Science and Tech

The University of Kentucky has entered into a Master Alliance Agreement with Kentucky-based Alltech for a variety of research-related projects.  The pact allows even closer collaborations between scientists and researchers at the global animal health and nutrition company and their counterparts at UK. Scott Smith, Dean of the UK College of Agriculture, says the partnership signifies a new way forward for research.

Doctors in Lexington have successfully implanted an artificial heart, marking the first time the procedure was performed in Kentucky. The SynCardia Freedom Driver beats a steady rhythm that’s keeping 20-year-old Zack Poe alive. It powers the Total Artificial Heart doctors implanted in February. “The device is a polyurethane device. It has two pumps, each driven by its own drive line, and it has four mechanical valves," says Dr. Mark Plunkett, chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Kentucky.

Saturday is a big day for nearly 700 Fayette County public, private and home school students participating in the 28th annual Kentucky American Water Science Fair at Bryan Station High. Fayette County Public Schools Science Contest Specialist David Helm, a twenty-year veteran of the science fair, says the event is an opportunity for kids to put what they've been studying into action.

The University of Kentucky will unveil its latest medical advance next month, as the region's first hybrid operating room opening its doors. The room merges state-of-the-art imaging technology able to render 3-D pictures of human anatomy in seconds with the latest surgical capabilities to produce a unique operating environment. Dr. Zwischenberger, surgeon-in-chief at UK HealthCare, says the result is a combination of the best ORs in the country.