News From U-M
Silk moth’s antenna inspires new nanotech tool with applications in Alzheimer’s research
By mimicking the structure of the silk moth's antenna, University of Michigan researchers led the development of a better nanopore—a tiny tunnel-shaped tool that could advance understanding of a class of neurodegenerative diseases that includes Alzheimer's. This project is headed by Michael Mayer, an associate professor in the U-M departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering. A paper on the work is newly published online in Nature Nanotechnology. Read more
Jewel-toned organic phosphorescent crystals: A new class of light-emitting material
Pure organic compounds that glow in jewel tones could potentially lead to cheaper, more efficient and flexible display screens, among other applications. U-M researcher Jinsang Kim and his colleagues have developed a new class of material that shines with phosphorescence—a property that has previously been seen only in non-organic compounds or organometallics. Kim and his colleagues made metal-free organic crystals that are white in visible light and radiate blue, green, yellow and orange when triggered by ultraviolet light. This work is newly published online in Nature Chemistry. Read More
Three from CoE elected to National Academy of Engineering
Three professors from the College of Engineering — John Allison, Lawrence Burns and Mark Kushner — have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering. The honors, which were announced Tuesday, are among the highest professional distinctions that can be accorded to an engineer and recognize outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education. The three U-M faculty are among 68 new members and nine foreign associates newly elected to the academy. Read More
Personal solar panel could make electricity more accessible in the developing world
Electricity isn't always a plug away in much of the developing world. That's why Abdrahamane Traoré, Kettering University graduate, and University of Michigan engineering student Md. Shanhoor Amin teamed up to develop the Emerald, a personal solar panel the size of a paperback. The young engineers are the founders of June Energy, an award-winning start-up spending its second semester in the TechArb student business incubator. The company recently received more than $500,000 in venture capital, and it's about to ship its first 40 domestic orders. Amin and Traoré, along with chief technical officer Allan Taylor, are planning a trip to Kenya and Mali later this semester to test their prototype with the people it was primarily designed for. Read more
Two U-M Engineering faculty members receive 2011 Distinguished Innovator Award
Professors Khalil Najafi and Kensall Wise have been selected as the Distinguished University Innovators for 2011. The pair is being honored for their role developing breakthrough technologies in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and working with colleagues, students and industry partners to move these innovations from university laboratories to new startups to further develop the technology into successful products. [Read more...]
Venture Accelerator opens at NCRC; first tenants move in
U-M on Tuesday officially opened its Venture Accelerator at the North Campus Research Complex to provide space and resources for new businesses based on U-M technology. The Venture Accelerator will provide laboratory and office space, as well as business services, to startup companies emerging from the pipeline of new ventures at U-M Tech Transfer. One U-M startup company has already moved in and four others are expected to be there within weeks. The first tenant, Life Magnetics, arrived Dec. 20. The other four companies are Phrixus Pharmaceuticals, EngXT, 3D Biomatrix and Civionics. [Read more...]
Shrinking snow and ice cover intensify global warming
The decreases in Earth's snow and ice cover over the past 30 years have exacerbated global warming more than models predict they should have, on average, new research from the University of Michigan shows. "Our analysis of snow and sea ice changes over the last 30 years indicates that this cryospheric feedback is almost twice as strong as what models have simulated," says Mark Flanner, assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences. "The implication is that Earth's climate may be more sensitive to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other perturbations than models predict." [Read more...]
Winners in Mobile Apps Challenge announced
It just got easier to find parking space on campus or to harvest power from your mobile phone using applications developed by U-M students and staff. Apps that let people create digital copies of their event tickets, organize task lists, and meet people with shared interests through location-based social networking are among the winners in the 2010 Michigan Mobile Apps Challenge. The competition was sponsored by Apple Inc., Google, Information and Technology Services (ITS), Computer Science and Engineering, and the Office of Technology Transfer. "We were really impressed by the quality of apps and the expertise of applicants this year," said Holly Nielsen, director of enabling technologies and services at ITS. "Creativity and ingenuity is thriving at U-M. This competition serves as an excellent platform for showcasing it." [Read more...]