Engineering + Science

CORVALLIS, Ore. – An Oregon State University scientist and a team of undergraduate students have uncovered real-time insights into a chemical process linked with Alzheimer’s disease, paving the way toward better drug designs.

The researchers used a molecule measuring technique to observe in a laboratory setting how certain metals can promote the protein clumping that leads to the blocked neural pathways associated with Alzheimer’s.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that triggers a pair of chemical reactions inside cancer cells, killing the cells via oxidative stress while leaving healthy tissues alone.

The study led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang of the OSU College of Pharmacy was published this week in Advanced Functional Materials.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a quick-setting, environmentally friendly alternative to concrete they hope can one day be used to rapidly 3-D print homes and infrastructure.

Also known as additive manufacturing, 3-D printing is already being used to help solve construction challenges such as the global housing crisis that’s emerged as the Earth’s population approaches 8.5 billion.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Scientists at Oregon State University have filed a patent on a design for a new magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent with the potential to outperform current agents while being less toxic to patients and more environmentally friendly.

The new material is based on a structure known as a metal-organic framework or MOF, whose development in the 1990s earned this year’s Nobel Prize for chemistry as MOFs’ many possible uses become increasingly apparent.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – New research into antimicrobial peptides, small chains of amino acids able to damage bacterial cells, shows why some peptides are more effective at doing that and also why some cells are more vulnerable.

The findings open the door to designing novel compounds for killing disease-causing organisms that have become resistant to antibiotics. These compounds would represent a major breakthrough against a pervasive global problem, said study co-leader Myriam Cotten of Oregon State University.

Oregon State University has been selected to spearhead a national research center focused on making electronics more resilient to radiation, which could strengthen national security and boost U.S. competitiveness in space and defense technologies.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University pigment researchers are using a rare mineral discovered in Norway more than a century ago as a road map for creating new yellows, oranges and reds that are vibrant, durable, non-toxic and inexpensive.

The new pigments also carry energy-saving potential: Their ability to reflect heat from the sun means that buildings and vehicles coated in them will require less air conditioning.