5.   SOLAR THERMAL PLANTS RETURN TO THE DESERTS

          When most people think of harnessing the sun's power, they imagine a solar photovoltatic panel, which directly converts light from the sun into electricity. But an older technology emerged as a leading city-scale power technology in 2008: solar thermal. Companies like Ausra, BrightSource, eSolar, Solel, and a host of others are using sunlight-reflecting mirrors to turn liquids into steam, which can drive a turbine in the same way that coal-fired power plants make electricity. 

6.  OBAMA PICKS A GREEN TECH EXPERT TO HEAD DOE

          President-elect Barack Obama ran on the promise of green jobs and an economic stimulus package that would provide support for scientific innovation. Then, Obama picked Steven Chu, a Nobel-prize winning physicist, to head the Department of Energy. Chu had been focused on turning Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory into an alternative-energy powerhouse. The green tech community rejoiced that one of their own would be in the White House.

7.  SOLAR CELL PRODUCTION GETS BIG, GIGA(WATT)BIG

          Every clean tech advocate's dream is a power-generating technology that could compete head-to-head with coal, the cheapest fossil fuel, on price alone. Nanosolar, one of a new generation of companies building solar panels out of cheap plastics, could be the first company to get there. Early this year, the company officially opened its one-gigawatt production facility which is many times the size of most previous solar facilities.

          Nanosolar, in other words, has found a process that can scale: it works as well in production as it does in the lab. That's the main reason that the company has picked up half-a-billion dollars in funding from investors like MDV's Erik Straser.

8.   PROJECT BETTER PLACE FINDS HOMES
          Green technologies are dime a dozen, but a business model that could allow an entirely new, green infrastructure to be built is a rare thing.

          Doing just that is the centerpiece of SAP veteran Shai Agassi's vision for Project Better Place, a scheme that would distribute charging and swappable battery stations throughout smallish geographies like Israel, Hawaii and San Francisco. So far, there's very little steel in the ground, but in early December, the company's first charging location opened in Tel Aviv, Israel. Agassi's plan is one of several projects — like new biofuels rail terminals — that could create fundamentally new energy ecosystems.

          Some of these systems, however, are actually throwbacks to earlier eras. As Peter Shulman, a historian of technology at Case Western Reserve University likes to remind his students: in the early 20th century, before the Model T, one-third of all cars were electric. (Image: Joe Puglies/WIRED)                                                                          

10.  CALERA'S GREEN CEMENT DEMO PLANT OPENS

          Cement? With all the whiz bang technologies in green technology, cement seems like an odd pick for our top clean technology of the year. But here's the reason: making cement — and many other materials — takes a lot of heat and that heat comes from fossil fuels.

          Mini-laptop computer designed for mobility, wired and wireless online access, word processing and general office applications. Weighing in at 2-3 pounds (.9 – 1.4 kilograms) and featuring LCD screens between 6-10 inches (15-25 cm), the netbook is  perfect companion for people on the go who want connectivity without lugging  much heavier, full-sized laptop along. Many manufacturers offer netbook models including Asus® Acer®, Hewlett Packard®, Dell®, MSI® and others.

          To achieve the lightest weight, netbooks do not have integrated compact disk players. Instead most feature two or more Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports,  video-out port, SD card reader, integrated speakers and microphone and headphone jacks. Netbooks also feature  built-in camera for video blogging and Skype. Keyboards are 5% - 20% smaller than  standard board, and memory and disk drive space vary, dependent in part on the operating system installed. Battery life also varies between models, ranging from two to seven hours.

           Netbooks with less memory and smaller static drives generally feature  portable Linux operating system, while models with more RAM and platter drives come preinstalled with Windows XP or Linux. Portable Linux operating systems can get by with  minimum 512 Megabytes (MB) of memory, and as little as 4 Gigabytes (GB) of internal storage on static disk drive (SDD), though they can also come with much higher specs.  netbook with the XP operating system can have as much as 2 GB RAM and  160 GB platter disk drive, making XP models more expensive and slightly heavier than leaner Linux models.

          The central processing unit (CPU) on the netbook comes in more than  few flavors with the popular 1.6 Gigahertz (GHz) Intel Atom being most common as of winter 2008. Other netbook CPUs include the Via C7, Intel Celeron-M, AMD Geode and AMD Turion 64 x2, to name  few.

           In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF, is a highly sophisticated technique used to assist infertile couples in achieving pregnancy.

           When a couple cannot conceive naturally, they may be able to have a baby through In Vitro Fertilization, or IVF. Learn more about infertility and IVF procedures.

          NRCP, a collegial body under the Department of Science and Technology, has adopted the theme “Science beyond science: Bringing social dimensions to basic research” to highlight the research community’s concern for the increasingly overcast economic outlook expected to dominate national and global events in the next few years.

           Botika ng Bayan is President Arroyo's program of providing cheap and quality medicine to the Filipinos. DOST is the first government agency to adopt the program to benefit the entire system.

       DOST-CAR absorbs PTRI sericulture center, UC office building

Ø      Botika ng Bayan sa DOST launched

Ø      Applications for the 47th and 48th IATSS Forum (Leadership Training Program)

Ø      Boosting Filipinnovation

Ø      Experience-based learning for PSTDs and ARDs

Ø      APRICOT 2009 Soars High towards Manila

Ø      Outstanding Filipino inventions in 2008

Ø      Filipino technopreneur unveils unmanned aerial vehicle

   BnB sa DOST is a collaborative project of the DOST Management and the DOSTwide Employees’ Associations. It aims to make low priced medicines easily accessible to all DOST employees and in the future to the people of the communities around of the Bicutan Science Community.

          DOST Secretary Alabastro said that this project will surely help maintain the “well being of the mind and body” of the entire DOST manpower in its 21 attached agencies.  At affordable prices, maintenance drugs for hypertension, diabetes, and other age related ailments would be readily available to the officials and rank-and-file of the department, she added.

          On the other hand, the presidents of the 21 DOST Agencies employees’ associations were grateful to Secretary Alabastro and to her management team, particularly to DOST ALS Elizabeth Fontanilla and DOST ASEC Mario P. Bravo, for the logistical and financial support extended for the project’s initial phase.

          National President Esperanza Ocampo of the Philippine Government Employees’ Associations and President Rolando Bautista of the PITC Pharma Inc. helped facilitate the implementation of this DOST project.  

Services Institutions

Ø      National Computer Center (NCC)

Ø      Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA)

Ø      Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)

Ø      Philippine Science High School System (PSHS)

Ø      Science Education Institute (SEI)

Ø      Science and Technology Information Institute (STII)

Ø      Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI)

The octuplets were born nine weeks prematurely but appear relatively healthy. Their names have a biblical theme: Noah, Jonah, Jeremiah, Josiah, Isaiah, Maliyah, Makai and Nariyah. All share the middle name Angel and the last name Solomon.

         Shane and Sarah Reinfelder, of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., hold their 1-day-old twin girls, Valerie Marie and Kaylin Joy, on Feb. 27. The babies were born from two separate wombs in Sarah's body. They join brother William, who is 10 months old. Click through the gallery for more amazing births.

The babies' names, gender and birth weight in birth order are:

• Noah Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 8 oz
• Maliyah Angel Solomon - female; 2 lbs 2 oz
• Isaiah Angel Solomon - male; 3 lbs 1 oz
• Nariyah Angel Solomon - female; 2 lbs 3 oz
• Makai Angel Solomon - male; 1 lbs 12 oz
• Josiah Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 9 oz
• Jeremiah Angel Solomon - male; 1 lb 13 oz
• Jonah Angel Solomon - male; 2 lbs 7 oz

Although mother Nadya Suleman states there are two sets of identical (monozygotic) twins among the octuplets due to division of two of the claimed six implanted she has not identified which of the octuplets are sets of identical twins.

The octuplets have six older siblings age 2 to 7 (born between 2001 and 2006) who were also conceived via IVF with the same sperm donor according to statements made by mother Nadya Suleman. They are:

• 7-year-old Elijah Makai Solomon (boy)
• 6-year-old Amerah Yasmeen Solomon (girl)
• 5-year-old Joshua Jacob Solomon (boy)
• 3-year-old Aiden Solomon (boy)
• 2-year-old Calyssa Arielle Solomon (girl, fraternal
• 2-year-old Caleb Kai Solomon (boy, fraternal twin

Five Sectoral Planning Councils of DOST(Brief Function and Description)

1. Philippine Council for Aquatic Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD

1.      Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and       Development (PCARRD)

PCARRD is one of the five sectoral councils of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It serves as the main arm of DOST in planning, evaluating, monitoring, and coordinating the national research and development (R&D) programs in agriculture, forestry, environment, and natural resources sectors.

The first DOST council to earn an ISO 9001:2000 certification for its quality management system, PCARRD is engaged in active partnership with international, regional, and national organizations and funding institutions for joint R&D, human resource development and training, technical assistance, and exchange of scientists, information, and technologies.

PCARRD TechnoMart highlights alternative energy for the food industry

The recent energy turmoil leaves the food industry with one important lesson in resource management—the need to find alternative sources of energy for various aspects of food processing and packaging.

Seeking to assist the country’s food manufacturers and producers, particulalry those run by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), through its TechnoMart Program, highlighted some of the most recent inventions on the use of alternative energy during the 8th Philippine Food Expo.

Bearing the theme “Strategic regional cooperation towards food self-sufficiency, the expo initiated by the Philippine Food Exporters Inc. (PHILFOODEX), was held at the SM Megamall in Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City from March 5 to 7. The expo featured various food products of 175 companies in 249 booths representing Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and the National Capital Region.    

The inventions featured by PCARRD and its partner member agencies  include protos, a stove which uses plant oil; biogas, fuel from waste; biogas digester model; and the kawayan charcoal briquettes.  

The inventions were generated by the National Agriculture Resources Research and Development Network-member agencies, namely: Visayas State University, Baybay, Leyte; University of Southeastern Philippines, Davao City; Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite; and the Mariano Marcos State University, Batac, Ilocos Sur.

As PCARRD’s most recent technology diffusion modality, TechnoMart bridges the gap between science and technology (S&T)-based enterprises and the thriving industires through business mentoring and product market matching.

3. Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development (PCASTRD)

4.      Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD)

PCHRD partners with Novartis to support BiocampMakati, Philippines. PCHRD executive director Dr. Jaime C. Montoya recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Novartis, a Swiss research-based healthcare company to support the Biotechnology Leadership Camp for Filipinos.

Present during the MOA signing were DOST Secretary Estrella F. Alabastro; Mr. Peter Goldschmidt, President and CEO of Novartis Healthcare Philippines; Mr. Alexander F. Jetzer, member of the Novartis Board of Directors and Dr. Francis Domingo, chief scientist officer of Novartis.

The networking bazaar in the recently concluded Philippine National Health Research Assembly last August 13 focused on boosting research productivity and capacity in the regions.

The national assembly provided an avenue for the formulation of the plan-of-action to strengthen the inter-regional health research networking in the regions. Representatives discussed their activities and initiatives in terms of research and development (R&D), capacity building, information dissemination, and strategies.

For R&D activities, participants identified ongoing health research projects as well as possible areas for collaboration. A drug development program and an herbal medicine research  on anti-parasitic and anti-coagulant activities were proposed as topics for future research. Ongoing projects in the regions included topics on violence against women, herbal medicine, medical education, epidemiology, basic and applied researches, environmental health, reproductive health, and psychological studies. The proposed topics for collaboration were on health hazards in the workplace, rooming-in and breastfeeding policy, water bacteriology, human intestinal parasites, hazard analysis, and critical control points.

5. Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD)

PCIERD Gets Regional Perspectives for S&T Roadmaps

The Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will touch base with the regions to come up with S&T roadmaps for specific sectors so that their views and expectations as regards technologies, services, and support mechanisms are incorporated in the national S&T programs.

The PCIERD kicks off its Regional Consultations on “Science and Technology Roadmap: Regional Roles and Perspectives” – Luzon Cluster in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga on February 5, 2009 at the Hotel Stotsenberg.  The regions joining the activity are Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A and 4B, 5, and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The objectives set for the consultations are for the regions to know the national sectoral plans and programs so that these would complement with regional needs and vice-versa.  It is also aimed at strengthening cooperative mechanisms for S&T priority setting and resource rationalization.  And while PCIERD has come up with S&T roadmaps for the food, energy, environment, and construction, it is still best to get the regional views and concerns on the roadmaps.

The consultations will focus on coming up with specific tangible outputs for the food, energy and environment sectors and the needed intervention areas in S&T.  All other development areas like S&T support services, S&T policies and human resource development will also be discussed.

After the Luzon Cluster consultation, PCIERD will move to the Visayas Cluster composed of Regions 6,7, and 8 to be held in Cebu City on February 17, 2009  to be followed by the Mindanao Cluster (Regions 9, 10, 11, 12 and CARAGA) on March 3, 2009 in General Santos City.

The Regional Consultations are part of the 27th PCIERD anniversary celebration on March 18, 2009 aptly themed “PCIERD Reaching Out to the Regions:  Linking Technology to the Grassroots”.

Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI)

NOW AVAILABLE! Bayanihan Linux 5 For Government

The Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) is proud to announce the availability of Bayanihan Linux 5 For Government, a new version of the Linux-based operating system developed by ASTI's Open Source Group.

This version includes numerous updates to the software packages typically bundled with Bayanihan Linux such as the K Desktop Environment, OpenOffice.org productivity suite, Mozilla FireFox web browser, ClamAV antivirus, K3b CD/DVD burning application, Guarddog firewall utility, the MPlayer multimedia player and the XVidCap screen capturing tool. There is also improved support out of the box for various wireless devices, peripherals and printers as well as plug and surf capability for popular 3G wireless devices.

Users of the new OS will enjoy a more streamlined and user-friendly graphical installer with default, expert and rescue modes as well as a memory testing utility for checking the system's physical memory.

Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)

Stability of multi-micronutrient-fortified juice drink

To reduce the prevalence of micronutrient malnutrition problems in the country, particularly iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among children, 7-12 years old, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST), in partnership with the Industry, developed an orange-flavored non-carbonated fortified juice drink and determined its commercial potential. The orange juice was fortified with vitamins A and C, iron, and zinc based on the Philippine Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) and lysine based on the US Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) per 200 mL serving size for 7-12 year-old children. Prior to the conduct of the fortification trials, the potency of the fortificants was determined to establish their correct levels. Laboratory scale trials were conducted to determine the technical viability of the fortified juice. The juice from laboratory trials was sent to the Industry partner’s laboratory in Shanghai, China for further evaluation and selection of the best formulation. Large scale production trials were conducted to make the necessary adjustments in the formulation and to determine the economic viability of the process. Retention after processing and homogeneity of the nutrients were also determined in the large scale production trials.

Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI)

Researchers promote technologies to Bicol pili stakeholders

FPRDI�s Irma I. Palanginan, Senior Science Research Specialist, and For. Arsenio B. Ella, Scientist III, gave lectures during a recent Pili Congress on investment opportunities and improved resin tapping technologies to pili (Canarium sp.) growers, processors and other stakeholders from the provinces of Camarines Sur, Albay and Sorsogon. .....

Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI)

Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC)

    The Metals Industry Research and  Development Center (MIRDC), an agency of the Department of Science and Technology, is the sole government entity directly supporting the metals and engineering industry with services designed to enhance its competitive advantage. 

Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI)

Nuclear Science and Technology Award is Extended
18 February 2009

The Awards Committee is extending the search period for the Nuclear S&T Award to May 15, 2009 to allow more time for receiving and screening nominations. The first batch of nominees shall still be retained and considered as official nominations. The granting of the awards will coincide with the conferment of the Gen. Medina Award on the anniversary celebration of PNRI in July, 2009.

Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI)

2^nd PACIFIC-WIDE TSUNAMI DRILL SET FOR OCTOBER 2008

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)

            Philippine Science High School (PSHS)

PSHS NCE Results 2009

Secretary ESTRELLA F. ALABASTRO of the Department of Science and Technology and Chair of the Philippine Science High School System Board of Trustees announces the successful qualifiers to the PSHS Search for Scholars for 2009. Of the 21,303 applicants, 1,119 examinees successfully hurdled the one-step screening administered on November 15, 2008. The PSHS System has eleven (11) campuses all over the country. The qualifiers have to IMMEDIATELY contact the Registrar or the Campus Director of the PSHS Campus where they qualified, or visit the following websites: www.pshs.edu.ph or www.dost.gov.ph for more information on early enrolment. For principal qualifiers of Region 3 and CAR, contact the PSHS System Admissions Office for the schedule and venue for distribution of enrolment forms. Last day for pre-enrolment of principal qualifiers is on March 31, 2009.

Science Education Institute (SEI)

Former IMO contestant tops 11th Phil Math Olympiad

Carlo Francisco Adajar (second from right) of PAREF Southridge School receives his medal for winning the 11 th Philippine Mathematical Olympiad while his coach Ariel Marcera (right) holds the certificate and trophy for their school. Standing with them are (from left to right) Dr. Fidel R. Nemenzo, president of Mathematical Society of the Philippines; former Department of Education Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo of Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education; and Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary for S&T Services Fortunato T. dela Peña.

National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)

National Research Council of the Philippines celebrates its 75th Anniversary at the historic landmark Manila Hotel on December 8, 2008.(Opinion and Editorial)

THE National Research Council of the Philippine Islands was created on December 8, 1933, by Act No. 4120 of the Ninth Philippine Legislature. It was established to promote the advancement of science through researches and build up a body of Filipino men and women devoted to scientific research. It was to convene regularly as an organization and formulate national plans to solve problems on health, sanitation, agriculture, industry, and others. A group of 114 prominent scientists and technologists were named charter members of the National Research Council of the Philippine ...

Who is the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology?

DOST Secretary Alabastro Warmly Received in Sanchez Mira

DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro was warmly received in Cagayan State University (CSU) in Sanchez Mira by no less than the Honorable Napoleon Sacramed, mayor of the municipality, Vice-Mayor Benjamin Oroceo, and CSU chief executive officer Aurelio Caldez, PhD for her visit and ocular inspection of SET-UP project sites in Region 2.