R&D News: 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry Awarded to...

Quick note to myself: Yesterday was a great day!

The 2013 Nobel Prize was awarded to three professors: Professor Martin Karplus, of the University and Strasbourg and Havard University, professor Michael Levitt, of Stanford University, and professor Arieh Warshel, of the University of Southern California.

This is great for several reasons:

Firstly, USC is my Alma mater. USC now has 4 Nobel Prize holders over its life time and two over just the last 20 or so years! So go Trojans!

Secondly, this is the first time I am aware of that a Nobel Prize went to a computational science related field for being able to merge quantum- and Newtonian-physics model into one coherent computer model enabling researchers to understand how chemical reactions happen in molecules of different complexities. I think this underlines the increasing importance that computers play in solving increasingly complicated problems.

Comments

Focus on Algae - Part I: Bioremediation

After spending the last few blog posts on different aspects of dissimilatory bacteria , I want to switch the focus to a different class of organisms I have been interested in for a long time now. These are the algae. Algae comprise a large diversity of "sea weeds" and an even larger variety of single-celled organisms that mostly are capable of doing photosynthesis. They include the ordinary sea-weed, and make up a portion of the green slime found around the edges and the bottom of a pond. More exotic types of algae can live symbiotically - that is together with another organism in a mutually beneficial way. Lichens are an example of symbiotic relationship between algae and fungi. More information about the evolution and lineage of algae can be found in this wiki article . Image via Wikipedia Typically, these organisms are either not mentioned at all or only in conjunction with toxic algal blooms. But lately, algae, of course, have been in the news recently because of the p

In Other Words: A Life on Our Planet

I just watched this documentary together with my son and my wife. Different from David's typical approach of sparse objective commentary, this documentary movie is a personal witness statement that David Attenborough is making describing how our planet has changed in his life time. It's compelling, and urgent but still hopeful. Please, watch this documentary and share with your friends so they get the message!

Sustainable Living - One Step at a time: Toilet Paper

Introduction It's been a while since last, I posted here. Today, I want to introduce another blogging series which I call "Sustainable Living - One Step at a time" In the past, I have often written and talked about interesting new technologies and ideas in the biological field, some of which could be used to reduce the impact human kind makes on the environment. Although many dedicated brains are tackling these interesting challenges, there are even more who are not working in these kinds of fields. What can other people do to reduce one's impact on the environment? Generally, by adapting a more sustainable approach of living. Because so many habits and other aspects of life would need to be changed, many people may not feel that it is worth pursuing these efforts because the perceived sacrifices would be too big. Alternatively, one may not know where to start. I do not exclude myself it the latter group. So, instead of trying to do everything at the same tim

Bio-Based Ideas

Search This Blog