How Much Is Too Much? Information Overload in Disease and Drug Research

 

Mon, 07/20/2015 - 2:00pm Frank White III, PhD, Director of Solution Marketing, Life Sciences, Elsevier R&D Solutions Biology is a rapidly evolving science. Every new discovery uncovers new layers of complexity that must be unraveled in order to understand the underlying biological mechanisms of diseases and for successful drug development. Driven both by community need and by the increased likelihood of positive returns on the large investment required, drug discovery research has often focused on identifying and understanding the most common diseases with relatively straightforward causes and those that affect large numbers of individuals. Today, companies continue to push the boundaries of innovation in order to alleviate the debilitating effects of complex diseases—those that affect smaller patient populations or show high variability from patient to patient. This requires looking deeper into available data. The big data revolution Key to understanding complex and variable diseases is the need to examine data from large numbers of afflicted patients. More than 90% of the world’s data has been created in the past two years, and the pace is accelerating. High-throughput technologies create ever-expanding quantities of data for researchers to mine. But in addressing one problem, another has developed—how can researchers find the specific information they need among the mass of data? Beyond the simple issue of scale, data diversity also plays a key role. Twenty years ago, before the draft human genome sequence was finished, researchers could get a publication accepted into a journal by determining the sequence of a single gene. But with our growth in knowledge, successful research now depends more on understanding the biological complexity that comes from vast networks of interactions between genes, proteins and small molecules, not only from the sequence itself. In this environment, how can researchers determine what information is most important to understanding a particular disease? Finding the right data With approximately one million scientific articles published annually, scientists have a daunting task to find relevant papers for their work. They are drowning in a data deluge, and even highly complex queries return hundreds of possible answers. Twenty years ago researchers could feel fairly confident that they could keep up with the most important discoveries by reading a handful of journals. Today, important and high-quality research is published in an ever-expanding collection of journals—recent estimates from Google analytics suggest as many as 42% of highly cited papers appear in journals that are not traditionally highly cited—so researchers must cast a wide net to ensure they don’t miss key discoveries. How can they be confident that they have identified the most current and relevant research without missing a critical piece of the puzzle? Although researchers often start to learn about a new disease using generalized search tools like PubMed or Google Scholar, more specialized tools and approaches that can connect information from multiple sources are needed to filter the massive lists of possible responses down to a manageable and relevant set. For instance, Elsevier offers research tools such as Reaxys in the chemistry space, and Pathway Studio used by biologists. The solutions include information available from Elsevier and also other publishers’ journals and articles. Each also provides focused search tools, so researchers can leverage multiple data sources and build a comprehensive and detailed picture of their disease based upon relevant data. A "Big" project DARPA’s "Big Mechanism" project has tasked teams from leading universities and data providers with helping improve the discoverability of scientific data. Elsevier is helping with one part of this project; developing "deep-reading" algorithms in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon Univ. to uncover almost all relevant data from a scientific publication. Understanding the role of KRAS in cancer activation was chosen as a test case due to its complexity: KRAS goes by at least five synonyms in the literature and interacts with more than 150 other proteins, many with dozens to hundreds of their own synonyms—a daunting task. Once developed, these "deep-reading" tools can be extended to work with a wide range of other genes, proteins and diseases. Developing effective discovery tools requires significant scientific expertise to ensure data is categorized correctly in order for computers to "read" and extract the relevant data requested. As per the KRAS example, unless data is categorized correctly, a researcher could end up needing to input over 500 search terms. In short, discovery tools need extensive and refined taxonomies to be of value. A combination of deep biological domain knowledge and sophisticated software development skills are needed to develop computer-based "deep-reading" tools that can match human accuracy, while retaining the computer’s speed advantage to sift through the massive data collections. The way we work Understanding the way scientists do their work is essential to developing tools that match their unmet data management needs. In addition to searching a diverse collection of external data sources, researchers often have their own proprietary research data collections that must be integrated with other sources to provide the most complete picture. These tools must help the researcher identify the most relevant data for their particular task. Since humans are very good at visually recognizing patterns in information, information should be presented in a way that lets users visualize that information. Tools that allow different views of the data can help users connect the dots and draw their own conclusions. It’s the difference between trying to read a long list of subway stations in a foreign language, and viewing a graphical map of the subway. The research challenge Searching the diverse collections of data to discover actionable insights into the biology of a disease is a huge challenge. The growth of data is outpacing our ability to analyze it, so new, more sophisticated tools and approaches are needed to help researchers connect the dots, no matter where that information is located. With the right discovery support, organizations can facilitate researchers’ interpretation of experimental data, leading to greater insight into the mechanisms of disease and accelerating biological research. This will help them to invent, validate and commercialize new, clinically effective treatments, faster and more efficiently. • CONFERENCE AGENDA ANNOUNCED: The highly-anticipated educational tracks for the 2015 R&D 100 Awards & Technology Conference feature 28 sessions, plus keynote speakers Dean Kamen and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Thom Mason. Learn more.

Sticky tape the key to ultrathin solar cells

 

Tue, 07/21/2015 - 11:06am Australian National University Jiajie Pei with crystals of black phosphorus. Courtesy of Stuart Hay, ANU Scientists studying thin layers of phosphorus have found surprising properties that could open the door to ultrathin and ultralight solar cells and LEDs. The team used sticky tape to create single-atom thick layers, termed phosphorene, in the same simple way as the Nobel-prize winning discovery of graphene. Unlike graphene, phosphorene is a semiconductor, like silicon, which is the basis of current electronics technology. "Because phosphorene is so thin and light, it creates possibilities for making lots of interesting devices, such as LEDs or solar cells," said lead researcher Dr. Yuerui (Larry) Lu, from The Australian National University (ANU). "It shows very promising light emission properties." The team created phosphorene by repeatedly using sticky tape to peel thinner and thinner layers of crystals from the black crystalline form of phosphorus. As well as creating much thinner and lighter semiconductors than silicon, phosphorene has light emission properties that vary widely with the thickness of the layers, which enables much more flexibility for manufacturing. "This property has never been reported before in any other material," said Dr. Lu, from ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science, whose study is published in the Nature serial journal Light: Science and Applications. "By changing the number of layers we can tightly control the band gap, which determines the material's properties, such as the color of LED it would make. "You can see quite clearly under the microscope the different colors of the sample, which tells you how many layers are there," said Dr. Lu. Dr. Lu's team found the optical gap for monolayer phosphorene was 1.75 electron volts, corresponding to red light of a wavelength of 700 nanometers. As more layers were added, the optical gap decreased. For instance, for five layers, the optical gap value was 0.8 electron volts, an infrared wavelength of 1550 nanometers. For very thick layers, the value was around 0.3 electron volts, a mid-infrared wavelength of around 3.5 microns. The behavior of phosphorene in thin layers is superior to silicon, said Dr. Lu. "Phosphorene's surface states are minimized, unlike silicon, whose surface states are serious and prevent it being used in such a thin state." SOURCE: Australian National University

Spintronics just got faster

 

Tue, 07/21/2015 - 11:15am This the 2-D ultra-fast UV spectroscopy set-up at EPFL's Laboratory of Ultrafast Spectroscopy, used to carry out the measurements in this study. Photo: Alain Herzog/EPFLIn a tremendous boost for spintronic technologies, EPFL scientists have shown that electrons can jump through spins much faster than previously thought. Electrons spin around atoms, but also spin around themselves, and can cross over from one spin state to another. A property which can be exploited for next-generation hard drives. However, "spin cross-over" has been considered too slow to be efficient. Using ultra-fast measurements, EPFL scientists have now shown, for the first time, that electrons can cross spins at least 100,000 times faster than previously thought. Aside for its enormous implications for fundamental physics, the finding can also propel the field of spintronics forward. The study is published in Nature Chemistry. The rules of spin Although difficult to describe in everyday terms, electron spin can be loosely compared to the rotation of a planet or a spinning top around its axis. Electrons can spin in different manners referred to as "spin states" and designated by the numbers 0, 1/2, 1, 3/2, 2 etc. During chemical reactions, electrons can cross from one spin state to another, for example, from 0 to 1 or 1/2 to 3/2. Spin cross-over is already used in many technologies, for example, optical light-emitting devices (OLED), energy conversion systems and cancer phototherapy. Most prominently, spin cross-over is the basis of the fledgling field of spintronics. The problem is that spin cross-over has been thought to be too slow to be efficient enough in circuits. Spin cross-over is extremely fast The lab of Majed Chergui at EPFL has now demonstrated that spin cross-over is considerably faster than previously thought. Using the highest time-resolution technology in the world, the lab was able to "see" electrons crossing through four spin states within 50 quadrillionths of a second—or 50 fsec. "Time resolution has always been a limitation," says Chergui. "Over the years, labs have used techniques that could only measure spin changes to a billionth to a millionth of a second. So they thought that spin cross-over happened in this timeframe." Chergui's lab focused on materials that show much promise in spintronics applications. In these materials, electrons jump through four spin-states: from 0 to 1 to 2. In 2009, Chergui's lab pushed the boundaries of time resolution to show that this 0-2 "jump" can happen within 150 fsec—suggesting that it was a direct event. Despite this, the community still maintained that such spin cross-overs go through intermediate steps. But Chergui had his doubts. Working with his postdoc Gerald Auböck, they used the lab's world-recognized expertise in ultrafast spectroscopy to "crank up" the time resolution. Briefly, a laser shines on the material sample under investigation, causing its electrons to move. Another laser measures their spin changes over time in the ultraviolet light range. The finding essentially demolishes the notion of intermediate steps between spin jumps, as it does not allow enough time for them: only 50 quadrillionths of a second to go from the "0" to the "2" spin state. This is the first study to ever push time resolution to this limit in the ultraviolet domain. "This probably means that it's even faster," says Chergui. "But, more importantly, that it is a direct process." From observation to explanation With profound implications for both technology and fundamental physics and chemistry, the study is an observation without an explanation. Chergui believes that the key is electrons shuttling back-and-forth between the iron atom at the center of the material's molecules and its surrounding elements. "When the laser light shines on the atom, it changes the electron's spin angle, affecting the entire spin dynamics in the molecule." It is now up to theoreticians to develop a new model for ultrafast spin changes. On the experimental side of things, Chergui's lab is now focusing on actually observing electrons shuttling inside the molecules. This will require even more sophisticated approaches, such as core-level spectroscopy. Nonetheless, the study challenges ideas about spin cross-over, and might offer long-awaited solutions to the limitations of spintronics. Source: EPFL

First electric vehicle

 

Sono venuti da Pluto

 

The energy-positive UK Solcer House proves that zero carbon living can be affordable

 

by Lori Zimmer, 07/21/15 Great Britain’s first affordable energy positive house has just opened its doors in Stormy Down, Wales. Dubbed the Solcer House, the residence can produce more electricity than its occupants can use. Designed by Cardiff University’s Phil Jones and his team, the incredible three bedroom home hones enough energy from the sun to meet electrical needs of its residents and then some. Ready for the bad news? The house was revealed just in time for the British government to scrap plans that would have made all new homes similarly efficient by 2019. Nestled on an industrial estate near Brigend, Wales, the modern and spacious home was built in only 16 weeks. The energy positive project cost builders just over $195,000, weighing in to be less expensive than the average house in most major metropolitan areas. The three bedroom house was designed with energy efficient and sustainable technologies, in addition to a large solar panel array on the roof. Together, the home has zero carbon energy performance, but also actually adds to the grid eight months out of the year. Related: Energy-positive townhouses power Boston’s grid with renewable energy The Solcer house acts as a self-sustaining solar plant, sucking in energy from the sun’s rays and storing it in batteries on-site. Despite being heavily insulated, during winter months more energy is used, but the remaining eight months allow the home to push out extra energy to the grid. The average energy consumption of the home runs about $156 a month, but the home can generate up to $273 in electricity when performing at its peak. In 2006, the British government had passed a regulation that would have required all new homes built in the UK to be zero carbon by 2019. Sadly, the government ditched the plan last week amidst concerns that it would limit growth. But experts believe the zero carbon home could be even more affordable if the (ahem) UK governments got behind energy positive homes, and advocated for future construction to be built with these technologies. + Solcer Via The Guardian

50 Smartest Companies 2015

 

Massive solar panel factories. Fertility treatments. Friendly robots. Meet the companies reshaping the technology business.

Sometimes we hear that technology companies have lost their ambition. Too many great minds are pouring their energy into the next app for the affluent, the argument goes. Where is the daring?

Right here. This year, when the editors of MIT Technology Review began our annual search for the smartest companies, we did not have trouble finding big ideas. To make the list, a company must have truly innovative technology and a business model that is both practical and ambitious, with the result that it has set the agenda in its field over the past 12 months.

No. 1, Tesla Motors, has added another audacious idea to go with its electric cars. In April, it announced it would be spinning off a line of batteries in service of a big goal: remaking the energy grid for industry, utilities, and residences.

Of all the sectors we cover, biomedicine has had the biggest year. Companies have turned research breakthroughs, many powered by genomic analysis, into products that treat challenging diseases. Gilead Sciences, No. 15, sells the first pill that can cure most cases of hepatitis C. Bristol-Myers Squibb, No. 26, is selling an immunotherapy drug that is saving the lives of people with skin and lung cancer.

By contrast, energy companies have been far less innovative, it seems to us, so that sector plays a smaller role on this list. One highlight is No. 6, SunEdison, which is electrifying developing countries.

As always, many newer, private companies can be found here, starting with No. 5, Counsyl, a startup whose cheap, automated DNA analysis is expanding from prenatal testing to cancer screening.

A few giants return after an absence from the list: Microsoft, at No. 48 for its wearable HoloLens device that blends virtual reality and the real world, and Apple, No. 16, for its well-designed smart watch and digital-wallet service. All share one feature: they are innovations with impact. —Nanette Byrnes

source : MIT Techology Review

Ford's smart lighting technology spots potential hazards

 

Ford's reactive camera-based lighting system is aiming to make roads safer There are some incredible technological strides being made to improve road safety, but the key to avoiding accidents remains the same: seeing what's ahead. Unfortunately, avoiding potentially dangerous situations before they pose a threat can be difficult on well sighted roads during the day, let alone at unlit junctions after the sun sets. To try and give drivers a better chance of avoiding hazards, Ford is developing headlight technology that widens the beam at junctions and detects pedestrians and animals.     Ford's prototype system relies on a front-mounted camera, which works in tandem with GPS information to better illuminate bends and dips along a route. When GPS signal isn't available, the system uses a camera mounted behind the rear view mirror to detect lane markings and illuminate around corners. The system will also remember route data, so next time you drive along that same road the car will know how to best light the way. The car's camera system is also able to directly spotlight hazards with two special LED lamps positioned next to the fog lights. The objects that the system picks up are highlighted in red and yellow on the screen inside, depending on how close they are to the car. This spotlighting tech uses an infra-red camera mounted in the grille that detects the body heat of up to eight people or large animals at a range of 120 meters (394 feet). These LEDs are also used to light the exits of junctions and roundabouts. It's not just Ford working on safer lighting technology. Mercedes' new E-Class will offer optional headlamps with 84 LEDs that allow full-beam to be used without blinding oncoming drivers, while Audi and BMW have been testing laser headlamps that are significantly brighter than traditional xenon or LED options. Ford expects the GPS-based lighting technology to be available for customers in the near future, but there's no word as yet as to when the infra-red spotlighting tech will hit the streets. Source: Ford