• Current (Active) Projects
• Completed (Inactive or Spin-Outs) Projects

CURRENT (ACTIVE) PROJECTS

VLADIMIR BULOVIC: MEMS for Large Area and Flexible Applications A flexible paper thin micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) array that can be used for sensing and actuation over large surfaces. (Fall 2009. Enviro. Nano.)

MICHAEL CIMA: Device for Treatment of Cerebral Edema
A drug delivery device to treat brain edema with reduced systemic side-effects typical of conventional treatments. (Fall 2009. Bio.)

JOEL DAWSON: A New Architecture for Highly Efficient, Broadband RF Transceivers
Very energy efficient, high data rate transmitters for broadband wireless communications, which will increase battery life in handsets and reduce heat generation in base stations. (Renewal from Spring 2008 grant round. Info.)

UTKAN DEMIRCI and MARTHA GRAY: CD-4 T Lymphocyte-Counting Microchip
A disposable CD-4 T lymphocyte-counting microchip providing fast, cost-effective on-site HIV virus monitoring to improve patient care in the developing world. (Renewal Fall 2007. Bio.)

ELAZER EDELMAN: Drug Delivery for Heart Surgery Patients
A unique means of safely administering perioperative drugs for heart failure patients. (Fall 2007. Bio)

GERALD FINK: Compound to Enhance Immune Stimulation
A compound to stimulate a more powerful immune response to specific monoclonal antibodies, potentially enabling development of effective new disease therapies. (Renewal Fall 2007. Bio.)

KAREN GLEASON: Stable Inorganic-organic Hybrid Light Emitting Diodes
Long-lived LEDs on flexible substrates providing energy efficient portable displays. (Fall 2008. Nano.)

DOUGLAS HART: Digital Ear Canal Scanner
An in-ear, 3D digital scanner for custom fitting hearing aids, resulting in better hearing for hearing aid users. (Renewal from Spring 2008 grant round. Bio.)

KLAVS JENSEN: High throughput cell microinjector
A new automated microinjector that promises high-throughput delivery of any molecule or nanoparticle into single cells to accelerate laboratory research. (Spring 2007. Bio.)

ROHIT KARNIK and JEFFREY KARP: A Novel Device for Label-free Cell Rolling Separation
A device for separating cells that could be used for monitoring and diagnosis of a wide variety of diseases. (Reneal from Fall 2008 grant round. Bio.)

SUSAN LINDQUIST: Developing Novel Strategies to Arrest Biofilms
The development of novel therapeutic strategies to combat difficult-to-treat bacterial biofilm infections. (Spring 2008. Bio.)

TOMÁS PALACIOS: Gallium Nitride High Electron Mobility Transistors
A new approach to the fabrication technology of Gallium Nitride semiconductors to reduce the cost and improve the performance of electronic products. (Renewal Spring 2007. Info.)

DONALD SADOWAY: Supervalent Battery
A proof-of-concept for a novel battery utilizing a supervalent technology to move energy density beyond the limitations of  Li-ion batteries. (Fall 2008. Enviro.)

DONALD SADOWAY: High-Amperage Energy Storage Device
A technology to store high-amperage energy for industrial settings. (Renewal Fall 2007. Enviro.)

HENRY SMITH and RAJESH MENON: High throughput Nanoscale Imaging
An absorbance modulation technique enabling economical high-resolution, high-throughput nanoscale imaging for faster more flexible analysis of nano-structures. (Fall 2007. Nano.)

MICHAEL STRANO: A Wearable Sensor for Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Diabetics
A carbon nanotube based, minimally invasive, tissue implantable, glucose sensor.  The sensor will allow continuous glucose monitoring for diabetes patients, resulting in improved glucose regulation and better health. (Fall 2009. Bio. Nano.)

TIMOTHY SWAGER: Chemical Production of Functionalized Graphene for Enhanced Composite Materials
The development of a chemical process to produce graphene at a very reasonable cost, leading to the industrial use of new composite materials. (Fall 2009. Enviro.)

KRIPA VARANASI: Nano-engineered Surfaces for Ultra High Power Density Thermal Management
Heat needs to be removed rapidly from high power electronics or the semiconductors will fail. This project will develop a system to very rapidly dissipate large amount of heat from such devices. (Fall 2009. Enviro. Nano.)

GRAHAM WALKER: New Antibiotic Target
A project to attempt to isolate lead compounds to develop a new antibiotic. (Renewal from Fall 2008 grant round. Bio.)



COMPLETED PROJECTS
(spin-out) indicates project has formed a company

MARC BALDO: Exploiting Molecular Conformation Changes - Exploiting the properties of a newly developed organic molecule, instead of semiconductors, may lead to faster and more powerful computers. (Fall 2002. Nano, Bio)

GEORGE BARBASTATHIS: Ultra-fast low actuation voltage RF MEMS switch - This innovation could lead to the first commercially viable replacement for solid-state switches, paving the way for next-generation radio frequency products in testing, military radar, and consumer wireless markets. (Spring 2004. Macro, Nano)

ANGELA BELCHER AND DAVID CLAPHAM: Nanotechnology process enables fast discovery of ion channel-targeting drugs - This nanotechnology-based approach to monitoring key proteins could open up new drug markets worth billions. (Spring 2005. Bio, Nano)

SANGEETA BHATIA: Human liver models for faster, safer drug development - This miniature human liver tissue could lead to safer, faster, and more cost-effective drug development by measuring toxicity at an early stage in the development process. (Fall 2006. Bio)

JOHN BRISSON: Novel ice-cream production method - This cheaper, more energy-efficient way to make ice cream could change large-scale ice-cream production as we know it—and create a creamier dessert. (Fall 2004)

VLADIMIR BULOVIC: Novel light-emitting devices take flat-panel display market to next level - A quantum-dot-based light-emitting device that lowers manufacturing costs and dramatically improves picture quality could accelerate growth of the $35-billion market for flat-panel displays. (Spring 2005. Nano. Spin-Out)

VLADIMIR BULOVIC: Slim-Format Spectrometer - A rugged, slim-format spectrometer the size of a PDA and costing much less than current portable spectrometers could benefit field applications from point-of-care medical devices to environmental sensors. (Spring 2004. Bio, Nano)

VLADIMIR BULOVIC: Nanocrystal non-Volatile Memory Devices - This new innovation could lead to smaller, faster, and lower voltage memory for computers, cameras, and other electronic devices by combining organic chemistry and quantum dot technology. (Spring 2003. Nano)

CHIPING CHEN: Making 3G and 4G a reality with low-cost amplifiers for wireless base stations - The cost of base station amplifiers has been a significant barrier to next-generation wireless deployment. A revolutionary new advancement of a decades old technology—microwave tubes—could change all that. (Fall 2004. Macro. Spin-Out)

YET-MING CHIANG: Low-Cost Continuous Drug Delivery -   This low-cost, compact, disposable, programmable delivery device using advanced materials technology could assist individuals with chronic diseases. (Renewal from Fall 2007 grant round. Bio.)

YET MING CHIANG: Ionic colloidal crystals, tiny structures with enormous potential - The ability to manufacture ionic colloidal crystals — a new family of materials with fascinating properties — could lead to exciting applications in ultrafiltration, drug delivery, photonic fingerprinting, and numerous other areas. (Fall 2003. Nano)

MICHAEL CIMA: Medicine delivery method for bladder disorders
A new device to provide medicine over a period of time that treats bladder disorders, from overactive bladder to interstitial cystitis to cancer. (Renewal Spring 2007. Bio)

CLARK COLTON: Finding early-stage cancers using novel contrast agents for enhanced MRI - This technology could help pinpoint early stage tumors, dramatically improving the chances of cancer survival. (Fall 2005. Bio)

MARTIN CULPEPPER: HexFlex - Enabling nanofabrication with a six-axis nanomanipulator - Current developments in nanotechnology are limited by the difficulty of manipulating objects to extreme precisions; this invention is an elegant and inexpensive solution to the problem. (Fall 2004. Nano)

SRINI DEVADAS: Authenticating and Protecting Digital Information in Portable Devices - This approach would make devices like smart cards unclonable and could have applications in digital rights management, particularly in low-powered devices like cell phones and PDAs. (Spring 2004. Info, Nano. Spin-Out)

PATRICK DOYLE: Rapid Multiplexed Analysis for Molecular Diagnostics
A new method to perform multi-target bioassays using microparticles that may enable clinical bedside diagnostics and easier, less-costly diagnosis of disease. (Renewal Spring 2007 grant round. Bio.)

FREDO DURAND: Tonal Management for Digital Photography and Video - A technique for digital photography that could compensate for low light, capture the style of master photographers, and improve the quality of medical imaging and video surveillance. (Spring 2004. Info)

RUTLEDGE ELLIS-BEHNKE: Realizing modern medicine's dream of immediate hemostasis - A new transparent compound that not only stops bleeding instantly but can be operated through and breaks down harmlessly within the body has the potential to revolutionize surgery and trauma care. (Spring 2005. Bio, Nano. Spin-Out)

MICHAEL ERNST: Automatically Generated System Specs - The ever-increasing complexity and failure of software has been in the news, but this new technology promises a new way to automatically understand, test, and debug highly complex software systems. (Fall 2002. Macro, Info)

ERIC FERON: Slow down warning system for safe highways - This unique innovation would make the highways safer for drivers, even if a small fraction of vehicles had them installed. (Spring 2003. Macro, Info)

WOODIE FLOWERS: Powered joint braces to help the mobility-impaired - A low-cost, easy-to-use medical device could help millions of disabled people achieve increased independence and save millions in out-of-pocket expenses for physical rehabilitation and assisted living. (Fall 2003. Bio. Spin-Out)

WILLIAM FREEMAN: Image Analysis For Digital Cameras - This technology would enable cameras to recognize objects making it easier to edit photographs and possibly enhance them automatically. (Spring 2003. Info)

KAREN GLEASON: Novel conductors for flexible, robust electronic devices - This bendable transparent conductive material could enable production of next-generation folding displays, solar cells, and solid-state lighting panels and add robustness to interface devices like touch screens. (Fall 2005. Nano)

BILL GREEN: New engine to replace diesel - A new take on the fuel-efficient, low-emission HCCI engine would be more robust and less complex than the original and could prove to be a long-awaited alternative to the polluting diesel engine. (Fall 2003. Enviro)

JOHN GUTTAG: An accurate, inexpensive cardiac screening system - A computerized cardiac screening system that is as non-invasive, inexpensive, and fast as a stethoscope, but much more accurate, and it could be a boon to cardiac diagnostics. (Fall 2003. Bio, Info)

PAULA HAMMOND: Smarter drug delivery via tunable implant coatings - "Smart" drug coatings that can conform to medical devices of any shape (e.g. stents, bone implants, pills, and microparticles) and that allow the release of multiple drugs at varied times would make multiple surgical procedures and drug-dosing schedules a thing of the past. (Spring 2005. Bio)

DOUG HART: 3-D imaging technology to enable minimally invasive surgery - A novel 3D image-processing system could greatly enhance the medical procedure of endoscopy and enable robotic-assisted, minimally invasive surgery. (Fall 2003. Bio, Info. Spin-Out)

T. ALAN HATTON: Catalytic particles for rapid decontamination in carbon filters and clothing - When added to carbon filters in gas masks, garments, and ventilation and filtration systems, these catalytic particles can quickly neutralize toxins in air and water. (Fall 2005. Nano)

TIMOTHY JAMISON: From bulk compounds to fine chemicals in one step - A one-step process of coupling bulk chemicals to produce fine chemicals creates a new economic equation for the multi-trillion-dollar fine chemicals industry and one of its main customers: pharmaceuticals. (Spring 2005. Bio, Enviro)

KLAVS JENSEN: Accelerating innovation in the chemistry lab with integrated automated microchemical systems - The classical chemical lab has changed little in the last hundred years—until now. These tiny "laboratories" could make chemical and pharmaceutical development faster, less expensive, and more innovative. (Fall 2004. Nano, Bio)

DINA KATABI: High-Throughput Dense Wireless Networks
A new network design to create high- throughput for wireless networks to increase network availability in urban settings. (Fall 2006, Info)

SANG-GOOK KIM: Carbon Nanotube Manufacturing - A new method for manufacturing and handling that addresses a market need to help carbon nanotubes live up to their promise as a new semiconductor technology. (Fall 2002. Nano)

LIONEL KIMERLING AND ANURADHA MURTHY AGARWAL: Low-cost multispectral infrared detector arrays - The large potential for infrared sensors may be unlocked by this novel approach for making commodity-priced multispectral photodetector arrays. (Renewal Fall 2005, Nano)

TOM KNIGHT: A new approach for speech recognition - A risky new processing approach could be the breakthrough necessary to finally make speech recognition a reality. (Fall 2003. Info)

ROBERT LANGER: Tissue Engineering - This promising technology for growing new blood vessels addresses a critical need in engineering artificial tissues in order to stem the $400 billion per year cost of tissue loss and organ failure (in the U.S. alone). (Fall 2002. Bio, Nano. Spin-Out)

RICHARD LANZA: Phase contrast X-ray imaging
A phase contrast approach to x-ray imaging that could impact a wide range of areas, from medical imaging to homeland security. (Spring 2007, Bio, Info)

RICHARD LANZA: Low-cost x-ray imaging systems - An inexpensive x-ray imaging system using off-the-shelf scanners and personal computers could be a boon to medicine in developing countries and could be used for homeland security and inspection applications. (Spring 2004. Enviro, Bio, Info)

CAROL LIVERMORE and TIMOTHY HAVEL: Portable Power Sources - A method for creating efficient long-lasting portable power sources that could change the battery market. (Renewal Fall 2007, Nano.)

J. CHRISTOPHER LOVE: Quantitative Diagnostic for Allergies Using Single-cell Technology
An in-vitro test that will improve the accuracy of assessing responses to allergens, and will enable long-term monitoring of allergies and desensitizing therapies. (Fall 2008. Bio.)

SCOTT MANALIS: Label-free Detection Of Proteins - This new technology for detecting proteins could lead to a faster, easier to way to diagnose disease and develop pharmaceuticals. (Fall 2002. Bio)

SAMIR NAYFEH: Short-warp weaving for fast-changing fashions - This novel method of weaving cloth could disrupt the upscale apparel market by enabling clothing production schedules to meet rapidly changing demand. (Spring 2005. Macro)

KEITH NELSON: Power Source for Terahertz Imaging
A compact power source enabling safe and efficient terahertz imaging for explosive detection and other applications. (Fall 2007, Macro)

DAVE PERREAULT: 3D circuit boards to enhance electronics at low cost - Three-dimensional printed circuit boards (3D PCBs) would provide better performance than current 2D technology and could capture a substantial portion of the $30 billion annual market in PCBs. (Fall 2003. Nano)

JOVAN POPOVIC: Reusable Deformations For Computer Animation - This technology would make the once very time-consuming work of animating characters much faster and easier. (Spring 2003. Info)

CAROLINE ROSS: A simpler way to make microelectronic devices - Simple, inexpensive magnetic devices could replace complex and costly silicon-based semiconductors used in a variety of applications, from smart cards to merchandise tags. (Fall 2003. Nano)

DONALD SADOWAY: A cheaper, greener way to produce titanium - Manufacturing titanium through direct electrolysis could reduce production costs by 50 percent and open up a range of new markets for the metal while also creating a harmless, marketable by-product - oxygen. (Fall 2003. Enviro, Spin-Out)

EMANUEL SACHS : High efficiency multi-crystalline solar cells
A new approach to improve the efficiency of multi-crystalline solar cells that could lower the cost per watt of solar energy, allowing it to become more competitive with grid electricity. (Spring 2007. Enviro, Spin-Out)

EMANUEL SACHS: Metallization on Solar Cells - This method for applying circuitry to solar cells could make them much more affordable and energy-efficient. (Spring 2003. Enviro, Nano)

YANG SHAO-HORN: Engineered electrode assemblies for PEM fuel cells - Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells have great potential for powering cars and other applications, but the most expensive part of the fuel cells, the electrode assemblies, have been cost-prohibitive—until now. (Fall 2004. Enviro, Nano)

ALEXANDER SLOCUM, OMID FAROKHZAD, and JEFF KARP: Device for Sensing Tissues and Tissue Compartments - A new device to assist in sensing tissue as catheter needles are inserted during common medical procedures. (Fall 2006. Bio)

ALEXANDER SLOCUM: Growth of long, strong carbon nanotube fibers - This could be the first commercially viable way to produce carbon nanotubes, whose remarkable properties could create new classes of composite materials with billion-dollar potential. (Spring 2004. Nano)

ALEXANDER SLOCUM: The Nanogate - This new MEMS device will be tested for a wide range of applications, from a highly tunable RC filter for cheaper communications devices to a valve for microfluidics that can lead to faster drug discovery. (Fall 2002. Nano, Macro)

AMY SMITH:Low-cost electricity-free incubation
The phase change incubator is a revolutionary new incubation technology that enables incubation without electricity and the need for skilled maintenance. (Spring 2006. Enviro)

PETER SO: A 3 Dimensional Lithographic Microfabrication System
A 3D two-photon microfabrication system to rapidly build high resolution micro-scale structures. (Spring 2008. Bio)

PETER SO: A new device for non-invasive tissue biopsy - A new type of endoscope using two-photon imaging could diagnose disease without tissue removal and create a new market for non-invasive tissue biopsy. (Fall 2003. Bio)

FRANCESCO STELLACCI and JING KONG: Super-hydrophobic Nanomaterials
A simple and rapid nano-material approach to controlling surface wetting that could impact how environmentally hazardous materials are cleaned. (Spring 2007. Enviro, Nano)

FRANCESCO STELLACCI: Contact printing - bridging nano-lithography with industrial production - Much in the same way the printing press revolutionized the creation of reading matter, this nano-contact printing technology enables mass production of nano devices currently built one at a time. (Spring 2005. Bio, Nano, Spin-Out)

MICHAEL STONEBRAKER: Integrating the Deep Web with the Shallow Web
This project will provide sophisticated search capability for the “deep web” of pages dynamically generated from data entered into forms. (Spring 2008. Info.Spin-Out.)

MICHAEL STONEBRAKER: Next-generation data transformation tool
A next-generation data transformation tool to facilitate the extraction and transformation of data into one common format that could simplify this complex and expensive process. (Spring 2006. Info)

MICHAEL STONEBRAKER: Hybrid DBMS optimized for read-intensive applications - Commercial database management systems are designed as "row" stores for update-intensive applications, leaving an opportunity for a radical new hybrid approach that is optimized for both reading and writing. (Fall 2004. Info. Spin-Out)

JEFFERSON TESTER: Renewable Propane from Biomass
Technology to allow the production of propane from biomass such as sugar, starches, or cellulose. (Fall 2007. Enviro)

TODD THORSEN: Microfluidic platform for high-density multiplexed biological assays - Here is a cheaper, more productive platform for identifying genes and proteins that could capture share in a $1.5 billion market. (Spring 2004. Bio, Nano)

GREG WORNELL: Advanced algorithms to increase wireless network capacity - Really smart antenna algorithms have the opportunity to increase the capacity of wireless networks to prepare for the upcoming explosion in demand for wireless video services. (Fall 2003. Macro)

IOANNIS YANNAS and FRANÇOIS BERTHIAUME: Drug delivery system to enhance healing of wounds and burns
Novel skin substitutes designed to accelerate blood vessel growth and improve wound and burn healing, and reduce the risk of infections. (Fall 2007. Bio)

LAURENCE R. YOUNG: Improved Safety Helmets
This project proposes to develop a new safety helmet, with novel and reusable materials, that could possibly reducce the effect of localized head injuries by up to 40%. (Spring 2006)