Research and Technology


New Technology Prevents Flies from Maturing

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a new insect growth regulator that helps combat house flies that spread harmful bacteria to food.

Drinking Water Distillation System Offers a Solution During Disasters

An inventor has created a new water distillation system that makes non-potable water drinkable, which makes it a perfect solution during natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy.

China Launches Third Environmental Monitoring Satellite

Besides allowing China to monitor pollution and natural disasters, the trio of satellites will be used in making decisions about deploying emergency aid and reconstruction.

Biofuel Spills Could be More Dangerous than Oil

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that ethanol-based liquids mix actively with water, making a biofuel spill potentially more harmful to aquatic life than oil spills.

Artificial Logs for Fireplaces Made from Grass Clippings

During this holiday season, people can use ecofriendly artificial logs made from grass clippings to create a warm and welcoming blaze in fireplaces.

Students Win National Competition for Turning Waste into Paper

John Hopkins engineering students won $15,000 in a competition for adapting a Korean paper-making technique into a method for impoverished villagers to make paper for underequipped schools.

First Green Roofs Ecology Research Center in Israel

Israel’s first Green Roofs Ecology research center has been dedicated at the University of Haifa. The center will focus on research and development of non-irrigated green roofs that are suitable for Middle Eastern climates.

Funding Available for Environmental Research and Development

The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) is seeking to fund environmental research and development proposals.

In Search of Better Solar Mirrors

"By using transparent superhydrophobic coatings on collector mirrors, we can create high performance and low maintenance concentrating solar power electricity generation," team leader Scott Hunter said.

Ice-Capable NSF Research Vessel Launched

The R/V/ Sikuliaq is the U.S. academic fleet's first global class, ice-capable ship owned by the National Science Foundation. Its home port is the University of Alaska, Fairbanks’ Seward Marine Center in Seward, Alaska.

Study Proposes to Help Save Migratory Fish

Colleagues at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln conducted a study in order to offer fish the same protection as migratory birds.

Coral Reef Research Facility Opens in Florida

The new center is the only facility in the country completely dedicated to the ecosystem science of coral reefs.

New Initiative Promotes Environmental Exports

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Commerce Under Secretary Francisco Sanchez announced it during WEFECT 2012.

Hypoxic Zones Researcher Wins 'Genius Grant'

Nancy Rabalais, marine ecologist and executive director of the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium, won one of 23 new fellowships from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

NIST Identifies 60 Promising Refrigerant Fluids

Using a new computational method, researchers at the Commerce Department agency found these have low global warming potential and boiling points low enough to be used in common refrigeration equipment.

Study Shows Small Difference Between Organic and Conventional Foods

First author Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler, MD, emphasized the overall effect of the study was to get people to make better eating habits overall.

NOAA Funds Research on Social Media for Weather Warnings

The awards for four projects by the Office of Weather and Air Quality in the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research total about $879,000.

Robots to Rescue Coral Reefs

A team of 'coralbots', each individually working to simple rules, will piece together damaged bits of coral, allowing them to regrow.

Batteries Made From World's Thinnest Material Could Power Tomorrow's Electric Cars

Engineering researchers made a sheet of paper from the world’s thinnest material, graphene, and then zapped the paper with a laser or camera flash to blemish it with countless cracks, pores, and other imperfections. The result is a graphene anode material that can be charged or discharged 10 times faster than conventional graphite anodes used in today’s lithium (Li)-ion batteries.

GPS Can Now Measure Ice Melt, Change in Greenland Over Months Rather than Years

Researchers have found a way to use GPS to measure short-term changes in the rate of ice loss on Greenland – and reveal a surprising link between the ice and the atmosphere above it.