RSS feed source: National Institute of Standards & Technology
Scientists develop new impact-resistant material based on the exoskeleton of the mantis shrimp.
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Agencies
RSS feed source: National Institute of Standards & Technology
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma residents who have been affected by the March wildfires and straight-line winds have 30 days left to apply for FEMA assistance.
Homeowners and renters in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee, and Payne counties who were displaced or have property damage from the March 14-21 wildfires and straight-line winds have until Tuesday, July 22, to submit an application for FEMA assistance. After the deadline, survivors can still upload information and submit paperwork to their FEMA account.
To date, FEMA has approved more than $6 million in federal and state assistance for Oklahoma survivors.
There are many types of assistance available for survivors who need help covering costs for things like rental expenses, home repairs, vehicle damage, medical expenses, moving and storage, and reimbursement for temporary housing.
There are three ways to apply:
To view an accessible video about how to apply visit: Three Ways to Register for FEMA Disaster Assistance – YouTube
Residents and businesses in the seven eligible counties can also apply for a low-interest disaster loan from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help recover. Oklahoma residents can apply for a disaster loan online at SBA.gov/disaster or by calling 800-659-2955. To find an Oklahoma location for in-person assistance, visit appointment.sba.gov/schedule/. No appointment is necessary.
For more information about the loans available and how to apply, visit: Oklahoma Survivors Can Apply for SBA Loans.
For the latest information about Oklahoma’s recovery, visit fema.gov/disaster/4866. Follow FEMA Region 6 on social
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RSS feed source: National Institute of Standards & Technology
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a major new scientific facility jointly funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, released its first imagery today at an event in Washington, D.C. The imagery shows cosmic phenomena captured at an unprecedented scale. In just over 10 hours of test observations, NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory has already captured millions of galaxies and Milky Way stars and thousands of asteroids. The imagery is a small preview of Rubin Observatory’s upcoming 10-year scientific mission to explore and understand some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
“The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory demonstrates that the United States remains at the forefront of international basic science and highlights the remarkable achievements we get when the many parts of the national research enterprise work together,” said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The Rubin Observatory is an investment in our future, which will lay down a cornerstone of knowledge today on which our children will proudly build tomorrow.”
“NSF-DOE Rubin Observatory will capture more information about our universe than all optical telescopes throughout history combined,” said Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director. “Through this remarkable scientific facility, we will explore many cosmic mysteries, including the dark matter and dark energy that permeate the universe.”
“We’re entering
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RSS feed source: National Institute of Standards & Technology
Microorganisms with extreme abilities have laid the groundwork for decades of biotechnologies from the PCR technique that enables amplification of DNA for diagnostics and drug development to the gene editing tool CRISPR, and now researchers supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation have found a trove of these microbes in a somewhat unlikely location — the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The team identified more than 450 species with over 60 different biochemical pathways to deal with pollutants and 1,171 genes that can aid in processing heavy metals, offering potential for bio-based and cheaper methods of industrial clean-up, the costs of which are estimated to be more than $645 billion.
The Gowanus Canal is a contaminated waterway in Brooklyn that has high concentrations of petrochemicals and heavy metals. The researchers, including Sergios-Orestis Kolokotronis of the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, collected soil samples at 14 locations along the 1.8-mile-long canal and deep sediment core samples and analyzed them using genomic sequencing and bioinformatics. Understanding the genetic sequences and metabolic pathways of the organisms identified will allow researchers to develop faster methods of what the microbes can do naturally.
“We have seen the power of extremophiles used in medicine and industry, and this new analysis expands the biological adaptations we can harness for societal benefit,” said Joanna Shisler, program director in the NSF Directorate for Biological
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