ScienceDaily: Microarray News

Breakthrough allows fast, reliable pathogen identification

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:33:33 EDT

Researchers may have developed a way to quickly and reliably diagnose life-threatening bacterial infections and pinpoint the right antibiotics to clear the infections.

Testing artificial photosynthesis: Fully integrated microfluidic test-bed for solar-driven electrochemical energy conversion systems

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:32:32 EDT

Researchers have developed the first fully integrated microfluidic test-bed for evaluating and optimizing solar-driven electrochemical energy conversion systems. This test-bed system has already been used to study schemes for photovoltaic electrolysis of water, and can be readily adapted to study proposed artificial photosynthesis and fuel cell technologies.

Detecting disease with a smartphone accessory

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:39:39 EDT

Engineers have created a new optical sensor that plugs in to a smartphone and, using disposable microfluidic chips, allows for inexpensive in-the-field diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma, a cancer linked to AIDS.

New single virus detection techniques for faster disease diagnosis

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:13:13 EDT

Two independent teams have developed new optics-based methods for determining the exact viral load of a sample by counting individual virus particles. These new methods are faster and cheaper than standard tests and they offer the potential to conduct the measurements in a medical office or hospital instead of a laboratory.

Single-cell transfection tool enables added control for biological studies

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:22:22 EDT

Researchers have developed a novel tool for single-cell transfection, in which they deliver molecules into targeted cells through temporary nanopores in the cell membrane created by a localized electric field.

Non-wetting fabric that drains sweat invented

Mon, 20 May 2013 16:36:36 EDT

Waterproof fabrics that whisk away sweat could be the latest application of microfluidic technology developed by bioengineers.

New measurement tool is on target for the fast-growing MEMS industry

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

As markets for miniature, hybrid machines known as MEMS grow and diversify, researchers have introduced a long-awaited measurement tool that will help growing numbers of device designers, manufacturers and customers to see eye to eye on eight dimensional and material property measurements that are key to device performance.

Microelectronics: Taking the heat off microfluidic chips

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:23:23 EDT

Replacing a high-temperature processing technique with an infrared treatment allows the manufacture of tiny devices without damaging the polymer components.

World's first microfluidic device for rapid separation and detection of non-spherical bioparticles

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:44:44 EDT

A bioengineering research team has developed a novel microfluidic device for efficient, rapid separation and detection of non-spherical bioparticles.

Research could improve heat dissipation in 3-D systems

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:11:11 EDT

Researchers have won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop three-dimensional chip-cooling technology able to handle heat loads as much as ten times greater than systems commonly used today.

Cell on a chip reveals protein behavior: In the future, artifical cells may produce complex protein structures on demand

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:30:30 EDT

For years, scientists around the world have dreamed of building a complete, functional, artificial cell. Though this vision is still a distant blur on the horizon, many are making progress on various fronts. Researchers in Israel recently took a significant step in this direction when they created a two-dimensional, cell-like system on a glass chip.

Creating indestructible self-healing circuits

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:39:39 EDT

Engineers, for the first time ever, have developed self-healing integrated chips.

'NanoVelcro' device to grab single cancer cells from blood: Improvement enables 'liquid biopsies' for metastatic melanoma

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 09:22:22 EST

Researchers have refined a method they previously developed for capturing and analyzing cancer cells that break away from patients' tumors and circulate in the blood. With the improvements to their device, which uses a Velcro-like nanoscale technology, they can now detect and isolate single cancer cells from patient blood samples for analysis.

Ultrahigh-definition TV: New Quad HD TV chip developed

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 12:34:34 EST

It took only a few years for high-definition televisions to make the transition from high-priced novelty to ubiquitous commodity -- and they now seem to be heading for obsolescence just as quickly. Several manufacturers have recently debuted new ultrahigh-definition, or UHD, models (also known as 4K or Quad HD) with four times the resolution of today's HD TVs.

Building a biochemistry lab on a chip

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 13:20:20 EST

Miniaturized laboratory-on-chip systems promise rapid, sensitive, and multiplexed detection of biological samples for medical diagnostics, drug discovery, and high-throughput screening. Using micro-fabrication techniques and incorporating a unique design of transistor-based heating, researchers are further advancing the use of silicon transistor and electronics into chemistry and biology for point-of-care diagnostics.

Microchip moves information around in 3-D: From left to right, back to front, and up and down

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:24:24 EST

Scientists have created, for the first time, a new type of microchip which allows information to travel in three dimensions. Currently, microchips can only pass digital information in a very limited way -- from either left to right or front to back.

'Nanotubes on a chip' may simplify optical power measurements

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:13:13 EST

A novel chip-scale instrument made of carbon nanotubes may simplify absolute measurements of laser power, especially the light signals transmitted by optical fibers in telecommunications networks.

Quantum communication: Each photon counts

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 10:40:40 EST

Ultrafast, efficient, and reliable single-photon detectors are among the most sought-after components in photonics and quantum communication, which have not yet reached maturity for practical application. Physicist have now, however, achieved a decisive breakthrough by integrating single-photon detectors with nanophotonic chips. The detector combines near-unity detection efficiency with high timing resolution and has a very low error rate.

World's most complex 2-D laser beamsteering array demonstrated

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:33:33 EST

Researchers have recently demonstrated the most complex 2-D optical phased array ever.

New biochip technology uses tiny whirlpools to corral microbes

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 12:29:29 EST

Researchers have demonstrated a new technology that combines a laser and electric fields to create tiny centrifuge-like whirlpools to separate particles and microbes by size, a potential lab-on-a-chip system for medicine and research.

New design for basic component of computer chips: Researchers demonstrate record-setting p-type transistor

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 16:18:18 EST

Almost all computer chips use two types of transistors: one called p-type, for positive, and one called n-type, for negative. Improving the performance of the chip as a whole requires parallel improvements in both types. Researchers have presented a p-type transistor with the highest "carrier mobility" yet measured. By that standard, the device is twice as fast as previous experimental p-type transistors and almost four times as fast as the best commercial p-type transistors.

Scientists create nanoscale window to biological world

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:33:33 EST

Researchers have invented a way to directly image biological structures at their most fundamental level and in their natural habitats.

Pocket test measures fifty things in a drop of blood

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:26:26 EST

A new device about the size of a business card could allow health care providers to test for insulin and other blood proteins, cholesterol, and even signs of viral or bacterial infection all at the same time —- with one drop of blood.

Cream of the crop: Sandwich chips combining the best of two technologies

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:17:17 EST

Two Leibniz institutes broke new technological ground and successfully combined their -- up to now separate -- technology worlds. Due to their high performance, the novel chips developed within the HiTeK project promise to open up new applications.

Nanoscale impulse radar measures depth of snow and ice for alpine ski slopes

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:13:13 EST

Snow is the be-all and end-all for alpine ski resorts. Now a tiny sensor has been developed to determine how much cold gold there is on the slopes and how much more should be produced. The sensor is based on Norwegian radar technology and is no larger than a match head.

Can your smartphone see through walls? Engineers make tiny, low-cost, terahertz imager chip

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 12:04:04 EST

Researchers have created tiny silicon microchips that could help people see through walls, luggage, sealed boxes and containers, and other objects. The new chips generate terahertz waves that have the ability to penetrate materials with none of the harmful affects of X-rays.

Copper, gold and tin for efficient chips

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:18:18 EST

With gold, copper or tin and special galvanizing processes, scientists are improving the function of semi-conductors and making the manufacture of microelectronic systems a child‘s play. Especially the LED industry could profit from this.

Low-cost, finger-nail sized radar

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 09:27:27 EST

Researchers have squeezed radar technology into a low-cost fingernail-sized chip package that promises to lead to a new range of distance and motion sensing applications. The novel device could have important uses in the automotive industry, as well as mobile devices, robotics and other applications.

Antenna-on-a-chip rips the light fantastic

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:11:11 EST

A lab produces a micron-scale spatial light modulator like those used in sensing and imaging devices, but with the potential to run orders of magnitude faster.

Catch and release of rare cancer cells inspired by jellyfish

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 17:13:13 EST

A research team has developed a novel device that may one day have broad therapeutic and diagnostic uses in the detection and capture of rare cell types, such as cancer cells, fetal cells, viruses and bacteria.

Medical devices powered by the ear itself

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:17:17 EST

For the first time, researchers power an implantable electronic device using an electrical potential -- a natural battery -- deep in the inner ear.

New portable device enables RNA detection from ultra-small sample in only 20 minutes

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 20:00:00 EST

A new power-free microfluidic chip enables detection of microRNA from extremely small sample volume in only 20 minutes. By drastically reducing the time and quantity of sample required for detection, the chip lays the groundwork for early-stage point-of-care diagnosis of diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer's.

Human disease modeled in an organ-on-a-chip; 'Lung-on-a-chip' sets stage for next wave of research to replace animal testing

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 14:10:10 EST

Researchers have mimicked pulmonary edema in a microchip lined by living human cells. They used this "lung-on-a-chip" to study drug toxicity and identify potential new therapies to prevent this life-threatening condition. The study offers further proof-of-concept that human "organs-on-chips" hold tremendous potential to replace traditional approaches to drug discovery and development.

Measuring molecules with the naked eye: Chemists' innovation may be a better model for disease diagnostic kits

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 10:09:09 EDT

A new "lab on a chip" reveals the presence of ultra-low concentrations of a target molecule to the naked eye. This model for diagnostic testing could mean point-of-care results displayed visually for diseases that involve very subtle shifts in the bloodstream.

Research team develops single-crystal pump for miniaturized DNA forensics

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:20:20 EDT

A research team has developed a new type of micro pump that can be used in forensic DNA profiling. The pump represents a giant leap in miniaturization.

Eco-friendly optics: Spider silk's talents harnessed for use in biosensors, lasers, microchips

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 12:40:40 EDT

Spiders use their silk to catch lunch. Now physicists are using it to catch light. New research shows that natural silk could be an eco-friendly alternative to more traditional ways of manipulating light, such as through glass or plastic fiber optic cables.

Acoustic cell-sorting chip may lead to cell phone-sized medical labs

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:19:19 EDT

A technique that uses acoustic waves to sort cells on a chip may create miniature medical analytic devices that could make Star Trek's tricorder seem a bit bulky in comparison, according to experts.

Ultra fast optical amplifier: Silicon and erbium on one chip for the first time

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 09:25:25 EDT

Within optical microchips, light finds its way through channels, waveguides, made of silicon. Light from a glass fiber, for example, is led through a structure of optical channels with splitters and couplers. Silicon is the workhorse for this, but it is still passive conduction of light, with some losses as well. To be able to amplify the signal, or even to include a light source on the chip, extra steps are necessary. Other types of semiconductors, like Gallium Arsenide, are an option. But materials doped with the rare earth material erbium have good amplification properties as well.

Optical waveguide connects semiconductor chips: Photonic wire bond transmits data in the terabit range

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 08:25:25 EDT

A team of researchers has succeeded in developing a novel optical connection between semiconductor chips. "Photonic wire bonding" reaches data transmission rates in the range of several terabits per second and is suited perfectly for production on the industrial scale. In the future, this technology may be used in high-performance emitter-receiver systems for optical data transmission and, thus, contribute to reducing energy consumption of the internet.

Built-in germanium lasers could make computer chips faster

Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:24:24 EDT

Researchers have investigated how they could make the semiconductor germanium emit laser light. As a laser material, germanium together with silicon could form the basis for innovative computer chips in which information would be transferred partially in the form of light. This technology would revolutionize data streaming within chips and give a boost to the performance of electronics.

The pocket radar: Thumbtack-sized distance and motion sensor developed

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 07:23:23 EDT

Today’s parking assistant systems enable drivers to safely park their cars even in the narrowest of gaps. Such sophisticated parking aids require millimeter precision control and rely on precise all-around radar distance measurement. Researchers have now succeeded in integrating the necessary radar technology into millimeter-sized chip housings.

Laser beam as a '3-D painter' to grow biological tissue or to create micro sensors

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 07:41:41 EDT

With laser beams, molecules can be fixed at exactly the right position in a three dimensional material. The new method can be used to grow biological tissue or to create micro sensors.

'DNA wires' could help physicians diagnose disease

Sun, 19 Aug 2012 15:37:37 EDT

Scientists have found that Mother Nature uses DNA as a wire to detect the constantly occurring genetic damage and mistakes that can result in diseases like cancer. DNA wires are potentially useful in identifying people at risk for certain diseases.

Microswimmers: Micron-scale swimming robots could deliver drugs and carry cargo using simple motion

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 09:39:39 EDT

Researchers have used complex computational models to design micro-swimmers that could overcome the challenges of swimming at the micron scale. These autonomous micro-robots could carry cargo and navigate in response to stimuli such as light.

Photonics: Sensing on the way

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 15:03:03 EDT

Hollow optical fibers containing light-emitting liquids hold big promises for biological sensing applications.

Micro-copier for genome analysis

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 09:46:46 EDT

A new method holds promise to advance personalized medicine. Scientists can now copy 100,000 different DNA sequences simultaneously in a so called picowell array the size of a one cent coin.

World's smallest semiconductor laser created

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:21:21 EDT

Physicists have developed the world's smallest semiconductor laser, a breakthrough for emerging photonic technology with applications from computing to medicine.

Paving the way to a scalable device for quantum information processing

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:50:50 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated for the first time a monolithic 3D ion microtrap array which could be scaled up to handle several tens of ion-based quantum bits. The research shows how it is possible to realize this device embedded in a semiconductor chip, and demonstrates the device's ability to confine individual ions at the nanoscale.

Chips with self-assembling rectangles: Complex microchip structures in one self-assembling step

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 11:29:29 EDT

Researchers have developed a new approach to creating the complex array of wires and connections on microchips, using a system of self-assembling polymers. The work could eventually lead to a way of making more densely packed components on memory chips and other devices.

Photonics: The smaller the better

Thu, 05 Jul 2012 13:33:33 EDT

Waveguides that combine metallic and semiconductor structures can be made more compact, experts say.

Lab-on-a-chip detects trace levels of toxic vapors in homes near Utah Air Force Base

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:38:38 EDT

A lab-on-a-chip technology that measures trace amounts of air contaminants in homes was successfully field-tested.

Rewriting quantum chips with a beam of light: Laser technique brings ultrafast computing closer to reality

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:43:43 EDT

The promise of ultrafast quantum computing has moved a step closer to reality with a technique to create rewritable computer chips using a beam of light. Researchers used light to control the spin of an atom's nucleus in order to encode information.

Microelectronics: Two at a time

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 10:18:18 EDT

A new design reduces the areal footprint of nanowire transistors by a factor of two. Scientists have now integrated two transistors onto a single vertical silicon nanowire, pushing the areal density limit of nanowire transistors even further.

A SMART(er) way to track influenza

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:23:23 EDT

Researchers have created a reliable and fast flu-detection test that can be carried in a first-aid kit. The novel prototype device isolates influenza RNA using a combination of magnetics and microfluidics, then amplifies and detects probes bound to the RNA. The technology could lead to real-time tracking of influenza.

BioChip may make diagnosis of leukemia and HIV faster, cheaper

Wed, 30 May 2012 10:40:40 EDT

Inexpensive, portable devices that can rapidly screen cells for leukemia or HIV may soon be possible thanks to a chip that can produce three-dimensional focusing of a stream of cells, according to researchers.

Ion-based electronic chip to control muscles: Entirely new circuit technology based on ions and molecules

Tue, 29 May 2012 11:35:35 EDT

An integrated chemical chip has just been developed. An advantage of chemical circuits is that the charge carrier consists of chemical substances with various functions. This means that we now have new opportunities to control and regulate the signal paths of cells in the human body. The chemical chip can control the delivery of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. This enables chemical control of muscles, which are activated when they come into contact with acetylcholine.

Making microscopic machines using metallic glass

Tue, 22 May 2012 08:45:45 EDT

A new manufacturing technology allows researchers to mass produce components for use in next-generation computer storage devices and disposable medical and chemical test kits.

Engineers use droplet microfluidics to create glucose-sensing microbeads

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:26:26 EDT

Tiny beads may act as minimally invasive glucose sensors for a variety of applications in cell culture systems and tissue engineering.

New silicon memory chip may offer super-fast memory

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:25:25 EDT

The first purely silicon oxide-based "resistive RAM" memory chip that can operate in ambient conditions -- opening up the possibility of new super-fast memory -- has now been developed.

Dip chip technology tests toxicity on the go

Mon, 14 May 2012 13:42:42 EDT

Researchers have developed a portable "dip chip" that detects water toxicity quickly and accurately. Once perfected, the chip might be plugged into ordinary smartphones or PDA devices to provide a toxicity alert.