Science and Technology

The University at Buffalo will name its newest and most innovative residence hall after William R. Greiner, who devoted 42 years of service to the institution as president, provost and longtime Law School faculty member

The Richmond Oval, designed for the 2010 Winter Olympics, is the focus of a new, specially created exhibition at the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning. The exhibition, which traces the design process from early conceptual sketches to technical drawings, also includes photographs of the construction and the completed building, together with a large model built by graduate students in the architecture program at UB.

Brian Carter announced today that he will step down as dean of the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning after more than seven years in the post. He will devote more time to design research and practice as a member of the school's faculty.

University at Buffalo biologists have identified an enzyme that degrades an important protein present in cancers of both adults and children. The findings, published in the current issue of Molecular Cell, could lead to more effective therapies for cancers in which the protein -- Wilms' tumor 1 (WT1) -- is involved, as well as to a better understanding of how childhood and adult cancers differ.

Days after arriving in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, a team of French-speaking structural engineers led by Andre Filiatrault, PhD, University at Buffalo civil engineering professor and director of the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER), headquartered at UB, was appointed by the United Nations as its interim lead coordinating team for organizing and initiating building assessments.

The powerful aftershock that hit the already devastated city of Port au Prince on Jan. 20 has only intensified Haiti's need for French-speaking structural engineers who can immediately determine which of the structures left standing may still pose a threat to human safety.

University at Buffalo faculty -- including earthquake engineering, disaster, trauma and communication experts -- are available to discuss the tragic earthquake in Haiti. A listing of the experts and their commentary is available at http://newstips.buffalo.edu.

A 3-D virtual clay sculpting software package that came on the market this week was developed out of research conducted by University at Buffalo mechanical engineers who wanted to speed up computational design of complex, organic shapes.

University at Buffalo biophysicists have found a protein in tarantula venom that shows promise as a potential therapy for muscular dystrophy (MD). They have formed a start-up biotech company in Buffalo -- Rose Pharmaceuticals -- to advance the drug to clinical trials.

The secret to the flight of the hummingbird and other tiny birds and insects lies in the looping, swirling flow of air, called a vortex, that their flapping wings create. These aerodynamically unconventional flows are the inspiration behind new research by a University at Buffalo scientist who hopes to understand the nature of the three-dimensional vortex formation process so that it can be optimized.