Commonwealth Research Initiative

Economic Development

$33,000 from Prime Photonics LC as a subcontract on a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research program to James R. Heflin, professor of physics, for work on a miniature biosensor using nanomaterial coatings. ICTAS invested CRI funds in the research that led to data that made the grant possible. Prime Photonics, a company in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, creates sensors for harsh environments.

Varian Inc., (formerly Oxford Diffraction Ltd.), a global manufacturer and distributor of specialized diffraction equipment based in Oxford, England, has located its North American headquarters at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. The company is collaborating with materials researchers at Virginia Tech.

To take advantage of nanotechnology resources at Virginia Tech, ADA Technologies Inc. of Littleton, Colorado, plans to expand to a new branch office, ADA-Virginia, based at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. The goal is to have a presence at the CRC before summer 2008

With $149,986 from the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, Virginia Tech and ADA Technologies are working on a carbon nanotube measurememt system for industry and research environments. Measurement is critical to synthesis of new composite materials and manufacture of new products.

Grants received

$420,000 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to Yong Xu, assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering, to develop second order nonlinear silica fibers and microcavities. The goals of the research include creating new frequencies of light from optical fibers and developing light sources that can be used in quantum IT. ICTAS invested CRI funds in preliminary research that produced data used in the grant proposal. Co-PIs are physics professor James R. Heflin, Center for Photonics Technology director Anbo Wang, and Zhiwen Liu of the electrical engineering department at Pennsylvania State University.

$406,837 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to Zach Adelman, assistant professor of entomology and a member of the Vector Borne Disease Research Group, for research on genetic control of vector-borne disease, particularly diseases spread by mosquitoes.

$1.2 million from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and other recent awards to Josep Bassaganya-Riera, assistant professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise, for research on the nutritional modulation of the immune response and gene expression, such as therapeutic interventions against immune or inflammatory disorders.

$250,000 from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to Carla Finkielstein, assistant professor in biological sciences, to study the role of circadian proteins in tumor suppression.

$1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Eric Beers, associate professor of horticulture; Amy Brunner, associate professor of forestry; and Allan Dickerman, assistant professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, to study protein-protein interactions associated with biomass production in poplar wood as a part of a national initiative on biofuel research that may increase the availability and use of alternative fuels. Protein identification and quantification research at Virginia Tech has been enhanced by new mass spectrometry equipment purchased with funds from the Commonwealth Research Initiative.

$103,326 from the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) to Nancy Love, professor of civil and environmental engineering, for development of a nitrfying microbial fuel cell for sustainable wastewater treatment. She is doing research on microbial fuel cells that would convert waste to energy. The Institute for Critical Technology and Science (ICTAS) at Virginia Tech invested CRI funds to help Love and her colleagues build a microbial fuel cell to obtain preliminary data for their proposal to WERF. Co-investigators are Ishwar Puri, professor and department head of engineering science and mechanics, and Michael Ellis, associate professor in mechanical engineering.

INVESTMENTS:

HOST-PATHOGEN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY

CONTACTS:

Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences (IBPHS)

Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS)

Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI)

Office of the Vice President for Research

RESULTS

Economic Development

Grants received


ABOUT CRI: The Commonwealth Research Initiative (CRI) provides more than $200 million to state universities ... (read more) INVESTMENTS: HOST-PATHOGEN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION New Faculty Equipment Research Projects Instruction Bruno Sobral and Dennis Dean discuss the importance of host-pathogen research. [Link to 7:34 video] NANOTECHNOLOGY AND NANO-BIOTECHNOLOGY New Faculty Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Laboratory equipment Research Projects Instruction Judy Riffle and Roop Mahajan discuss the impact of nanoscience on our lives. [Link to 12:39 video] LINKS: Implementation Partnerships/Collaborations Results CONTACTS: Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences (IBPHS) Dennis Dean 540/231-5895 Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) Roop Mahajan 540/231-6876 Virginia Bioinformatics Institute (VBI) Bruno Sobral 540/231-2100 Office of the Vice President for Research Thomas J. Inzana 540/231-5188	RESULTS Within mere months of the beginning of the CRI, results include: Economic Development $33,000 from Prime Photonics LC as a subcontract on a National Science Foundation Small Business Innovation Research program to James R. Heflin, professor of physics, for work on a miniature biosensor using nanomaterial coatings. ICTAS invested CRI funds in the research that led to data that made the grant possible. Prime Photonics, a company in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, creates sensors for harsh environments. Varian Inc., (formerly Oxford Diffraction Ltd.), a global manufacturer and distributor of specialized diffraction equipment based in Oxford, England, has located its North American headquarters at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. The company is collaborating with materials researchers at Virginia Tech. To take advantage of nanotechnology resources at Virginia Tech, ADA Technologies Inc. of Littleton, Colorado, plans to expand to a new branch office, ADA-Virginia, based at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. The goal is to have a presence at the CRC before summer 2008 With $149,986 from the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program, Virginia Tech and ADA Technologies are working on a carbon nanotube measurememt system for industry and research environments. Measurement is critical to synthesis of new composite materials and manufacture of new products. Grants received $420,000 from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to Yong Xu, assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering, to develop second order nonlinear silica fibers and microcavities. The goals of the research include creating new frequencies of light from optical fibers and developing light sources that can be used in quantum IT. ICTAS invested CRI funds in preliminary research that produced data used in the grant proposal. Co-PIs are physics professor James R. Heflin, Center for Photonics Technology director Anbo Wang, and Zhiwen Liu of the electrical engineering department at Pennsylvania State University. $406,837 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to Zach Adelman, assistant professor of entomology and a member of the Vector Borne Disease Research Group, for research on genetic control of vector-borne disease, particularly diseases spread by mosquitoes. $1.2 million from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and other recent awards to Josep Bassaganya-Riera, assistant professor of human nutrition, foods, and exercise, for research on the nutritional modulation of the immune response and gene expression, such as therapeutic interventions against immune or inflammatory disorders. $250,000 from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation to Carla Finkielstein, assistant professor in biological sciences, to study the role of circadian proteins in tumor suppression. $1.2 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to Eric Beers, associate professor of horticulture; Amy Brunner, associate professor of forestry; and Allan Dickerman, assistant professor at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, to study protein-protein interactions associated with biomass production in poplar wood as a part of a national initiative on biofuel research that may increase the availability and use of alternative fuels. Protein identification and quantification research at Virginia Tech has been enhanced by new mass spectrometry equipment purchased with funds from the Commonwealth Research Initiative. $103,326 from the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) to Nancy Love, professor of civil and environmental engineering, for development of a nitrfying microbial fuel cell for sustainable wastewater treatment. She is doing research on microbial fuel cells that would convert waste to energy. The Institute for Critical Technology and Science (ICTAS) at Virginia Tech invested CRI funds to help Love and her colleagues build a microbial fuel cell to obtain preliminary data for their proposal to WERF. Co-investigators are Ishwar Puri, professor and department head of engineering science and mechanics, and Michael Ellis, associate professor in mechanical engineering.