News

Winning ideas range from water purification device to organic materials for home insulation Troy, N.Y. — Four entries were recognized today as the winning ideas of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s “Change the World Challenge” competition. Created in 2005 by Rensselaer alumnus Sean O’Sullivan ’85, the competition is intended to support entrepreneurship education and inspire ideas to improve the human condition by providing a $1,000 cash award for ideas that will make the world a better place. 

Troy, N.Y. — Using powerful computers to model the intricate dance of atoms and molecules, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have revealed the mechanism behind an important biological reaction. In collaboration with scientists from the Wadsworth Center of the New York State Department of Health, the team is working to harness the reaction to develop a “nanoswitch” for a variety of applications, from targeted drug delivery to genomics and proteomics to sensors.

Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have found a new pathway by which cells change their adhesive properties. With a $1.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, they plan to fill in the details behind how cells decide to stick to a surface, which could lead to a better understanding of the importance of this pathway to the physiology and development of organisms.

Discovery May Lead to Further Development of Compounds to Treat Central Nervous System Disorders and Addiction

New wires could create better nanotube interconnects and devices Troy, N.Y. — A team of researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has created hybrid structures that combine the best properties of carbon nanotubes and metal nanowires. The new structures, which are described in a recent issue of Applied Physics Letters, could help overcome some of the key hurdles to using carbon nanotubes in computer chips, displays, sensors, and many other electronic devices.

Troy, N.Y. — Kevin Craig, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is featured in a new videocast series launched by Design News magazine. Titled “Mechatronics: 21st Century Design Engineering,” the video features case studies covering mechatronic design from prototype to deployment. 

Adaptive Scanning Optical Microscope automates challenging laboratory tasks

Troy, N.Y. — Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute was recently awarded a $50,000 Mellon Award for Technology Collaboration (MATC) to support the continued development of Bedework, an open source, enterprise calendar system for higher education created at the Institute. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the MATC honors universities and other not-for-profit organizations who demonstrate leadership in the collaborative development of open source software tools with particular application to higher education and not-for-profit activities.

Area middle school students explore the tiny but vast world of nanotechnology

Troy, N.Y. — Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute will continue to advance the frontiers of computational science with the help of IBM’s Blue Gene supercomputer. Awarded under IBM’s Shared University Research (SUR) program, this Blue Gene will complement the $100 million partnership between Rensselaer, IBM, and New York state to create one of the world’s most powerful university-based supercomputing centers.