Chemical 'nose' can sniff out cancer
Times of India ,  June 23  Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a ‘chemical nose’ that can sniff out cancer. The revolutionary tool contains an array of nanoparticles and polymers that differentiate not only between healthy and cancerous cells but also between metastatic and non-metastatic cancer cells. . . . With colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the research team designed the new detection system by combining three gold nanoparticles that have special affinity for the surface of chemically abnormal cells, plus a polymer known as PPE, or para-phenyleneethynylene. (full story | NAS abstract | Uwe Bunz )

Study: Stress and exhaustion may improve SAT scores
Time,  Jun 9   Of the many factors that contribute to poor performance on standardized tests like the SAT, nerves and exhaustion, surprisingly, may not rank very high. In fact, according to a new paper published in Journal of Experimental Psychology, a little anxiety — not to mention fatigue — might actually be a very good thing. The study was conducted by psychology professors Phillip Ackerman and Ruth Kanfer of Georgia Tech.  (full story | Kanfer-Ackerman Lab)

GSU receives $900K grant to recruit, train science teachers
Fin Channel.com, May 6  Georgia State University was recently awarded a nearly $900,000 grant from the NSF to increase the number of science teachers in metro Atlanta schools. The grant, titled “Impacting Metro-Atlanta Science Teaching,” or I-MAST, will be used to recruit, prepare and support 36 high quality science educators over the next five years...  “The partnership between GSU and Georgia Tech is a great way to bring bright young scientists into the classroom,” said Jennifer Leavey, director of Undergraduate Academic Services in the Georgia Tech School of Biology. “Tech is a nationally-ranked leader in undergraduate science education, but has no route for certifying K-12 teachers. GSU has an excellent College of Education and is only a few blocks away.” (full story | Jennifer Leavey)

Carbon chip technology goes commercial
EE Times, Jun 22  Carbon--the basis of all organic compounds--appears destined to supplant silicon as the material of choice for future semiconductors. According to researchers, various structures based on the element that sits just above silicon on the Periodic Table can surpass silicon's abilities in thermal performance, frequency range and perhaps even superconductivity... Other labs are also rushing to fabricate high-frequency transistors with graphene. "We will have graphene-based very high-frequency transistors within a year in the lab," said Walter de Heer, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. ( full story | Walt de Heer lab)