LabOnline Feature Articles

Convert mobile phones to data collectors for free

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:12:29 +0000

Mobile phones are on the verge of becoming powerful tools to collect data on many issues, ranging from global health to the environment.

Seeing previously invisible molecules

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:57:43 +0000

A new microscopic technique can reveal molecules with undetectable fluorescence - in colour.

Diagnosis emerges from complete sequencing of patient's genes

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:07:37 +0000

Scientists have used high-throughput DNA sequencing technology to diagnose a genetic disease by completely sequencing all of a patient’s genes.

How plants recognise their siblings

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:34:17 +0000

With no visible sensory markers, plants are able to recognise plants grown from the same mother. Plants exhibit less competitive behaviour towards their siblings than they do towards strangers.

Australian miniaturised microscopes make it big

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 01:01:27 +0000

Melbourne-based biotechnology company Optiscan has developed a dual high-definition, endomicroscopy endoscope using its miniaturised microscope technology.

Offended on behalf of all geeks

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:55:42 +0000

Media portrayal of the geek is unflattering and not conducive to encouraging students to take secondary and tertiary studies in science and technology fields.

Implications of genetic testing

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:13:32 +0000

Australia does not have any legislation in place to regulate how, and by whom, genetic test results can be used.

Detecting contaminants in water supplies

Tue, 01 Sep 2009 23:46:01 +0000

Two ORNL researchers have demonstrated that free-living microalgae combined with ‘work-around’ strategies can be used as broad-spectrum automated biosensor systems for continuous monitoring of source drinking water.

Bottling light

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:16:58 +0000

Light can be 'bottled' or confined to a very small space by controllably inserting light into a microscopic container surrounded by reflective walls.

New map of human genomic variations

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:17:23 +0000

Benchmarking copy number variations in healthy people will assist with diagnosis and studies of gene disorders.

Not all blood and tissue cells are created equal

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:57:18 +0000

Important questions have been raised about genetic research based only on blood samples with the discovery of major differences between BAK genes in blood cells and tissue cells coming from the same individuals.

Where there’s a wee there’s a way

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:06:52 +0000

Chemical analysis of the wastewater in 96 communities in Oregon has been used to map methamphetamine, cocaine and ‘ecstasy’ drug use. This methodology could be used as a proactive tool by health authorities.

A quicker, cheaper way to sort isotopes

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:40:59 +0000

Stanford chemists have developed a new method of isotopic analysis that does not use mass spectroscopy so it is much less expensive.

Gender equity in science

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:23:34 +0000

An international study involving more than half a million participants in 34 countries has revealed that 70% harbour implicit stereotypes associating science with males more than with females.

How many scientists fabricate and falsify research?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:04:27 +0000

Meta-analysis of surveys questioning scientists about their misbehaviours indicate that fraudulent research is more common than expected, especially in the medical and pharmaceutical fields.

Teaching bacteria to count

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:00:01 +0000

Fundamental biocomputing devices are on the horizon now that synthetic gene networks can give bacteria the ability to count.

A virologist's perspective on Influenza A (H1N1)

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:28:26 +0000

Soon after scientists first isolated influenza A type viruses from pigs in 1931 and humans in 1933, they watched it break evolutionary barriers with alarming ease — infecting not only humans, but also aquatic birds, poultry, pigs, horses, dogs and other species. Now, with an intensifying outbreak driven by the emergence of a new strain of influenza A(H1N1), scientists once again have a unique opportunity to study viral evolution in action.

Carbon nanotube can detect the entire visible spectrum

Mon, 04 May 2009 23:34:34 +0000

Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have created the first carbon nanotube device that can detect the entire visible spectrum of light, a feat that could soon allow scientists to probe single molecule transformations, study how those molecules respond to light, observe how the molecules change shapes, and understand other fundamental interactions between molecules and nanotubes.

Faster, better patent processing in Europe

Mon, 04 May 2009 03:12:11 +0000

Current patent data processing technologies are not up to present and future challenges with large bottlenecks holding up thousands of patent applications all over the world. In Europe, the PATExpert project is offering some solutions.

Moving the lab to the line

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 02:39:29 +0000

In the pharmaceutical industry and other manufacturing and processing industries, the traditional laboratory is being replaced with inline, atline and online monitoring. Processes can be adjusted in real time, resulting in higher quality and cost savings.