The Thermo Fisher Talos F200X analytical transmission electron microscope enables researchers 鈥� both at 麻豆原创 and in industries across Florida 鈥� to observe and analyze materials at the atomic scale. Equipped with advanced nanoanalysis tools, the instrument allows direct observation of elemental, chemical, electrical and magnetic states, dramatically enhancing what scientists can measure and understand.

The instrument will be housed in 麻豆原创鈥檚 AMPAC Materials Characterization Facility (MCF), directed by Professor Jiyu Fang, and will operate as a shared university resource supporting interdisciplinary research and external partnerships.

鈥淭he new Thermo Fisher Talos F200X analytical transmission electron microscope will revolutionize materials science and engineering at the nanoscale,鈥� says Professor Sudipta Seal, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. 鈥淚ts advanced analytical capabilities will enable unprecedented insight into structure鈥損roperty relationships, accelerating innovation across next-generation semiconductors, quantum materials, space and hypersonic systems, and cutting-edge biomedical applications.鈥�

鈥淭his instrument is a catalyst for discovery,鈥� says Vice President for Research and Innovation Winston Schoenfeld. 鈥淏y giving our researchers and students the ability to see and understand materials at the atomic scale, 麻豆原创 is unlocking new pathways for innovation across energy, aerospace, semiconductors and beyond.鈥�

A Unique Capability in Florida

While other institutions in Florida operate microscopes within the Talos series, 麻豆原创鈥檚 system offers a distinct combination of capabilities.

It is the only Talos F200X in the state equipped with both a cold field emission gun and a super X energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy detector. This configuration significantly enhances energy resolution and high-contrast imaging, enabling exceptionally precise chemical mapping at the atomic scale.

According to Professor Akihiro Kushima, the cold field emission gun allows advanced atomistic-scale analysis even for beam-sensitive materials 鈥� samples that can be damaged under conventional imaging conditions. The improved resolution and signal collection make it possible to analyze delicate materials in ways that were previously difficult or impossible.

In addition to supporting engineering and computer science research, the instrument will expand capabilities in fields such as planetary science, where nanoscale characterization of extraterrestrial materials can provide new insight into the origins and composition of planetary bodies.

Supporting Florida鈥檚 Innovation Ecosystem

Beyond academic research, the microscope is expected to strengthen partnerships with Florida鈥檚 high-tech industries.

The Talos F200X enables deep structural understanding of advanced materials, opening new opportunities for collaboration with companies across aerospace, defense, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, electronics, semiconductors, energy and environmental sectors.

Kushima notes that the microscope is already supporting collaborations with local industry partners developing advanced battery materials. Using the Talos F200X, researchers can study how material structures evolve during charge and discharge processes, providing deeper insight into reaction mechanisms and helping optimize performance. The acquisition was made possible by the 麻豆原创 Office of Research, with support from the Office of the Provost.

Training the Next Generation

The Talos F200X will be incorporated into undergraduate and graduate coursework in electron microscopy and advanced characterization techniques. Students conducting research can also gain hands-on experience after completing required training.

Understanding materials at the nano and atomic scales is essential in advanced manufacturing and semiconductor sectors, where structural insights inform synthesis optimization and failure analysis. Students trained in advanced characterization techniques such as transmission electron microscopy are highly valued in industry, positioning 麻豆原创 graduates to contribute directly to Florida鈥檚 advanced manufacturing and semiconductor workforce.

Industry partners interested in utilizing the AMPAC Materials Characterization Facility may request instrument time by contacting ampacmcf@ucf.edu.

As a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor and chair of materials science and engineering department, Seal takes his research down to the nanoscale.

He focuses on cerium oxide nanoparticles known as nanoceria. These specialized nanoparticles are versatile and can be tailored for a variety of medical applications.

Since arriving at 麻豆原创 in 1997, Seal has 92 麻豆原创 patents to his credit, with more than 450 journal papers. A pioneer in nanoceria research for the biomedical sector, his work focuses on the nanoscience of advanced materials processing and materials science and engineering.

Nanoceria and Biomedical Applications

As Seal continued his research, he realized nanoceria was being used for microelectronic processing, but not yet in the biomedical sector. 鈥淲e at 麻豆原创 are the first ones to show that this has wonderful properties,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淲e filed a patent and were the very first to show nano cerium cell survivability,鈥� he says 鈥淭hen of course, after that, the field has really blossomed. There is a wide range of applications in biomedical sciences 鈥� from cancer research to bone regeneration, tissue regeneration and radiation protection. All from this almost accidental discovery made at 麻豆原创.鈥�

Since then, Seal and his research team have found that nanoceria are non-toxic and great carriers for delivering therapeutic agents and have regenerative oxidative properties.

Seal says that the nanoceria structure can be tweaked depending on the application.

鈥淚n layman’s terms, I would say I create openings in that crystal structure that I can tinker with,鈥� he says. 鈥淭his is where the functional materials come in. I can take one opening and use it to send something, maybe I can load a drug on it. I can take another opening and keep it open to destroy nasty radicals produced by cells that are not needed.鈥�

Seal says that nanoceria鈥檚 versatility enables companies to put them in pills or injectables. 鈥淭he sky’s the limit,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 also recent data that when combined with drugs, the nanoceria material actually protects the good cells, while the drug kills cancer cells even more potently.鈥�

Seal鈥檚 cerium oxide research has led to four technologies that he co-developed with Kenneth Liechty, division chief of pediatric surgery and vice chair of surgery research at the University of Arizona. Liechty was previously at the University of Colorado鈥檚 Anschutz Medical Campus, which is where he and Seal had collaborated.

Seal and Liechty combined 麻豆原创鈥檚 nanoceria platform with the University of Colorado鈥檚 experience in microRNA (miRNA) to engineer a specialized miRNA that can assist with diabetic wound healing. Found in all human cells, miRNA plays important roles in many biological processes such as cell proliferation or development of specific cell functions and characteristics.

Wound Healing for Diabetic Patients

Seal and collaborators leveraged the cerium oxide molecules to deliver specialized miRNA to an enflamed wound site in patients with diabetes to correct the inflammatory response at the molecular level. Once there, the molecules shorten the time of diabetic wound closure and help avoid the complications associated with impaired diabetic wound healing as those with diabetes often experience slower wound healing.

The molecules specifically combat excess reactive oxygen species molecules, which may build up as a result of prolonged inflammation and ultimately delay proper wound closure and healing. With that kind of inflammatory response, the body can produce a build-up of excess reactive oxygen species molecules, which then leads to increased oxidative stress inside cells.

Nanosilk Fibers to Protect Skin and Treat Injuries

Nanosilk fibers created from silkworms or spiders is another unique healing invention developed by 麻豆原创 and the University of Colorado.

The patented invention includes biocompatible and hypoallergenic compositions to heal, protect and strengthen skin. It also employs a combined nanoceria-miRNA specialized composition.

Silk comprises two proteins: fibroin and sericin. The silk core is fibroin, often used to make surgical sutures because it is non-toxic and biocompatible with human tissues. Fibroin solution converts to many forms, including films, sponges, gels and powders.

During their research, the inventors found that applying a layered system of silk fibroin fibers in solution and spun mat formats can effectively protect and strengthen skin, especially in weak areas that are injury-prone or stressed repetitively.

Also, they found that when integrated with cerium oxide molecules conjugated with the miRNA, the silk fibroin fiber solution and mat enhanced wound healing.

鈥淲e are now using biodegradable material to deliver therapeutics in disease sites,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淪ilk ceria composite is one of them 鈥� it鈥檚 green and sustainable technology.鈥�

The solution of silk fibroin fibers may be applied as a spray, liquid, form or gel, and the fibroin mat can be applied as a mat, sheet, gel or fiber.

The invention can be used as a protective layer to improve the skin鈥檚 elasticity, thus preventing or reducing injury, even minor blisters and skin ulcers. It can also treat a variety of wounds, and it can be used to treat injuries to subcutaneous tissue.

Nanoceria and miRNA for Tissue Regeneration

麻豆原创 and the University of Colorado collaborated with the University of Pennsylvania to develop a nanoceria-miRNA conjugate that not only assists with wound healing, but with tissue regeneration and angiogenesis (the growth of new blood vessels).

鈥淵ou need angiogenesis, and you need blood vessels to grow,鈥� Seal says.

For instance, after a heart attack, the invention aids recovery by reducing the body鈥檚 inflammatory response and helping it to generate new tissue for blood vessels.

As with diabetic wounds, heart attacks can cause the body to produce excess reactive oxygen species, increase oxidative stress and inflammation.

Offering both treatment and prevention, the patented invention can significantly mitigate heart damage and prevent adverse ventricular remodeling during recovery.

Treating and Preventing Lung Injury

Seal says that his earlier work 10-15 years ago on lung injury and cancer therapy radiation helped to develop new technology with the University of Colorado to promote lung repair, reduce lung inflammation and help treat or prevent pulmonary diseases or conditions.

鈥淲hen you treat the lungs with nanoceria, the good cells around the lungs are protected from the radiotherapy while the radiotherapy is killing the cancer cells,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淭he cerium oxide has this bifunctionality to protect the good cells from the radiation.鈥�

He explained that the nanocerium oxide has multivalent states, meaning the invention鈥檚 nanoparticles can stay silent when they want to and stay active when needed.

鈥淲hat we have seen in nanoscale depends on the microenvironment in the cell,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t can switch back and forth.鈥�

The cerium oxide and miRNA compositions of the invention can be administered in different forms as a spray or a pump.

Seal says he plans to continue promoting the commercialization aspect of technology developed within his department.

鈥淚’m really a proponent of people creating new IPs and taking them to the next level,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he world of nanomaterials is quite intriguing and the potential benefit of the nanomaterials, nanotechnology is immense.鈥�

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials
Seal is a 麻豆原创 Pegasus Professor, 麻豆原创 trustee chair, and chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Seal joined the department and the Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center, which is part of, in 1997. He has an appointment at and is a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 prosthetics Biionix faculty cluster initiative. He is a past director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center. Seal received his doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.

Technology Available for License
To learn more about Seal鈥檚 work and potential licensing of these 麻豆原创 technologies or for more information about sponsored research opportunities, contact Andrea White (andrea.white@ucf.edu) at (407) 823-0138.

College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty are leaders in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), hypersonic travel, energy, next-generation computing hardware and aerospace, fields that are major economic drivers for Florida and that are critical to our state and nation鈥檚 future.

Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report‘s ranked nine of 麻豆原创’s other graduate programs among the top 50 on the 2024 Best Graduate Schools list.

This pioneering engineering research by expert 麻豆原创 faculty prepares students to thrive in their careers, as does 麻豆原创鈥檚 longstanding relationships with industry partners who are eager to hire talented students. Partners include Electronic Arts, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Collectively, 麻豆原创鈥檚 cutting-edge, high-impact teaching practices and partnerships have drawn many recognitions, including the latest from U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Today, U.S. News & World Report ranks three of 麻豆原创鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduate programs among the top 50 in the nation. The industrial/manufacturing/systems engineering program is ranked No. 43, aerospace is No. 47 and computer engineering is No. 50. Two other programs 鈥� materials engineering and electrical/electronic/communications engineering 鈥� ranked just outside the top 50, at No. 52 and No. 53 respectively.

A total of nine engineering and computer science programs rank among the top 50 among the nation鈥檚 public universities.

鈥淥ur outstanding engineering faculty are conducting impactful research that is advancing our knowledge of space, modeling and simulation, virtual and augmented reality, and many other high-tech fields,鈥� says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淭hey are innovators and inventors fueling our region鈥檚 economy and our society鈥檚 quality of life, healthcare, energy and transportation systems, and they excel at preparing our graduates to thrive in their careers.鈥�

Twenty-nine percent of Kennedy Space Center employees and 25% of Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Orlando employees earned 麻豆原创 degrees. Aviation Week Network has named 麻豆原创 the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry for six consecutive years.

Bringing More Brilliant Minds Together

麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science produces 25% of Florida鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduates, according to the State University System. The college鈥檚 goal is to educate 25,000 engineering and technology students by increasing capacity by 50%.

One important path to achieving that goal is to expand the college鈥檚 faculty. Last year and this year combined, the college has hired 55 new faculty members, including many with expertise in the strategic investment program areas identified by the university, such as AI, energy, next-generation computing hardware, space-aerospace, digital twin and infectious diseases. The new faculty hires will further strengthen the college鈥檚 research initiatives and opportunities for students to learn alongside talented faculty in the classroom and in research labs.

Plans for this fall also include one new degree program. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will launch a master of science in robotics and autonomous systems program. Students will learn to analyze, design and develop robotics and autonomous systems including self-driving cars, drones, medical robots and even mechanical dogs.

The new faculty and degree program join a host of current 麻豆原创 engineering and computer science faculty who are conducting groundbreaking research:

• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Kareem Ahmed received Department of Defense funding that鈥檚 establishing 麻豆原创 as a leader in hypersonics and space propulsion research. Hypersonic propulsion would allow for air travel at speeds of Mach 6 to 17, or more than 4,600 to 13,000 miles per hour, and has applications in commercial and space travel.

• Sudipta Seal, chair of materials science and engineering, and Ozlem Garibay, assistant professor in industrial engineering and management systems, have created an Al-based prediction method that helps develop life-saving medicines and treatments for various diseases with up to 97% accuracy.

• Tarek Elgohary, an associate professor of aerospace engineering, is developing algorithms that will accurately track space objects like asteroids and satellites so they don鈥檛 collide with spacecraft. It鈥檚 a vital tool given the rapid growth of space junk in cislunar space, which stretches from Earth to just beyond the moon鈥檚 orbit.

• Carolina Cruz-Neira, the Agere Chair Professor at the 麻豆原创 Department of Computer Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, is a pioneer in the areas of virtual reality and interactive visualization, having created and deployed a variety of technologies that have become standard tools in industry, government and academia.鈥疘n a few weeks, she will be inducted into the inaugural Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame, joining an elite international group of 100 researchers, entrepreneurs, artists and others. Cruz-Neira was one of just 22 researchers selected. 鈥淚t is not well known that 麻豆原创 has one of, if not the, largest concentration of VR researchers in the U.S.,鈥� she says. 鈥淥f course, the strong reputation of 麻豆原创 as a leader in modeling and simulation ties very well with the ecosystem.鈥�

In addition, the internationally recognized Collegiate Cyber Defense Club at 麻豆原创 won first place at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in April. The club has been sending student teams around the world to compete against other universities since 2013. In all, 麻豆原创 cybersecurity teams have earned 87 first place awards 鈥� including five NCCDC titles 鈥� 29 second-place and 25 third-place awards. The competitions allow 麻豆原创 students to sharpen their skills before cybersecurity professionals and are hosted by companies from private industry, such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Raymond James, Raytheon and several federal agencies.

麻豆原创 researcher Sudipta Seal joined the fight by collaborating with Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center to provide a key component for a targeted medicine that combats the most common kind of pediatric brain tumor.

Seal, who is a professor and Chair of the within the , along with his postdoctoral researcher Elayaraja Kolanthai, created a solution containing therapeutic cerium oxide nanoparticles that acts as a protective vehicle to deliver a combination of cancer therapies through the body and to a patient鈥檚 brain. Their work was recently published in the journal .

A Targeted Approach

The intravenous mixture of therapies attacks medulloblastomas 鈥� or tumors 鈥� on all fronts. Ranjan Perera, director of the Center for RNA Biology at Johns Hopkins All Children鈥檚 Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, and his team developed the medicine that targets a specific part of RNA that 鈥渞eprograms鈥� a region of our DNA to hinder cancer causing genes.

A specific, long non-coding RNA, lncRNA, was identified as a potential bullseye target that accumulates and promotes cancerous growth. Johns Hopkins assembled a sequence of nucleotides 鈥� the building blocks of RNA 鈥� that can bind to the specific parts of the cancer-promoting portion of the RNA and destroy it.

Perera and his team paired the genetic treatment with cisplatin, a common intravenous chemotherapy medication that disrupts cancer cells and prevents them from replication.

The treatment was tested in mice and results showed that it inhibits tumor growth by 40-50%. The intravenous method may have an advantage as an alternative therapy to craniospinal irradiation as it may have less long-term side effects and risk of relapse.

The hope is once this specific genetic expression is identified and this treatment is administered, the malignant tumor growth can be halted and even eliminated in human patients.

Safe Delivery

Protecting the combination of promising treatments, bolstering therapeutic value and ensuring they reach their target is precisely what the cerium oxide was intended to do, Seal says.

鈥淲e can attach various drugs to the nanoparticles and deliver them to a specific site for medical intervention,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he medication on its own already has its own applications, so when you combine them, their role in intervention becomes quite significant. We are quite excited about this.鈥�

Seal and Perera previously had worked together and were familiar with each other鈥檚 work. After a few conversations between the two, a collaboration on this pediatric cancer research seemed like a good fit.

鈥淭his medication can be very difficult to deliver to sites,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淒r. Perera and I knew each other and so there was mutual interest between us both. I spoke with Dr. Perera, and he said that he had microorganisms to deliver, and that we鈥檝e been studying oxides for a long time. They鈥檙e very well known in medicine, and here we are at 麻豆原创 we鈥檙e well known for our oxide vector delivery.鈥�

Seal鈥檚 cerium oxide has been used in a variety of biomedical and therapeutic applications even before it was used in the Johns Hopkins study. The cerium oxide nanoparticles previously were shown to aid in healing diabetic wounds and to maintain bone strength during cancer treatments.

What makes these specific nanoparticles so useful is that because they are oxides, they can bond with such a varied spectrum of other compounds at the molecular level, Seal says.

鈥淥xides are omnipresent in nature, and so they can be fairly compatible with many things,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost like a LEGO block. You鈥檝e got many anchors to attach to on it and many different kinds to attach to.鈥�

For this instance, the cerium oxide ensures the genetic therapy and chemotherapy successfully travels to the site of the brain tumor rather than taking any pit stops along the way, Seal says.

鈥淚t has the power to be like a GPS system,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can program it to go to a specific address, or maybe it鈥檒l make a stop or bypass a stop. That is the power of what we can do with nanotechnology.鈥�

Studying and tweaking the particles (which are less than 10 nanometers in length) in water allows them to be highly customizable and to fit like a block or travel to the correct site.

Seal is greatly encouraged by the promise of the study and is excited to continue pursuing other ways to utilize his cerium oxide.

He invites other researchers to collaborate and see if he and his nanoparticles make a good fit.

鈥淲e鈥檙e open to opportunities,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淚 think this nano oxide vector can really help, and it opens a whole door of other biomedical opportunities that needs to be explored. We can modulate our nano vector in a way that it can sense and intervene in many ways. We鈥檙e happy to see if any other drugs can be attached to our molecules.

The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute and various other sources.

The researchers plan to study the therapy in humans to further test its safety and efficacy in hopes of triumphing over pediatric cancer and providing relief for children with cancer.

Researcher鈥檚 Credentials:

Seal joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the聽, which is part of 麻豆原创鈥檚聽College of Engineering and Computer Science, in 1997. He has an appointment at the聽College of Medicine聽and is a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚听叠颈颈辞苍颈虫聽faculty cluster initiative. He is the former director of 麻豆原创鈥檚聽聽and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center. He received his doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.

The worldwide rankings, , place 麻豆原创 in a tie with Yale University (57) and ahead of U.S. institutions such as Vanderbilt (56), Princeton (44) and Florida State University (38).

The NAI rankings may be further adjusted as patent corrections are submitted by universities.

This is the 11^th year that 麻豆原创 has ranked in the top 100 universities in the world for patents.

鈥淚nnovation is at the heart of our mission at 麻豆原创, and these latest patent rankings reaffirm our commitment to pushing boundaries and making impactful advancements,” says Winston V. Schoenfeld, 麻豆原创鈥檚 interim vice president for research and innovation. 鈥淭he range of inventions reflects the dedication and ingenuity of our researchers across the research enterprise, and their efforts continue to position 麻豆原创 as a leader in innovation, both nationally and globally.”

The patents were secured by 麻豆原创鈥檚聽, which brings discoveries to the marketplace and connects 麻豆原创 researchers with companies and entrepreneurs to transform innovative ideas into successful products.

Svetlana Shtrom听鈥�08MBA, director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Technology Transfer Office, says university patents are a valuable asset for universities, industry and society.

鈥淧atents facilitate transfer of technology from universities and foster collaboration between academia and the private sector,鈥� Shtrom says.聽鈥淭hrough collaboration with industry, university technologies provide solutions to pressing problems and create new products and services that benefit the public.鈥�

She says the patents also reflect the commitment of the university鈥檚 researchers to innovation, and they serve as a beacon to attract more students and faculty who are interested in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship.

Here are a few of the 麻豆原创 inventions that led to patents in 2023:

Passive Insect Surveillance Sensor Device
Lead researcher: Bradley Willenberg, assistant professor, 麻豆原创

麻豆原创 researchers have developed a low-cost, easy-to-use device for detection of mosquitos and other insects that also indicates whether an insect carries a specific infectious disease. Through simple color-based tests (colorimetric assays) and biomolecular tools for detection (DNA aptamers conjugated to nanoparticles), a user can monitor viral presence in insect saliva samples. By doing so, various mosquito-borne emerging pathogens, including Zika, Dengue, and Chikunguya, can be detected.聽 The easily deployable technology can potentially help in the global fight and prevention against these deadly diseases. The .

Antiplasmodial Compounds
Lead researcher: Debopam Chakrabarti, professor and head,

This technology is a method of treatment for malaria by administration of specific fungus-derived compounds. Annually, malaria affects more than 200 million people and kills more than 600,000. Caused by Plasmodium parasites carried in mosquitos, an effective treatment is desperately needed. 麻豆原创 researchers used a聽 library of fungi found in habitats and ecological niches across the U.S. to find potential antimalarial compounds. The unique chemicals they identified provide starting points for developing lead compounds of new drugs against malaria. The research team is .

Coating for Capturing and Killing Viruses on Surfaces
Lead researcher: Suditpa Seal, Pegasus Professor and chair,

This technology is a nano-coating designed to capture, hold and kill viruses on a surface, such as on personal protective equipment and clothing, using natural light sources to protect against infections.

The COVID-killing coating is made with a nanomaterial that activates under white light, such as sunlight or LED light. As long as the nanomaterial is exposed to a continuous light source, it can regenerate its antiviral properties, creating a self-cleaning effect.

The efficacy of the disinfectant was shown through a study that was published in聽ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces聽this past year. The study found that the coating can not only destroy the COVID-19 virus, but it can also聽combat the spread of Zika virus, SARS, parainfluenza, rhinovirus and vesicular stomatitis.

Production of Nanoporous Films
Lead researcher: Yang Yang, associate professor,

麻豆原创 researchers have created , such as for fuel cells, hydrogen production, photocatalysts, sensing and energy storage, and electrodes in supercapacitors. The method improves performance and versatility and does not require use of costly precious metals, such as gold. Instead, the 麻豆原创 technology uses low-cost, earth-abundant resources such as iron, cobalt and nickel. The nanoporous thin films are designed to help meet today鈥檚 challenges in renewable energy production and conversion applications.

Method of Forming High-Throughput 3d Printed Microelectrode Array
Lead researcher: Swaminathan Rajaraman, associate professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention is a . The device has small channels and chambers that guide liquids, like samples or chemicals, to a central area where there are special electrodes. These electrodes can send and record electrical signals from tiny groups of cells called spheroids. Scientists can use this to see how cells react to different conditions and substances. The innovation offers an easy way to study biological cells, tissues and electrophysiological responses. The technology can help lead to advancements in disease modeling, toxicity assessments and drug discovery.

Adaptive Visual Overlay for Anatomical Simulation
Lead researcher: Greg Welch, Pegasus Professor, AdventHealth Endowed Chair in Healthcare Simulation,

This anatomical simulation allows users to wear a head-mounted display that presents an anatomical scenario onto a patient to allow for medical training, surgical training or other instruction. Users who experience the simulation will see a real body part or other anatomical items projected through an augmented reality system. The innovative, and provides constant, dynamic feedback to medical trainees as they treat wounds. Almost like a video game in real-life, the Tactile-Visual Wound Simulation Unit portrays the look, feel, and even the smell of different types of human wounds (such as a puncture, stab, slice or tear). It also tracks and analyzes a trainee’s treatment responses and provides corrective instructions.

System for Extracting Water from Lunar Regolith and Associated Method
Lead researcher: Phil Metzger 鈥�00MS鈥�05PhD, associate scientist,

This invention is and help to establish the industry. The process consists of robot mining of the regolith (loose, heterogeneous superficial deposits covering solid rock), transferring the mined material to a conveyer, and passing the soil through grinding and crushing stages. Included are mechanisms to sort the material into ice, metals, and other minerals, and final transport and cleanup. This technology allows mining water on the moon, which supports NASA missions, enables further commercial operations in space, and supports Space Force activities.

Inorganic Paint Pigment with Plasmonic Aluminum Reflector Layers and Related Methods
Lead researcher: Debashis Chanda, professor, NanoScience Technology Center

This invention, a plasmonic paint, draws inspiration from butterflies to create the first environmentally friendly, large-scale and multicolor alternative to pigment-based colorants, which can contribute to energy-saving efforts and help reduce impacts on climate.

The plasmonic paint uses nanoscale structural arrangement of colorless materials 鈥� aluminum and aluminum oxide 鈥� instead of pigments to create colors.

While pigment colorants control light absorption based on the electronic property of the pigment material, hence every color needs a new molecule, structural colorants control the way light is reflected, scattered or absorbed based on the geometrical arrangement of nanostructures.

Such structural colors are environmentally friendly as they only use metals and oxides, unlike pigment-based colors that use artificially synthesized molecules.

The researchers have combined their structural color flakes with a commercial binder to form long-lasting paints of all colors. And because plasmonic paint reflects the entire infrared spectrum, less heat is absorbed by the paint, resulting in the underneath surface staying 25 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than it would if it were covered with standard commercial paint.

Plasmonic paint is also lightweight, a result of the paint’s large area-to-thickness ratio, with full coloration achieved at a paint thickness of only 150 nanometers, making it the lightest paint in the world.

System and Method for Radio Frequency Power Sensing and Scavenging Based on Phonon-electron Coupling in Acoustic Waveguides
Lead researcher: Hakhamanesh Mansoorzare 鈥�21, postdoctoral researcher,

To meet the growing energy needs of the internet of things (IoT) and wireless communication systems, this new technology is .

The invention harvests ambient energy, specifically radio frequency electromagnetic waves, the most abundant form of communication among IoT nodes and hubs.

The technology can reduce the electronic industry鈥檚 reliance on batteries and broaden the expansion of the IoT and its energy needs.

This new method can be beneficial in accelerating the development of life-saving medicines that otherwise take billions of dollars and decades of time to produce.

The results were published recently in the journal Briefings in Bioinformatics.

Their new model, BindingSite-AugmentedDTA, uses their previously reported model, AttentionsiteDTI, as the first step of a two-step prediction approach.

鈥淎 unique aspect of our approach is that it can be easily integrated with any deep learning-based prediction model, which allows for improved performance compared to using the prediction models alone,鈥� says study co-author Ozlem Garibay ’01MS ’08PhD, an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems.

鈥淏y integrating our approach with other state-of-the-art deep learning-based drug-target-affinity prediction models, we have shown significant improvement in prediction performance across multiple metrics,鈥� Garibay says. 鈥淭his integration makes it a powerful tool for drug discovery research.鈥�

How it Works

The researcher鈥檚 AttentionsiteDTI model is a classification model specifically designed to determine two key aspects. First, it identifies whether a drug compound binds with a target protein, and second, it determines the specific binding site on the protein where the drug compound interacts.

Their improved BindingSite-AugmentedDTA model follows a two-step prediction approach in which the first step uses the AttentionsiteDTI model to identify the specific binding site on the protein.

In the second step, a regression prediction model is integrated to estimate the binding strength, or affinity, between the drug molecule and the identified protein binding site.

Garibay says that this combined approach enhances the accuracy of drug target affinity predictions by reducing the search space of potential-binding sites of the protein in the first step, thus making the binding affinity prediction more efficient and accurate.

The researchers validated the prediction power of their model through in-vitro experiments and used it to successfully predict binding affinity values between FDA-approved drugs and key proteins of SARS-CoV-2.

They also showed improved performance of state-of-the-art predictive models, such as GraphDTA, DGraphtDTA and DepGS, in finding the most probable binding sites of proteins when AttentionSiteDTI was included in the models compared to when it wasn鈥檛.

Next Steps

The researchers are working on a Python package that includes most of the drug-target interaction and drug-target affinity models and datasets, which is highly customizable.

鈥淭his will enable further high-quality research in the community by providing a convenient tool for researchers to develop and evaluate their models,鈥� Garibay says.

They also plan to make their largest model available online for inference.

鈥淭his will facilitate fast drug screening for biology and pharmaceutical researchers with limited computer science knowledge 鈥� allowing them to easily predict drug-target binding affinities and identify potential drug candidates,鈥� Garibay says. 鈥淭his can potentially accelerate the drug discovery process and lead to the development of new treatments for various diseases.鈥�

About the Team

Ozlem Garibay is an assistant professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, part of 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science, where she directs the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Research Lab. Prior to that, she served as the director of research technology. Her areas of research are big data, social media analysis, social cybersecurity, artificial social intelligence, human-machine teams, social and economic networks, network science, STEM education analytics, higher education economic impact and engagement, artificial intelligence, evolutionary computation and complex systems. She earned her master’s and doctorate in computer science from 麻豆原创.

Mehdi Yazdan-Jahromi is a third-year doctoral student in computer science at 麻豆原创. His current research interests include computer vision, drug鈥搕arget interaction and algorithmic fairness.

Niloofar Yousefi鈥�17PhD is a postdoctoral research associate at 麻豆原创鈥檚 Complex Adaptive Systems Laboratory in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Her research areas include machine learning, artificial intelligence and statistical learning theory to develop data analytics solutions with more transparency and explainability.

Collaborators:

Aida Tayebi is a third-year doctoral student at 麻豆原创. Her current research interests include algorithmic fairness and bias mitigation techniques in DTI.

Elayaraja Kolanthai is a postdoctoral research associate at the 麻豆原创聽Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His current research interests include the development of nanoparticles, layer-by-layer antimicrobial/antiviral nanoparticle coatings, polymer composites for tissue engineering, and gene/drug delivery methodologies.

Craig Neal鈥�14 鈥�16MS 鈥�21PhD is a postdoctoral research associate at the 麻豆原创 Department of Materials Science and Engineering. His current research interests include wet chemical synthesis and surface engineering of nanoparticles for biomedical applications and electrochemical devices, and electroanalysis of nanomaterials and bio-nano interactions.

Sudipta Seal is currently the chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at 麻豆原创 as well as a Pegasus Professor and a University Distinguished Professor. He joined the Advanced Materials Processing and Analysis Center (AMPAC) at 麻豆原创 in 1997. He has been consistently productive in research, instruction and service to 麻豆原创 since 1998. He has served as the nano initiative coordinator for the vice president of research and commercialization. He served as the director of AMPAC and the NanoScience Technology Center from 2009 to 2017.

Research Study: BindingSite-AugmentedDTA: enabling a next-generation pipeline for interpretable prediction models in drug repurposing

Their聽study, a collaboration with Oakland University, North Carolina A&T University, the University of Sheffield and University of Huddersfield in the U.K., was published in聽Bioactive Materials.

Approximately 50% of all cancer patients receive radiation therapy 鈥� a treatment that uses electrically charged particles to kill cancer cells.聽About 40% of patients are cured with this therapy. However, bone damage is a side effect, impacting about 75% of patients receiving radiation.

鈥淏ecause of its high calcium content, bone absorbs 30-40% more radiation than other tissues and so it is a common site of injury,鈥� says Coathup, director 麻豆原创鈥檚 Biionix faculty cluster. 鈥淩adiation makes the bone brittle and easily fractured. And due to the damage caused by radiation, many people are then unable to repair their bone fracture. In some people, this leads to having an amputation to resolve the complication.鈥�

While radiotherapy beams are directly aimed at the tumor, surrounding healthy tissue also gets damaged and can cause many additional health issues for patients.

鈥淎t the moment, there is no real drug or therapy to protect healthy tissue from the damage caused by radiation,鈥� Coathup says. 鈥淭his is not only a problem for cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy but also poses problems for astronauts and future deep space exploration.鈥�

The body鈥檚 natural defense against radiation is a group of enzymes called antioxidants 鈥� but this defense system gets easily overwhelmed by radiation and on its own cannot protect the body from damage. Seal, a leading nanotechnologist,聽designed the cerium oxide nanoparticle 鈥� or nanoceria 鈥� that mimics the activity of these antioxidants and has a stronger defense mechanism in protecting cells against DNA damage.

鈥淭he nanoceria works with a specifically designed regenerative lattice structure responsible for destroying harmful reactive oxygen species, a byproduct of radiation treatment,鈥� Seal says.

Working with postdoctoral researcher Fei Wei, Coathup tested the nanozyme in live models receiving radiation therapy.

鈥淥ur study showed that exposing rats to radiation at similar levels to those given to cancer patients led to weak and damaged bones,鈥� Coathup says.聽 鈥淗owever, when we treated the animals with the nanozyme, before and during three doses of radiation over three days, we found that the bone was not damaged, and had a strength similar to healthy bone.鈥�

The study also showed that the nanozyme treatment helped kill cancer cells, possibly due to an increase in acidity, and protected against the loss of white and red blood cells that usually occurs in cancer patients. A low white and red blood cell count means the patient is more susceptible to opportunistic infection, less able to fight聽cancer and is more fatigued. Another interesting find is that the nanoparticle also enhanced healthy cells鈥� ability to produce more antioxidants, reduced inflammation (which also leads to bone loss) and promoted bone formation.

Future research will seek to determine appropriate dosage and administration of the nanozyme and further explore how nanozyme helps to kill cancer cells.聽The researchers will also focus their studies in the context of breast cancer, as women are more susceptible to bone damage than men.

鈥淐ancer patients are already struggling with fighting one disease,鈥� Coathup says. 鈥淭hey shouldn鈥檛 have to be worried about bone fractures and tissue damage. So we鈥檙e hoping this breakthrough will help survivors go back to living a normal and healthy life.鈥�

Coathup completed her undergraduate studies in medical cell biology and earned a Ph.D. in orthopedic implant fixation at University College London in the U.K. In 2017 she joined the聽聽and became the director of 麻豆原创鈥檚聽Biionix faculty cluster聽鈥� a multidisciplinary team of researchers working to develop innovative materials, processes and interfaces for advanced medical implants, tissue regeneration, prostheses, and other future high-tech products.

Seal joined 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Materials Science and Engineering in 1997. He has an appointment at the College of Medicine and is a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 prosthetics Cluster Biionix. He is the former director of 麻豆原创鈥檚 NanoScience Technology Center and Advanced Materials Processing Analysis Center. He received his doctorate in materials engineering with a minor in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California Berkeley.

The induction of Pegasus Professors Deborah C. Beidel and Sudipta Seal, and 13 others from throughout the state, expands the membership ASEMFL to 186, all of whom are top scholars and researchers committed to addressing key issues and challenges impacting Florida.

Beidel is widely known for research in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and leads . Seal, chair of 麻豆原创鈥檚 Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has made significant advancements in nano-materials and their applications in numerous industries including medicine and energy.

Members of the National Academies 鈥� National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine 鈥� who live or work in Florida have automatic ASEMFL membership. National Academy membership is considered the highest career distinction in the United States in these disciplines.

New members elected to ASEMFL, including Beidel and Seal, are regarded as having potential to become National Academy members. ASEMFL鈥檚 nine-month election process begins in August each year and ends the following April.

Housed at 麻豆原创, ASEMFL is a not-for-profit organization of top scholars and researchers from universities, public agencies and industries statewide who are committed to addressing key issues and challenges impacting Florida.

Founded in 2018, ASEMFL provides expert advice on some of Florida鈥檚 most pressing challenges, and can help shape sound policies, inform public opinion and advance developments in science, engineering and medicine. ASEMFL President Gavriel Salvendy is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a member of 麻豆原创鈥檚 engineering faculty. Executive Director Michael Georgiopoulos is the dean of 麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science.

麻豆原创鈥檚 2021 ASEMFL new members:

, Pegasus Professor and Trustee Chair, 麻豆原创 Department of Psychology, inducted for development, validation and implementation of effective social treatment for children, and PTSD treatment for veterans.

More information is available on the聽.

The NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium awards two different types of fellowships in areas of space science and engineering. One award is a Dissertation and Thesis Improvement fellowship, which provides partial support of a student鈥檚 thesis and doctoral dissertation beyond the existing project. The maximum award for the Dissertation and Thesis Improvement fellowship is $5,000 for projects with a duration of no longer than a year. The other award is a one-year master鈥檚 fellowship, which includes a stipend of $10,000 for those pursuing a full-time master鈥檚 degree.

The Dissertation and Thesis Improvement Fellowship聽recipients are:

Nanotechnology

• Pavlo Kravchuk; Mentor: Assistant Prof. Ellen Kang
• Balaashwin Babu 鈥�20; Mentor: Professor Sudipta Seal

College of Engineering and Computer Science

• Corey Kinney; Mentor: Professor Subith Vasu
• Jose Bobren-Diaz; Mentor: Professor Subith Vasu
• Michael Tonarely 鈥�20;聽Mentor: Assoc. Professor聽Kareem Ahmed
• Charles Clark 鈥�19;聽Mentor: Assoc. Professor聽Kareem Ahmed

The Dissertation and Thesis Improvement fellowship is offered in efforts to support students by providing supplemental funds that are not readily obtainable. These awards can be used to help sponsor travel to specialized facilities, laboratory supplies, software licenses and other necessary research materials for the duration of the fellowship program.

叠补濒补补蝉丑飞颈苍听Babu 鈥�20, who earned a bachelor鈥檚 in biomedical sciences from 麻豆原创, says the award will help him continue his work centered on reducing oxidative stress in order to better treat space-related bone loss among astronauts.

鈥淭he amount of information and knowledge from our experiences in outer space can enhance our life here on聽Earth,鈥� Babu says. 鈥淚 focused my proposal on astronauts, but bone loss is something quite prevalent even here on Earth. What we learn will likely help us here too.鈥�

In order to apply for the fellowships, students must also have mentors and they were thrilled at this year鈥檚 results.

鈥淚t is a testament to the high-quality students we have at 麻豆原创, who are working on NASA-relevant聽research;聽these new awards would make a total of 15 students who received the FSGC fellowships from my group,鈥� says聽Professor聽Subith Vasu,聽who mentors聽awardees Cory Kinney and Jose聽Bobren-Diaz.

Assistant Professor Ellen Kang聽says she was excited to see what her聽student聽Pavlo Kravchuk聽would accomplish next.

鈥淚 am very grateful to see how my student pushes his boundaries for achieving challenging goals. I look forward seeing what he accomplishes with this FSGC fellowship,鈥� Kang says.

Master鈥檚聽Fellowship聽recipients are:

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

• Christopher Rehberg 鈥�20; Mentor: Professor Kawai Kwok
• Jose Zapata 鈥�21; Mentor: Professor Jihua Gou
• Perla Latorre-Suarez 鈥�21; Mentor Professor Seetha Raghavan
• Rachel Hytovick 鈥�20; Mentor: Professor Kareem Ahmed

The FSGC Master鈥檚 fellowship is awarded to the best and brightest students, offering aid in their pursuit of聽a聽master鈥檚 degree in space-related disciplines. Working closely with NASA and the applicant鈥檚 university, this fellowship fosters collaborations between the government, private laboratories, faculty, and students. Applicants submit proposals聽based on聽research聽they are actively working on聽to be considered for a $10,000 stipend.

Jose Zapata, who transferred into 麻豆原创 to study mechanical engineering in 2018, says the award will help him pursue his passion 鈥� making space operations safer for astronauts and eventually聽everyday聽people.

His research focuses on adding a health monitoring system to wind turbines.聽This system could ideally identify聽hazards聽before聽they聽become critical.

鈥淲aiting for something bad to happen isn鈥檛 a good idea,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檇 be really vital if we could inspect the whole shuttle or rocket and easily protect areas that are damaged,聽instead of working on an entire system from scratch.鈥�

Engineering Professor Seetha Raghavan says all the recipients are working on research that will聽impact聽space-related technology. The money will help talented students finish their advanced degrees, which will also serve as an inspiration for others.

Raghavan鈥檚聽mentee,聽for example, Perla Latorre-Suarez 鈥�21, is聽looking to develop a 3D-printing method to manufacture sensors in space environments that will聽monitor聽the structural integrity of the machinery聽and vehicles聽used.聽Latorre-Suarez hopes to implement these sensors in future lunar explorations, such as the Artemis Mission.

鈥淧erla is highly active in聽outreach, so聽I know that this opportunity is one that will have a positive impact on all the undergraduates and K-12 STEM students that she mentors as well,鈥� Raghavan says.

The organization, which began in 1968 when brick manufacturers got together to discuss the industry, has grown into one of the most influential groups shaping the way we think about materials science. It includes 11,000 scientists, engineers, researchers, manufacturers, plant personnel, educators, students and others from more than 70 countries.

This year, the national fellow designation recognizes 23 professionals who have made outstanding contributions to ceramic arts or sciences, broad and productive scholarship in ceramic science and technology, notable achievement in ceramic industry, or by outstanding service to the ACerS.

It鈥檚 no easy process to be selected. According to the organization, candidates are nominated by a member of the society. The nomination packet must include a form that has the signatures of at least seven other members that support the nomination. Then a panel of 12 previously honored fellows reviews all the packets. After several rounds of discussion, the honorees are selected.

鈥淚t鈥檚 my honor to get elected to this prestigious society,鈥� Seal says. 鈥淎nd it is humbling to see my work in ceramics acknowledged by my peers.鈥�

Seal鈥檚 cutting-edge work, which span the medical, space and environmental industries, has been cited by other scholars more than 20,200 times since 2015, according to Google Scholar, and thousands more times before that.

For example, his work with oxide ceramics led to a way to use fly ash, a byproduct of burning coal, to absorb oil found in waterways. Another one of his ceramic-related projects led to the creation of coatings that help protect against corrosion and unwanted chemical reactions with other biomaterials. Seal is also quick to respond to community needs. When COVID-19 hit Central Florida in March, he began work on using nanotechnology within a few weeks to help protect medical care providers.

鈥淓very year the society honors prominent members who have devoted their lives to the advancement of ceramic science and technology and have made remarkable contributions to their profession,鈥� says ACerS President Tatsuki Ohji. 鈥淭hey set the bar for what our members can aspire to.鈥�

The聽awards聽will be presented at the Society鈥檚 Annual Honor and Awards banquet, Oct. 5 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the ACerS Annual Meeting held at the Materials Science and Technology Conference.

Seal has also been recognized before by the World Academy of Ceramics, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, the Royal Society of Chemistry and many others.

Seal has multiple degrees including a master鈥檚 from the University of Sheffield and a doctorate from the University of Wisconsin. Before joining 麻豆原创 22 years ago, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.