Archive for September, 2006

Engineering Cell Replicas

Posted by Kristen Farole on September 21st, 2006 | 1 Comment »

cells
(left to right) real cell, mold of real cell, artificial cell

Biomedical engineers at Brown University have created a plastic replication of cells using a two step molding process. The result: a copy so authentic that the trained eye could not distinguish a difference.

Relying on Schwann cells (those covering nerve fibers and comprising the mylin sheath) preserved in chemicals, researchers formed a mold using a silicon coating process. This mold was in turn filled with silicon to produce a copy of the original Schwann cell.

When examined under a microscope, the length and height of both cells were identical, as were the bumps of the nucleus. Researchers will continue to study these Schwann cells to better understand how they direct nerve growth, with the hopes they could be used to regenerate nerves severed during accident or injury.

Image courtsey of Brown University

Filed under Society


Building for a Hurricane

Posted by Kristen Farole on September 19th, 2006 | 1 Comment »

While engineering advances have allowed for the construction of “hurricane proof” homes, such structures remain a rarity, even in the most vulnerable coastal areas of the United States. The reason: building homes that can withstand a Category 5 hurricane is prohibitively costly.

Kurt Gurley, associate professor of civil engineering at the University of Florida writes:

“There’s a cost associated with every degree of wind resistance. It can be done physically but it would be tremendously expensive.”

By definition, a Category 5 hurricane packs sustained winds of greater than 156 miles per hour, and storm surges in excess of 19 feet. Currently, few structures are built to withstand such forces, even in Miami-Dade County, considered one of the most hurricane prone regions in the country.

Estimates suggest that constructing homes to withstand such extreme enivornmental conditions could cost the homeowner an additional ten to twenty percent. And with only three Category 5 hurricanes making landfall in recorded history, such reinforcement is seldom deemed neccessary. Instead, many opt for the addition of storm shutters, viewed as a more economically viable alternative.

Image courtsey of www.noaa.gov

Filed under The Economy


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