Robot scientists assist in the new drugs making

Robots have become partners in the laboratory. As at the University of Manchester in the UK, a robot scientists named Eve have discovered compounds that are known to have anti-cancer potent that also can be used to develop as the drugs of malaria and other tropical diseases.

Eve, a robot scientist helps design new drugs. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1zzPlyJ)

Eve follows in the footsteps of Adam, another robot scientists that created by Automation Laboratory of the university in 2009 to conduct research. Adam and Eve did not look like a human. They are square shaped and about the size of a car. They have qualities such as robotic machine that you may have seen in the automotive industry.

Ross King, the team leader says that Adam has made a lot of discoveries in the field of yeast, a fungus used in biology as a model of human cells. "Adam took a hypothesis on the function of that particular gene in the yeast and test the hypothesis through experimentation and confirm it," he said. "So Adam took the hypothesis and confirm the new scientific knowledge."

This is the first for the robot. The success of Adam became the basis for Eve. And Eve science mission focuses on tropical diseases and rare diseases, which took the lives of millions of people and infects millions. King says the condition is ignored because it is generally slow drug development and costly. It takes a decade or more to be able to market a new drug, and it will cost about $ 1 million. Drug manufacturers may not benefit from that investment.

King said the University of Manchester to develop an inexpensive test kits, the test that indicates whether the chemicals could be good medicine, and commissioned Eve to do some research.

"The conventional way of working is to use robots and a collection of many drugs," he said. "Testing each compound being tested. So the record of a compound taken from the beginning and continues until finished, then quit. The process is not too smart. Robots do not learn anything when the test is running, although it has been tested millions of compounds, still do not know what will happen when testing new compounds."

This is a difference of Eve than other robots. This robot learn when to test, King explains, "so that it could then eliminate compounds that are not good and only test the compounds that have the highest probability to be useful."

That's how's Eve accidentally discovered a compound that may be able to treat malaria and other tropical diseases.

King hopes this process can be fully automated, where robots perform tests and make the process of synthesis of new chemical substances. He emphasizes that although the robot has become a partner in the laboratory, but the man still in control.

"People think strategically about what is important to do, and set the basic knowledge and the structure of the process," he said. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

Germany's one-seat wonder EV

Innovative Mobility Automobile (IMA) GmbH, a German auto manufacturer officially introduce electric cars called Colibri. Remarkably, although not yet officially sold and mass-produced this tiny electric car been ordered up to 1,200 units.

Colibri, an electric mini car of Innovative Mobility Automobile (IMA) GmbH. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1BP6tgS)

As reported by the BBC on Friday, January 30, 2015, the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IMA, Thomas delos Santos said the new Colibri began production in 2016. "Colibri is the official vehicles in dense urban, where the parking lot is a luxury thing," he said.

Right side view of Colibri. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1BP6tgS)

However, the car weighs 485 pounds, it could also be a daily vehicle. In addition, practically at the time of parking, also capable of moving quickly. This car has a dimension of 2.7 meters long, 1.2 m wide and 1.35 m high.

Rear side view of Colibri. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1BP6tgS)

The power that can sprayed by its 50 kW electric motors is up to 67 hp. With that much power, Colibri can accelerate from 0-100 kph in just 9.9 seconds and racing up to a maximum speed of 120 kph. If the battery is fully charged, can travel a distance of 109 km.

The battery charging is not complicated, because it can use the home electrical installation (220V), in quite short time, ie 2.5 hours. Today, about 5,000 companies in various countries have volunteered to be its dealer. They come from Israel, Brazil, USA and Australia. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | IMA | BBC]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

Nissan created the 'Glow in The Dark' paint

Nissan has just made a new breakthrough by making the car paint which can be lit at night aka glow in the dark. As quoted from Gizmag, a special paint that was tested on the Nissan LEAF electric car. This makes the Nissan recorded as the first auto manufacturer to implement a luminous paint on the vehicle.

Nissan created the 'Glow in The Dark' paint. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1zGWTuS)

To make the paint, Nissan even have to ask for help from Hamish Scott, an inventor who creates Starpath. Starpath is a paint coatings that can absorb ultraviolet light during the day and then glowed at night for 8-10 hours.

The 'glowing in the dark' paint is already often sold on the market, but this paint is more unique because it uses a secret formula that is entirely made of organic compounds.

Inside those paints, there are Strontium aluminate compounds that are able to light up in the dark. And Strontium aluminate is an odorless and colorless chemical powder that have a characteristics that can be lit in the dark much longer. Nissan further claimed that the paint will last up to 25 years. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | NISSAN | GIZMAG]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

The European spacecraft trials successfully

Spacecraft that can be reused can perform controlled landing on the runway and instead of falling into the sea could cut costs. The aircraft also allows scientists to bring back samples of celestial bodies such as comets.

ESA's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), a spacecraft that has a size of a car, taking off from the ESA space base in French Guiana using Vega rocket at 13:40 GMT, after delayed for 40 minutes due to a problem with the data transmission system.

European Space Agency's (ESA) Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) size of a car. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1FJlV1Y)

The spacecraft to break away from the rocket at an altitude of 348 kilometers and slid up to an altitude of 413 kilometers before falling back to Earth with a speed of 27,000 kilometers per hour (16,777 mph).

When the ESA-Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle was ready to launched with Vega rocket at the European space base in French Guiana, January 30, 2015. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1JbtNPj)

Various materials are trying tested by ESA, ranging from high-tech carbon fiber to the regular cork, which could protect the spacecraft from high temperature (can reach 1,600 degrees Celsius) when back to earth.

File image of the IXV test vehicle being recovered after splash down. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1AyzpNT)

The ESA's IXV spacecraft use a parachute to slow down and the spacecraft wing section directs itself to the Pacific Ocean about 100 minutes after launch. In that place, the balloon floating prevent the aircraft sinking while two Zodiac inflatable boat race arrived at the landing site to secure the spacecraft to be rescued by boat.

"This is amazing ... This trial will expand the boundaries of our knowledge," said Jean-Jacques Dordain, ESA Director General at the launch site in French Guiana, the comments posted on the internet. And ESA says they will announce the data collected by 300 pressure and temperature sensors that mounted the on IXV spacecraft in approximately six weeks after the test flight.

According to ESA, IXV spacecraft worth around €150 million (US. $169.70 million), similar to the NASA space shuttle orbiter, who retired in 2011 after operating for 30 years, and is similar to the Dream Chaser spacecraft being developed by Sierra Nevada Corp. But unlike those two aircrafts, the ESA experimental spacecraft was wingless.

The ESA's next step is the development of the spacecraft to return to the Earth that will be named "Pride". According to the ESA aircraft will be similar to the US military robotic spacecraft, the X-37B, although smaller and cheaper and will be able to land on the runway. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS | THE GUARDIAN]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

Your next luxury e-Mini car of Croatia

After successfully selling small electric car called Dok-Ing XD, now the Croatian robot manufacturer launched the second generation of the electric-powered car, which was named Dok-Ing Loox. The newer generation has more beautiful and luxurious design of body and face, so that not a few people call it as 'Small Lamborghini'.

Dok-Ing Loox, a luxury Croatian electric car that brings unique appearance and experience into city car drive. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1DwiI4o)

As reported by Autoevolution on Thursday, January 22, 2015, in contrast with the previous generation that has a capacity of only two seats, the Dok-Ing Loox has three seats. One seat for the driver who was right in the middle and two passengers seat in the rear.

The car manufacturer claim that the car interior layout adopt the layout owned by McLaren F1 car. Although it only 2.8 meters long and 1.7 meters wide, but the access in and out of the car is still free. Understandably, in addition to large, the car door opened to the top. Even with the mini size, this car is very easy to get a parking space, even if in a busy supermarket.

Its performance was so reliable, where the electric motor and its 32 kWh lithium ion battery, capable of spraying power up to 64 hp. Its weight is light enough, because it uses aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body.

As a result, the light weight and the power of it, Dok-Ing Loox be able to accelerates from 0 -100 kph (62 mph) in just 7.7 seconds. That's acceleration time nearing to the VW Scirocco GT for the same distance.

However, if you’re gentle with the throttle, the electrons juice will last for over 200 km (124 miles). To charge the car's battery quite easy, only takes 3-8 hours. Depending on the source of electric current are used. This mini e-car sold for US. $35,000 or approximately Rp.431 million. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | DOK-ING | AUTOEVOLUTION]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.

Spano present in Geneva with a new variant

GTA Motor, one of Spanish supercar manufacturers has announced that they will respect the Geneva Motor Show this year with their presence along with Spano 2015 version.

To replace the previous model which uses a 8.4-liter V10 engine capable of producing 900 hp of power into a new variant that carries a 8.0 liter V10 twin turbo that they develop themselves, they also claimed that new engine has capability of spewing power more than 925 hp and 1,220 Nm of torque.

The upcoming GTA Spano which will be officially presented to the public during the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, on the 3rd of March. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1wqWORu)

Furthermore, this Spanish company also said, that their new supercar is able to accelerate from 0-100 kph in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of more than 370 kph. And from this single teaser image revealed the new shape rear with a new LED lights, one of the quad exhaust setup, an aggressive new diffuser and trunk spoiler.

Spain's GTA teases refreshed Spano supercar with 925 hp. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1Bwz9At)

In addition to using the new engine, the latest iteration of GTA Spano will also boast a new body made of carbon fiber, titanium, Kevlar and graphene (a thin layer of pure carbon). This car will be produced in a limited number of only 99 units. Here's the video.......
Pricing has not been announced, but additional details are expected to be announced at the Geneva Motor Show.. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LEFTLANENEWS]

Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.