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Technology
Research Advances of 2004
Each year sees more researchers at work and
more research papers published than the last
-- the volume of scientific and technological
research has doubled every decade for the
past three centuries. |
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The
profusion of technology research in 2004 includes
notable advances in biotechnology, communications,
computing, engineering, energy, security, nanotechnology,
applied physics and the Internet.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology researchers use a wide range of natural
forces and clever tools to bend molecules to useful
ends.
This includes biomolecular engineering -- manipulating
DNA and biological molecules like proteins to carry
out computing, to sense other molecules, and to
construct materials molecule by molecule. One of
the most significant research advances of the year
was the development of a DNA
device that senses and attacks cancer cells
by researchers at the Weizmann Institute in Israel.
Biotechnology tools include microfluidic devices,
laser tweezers and sensors used for engineering
biological molecules, medical diagnostics, and security.
Biotechnology tools advances include a nanowire-based
biochip developed by Harvard University researchers
that detects single viruses , and a biochip developed
by University of Texas researchers that uses water
droplets as tiny test tubes.
Full
story
Briefs
Alcohol
fuel cell goes micro... LED
array turned into touch button... Coated
nanotubes make biosensors... Gestures
control true 3D display... Atom
demo fixes quantum errors... Virtual
turntable simplifies sharing... Molecular
motor goes both ways... Solar
cell teams plastic and carbon... DNA
makes and breaks particle clumps... Sapphire
steps shape nanotubes arrays
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