Innovations that defined the year
Sudhindra Haldodderi, Dec 27, 2016,
LOOKING BACK
Another spectacular year of discoveries and innovations is closing soon and we are getting ready to welcome the new year with hopes and expectations. At the time of chronicling major events of science and technology for the year 2016, one can see that there is a deluge of discoveries and achievements. For India, it is the year that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) that repeated its success saga with several launches, while the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) saw the launches of a few major Missiles including its coveted Agni-I, a surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) took off its Light Combat Helicopter and Light Utility Helicopter to the skies. These are just some of the developments that took place in the past year.
Across the world, there were thousands of innovations in science and technology that made a mark in 2016. Here are some of the innovations that made a splash:
Shape-shifting materials
This year, scientists have been able to develop materials that change their shape over the course of time and not due to an external trigger, as it usually is. This was seen in the work of Sergei Sheiko, a Materials scientist at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. He and his team were able to create an artificial blooming flower with petals that gradually opened, one by one.
This shape-shifting material can have wide applications in the medical world too, as it can be programmed to alter its shape after insertion into the human body. This technique can help implanting medical devices through noninvasive or minimally invasive surgery.
Diagnosing health with sweat
Doctors often ask for blood tests for diagnostic purposes as it is the sole live fluid which traverses through the entire body. During this course, it assimilates information about any metabolic changes. However, sometimes, taking blood samples through invasive techniques is painful. This need not be the case anymore as researchers have found out that sweat can also shed light on what is happening inside our body. Sweat is full of molecules that range from simple electrically charged ions to more complex proteins. Hence, doctors can use sweat to diagnose certain diseases or even uncover drug use.
In this light, John Rogers, a materials scientist and director of Northwestern University’s Centre for Bio-Integrated Electronics, USA, and his team have developed a thin, soft and flexible skin-mounted device to capture and analyse sweat. They embedded chemical sensors and other devices into a small soft, flexible silicone rubber disc that can easily stick to skin. This will collect and analyse sweat to check for key biomarkers or health markers.
The device uses ‘microfluidics’ to channel sweat drops and the process is similar to what microelectronics does with electrons. These measure specific biomarkers such as pH, lactate, chloride and glucose levels of the sweat drops. For example, the sweat sensor can show how people are responding to exercise. The new sensor can analyse sweat in real time. What makes this device unique is that it does not need any batteries to function. The researchers added that their technology could extend to other bodily fluids such as tears and saliva in future.
Better utility of spy satellites
As much as 20% of the world’s population relies on the Himalayan glaciers’ seasonal meltwater for various purposes including drinking water, agriculture and hydropower energy. Recent 3D imaging of the Himalayan glaciers revealed that it has been losing more ice than gaining. So, in order to monitor any changes, scientists are enlisting help in an unlikely source: the 20 US spy satellites that were used during the time of the Cold War.
These satellites will help scientists track environmental change in the Himalayas. With the data from these satellites, scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York and University of Utah, USA have created 3D images of the Himalayan glaciers. These satellite terrain maps provide the first consistent look at 40 years of glacier change across Asia's high-mountain
region.
A glacier may be losing mass for two reasons — it may be from melt or it may be getting less snow, year by year. By comparing the spy satellite images the scientists have estimated annual average mass loss (if melted to water) to be at least seven inches (0.18 metres) lost over the entire surface of each glacier.
Stay warm or cool with this
Rich nations spend a vast amount of money on energy consumption. Hence, scientists are focusing on improving building insulation and enabling ‘smart’ temperature controls to save energy. In this light, researchers found that it would be more prudent to provide individual heating or cooling than supplying power to cool an entire building. This lead to the ‘personal thermal management system’ being developed by Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University and his colleagues.
This is a new type of fabric that has been made using a plastic-based textile that allows the body to release heat in a new way. This allows the person to stay cool in hot climates and stay warm in cold climates more efficiently. The material used is a nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE), which has interconnected pores 50 to 1,000 nanometres in diameter. These pores allow infrared waves to pass through them.
Shanhui found that nanoPE materials allowed 96% of infrared radiation to pass through them. In contrast, cotton clothing only permits only 1.5% of infrared radiation to pass through. The new plastic-based material allows perspiration to evaporate like any other ordinary fabrics. If nanoPE material is woven into clothing, they could make the wearer feel at least two to three degrees Celsius cooler.
A thin water filter
Removing salt from sea water, though expensive, is the only reliable method available to meet our fresh water needs. Most of the desalination plants employ a process called reverse osmosis, where a large amount of pressure is applied to salt water to force it through a semi-permeable membrane. To force the water molecules through, one needs powerful pumps, which uses a lot of electricity.
However, the aerospace engineering company, Lockheed Martin has recently produced a desalination filter material to counter this. Called Perforene, it is made with a single sheet of graphene, which is often seen as the lightest material. The holes in the Perforene captures salt molecules that are only about 100 nm in diameter. It also 500 times thinner and much stronger than traditional filters. Hence, this filter needs less energy for pumping salt water through it.
Fighting blood cancers
Our immune system is specially designed to defend us against the virus attacks. At the time of crisis, it acts as a natural ‘weapon of mass destruction’. This system has several major cell types, including T cells. Medical researchers have found that these T cells can suppress the growth of cancer cells at times, without harming other healthy tissues. However, Cellectis — a French biotechnology company based in USA — has developed genetically manipulated T cells which can destroy leukaemia (a type of blood cancer) cells.
The researchers of this laboratory have isolated the T cells from blood cancer patients’ bloodstream and using a virus (the identity of which is not disclosed), added new DNA instructions to aim them at the type of blood cell that fights against leukaemia. By employing the techniques of genome editing, the genetically engineered cells are known to target and kill cancerous blood cells. This new treatment has now been tested on more than 300 blood cancer patients.
The year has not just ended with these inventions; there were many more such as robots that teach each other. With so many innovative and pioneering research having taken place this year, one cannot but hope for the same to take place in the coming year.
Across the world, there were thousands of innovations in science and technology that made a mark in 2016. Here are some of the innovations that made a splash:
Shape-shifting materials
This year, scientists have been able to develop materials that change their shape over the course of time and not due to an external trigger, as it usually is. This was seen in the work of Sergei Sheiko, a Materials scientist at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA. He and his team were able to create an artificial blooming flower with petals that gradually opened, one by one.
This shape-shifting material can have wide applications in the medical world too, as it can be programmed to alter its shape after insertion into the human body. This technique can help implanting medical devices through noninvasive or minimally invasive surgery.
Diagnosing health with sweat
Doctors often ask for blood tests for diagnostic purposes as it is the sole live fluid which traverses through the entire body. During this course, it assimilates information about any metabolic changes. However, sometimes, taking blood samples through invasive techniques is painful. This need not be the case anymore as researchers have found out that sweat can also shed light on what is happening inside our body. Sweat is full of molecules that range from simple electrically charged ions to more complex proteins. Hence, doctors can use sweat to diagnose certain diseases or even uncover drug use.
In this light, John Rogers, a materials scientist and director of Northwestern University’s Centre for Bio-Integrated Electronics, USA, and his team have developed a thin, soft and flexible skin-mounted device to capture and analyse sweat. They embedded chemical sensors and other devices into a small soft, flexible silicone rubber disc that can easily stick to skin. This will collect and analyse sweat to check for key biomarkers or health markers.
The device uses ‘microfluidics’ to channel sweat drops and the process is similar to what microelectronics does with electrons. These measure specific biomarkers such as pH, lactate, chloride and glucose levels of the sweat drops. For example, the sweat sensor can show how people are responding to exercise. The new sensor can analyse sweat in real time. What makes this device unique is that it does not need any batteries to function. The researchers added that their technology could extend to other bodily fluids such as tears and saliva in future.
Better utility of spy satellites
As much as 20% of the world’s population relies on the Himalayan glaciers’ seasonal meltwater for various purposes including drinking water, agriculture and hydropower energy. Recent 3D imaging of the Himalayan glaciers revealed that it has been losing more ice than gaining. So, in order to monitor any changes, scientists are enlisting help in an unlikely source: the 20 US spy satellites that were used during the time of the Cold War.
These satellites will help scientists track environmental change in the Himalayas. With the data from these satellites, scientists from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York and University of Utah, USA have created 3D images of the Himalayan glaciers. These satellite terrain maps provide the first consistent look at 40 years of glacier change across Asia's high-mountain
region.
A glacier may be losing mass for two reasons — it may be from melt or it may be getting less snow, year by year. By comparing the spy satellite images the scientists have estimated annual average mass loss (if melted to water) to be at least seven inches (0.18 metres) lost over the entire surface of each glacier.
Stay warm or cool with this
Rich nations spend a vast amount of money on energy consumption. Hence, scientists are focusing on improving building insulation and enabling ‘smart’ temperature controls to save energy. In this light, researchers found that it would be more prudent to provide individual heating or cooling than supplying power to cool an entire building. This lead to the ‘personal thermal management system’ being developed by Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University and his colleagues.
This is a new type of fabric that has been made using a plastic-based textile that allows the body to release heat in a new way. This allows the person to stay cool in hot climates and stay warm in cold climates more efficiently. The material used is a nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE), which has interconnected pores 50 to 1,000 nanometres in diameter. These pores allow infrared waves to pass through them.
Shanhui found that nanoPE materials allowed 96% of infrared radiation to pass through them. In contrast, cotton clothing only permits only 1.5% of infrared radiation to pass through. The new plastic-based material allows perspiration to evaporate like any other ordinary fabrics. If nanoPE material is woven into clothing, they could make the wearer feel at least two to three degrees Celsius cooler.
A thin water filter
Removing salt from sea water, though expensive, is the only reliable method available to meet our fresh water needs. Most of the desalination plants employ a process called reverse osmosis, where a large amount of pressure is applied to salt water to force it through a semi-permeable membrane. To force the water molecules through, one needs powerful pumps, which uses a lot of electricity.
However, the aerospace engineering company, Lockheed Martin has recently produced a desalination filter material to counter this. Called Perforene, it is made with a single sheet of graphene, which is often seen as the lightest material. The holes in the Perforene captures salt molecules that are only about 100 nm in diameter. It also 500 times thinner and much stronger than traditional filters. Hence, this filter needs less energy for pumping salt water through it.
Fighting blood cancers
Our immune system is specially designed to defend us against the virus attacks. At the time of crisis, it acts as a natural ‘weapon of mass destruction’. This system has several major cell types, including T cells. Medical researchers have found that these T cells can suppress the growth of cancer cells at times, without harming other healthy tissues. However, Cellectis — a French biotechnology company based in USA — has developed genetically manipulated T cells which can destroy leukaemia (a type of blood cancer) cells.
The researchers of this laboratory have isolated the T cells from blood cancer patients’ bloodstream and using a virus (the identity of which is not disclosed), added new DNA instructions to aim them at the type of blood cell that fights against leukaemia. By employing the techniques of genome editing, the genetically engineered cells are known to target and kill cancerous blood cells. This new treatment has now been tested on more than 300 blood cancer patients.
The year has not just ended with these inventions; there were many more such as robots that teach each other. With so many innovative and pioneering research having taken place this year, one cannot but hope for the same to take place in the coming year.
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