Tech Digest

REVOLUTIONIZING MARINE CONSERVATION WITH AI-POWERED ROBOTS

AI-powered underwater robots developed at the University of Minnesota are revolutionizing marine conservation by accurately identifying and tracking invasive species with improved vision and localization. The robot, named MeCO, is an open-source project, and researchers expect to make it available to the research community and the public soon under open-source licenses.

SOLVING A 120-YEAR-OLD CHEMISTRY PROBLEM

Chemists at the University of Minnesota have created a highly reactive chemical compound that has eluded scientists for more than 120 years. The discovery could lead to new drug treatments, safer agricultural products, and better electronics. The next step is to make it widely available to chemists across multiple fields to streamline the creation process. This could help solve important problems by preventing food scarcity and treating illnesses to save lives.

Photo: The Roberts Group includes: (back row from left) Roman Belli, Courtney Roberts, and Sal Kargbo, (front row) Jenna Humke and Erin Plasek. Not pictured: Annabel Ansel.

ELIMINATING INVASIVE JAPANESE BEETLES WITH ECO-FRIENDLY SOLUTION

The USDA estimates that $460 million a year is spent to protect crops and gardens from invasive Japanese beetles. Alure, a startup co-founded by alumnus Aditya Prabhu (below) while he was an undergraduate computer engineering student, is testing new ways to eliminate them. The mesh enclosure attracts beetles using a pheromone-baited scent and exposes them to a low dose of insecticide. So far, Alure has found that 90 seconds on the mesh resulted in 100 percent mortality after 30 minutes. While deadly for the beetles, it is safe for humans and animals.

AUTOMATING GENETICS RESEARCH TO ENABLE LARGE-SCALE EXPERIMENTS

Co-led by two mechanical engineering graduate students, Andrew Alegria and Amey Joshi, a team of University of Minnesota researchers has constructed a robot that uses machine learning to fully automate a complicated microinjection process used in genetic research. The team was able to use this automated robot to manipulate the genetics of multicellular organisms, including fruit fly and zebrafish embryos. The technology will save labs time and money while enabling them to more easily conduct new, large-scale genetic experiments that were previously not possible using manual techniques. The team is also working to commercialize this technology to make it widely available through the startup company, Objective Biotechnology.

SAFEGUARDING EARTH’S SPECIES WITH HELP FROM THE MOON

Researchers at the University of Minnesota are partnering with scientists across the country to develop a plan that could safeguard Earth’s endangered biodiversity through low temperature storage on the Moon. The Moon’s permanently shadowed craters are extremely cold and an ideal location for cryogenic preservation without the need for electricity or liquid nitrogen. The study includes mechanical engineering Professor John Bischof, an expert on cryogenic processes. The proposal takes inspiration from the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, which functions as a backup for the world’s crop biodiversity.

CELEBRATING EIGHT FACULTY AND ALUMNI ELECTED TO THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

Two University of Minnesota professors and six alumni are among only 114 new members and 21 foreign members to be elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2024. They are Professors Catherine French (Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering) and Timothy Lodge (Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Department of Chemistry) and alumni Martha Anderson (astrophysics), Patrick Gruber (chemistry), Kei May Lau (physics), Jeffery Puschell (astrophysics), Dawn Tilbury (electrical engineering), and Stéphane Bancel (chemical engineering).

DETECTING SOLAR FLARES IN REAL TIME TO PROTECT POWER GRIDS

For the first time ever, a team of University of Minnesota researchers, led by physics and astronomy Associate Professor Lindsay Glesener, launched a sounding rocket to study solar flares in real time. The rocket is equipped with an X-ray telescope that gathers precise measurements of this solar phenomenon. Solar flares and their accompanying plasma ejections can cause geomagnetic storms that can have impacts on power grids and communication satellites on Earth. Understanding how these solar flares happen can help us better react in real time to avoid disruptions.

BUILDING THE NATIONAL SECURITY WORKFORCE

The University of Minnesota is part of a network of universities that are working to develop the next-generation semiconductor workforce to meet national security needs. Sponsored by the Department of Defense, Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) will work to develop a talent pipeline and encourage more domestic students to pursue advanced degrees and employment in national security-related fields. The University’s Minnesota Nano Center will play a key role by providing training. The program will also engage industry partners in Minnesota.

IMPROVING THE DESIGN OF MICROELECTRONIC DEVICES

A new study led by researchers at the University of Minnesota is providing new insights into how next-generation electronics, including memory components in computers, break down or degrade over time. Understanding the reasons for degradation could help improve the efficiency of data storage solutions.

ADVANCING DETECTION OF GRAVITATIONAL WAVES TO STUDY NEUTRON STARS AND BLACK HOLES

Astronomers and astrophysicists at the University of Minnesota co-led a new study by an international team that will improve the detection of gravitational waves, which are “ripples” in space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the Universe. The research aims to send alerts to other scientists within 30 seconds after the detection, helping to improve the understanding of neutron stars and black holes and how heavy elements, including gold and uranium, are produced.