Deep UV Light Disinfection Could Help Prevent Disease and Virus Spread

TROY, N.Y. — A device capable of automatically disinfecting common surfaces, such as doorknobs, light switches, and elevator buttons, could be a vital tool in virus and disease mitigation during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Michael Shur, an endowed chair professor of electrical, computer, and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has conceived of a plan to disinfect high-traffic surfaces using deep ultraviolet light from LEDs.

Ibram X. Kendi Book Selected as 2020-2021 Rensselaer Community Read

National Book Award-winning author Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be An Antiracist will be the “Community Read” for the upcoming academic year at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The selection, which encourages readers to think about how to create and actively participate in an antiracist society, is consistent with Rensselaer President Shirley Ann Jackson’s recent call for “a yearlong, university-wide discussion about racism and inequity.”

Simulations Indicate Heightened Risks When Pandemic and Hurricane Season Overlap

TROY, NY — As coastal communities prepare for the possibility of hurricanes this summer and fall, they are doing so amid the uncertain landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic — a crisis that has already taxed health care systems, governments, and supply chains. A faculty and student team at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has been modeling how the combined disasters may make community recovery vastly more difficult. What they have found serves as a stark warning to policymakers preparing for hurricane season.

Remote Activation of Cell Signaling Explored in New Article

A perspective piece published online today in Science by Jonathan Dordick, the Howard P. Isermann Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Matthew Brier, who recently earned his doctorate in chemical engineering at Rensselaer, explores the potential of emerging approaches for the remote activation of cell signaling to induce gene expression and the production of specific proteins.

Air Flow Experts Working to Make Sure New Jet Fighters Take Flight — and Land — Safely

TROY, N.Y. — The next generation of jet fighters are being designed to be both stealthy and high-speed and, as part of this makeover, their geometry will be unique and won’t include a vertical tail. The new design will improve the aircraft’s maneuvering, minimalize its visibility, and improve its overall performance — but it will also decrease the aircraft’s performance during takeoff and landing.

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