The speed of healing
What can a fruit fly’s wings tell us about how we heal? A lot, it turns out. Researchers led by Professor Corey O’Herndeveloped computer simulations of cells responding to wounds in fruit fly wings at the embryonic and larval stages. In both stages, tissue encircles the site and then shrinks—pulling on the cells like a purse string to close the wound. In the embryonic stage, though, the healing happens much quicker—a possible life-preserving effect. The discovery could lead to new treatments for congenital disorders and prevent long-term damage. The results were published in Physical Review Research.
Sounding the alarm on oil sands
Through aircraft-based measurements and laboratory experiments, researchers led by Professor Drew Gentnerfound that many air pollutants related to Canadian oil sands greatly exceed what had been previously reported. Teaming up with the Canadian government, Gentner used comprehensive data from aircraft measurements to capture the full range of organic pollutants generated by oil sands facilities, which produce about 3 million barrels of crude oil daily. Observed emissions were from 20 to over 64 times higher than previously known. Overall, the researchers said, that’s equal to the emissions from all other human-related sources in Canada.
Researchers win Comstock Prize
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) awarded the prestigious Comstock Prize in Physics to Professors Michel Devoret and Robert Schoelkopf for their groundbreaking work in quantum information processing and related fields. The $100,000 prize is awarded once every five years to one or more North American physicists whose recent work includes an innovative discovery or investigation in electricity, magnetism, or radiant energy. Many previous recipients have gone on to become Nobel laureates. NAS cited the researchers for their development of technology that has paved the way for a growing number of applications in quantum computing and sensing.
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