RTI develops new lighting

DURHAM -- RTI International is getting into the "green" lighting business.

The research organization based in Durham's Research Triangle Park announced Monday that it has developed a lighting technology that is more energy efficient than the common incandescent light bulb and does not contain mercury.

The technology uses a nanofiber structure that provides lighting management. Nanofibers are materials with diameters and surface features much smaller than the human hair but with comparable lengths. Combined with high-performance, nanofiber-based reflectors and photoluminescent nanofibers, a device could be produced that's capable of generating light five times greater than that of traditional bulbs.

RTI's technology was funded in part by the Department of Energy's Solid-State Lighting program.

Quintiles 47th for training

DURHAM -- Quintiles has been named to Training magazine's "Training Top 125," the publication's annual report which ranks companies based on employer-sponsored training and development programs.

The contract research organization based in Durham was ranked 47th, up from 80th in 2009, the company's first time in the rankings.

Past honorees have included global corporations such as Microsoft, UPS, Lockheed Martin and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, among others.