think and do

Oct 12, 2015

Online Tool Aims to Help Researchers Sift Through 15 Centuries of Data

Digital humanities scholars are launching a powerful new system to help researchers more quickly and accurately sift through hundreds of thousands of archives and articles related to materials dating from 450 A.D. to the 20th century. 

Oct 12, 2015

Dielectric Film Has Refractive Index Close to Air for Photonics Applications

Researchers have developed a dielectric film that has optical and electrical properties similar to air, but is strong enough to be incorporated into electronic and photonic devices – making them both more efficient and more mechanically stable. 

Sep 29, 2015

Modeling Tool IDs Genes That Control Stress Response in Plants

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has developed a modeling algorithm that is able to identify genes associated with specific biological functions in plants. The modeling tool will help plant biologists target individual genes that control how plants respond to drought, high temperatures or other environmental stressors. 

Sep 29, 2015

Researchers Create First Entropy-Stabilized Complex Oxide Alloys

NC State researchers have created the first entropy-stabilized alloy that incorporates oxides – and demonstrated conclusively that the crystalline structure of the material can be determined by disorder at the atomic scale rather than chemical bonding. 

Sep 9, 2015

From the Lab Bench to the Beer Glass

A team of NC State scientists is using wild yeasts to brew new beers -- and the results are both surprising and delicious. 

Sep 9, 2015

Guiding Ideas from the Research Lab to the Business World

NC State is offering financial support to five research teams to help them develop research findings into viable business opportunities. The teams are focused on fields ranging from human health to the business of brewing beer. 

Aug 19, 2015

Vomiting Device Offers First Direct Evidence That Vomit Aerosolizes Norovirus-Like Particles

Using a vomiting device of their creation, researchers are reporting the first direct evidence that vomiting can aerosolize virus particles similar to human norovirus. 

Aug 19, 2015

The Vomiting Machine: How Researchers Are Using Fake Barf to Help Protect Public Health

Tucked away in a quiet lab on NC State’s Raleigh campus is something that looks like a glorified air compressor with a grotesque clay face. It’s called “the vomiting machine” and it does exactly what you think it does. 

Aug 3, 2015

Innovative Tech Aims to Help Smokers Kick the Habit

Entrepreneurs at NC State have developed technology to help people understand what triggers their craving for a cigarette, and use that information to cut back on smoking. 

Jul 17, 2015

Study Finds Metal Foams Capable of Shielding X-rays, Gamma Rays, Neutron Radiation

Research shows lightweight composite metal foams are effective at blocking X-rays, gamma rays and neutron radiation, and are capable of absorbing the energy of high impact collisions. The finding means metal foams hold promise for use in nuclear safety, space exploration and medical technology applications. 

Jun 24, 2015

Distributed Technique for Power ‘Scheduling’ Advances Smart Grid Concept

Researchers have developed a new technique for “scheduling” energy in electric grids that advances the smart grid concept by coordinating the energy being produced and stored by conventional and renewable sources. 

Jun 9, 2015

Experts Convene to Discuss How to Protect Bees, Other Pollinators

This autumn, researchers, educators, and industry experts from around the country will descend on a small town in rural North Carolina to discuss a question with repercussions for both the economy and the environment: what can be done to protect bees and other pollinators? 

May 1, 2015

Study Finds Guidance Improves Food Safety Practices at School, Community Gardens

School and community gardens have become increasingly popular in recent years, but the people managing and working in these gardens are often unfamiliar with food safety practices that reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Now researchers have developed guidelines that address how to limit risk in these gardens – and a pilot study shows that the guidelines make a difference. 

Apr 15, 2015

Researchers Can Trace Dust Samples Using Fungal DNA

Researchers have developed a statistical model that allows them to tell where a dust sample came from within the continental United States based on the DNA of fungi found in the sample. The work offers law enforcement a new forensic biology tool. 

Apr 15, 2015

How a Team of Engineers Is Trying to Save Dairy Farmers Time (and Money)

Five electrical engineers have taken on an unlikely project – finding a way to make the U.S. dairy industry more profitable.