The Latest News
Buzzkill: Will America’s Bees Survive?
(Source: Discover Magazine) Despite all the years, and all the troubles, Darren Cox still likes to put on his bee suit. A big, block-shaped man in his 50s, Cox sports a bowlish blond haircut and serious demeanor. But when he slips into his protective gear, his netted hat in hand, he offers a rare smile. “Time to get out there,” he says. It’s a summer day in Cache Valley, an agricultural center set among the...
How Heat from the Sun Can Keep Us All Cool
(Source: Scientific American & Nature) At Hotel Star Sapphire in Dawei, Myanmar, guests sip from coconuts in cool, air-conditioned comfort as the steamy tropical night rolls on. Seven thousand kilometers to the west, in dry Khartoum, Sudan, patients rest in a United Nations Hospital, cocooned from the baking desert heat. In both buildings, the pleasant conditions come courtesy of air-conditioning units that rely in part on dark glass tubes that turn sunlight into cooling power. These aren’t...
U.S. Lists a Bumble Bee Species as Endangered for First Time
(Source: Scientific American) The rusty patched bumble bee, a prized but vanishing pollinator once familiar to much of North America, was listed on Tuesday as an endangered species, becoming the first wild bee in the continental United States to gain such federal protection. One of several species facing sharp declines, the bumble bee known to scientists as Bombus affinis has plunged nearly 90 percent in abundance and distribution since the late 1990s, according to the...
Congress approves deal to keep government open, fight Zika
(Source: USAToday) WASHINGTON — Congress approved a stop-gap spending deal Wednesday to avert a government shutdown and provide $1.1 billion in long-awaited aid to combat the Zika virus. The House voted 342-85 to pass the legislation, which will keep the government funded through Dec. 9 and give lawmakers time to work out a long-term spending bill for the fiscal 2017 year that begins Saturday. The Senate approved the bill by a vote of 72-26 earlier in the day, clearing the way for Congress to leave town until...
Latex Glove Production Require Tight Control of Humidity and Temperature
(Source: Rotronic) Latex gloves in general Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, minor impurities of other organic compounds and water. It is harvested mainly in the form of the latex from certain trees. The latex is then refined into rubber ready for commercial processing. Around 25 million tons of rubber is produced each year, of which 42 percent is natural rubber. Common products manufactured with...
St. Louis and Israel ag tech connection grows stronger
(Source: St. Louis Public Radio) This article brought to you by St. Louis Public Radio, click the source link above to listen to the interviews! Two years ago BioSTL set out to put St. Louis on Israel’s radar. The non-profit, founded in 2001, helped develop the support system for St. Louis bioscience startups. Then, a few years ago, president and CEO Donn Rubin started hearing that Israeli startups were expanding into other U.S. cities. “I looked...
Darwin Chambers Goes Green with Solar Panels
(Source: Original Article) Darwin Chambers Company has recently completed a rooftop solar panel project installed by Microgrid Energy. Having unsurpassed expertise, Microgrid Energy has become a leader in todays solar energy world, serving the St. Louis area as well as nationwide. With this addition of solar panels Darwin Chambers Company has gone green. 255 solar panels helps offset approximately 80% of Darwin Chambers annual electricity usage, as well as about 149,820 pounds of CO₂. All...
Lab Mice are Freezing Their Asses Off- and That’s Screwing Science
(Source: Gizmodo) Most science labs maintain a temperature far below levels preferred by mice, and it’s taking a toll on their health. New research suggests these chilly mice are skewing science results across a wide range of research areas—and the problem is far worse than anyone realized. A new paper in Trends in Cancer by researchers from the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo shows that environmental factors are impacting the basic biology of mice,...
Know More than your Boss
(Source: Original Article) Preface: The goal of the Know More Than Your Boss series of papers is to provide an education in the intricacies of environmental chamber operation and performance. There is some subjectivity based on our experience as a manufacturer and servicer of environmental chambers. Humidification Do you need humidification? Everyone knows that to go from 4°C @ 85%RH to 21°C @ 45% you have to remove water molecules from the air (dehumidify), right?...