Metal ions in proteins potential cause of disease Copper-containing proteins play important roles in organisms ranging from bacteria and yeast to plants and animals. The objective is to understand the properties and biological functions of wild type copper-zinc superoxide dismutases (CuZnSOD) and to understand why mutant human CuZnSOD proteins cause familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Gut microbes The average person has 1.5Kg of gut microbes. They affect biology and health. Abnormalities in gut microbes are linked to the development of disease. Over the coming years, molecular scientists will discover more of the secrets of each individual gut bug and the links between them and potential diseases. New approach to building design and transport The MIT Design Lab is interested in design problems that have social significance and which don´t fit in the usual boundaries of architecture or urban design or engineering. Low-cost robots for the production line and the home Rodney Brooks is looking ahead to the days of labour shortages in today´s developing countries and is creating robots for the ordinary person. Rodney Brooks points out that the PC empowered office workers. Productivity increased. His idea is to empower people with robots. Manufacturing may be brought back to western countries. Robots can also help around the home. The key is cheap computation.

[ Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +1000 ]

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