In an effort to build a nanoscale DNA sequencer, IBM scientists are drilling nano-sized holes in computer-like chips and passing DNA strands through them in order to read the information contained within their genetic code.

IBM will partner with Western Australia’s International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) on the technology needed to manage the vast amounts of data produced by the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project. When constructed, the SKA telescope will be one of the world’s largest scientific instruments.

In order to foster the competitiveness of the European semiconductor industry, 35 European partners have formed the joint research project IMPROVE (Implementing manufacturing science solutions to increase equipment productivity and fab performance). The project runs from 2009 to end of 2011 and targets an increased productivity of semiconductor manufacturing as well as reducing costs and processing time.

IBM scientists have been able to image the “anatomy” - or chemical structure - inside a molecule with unprecedented resolution, using a complex technique known as noncontact atomic force microscopy. The results push the exploration of using molecules and atoms at the smallest scale and could greatly impact the field of nanotechnology, which seeks to understand and control some of the smallest objects known to mankind.

Scientists at IBM Research and the California Institute of Technology announced a scientific advancement that could be a major breakthrough in enabling the semiconductor industry to pack more power and speed into tiny computer chips, while making them more energy efficient and less expensive to manufacture.

Fujitsu received an order from the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) for a new supercomputer system which will be the most powerful in Japan when it goes online in 2010.

Ericsson and Telecom Italia are at the forefront of solar-powered site development, proving that alternative energy sources represent a viable business case for both emerging and developed markets.

IBM Research - Haifa has developed software that more efficiently and effectively hides sensitive or personal information that might otherwise appear on the computer screens of unauthorized personnel. It could prove particularly useful for security conscious fields such as healthcare, insurance, government or financial services.

IBM announced the launch of its Tokyo-based IBM Analytics Solution center which is part of a recently announced global network of analytics focused centers. Through these centers, IBM is addressing the growing demand for advanced analytics capabilities need to help clients build smarter business systems and drive improved decision-making.

In an effort to achieve energy-aware computing, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), and IBM announced plans to build a first-of-a-kind water-cooled supercomputer that will directly repurpose excess heat for the university buildings.

At the SmarterCities forum in Berlin, the city of Rotterdam, one of the main engines of the Dutch economy and the largest port in Europe, announced a collaboration with IBM on the design and testing of a monitoring and forecasting system for smarter water and energy management.

The University of Toronto’s SciNet Consortium, Compute Canada, and IBM announced the completion of a new supercomputer facility at SciNet that has a peak processing power of more than 300 trillion calculations per second, making it Canada’s most powerful supercomputer and one of the most powerful and energy-efficient supercomputers in the world.

With this week’s scheduled launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, imaging technology from Kodak will again play a key role in the exploration of our solar system. Using images captured by KODAK CCD Image Sensors, the orbiter will be used to create a comprehensive atlas of the moon’s features and resources to aid in the design of a future manned lunar outpost.

IBM scientists in collaboration with the University of Regensburg, Germany, and Utrecht University, Netherlands, for the first time demonstrated the ability to measure the charge state of individual atoms using noncontact atomic force microscopy.

IBM opened a new Global Rail Innovation Center that will bring together the world’s foremost industry leaders, researchers and universities to advance next-generation rail systems.

HP, Intel and Yahoo! announced that three new research organizations will join Open Cirrus, a global, multiple data center, open source test bed for the advancement of cloud computing research.

Sun announced the supercomputer JuRoPA2 went online last week at Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany. The new high-performance computing (HPC) system at Jülich Supercomputing Centre is the most powerful Sun technology-based computer in Europe, featuring 2,208 nodes supported by the Sun Constellation System and Sun Blade X6275 server modules.

The Cyberscience Center, Tohoku University, the Cybermedia Center, Osaka University, National Institute of Informatics and NEC announced the successful demonstration of one of the world’s fastest vector supercomputing environments by creating a single virtual system through the connection of two remotely located vector supercomputers on NAREGI (National Research Grid Initiative) middleware developed by NII.

Fujifilm entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with GE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric. It will develop, manufacture and supply advanced biomolecular imaging systems to GE Healthcare. The products will be sold worldwide under the GE brand in the life science research and drug discovery markets.

BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH, Continental AG, Daimler AG, Infineon Technologies AG and Robert Bosch GmbH formed the “Radar on Chip for Cars” (RoCC) technology cooperation project. The companies are engaged in joint research with the aim to increase driving safety by making highly reliable radar systems available in all vehicle classes.

Epson established inkjet technology that enables the uniform deposition of organic material in the production of large-screen organic light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions.

Sharp has developed and will introduce into the global market the new LR0GC02 Solar Module for Mobile Devices that features a thickness of 0.8 mm, the industry’s thinnest level.

IBM and the Bulgarian government announced their cooperation in the area of nanoscience and a deal for IBM to support the creation of what will be the first Bulgarian nanotechnology center.

Nortel Government Solutions (NGS) announced it has won a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) contract to maintain and support the Mandatory Ship Reporting System (MSR) - a system which is helping the U.S. Coast Guard to protect a critically endangered species of whale.

IBM unveiled details of an advanced computing system that will be able to compete with humans on Jeopardy!, America’s favorite quiz show. Officials from Jeopardy! announced plans to produce a human vs. machine competition on the renowned show.