The invention and its inventor

When Kary Mullis, Ph.D., first conceptualized the idea of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 1983 he immediately knew the technology would revolutionize life sciences research. The Nobel Foundation recognized the impact of the technique on biotechnology and medicine by awarding Dr. Mullis the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1993.

In this week's podcast, Dr. Mullis talks about how as a child the first inklings of scientific curiosity came to him on the back porch of his home, why he was so certain PCR would transform life science R&D even though some of his contemporaries seemed unimpressed, the limitations of today's approaches to carrying out scientific studies, and his current research project.

Sources : http://www.genengnews.com/blog/item.aspx?id=24

ASPEX Corporation – SEM & Elemental Analysis

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a powerful tool that allows scientists to study the surface and characteristic of the sample. ASPEX Corporation is established in 1992. ASPEX has expanded itself into a company that provides automated instrumentation, analytical services, consulting and training in the past 15 years. It is now offering SEM & Elemental Analysis solutions to help the customers to improve and enhance their works.

There are a variety of products and services ASPEX is offering. ASPEX SEM Scanning Electron Microscopy has higher throughput, performance, and quality. It is suitable and works well at harsh industrial environments. ASPEX has also won the R&D 100 award last year. One of the ASPEX SEM, JEMM Xtreme, was chosen by R&D Magazine for this award. The magazine editor marked ASPEX as “100 most technologically significant products of 2008”.

ASPEX also provides Micro Analysis Software for high magnification imaging and elemental compositional analysis. The system allows the customer to lower their cost and operating time with automated control software, statistical analysis and reporting tools, comprehensive data management and data integrity solutions, and FDA compliance features.

More Information : http://science.kukuchew.com/

Dave Warren - Inventor of the black box flight recorder

It was Dave Warren’s interest in the possibility of personally recording music that led to the invention of the world’s first flight recorder or ‘black box’.

Dave Warren was a research scientist at the Aeronautical Research Laboratory* (ARL) in Melbourne. In the mid-1950’s he was involved in the accident investigations related to the mysterious crash of the world’s first jet-powered commercial aircraft, the Comet. It occurred to Dave that it would be extremely useful if there had been a recording of what had happened in the aeroplane immediately prior to the crash. Dave then recalled the world’s first miniature recorder that he had recently seen at a trade fair. Suddenly he could visualise such a recorder placed in all aircraft, continually recording details and able to be recovered after a crash.

Back in Australia, plans were made for further development and production. However, a continuing lack of Australian support meant that, as the idea finally took off around the world, companies in other countries moved ahead with development, capturing the growing market.

It was only after the crash of a Fokker Friendship at Mackay (Queensland) in 1960 that the inquiry judge strongly recommended that black box flight recorders be installed in all airliners. Australia then became the first country in the world to make cockpit-voice recording compulsory.

Since that time, Dave Warren’s invention, the black box flight recorder, has been universally adopted as a means to investigate accidents and to prevent their recurrence. The black box flight recorder has more than proved itself with its significant contribution to international airline safety.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) - Improving Lives through Agricultural Science and technology

More than 800 million people go to sleep hungry every night. Of this number, 185 million are preschoolers who are very undernourished (malnourished). Families’ incomes are too little and food materials often run short. Rural populations— including farmers, herders, and fishers— need to raise their incomes by increasing their competitiveness.

Science and technology are levers for increasing agricultural productivity: increasing yields and protecting them from drought, animals, and disease; lowering costs; and improving food storage and food qualities. Funds in agricultural research and the development and application of a wide range of technologies speed up the discovery of solutions to agricultural problems.

USAID is proud of its role in ensuring that development assistance makes a difference in the lives of millions of farmers, fishers, herders, and other food producers around the world.

HERE ARE IS CHALLENGES:
 Attacking Poverty through Productivity
Ending hunger and poverty will require more than doubling the current efficiency of the land, labor, and water resources of agricultural producers in developing countries.

 Attracting Trade and Investment
Worldwide, levels of foreign trade and investment exceed $9 trillion annually. Linking to these flows of money and products enables developing countries to fund growth and enhance output.

 Improving Health through Food-Based Solutions
Improvements in food quality and quantity are crucial to ending starvation and reducing the high incidence of death, illness, and poor growth of children in developing countries.

 Investing in People
Today, scientific and technical capacity is the key to a nation’s ability to compete globally and direct the development of its human resources.

 Ending Famine
Famine is a completely preventable tragedy—with the right policies, including early warning systems, flexible response mechanisms, broad engagement from traditional and nontraditional donors, and sound policies in the countries most at risk.


USAID’s Commitment or Promise:
Over the next 20 years, USAID is committed to:
■ working with partners to expand global and domestic trade opportunities
■ improving the capacity of farmers and rural industries to act on them
■ promoting sustainable agriculture
■ mobilizing science and technology to reduce poverty and hunger
■ bridging the knowledge divides through training and education, outreach, and adaptive research