Hydrogen Storage Next Step

A team of scientists first invented the capillary array technology for use in the Soviet space program. Glass is more ideal than Steel for hydrogen storage, in terms of weight, cost and storage capacity. The hydrogen storage techhnology developed C.En has be endorsed for its safety by top German institute. (Hydrogen is highly explosive) The lightweight storage and safety factors give the technology a big commercial potential.

Reference: BusinessWeek

Why Cancer Won't Die

Cells attempt to repair themselves when damaged and if that fails, the damaged cells are suppose to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis. One of the hallmarks of caner is that the cells do not initiate apoptosis, which can be difficult to cure cancer. A new discovery of the RanBPM protein that is involved in activating apoptosis. This protein can be used to re-activate apoptosis, killing cancer cells.

Reference: Science Daily

Gravity Measurements Answer Questions on Climate Change

For years, there are questions and discussion on the impact of climate change on the ice-covered regions of the globe. Scientists have been investigating space-borne gravity measurements in the GRACE satellite mission. It is based on the fact that the redistribution of masses on the Earth surface can be mapped in terms of the terrestrial gravity field. The results indicate that Greenland's glaciers are shrinking at an accelerating pace.

Reference: Science Daily

A-Team of Robots

New Platinum Compound for Fighting Cancer

MIT chemists have developed a new platinum compound that is as powerful as the commonly used anticancer drug cisplatin but better equipped to destroy tumor cells. Cancer cells switch their mitochondrial properties to change the way they metabolize glucose compared to normal cells, and dichloroacetate (DCA) specifically targets the altered mitochondria, leaving normal cells intact.

Reference:
Shanta Dhar and Stephen Lippard. Mitaplatin, a potent fusion of cisplatin and the orphan drug dichloroacetate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Week of Dec. 7, 2009