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Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Research News
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* Francine Berman
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Rensselaer Announces New VP for Research
April 6, 2009: Francine Berman, High Performance Computing Endowed Chair at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, will join Rensselaer as the vice president for research.		 *
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* Fitter Frames: Nanotubes Boost Structural Integrity of Composites
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Fitter Frames: Nanotubes Boost Structural Integrity of Composites
March 26, 2009: A new research discovery at Rensselaer could lead to tougher, more durable composite frames for aircraft, watercraft, and automobiles.		 *
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* Rensselaer Receives More Than $2 Million From New York State To Fund Stem Cell Research
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Rensselaer Receives More Than $2 Million From New York State To Fund Stem Cell Research
March 23, 2009: Two groups of Rensselaer researchers each have received a $1.08 million grant from New York through the state’s stem cell research initiative.		 *
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* Slimmer, Stickier Nanorods Give Boost to 3-D Computer Chips
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Slimmer, Stickier Nanorods Give Boost to 3-D Computer Chips
March 17, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a new technique for growing slimmer copper nanorods, a key step for advancing integrated 3-D chip technology.		 *
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* Two Rensselaer Student Teams Rewarded for Entrepreneurial Ideas
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Two Rensselaer Student Teams Rewarded for Entrepreneurial Ideas
March 6, 2009: Ideas for a patent-pending detection system and a light therapy technology have both received funding by the Rensselaer Class of ’51 Student Entrepreneurship Award, established to help transform student ideas into successful ventures.		 *
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* Student Developer of Versatile “G-gels” Wins $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Prize
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Student Developer of Versatile “G-gels” Wins $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Prize
March 4, 2009: Yuehua “Tony” Yu, a doctoral student in Rensselaer’s Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, has developed a new method for harnessing the enormous potential of nanoparticles, which could lead to a new generation of medical devices, drug delivery technologies, and other applications.		 *
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* Building a Better Protein
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Building a Better Protein
February 23, 2009: In new research published in the online Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), Rensselaer Senior Constellation Professor George Makhatadze and colleagues detail a targeted strategy to substantially increase the thermodynamic stability of nearly any protein.		 *
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* Researchers Isolate Protein Domain Linked to Tumor Progression
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Researchers Isolate Protein Domain Linked to Tumor Progression
February 19, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have shown that creating drugs that inactivate a part of the matrix metalloproteinases enzyme could have the capacity to target the tumor without the damaging side effects. 		*
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* Student Open Source Software Brings Personal Finance to the iPhone
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Student Open Source Software Brings Personal Finance to the iPhone
February 3, 2009: When even the new president can’t be separated from his wireless device, two undergraduates from Rensselaer have developed an open source solution that combines smart personal financial management with your smartphone.		 *
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* Light-Speed Nanotech: Controlling the Nature of Graphene
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Light-Speed Nanotech: Controlling the Nature of Graphene
January 20, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have discovered a new method for controlling the nature of graphene, bringing academia and industry closer to realizing the mass production of graphene-based nanoelectronics.		 *
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* Smart Lighting: New LED Drops the “Droop”
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Smart Lighting: New LED Drops the “Droop”
Jan. 12, 2009: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed and demonstrated a new type of light emitting diode (LED) with significantly improved lighting performance and energy efficiency.		 *
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* Study Yields Clues About the Evolution of Epilepsy
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Study Yields Clues About the Evolution of Epilepsy
Jan. 6, 2009: A study being led by Russell Ferland of Rensselaer is looking at what occurs in the development of children who have had a seizure that would lead to some eventually being diagnosed with epilepsy and others never having another seizure.		 *
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* Researchers Lay Out Vision for Lighting “Revolution”
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Researchers Lay Out Vision for Lighting “Revolution”
Dec. 18, 2008: A “revolution” in the way we illuminate our world is imminent, according to a paper published this week by two professors at Rensselaer. Innovations in photonics and solid state lighting will lead to trillions of dollars in cost savings, along with a massive reduction in the amount of energy.		 *
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* Madison Avenue Magic: Study Reveals Effects of Unconscious Exposure to Advertisements
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Madison Avenue Magic: Study Reveals Positive Effects of Unconscious Exposure to Advertisements
Dec. 9, 2008: New research, led by cognitive scientist Mark Changizi of Rensselaer, shows why direct exposure to repeated ads initially increases a consumer’s preference for promoted product.		 *
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* New Hybrid Nanostructures Detect Nanoscale Magnetism
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New Hybrid Nanostructures Detect Nanoscale Magnetism
Dec. 8, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed and demonstrated a new method for detecting the magnetic behaviors of nanomaterials. 		*
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* Rensselaer Opens Center Dedicated to the Search for Life in the Universe
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Rensselaer Opens Center Dedicated to the Search for Life in the Universe
Nov. 24, 2008: With a $7.5 million grant from NASA, Rensselaer extends the search for life in the universe with the opening of the New York Center for Astrobiology, which will be part of the NASA Astrobiology Institute.		 *
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* “Gray’s Paradox” Solved: Researchers Discover Secret of Speedy Dolphins
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“Gray’s Paradox” Solved: Researchers Discover Secret of Speedy Dolphins
Nov. 24, 2008: Armed with cutting-edge flow measurement technology, researchers at Rensselaer have solved Gray’s Paradox. Sir James Gray had observed that the muscles of dolphins were not strong enough to support the speed at which they travel. 		*
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* Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Announce Launch of Center for Architecture Science and Ecology
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Rensselaer and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP Announce Launch of Center for Architecture Science and Ecology
Nov. 14, 2008: On Friday, November 14, Rensselaer and the renowned architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill officially launched the Center for Architecture Science and Ecology (CASE).		 *
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* Just Scratching the Surface: New Technique Maps Nanomaterials as They Grow
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Just Scratching the Surface: New Technique Maps Nanomaterials as They Grow
Nov. 4, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have developed a measurement technique that will help scientists and companies map nanomaterials as they grow.		 *
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* Solar Power Game-Changer: “Near Perfect” Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles
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Solar Power Game-Changer: “Near Perfect” Absorption of Sunlight, From All Angles
Nov. 3, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have discovered and demonstrated a new method for overcoming two major hurdles facing solar energy. 		*
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* Trustee Makes Donation To Start New Solar Energy Research Center at Rensselaer
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Trustee Makes Donation To Start New Solar Energy Research Center at Rensselaer
October 31, 2008: Trustee Thomas R. Baruch has given a gift that will help to establish a new center devoted to bio-energy research. The Baruch ’60 Center for Biochemical Solar Energy Research will conduct unprecedented research on biochemical solar technology.		 *
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* New NSF Engineering Research Center To Advance “Smart Lighting”
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Outshining Edison: New NSF Engineering Research Center To Advance “Smart Lighting”
October 6, 2008: A new research center at Rensselaer, funded by a five-year, $18.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation, aims to supplant the common light bulb with next-generation lighting devices that are smarter, greener, and ripe for innovation. 		*
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* Arturo Estrella
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Economist's Model Forecasted Current Economic Slowdown One Year In Advance
September 24, 2008: Arturo Estrella, professor of economics and new head of the economics department at Rensselaer, says that a model he developed forecasted the current economic slowdown at least one year before it became apparent to most observers.		 *
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* Lighting Research Center Named Recipient of U.S. Green Building Council’s 2008 Green Building Research Fund Grant
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Controlling Light With Sound: New Liquid Camera Lens as Simple as Water and Vibration
September 22, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have designed and tested an adaptive liquid lens that captures 250 pictures per second and requires considerably less energy to operate than competing technologies.		 *
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* Lighting Research Center Named Recipient of U.S. Green Building Council’s 2008 Green Building Research Fund Grant
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LRC Named Recipient of U.S. Green Building Council’s 2008 Green Building Research Fund Grant
September 11, 2008: The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer has earned the notable distinction of receiving one of only 13 first-ever research grants awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).		 *
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* Lighting Research Center Develops Framework for Assessing Light Pollution
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Lighting Research Center Develops Framework for Assessing Light Pollution
September 9, 2008: Scientists in the Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer have developed the first ever comprehensive method for predicting and measuring various aspects of light pollution. 		*
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* New $1.1M Grant: Restoring Basic Needs After Hurricanes, Disasters
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New $1.1M Grant: Restoring Basic Needs After Hurricanes, Disasters
September 3, 2008: A new six-year, $1.1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will allow researchers at Rensselaer to investigate how different civil infrastructures within a city or county interact with each other after a disaster.		 *
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* Rensselaer Receives $850,000 From NRC To Boost Nuclear Engineering Education
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Rensselaer Receives $850,000 From NRC To Boost Nuclear Engineering Education
August 29, 2008: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission awarded two grants totaling $850,000 to boost nuclear engineering education, research, and workforce development at Rensselaer.		 *
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* Study Says Eyes Evolved for X-Ray Vision
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Study Says Eyes Evolved for X-Ray Vision
August 28, 2008: A new study from a scientist at Rensselaer has uncovered a truly eye-opening advantage to using two eyes to see the world around us: our ability to see through things.		 *
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* Ravi Kane
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Rensselaer Researcher Wins AIChE Young Investigator Award
August 18, 2008: Ravi S. Kane, professor of chemical and biological engineering at Rensselaer, has won the 2008 Young Investigator Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum.		 *
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* Researchers Create Safer Alternative to Heparin
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Researchers Create Safer Alternative to Heparin
August 17, 2008: At the national conference of the American Chemical Society on August 17, 2008, Robert Linhardt announced that his research team is building the largest dose of the first fully synthetic heparin ever created in the lab. 		*
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* “Top Secret” Technology To Help U.S. Swimmers Trim Times at Beijing Olympics
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“Top Secret” Technology To Help U.S. Swimmers Trim Times at Beijing Olympics
August 7, 2008: A fluids mechanics professor at Rensselaer is using experimental flow measurement techniques to help American swimmers sharpen their strokes, shave seconds from their lap times, and race toward a gold medal in Beijing this summer.

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* Study Helps Pinpoint Genetic Variations in European Americans
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Study Helps Pinpoint Genetic Variations in European Americans
August 7, 2008: An international team of researchers has identified just 200 positions within the curves of the DNA helix that they believe capture much of the genetic diversity in European Americans, a population with one of the most diverse and complex historic origins on Earth.

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* “Nanosculpture” Could Enable New Types of Heat Pumps and Energy Converters
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“Nanosculpture” Could Enable New Types of Heat Pumps and Energy Converters
July 17, 2008: A new technique for growing single-crystal nanorods and controlling their shape using biomolecules could enable the development of smaller, more powerful heat pumps and devices that harvest electricity from heat.

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* New Approach Sheds Light on Ways Circadian Disruption Affects Human Health
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New Approach Sheds Light on Ways Circadian Disruption Affects Human Health
July 16, 2008: A study by researchers in Rensselaer’s Lighting Research Center (LRC) provides a new framework for studying the effects of circadian disruption on breast cancer, obesity, sleep disorders, and other health problems.
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* Inelegant Worms Provide New Clues About Gene Required for Development
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Inelegant Worms Provide New Clues About Gene Required for Development
July 2, 2008: The normal nematodes in Fern Finger’s lab move in beautiful S-shaped curves across their Petri dish. But the dish also contains worms with a very specific genetic defect, which are identified as the clumsiest dancers on the dance floor.
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* On the Boil: New Nano Technique Significantly Boosts Boiling Efficiency
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On the Boil: New Nano Technique Significantly Boosts Boiling Efficiency
June 26, 2008: A new study from researchers at Rensselaer shows that by adding an invisible layer of the nanomaterials to the bottom of a metal vessel, an order of magnitude less energy is required to bring water to boil. This increase in efficiency could have a big impact on cooling computer chips, improving heat transfer systems, and reducing costs for industrial boiling applications.		 *
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* Circadian Math: One Plus One Doesn’t Always Equal Two
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Circadian Math: One Plus One Doesn’t Always Equal Two
June 6, 2008: In a new study published in the June issue of Neuroscience Letters, researchers have demonstrated that when it comes to the circadian system, not all light exposure is created equal.		 *
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* Rensselaer Researcher Wins IEEE Award for Work on 3-D Computer Chips
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Rensselaer Researcher Wins IEEE Award for Work on 3-D Computer Chips
May 27, 2008: James Jian-Qiang Lu will be recognized this week for research and technical achievements toward the design and realization of 3-D integrated computer chips.

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* Crystal (Eye) Ball: Study Says Visual System Equipped With "Future Seeing Powers"
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Crystal (Eye) Ball: Study Says Visual System Equipped With “Future Seeing Powers”
May 15, 2008: Mark Changizi claims the visual system has evolved to compensate for neural delays, allowing it to generate perceptions of what will occur one-tenth of a second into the future. Some common optical illusions are explained by this compensation.		 *
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* Commencement 2008: Undergrad Has Sweet Success With Invention of Artificial Golgi
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Commencement 2008: Undergrad Has Sweet Success With Invention of Artificial Golgi
May 6, 2008: An undergraduate student at Rensselaer has learned very quickly that a spoonful of sugar really does help the medicine go down. In fact, with his invention, the sugar may actually be the medicine.		 *
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* Rensselaer Students Win Three of Four Top Prizes at Innovation Conference
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Rensselaer Students Win Three of Four Top Prizes at Innovation Conference
April 29, 2008: Rensselaer inventors and innovators were awarded three of the top four student prizes at the CTT Innovation Conference recently held in Boston, Mass.		 *
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* Linhardt Helps Discover Deadly Heparin Contamination
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Deadly Dose: Rensselaer Heparin Expert Helps Uncover Source of Lethal Contamination
April 25, 2008: The mysterious death of patients around the world following a routine dosage of the common blood thinner, heparin, sent researchers on a frantic search to uncover what could make the standard drug so toxic. A researcher at Rensselaer was among a small group of scientists with the expertise and the high-tech equipment necessary to determine the source of the contamination.		 *
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* Rensselaer Students Recognized for Innovative Ideas To “Change The World”
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Rensselaer Students Recognized for Innovative Ideas To “Change The World”
April 16, 2008: A handheld device to detect skin cancer and a disposable robot capable of removing land mines are two of the five winning ideas in Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s spring 2008 Change the World Challenge contest.		 *
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* Two Rensselaer Student Groups Rewarded for Entrepreneurial Ideas
March 14, 2008: Ideas for a “wired” law enforcement badge and an online ordering platform have both received funding as the winners of Rensselaer’s Class of ’51 Entrepreneurship Fund, established to help transform student ideas into sustainable ventures.  		*
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* Carbon Nanotubes Outperform Copper Nanowires as Interconnects
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Carbon Nanotubes Outperform Copper Nanowires as Interconnects
March 13, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer have created a road map that brings academia and the semiconductor industry one step closer to realizing carbon nanotube interconnects, and alleviating the current bottleneck of information flow.		 *
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* Rensselaer’s Lally School Rises in BusinessWeek Rankings of Top Undergraduate Business Programs
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Bringing Second Life To Life: Researchers Create Character With Reasoning Abilities of a Child
March 10, 2008: A group of researchers from Rensselaer is working to engineer Second Life characters with the capacity to have beliefs and to reason about the beliefs of others. 		*
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* Student Develops New LED, Wins $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Prize
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Student Develops New LED, Wins $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Prize
February 28, 2008: Martin Schubert, a doctoral student in electrical, computer, and systems engineering, has developed the first polarized LED, an innovation that could vastly improve LCD screens, conserve energy, and usher in the next generation of ultra-efficient LEDs. 		*
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* Bright Idea: LRC Launches New Program To Support Growth of Lighting-Related Businesses
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Bright Idea: LRC Launches New Program To Support Growth of Lighting-Related Businesses
February 26, 2008: The Lighting Research Center (LRC) at Rensselaer has launched an initiative, called the Lighting Technology Greenhouse, to support the growth of new and existing lighting companies in and around New York state.		 *
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* Strengthening Fluids With Nanoparticles
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Strengthening Fluids With Nanoparticles
February 19, 2008: Researchers at Rensselaer in a project led by Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc have demonstrated that liquids embedded with nanoparticles show enhanced performance and stability when exposed to electric fields.		 *
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