Nanoworms target tumours

US researchers have developed nanometer-sized "nanoworms" that can cruise through the bloodstream without significant interference from the body's immune defence system and home in on tumours like tiny anti-cancer missiles, states Xinhuanet.

Carrying payloads targeted to specific features on tumours, these microscopic vehicles could also one day provide the means to more effectively deliver toxic anti-cancer drugs to these tumours in high concentrations without negatively impacting other parts of the body.

"Most nanoparticles are recognised by the body's protective mechanisms, which capture and remove them from the bloodstream within a few minutes," said Michael Sailor, a professor at the UCSD who headed the research team.

Scientists say paper-based microfluidic devices could yield cheap, disposable diagnostic tests, reports Technology Review.

By taking advantage of the natural movement of liquid through paper, researchers at Harvard's Whitesides Research Group may have found a way to make microfluidics technology much cheaper. The result could be disposable diagnostic tests simple and abundant enough for use in the developing world.

The field of microfluidics deals with the precise manipulation of tiny quantities of liquid. One of its most promising applications is the so-called lab-on-a-chip, which can work with much smaller fluid samples than larger devices require, potentially allowing for more portable diagnostic tools. But existing microfluidic chips are generally made from comparatively expensive materials like silicon, glass, or plastic and have tiny pumps and valves that can be difficult to manufacture.

Researchers from the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have suggested building a supercomputer based on low-power embedded microprocessors to improve global climate change predictions, says VNUNet.

Using the embedded microprocessor technology used in mobile phones, iPods and other consumer electronic devices, the boffins propose a cost-effective machine for running complex computational models.

A key problem that the supercomputer would address is the development of accurate cloud simulations. Although cloud systems have been included in climate models in the past, they lack the details that could improve the accuracy of climate predictions.