Researchers in China and at UC Davis have measured high conductivity in very thin layers of niobium arsenide, a type of material called a Weyl semimetal. The material has about three times the conductivity of copper at room temperature, said Sergey Savrasov, professor of physics at UC Davis. Savrasov is a coauthor on the paper […]
Computer Model Is ‘Crystal Ball’ For E. Coli Bacteria
It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, and even more so when they involve the reactions of living cells — huge numbers of genes, proteins and enzymes, embedded in complex pathways and feedback loops. Yet researchers at the University of California, Davis, Genome Center and Department of Computer Science are attempting just that, […]
Alternative Fuels Need More Than Hype to Drive Transportation Market
Hype followed by disappointment: That’s been the general pattern over the past few decades when an alternative fuel is presented to the public. It’s a fuel du jour phenomenon, from methanol to hydrogen, where government leaders and the media hype a new fuel, only to abandon it when lofty expectations are not met. Thirty years […]
Making ‘Biogasoline’ from Plant Waste
Gasoline-like fuels can be made from cellulosic materials such as farm and forestry waste using a new process invented by chemists at the University of California, Davis. The process could open up new markets for plant-based fuels, beyond existing diesel substitutes. “What’s exciting is that there are lots of processes to make linear hydrocarbons, but […]