News
Frontiers of health: Sight for sore eyes
July 01, 2007
Szymon Suckewer needs eye surgery, but he's not going under the knife just yet -- he'd rather wait until no knife is necessary. Having recently developed an incision-free eye surgery technique, he's confident that will soon be an option.
Frontiers of health: Developing understanding
July 01, 2007
The vials of fruit flies that line the shelves of Stas Shvartsman's lab would be expected in a biology lab, but Shvartsman is a chemical engineer. His approach to developmental biology -- as unconventional as his lab -- has promising implications for the prevention and treatment of birth defects and cancer.
Frontiers of health: Killer proteins
July 01, 2007
Powerful proteins that are able to kill bacteria and viruses already exist in nature, but Kyle Vanderlick wants to make them even stronger. The chair of the chemical engineering department, Vanderlick conducts research on antimicrobial peptides -- short proteins that destroy disease-causing bugs by breaking down the membranes that surround them. The work, done in collaboration with biologists at the University of California, Irvine, could ultimately lead to the development of powerful new mic
Frontiers of health: Taking the scenic route
July 01, 2007
It might seem easy to visually distinguish between a kitchen and a beach, but Fei Fei Li recognizes the inherent complexity in telling sink from sand. Her research to understand the brain processes involved may ultimately enhance treatments for visual impairments and brain damage.
Quest for ancient coins inspires a book and a course
July 01, 2007
Computer scientist Ken Steiglitz is happy to admit that he is an eBay addict. For starters, his pre-dawn "grazing" on the popular Internet trading site has yielded a trove of ancient bronze coins to add to his personal collection. Even more, he has discovered a wealth of information to advance the field of auction theory, which lies at the intersection of computer science, economics, mathematics and psychology.
Frontiers of health: Deep into the surface
July 01, 2007
Mikko Haataja, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, views cell membranes as "very complicated beasts." As the beasts can't always be explored experimentally, he uses computer simulations to probe deep into their structure and function.
Frontiers of health: Bugs for drugs
July 01, 2007
Bacteria have to work to earn their keep in the lab of David Wood, assistant professor of chemical engineering. Designed to respond to human hormones, the busy bugs may help identify new compounds to treat endocrine problems, including Graves' disease and estrogen-related disorders.
For computers or humans, theory of learning inspires unusual mix of subjects
June 25, 2007
This year marks the 10th anniversary of a class that yokes two very unlikely subjects -- philosophy and engineering.
Felten and Internet experts ponder privacy issues
June 22, 2007
Ed Felten opened a Reunions 2007 panel discussion on Internet privacy by showing images from Google's new map service called "Street View."
Franklin Moss '71 named to Princeton University's board of trustees
June 21, 2007
Princeton University recently named Franklin Moss, who graduated from Princeton in 1971 with a B.S.E. in mechanical and aerospace engineering, as one of six new members on its Board of Trustees.