Scientists at the University of St Andrews have developed a novel form of syringe, formed solely from light

A syringe formed solely from light has been developed by scientists at the University of St Andrews.

Using a method called ‘photoporation’, the researchers were able to inject insoluble compounds such as genes and drugs into individual cells with the assistance of light. This allows the potential detection of specific diseases and will assist in the development of medication.

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Intel researchers have made the next advance in the field of silicone photonics by achieving world-record performance using a silicon-based Avalanche Photodetector (APD) that could lower costs and improve performance as compared to commercially available optical devices.

Silicon Photonics is an emerging technology using standard silicon to send and receive optical information among computers and other electronic devices. The technology aims to address future bandwidth needs of data-intensive computing applications such as remote medicine and lifelike 3D virtual worlds.

Ultra-fast transfer of data will be essential for future computers powered by many processor cores. Silicon Photonics-based technology could deliver higher-speed mainstream computing at a lower cost. This advance builds on previous Intel breakthrough such as fast silicon modulators and hybrid silicon lasers. Combined, these technologies could lead to the creation of entirely new kinds of digital machines capable of far greater performance than today.

A team led by Intel researchers created the silicon-based APD, a light sensor that achieves superior sensitivity by detecting light and amplifying weak signals as light is directed onto silicon. This APD device used silicon and CMOS processing to achieve a ‘gain-bandwidth product’ of 340GHz – which, according to the Intel researchers is the best result ever measured for this key APD performance metric. This opens the door to lower the cost of optical links running at data rates of 40Gbps or higher and proves, that a silicon photonics device can exceed the performance of a device made with traditional, more expensive materials such as indium phosphide.

Intel fellow Mario Paniccia, explained: “This research is another example of how silicon can be used to create very high-performing optical devices.

“In addition to optical communication, these silicon-base APDs could also be applied to other areas such as sensing, imaging, quantum cryptography or biological applications.”

A device that can identify tiny amounts of explosive particles – invisible to the naked eye – on people, clothing and luggage has been developed by engineers at Loughborough University.

Professor John Tyrer, from the University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, was among those involved in the development of the Explosive Residue Detection system, which can be used to remotely scan crowded areas, such as airports and train stations, alerting an operator if it detects traces of explosives.

Explosive Residue Detection uses the latest generation of pulsed lasers and video camera techniques. It combines them to produce a large-area, fluorescent, lifetime imaging system. By controlling the laser timing and optical filters, this allows direct imaging of explosive residue. Once the explosive residue is detected, the system activates automatically and alerts an operator to a positive identification. It does not rely on people watching a TV screen and unlike sniffer dogs that operate by detecting particles present in the air, this system can be very specific and accurate.

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Robot is designed to mirror the actions of guide dogs

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have engineered a biologically inspired robot that mirrors the actions of guide dogs.

Users verbally command the robot to complete a task and the robot responds once a basic laser pointer illuminates the location of the desired action. For example, if a person needs an item fetched, that individual would normally command a guide dog to do so and then gesture with their hands toward the location. The service robot mimics the process, with the hand gesture replaced by aiming the laser pointer at the desired item.

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Cutting edge laser ‘cameras’ which can film the super-fast movements of electrons inside materialsuse incredibly short flashes of laser light to record images of electrons in atoms as they move around at about 10 million kilometres per hour.

The laser ‘camera’ used by Dr Tisch from the Imperial College harnesses some unusual physics in order to take pictures of electrons moving around inside a material. The camera consists of a high powered laser one million-billion times more intense than bright sunlight which rips atoms apart, causing the emission an ultra-short burst of light.

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Lasers operating at visible wavelengths are the focus of a £3.8 million (about $7.5 million) collaboration between Strathclyde and three other institutions.

The four-year project, also involving the Universities of St Andrews and Edinburgh and Imperial College, London, will see the development of lasers, consisting of organic semiconductor structures - effectively lasing plastics - which are interfaced to control electronics via familiar blue/green light-emitting diode (LED) technology.

These lasers are poised to have a major impact in areas as diverse as biosensing, communications and instrumentation.

Professor Martin Dawson, principal investigator for Strathclyde and co-ordinator of the project, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to continued UK leadership in organic and hybrid organic/inorganic optoelectronics.

“Our near-term goal is to produce components consisting of single-emitter organic lasers on blue LEDs in a form suitable for volume manufacture. Longer-term goals are to demonstrate optoelectronic interfaces and integrated circuits involving multiple laser and LED elements.