Emerging Technologies
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September 16, 2022
The medicinal properties of cannabis have been recognized for centuries, and it has been used informally in traditional Chinese and Indian medicines, and more recently in western cultures without medical approval, to treat a wide range of symptoms. Over the last decade, interest in the medicinal benefits of cannabis has started to garner attention, and consequently there has been an increase in research to provide evidence of these medical effects (1).
Many western countries, including the United States, Canada and Germany now allow the medical use of cannabis. In Germany, cannabinoid medications prescribed by a physician to patients with severe diseases and no alternative treatment options are covered by health insurance (2).
The principal cannabinoid compounds derived from the cannabis plant are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and
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August 13, 2022
A 2017 study(1) estimates that up to 2.41 million tons of plastic enters the ocean via rivers every year, but if one includes all land-based sources of plastic, the total amount of plastic entering the oceans each year could be higher than 12 million tons(2). One of the biggest hurdles to solving the marine plastics problem is that no matter how fast we remove it from our oceans and beaches, there is a steady flow entering the oceans every day. In order to make any headway, we need to not only tackle the plastic that is already in the ocean, we also need to eradicate plastic pollution at the source to prevent it from getting into the ocean in the first place. Scientists have now created a super-powered mutant enzyme that is designed to quickly degrade plastic into components suitable for reuse, which could be a game-changer.
A team of US engineers and scientists have developed an enzyme that can break down notoriously long-lived plastics within
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July 13, 2022
Marine plastic debris is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Plastics are found in all corners of the world’s ocean, from the surface down to the seabed, and pollutes even the most remote beaches all across the world. Because plastic is so durable, it doesn’t simply break down in the environment, but rather slowly disintegrates into tiny bits of plastic which float on the surface or are suspended in the water column before finally sinking to the seafloor where they accumulate over time.
These plastic particles, known as microplastics, are often ingested by marine animals and seabirds who mistake them for food. As higher predators inadvertently ingest microplastics found inside all the prey they eat, this can quickly accumulate. Since the plastic is not easily digested, the digestive system can become clogged up with microplastic. This causes the animal to feel full, and so it stops feeding and slowly starves to death.
While several innovative technologies
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November 12, 2021
Cancer is considered one of the world’s most serious illnesses. In 2021, the United States alone is expected to see 1,898,160 new cancer cases. As more people develop cancer, expenditures are projected to rise in the coming years, because cancer cannot be cured with a single, universal treatment, as it is characterized by a plethora of types and genetic mutations. Current standard care, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can successfully treat cancer, but not without side effects. Presently, when doctors use these methods, healthy tissues that aren’t cancerous are affected and tend to lead to unintended complications.
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October 13, 2021
Traditional wastewater treatment methods are costly and struggling to keep up with increasing demands on freshwater resources. Innovations in nanobubble technology take advantage of the unique properties of tiny bubbles to provide water treatment solutions.
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March 09, 2021
Summary
Household plastic waste is an increasing global problem as the annual supply of new plastics greatly outweighs their rate of biodegradation or recycling. Discovery of a new enzyme from plastic-eating bacteria, may hold the key for improving plastic recycling and reducing the amount of plastic waste in our environment.
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June 24, 2020
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging technique that uses light scattering to show cross-sections of a 3D object (1). OCT has a resolution between 1 - 15 µm, which is about two orders of magnitude finer than traditional ultrasound (2). While this technique was originally developed for examining the human eye, OCT was quickly adapted to other areas of medicine and industry, including powerful applications in membrane technology (2, 3).
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May 15, 2020
Sterlitech now offers five different bench-scale crossflow cell assemblies to meet your specific, experimental needs. In addition to the rectangular crossflow cells, the Innovator CF016, the Explorer CF042, and the Developer Sepa, the two, new circular designed CF047 and CF090 cells are rounding out the product line. Both have a 316 stainless steel cell body, maximum operating pressure of 69 bar (1000 psig) at 22°C, (71.6°F), and a maximum operating temperature of 150°C (302°F). Available in two sizes, the cells will assist researchers in scaling up to larger membranes.
Pioneer CF047
Active membrane area: 14.6 sq. cm
Researcher CF090
Active membrane area: 53.0 sq. cm
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May 15, 2020
The Rocker Lafil 200 vacuum suction system integrates a vacuum source with a 4L waste bottle and suction kit, saves 50% space and is ideal for large volume cell culture aspiration and reduces the number of times you have to empty the waste bottle.
The Rocker Lafil 100 system is great for smaller volume cell culture aspiration. This system allows users to efficiently draw washing solutions from microplates, supernatant after centrifugation, or media from cell culture.
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April 13, 2020
Preventing the spread of COVID- 19 is the priority for many. As we begin circulating actively again within the general public, taking measures to limit contamination is a big concern. This is especially true for those in high risk environments or occupations such as grocery store clerks, pharmacy workers, and other essential industries where avoiding contact is basically impossible.