Research assistant / associate in nanotechnology (fixed term)

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Location: Cambridge Salary: 24,775 to 37,394 per annum Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Contract / Temporary

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant/Associate (Postdoctoral Researcher) in the Department of Engineering, to work in the field of nanotechnology. The post holder will be working in the nanomanufacturing group in Cambridge, UK - http://www.nanomanufacturing.eng.cam.ac.uk/

In this project, we aim at the development of new scalable techniques to create highly organized assemblies of carbon nanotubes and/or graphene. This process builds on techniques such as microfluidics and requires understanding of colloidal physics, self-assembly, physical chemistry.

The researcher will take a prominent role in planning experiments and leading the research activities. Also, as this project is a subcomponent of a larger project, the researcher will need to interact closely with team members towards the application of these materials in energy storage and filtration.

We will consider candidates with various research backgrounds including material science, chemistry, engineering, and physics. We are particularly interested in candidates with a track record in one or more of the following: colloidal physics, surfactant systems, self-assembly, microfluidics, chemical modification or synthesis of nanomaterials, as well as nanomaterial characterization techniques. Applicants are required to have a PhD or be close to obtaining a PhD.

Salary Ranges:

Research Assistant: 24,775 - 28,695; Research Associate: 28,695 - 37,394

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 24 months in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a health assessment.

When submitting your application, please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter, and a publication list (please highlight what you think are your three best publications) in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application. Please submit your application by midnight on the closing date.

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Research assistant / associate in nanotechnology (fixed term)

Nano piano's melody could mean storage breakthrough

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March 18, 2015

Nano piano concept: Arrays of gold, pillar-supported bowtie nanoantennas (bottom left) can be used to record distinct musical notes, as shown in the experimentally obtained dark-field microscopy images (bottom right). These particular notes were used to compose "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." (Credit: University of Illinois)

Brett Smith for redOrbit.com @ParkstBrett

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently open the door new information processing and storage by have demonstrating the first-ever recording of optically-encoded audio onto a miniscule structure called a non-magnetic plasmonic nanostructure.

The chips dimensions are roughly equivalent to the thickness of human hair, explained lead researcher Kimani Toussaint, an associate professor of mechanical science and engineering.

According to an article published in the journal Scientific Reports, Toussaints team utilized an array of novel gold, pillar-supported bowtie nanoantennas (pBNAs) to store sound and audio files. The report noted that the storage capacity of pBNAs is around 5,600 times bigger than the magnetic film used for analog data storage.

[VIDEO: Rare goblin shark found off Australia]

Arrays of gold, pillar-supported bowtie nanoantennas can be used to record distinct musical notes. (Credit: University of Illinois)

Data storage is one interesting area to think about, Toussaint said. For example, one can consider applying this type of nanotechnology to enhancing the niche, but still important, analog technology used in the area of archival storage such as using microfiche.

In addition, our work holds potential for on-chip, plasmonic-based information processing, Toussaint added.

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Nano piano's melody could mean storage breakthrough

Dr. Barbara Sturm – Center for Molecular Medicine Dsseldorf/ Germany (English Version) – Video

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Dr. Barbara Sturm - Center for Molecular Medicine Dsseldorf/ Germany (English Version)
Dr. Barbara Sturm is a reknown expert in skin rejuvenation, facelifts without surgery and wrinkle treatments using fillers such as botox and hyaluronic acid. Her practice is located in Dsseldorf/...

By: Barbara Sturm

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Dr. Barbara Sturm - Center for Molecular Medicine Dsseldorf/ Germany (English Version) - Video

Reddits ugly, racist secret: How it became the most hateful space on the Internet

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When you think of places on the Internet where racists like to congregate, there are probably a few obvious locales that jump to mind: the explicitly white supremacist Stormfront, the hipster-racist Takis Magazine, the comments at YouTube, the comments at the Daily Caller, the comments at almost any local news website So basically every comment thread on every popular or conservative website. But according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center(SPLC), the arguably vilest, ugliest, nastiest and most unapologetically hateful space on the Internet is not in some comment thread you werent going to read anyway but at one of the most popular websites there is: Reddit.

Recently, Salon spoke over the phone with Keegan Hankes, a research analyst at SPLC and the author of the piece. Our discussion touched on the white supremacist forums (known as subreddits) hes found at Reddit, why the folks running Reddit have not done anything to remove them, and how they complicate the free speech absolutist stance thats long characterized Reddits approach to moderation. Our conversation is below and has been edited for clarity and length.

Why did you look at this? What sparked this idea?

I actually spend a whole lot of time investigating Stormfront, which is probably the largest white supremacist forum on the Internet. Its been around for going on 20 years Ive noticed some of the people Ive tracked on there, some of the people who participate on other white supremacist websites, had mentioned Reddit in the past. So Ive kind of in passing been watching it. As I watched these networks of racists websites develop, I got more interested, especially once I found some of the more violent ones.

Could you give me a sense of how large these communities are?

Stormfront is going to be, by the numbers, since its a membership website, the largest. Its been around and the accounts arent deleted; its been accumulating them for 20 years. They have over 200,000 registered users. Now, the Reddit community theres one subreddit that has 5,500 subscribers right now which puts it just into the top 5,000 subreddits, which is relatively small compared to other subreddits that are active. But that does not figure in the audience of the site. So these do not include outside audience members that are perusing it. Id say its a small community; but its significant in the fact that it does drive a lot of traffic to websites outside of Reddit.

Your piece notes that these subreddits are often full of racist snuff films. Do you have any idea where these videos are coming from? Or are they originating on Reddit?

One thing thats distinct about Reddit that drew our attention was very violent videos typically of black men being killed very graphically that you cant even put on Stormfront or other white supremacist sites. They will get taken down. And thats one of the things that sets Reddit apart the fact that it has much less oversight in some ways than Stormfront and what youd typically consider the nastiest white supremacist forums on the Internet.

As far as where theyre getting the content from, it depends on exactly what the video is. The more graphic and explicit ones, some of this stuff cant even be posted on YouTube. But some of the more simple YouTube videos that theyre putting up links to are from some other third-party hosting site that has looser restrictions on what you can upload and host Its coming from many different members, its not just one guy up there every day posting a nasty video. Its from a wide variety of sources.

Do the people at Stormfront ever mention these subreddits? How do they feel about them?

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Reddits ugly, racist secret: How it became the most hateful space on the Internet

Top 10 Irish Actors

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Ireland is associated with many cheery activities and images: leprechauns, drinking, dancing and friendliness. There are also many famous and talented actors who call the Emerald Isle home.

Although this country might not be the first that comes to mind when thinking of film stars, there are many agencies and schools to help actors grow in their careers. For example, the Ireland Acting Guide is an online community and tool that is "committed to presenting actors with every tool they need to pursue a rewarding career in film. Among other offered activities, actors can upload auditions to this site in hopes of landing a role.

With St. Patricks Day here, you might want to watch some Irish films such as The Secret of Kells or The Commitments.

Finding some movies that star authentic Irish actors is a great way to celebrate this beautiful nation, no matter your heritage. Here are some of the dreamiest, most talented actors from Ireland whose films you might want to watch.

image courtesy of ACE/INFphoto.com

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Top 10 Irish Actors

Medicine Cardiology Topic 11 ECG Part 01 by Dr.Murali Bharadwaz – Video

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Medicine Cardiology Topic 11 ECG Part 01 by Dr.Murali Bharadwaz
Live MD Entrance Coaching for AIPGMEE 2014 at http://www.onlinembbs.com. Revise 1200 High yield topics for AIIMS PGI AIPGMEE FMGE in 30 weeks . Every day 3 hours class 5:00 -8:00 pm Monday to ...

By: Murali Bharadwaj

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Medicine Cardiology Topic 11 ECG Part 01 by Dr.Murali Bharadwaz - Video

Using Food as Medicine to Improve Thyroid Function– #005 – Video

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Using Food as Medicine to Improve Thyroid Function-- #005
http://dranh.com/005 Dr. Joseph Collins who is a naturopathic physician and an expert in natural hormone health. He has been directly involved in advancing the practice of natural hormone...

By: Dr. Anh Nguyen, PharmD

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Study sheds new light on asthma, COPD

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In diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the body produces too much mucus, making breathing difficult. New research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis provides clues to potentially counteract inappropriate mucus production.

"The new study lays the groundwork for developing treatments for diseases such as asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis and even certain cancers," said senior author Thomas J. Brett, PhD, assistant professor of medicine. "It also solves a 20-year mystery about the role of a protein that has long been associated with these diseases."

The study appears March 17 in the journal eLife.

About two decades ago, the protein CLCA1 was identified. High levels of CLCA1 in cells lining the airway have long been linked with an overproduction of mucus. Studies at the time suggested CLCA1 was an ion channel, a small opening in the cell membrane that allows charged particles to flow into or out of the cell. CLCA1 was labeled a chloride channel because it appeared to be moving chloride ions across the cell membrane. In general, the movement of different ions into and out of cells govern many important processes from mucus production, to heart rhythms to brain function.

"Originally, CLCA1 was misidentified as a chloride channel," Brett said. "When cells express CLCA1, they produce chloride currents. But as we became better at understanding the three-dimensional structures of proteins, researchers in the field started to realize that CLCA proteins couldn't be channels. So the question arose, how do they activate these currents if they're not channels?"

Only seven years ago, a protein that proved to be this elusive type of channel was first discovered in mammals. Called TMEM16A, it is a channel that is ubiquitous in the cells lining the airway. Too much TMEM16A, like elevated levels of CLCA1, were also associated with the mucus-overproduction typical of airway diseases, including asthma and COPD.

The new research now has linked the two, demonstrating that increased expression of CLCA1 increases the number of TMEM16A channels present in nearby cells, according to Brett and his colleagues, including co-authors Colin G. Nichols, PhD, the Carl F. Cori Professor of Cell Biology and Physiology, Monica Sala-Rabanal, PhD, research instructor in medicine, and Zeynep Yurtsever, graduate research assistant.

"We don't think that CLCA1 actually opens the channel," Brett said. "In fact, the channel can function without CLCA1. We think it simply keeps the channel on the surface of the cells for a longer period of time. The reason you get more current is you have more channels there. You're just accumulating more holes for the ions to travel through. This is a unique finding. We don't know of any other examples of this type of interaction between a protein and a channel."

The study also suggests it may be worthwhile to investigate the larger families of these two proteins. If closely related members of these protein families also interact with each other, it could expand the implications to disorders as diverse as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

For example, TMEM16 channels and CLCA proteins have been associated with certain types of cancers including breast tumors that spread to the lungs and in some cardiovascular disorders such as irregular heart rhythms and heart failure, demonstrating a possible broad impact of future work in this area.

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Study sheds new light on asthma, COPD

Penn's Perelman School of Medicine Repeats Ranking Among Top 5 Best Medical Schools in the United States

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PHILADELPHIA The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the 18th year in a row. According to the annual medical school survey in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Graduate Schools" report, Penn Medicine is ranked #5 in the country.

The Perelman School of Medicine also ranked among the nation's top medical schools in five areas of specialty training, including a first place ranking in Pediatrics, and honors in Womens Health (#5), Drug/Alcohol Abuse (#6), Internal Medicine (#6), and AIDS (#7). The School of Medicine is also #12 in the rankings of Primary Care medical schools.

The 2014-2015 academic year marks an auspicious milestone in the history of the Perelman School of Medicine: its 250th birthday.

Its gratifying to see the Perelman School of Medicines continued recognition in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. Being named among the top five medical schools in the country year after year is a testament to the stellar education that our faculty and staff provide for our students as they prepare for their careers in clinical medicine and biomedical research, said J. Larry Jameson, MD, PhD, dean of the Perelman School of Medicine. The nations first medical school continues to live up to its longstanding tradition of embodying the highest standards in education, research and patient care.

Established in 1765, Penn's School of Medicine which was renamed the Perelman School of Medicine following a landmark gift from Raymond and Ruth Perelman in 2011 is an internationally recognized leader in the discoveries that advance science and pave the way for new therapies and procedures to improve human health and is consistently among the nation's top three recipients of federal funding from the National Institutes of Health.

This winter, the school opened its new home for medical education, the Henry A. Jordan M62 Medical Education Center, a 55,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility just steps away from the Smilow Center for Translational Research and the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine. It is among the first in the nation to fully integrate medical education facilities with active clinical care and research lab space, placing students in the midst of the dynamic practice of medicine.

The medical school rankings, released annually in the U.S. News & World Report "Best Graduate Schools" issue, are based on statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students. Information is obtained through surveys of program directors, academics, and other professionals. Criteria used in the rankings include peer assessment surveys, research activity, grade point averages, MCAT scores, and NIH funding.

The complete results of the survey are available online. For more information on the Perelman School of Medicine, see Penn Medicine Facts and Figures 2015.

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Penn's Perelman School of Medicine Repeats Ranking Among Top 5 Best Medical Schools in the United States

Can new dean heal U medical school?

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A year into his tenure as dean of the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. Brooks Jackson is working to revitalize a slipping institution.

With the governor expressing concern over the school's performance, Jackson is out to restore its days of research prominence, an era when the school was renowned for such breakthroughs as the first open-heart surgery and the vaccine for Lyme disease.

"We want to be really world-class," Jackson said. Having a world-class research and training program doesn't mean just prestige for the U, but also "new drugs, new vaccines and new medical devices that benefit all Minnesotans."

The new dean also wants to ensure the school can head off a looming shortage of physicians in various specialties and regions of the state. And he wants to nurture a sometimes difficult relationship with Fairview Health Services, which owns the university's hospital.

The slide in the school's reputation began arguably in the mid-1990s, around the time the National Institutes of Health sanctioned it following a series of financial scandals. Fiscal problems prompted the U to sell its teaching hospital to Fairview in 1997.

"Those same financial woes made it difficult to retain faculty," Jackson said. The NIH sanctions "required a lot of resources, and made it much more difficult for faculty to obtain grants, causing a number to leave and again making it more difficult to recruit."

The university slipped from the top 15 in the 1980s to 30th last year out of 144 schools in NIH grant funding, a ranking that many faculty and students consider a sign of excellence.

Meanwhile, the school suffered from a "malaise," according to a 2012 external review. Faculty, the report said, complained the U had "no consensus regarding [its] goals and aspirations."

The decline caught the attention of Gov. Mark Dayton, who last year established a committee, which includes Jackson, to find ways to improve the school.

The new dean says he aims to have the U in the top 20 of the NIH ranking within five years and the top 15 within a decade.

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Can new dean heal U medical school?

Med school grads wait to find out where they'll go for residency

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Photo by: Heather Coit/The News-Gazette

Michael Kuhlenschmidt, a UI medical school student, sits outside the UI Medical Sciences Building in Urbana on Tuesday, March 17, 2015. Kuhlenschmidt will join other future doctors in finding out his residency this Friday.

URBANA First came a bachelor's degree in engineering. Then medical school.

Now Champaign-Urbana native Michael Kuhlenschmidt is waiting, with thousands of other U.S. medical school seniors set to graduate this spring, to find out about their next big career step where they'll go for their residencies.

The news will be delivered via personal letters at the same time Friday for all medical residency program applicants across the country which will be at 11 a.m. for those in the Central Time Zone.

Last year, more than 40,000 applicants competed for 29,000 residency positions in the U.S., and the match this year is expected to be larger, according to the National Resident Matching Program.

For the 29-year-old Kuhlenschmidt and his fellow students set to graduate from the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign, the envelopes will be delivered Friday morning in a ceremony at the Champaign Country Club.

At least a bit of the stress has been lifted for him and many others. Applicants were notified Monday whether they were selected for a match, though they still have to wait until Friday to find out where they'll be going.

"I did match, which is a good feeling," Kuhlenschmidt said.

Through the complicated system used, students rank their residency program choices and the residency programs rank their applicants, and all that information is run through a computerized mathematical algorithm, according to the match program.

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Med school grads wait to find out where they'll go for residency