Page 5 - Emerging Technologies
-
October 11, 2018
Groundwater is a vital natural resource; it provides drinking, household, and irrigation water across the country and the world. Over half of the United States population relies on groundwater as their drinking water source.1 Unfortunately, in some geographical regions, groundwater supplies are at risk of depletion and contamination. Pollutants can originate from septic systems, landfills, underground oil and gas tanks, and various atmospheric contaminants. Emerging issues to assess in groundwater testing are the impacts of hydraulic fracturing, sea water intrusion, and microplastics accumulation.
In the US, organizations like the US Geological Survey (USGS) sample and analyze groundwater to monitor water availability and water quality. Scientists run tests on the physical, chemical, and microbiological characteristics of groundwater sources, and use this data to monitor and forecast how these factors might be impacted by increasing human consumption and climate change.
-
July 12, 2018
Water molecules are ubiquitous, vital, and may have the world’s most well-known chemical formula (H₂O). The properties of water are quite unique; its solid state is less dense than its liquid state, raising pressure lowers its melting point, and it exists as a liquid at room temperature despite low molecular mass. Even more unique is the water molecule’s ability to exist as two distinct nuclear configurations called spin isomers.
The two spin isomers of water molecules differ based on the direction of the nuclear spin of the two hydrogen nuclei. If the two hydrogen nuclei have parallel spins, the molecule is known as ortho-water. If the two hydrogen nuclei have opposite spins, the molecule is known as para-water. Water at room temperature always contains a mix of these two spin isomers and, until recently, it has been nearly impossible to study them separately.
Now a study co-authored by Stefan Willitsch at the University of Basel has successfully isolated the two forms of water and found
-
June 14, 2018
A recent study from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 9 of 10 people live in environments that expose them daily to elevated levels of air pollution.1 This contributes to staggering 7 million deaths a year from related diseases.1The danger is largely posed by fine particles less than 10 (PM10) and 2.5 (PM2.5) micrometers which may pass through the nose and extend beyond the heart and lungs to the brain and cause health problems; these can also affect the environment.1 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Method 201A is commonly used to monitor PM10, and PM2.5 for air quality control. Air is withdrawn through two sizing cyclones, and then collected on an EPA approved PTFE membrane filter. After a sample is obtained, gravimetric analysis is used to determine the particulate mass for each size fraction. The PM2.5 mass is determined by adding the mass of particulates captured on the PTFE filter and the ≤ 2.5 μm wash.2,3
Sterlitech is now offering PTFE PM2.5 membranes
-
May 08, 2018
Graphene oxide (GO) has made its way to more than 500 peer-reviewed journal articles in 2017, demonstrating a variety of membrane technology applications. Out of the 500 papers, about 80 have investigated the use of graphene oxide for filtration applications (Figure 1). Research on graphene oxide has been a rapidly growing field since 2012, when Nair et al. first demonstrated that GO membrane allows unimpeded permeation of water while blocking all other compounds in the vapor phase.1
Graphene oxide membranes have been extensively investigated for water desalination, oil-water separation, gas separation and pervaporation applications. This material is also being developed into commercial membrane products. G2O is a UK-based company with a patent to utilize graphene oxide membranes to separate oil from water. This technology is applied in the oil industry to create fresh water from seawater. G2O is currently working with a number of industry and innovation partners to scale up and bring
-
April 05, 2018
The Seq-Well protocol uses PCTE membranes in an innovative platform for rapid single-cell transcriptomics. This powerful tool in the world of clinical discovery offers a precise snapshot of cellular behavior.
As the product of a joint research venture between the Shalek and Love groups at MIT, this portable device combines single-cell sequencing with microfluidics technology. The system enables researchers to study RNA transcripts present in numerous individual cells at a given point in time. Thousands of cells undergo parallel RNA sequencing for thousands of genes, yielding large sets of data that indicate patterns in gene expression. For example, data collected by the developers of this technology has been used to implicate basal cellular heterogeneity in individual tuberculosis responses.1
In the Seq-Well system, a nanowell array captures single cells for sequencing. These wells are protected by a semipermeable membrane, which allows for lysis chemicals to pass through but retains the
-
March 09, 2018
Crystalline silica, most commonly found in the form of quartz, is a basic component of the earth; it’s found in soil, sand granite, and other minerals. During many industrial processes, crystalline silica is released as particles that are 100 times smaller than beach sand.1 Due to their size, these mineral particles cannot easily be cleared by human lungs. Instead, they persist in the respiratory system and form scar tissue, contributing to serious health problems for those experiencing prolonged exposure. The associated silicosis and other forms of cancer are a threat to workers in mining, construction, and other industrial trades.2
There is a global awareness of this seriousness of this issue, and the World Health Organization has published assessment documents detailing the negative health effects of exposure. Here in the US, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a Final Rule on Occupational Exposure to Respirable Crystalline Silica, to provide guidance
-
March 09, 2018
Sterlitech now offers transparent polyester track-etch (PETE) membrane filters with sufficient clarity to perform high resolution optical imaging through the membrane. The key attribute of this material is a special, low density pore structure that mitigates light diffusion and renders the filters highly translucent. Furthermore, the membrane has very uniform thickness and flat surfaces so tissue cultures lie in one focal plane. Our transparent PETE filters are available in the 0.4 µm pore size rating commonly used for cell cultures.
Track-etch membranes have a long history of use in tissue culture experimentation, including use in multiwell plates and cell culture inserts. These membranes can act as scaffolding to create physiological microenvironments promoting growth of attachment-dependent cell cultures. The pore structures in this material allow for nutrient and environmental access to both the free surface (apical) and attached surface (basolateral) of cells. The successful growth
-
November 10, 2017Environmental educators in Pensacola are acquainting kids with water filtration in a new, hands-on way. Instead of a class turtle, these students are raising baby oysters. This program is sponsored by the Pensacola Bay Oyster Company and supports a local nonprofit, the Bream Fisherman Association, in its efforts to educate a new generation on marine wildlife preservation. Students contribute to the efforts to expand oyster populations in Pensacola Bay by purchasing and raising baby oysters (spat). It is a challenging and rewarding task, as baby oysters are not easily cared for. They are sensitive to salinity and other environmental changes, and must be maintained in the proper environment 2 feet below the water’s surface. The juvenile oyster cages must be periodically monitored and cleaned. Only after nine months of attention are the oysters mature enough to be placed in reefs or farms.
-
September 07, 2017Leave it to Google to shine a light on our next generation of young scientists! As we start getting ready for the 2017 academic year, Sterlitech decided to look back at last year’s Google Science Fair awards. One group of clever kids caught our attention by winning the 2016 Scientific American Innovator Award with a subject near and dear to our hearts: filtration. They made filters from a unique source – waste Styrofoam packing!
-
July 06, 2017There’s no shortage of news stories on a tiny bacterium continuing to cause big trouble; Legionella. In a recent search of Google News, 1800 different stories from across the globe are revealed for June of this year when searched strictly against the term “Legionella.” Illustrations of how serious a threat is this bacterium can be are seen across the variety of the news stories; from people becoming infected after using contaminated showers in gyms, hotels, hospitals, to babies born in birthing pools, basic residential water supplies, and even a simple backyard garden hose. So, what is this nasty little microorganism, and why is it still causing trouble? To look closer, let’s revisit two newsletter stories Sterlitech originally published back in December 2010 and April 2011 respectively.