The fundamental concepts of physics are crucial to understanding the correlation of the structure and strength of materials. Some materials, like a steel coil spring or rubber, are elastic. Grasping a rubber ball deforms the shape momentarily before it returns to its original state. Other materials when manipulated with, such as clay, will retain its newly deformed shape. This phenomenon, called plasticity, has been studied by scientists in designing high strength steels and alloys. The demand for high-technology metallic materials continues to depend on further research and understanding of ..

POSTECH researchers have found another reason to cut down on a high-fat and cholesterol diet. Their findings show that cholesterol is crucial for Wnt signaling pathway often linked to human birth defects, cancer, and other diseases. Research groups of Prof. Jin-Kwan Han in the Department of Life Sciences at POSTECH and Prof. Wonhwa Cho from the University of Illinois at Chicago performed this study. Their research was published in the July edition of Nature Communications. Wnt signaling processes biological functions through ‘canonical’ and ‘non-canonical’ pathways..

Professor Suk Bong Hong(CE and School of Environmental Science and Engineering) and Hyung Ki Min(CE, Ph.D. candidate) succeeded in converting meta-xylene to para-xylene using zeolite catalyst based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-computer(GC-MS-CPU) and isotope exchange method. Para-xylene which is used to make polyester fibers, plastic bottles, and films is a basic petrochemical material made through isomerization of meta-xylene, whose mechanism has been merely a hypothesis. Unlike other technologies, this technology can now be realized ex hypothesi.The research team is receiving atte..

A research te-am that consists of Professor Tae-Woo Lee (MSE), Tae-Hee Han (MSE Ph.D. ca-ndidate), Prof. Jong-Hyun Ahn (SKKU), and Prof. Byung Hee Hong (SNU) has developed graphene into organic light-emitting diode (OLED) and flexible, white light with it for the first time.This team noticed that the inefficiency of graphene in OLED can be resolved by replacing conventional indium tin oxide anodes with high-work-function, low-sheet-resistance graphene anodes. The team improved the luminous efficiencies to 37.2 Im/W for fluorescent and 102.7 Im/W for phosphorescent devices, which are higher tha..

A new leaf-mustard kimchi season is here, stimulating appetites with the unique flavor and aroma of leaf mustard and ground red chili, plus the promise of enriched calcium.The joint research by Professor Youngsook Lee of the Department of Life Science. and Dr. Won-Yong Song and Prof. Martinoia of University of Zurich have created a way for producing the calcium-rich product.The research team found that the protein, BjPCR1, facilitates transportation to calcium absorbed from root hair of plants to inner cells. Prof. Lee’s research team demon-strated the fact that BjPCR controls the transp..

Professor Kwan Hyoung Kang of the Department of Mechanical Engineering developed anelectrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumping method for dielectric (or non-polar) liquids utilized for micro fingers of microsurgical robots. He presented a new way which relies on the EHD flow generated by the filed dependent electrical conductivity.The EHD pump is a device that converts electrical energy to mechanical energy indirectly, and it is required for the cooling system of microelectronic devices for chemical and biological analysis and micropumping of organic solvents.The results of this research are significant..

Professor Sangmin Jeon (CE) and Jinmyoung Joo (Post Doc.) have developed the technology that diagnoses cancer by using micro-oscillators made of photo- catalytic silicon and nanoparticle on the inside and magnetic material on the outside. This technology, published on ACS Nano, attracted academic attention because it could be applied to cancer diagnosis at once as well as early detection, which is crucial in cancer treatment.When patients suffer from cancer, the concentration of specialized proteins in blood and other body fluids increases. This technology uses the concentration of the protein..

Professor HyungJoon Cha of the Department of Chemical Engineering has devised a new technique which combines Mussel Adhesive Protein (MAP) and antibody-binding protein to pin down an antibody on diverse surfaces coated with a new linker protein (BC-MAP).BC-MAP is a linker material to immobilize y-shaped antibodies onto immunosensors such as a pregnancy test which examines for infection by antigen-antibody reaction. In order to work properly, antibodies are supposed to be exactly immobilized onto surfaces.Previously, antibody-binding protein did not immobilize an antibody depending on the surfa..

Professor Kijung Yong (CE) and his research team succeeded in developing a nonvolatile memory cell which is waterproof and maintains information without power supply. Nonvolatile memory cells could be used in production of waterproof computers and smart phones by using nanotechnology.Memory cells currently used are vulnerable to water. To solve this problem, the research team synthesized the tungsten oxide semiconductor using natural effects called the Lotus Effect, an imitation of lotus leaves, which could wash the dust off the surface without wetting it. In addition, they developed resistive..