University of British Columbia (UBC)

Early detection of lung cancer is vital for increasing a patient’s survival rate and to prescribe the best form of treatment. Now New York researchers have developed an early detection method involving a simple cheek swab. Called partial wave spectroscopic (PWS) microscopy, this new technique involves shining diffuse light on cells from the swab. The

Science fiction becomes reality. Worlds collide. At the end of each year, IBM examines market and societal trends expected to transform our lives, as well as emerging technologies from IBM’s global labs, to develop a multi-year forecast called The Next 5 in 5. IBM predicts that over the next five years technology innovations will change

Test for Gene Fusion Can Assist in the Early Detection of Prostate Cancer A new urine test can help aid early detection of and treatment decisions about prostate cancer, a study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology finds. The test supplements an elevated prostate specific antigen,

The novel ultra-thin two-dimensional polymer sheet, which is the organic analogue of graphene, heralds new opportunities for long lasting sodium rechargeable batteries Polymers, such as plastic and synthetic textiles, are very useful technological commodities that have revolutionised daily life and industries. A research team from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has successfully pushed the

New, High-Tech Microplasma Source Excites Matter in a Controlled and Efficient Way, and May Revolutionize How Archaeologists Date Objects in the Field A team of researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden has designed a microplasma source capable of exciting matter in a controlled, efficient way. This miniature device may find use in a wide range

Scientists have known for some time that dogfish sharks, like the one pictured up top, naturally produce a broad-spectrum antibiotic called squalamine in their livers. Now, new research into the cellular function of squalamine reveals how it also confers a broad-spectrum antiviralbenefit for the shark — one we humans could benefit from, as well. Many

Major energy savings of approximately 45% Daikin Reefer has unveiled new container refrigeration technology that meets carrier and shipper demands for low energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while providing precise cooling performance for chilled and frozen cargoes. One of the principal suppliers of container refrigeration machinery to the global container shipping and leasing industries,

The process could be scaled up for an industrial roll-to-roll manufacturing process A new “nano machine shop” that shapes nanowires and ultrathin films could represent a future manufacturing method for tiny structures with potentially revolutionary properties. The structures might be tuned for applications ranging from high-speed electronics to solar cells and also may have greater

Physicists from Bielefeld University have developed a new method of fabrication for ultrathin carbon membranes In the future, carbon nanomembranes are expected to be able to filter out very fine materials. These separating layers are ultrathin, consisting of just one layer of molecules. In the long term, they could allow to separate gases from one

A group of researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have discovered a stretchy miracle material that could be used to create highly resistant smart devices and scratch-proof paint for cars. Led by Dr Elton Santos from the University’s School of Mathematics and Physics, an international team of researchers have found superlubricity in a few layers of