research news

Feb 28, 2011

Stretched Rubber Offers Simpler Method For Assembling Nanowires

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a cheap and easy method for assembling nanowires, controlling their alignment and density. The researchers hope the findings will foster additional research into a range of device applications using nanowires, from nanoelectronics to nanosensors, especially on unconventional substrates such as rubber, plastic and paper. 

Feb 24, 2011

NC State Receives $3 Million Grant to Root Out Factors Behind Childhood Obesity

North Carolina State University has received a five-year, $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to study the root causes behind childhood obesity in low-income families. The goal is to track urban and rural families to better understand the factors – economic, social, cultural and environmental – that contribute to what has… 

Feb 24, 2011

Language Patterns Are Roller-Coaster Ride During Childhood Development

Why, and when, do we learn to speak the way that we do? Research from North Carolina State University on African-American children presents an unexpected finding: language use can go on a roller-coaster ride during childhood as kids adopt and abandon vernacular language patterns. 

Feb 22, 2011

Liquid Metal Key to Simpler Creation of Electrodes for Microfluidic Devices

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a faster, easier way to create microelectrodes, for use in microfluidic devices, by using liquid metal. Microfluidic devices manipulate small amounts of fluid and have a wide variety of applications, from testing minute blood samples to performing advanced chemical research. 

Feb 18, 2011

NC State Receives $3.67M Grant to Examine Effect of Climate Change on Southern Loblolly Pines

North Carolina State University is part of a team of 12 institutions across the Southeastern United States selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to establish a regional network to monitor the effects of climate change on southern pine trees. The goal is to use the information to develop… 

Feb 16, 2011

Children Of Working Moms Face More Health Problems

Children of working mothers are significantly more likely to experience health problems, including asthma and accidents, than children of mothers who don’t work, according to new research from North Carolina State University. 

Feb 10, 2011

For Longer-Life, Disease-Free Roses, NC State Researchers Insert Celery Gene

A rose by any other name would smell … like celery? North Carolina State University research intended to extend the “vase life” of roses inserts a gene from celery inside rose plants to help fight off botrytis, or petal blight, one of the rose’s major post-harvest diseases. 

Feb 2, 2011

New Technique Boosts High-Power Potential For Gallium Nitride Electronics

Gallium nitride (GaN) material holds promise for emerging high-power devices that are more energy efficient than existing technologies – but these GaN devices traditionally break down when exposed to high voltages. Now researchers at North Carolina State University have solved the problem, introducing a buffer that allows the GaN devices to handle 10 times greater… 

Jan 31, 2011

New Hardware Boosts Communication Speed On Multi-Core Chips

Computer engineers at North Carolina State University have developed hardware that allows programs to operate more efficiently by significantly boosting the speed at which the “cores” on a computer chip communicate with each other. 

Jan 26, 2011

Hardware, Software Advances Help Protect Operating Systems From Attack

The operating system (OS) is the backbone of your computer. If the OS is compromised, attackers can take over your computer – or crash it. Now researchers at North Carolina State University have developed an efficient system that utilizes hardware and software to restore an OS if it is attacked. 

Jan 25, 2011

Voiding Defects: New Technique Makes LED Lighting More Efficient

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are an increasingly popular technology for use in energy-efficient lighting. Researchers from North Carolina State University have now developed a new technique that reduces defects in the gallium nitride (GaN) films used to create LEDs, making them more efficient. 

Jan 20, 2011

New Device May Revolutionize Computer Memory

Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new device that represents a significant advance for computer memory, making large-scale “server farms” more energy efficient and allowing computers to start more quickly. 

Jan 14, 2011

Five NC State Faculty Named AAAS Fellows

Five North Carolina State University faculty members have been elected as Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). Dr. H.T. Banks, Distinguished University Professor of Mathematics, elected for distinguished contributions to the field of applied mathematics, particularly in quantitative modeling in the biomedical sciences and other areas of science and engineering.… 

Jan 13, 2011

Study Highlights Flaw In Common Approach of Public Opinion Surveys About Science

A new study from North Carolina State University highlights a major flaw in attempting to use a single survey question to assess public opinion on science issues. Researchers found that people who say that risks posed by new science fields outweigh benefits often actually perceive more benefits than risks when asked more detailed questions. 

Jan 12, 2011

New Approach To Modeling Power System Aims For Better Monitoring and Control of Blackouts

Major power outages are fairly infrequent, but when they happen they can result in billions of dollars in costs – and even contribute to fatalities. Now research from North Carolina State University has led to the development of an approach by which high-resolution power-system measurements, also referred to as Synchrophasors, can be efficiently used to…