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HOUSTON - (Feb. 22, 2021) - Researchers at Rice University have received funding for up to $1 million to develop a real-time sensor system able to detect minute amounts of the airborne virus that causes COVID-19 infection.
The researchers at Rice s Brown School of Engineering and Wiess School of Natural Sciences chemical and biomolecular engineer Rafael Verduzco, civil and environmental engineer Pedro Alvarez and structural virologist Yizhi Jane Tao will team with William Lawrence, a microbiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston to develop a thin film electronic device that senses as few as eight SARS-CoV-2 viruses in 10 minutes of sampling air flowing at 8 liters per minute.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago have discovered a way to convert the methane in natural gas into liquid methanol at room temperature.
High energy storage batteries for EVs need high capacity battery cathodes. New lithium-excess magnesium-rich cathodes are expected to replace existing nickel-rich cathodes but understanding how the magnesium and oxygen accommodate charge storage at high voltages is critical for their successful adaption. Research led by WMG, University of Warwick in collaboration with US researchers employed a range of X-ray studies to determine that the oxygen ions are facilitating the charge storage rather than the magnesium ions.
University of Tsukuba researchers calculated the electronic structure of topological insulators excited by laser beams and found that massless states can be generated. This work may lead to a major advance in computer technology with circuits that generate less heat.
The rare-earth element LAD technology could enable the U.S. to more safely utilize these critical resources from domestic sources and aligned nations, and alleviate dependence on Chinese suppliers and reduce the high-environmental impact solvent-based processes for this $4 billion market.