This story is part of an initiative led by the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) to highlight entrepreneurship and innovation across Indiana’s universities. Learn more about the initiative here.
This article was originally published by Inside INdiana Business. Click here to read the original article.
The innovators behind an engineered wood substitute, a cancer treatment that relies on electromagnetism, and an effort to turbocharge drug delivery at a cellular level are the winners of the latest round of grants that aim to accelerate the real-world impact of Notre Dame research.
The Research Commercialization Grants presented by the IDEA Center at the University of Notre Dame aim to advance the commercial readiness of the university’s most promising research inventions. The university said the recipients work with industry experts to reach market-driven milestones.
“The innovations pitched by our faculty members this year showcase the depth of talent and translational vision across Notre Dame’s research community,” IDEA Center Executive Director Karen Deak said in a news release. “By bridging the gap between breakthroughs and market readiness, these grants allow us to accelerate technologies that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges and support our researchers as they embody the university’s mission to be a powerful means for doing good in the world.”
Each award is up to $100,000. The grants are supported by funding from the IDEA Center’s Advisory Council, the university and other donors.
The engineered wood substitute is an endeavor led by Jason Carley, assistant professor of industrial design. Intended to replace medium density fiberboard, which is constituted of virgin timber and formaldehyde-based adhesives, the substitute is made up of recycled cellulose and soy-based adhesives.
The material has proven comparable to MDF in early tests, the news release said.
The cancer treatment is an endeavor led by Prakash Nallathamby, associate director of the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health, and Aurelie Brownsberger, a doctoral student in the Bioengineering graduate program.
Their technology chemically binds a drug to a nanoparticle that can accumulate in tumor tissue by taking advantage of magnetoelectric differences between healthy and tumor tissue. Once the nanoparticle is embedded, the release of the drug is triggered by a brief electromagnetic pulse, the release said.
Their approach aims to overcome the obstacles many promising cancer drugs face because they can damage healthy tissue at the high doses required to eliminate tumors.
The approach to accelerated drug delivery is an endeavor led by biomolecular engineering professor Yichun Wang. Her technology mimics extracellular vesicles, which are naturally occurring nanoparticles released by cells that communicate and transport proteins, lipids and other genetic material among cells.
Current manufacturing approaches of extracellular vesicles are limited by low yield and limited scalability, the news release said. Her meshlike, fiber-based material, however, increases particle production in cell cultures by up to 8,000%.
The IDEA Center, plans for which date back to 2016, was created to provide space, services, and expertise for idea development, prototyping, entrepreneurial education and commercialization.
—
Across Indiana, our universities are fostering the next generation of entrepreneurs and innovators who are shaping our state’s future. In collaboration with our university partners, CICP is excited to share and amplify those stories; which highlight students, faculty, and alumni who are turning ideas into action. By celebrating these efforts, we aim to strengthen the connections between higher education, industry, and community, and to shine a light on the innovation happening throughout our state. Click here to learn more about this initiative.
