Are Ultraviolet Sanitizing Lights Safe for Humans? Mon, September 21, 2020 FOE alum Karl Linden at the University of Colorado Boulder discusses installing experimental lighting in entryways that is supposed to disinfect pathogens without harming humans. Read More
An AI-powered TV News Analyzer Thu, September 17, 2020 FOE alumni Maneesh Agrawala and Kayvon Fatahalian at Stanford have engineered an interactive tool that uses AI to search transcripts and calculate the screen time of public figures appearing on cable TV news, increasing transparency around broadcasters’ editorial decisions. Read More
Microscale Surgery by Robot Mon, September 14, 2020 Harvard's Robert Wood (EU-US FOE 2010) has engineered a microscale surgical robot, an origami-inspired miniature remote center of motion manipulator that has been used in two mock procedures. Read More
Better Wastewater Treatment? It's a Wrap Thu, September 10, 2020 NAE member Pedro Alvarez (USFOE 1997) at Rice University is engineering a shield of graphene that helps particles destroy antibiotic-resistant bacteria and free-floating antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater treatment plants. Read More
Apply for the Constellation Prize by Sept. 30 Tue, September 08, 2020 FOE alumni Mira Olson at Drexel University and Darshan Karwat at Arizona State University have collaborated to create this award for US engineers who have used their engineering training to promote social justice, human rights, peace, and/or environmental protection. Read More
Improving Oral Drug Effectiveness Beyond the Stomach Thu, September 03, 2020 Kelly Schultz (USFOE 2016) at Lehigh University is engineering a hydrogel material with the capacity to degrade and spontaneously reform in the gastrointestinal tract that could help researchers develop more effective methods for oral drug delivery. Read More
Empty Roadways Invite New Thinking Thu, August 27, 2020 FOE alum Kevin Krizek at the University of Colorado Boulder writes about the environmental design and transport possibilities with people sticking closer to home because of COVID-19 and cities having less traffic, noise, congestion, and pollution. Read More
Upcycling Plastic to Energy Storage Mon, August 24, 2020 Mihri Ozkan at the University of California, Riverside (USFOE 2008) is engineering a way to recycle plastic waste, such as soda or water bottles, into a nanomaterial useful for energy storage, which could reduce plastic pollution and hasten the transition to 100% clean energy. Read More
Enhanced Water Repellent Could Reinforce PPE Mon, August 17, 2020 Penn State's Tak-Sing Wong (USFOE 2014) has identified a nanostructure that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings, with potential applications for personal protective equipment (PPE). Read More
Ferroelectricity at the Atomic Scale Thu, August 13, 2020 Sayeef Salahuddin (GAFOE 2013) at the University of California, Berkeley has engineered an ultrathin material that demonstrates a unique electrical property called ferroelectricity and could lead to the creation of more advanced batteries and sensors. Read More
Migratory Cancer Cell Discoveries Mon, August 10, 2020 Vanderbilt University's Cynthia Reinhart-King (USFOE 2016) is engineering a trailblazing process to sort breast cancer cells, leading to findings on how cancer spreads that can be expanded to other highly metastatic and lethal cancers. Read More
A New Ultrafast Insulin Thu, August 06, 2020 Stanford's Eric Appel (JAFOE 2018) is engineering a new insulin formulation that begins to take effect almost immediately upon injection, potentially working four times as fast as current commercial fast-acting insulin formulations. Read More
Using DNA Origami to Identify Vaccine Design Rules Mon, August 03, 2020 FOE alum Darrell Irvine at MIT has engineered HIV-like particles that provoke a strong immune response from human immune cells grown in a lab dish. Such particles might eventually be used as an HIV vaccine. Read More
MIT Technology Review's 35 Under 35 Thu, July 30, 2020 Rose Faghih (USFOE 2019) at the University of Houston is among MIT Technology Review's 35 Under 35 for her work on a sensor-laden wristwatch that could monitor brain states. Read More
Real-time Health Check from Smartwatches Thu, July 23, 2020 Sam Emaminejad (USFOE 2018) at the University of California, Los Angeles is engineering a thin film that adheres to the underside of a smartwatch to monitor the wearer’s body chemistry. Read More
Engineered Protein Blocks Cancer Growth and Regenerates Neurons Mon, July 20, 2020 Stanford's Jennifer Cochran (USFOE 2016) is engineering processes that regenerate neuron cells and inhibit lung tumor growth, with possible treatments for neurodegenerative diseases as well as cancers. Read More
Efficiently Charging Electric Vehicles Thu, July 16, 2020 Scott Moura (CAFOE 2017) at the University of California, Berkeley is researching the charging preferences of electric car drivers, which can affect emissions management. Read More
New Technique Shows How Decisions Light Up the Brain Mon, July 13, 2020 At Stanford, NAE member Karl Deisseroth (JAFOE 2009) and Gordon Wetzstein (USFOE 2016) are engineering a new optical technique that enables the study of sensory perception in animals and screening to develop better psychiatric drugs. Read More
Lower Cost and Durable Smart Windows Thu, July 09, 2020 Michael McGehee (USFOE 2005) at the University of Colorado Boulder is engineering smart window technology that enables users to adjust the amount of sunlight and heat entering through windows without blocking views. Read More
Gel Smooths Cells’ Ride Through Syringes in Regenerative Therapy Mon, July 06, 2020 Stanford University's Sarah Heilshorn (CAFOE 2011) is engineering an innovative delivery technology that vastly improves the viability of tissue regenerating cells and enhances strength and coordination in animals with spinal-cord injury. Read More