency of polymer organic light-emitting diodes

04 April 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology By combining the electrical properties of metals and semiconductors with the mechanical properties of plastics, these materials are poised to provide a foundation for new generations of flexible displays for computers and other devices. Until recently, however, many researchers believed these light-emitting polymers were limited in their efficiency, able to convert no more than 25 percent of their energy into light.

Polymer Libraries obtained with combinatorial techniques expedite design and testing of new materials

04 April 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology J. Carson Meredith, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has pioneered combinatorial synthesis and high-throughput screening in polymer science – techniques that allow researchers to create and evaluate thousands of polymeric materials in a single experiment. On April 1 at the American Chemical Society's 227th national meeting in Anaheim, Calif., Meredith presented recent advances in biomedical and electronic polymers.

Understanding gender differences in cartilage cells brings hope for better spinal disc repair

30 March 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Asking that question led the Georgia Institute of Technology professor and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar to collaborate with her colleagues in the development of several patent-pending technologies that may offer a significant improvement in the treatment of spinal disc damage and disease. The technologies are the basis for Boyan's startup company, which hopes to tap the $3-billion-a-year market for spinal disc repair.

Research explains how to boost efficiency of polymer organic light-emitting diodes Biasing spin statistics

30 March 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on pi-conjugated polymers offer significant advantages over other display materials. They are lightweight, flexible, easily tailored, operate on low voltages and can be deposited on large areas using simple techniques such as ink-jet printing or spin-coating. By combining the electrical properties of metals and semiconductors with the mechanical properties of plastics, these materials are poised to provide a foundation for new generations of flexible displays for computers and other devices. Until recently, however, many researchers believed these light-emitting polymers were limited in their efficiency, able to convert no more than 25 percent of their energy into light.

Composite fibers with carbon nanotubes offer improved mechanical & electrical properties

28 March 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Strong and versatile carbon nanotubes are finding new applications in improving conventional polymer-based fibers and films. For example, composite fibers made from single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and polyacrylonitrile – a carbon fiber precursor – are stronger, stiffer and shrink less than standard fibers. Nanotube-reinforced composites could ultimately provide the foundation for a new class of strong and lightweight fibers with properties such as electrical and thermal conductivity unavailable in current textile fibers.

Georgia Tech Study to gauge internet performance for computer end-users

26 March 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a technology to find out the how the Internet is performing from the 'regular' end-users' perspectives. With this information, they can design and develop network solutions to relieve these bottlenecks. To do this, they need volunteers for the NETI@home project, which stands for 'network intelligence.'

Seamless circular structures could be sensors, resonators & transducers for Nanoelectronics

26 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology The rings, complete circles formed by a spontaneous self-coiling process, could serve as nanometer-scale sensors, resonators and transducers, and provide a unique test bed for studying piezoelectric effects and other phenomena at the small scale. The nanorings join 'nanobelts' and 'nanosprings' in a family of zinc oxide structures produced by researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology using a high-temperature solid vapor process.

Field tests advance seismic landmine detection system

25 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology This seismic-wave system may prove itself more reliable than existing electromagnetic-wave techniques used in metal detectors and ground-penetrating radars. Although metal detectors and GPRs can locate mines successfully, they have more trouble locating the small, plastic anti-personnel mines that have become more prevalent. Metal detectors and GPRs can also be confused by ground clutter, rocks, sticks or scraps of metal, sometimes resulting in many false alarms.

New study shows how African-American Ph.D. Chemists overcame discrimination

18 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology 'Regardless of the experiences they had, these people had remarkably positive feelings about chemistry,' said Willie Pearson, Jr., the study's author and chair of the School of History, Technology and Society at the Georgia Institute of Technology. 'If they had it to do all over again, they would still see chemistry as an attractive field.'

What the next generation of speech recognizers will be able to do

18 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology When the motion picture '2001: A Space Odyssey' opened in 1968, that conversation between a stranded astronaut and a malevolent computer named HAL seemed plausible for the year 2001, then more than three decades in the future.

Fabrication technique uses light-activated molecules to create complex microstructures

18 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Known as 'two-photon 3D lithography,' the technique could compete with existing processes for fabricating microfluidic devices, photonic bandgap structures, optical storage devices, photonic switches and couplers, sensors, actuators, micromachines - and even scaffolds for growing living tissue.

New study quantifies financial fallout from supply-chain malfunctions

01 February 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology A shortage of parts or other production and supply problems that delay production and shipping can take a big bite from a company's bottom line, according to a new study by Vinod Singhal, professor of operations management at the Georgia Institute of Technology's DuPree College of Management, and Kevin Hendricks, associate professor of operations management at the University of Western Ontario.

Georgia Tech Engineers test new flare decoys on military aircraft

23 January 2004 - Georgia Institute of Technology Because these missiles vary in their schemes for rejecting decoys, researchers are trying to develop a one-size-fits-all flare pattern. They are running thousands of computer simulations to examine as many flare pattern combinations as possible. Then they test the best ones in the field.

Vision system automates analysis of bee activity for insight into biologically inspired robot design

09 December 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology The animal movement analysis system is part of the BioTracking Project, an effort conducted by Georgia Institute of Technology robotics researchers led by Tucker Balch, an assistant professor of computing. 'We believe the language of behavior is common between robots and animals,' Balch said. 'That means, potentially, that we could videotape ants for a long period of time, learn their 'program' and run it on a robot.'

Synthetic jet & droplet atomization technologies meet broad range of electronic cooling needs

28 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology The patented technologies, synthetic jets that rely on trains of turbulent air puffs and a system that uses vibration to atomize cooling liquids such as water, were developed by Professor Ari Glezer and co-workers at the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering. The pair of technologies has been licensed to Atlanta-based company Innovative Fluidics, which will use them to meet a broad range of electronics cooling needs.

Digital imaging system catches bad sandwich buns

24 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology The first phase of the work is introducing continuous imaging technology to the large-scale production of sandwich buns for fast-food restaurants, which hold to exacting product specifications.

Life under the sea

20 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Hay's team will use its experience in marine ecology and chemical ecology to investigate how grazers, specifically parrotfish and surgeonfish, affect seaweeds and corals in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Using Aquarius gives Hay and his colleagues an ideal platform from which to set up their experiments and to make observations.

Report describes progress in developing microneedles for painless drug & vaccine delivery

18 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology The paper describes research at the Georgia Institute of Technology on fabricating hollow and solid microneedles in a variety of sizes and shapes from metals, biodegradable polymers, silicon and glass. It also reports on testing with cadaver skin and animals that demonstrates the ability of the micron-scale needles to deliver proteins, nanoparticles, and both small and large molecules through the skin.

Researchers return to Antarctica in pursuit of elusive scientific mystery

17 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology It is to be the first of two expeditions to the South Pole region that will provide data for the four-year, $1.8 million Antarctic Tropospheric Chemistry Investigation, a grant funded by the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. Ten other institutions are involved in the project, including major involvement by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado plus contributions from researchers at the University of California, Irvine and NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, among others. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research under primary sponsorship by the National Science Foundation.

Dog-on-a-Chip could replace drug-sniffing canines

07 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Police dogs across the country could soon be out of work, replaced by an electronic 'dog-on-a-chip' that sniffs out cocaine and other narcotics. Scientists at Georgia Tech have created a new detection tool that is portable, inexpensive, and doesn't require feeding or grooming. They say it is superior to previous 'electronic noses' designed for this purpose.

Helping firefighters with virtual reality technology

03 November 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Each year more than 3,900 people die from fires, and property loss due to fire totals more than $9.6 billion, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Tragically, firefighters too often lose their lives in the line of duty. On average about 102 firefighters die each year, about a 7 percent increase in deaths since 1990 (U.S. Fire Administration, FEMA). Consequently, firefighters need the best training possible to react to these emergencies in the most effective way.

Helical nanostructures could be actuators & transducers in future nanosystems

19 October 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Dubbed 'nanosprings,' the new structures have piezoelectric and electrostatic polarization properties that could make them useful in small-scale sensing and micro-system applications.

Bird's eye view of the battlefield

19 October 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Now a Georgia Tech Research Institute project is developing a novel way for small ground units to see past obstacles. Called the 'reconnaissance round,' it would let soldiers use small artillery weapons almost like a periscope. They could fire skyward a device that transmits images of nearby terrain back to a laptop computer, which is standard equipment now among infantry units.

Helical piezoelectric 'nanosprings' could be actuators & transducers in nanosystems

16 October 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new class of nanometer-scale structures that spontaneously form helical shapes from long ribbon-like single crystals of zinc oxide (ZnO). Dubbed 'nanosprings,' the new structures have piezoelectric and electrostatic polarization properties that could make them useful in small-scale sensing and micro-system applications.

Bridging the Worlds of Science and Policy

15 October 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Two months ago computer scientist Giovanni Iachello, nuclear engineer Diane Norris, and physicist Jacob Sauer didn't know each other, but now they debate each week over the latest international policy and security issues in a weekly seminar of the Sam Nunn Security Program at Georgia Tech. Iachello, Norris and Sauer, members of the first class of 10 fellows in the Nunn Security Program, are learning about international security and policy issues related to the technologies they research and develop. The purpose of the Sam Nunn Security Program is to bring together technologists and scientists with international policy experts to learn about these bigger issues so they will have a better understanding of how their technologies affect the world at-large.

Unique two-part process helps remove sources of contaminants

19 September 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology The patent-pending technique, which uses a macroemulsion composed of alcohol and food-grade surfactants, simultaneously reduces the density of the pollutant – to keep it from sinking farther into the groundwater, and helps separate it from soil particles so it can be flushed out. Known as 'density modified displacement,' the approach could cut the cost of environmental remediation by reducing both the time required for clean up and the amount of contaminated effluent that must be treated.

Technique creates patterns in unique crystals formed from hydrogel nanoparticles

10 September 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology In related work, the Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have also learned to use weak attractive forces between the soft spheres to produce uniform crystalline structures with particle concentrations much lower than possible with hard spheres. The developments were described September 10th at the 226th national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New York.

Current gentrification in Atlanta contrasts sharply to previous waves of urban restoration

05 September 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology 'In addition to displacement, resurgent gentrification also raises issues about changes in political power, at both the neighborhood level and throughout the city,' said Larry Keating, professor of city and regional planning at Georgia Tech's College of Architecture. Keating presented a paper, 'Resurgent Gentrification: Politics and Policy in Atlanta,' at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting held Aug. 16-19 in Atlanta.

Take a closer look as Mars approaches Earth

20 August 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Throughout August 2003, the Red Planet has appeared bigger and brighter in the night sky as its orbit brings it closer to Earth. But at 5:51AM Aug. 27, Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been at any time in the past 59,000 years, said Jim Sowell, an astronomer and physicist at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Ergonomically superior interface for International Company

10 August 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Jeffrey M. Gerth, a senior research scientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, has been working with DEK, an international machine manufacturer headquartered in Weymouth, England. Gerth's mission: to improve the user interface on screen printers that DEK produces for the circuit-board and electronics-assembly industries worldwide.

World's fastest detailed computer simulations of the Internet

07 August 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created the fastest detailed computer simulations of computer networks ever constructed, simulating networks containing more than 5 million network elements. This work will lead to improved speed, reliability and security of future networks such as the Internet, according to Professor Richard Fujimoto, lead principal investigator of the DARPA-funded project.

Optical control technique could enable microfluidic devices powered by surface tension

05 August 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Existing microfluidic devices, also known as 'labs-on-a-chip,' use tiny channels or pipes etched into silicon or other substrate material to manipulate very small volumes of fluid. Such 'micropipe' devices are just beginning to appear on the market.

Lowering salt content in DNA solutions may improve gene therapy success

28 July 2003 - Georgia Institute of Technology Scientists are seeking to understand the natural mechanism of DNA condensat