SMALLER CHIPS BUILT USING DNA AS TEMPLATE - In an advance that
might provide a practical method for making molecular-size circuits, the smallest
possible, scientists in Israel used strands of DNA, the computer code of life, to create
tiny transistors that can literally build themselves. "What we've done is to bring biology
to self-assemble an electronic device in a test tube," said Dr. Erez Braun, a professor
of physics at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, Israel, and a senior
author of a paper describing the research in the journal Science. The new technique
takes advantage of a biological process known as recombination, where a segment
of DNA is swapped out for an almost identical piece. The cell uses recombination
to repair damaged DNA and to swap genes. A special protein helps connect the
replacement DNA to the desired location. The scientists then coated the DNA with
gold, producing a simple electronic device consisting of the nanotube connected to
gold wires at each end. Current through the nanotube could be switched on or off by
applying an electric field the definition of a transistor. Find the complete article at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/21/science/21DNA.html?th (New York Times,
21 Nov 03)

MIT CENTER FUNDS SPEECH RECOGNITION TECH - The MIT Deshpande
Center for Technological Innovation issued its largest grant round since the launch of
the Center a year ago, awarding 13 grants from 45 proposals. The seven Ignition
grants, which fund proof of concept explorations, and six Innovation Program grants,
which further research towards commercialization, total $1.3 million. The grants were
awarded to MIT faculty in the School of Engineering and support a wide range of
emerging technologies, including: a new approach for speech recognition. This risky
new processing approach could be the breakthrough necessary to finally make
speech recognition a reality. (Syllabus News Update, 4 Nov 03)