Biological Computers.

Biological Computers: Genetically Modified Cells Communicate Like Electronic Circuits

 

Genetically modified cells can be made to communicate with each other as if they were electronic circuits. Using yeast cells, a group of researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has taken a groundbreaking step towards being able to build complex systems in the future where the body's own cells help to keep us healthy. The study was presented recently in an article in the scientific journal Nature.
"Even though engineered cells can't do the same job as a real computer, our study paves the way for building complex constructions from these cells," says Kentaro Furukawa at the University of Gothenburg's Department of Cell- and Molecular Biology, one of the researchers behind the study. "In the future we expect that it will be possible to use similar cell-to-cell communication systems in the human body to detect changes in the state of health, to help fight illness at an early stage, or to act as biosensors to detect pollutants in connection with our ability to break down toxic substances in the environment."

Spacewalking !!!

Spacewalking

Astronaut Patrick Forrester waves at a crew member inside Discovery's cabin during one of two STS-105 spacewalks.

Space Station Alpha

At the end of 2001, the International Space Station is a captivating outpost of humanity, no matter what angle it's seen from.

New Perspectives...

Delta Rocketcam 

An onboard rocketcam captures the moment that a trio of solid rocket boosters separate from the Delta 2 carrying NASA's Genesis probe on Aug. 8, 2001.

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New Perspectives

Growth of the International Space Station continues to provide dramatic new views of the 20-year-old shuttle in Earth orbit. Discovery is seen here during an August mission.

Do you know Mir ?

Alaska Reaches for Orbit

A pair of views from remote cameras show the Athena 1 rocket lifting off Sept. 29, 2001, on what would be a perfect mission, and beginning Alaska's contributions to orbital spaceflight on a positive note

 Mir

After some 15 years of service in Earth orbit, the Russian space station Mir plunged to its death over the Pacific Ocean during May.

Streak of Light ?

Streak of Light

A timed exposure of Atlantis' climb into space and movement downrange over the Earth's curvature is captured by NASA in what local news media commonly call the 'streak shot.

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Shuttle Launch

A daytime shuttle launch is still among the most beautiful sights in all of spaceflight. Here Discovery lifts off from Kennedy Space Center on Aug. 10, 2001

Tourist in Space.

Touchdown

Expedition One returns to Earth hitching a ride aboard shuttle Discovery, which just happened to be going their way. Landing at the Kennedy Space Center was early in the morning on March 21, 2001.

Tourist in Space

 Dennis Tito was inside this Soyuz spacecraft as it docked to the International Space Station during April.

Saying Goodbye....

Delivering Destiny

 The $1.4 billion U.S. 

Destiny science laboratory is attached to the International Space Station during a February 2001 shuttle mission, the last major module to be permanently added to the outpost while the Expedition One crew was onboard.

Saying Goodbye

The Expedition One and Expedition Two crews hug each other and say farewell moments after Bill Shepherd turned command of the outpost over to Yuri Usachev near the conclusion of the March 2001 shuttle Discovery mission that also carried supplies to the station using an Italian module dubbed Leonardo

Soyuz in Space!

Command and Control 

Cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko sits at the main control station within the Russian-built Zvezda service module that monitors and controls systems throughout the orbiting outpost.

Soyuz in Space

 Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev sits inside the Soyuz escape capsule that delivered the crew to the station. All three Expedition One crew members boarded the Soyuz and flew it to a new docking port before a March 2001 shuttle mission.

Company's Coming ?

Company's Coming 

Three sets of shuttle crews visited the Expedition One crew to bring them fresh supplies and equipment, as well as new modules and structure to add to the construction effort. Here Endeavour approaches to dock in December 2000.

Power Trip

Shuttle Endeavour's contribution to the first station crew was a set of electricity generating solar-power wings that measure 240 feet (73 meters) across.

Mail Call ?

Mail Call 

Two Progress freighters carried supplies to the space station during Expedition One's stay. When the first Progress approached in November, the automatic system failed, requiring Yuri Gidzenko to pilot the ship in for docking.

Pilot in Command

Soyuz commander Yuri Gidzenko sits at the remote controls to pilot a Progress freighter in to dock with the International Space Station in November 2000.

All Aboard?

Final Approach 

The International Space Station as it appeared when the Expedition One crew approached to dock on Nov. 2, 2000. The configuration included the Unity, Zarya and Zvezda modules.

 

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All Aboard

 The Expedition One crew on Nov. 2, 2000 makes their first TV appearance aboard the International Space Station, requesting and receiving permission to use the radio call sign "Alpha" as the new station's name.

Farewell Earth !!

Farewell Earth 

The Expedition One crew gives a final wave to well-wishers before boarding their Soyuz rocket for an Oct. 31, 2000 launch

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We Have Liftoff

Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev begin a 141-day space voyage with an Oct. 31, 2001 launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

Six-light-year-wide!!!

Crab Nebula

 The Crab Nebula is a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers recorded this violent event nearly 1,000 years ago in 1054, as did, almost certainly, Native Americans. This is one of the largest and most detailed view taken by Hubble, and in addition, the highest resolution image ever made of the entire Crab Nebula

Comet Galaxy Ripped Apart By Galaxy Cluster

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, in collaboration with several other ground- and space- based telescopes, has captured a galaxy being ripped apart by a galaxy cluster's gravitational field and harsh environment. The finding sheds light on the mysterious process by which gas-rich spiral-shaped galaxies might evolve into gas-poor irregular- or elliptical-shaped galaxies over billions of years. The new observations also reveal one mechanism for forming the millions of "homeless" stars seen scattered throughout galaxy clusters. 

First images from the NASA's EPOXI mission

This is one of the first images sent back to Earth from the NASA's EPOXI mission after it flew by Comet Hartley 2 around 7 a.m. PDT (10 a.m. EDT) on Nov. 4, 2010.

So Near and Yet So Far  

Hubble Space Telescope observations of Comet 103P/Hartley 2, taken on Sept. 25, 2010, are helping in the planning for a Nov. 4 flyby of the comet by the Deep Impact eXtended Investigation (DIXI) on NASA's EPOXI spacecraft.

Poor Little Greenie

 Comet Hartley 2 was still too faint to be seen with the unaided eye when it was captured in this photograph at a distance of about 18 million miles from Earth on Sept. 28, 2010 by NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. Click to enlarge.

Mars (4)

Changing Planet

A perspective view of a mesa in the chaotic regions east of the Valles Marineris, reveals a surface that collapsed a long time ago, when large volumes of liquid, perhaps water, were removed in the subsurface and flowed towards the northern lowlands of Mars. The large crater in the background has a diameter of 7.6 km and a depth of 800 m.

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True Colors

A vertical view of a mesa in the true colors of Mars. The summit plateau stands about 3 km above the surrounding terrain. The original surface was dissected by erosion, only isolated mesas remained intact. The large crater has a diameter of 7.6 km. 

Mars (3)

Do That Again

A perspective view of a location south of Valles Marineris at 15° South and 323° East and 50 km across has a tectonically controlled karst-like structure in a perspective view. North is at top.

Eroding Away

This perspective view shows an area 50 km across in Valles Marineris at 5° North and 323° East. It shows mesas and cliffs as well as flow features which suggest erosion by the action of flowing water. North is at the bottom.