{"681677":{"#nid":"681677","#data":{"type":"news","title":"GTRI and SEI Announce Recipients of Phase Two Seed Funding From the Energy and National Security Initiative","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn July 2024, the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), in partnership with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGTRI\u003C\/a\u003E), launched the Energy and National Security Initiative through a campuswide\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/georgia-tech-strategic-energy-institute_join-us-on-july-16th-for-the-energy-and-national-activity-7201262615388377088-fiDc?utm_source=social_share_send\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web\u0026amp;rcm=ACoAAD-PK50BuWdAR4FwJryxMAHBVta_rURyG5k\u0022\u003Eworkshop\u003C\/a\u003E. The event attracted over 100 participants from units across Georgia Tech and GTRI.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/john-tien\u0022\u003EJohn Tien\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI distinguished external fellow, professor of the practice, and former deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, along with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tom-fanning-06780a122\/\u0022\u003ETom Fanning\u003C\/a\u003E, former CEO at Southern Company, kicked off the workshop with a discussion on the role of energy in national security and the opportunities for Georgia Tech to align its research with this critical topic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event concluded with the announcement of two rounds of seed funding, offering up to $500,000 annually for three years. The first round,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/sei-and-gtri-announced-awardees-seed-funding-energy-and-national-security-workshop\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E in September 2024, provided planning grants to six teams to support their initiatives in the fall. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecipients of the second phase of seed funding have now been announced. This phase will provide research support in the spring, with an option for additional funding through the 2025-26 academic year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis seed funding initiative by SEI and GTRI is a significant step toward advancing national security through innovative energy solutions. We believe this support will empower the funded teams to explore critical intersections between energy infrastructure and security, fostering groundbreaking advancements for a safer energy future,\u201d said Christine Conwell, SEI\u2019s interim executive director.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeven interdisciplinary projects by team members from Georgia Tech and GTRI have been selected for the second phase, also known as Category B (Table 1).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe seed grant initiative is supporting energy and national security collaboration among researchers from multiple units across the Georgia Tech campus,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/people\/william-h-robinson\u0022\u003EWilliam H. Robinson\u003C\/a\u003E, interim chief technology officer and deputy director for Research in GTRI\u2019s Information and Cyber Sciences Directorate. \u201cWe are very pleased to see the teamwork of these faculty members as they address important issues facing our nation.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA follow-up workshop will be held this summer to bring together the awardees of the seed grant program. Additionally, a lunch and learn seminar series is planned in the fall to showcase the research progress of the seed grant program. For updates, visit the Strategic Energy Institute\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\/events\u0022\u003Eevent webpage\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn July 2024, the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), in partnership with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGTRI\u003C\/a\u003E), launched the Energy and National Security Initiative through a campuswide\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/georgia-tech-strategic-energy-institute_join-us-on-july-16th-for-the-energy-and-national-activity-7201262615388377088-fiDc?utm_source=social_share_send\u0026amp;utm_medium=member_desktop_web\u0026amp;rcm=ACoAAD-PK50BuWdAR4FwJryxMAHBVta_rURyG5k\u0022\u003Eworkshop\u003C\/a\u003E. The event attracted over 100 participants from units across Georgia Tech and GTRI.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/john-tien\u0022\u003EJohn Tien\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI distinguished external fellow, professor of the practice, and former deputy secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, along with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/tom-fanning-06780a122\/\u0022\u003ETom Fanning\u003C\/a\u003E, former CEO at Southern Company, kicked off the workshop with a discussion on the role of energy in national security and the opportunities for Georgia Tech to align its research with this critical topic.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe event concluded with the announcement of two rounds of seed funding, offering up to $500,000 annually for three years. The first round,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/sei-and-gtri-announced-awardees-seed-funding-energy-and-national-security-workshop\u0022\u003Eannounced\u003C\/a\u003E in September 2024, provided planning grants to six teams to support their initiatives in the fall. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecipients of the second phase of seed funding have now been announced. This phase will provide research support in the spring, with an option for additional funding through the 2025-26 academic year.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Recipients of the second phase of seed funding from the Energy and National Security Initiative have now been announced."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2025-04-09 09:55:30","changed_gmt":"2026-07-28 20:44:33","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-04-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680707":{"id":"680707","type":"image","title":"IMG_4462-2_LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGary McMurray (GTRI), Rich Simmons (SEI), Christine Conwell (SEI), and John Tien (SEI)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785270866","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 20:34:26","changed":"1785270866","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 20:34:26","alt":"Picture of Gary McMurray (GTRI), Rich Simmons (SEI), Christine Conwell (SEI) and John Tien (SEI)","file":{"fid":"265010","name":"IMG_4462-2_LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4462-2_LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4462-2_LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":596508,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4462-2_LR.jpeg?itok=AvpUAcXL"}},"680708":{"id":"680708","type":"image","title":"IMG_4366-3-copy-LR.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EPhase 2 Cohort Summer 2025 Meeting Participants\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785270866","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 20:34:26","changed":"1785270866","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 20:34:26","alt":"Phase 2 summer meeting participants","file":{"fid":"265011","name":"IMG_4366-3-copy-LR.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4366-3-copy-LR.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4366-3-copy-LR.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":626694,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/IMG_4366-3-copy-LR.jpeg?itok=xMXQI6RA"}},"676803":{"id":"676803","type":"image","title":"EnergyNationalSecurity_SeedFundingPhase2_Awardees.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETable 1: Energy and National Security Seed Funding Phase 2 Awardees with their Project Descriptions\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1744241646","gmt_created":"2025-04-09 23:34:06","changed":"1744241646","gmt_changed":"2025-04-09 23:34:06","alt":"Energy and National Security Seed Funding Phase 2 Awardees and their Projects","file":{"fid":"260645","name":"EnergyNationalSecurity_SeedFundingPhase2_Awardees.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/09\/EnergyNationalSecurity_SeedFundingPhase2_Awardees.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/04\/09\/EnergyNationalSecurity_SeedFundingPhase2_Awardees.png","mime":"image\/png","size":443531,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/04\/09\/EnergyNationalSecurity_SeedFundingPhase2_Awardees.png?itok=SbQfSnnc"}}},"media_ids":["680707","680708","676803"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:John.Toon@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/a\u003E | GTRI Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691308":{"#nid":"691308","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Andrew Lindsey Joins BBISS as Program Manager","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager. He will succeed Susan Ryan, who recently retired as senior program and operations manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond. Working closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings. Most recently, he served as project intake and communications specialist at Kennesaw State University. Before that, Lindsey spent nearly four years with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, first as project coordinator and later as project manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey\u2019s background also includes experience in higher education instruction and mentoring. As a teaching assistant with Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ft.e2ma.net%2Fclick%2Fm1825s%2Fyyyeqded%2Fa4ug97b\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7Cbrent.verrill%40research.gatech.edu%7C8e5b1e449e46406d62e408dee270ffeb%7C482198bbae7b4b258b7a6d7f32faa083%7C1%7C0%7C639197172142695470%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=oofdOwX7ht4cfWelRuz460UZ9nCg55Uu2T%2BPrfsgQMY%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGrand Challenges program\u003C\/a\u003E, he worked directly with student teams tackling complex societal issues, providing guidance on research development, collaborative problem-solving, and project execution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a B.A. in history, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2021, and completed a Master of Public Administration in 2025.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAndrew\u2019s experience supporting complex projects, improving organizational processes, coordinating across diverse stakeholder groups, and commitment to mission-driven work make him a strong addition to the team,\u201d said BBISS Director of Business Administration Kristina Chatfield.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-28 14:53:18","changed_gmt":"2026-07-28 14:57:27","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680695":{"id":"680695","type":"image","title":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","body":null,"created":"1785250422","gmt_created":"2026-07-28 14:53:42","changed":"1785250422","gmt_changed":"2026-07-28 14:53:42","alt":"Headshot portrait of an individual photographed from the chest up against a plain light gray background. The individual is wearing a light blue button\u2011down shirt and a dark patterned tie, facing the camera in a centered studio-style composition. The image is evenly lit with a neutral backdrop and no visible text or additional objects.","file":{"fid":"264997","name":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":439090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/28\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg?itok=Iyie8dpC"}}},"media_ids":["680695"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691265":{"#nid":"691265","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Yuanzhi Tang Named Fellow of the American Chemical Society","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETang was recognized for her contributions to environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, and energy-related research, as well as for her leadership and service to the chemical sciences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Given her exceptionally energetic research program, which spans topics ranging from the basic understanding of chemical cycling on Earth to creative solutions to recover rare elements from wastes, this honor is richly deserved and completely unsurprising,\u0022 said Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, chair of the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. \u0022We are lucky to have Yuanzhi as part of EAS.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs SEI executive director, Tang leads Institute-wide efforts to strengthen Georgia Tech\u0027s energy research enterprise by connecting expertise across disciplines and fostering partnerships with industry, government, and national laboratories. She also maintains an internationally recognized research program focused on understanding the chemical and biological processes that shape natural and engineered environments.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEstablished in 2008, the ACS Fellows Program honors a distinguished group of scientists who have made exceptional contributions to chemistry and related fields while also demonstrating dedicated service to the society. With this election, Tang joins 17 Georgia Tech ACS Fellows.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I\u2019m deeply honored,\u0022 Tang said. \u0022This recognition reflects the contributions of many outstanding students, postdoctoral researchers, colleagues, collaborators, and mentors throughout my career. I am grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such talented people to advance scientific discovery and build interdisciplinary partnerships that address critical energy and environmental challenges.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFounded in 1876, the American Chemical Society represents more than 170,000 members worldwide and is a leading source of scientific information through its journals, conferences, and educational programs.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang, executive director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.acs.org\/\u0022\u003EAmerican Chemical Society\u003C\/a\u003E (ACS) Fellow.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe ACS is one of the world\u2019s largest scientific societies, and its Fellows Program recognizes outstanding achievements in scientific research, education, leadership, and service to the chemical profession and honors a select group of members each year.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Election as an ACS Fellow is a significant honor that recognizes not only scientific excellence but also leadership and service to the profession,\u0022 said Julia Kubanek, Georgia Tech\u0027s vice president for Interdisciplinary Research. \u0022Yuanzhi\u0027s pioneering research, her leadership within ACS and the Strategic Energy Institute, and her commitment to advancing interdisciplinary collaboration have strengthened Georgia Tech\u0027s impact in chemistry, energy, and environmental research. We are proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Yuanzhi Tang, executive director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI) and Georgia Power Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, has been named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:57:07","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 18:59:18","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-27T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680685":{"id":"680685","type":"image","title":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EYuanzhi Tang\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1785178716","gmt_created":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","changed":"1785178716","gmt_changed":"2026-07-27 18:58:36","alt":"Yuanzhi Tang","file":{"fid":"264986","name":"Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":933435,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/27\/Yuanzhi-Tang-pic5-cropped_0.jpg?itok=--SwhGU3"}}},"media_ids":["680685"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680298":{"#nid":"680298","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Unearthing Climate Solutions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom new farming practices to paleontology, meet four Georgia Tech researchers who improve the climate and predict its future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/42455\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom new farming practices to paleontology, meet four Georgia Tech researchers who improve the climate and predict its future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers explore how to improve the planet, one rock at a time."}],"uid":"36708","created_gmt":"2025-02-06 20:40:54","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 17:05:10","author":"twilson338","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-06T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676233":{"id":"676233","type":"image","title":"0A6A6395.jpg","body":null,"created":"1738874566","gmt_created":"2025-02-06 20:42:46","changed":"1738874566","gmt_changed":"2025-02-06 20:42:46","alt":"Student in the lab working with a sample","file":{"fid":"259969","name":"0A6A6395.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/06\/0A6A6395.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/06\/0A6A6395.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":754158,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/06\/0A6A6395.jpg?itok=R8-VcJHc"}}},"media_ids":["676233"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680640":{"#nid":"680640","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Build Stable Solar Panel Without Silicon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESolar power as an electricity source is growing in the United States, with 7% of Americans using it to run their homes. But scientists are still trying to make the solar panel production process more efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022\/node\/42579\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESolar power as an electricity source is growing in the United States, with 7% of Americans using it to run their homes. But scientists are still trying to make the solar panel production process more efficient.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"By adding titanium to perovskite crystals, researchers have made solar cells more durable."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-02-20 19:17:27","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 17:03:03","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-24T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676353":{"id":"676353","type":"image","title":"PS Solar_013025-3.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFor years, Juan-Pablo Correa-Baena\u2019s research group has explored using perovskite crystals as an alternative to silicon. A promising and prevalent replacement, perovskite is made of iodine atoms, lead, and organic elements. It is also as efficient as silicon.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740079072","gmt_created":"2025-02-20 19:17:52","changed":"1740079284","gmt_changed":"2025-02-20 19:21:24","alt":"male researcher wearing a black glove holds a solar cell prototype","file":{"fid":"260125","name":"PS Solar_013025-3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/20\/PS%20Solar_013025-3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/20\/PS%20Solar_013025-3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":10674598,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/20\/PS%20Solar_013025-3.jpg?itok=95fI8wFw"}}},"media_ids":["676353"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"680763":{"#nid":"680763","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Startup Targets Building Energy Inefficiencies With AI and Drones","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELamarr.AI leverages AI and drones to autonomously diagnose building energy inefficiencies, reducing carbon emissions. The startup, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, MIT, and Syracuse University, raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding. Their technology provides detailed diagnostics of building exteriors, helping owners save on energy costs and improve indoor air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/42609\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Lamarr.AI raised $1.1 million to bring its innovative building diagnostics technology to market."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ELamarr.AI leverages AI and drones to autonomously diagnose building energy inefficiencies, reducing carbon emissions. The startup, a collaboration between Georgia Tech, MIT, and Syracuse University, raised $1.1 million in pre-seed funding. Their technology provides detailed diagnostics of building exteriors, helping owners save on energy costs and improve indoor air quality.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Lamarr.AI uses drones, AI, and thermal imaging to identify energy inefficiencies in buildings, offering a faster, safer, and more accurate solution."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-02-26 19:40:33","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 17:02:31","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"676410":{"id":"676410","type":"image","title":"Tarek-Rakha-on-campus.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ETarek Rakha on the Georgia Tech campus holding a drone in his arms.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1740598935","gmt_created":"2025-02-26 19:42:15","changed":"1740598935","gmt_changed":"2025-02-26 19:42:15","alt":"Tarek Rakha on the Georgia Tech campus holding a drone in his arms.","file":{"fid":"260194","name":"Tarek-Rakha-on-campus.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Tarek-Rakha-on-campus.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/02\/26\/Tarek-Rakha-on-campus.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2501738,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/02\/26\/Tarek-Rakha-on-campus.jpeg?itok=1R3mtt_k"}}},"media_ids":["676410"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"682913":{"#nid":"682913","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Slow and the Furious: The Researcher Driven to Curb Atlanta\u2019s Soul-Crushing Commute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith so many paths to research careers at Georgia Tech, finding the right one can be daunting. In an ongoing feature series, Unexpected Paths, we explore the journeys of 12 research faculty members from across the Institute and learn about their unique paths to research. In this feature, follow Angshuman Guin as he discusses his research into traffic patterns and how faculty serve as the connective tissue of the Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/43438\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn this feature, follow Angshuman Guin as he discusses his research into traffic patterns and how faculty serve as the connective tissue of the Institute.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"An engineer\u2019s unexpected path to Georgia Tech is paved with detours, data, and a dose of humor."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-06-26 21:32:21","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 16:48:56","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-26T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677295":{"id":"677295","type":"image","title":"Unexpected-Paths_June-Issue_Angshuman-Guin-5.jpg","body":null,"created":"1750973577","gmt_created":"2025-06-26 21:32:57","changed":"1750973577","gmt_changed":"2025-06-26 21:32:57","alt":"Angshuman Guin (a male professor wearing a black suit) sits at a desk in front of two monitors displaying data","file":{"fid":"261179","name":"Unexpected-Paths_June-Issue_Angshuman-Guin-5.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/26\/Unexpected-Paths_June-Issue_Angshuman-Guin-5.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/26\/Unexpected-Paths_June-Issue_Angshuman-Guin-5.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1180614,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/26\/Unexpected-Paths_June-Issue_Angshuman-Guin-5.jpg?itok=yUPveq4Y"}}},"media_ids":["677295"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685671":{"#nid":"685671","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Fixing Flooding for the Southeast\u2019s Future","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFlooding can be an existential threat, affecting everything from infrastructure to health. Georgia Tech researchers are developing solutions to monitor and forecast flooding, as well as restore ecosystems to prevent future flooding. These efforts support communities\u2019 resilience in the face of climate change and keep the U.S. secure.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/44095\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers use models to monitor flooding and improve the resilience of coastal cities."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFlooding can be an existential threat, affecting everything from infrastructure to health. Georgia Tech researchers are developing solutions to monitor and forecast flooding, as well as restore ecosystems to prevent future flooding. These efforts support communities\u2019 resilience in the face of climate change and keep the U.S. secure.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Coastal communities throughout the Southeast are now facing constant challenges from flooding and sea level rise and they are looking to nature-based solutions to prevent flooding and erosion related to storms."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-10-10 19:34:37","changed_gmt":"2026-07-27 13:18:26","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678333":{"id":"678333","type":"image","title":"kostka.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoel Kostka and Michael Hodges, a\u0026nbsp;shellfish biologist in the South Carolina Department of Resources,\u0026nbsp;determining the elevation of degraded marsh habitat. [Photo courtesy of Joel Kostka]\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760124907","gmt_created":"2025-10-10 19:35:07","changed":"1760124907","gmt_changed":"2025-10-10 19:35:07","alt":"two people walking in flood water","file":{"fid":"262349","name":"kostka.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/kostka.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/10\/kostka.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3796327,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/10\/kostka.jpg?itok=E0sW1Z8-"}}},"media_ids":["678333"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690909":{"#nid":"690909","#data":{"type":"news","title":"How Agentic AI is Rethinking the Origins of Life on Earth","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs strange as it sounds, the key to understanding life\u2019s origins might lie in artificial intelligence. At least, according to a new approached being pursued by researchers at Georgia Tech.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Electrical and Computer Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (ECE) Assistant Professor \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/amirali-aghazadeh-mohandesi\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAmirali Aghazadeh\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and Ph.D. student Daniel Saeedi have developed \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astroagents.github.io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAstroAgents\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an AI system that analyzes mass spectrometry data \u2014 detailed chemical compositions from meteorites and Earth soil samples \u2014 to generate novel hypotheses about the origins of life on the planet.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat sets AstroAgents apart is its use of agentic AI. Unlike traditional AI systems that perform fixed tasks, this agentic system is designed to pursue a scientific goal. It draws from astrobiology literature, interprets complex data, and proposes original ideas that researchers can investigate further.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETheir \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/arxiv.org\/abs\/2503.23170\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Epaper\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, recently featured in the journal \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/d41586-025-01364-w#:~:text=AstroAgents%20comprises%20eight%20\u0026amp;apos;AI%20agents,\u0026amp;apos;%20%E2%80%94%20what%20can%20it%20do%3F\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ENature,\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E is opening new possibilities for how scientists explore questions that have remained unanswered for decades.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn a special Q\u0026amp;A, Aghazadeh and Saeedi explain how AstroAgents analyzes space chemistry, what it\u2019s revealing about the possible origins of life on Earth, and what they hope to explore next.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/06\/how-agentic-ai-rethinking-origins-life-earth\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EREAD THE Q\u0026amp;A\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers Amirali Aghazadeh and Daniel Saeedi discuss AstroAgents, an agentic AI system that analyzes space chemistry to generate new ideas for life\u2019s beginnings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers Amirali Aghazadeh and Daniel Saeedi discuss AstroAgents, an agentic AI system that analyzes space chemistry to generate new ideas for life\u2019s beginnings. "}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 20:18:05","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 20:21:39","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680511":{"id":"680511","type":"image","title":"agentic-ai.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1782332295","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 20:18:15","changed":"1782332553","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 20:22:33","alt":"Person working on a laptop with a digital visualization of an AI system, code, and automated workflows.","file":{"fid":"264784","name":"agentic-ai.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5343243,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/agentic-ai.jpeg?itok=gEreWYzD"}}},"media_ids":["680511"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660370","name":"Space"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193655","name":"Artificial Intelligence at Georgia Tech"},{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EDan Watson\u003Cbr\u003Edwatson@ece.gatech.edu\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"685723":{"#nid":"685723","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Head to Toe: Georgia Tech Researchers Treat the Entire Human Body Through Neuroscience Research","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENeuroscience experts from across Georgia Tech will soon come together for a new interdisciplinary research institute, the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS), launched in July. Faculty in INNS are helping to solve some of neuroscience\u2019s most pressing problems, and many have promising medical applications. One important aspect of studying the brain is understanding how the brain and the body work together. Meet the researchers who study brain-body interactions, from monitoring the neuron degradation that causes Alzheimer\u2019s to enhancing mobility for stroke survivors, in an effort to improve the health and quality of life for millions of Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/44169\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"From treatment-resistant depression to Parkinson\u0027s, Georgia Tech neuroscience researchers are tackling lifelong health problems."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENeuroscience experts from across Georgia Tech will soon come together for a new interdisciplinary research institute, the Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology, and Society (INNS), launched in July. Faculty in INNS are helping to solve some of neuroscience\u2019s most pressing problems, and many have promising medical applications. One important aspect of studying the brain is understanding how the brain and the body work together. Meet the researchers who study brain-body interactions, from monitoring the neuron degradation that causes Alzheimer\u2019s to enhancing mobility for stroke survivors, in an effort to improve the health and quality of life for millions of Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Meet Georgia Tech\u2019s neurology experts exploring the brain\u2019s impact on the entire body."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-10-15 19:06:15","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:35:33","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-10-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678358":{"id":"678358","type":"image","title":"Wheaton.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ELewis Wheaton (back) directs Georgia Tech\u2019s Cognitive Motor Control Lab.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1760555215","gmt_created":"2025-10-15 19:06:55","changed":"1760555363","gmt_changed":"2025-10-15 19:09:23","alt":"A person seated in a beige chair using a computer setup with multiple cables and devices, facing a large monitor in a testing or research room, with another individual visible through a window in an adjacent control room.","file":{"fid":"262376","name":"Wheaton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/15\/Wheaton.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/10\/15\/Wheaton.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":301329,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/10\/15\/Wheaton.jpg?itok=8frNLUem"}}},"media_ids":["678358"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"686991":{"#nid":"686991","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Nuclear Waste: What It Is \u2014 and What It Isn\u2019t","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen people hear \u201cnuclear waste,\u201d they often imagine glowing green sludge leaking into the ground \u2014 a scene straight out of science fiction. The truth is far less dramatic and far more manageable. In fact, all the civilian nuclear waste produced by U.S. power plants so far could fit on a single football field stacked just 10 yards high. Managed under strict safety protocols, this byproduct of nuclear energy poses manageable risk compared to the billions of tons of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. Today, researchers at Georgia Tech and around the world are working on safer reactor designs, advanced monitoring, and innovative recycling methods to turn nuclear waste into new opportunities \u2014 from clean energy to ultra-long-lasting batteries and even power for space missions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/44646\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWhen people hear \u201cnuclear waste,\u201d they often imagine glowing green sludge leaking into the ground \u2014 a scene straight out of science fiction. The truth is far less dramatic and far more manageable. In fact, all the civilian nuclear waste produced by U.S. power plants so far could fit on a single football field stacked just 10 yards high. Managed under strict safety protocols, this byproduct of nuclear energy poses manageable risk compared to the billions of tons of greenhouse gases from fossil fuels. Today, researchers at Georgia Tech and around the world are working on safer reactor designs, advanced monitoring, and innovative recycling methods to turn nuclear waste into new opportunities \u2014 from clean energy to ultra-long-lasting batteries and even power for space missions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Nuclear waste can be managed safely with proper safety protocols. Researchers at Georgia Tech and around the world are working on safer reactor designs, advanced monitoring, and innovative recycling methods to turn nuclear waste into new opportunities \u2014 f"}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-12-18 19:42:21","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:28:14","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2025-12-18T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678901":{"id":"678901","type":"image","title":"1.-MarthaGroverTeam.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMartha Grover, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, with her research team. [Photo by Christopher McKenney]\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1767106727","gmt_created":"2025-12-30 14:58:47","changed":"1767106727","gmt_changed":"2025-12-30 14:58:47","alt":"Georgia Tech Professor Martha Grover with her research team","file":{"fid":"262994","name":"1.-MarthaGroverTeam.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/1.-MarthaGroverTeam.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/12\/30\/1.-MarthaGroverTeam.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5334947,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/12\/30\/1.-MarthaGroverTeam.jpg?itok=hG_9ee7m"}}},"media_ids":["678901"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"689850":{"#nid":"689850","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Doing the Dirty Work of Sustainability ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s not glamorous. It\u2019s not trendy. In fact, it\u2019s downright grubby. But the work that a Georgia Tech researcher and his students are doing is improving campus sustainability, one pound of food waste at a time.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/node\/2820\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDavid Hu\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, gave his senior-level biology class this semester a unique assignment: Feed food waste to black soldier fly larvae, collect the organic byproduct (called \u201cfrass\u201d), and analyze the results. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThere\u2019s something special about these grubs,\u201d said Hu, who is also a faculty member within the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cThey smell, and they\u2019re kind of ugly, but they process food extremely efficiently. When we feed them, they eat twice their body weight, finish that in five hours, and you can do it again the next day. Traditional composting could never be that fast.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUsing a unique closed-loop system pioneered by private-industry partner and early-stage startup \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biotechnicausa.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiotechnica\u003C\/a\u003E, the larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. When the larvae mature into adults, they fly into a shared chamber to reproduce, make more grubs, and start the process over again.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou can get a turnaround from food waste to frass in a day or two, and then from the raw frass to our ground-up frass that we use for our plants,\u201d said Mikkelle Peters, a fourth-year biology major in Hu\u2019s class. \u201cIt\u2019s just a much quicker process to get rid of the food waste.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFeeding and studying an army of larvae that can eat more than 10 gallons of food a day keeps Hu\u2019s students busy. The solution? Divide and conquer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe first group in the process gathers and grinds food scraps to feed the grubs, then collects the frass they produce. The next group mixes the frass with soil and analyzes its chemical makeup, comparing its nutrient density to commercial fertilizers. A third group uses the fertilized soil to grow vegetables like arugula and radishes that are measured against plants grown using synthetic fertilizer. The final two groups observe the environmental conditions that affect productivity and analyze the grubs\u2019 digestion to uncover the secrets to their success.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore testing will need to be done on outdoor farms to provide rigorous results. Data over the past few semesters were, at times, inconsistent. But the students\u2019 projects reveal a lot of promise for future experiments. Despite limitations to the study, including a small sample size and minor instrument malfunction, the students have been able to find helpful nutrients in their product and grow certain crops more successfully with frass than with commercial fertilizer. Unlike chemically based products or some traditional composts that need to be specially treated, black soldier fly frass is organic and easily processed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cA lot of fertilizers can cause harmful runoff, and they can change soil balances over time,\u201d Peters said. \u201cFrass is a natural product, has more fibrous material, and has a lot more organic compounds.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to the science that the students are exposed to, Hu said it is also eye-opening for them to see the work of sustainability. The project is an excellent case study for how a small group can make a big impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe students have learned a lot,\u201d Hu said. \u201cFor one of the activities, we had them bring in their own food waste from home to feed the composter. They realized that a person makes pounds of waste per day.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAccording to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EOffice of Sustainability\u003C\/a\u003E, the campus produces about 400 tons of food waste per year. Although Georgia Tech boasts \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/news\/2025\/11\/07\/new-composter-enhance-campus-waste-reduction\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eone of the largest commercial composters\u003C\/a\u003E on an urban campus in the Southeast, the machine can only process 175 tons per year. That leaves a gap that Hu said his research might one day be able to fill.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRight now, it\u2019s working,\u201d he said. \u201cWe want to expand and see if it can work some more. The big issue is visibility, getting people to know that what we\u2019re doing is good. Because in some ways, saving the planet takes energy.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the main energy sources for the experimental composter is something Hu hopes to reduce: manpower. With a campus the size of Georgia Tech\u2019s, it\u2019s a very labor-intensive process for students to collect food waste from campus partners. Hu hopes that more community members will volunteer, not only to collect food, but also to improve the system.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe need people power \u2014 people willing to volunteer to move, because right now, campus produces a lot of waste in different places,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we also need biologists and engineers and computer scientists. We need people to make this system more well-engineered.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the current black soldier fly composter still has some flaws, Hu said his goal is to create an affordable, climate-friendly food waste recycling system that can scale up to support U.S. agriculture. By solving problems at the local level, his research is potentially removing economic and operational barriers to sustainability. But, according to Hu, the final step to long-term success is community involvement.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn the end, we need people who care,\u201d Hu said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t take that much effort to do a little bit, and a little bit can go a long way.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. Using a unique closed-loop system, black soldier fly larvae eat their way through more than 300 pounds of food in one semester, creating valuable frass that students harvest. What they\u2019ve found so far is a composting method with the potential to dramatically reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions while producing a nutrient-dense fertilizer. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A Georgia Tech researcher and his students are using experimental composting to reduce campus food waste and support agriculture. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-04-17 19:22:36","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:18:56","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-04-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"679998":{"id":"679998","type":"image","title":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","body":null,"created":"1776688432","gmt_created":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","changed":"1776688432","gmt_changed":"2026-04-20 12:33:52","alt":"A male researcher opens the top of a blue barrel that is part of a composting system inside a greenhouse","file":{"fid":"264230","name":"web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":232961,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/04\/20\/web_0000_BSF-Compost-Hu.jpg?itok=HEj6TZyg"}}},"media_ids":["679998"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"166882","name":"School of Biological Sciences"},{"id":"14545","name":"George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering"},{"id":"168693","name":"campus sustainability"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690440":{"#nid":"690440","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Scaling Innovation: Georgia Tech Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium Builds for the Future ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMoving a new idea from a research lab to production remains one of industry\u2019s toughest challenges. But at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (GTMI), which leads the nation in translating research into technologies that shape the future of U.S. manufacturing, that gap is being closed by design. This effort was on full display during AMPF Week, a two-day celebration marking the official opening of the newly renovated Georgia Tech \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/manufacturing.gatech.edu\/ampf-week\u0022\u003EAdvanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility\u003C\/a\u003E (AMPF).\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/45675\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium is bridging the gap between research and real-world production by using AI, automation, and industry partnerships to accelerate advanced manufacturing. Showcased during AMPF Week, the newly upgraded facility highlights intelligent, connected systems and a \u201cself-driving\u201d lab that enables real-time testing, innovation, and workforce development.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech\u2019s Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium uses AI and industry partnerships to turn research into real-world manufacturing."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-05-22 13:37:39","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:17:46","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-05-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680332":{"id":"680332","type":"image","title":"ampf-week-thumb.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA student demonstrates human-robot interaction using virtual reality controls and collaborative robotics technology at the AMPF.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1779457183","gmt_created":"2026-05-22 13:39:43","changed":"1779457183","gmt_changed":"2026-05-22 13:39:43","alt":"Person wearing a virtual reality headset controlling a humanoid robot equipped with tools in a laboratory setting.","file":{"fid":"264580","name":"ampf-week-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":160283,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/05\/22\/ampf-week-thumb.jpg?itok=aFnZ_JD1"}}},"media_ids":["680332"],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690606":{"#nid":"690606","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Helping Patients See Again: How One Doctor Uses Georgia Tech Research to Treat Eye Disease With Precision","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/garetina.com\/retina-specialist\/david-s-chin-yee-m-d\/\u0022\u003EDavid Chin Yee\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/real-life\/microneedle\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"The tiniest breakthrough can make the biggest difference."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor Dr. David Chin Yee, a Georgia Tech microneedle is opening new possibilities for treating debilitating eye disease. Developed over two decades, it delivers medication precisely where it\u2019s needed, helping to preserve vision, ease pain, and prolong relief. For patients, that can mean fewer treatments \u2014 and more time for daily life.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A doctor uses a tiny microneedle developed at Georgia Tech to preserve patients\u2019 vision, reduce their pain, and give them more time for daily life."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 17:56:24","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 19:16:58","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-03T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680406":{"id":"680406","type":"image","title":"Dr. David Chin Yee","body":"\u003Cp\u003EDr. David Chin Yee is an Atlanta-based retina specialist who collaborates with Georgia Tech researchers on advancing microneedle technology for targeted drug delivery in eye care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423298","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:01:38","changed":"1780423602","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:06:42","alt":"Person in blue medical scrubs demonstrates a small device to a seated patient in a clinical exam room with medical equipment visible in the background.","file":{"fid":"264662","name":"microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":158236,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/microneedle-thumb.jpg?itok=-Um6cUcC"}}},"media_ids":["680406"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690607":{"#nid":"690607","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Taking a Cue From Horror Movies: When Music Tells You What\u2019s Coming","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses spatialized music instead of alarms to help people anticipate movement around them \u2014 such as approaching robots \u2014 by conveying direction, distance, and timing through sound. Created in the Robotic Musicianship Lab, the technology aims to improve safety and awareness in human-robot environments while also showing promise for applications in virtual reality, gaming, and assistive navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/spherephones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers are arranging music to help you see what\u2019s behind you."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers have developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses spatialized music instead of alarms to help people anticipate movement around them \u2014 such as approaching robots \u2014 by conveying direction, distance, and timing through sound. Created in the Robotic Musicianship Lab, the technology aims to improve safety and awareness in human-robot environments while also showing promise for applications in virtual reality, gaming, and assistive navigation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/feature\/spherephones\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed Spherephones, a wearable system that uses directional music to help people anticipate movement and improve safety and awareness."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-06-02 18:10:50","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:41:11","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680407":{"id":"680407","type":"image","title":"Spherephones headset with a robotic arm","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERobotic arm holds a prototype Spherephones headset, a Georgia Tech\u2013developed wearable that uses spatialized sound to help users anticipate movement around them.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1780423885","gmt_created":"2026-06-02 18:11:25","changed":"1780424174","gmt_changed":"2026-06-02 18:16:14","alt":"Robotic arm holding circular sensor devices with exposed wiring in a lab setting with a blurred brick wall background.","file":{"fid":"264663","name":"music-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":114192,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/02\/music-thumb.jpg?itok=-SuGi3DO"}}},"media_ids":["680407"],"groups":[{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691207":{"#nid":"691207","#data":{"type":"news","title":"The Neuro Revolution Is Dawning. Are We Ready?","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.research.gatech.edu\/feature\/neuro-society\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are grappling with how a neuro-connected future could reshape society \u2014 and humanity itself."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, possibilities once confined to science fiction are moving closer to reality. Georgia Tech researchers are examining what these advances mean for autonomy, privacy, ethics, health, creativity, and human flourishing in a neuro-connected future.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"As neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 13:24:09","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:23:13","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-22T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680643":{"id":"680643","type":"image","title":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAs neuroscience and neurotechnology accelerate, Georgia Tech researchers are examining what a neuro-connected future could mean for society and for humanity itself.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784726698","gmt_created":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","changed":"1784726698","gmt_changed":"2026-07-22 13:24:58","alt":"Researcher fits and adjusts an EEG brain-monitoring cap with electrode leads on a seated participant in a neuroscience laboratory while holding a tablet.","file":{"fid":"264933","name":"AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3664833,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/22\/AdobeStock_427642173.jpeg?itok=liuinGwY"}}},"media_ids":["680643"],"groups":[{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"660369","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"66220","name":"Neuro"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187023","name":"go-data"},{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"},{"id":"172970","name":"go-neuro"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"193656","name":"Neuro Next Initiative"},{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691214":{"#nid":"691214","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Rapid Testing Offers Path to More Sustainable Material Choices","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E-Written by Seungho Lee\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled materials promise a cleaner future, but recycled content alone does not necessarily make a product sustainable. At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, assistant professor, National Science Foundation CAREER Award recipient, and Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems Faculty Fellow Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. Their article in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EScience Advances\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E details a new testing protocol that reduces cost, increases speed, and simulates real-world conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials shape nearly every part of modern life, from packaging and consumer products to bridges and medical devices. Choosing the right material involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne way that materials frequently fail is by cracking. A small crack can begin almost invisibly. Over time, it can spread from regular wear and tear and exposure to common environmental factors like moisture, temperature fluctuations, or even dirt. Eventually, the crack expands, and the part fails. Engineers have studied fracture for more than a century, but connecting the science of cracking to practical decisions about sustainability remains a major challenge.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe characteristics of recycled plastics often vary from those of the same material in unrecycled, or virgin, form. Products made from recycled plastics may be sold with sustainability claims under the assumption that they will perform as if they were made with virgin material. However, premature failure requiring repair or replacement can quickly change the sustainability equation as well as the acceptance of recycled materials by manufacturers and consumers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBeyond Conventional Fracture Testing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaterials rarely fail due to a single factor. They may be exposed to several factors simultaneously, such as mechanical loading, chemical environments, temperature changes, moisture, and time. Traditional fracture protocols test one specimen at a time under carefully controlled laboratory conditions, which bear little resemblance to the real world. To move beyond this limitation, Sun developed an in-situ, high-throughput platform capable of studying how materials degrade and fail under more realistic conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe platform changes conventional fracture testing in three important ways. First, it can test multiple specimens simultaneously rather than one at a time. By monitoring samples in parallel, testing time can be reduced by more than 60%. Second, it allows materials to be tested in realistic environments. In this study, researchers examined virgin and recycled plastics in alkaline environments that resemble conditions encountered in applications like landfill liner membranes and geotextiles. Third, the platform incorporates an imaging technique known as photoelasticity, which reveals the formation of stress fields that form around the origin of a newly developing crack. This allows researchers to see cracks develop earlier than before, giving them a clearer picture of the forces that drive crack growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers have made the technology available for licensing through Georgia Tech\u2019s Office of Technology Licensing. \u201cOur goal was to make fracture testing not only faster but also more informative,\u201d Sun said. \u201cBy combining high-throughput testing, realistic environments, and full-field stress imaging, we can better understand how materials fail under conditions closer to real-world applications.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAn Honest View of Sustainability\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERecycled plastics are often viewed as a greener choice. But according to the study, it\u2019s not always so straightforward. If a recycled product fails prematurely and needs to be replaced frequently, its environmental and economic costs can increase despite its recycled content. As Athanasiou puts it, \u201cFailing materials don\u2019t just break products. They can break sustainability promises.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor example, comparing virgin polyethylene terephthalate (PET) with recycled PET (rPET) in applications such as landfill geotextiles, the researchers discovered that rPET showed lower resistance to environmental stressors, particularly in alkaline conditions over a pH of 9. In this application, specifying rPET over virgin PET would likely eliminate all of the presumed economic and environmental advantages of using a recycled material.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRecycling is essential, but recycled content alone does not tell the full story. If a material fails too soon, the environmental benefits can disappear,\u201d Athanasiou said.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Cracks to Circularity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor the researchers, the significance of the work extends beyond recycled plastics. The broader goal is to provide a fast, affordable, and realistic platform for evaluating the sustainability of any material choice. Because current testing protocols are costly, not widely available, and limited in the information they yield, engineers, manufacturers, and policymakers often have little choice but to continue to specify non-recycled materials because they will perform as expected. Having cheap and accurate data on recycled materials will help to accelerate their adoption because matching the engineering properties of recycled materials to their most appropriate applications will become more obvious.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe researchers also hope to expand the platform to simulate even more complex environments and apply it to a wider range of materials. Because the system generates large amounts of detailed data, it may enable opportunities to use computational modeling or artificial intelligence to digitally simulate mechanical testing, driving down costs and expanding availability even more.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe larger vision is a future in which sustainability is judged not by labels or assumptions, but by evidence for how a material performs, how long it lasts, how it fails, and what it costs society and the environment over its full lifetime.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPlease visit the Daedalus Lab YouTube channel to see an explainer video about this new testing protocol: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=zmRhiRIiAkQ\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead the paper here: \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.aeh0456\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research was supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award No. 2338508.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EChoosing the right materials for manufacturing products involves balancing durability, cost, manufacturability, and environmental impact. Yet those decisions are not always guided by a clear understanding of how materials age and fail under real-world conditions, especially for recycled materials like plastics.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"At Georgia Tech\u2019s Daedalus Lab, Christos Athanasiou and postdoctoral researcher Danqi Sun are working to provide greater certainty to designers and engineers by rethinking how materials are tested for their fracture characteristics. "}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-22 20:31:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 18:22:28","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680664":{"id":"680664","type":"image","title":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","body":null,"created":"1784836559","gmt_created":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","changed":"1784836559","gmt_changed":"2026-07-23 19:55:59","alt":"Side-by-side scientific visualization comparing in-situ photoelasticity and modeled stress field evolution during fracture testing of a transparent material. The left panel shows a rectangular specimen with rainbow-colored stress patterns radiating from a crack tip near the center-right edge, while the right panel shows a corresponding color-coded stress map with blue, green, yellow, and red regions indicating increasing stress concentration around the crack tip. Labels at the top identify the two methods.","file":{"fid":"264955","name":"Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":75075,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/23\/Athanasiou_rPET_Fracture_Testing_Screencap.jpg?itok=35tzJwYR"}}},"media_ids":["680664"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"660398","name":"Sustainability Hub"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"179356","name":"Industrial Design"},{"id":"194685","name":"Manufacturing"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194836","name":"Sustainability"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192170","name":"Christos Athanasiou"},{"id":"178818","name":"circular economy"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"194823","name":"plastic recycling"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communication Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"683063":{"#nid":"683063","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Sparking New Ideas on How Wildfire Influences Climate","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires have spread across the planet for millennia, but they are increasing as the climate warms. Decimated forests, depleted crops, and destroyed buildings are the hallmark of wildfire devastation. Another is the effect on air quality and even the entire climate system. Researchers at Georgia Tech offer solutions for not only surviving \u2014 but also benefiting from \u2014 fire.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/node\/43519\u0022\u003ERead more \u00bb\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers monitor wildfires and their impact on air quality and the climate system."}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWildfires have spread across the planet for millennia, but they are increasing as the climate warms. Decimated forests, depleted crops, and destroyed buildings are the hallmark of wildfire devastation. Another is the effect on air quality and even the entire climate system. Researchers at Georgia Tech offer solutions for not only surviving \u2014 but also benefiting from \u2014 fire.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers monitor wildfires and their impact on air quality and the climate system."}],"uid":"27255","created_gmt":"2025-07-09 19:19:30","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:47:07","author":"Josie Giles","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677377":{"id":"677377","type":"image","title":"climate-fire-thumb.jpg","body":null,"created":"1752088776","gmt_created":"2025-07-09 19:19:36","changed":"1752088776","gmt_changed":"2025-07-09 19:19:36","alt":"A male and female researcher working with a metal piece of equipment outdoors with trees and grass in the background","file":{"fid":"261271","name":"climate-fire-thumb.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":952080,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/07\/09\/climate-fire-thumb.jpg?itok=pKFlhVQ6"}}},"media_ids":["677377"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"195203","name":"go-noshow"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691226":{"#nid":"691226","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Helps Advance Genesis Mission, a National Effort to Transform Scientific Discovery Through AI","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech will play a key role in the newly announced \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/undersecretaryforscience\/genesis-mission\/genesis-mission\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenesis Mission\u003C\/a\u003E, a national initiative harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to propel scientific discovery and address challenges in health, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure, and national security. The White House announced the first Genesis Mission projects on July 22 as part of a more than $5 billion investment in AI-enabled science and technology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech was chosen for seven Genesis Mission awards. Faculty will lead two projects and collaborate on five others with research partners across the country.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cArtificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we conduct research and drive discovery,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, Georgia Tech\u2019s executive vice president for Research. \u201cThese awards recognize Georgia Tech\u2019s leadership in AI, advanced computing, engineering, and the sciences. By bringing together expertise from across our colleges and research units, we can help accelerate breakthroughs in areas that are crucial to the nation\u2019s future \u2014 from energy and manufacturing to health and critical infrastructure.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eef48fed33303f787f2d03a09ca3172ed\u0022\u003EAmeet Pinto, associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and faculty director for interdisciplinary research and collaboration for the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, will lead \u201cAI-Enabled Single Cell Phenotyping to Advance Biomanufacturing.\u201d The project aims to advance AI-enabled approaches for understanding biological systems and strengthening next-generation biomanufacturing capabilities.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e394fd872589e430e8a7f12ca5d6a40d2\u0022\u003EFan Zhang, assistant professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, will lead the project, \u201cAI Driven Workflow with Cyber Assured Digital Twin for Autonomous Operations in SMRs and Microreactors.\u201d Her team will focus on developing AI-enabled digital twin technologies to support the safe, autonomous operation of advanced nuclear energy systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe additional Georgia Tech-supported awards span multiple disciplines and involve researchers from the Colleges of Engineering, Computing, and Sciences; the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems; the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines; the Institute for Data Engineering and Science; and the Strategic Energy Institute.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e7a92afba6dacd2d56dd5615804d907cf\u0022\u003EMarilyn Brown (Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will build AI foundation models that predict and test water-for-energy conditions in the Tennessee Valley Authority region.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5ee3d514f06472b2bd8eed39853bf64e\u0022\u003EPeng Chen (School of Computational Science and Engineering) will collaborate on two projects designed to improve predictions of both water availability and flood risks. He will partner with ORNL and the Argonne National Laboratory.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e1bb31f256d17759aa5ead75ec2e02245\u0022\u003EAsif Khan (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering) will partner with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to accelerate the discovery of new materials for a type of computer memory called Electro-Chemical RAM (ECRAM) to help create more energy-efficient AI systems.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e2732e959fa01c6df4ef27eaccb18fd78\u0022\u003EFan Zhang\u2019s second Genesis Mission project is a collaboration with ORNL to develop AI tools for the lifecycle of fusion plants, including robotics and maintenance.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s role in the Genesis Mission highlights the Institute\u2019s strong interdisciplinary research approach, which brings together experts across many fields to solve complex problems and rapidly advance innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENote: Selection for award negotiations does not constitute a final funding award. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, awards remain subject to successful negotiations and the availability of funding.\u003C\/em\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Ehttps:\/\/science.osti.gov\/-\/media\/funding\/pdf\/Awards-Lists\/2026\/GM-RFA-Awards-List.pdf\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Institute researchers will lead two projects and contribute to several others as part of the Department of Energy\u2019s $5 billion initiative. "}],"uid":"27561","created_gmt":"2026-07-24 13:57:45","changed_gmt":"2026-07-24 17:03:36","author":"Angela Ayers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680665":{"id":"680665","type":"image","title":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA Georgia Tech graduate student examines a hollow fiber membrane, used for low-energy chemical separation. New DOE Genesis Mission awards have bolstered innovative interdisciplinary work across the Institute, with Georgia Tech leading two projects and contributing to five more. (Photo: Rob Felt)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784901576","gmt_created":"2026-07-24 13:59:36","changed":"1784903464","gmt_changed":"2026-07-24 14:31:04","alt":"Georgia Tech grad student holding a hollow fiber membrane that can be used for low-energy chemical separation.","file":{"fid":"264956","name":"GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":241001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/24\/GT_Lab_GradStudent_LowEnergyChemSeperation.jpg?itok=Dxo9rLze"}}},"media_ids":["680665"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"},{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"545781","name":"Institute for Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"142761","name":"IRIM"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188087","name":"go-irim"},{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"},{"id":"39521","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAngela Ayers\u003Cbr\u003EAVP of Research Communications\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"676906":{"#nid":"676906","#data":{"type":"news","title":"SEI\/GTRI Announced Awardees for Category A Seed Funding From the National Security Workshop ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis Summer, the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022 title=\u0022https:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGTRI\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;jointly created the\u0026nbsp;Energy and National Security Initiative\u0026nbsp;through an inaugural workshop on July 16.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe initiative included Phase 1 or Category A grants that allowed researchers up to $10,000 in seed funding to understand the viability of their research concepts. The multidisciplinary proposals that won the Category A grants include:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003EEnergy Infrastructure Security and Risk Assessment Through Interactive Wargaming\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/dimitri-mavris\u0022\u003EDimitri Mavris\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Aerospace Engineering)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-duncan\u0022\u003EScott Duncan\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Aerospace Engineering)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/michael-balchanos\u0022\u003EMichael Balchanos\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Aerospace Engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Investigators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/adam-stulberg\u0022\u003EAdam Stulberg\u003C\/a\u003E (School of International Affairs)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/inta.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/jenna-jordan\u0022\u003EJenna Jordan\u003C\/a\u003E (School of International Affairs)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/iac.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/margaret-e-kosal\u0022\u003EMargaret Kosal\u003C\/a\u003E (School of International Affairs)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003EInternational Workshop on Nuclear Cybersecurity: Strengthening Global Leadership and Collaboration\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/fan-zhang\u0022\u003EFan Zhang\u003C\/a\u003E (Nuclear and Radiological Engineering)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/biegalski\u0022\u003ESteve Biegalski\u003C\/a\u003E (Nuclear and Radiological Engineering)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Industrial and Systems Engineering)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ece.gatech.edu\/directory\/alexander-w-miranda\u0022\u003EAlexander Miranda\u003C\/a\u003E (Electrial and Computer Engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Investigators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/klesse.utsa.edu\/faculty\/profiles\/chen-qian.html\u0022\u003EGuenevere Chen\u003C\/a\u003E (Electrial and Computer Engineering) (University of Texas San Antonio)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003ERobust Energy Systems Planning by way of Novel Systems Engineering (RESPoNSE)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s): \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/comas-haynes\u0022\u003EComas Haynes\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Investigators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-mcdowell\u0022\u003EMatt McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Mechanical Engineering and School of Materials Science and Engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003EShielding and Microreactor Arrangement Innovation (Sam\u03bcrai)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/john-brittingham-7810895\/\u0022\u003EJohn Brittingham\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/bojan-petrovic\u0022\u003EBojan Petrovic\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Mechanical Engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Investigators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHelen Works (GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003EThe Strategic Mineral Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Critical Resources\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/889222ee-d2fd-599b-9140-79d7dc30afeb\u0022\u003EBobby Harris\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Economics)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-swarts\u0022\u003EMatthew Swarts\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EOther Investigators\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/dylan-brewer\u0022\u003EDylan Brewer\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Economics)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/kevin-caravati\u0022\u003EKevin Caravati\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/econ.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/laura-taylor\u0022\u003ELaura Taylor\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Economics)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/micah-ziegler\u0022\u003EMicah S. Ziegler\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Public Policy)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EProject Title: \u003C\/strong\u003ETrustworthy AI for Critical Power Grid Infrastructure Resilience\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrimary Investigator(s):\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scp.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/glen-chou\u0022\u003EGlen Chou\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Cybersecurity and Privacy)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/yatis-k-dodia\u0022\u003EYatis Dodia\u003C\/a\u003E (GTRI)\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.cc.gatech.edu\/people\/saman-zonouz\u0022\u003ESaman Zonouz\u003C\/a\u003E (School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering)\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPhase 2 or Category B of the initiative includes up to $500,000 in seed funding to fund team research proposals, with funds likely to grow to $1.2 million in the coming years. Please note that teams must largely consist of those who participated in or expressed interest via the July workshop.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers and faculty are encouraged to submit the Notice of Intent for Phase 2 (Category B) submissions. While this is not a requirement of the proposal, it will provide the initiative with insights that will help with internal logistics. If you have any questions regarding the Category B Notice of Intent and the grant, please\u0026nbsp;contact the Strategic Energy Institute at\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:connect@energy.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Econnect@energy.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESEI\/GTRI Announced Awardees for Category A Seed Funding From the National Security Workshop\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"SEI\/GTRI Announced Awardees for Category A Seed Funding From the National Security Workshop "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2024-09-18 03:34:30","changed_gmt":"2026-07-22 16:29:05","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-09-17T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675005":{"id":"675005","type":"image","title":"Screen Shot 2024-09-17 at 11.37.26 PM.png","body":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy and National Security Workshop Image\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1726630686","gmt_created":"2024-09-18 03:38:06","changed":"1726630686","gmt_changed":"2024-09-18 03:38:06","alt":"Energy and National Security Workshop Image","file":{"fid":"258589","name":"Screen Shot 2024-09-17 at 11.37.26 PM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/17\/Screen%20Shot%202024-09-17%20at%2011.37.26%20PM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/09\/17\/Screen%20Shot%202024-09-17%20at%2011.37.26%20PM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":1106697,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/09\/17\/Screen%20Shot%202024-09-17%20at%2011.37.26%20PM.png?itok=9KhQwvVT"}}},"media_ids":["675005"],"groups":[{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691193":{"#nid":"691193","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Hot Enough For Ya? Georgia Tech Has an App for That, and It\u2019s More Useful Than You Might Think","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThey say Atlanta is the city in a forest,\u201d Clayton Patterson, Georgia Tech\u2019s operations manager for horticulture, said, \u201cbut there\u2019s a lot of asphalt here, a lot of concrete, and it gets really hot around it. This place turns into an oven, real quick.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESchool of City and Regional Planning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Rounaq Basu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geo.gatech.edu\/coolroutes\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECool Routes app\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E to help people in Atlanta find the most shaded \u2014 and most importantly, the coolest \u2014 paths if they have to walk or bike outside.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDescribing Atlanta\u2019s latest heatwave, \u201cThis is great for research, but not so great for residents,\u201d Basu said. \u201cI like to walk and bike everywhere, and it\u2019s too hot. I need to know where the shaded paths are!\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Cool Routes app currently covers 10 cities in the U.S., including Atlanta. Users choose a city from a dropdown menu, provide a trip start and destination, tell the app whether they\u2019re walking or biking, and select route preferences. The app then generates up to three routes to the user\u2019s destination, allowing them to compare how much cooler one route is from another. Further refinement of routes is offered after that.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/feature\/cool-routes-2026\u0022\u003ELearn more \u0026gt;\u0026gt;\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ESchool of City and Regional Planning \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/rounaq-basu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAssistant Professor Rounaq Basu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E) created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/geo.gatech.edu\/coolroutes\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECool Routes app\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"School of City and Regional Planning Assistant Professor Rounaq Basu knows it, too. So he and his students (supported by the Center for Urban Resilience and Analytics) created the Cool Routes app"}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 15:40:21","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 19:31:26","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680635":{"id":"680635","type":"image","title":"Cool Routes","body":"\u003Cp\u003ECool Routes App. Photo: Wes McRae\/College of Design\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784648226","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 15:37:06","changed":"1784648288","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 15:38:08","alt":"Cool Routes App","file":{"fid":"264924","name":"feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":627485,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/21\/feature.CoolRoutes.AndrewDowdy-1209.jpg?itok=EzCMhNWr"}}},"media_ids":["680635"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"},{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691185":{"#nid":"691185","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Richard Simmons Named Interim Director of Student Competition Center ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRichard brings a unique combination of industry experience, research leadership, and deep commitment to student success,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/user\/1078\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECarolyn Seepersad\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair. \u201cAs an accomplished engineer and a Georgia Tech alumnus, he understands the value of experiential learning and is well-positioned to lead the Student Competition Center.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimmons, ME 1993, joined Georgia Tech in 2016 after spending the first 20 years of his career leading research, technology, and business development initiatives in the automotive industry, energy sector, and federal government. After graduating from Tech, he earned his master\u2019s and doctoral degrees from Purdue University and later became a licensed professional engineer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past decade, Simmons has held several leadership and research positions within Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, including founding director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and, most recently, director of Research and Studies. He has also taught a variety of courses at the Woodruff School, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/2110.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EME 2110\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/capstone-design\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECapstone Design\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, Energy Systems, and Renewable Energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the ME News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/user\/1187\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERichard Simmons\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, principal research engineer in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, has been named interim director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Competition Center (SCC)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, where he will lead efforts to strengthen experiential learning and support the Institute\u2019s student competition teams.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe SCC is home to seven student engineering competition teams and provides workspace, tools, and resources to help students apply classroom learning to real-world engineering challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn his new role, Simmons will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for student competition teams, facilities, staff, budgets, sponsorships, and safety programs. He also will teach and mentor students through engineering design and experiential learning courses, helping connect classroom instruction with project-based experiences.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Richard Simmons, principal research engineer in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named interim director of the Student Competition Center (SCC)."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:23:10","changed_gmt":"2026-07-21 01:28:44","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680632":{"id":"680632","type":"image","title":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons on a F1-style race car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784597001","gmt_created":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","changed":"1784597001","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:23:21","alt":"Rich Simmons on a car designed by the GT-Motorsports team at the Michigan International Speedway","file":{"fid":"264921","name":"GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1156844,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/GTMS-RSimmons_26_Sat-617_0.jpg?itok=yGJWQXKq"}}},"media_ids":["680632"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/news\/richard-simmons-named-interim-director-student-competition-center","title":"Read Full Story on ME News Page"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"193158","name":"Student Competition Winners (academic, innovation, and research)"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu\u0022\u003ETraci Troha,\u003C\/a\u003E ME Communications.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["tracie.troha@me.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691168":{"#nid":"691168","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Building the Energy Workforce of Tomorrow Through Energy Unplugged at Georgia Tech","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. This year, the highly sought-after Energy Unplugged camp, a collaboration between the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ceismc.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECEISMC\u003C\/a\u003E, attracted students from across the country, including California and Texas, for an immersive, hands-on experience in real-world energy systems.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBlending engineering challenges, field experiences, and team-based design projects, the weeklong program in June gave students a dynamic introduction to energy, sustainability, and engineering innovation and a rare opportunity to engage directly with the technologies, infrastructure, people, and ideas that help power the world.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cOur goal is to get outside of the classroom, have fun, and demonstrate how a STEM education can literally help turn on lightbulbs,\u201d said SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, who also directs Energy Unplugged. \u201cThrough hands-on learning, field trips, and real-world experiences, these creative students are learning that everyone can play a role in our energy future. Along the way, they are gaining a deeper understanding of the tradeoffs and challenges engineers face and learning from experts about pathways to an energy career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMousetrap-Powered Cars\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EPutting those ideas into practice from day one,\u0026nbsp;the camp began with an engineering challenge in which students designed and constructed mousetrap-powered cars. Using the stored potential energy of a mousetrap spring to propel their vehicles, participants explored how energy is converted from one form to another and identified sources of friction and inefficiency that affect the distance traveled. The activity encouraged students to think like engineers, iteratively testing and refining their designs to improve results.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEngineering Optimization and Tradeoffs\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ESimilar problem-solving skills were put to the test during an RC car optimization challenge. Equipped with a battery-powered vehicle and energy-monitoring systems, students were tasked with completing a driving course while maximizing their score by balancing speed, energy consumption, safety, and cargo capacity. Participants had the option to add weights and tennis balls to increase potential points, but doing so increased the risk of penalties from dropped cargo, missed obstacles, or vehicle rollovers. The exercise highlighted the tradeoffs engineers routinely face when optimizing systems under competing constraints.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe overall interest in green energy among youth is increasing, so having demonstrations and experiments as well as some high-level lectures on the actual science was a great way to engage the students,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003EWilliam Nudd\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior in mechanical engineering who assisted with the camp. \u201cWhen I was in their shoes, I had never attended a physics class, so the camp was definitely getting them a step ahead and did a great job introducing and showcasing key concepts related to energy: How does my home get electricity? Where does energy come from? How do power plants operate?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETrivia, Demos, and Scavenger Hunts\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdditional activities throughout the week included energy-themed trivia competitions, a steam engine demonstration, a solar microgrid exercise, and a campus scavenger hunt. Together, they reinforced classroom concepts through interactive learning and encouraged students to connect technical principles with practical applications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EField Trips to Power Plants\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhile these activities taught foundational concepts,\u0026nbsp;a highlight of the camp was a series of field trips that allowed students to observe large-scale energy infrastructure in operation. Participants toured the Georgia Power McDonough-Atkinson Plant, where they learned how combined-cycle power plants generate electricity using both gas and steam turbines to improve efficiency. Students also visited the Morgan Falls hydroelectric facility, getting an up-close view of the massive generators and equipment used to convert the energy of flowing water into electricity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECampus Tours\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIn addition to exploring regional energy infrastructure, students were introduced to Georgia Tech\u2019s innovation ecosystem through visits to campus makerspaces and research facilities, including the Flowers Invention Studio and The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design. Students explored one of the nation\u2019s most advanced examples of sustainable building design during a guided tour of The Kendeda Building, which generates 200% of the energy it consumes. Here they learned how energy efficiency, renewable generation, and resource conservation can be integrated into the built environment.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinal Projects\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003ETo bring together the concepts explored throughout the week, students worked in teams on a final design challenge centered around a solar-powered disaster relief trailer on loan from the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.footprintproject.org\/\u0022\u003EFootprint Project\u003C\/a\u003E. Equipped with photovoltaic panels and battery storage, the trailer was originally designed to provide off-grid power during emergencies. Students were challenged to identify additional uses for the system during periods when disaster response was not required. Many teams proposed sustainable food truck businesses powered by the trailer\u2019s solar energy system.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETeams also evaluated cooking technologies such as pressure cookers and slow cookers, comparing energy consumption, power requirements, efficiency, and operating costs. Students examined how energy demand aligned with available solar generation and battery storage while conducting economic analyses to determine business viability and profitability. The project integrated engineering, economics, and sustainability principles while encouraging creative thinking and collaborative problem-solving.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEnergy Unplugged is an inspiring demonstration of how hands-on engineering experiences can spark curiosity and passion in the next generation of STEM leaders,\u201d said student assistant\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/a\u003E, a senior mechanical engineering student. \u201cWorking with this group and seeing the fun they were having brought back fond memories of my own childhood. It was an amazing experience.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: Alvaro Hucker, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and William Nudd, Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEach summer, Georgia Tech\u2019s campus becomes a destination for eager high school students interested in exploring the future of energy. 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"}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-20 15:50:28","changed_gmt":"2026-07-20 17:06:11","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-20T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680626":{"id":"680626","type":"image","title":"IMG_1862.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003ERich Simmons, SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies, teaches at the Energy Unplugged camp\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784562762","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 15:52:42","changed":"1784597458","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:30:58","alt":"SEI\u0027s Director of Research and Studies Rich Simmons teaching at the Energy Unplugged 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","file":{"fid":"264915","name":"IMG_1906.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":3510767,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_1906.jpg?itok=GamNCFu_"}},"680628":{"id":"680628","type":"image","title":"IMG_1918-copy.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGroup picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged camp participants with Rich Simmons, camp director and student assistants William Nudd and Alvaro Hucker\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784566485","gmt_created":"2026-07-20 16:54:45","changed":"1784597592","gmt_changed":"2026-07-21 01:33:12","alt":"Group Picture of the 2026 Energy Unplugged Camp Participants along with Rich Simmons, and Student Assistants William Nudd and Alvaro 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Camp","file":{"fid":"264919","name":"IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1176069,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/20\/IMG_2046-cropped.jpg?itok=g9_3G5_I"}}},"media_ids":["680626","680627","680628","680629","680630"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communicatios Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStudent Contributors: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/alvarohucker\/?isSelfProfile=false\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAlvaro Hucker\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E, Senior, Mechanical Engineering and \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/wnudd\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWilliam Nudd,\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E Senior, Mechanical Engineering.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"690901":{"#nid":"690901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Turning Pulp Mills Into Next-Generation Biorefineries ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u2019s $41 billion forest products industry needs a transformation, and a Georgia Tech research team is reimagining how pulp mills use energy and what they can make from their byproduct streams.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor nearly a decade, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/sankar-nair\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESankar Nair\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and a longtime researcher with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERenewable Bioproducts Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (RBI), has led a collaborative effort to develop technologies that can radically improve the efficiency and profitability of kraft pulp mills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhat began as a project to save energy in pulp production has grown into a much broader vision,\u201d Nair explains. \u201cWe\u2019re not just trying to make mills more efficient. We\u2019re working to turn the kraft pulp mill into a kraft-based biorefinery that produces multiple higher-value products.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom Energy Savings to High-Value Products\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENair explains that traditional kraft mills use a highly energy-intensive \u201cchemical recovery loop\u201d to handle black liquor \u2014 the dark, viscous byproduct left after pulp is separated from wood chips. That loop relies on multistage evaporators and massive recovery boilers to remove water, burn the remaining organics for steam and electricity, and recycle inorganic chemicals back into the process.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe original desire from our industry partners was to save energy,\u201d Nair says. \u201cInstead of evaporating the water in black liquor, we asked whether membranes could take on most of the dewatering and potentially cut that energy use in half.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver time, the team realized the opportunity went well beyond efficiency. \u201cWe use these membranes in such a way that they actually fractionate the black liquor, not just dewater it,\u201d Nair says. \u201cOne stream is rich in lignin; another is rich in organic acids. From those, we can recover and purify components and turn them into entirely new products.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELignin is a complex organic polymer and one of the most abundant biological materials on Earth. It acts as nature\u2019s \u201cglue,\u201d providing plants with structural rigidity and resistance to decay.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFrom lignin-rich fractions, the team has already demonstrated carbon materials that can be tailored for battery anodes and porous adsorbents used in environmental remediation and separations \u2014 today mostly made from fossil-based carbons. These lignin-derived carbons are of particular interest as a domestic alternative to graphite, a critical battery material that is currently dominated by overseas production.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOn the organic acid side, Nair and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chbe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/christopher-jones\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChristopher Jones\u003C\/a\u003E, a Georgia Tech\u202fcatalysis and reaction engineering expert, have gone a step further, converting those acids into mixtures of much heavier molecules that could become high-performance industrial lubricants and additives.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s exciting to do a new cascade of reactions to make products that we haven\u2019t really made before,\u201d says Jones, the John F. Brock III School Chair and professor in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJones explains that green lubricants derived from non-fossil sources have \u201cboth high demand and high value.\u201d Georgia Tech has not yet compared the performance of these products to conventional lubricants, but the platform is in place to do so in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe products we are pursuing from lignin and organic acids have bulk demand and also can command significantly higher prices than traditional pulp-based outputs,\u201d Nair notes. \u201cThat\u2019s essential if the forest products industry is going to be profitable and competitive over the long term.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe two researchers have collaborated on three papers, with two already published in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/full\/10.1021\/acssuschemeng.4c00212\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EACS Sustainable Chemistry \u0026amp; Engineering\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (June 2024) and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acscatal.5c04841\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EACS Catalysis\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E (February 2026).\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScaling Up: Continuous Manufacturing and Field Trials\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key hurdle in moving from lab concept to mill reality is scalable manufacturing of the membranes themselves. That\u2019s where collaboration with Georgia Tech\u2019s advanced manufacturing community comes in.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIn recent years, we\u2019ve really focused on how we can manufacture these membranes at low cost and in a continuous, scalable way,\u201d Nair says. \u201cThat\u2019s involved close collaboration with colleagues in materials science, mechanical engineering, and Georgia Tech\u2019s manufacturing institutes.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother Georgia Tech collaborator, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/harris\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ETequila Harris\u003C\/a\u003E, a professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is leading the effort to move the current small-scale batch process into a continuous, industry-ready, roll-to-roll system that can produce long sheets of reduced graphene oxide membranes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key enabling step to shift from batch-mode production, says Harris, was integrating vacuum pressure into the manufacturing system to support high-throughput continuous production without the use of any volatile organic solvents that are commonly used in membrane production. Harris envisions \u201chigh-quality output at production speeds above 60 meters per minute,\u201d which will \u201cdramatically increase production volume while reducing solvent usage and waste, such as water,\u201d says Harris.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe technology is now mature enough for field testing. The team is preparing to deploy membrane modules at a major pulp and paper mill near Savannah operated by Rayonier Advanced Materials (RYAM).\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re assembling full membrane modules and installing them in a test skid that will run on real kraft black liquor from the mill,\u201d Nair says. \u201cWe\u2019ll collect long-term performance and reliability data that feeds into detailed models of how best to deploy these membranes in a working kraft mill.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERYAM leaders, including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/larissafenn\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELarissa Fenn\u003C\/a\u003E, Director of New Products and Chair of the External Advisory Board for Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/renewablebioproducts.gatech.edu\/research\/center-for-renewables-based-economy-from-wood\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for a Renewables-Based Economy From Wood\u003C\/a\u003E (ReWOOD), help ensure that cutting-edge research remains connected to real-world industry challenges and opportunities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMuch of our internal research is focused on supporting current operations, customers, and product lines,\u201d Fenn says. \u201cPartnerships with universities allow us to look five to ten years ahead and engage in transformational research that can create entirely new opportunities for our business and the broader forest products industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe transition to more sustainable materials, chemicals, and fuels represents one of the greatest opportunities our industry has seen in decades,\u201d she adds. \u201cContinued innovation is essential not only for maintaining competitiveness, but also for creating new markets for renewable, wood-based resources and strengthening the long-term sustainability of the forestry sector.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFenn emphasized that the impact extends well beyond individual companies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe forestry economy is the backbone of many rural communities across Georgia and throughout the Southeast,\u201d she says. \u201cAdvancing technologies that create new value from renewable resources helps support landowners, manufacturers, and the communities that depend on this industry.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFenn works at RYAM\u2019s Jesup, Georgia facility, which employs more than 800 people and is the largest employer in the local community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFacilities like ours are deeply connected to the communities we serve,\u201d Fenn says. \u201cWhen we invest in innovation, we are investing in the future of manufacturing, forestry, and economic opportunity in rural America.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EModular Pathways to a Bio-Based Future\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETransforming an operating mill into a full biorefinery isn\u2019t something that happens overnight, and Nair\u2019s group is designing with that reality in mind.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAll of these technologies are modular and designed to be fully integrated with the kraft process,\u201d he says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to spend billions of dollars up front to build an entirely new plant. You can gradually integrate membrane-based fractionation and stream upgrading technologies for new product streams into the existing kraft process, and each mill can follow its own transition path.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat modular design also provides flexibility in how mills manage energy. Diverting black liquor into higher-value products means less organic material available as fuel for the recovery boiler. Still, the energy-efficiency gains from membrane dewatering reduce overall consumption, and mills can draw on grid electricity to make up the difference.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe goal is not to save energy for its own sake,\u201d Nair emphasizes. \u201cIt\u2019s to use that energy more productively to create value-added outputs that support jobs, rural communities, and a more innovative and resilient bio-based economy in Georgia.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe urgency of this work is underscored by the pressures facing the industry: Georgia\u2019s forestry sector has seen paper mill closures since the 1990s, due to digitization and shifts in demand, with three major mill closures in 2025. The Georgia Forestry Commission estimates that mill closures erased the market for 8.3 million tons of timber, and reduced lumber usage, import tariffs, and labor shortages compounded the crisis, according to the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/fieldreport.caes.uga.edu\/publications\/AP130-4-13\/2026-timber-forecast\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E2026 Georgia AG Forecast\u003C\/a\u003E. New revenue streams and efficiency gains may be essential for mills\u2019 survival.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond kraft mills, Georgia Tech researchers are already extending the membrane platform to agricultural biomass and municipal waste streams in collaboration with partners like the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Texas Tech University. They are also tapping into national initiatives, including the NSF \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.casfer.us\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ECenter for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production (CASFER)\u003C\/a\u003Eand the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.bridgesengine.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EBiobased Rural Innovation for Domestic Growth and Economic Security (BRIDGES)\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELignin-Derived Materials for the Battery Supply Chain\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/matthew-mcdowell\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMatthew McDowell\u003C\/a\u003E, co-director of the Georgia Tech Advanced Battery Center, sees many cross-sector applications for lignin-derived carbon materials, including batteries, which are increasingly foundational to strategic sectors such as mobility, the power grid, and defense.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELignin-derived carbons can serve as a domestic replacement for graphite in lithium-ion batteries \u2014 a critical material not widely produced in the U.S.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cConventional synthetic graphite is derived from crude oil and requires very high temperatures, making it energy-intensive and polluting,\u201d McDowell said, noting that their goal is to convert lignin and cellulose \u201cto high-value battery materials that could enable the growth of a new battery supply chain here in the United States.\u201d He envisions the work one day transitioning to the Advanced Battery Center, which is planning a new facility scheduled to open at the end of 2027 that will enable companies and academic researchers to \u201cbuild and test full-scale battery cells for translational R\u0026amp;D.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife-cycle analysis carried out by the team has shown benefits in both lower costs and more efficient energy use when making these carbons from biomass sources.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EToday,\u202fChina leads the world in battery production, with\u202fKorea and Japan\u202falso long-established leaders. The U.S. is building more domestic capability for national security and economic reasons.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers at Georgia Tech on the front lines of this work also include Jones, who also collaborated on the lubricants research; \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.isye.gatech.edu\/users\/valerie-thomas\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EValerie Thomas\u003C\/a\u003E, Anderson Interface Chair of Natural Systems and professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy; and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/people\/meisha-shofner\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMeisha Shofner\u003C\/a\u003E, professor in the School of Materials Science and Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThomas is leading research on life-cycle and economic analyses of converting lignin to produce \u201ccarbonized lignin\u201d anodes that can replace petroleum\u2011based synthetic graphite in batteries. She says that lignin\u2011based graphite can displace petroleum\u2011derived synthetic graphite, delivering 84% lower energy use, 92% lower greenhouse gas emissions, and lower emissions of other pollutants.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis work establishes a supply chain for making batteries, which has really broader impacts throughout Georgia,\u201d says Thomas, who believes lignin-based battery materials will lead to a stronger forest products economy and a more resilient battery supply chain in Georgia.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMcDowell agrees. \u201cMarrying the forest products industry and the battery industry makes a lot of sense for Georgia, because both of those industries are really big,\u201d he says, and both are \u201ckey employers in the state.\u201d In his view, innovations could benefit both simultaneously.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-sinquefield\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EScott Sinquefield\u003C\/a\u003E, senior research engineer in RBI, sees the graphene-oxide membrane work as squarely within its charge to modernize the forest products sector that anchors Georgia\u2019s rural economy.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cPart of our mission is to support this industry and advance it. This falls right under our umbrella,\u201d he said, noting that RBI has been providing scientific support to mills for nearly a century, dating back to its origins as the Institute of Paper Chemistry in 1929.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech team\u2019s vision is clear, as Nair explains: \u201cIf we can do this right, kraft mills don\u2019t just survive. They become hubs of advanced biomanufacturing that anchor a more resilient and sustainable forest-based economy for the state.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech infuses innovation into the forest products industry, converting waste streams into high-value products, from high-performance automotive lubricants to batteries.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech infuses innovation into the forest products industry, converting waste streams into high-value products, from high-performance automotive lubricants to batteries. "}],"uid":"36757","created_gmt":"2026-06-24 17:10:56","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 18:36:13","author":"ychernet3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-24T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680506":{"id":"680506","type":"image","title":"sankar--1-.JPG","body":null,"created":"1782321076","gmt_created":"2026-06-24 17:11:16","changed":"1782321076","gmt_changed":"2026-06-24 17:11:16","alt":"Headshot of Sankar Nair ","file":{"fid":"264779","name":"sankar--1-.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":20230,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/06\/24\/sankar--1-.JPG?itok=8DC9uqPB"}}},"media_ids":["680506"],"groups":[{"id":"372221","name":"Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39491","name":"Renewable Bioproducts"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71911","name":"Earth and Environment"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003ENews Contact\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWriter:\u003C\/strong\u003E Anne Wainscott-Sargent\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/strong\u003E Jennifer Martin | \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003Ejennifer.martin@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691128":{"#nid":"691128","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Receives Commitment to Launch New AI-Driven Health Innovation Center\u00a0 ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology today announced the creation of the Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation, a new research center that will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help predict, treat, and prevent disease.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Petit Center is made possible by a transformational commitment from technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, and Georgia Tech alumnus Parker H. \u0022Pete\u0022 Petit.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince 1980, Petit has provided significant philanthropic support across campus, including the naming of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.petitinstitute.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)\u003C\/a\u003E, one of Georgia Tech\u2019s 11 Interdisciplinary Research Institutes. IBB is an interdisciplinary hub for transforming biological discovery into real-world health impact, bringing together engineers, scientists, and clinicians to accelerate innovations in diagnostics, therapeutics, medical devices, and biomanufacturing. With more than 300 interdisciplinary faculty researchers, 13 research centers, and 1,300 trainees making unprecedented discoveries and generating innovative technologies, IBB is a catalyst for innovative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe success of IBB led Petit to make his latest investment, which will build on Georgia Tech\u2019s broader commitment to medical innovation: applying engineering, computing, AI, biosciences, and systems thinking to health challenges that require more than any one field can solve. The Petit Center\u2019s work will strengthen the tools, partnerships, and research pathways needed to help more discoveries move from the lab toward real-world patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA key goal of the Petit Center will be to use AI to build more precise models of how disease works in the body. Its first research initiative will focus on creating virtual models of human cells. Led by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/jeff-skolnick\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EJeffrey Skolnick\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor and Mary and\u0026nbsp;Maisie Gibson Chair\u0026nbsp;and GRA Eminent Scholar in Computational Systems Biology\u0026nbsp;in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/biosciences.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Biological Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E, researchers will use those models to study how diseases progress and to identify treatments that may work best for individual patients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy modeling disease at the cellular level, researchers can test ideas faster, uncover links among different diseases, and focus on therapies most likely to help patients based on their unique biology. The work could expedite the discovery of new therapies for some of the hardest-to-treat diseases, including pancreatic cancer and glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cMedical innovation is one of the fastest-growing areas in Georgia Tech\u2019s research, and Pete Petit\u2019s commitment will help us further shape the future of medicine,\u0022 said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cThis new research center will find new ways to harness the power of AI to accelerate critical medical discoveries and move them into clinical settings so patients can get the care they need. We\u2019re deeply grateful for Pete\u0027s support, and we\u2019re excited to get started.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation will operate under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/data\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EInstitute for Data Engineering and Science\u003C\/a\u003E (IDEaS) and bring together researchers from across Georgia Tech to advance AI-driven approaches to human health. Researchers affiliated with the Petit Center will work across fields and with clinical and healthcare organizations to help close the gap between discovery and practical use. Over time and with additional investments, the Petit Center\u2019s work will expand into areas such as cancer biomarker discovery, healthy aging, advanced cellular therapies, and AI-supported healthcare systems.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022Georgia Tech has the expertise to redefine what is possible in healthcare through AI,\u0022 said Skolnick. \u0022By combining advanced computational methods with biological and medical insights, we can create powerful new approaches to predicting disease, identifying treatments, and improving patient outcomes.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit\u2019s commitment will support advanced computing infrastructure, graduate and postdoctoral fellowships, seed research grants, and annual programs that will bring together leading researchers from around the world working at the intersection of AI and health.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPetit hopes this investment will inspire others to support interdisciplinary research at the Institute. \u0022Georgia Tech has long demonstrated its ability to solve complex challenges,\u0022 said Petit. \u0022I believe artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape healthcare, and I am excited to support a center that can help accelerate discoveries to improve and save lives.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis transformative commitment is included in \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003ETransforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and is propelling the comprehensive campaign\u2019s success.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EAbout Georgia Tech\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the nation\u2019s leading public research universities, developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. Through education, research, and innovation, Georgia Tech creates solutions that improve lives and drive economic opportunity in Georgia and around the world.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Parker H. Petit\u2019s commitment will launch a research hub focused on using artificial intelligence to model diseases, identify treatment paths, and move discoveries closer to patient care. "}],"uid":"27469","created_gmt":"2026-07-16 16:52:47","changed_gmt":"2026-07-16 17:19:18","author":"Kristen Bailey","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-16T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680618":{"id":"680618","type":"image","title":"Jeffrey Skolnick","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJeffrey Skolnick will lead the first research initiative in the new Parker H. Petit Center for AI-Driven Health Innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1784163552","gmt_created":"2026-07-16 00:59:12","changed":"1784163635","gmt_changed":"2026-07-16 01:00:35","alt":"Jeffrey Skolnick","file":{"fid":"264904","name":"skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":386791,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/15\/skolnick-data_portrait_002.jpg?itok=AL8IuxCW"}}},"media_ids":["680618"],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"1275","name":"School of Biological Sciences"}],"categories":[{"id":"194606","name":"Artificial Intelligence"},{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"351","name":"development"},{"id":"2096","name":"philanthropy"},{"id":"172458","name":"biological sciences"},{"id":"4449","name":"ideas"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"365","name":"Research"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"497","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"},{"id":"39431","name":"Data Engineering and Science"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:anne.stanford@dev.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAnne Stanford\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EDirector of Communications\u003Cbr\u003EOffice of Development\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Emedia@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691119":{"#nid":"691119","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Andrew Lindsey Joins BBISS as Program Manager","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager. He will succeed Susan Ryan, who recently retired as senior program and operations manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey will support BBISS\u2019s research, education, and partnership activities across Georgia Tech and beyond. Working closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAndrew brings more than four years of experience in project management, operations, communications, compliance oversight, and organizational improvement in higher education and nonprofit settings. Most recently, he served as project intake and communications specialist at Kennesaw State University. Before that, Lindsey spent nearly four years with the Southern States Police Benevolent Association, first as project coordinator and later as project manager.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELindsey\u2019s background also includes experience in higher education instruction and mentoring. As a teaching assistant with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/grandchallenges.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u2019s Grand Challenges\u003C\/a\u003E program, he worked directly with student teams tackling complex societal issues, providing guidance on research development, collaborative problem-solving, and project execution.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe earned a B.A. in history, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in 2021, and completed a Master of Public Administration in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAndrew\u2019s experience supporting complex projects, improving organizational processes, coordinating across diverse stakeholder groups, and commitment to mission-driven work make him a strong addition to the team,\u201d said BBISS Director of Business Administration Kristina Chatfield.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWorking closely with BBISS leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners, he will coordinate Institute programs, support leadership operations, facilitate stakeholder engagement, and help ensure smooth day-to-day operations.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems (BBISS) is pleased to welcome Andrew Lindsey into the role of program manager."}],"uid":"27338","created_gmt":"2026-07-14 13:19:23","changed_gmt":"2026-07-15 16:33:06","author":"Brent Verrill","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680603":{"id":"680603","type":"image","title":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait","body":null,"created":"1784034931","gmt_created":"2026-07-14 13:15:31","changed":"1784035066","gmt_changed":"2026-07-14 13:17:46","alt":"Headshot portrait of an individual photographed from the chest up against a plain light gray background. The individual is wearing a light blue button\u2011down shirt and a dark patterned tie, facing the camera in a centered studio-style composition. The image is evenly lit with a neutral backdrop and no visible text or additional objects.","file":{"fid":"264886","name":"Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":439090,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/14\/Andrew_Lindsey_portrait.jpg?itok=-Jeh_vtR"}}},"media_ids":["680603"],"groups":[{"id":"244191","name":"Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188360","name":"go-bbiss"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EBrent Verrill\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager, BBISS\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["brent.verrill@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691066":{"#nid":"691066","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Creating Synthetic Life in a Lab? SpudCell Falls Short of the Goal, But Raises Even More Useful Questions","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ENature is beautiful, powerful and essential. But nature is not always gentle. The same biological world that gives rise to forests, coral reefs and human life also produces infections, cancer, genetic disease, crop blights and toxins. Natural processes can heal, sustain and inspire, but they can also destroy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat dichotomy is part of what drives the field of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/synthetic-biology-promised-to-rewrite-life-with-the-death-of-its-pioneer-j-craig-venter-how-close-are-scientists-281963\u0022\u003Esynthetic biology\u003C\/a\u003E: where scientists apply engineering principles to learn from and carefully adapt nature\u2019s biological systems to address human problems. By understanding biological systems, scientists can carefully redirect them when natural processes cause harm.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis principle has shaped my work \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=Xe78w-wAAAAJ\u0026amp;hl=en\u0022\u003Eas a biomedical engineer\u003C\/a\u003E for over two decades. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sites.gatech.edu\/deanslab\/\u0022\u003EMy lab\u003C\/a\u003E studies how to program cells in order to better understand their behavior and ultimately use them as medicine. The goal is not to discard or replace nature, but to learn from biological principles and use that knowledge to responsibly help society.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow to Create Cells From Scratch\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENatural cells are \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/cells-have-more-mini-organs-than-researchers-thought-unbound-by-membranes-these-rogue-organelles-challenge-biologys-fundamentals-239558\u0022\u003Eastonishingly complicated\u003C\/a\u003E. Researchers want to use synthetic cells to learn more about how life works, and they are doing this by rebuilding some of life\u2019s basic features in a simpler, more understandable form.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEarlier designs of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41586-023-06288-x\u0022\u003Eminimal cells\u003C\/a\u003E, used to test which components are necessary for lifelike behavior, began with existing living cells and reduced the size of their genomes. A minimal cell is useful because it is simple, but that simplicity comes at a cost. It may reveal which parts are needed for lifelike behavior, but it usually lacks the autonomy, resilience, metabolism and evolutionary capacity of natural cells.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstead, synthetic cells are built through a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.1211701\u0022\u003Ebottom-up engineering\u003C\/a\u003E approach. Scientists start with a simplified compartment \u2013 a kind of biological \u201cbox\u201d \u2013 and ask what must be added for it to behave more like a living cell. A membrane separates the inside from the outside. Genetic material stores instructions. Molecular machinery reads those instructions to make molecules. Energy sources power reactions. Other components can allow growth, division and adaptation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746476\/original\/file-20260707-57-jrf0t9.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Diagram showing a few membrane-bound components of an animal cell and a eurakyotic cell\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA useful way to think about synthetic cells is to compare them with technologies society already depends on. The radio wasn\u2019t invented all at once. Engineers learned how to combine an antenna, tuner, amplifier, power source and speaker to convert invisible electromagnetic waves into sound. A car is not just a metal shell; it becomes transportation only when a frame is connected to wheels, brakes, steering, an engine, and transmission and control systems. A computer began with switches and strings of ones and zeros that could be assembled into circuits capable of storing and processing information.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003ESpudCell was assembled\u003C\/a\u003E from the bottom up with purified, nonliving parts. Researchers used lipid molecules to create a cell-like membrane, DNA molecules to store genetic instructions, purified enzymes to copy and read those instructions, and other molecular machinery to help build proteins and other molecules from small chemical building blocks, such as amino acids and nucleotides.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell is exciting scientists because it appears to bring several features of life together in one system. The researchers describe it as capable of feeding, growth, genome replication, genetically encoded division and something close to evolution. These features resemble a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK26869\/\u0022\u003Ebiological cell cycle\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EClose to Life, But Not Quite\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Estops short\u003C\/a\u003E of being a fully synthetic living cell. A membrane-bound compartment containing DNA is not automatically a living cell, just as a pile of car parts is not a car.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell can carry out several life-like processes, but it is not independent. It still relies on carefully controlled laboratory conditions and on researchers to supply its molecular machinery. It doesn\u2019t reliably pass on its genetic material or spontaneously evolve the way natural cells do.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo approach life, a synthetic cell must coordinate many processes at once. NASA describes life as a \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/astrobiology.nasa.gov\/research\/life-detection\/about\/\u0022\u003Eself-sustaining chemical system\u003C\/a\u003E capable of Darwinian evolution,\u201d meaning it must independently use energy, copy information, grow, divide, respond to its surroundings and persist over time. Natural cells do this with extraordinary reliability because they are the products of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/rain-may-have-helped-form-the-first-cells-kick-starting-life-as-we-know-it-238291\u0022\u003Ebillions of years of evolution\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=1000\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/746474\/original\/file-20260707-57-an09wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0\u0026amp;q=45\u0026amp;auto=format\u0026amp;w=754\u0026amp;fit=clip\u0022 alt=\u0022Microscopy image of a green sphere dividing into two\u0022\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESpudCell still \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1126\/science.zwa8dvz\u0022\u003Efalls short of that standard\u003C\/a\u003E. It depends on researchers to continuously supply it with the molecular machinery to function and to physically help it divide. It also cannot reproduce indefinitely outside a carefully controlled laboratory environment. In other words, SpudCell may have been built rather than born, but it is not yet autonomous life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat limitation does not make the achievement unimportant. In fact, it is scientifically valuable precisely because it exposes what is still missing to create life. Which parts are essential? Which processes must be coordinated? How much complexity is necessary before chemistry begins to look like biology?\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhy Create Synthetic Cells?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThose questions have practical importance. Answering them can help scientists and engineers design safer biological systems for a wide range of industries.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESynthetic cells allow scientists to more cleanly test how the surrounding membrane separates the inside of a cell from its environment, how genetic instructions are read, how energy is used, and how growth and division are coordinated. These cell-like systems could eventually become \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nist.gov\/blogs\/taking-measure\/promise-synthetic-cells-revolutionary-new-drugs-outer-space-explorers-and\u0022\u003Esimplified test beds\u003C\/a\u003E for studying biological circuits, disease mechanisms and the origins of life.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThey could also help scientists \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nationalacademies.org\/projects\/DELS-BLS-22-12\u0022\u003Ebuild safer systems\u003C\/a\u003E for making medicines, fuels or materials, detecting environmental toxins, or delivering therapies without relying on fully living organisms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMore broadly, synthetic biology connects medicine and biotechnology: Viruses can be redesigned \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-the-puzzle-of-viral-vector-vaccines-was-solved-leading-to-todays-covid-19-shots-167341\u0022\u003Einto vaccines\u003C\/a\u003E or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/gene-therapy-restores-hearing-in-toddlers-and-teenagers-born-with-congenital-deafness-new-research-258112\u0022\u003Egene therapy\u003C\/a\u003E, immune cells can be reprogrammed to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/anti-cancer-car-t-therapy-reengineers-t-cells-to-kill-tumors-and-researchers-are-expanding-the-limited-types-of-cancer-it-can-target-196471\u0022\u003Erecognize cancer\u003C\/a\u003E, and microbes can be engineered to make useful molecules, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/insulin-injections-could-one-day-be-replaced-with-rock-music-new-research-in-mice-216787\u0022\u003Esuch as insulin\u003C\/a\u003E, or \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/genetically-engineered-bacteria-make-living-materials-for-self-repairing-walls-and-cleaning-up-pollution-191411\u0022\u003Edetect pollutants\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESimilarly, researchers could use synthetic cells to \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Edeliver a drug\u003C\/a\u003E only to diseased tissue, or create microbial systems that \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1186\/s13036-023-00379-z\u0022\u003Edetect toxins or pathogens\u003C\/a\u003E in water. They can also act as simplified biological factories that can \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/helping-cells-become-better-protein-factories-could-improve-gene-therapies-and-other-treatments-a-new-technique-shows-how-187515\u0022\u003Emake medicines\u003C\/a\u003E without requiring a fully living organism, or as \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0016292\u0022\u003Ebiosensors providing early warning\u003C\/a\u003E of dangerous threats, such as bioweapons.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECreating Life Responsibly\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe philosophical question \u201cIs SpudCell alive?\u201d may not have a simple yes or no answer.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDepending on whether your definition of life emphasizes metabolism, reproduction, evolution, autonomy or cellular organization, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/biobots-arise-from-the-cells-of-dead-organisms-pushing-the-boundaries-of-life-death-and-medicine-238176\u0022\u003Eboundary between living and nonliving\u003C\/a\u003E can look very different.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ELife is not defined by one property alone. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-viruses-blur-the-boundaries-of-life-230802\u0022\u003EViruses\u003C\/a\u003E contain genetic information but depend on host cells to reproduce. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/mitochondria-can-sense-bacteria-and-trigger-your-immune-system-to-trap-them-revealing-new-ways-to-treat-infections-and-autoimmunity-255939\u0022\u003EMitochondria\u003C\/a\u003E perform essential metabolism but cannot live independently outside of cells. A \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/svalbard-global-seed-vault-evokes-epic-imagery-and-controversy-because-of-the-symbolic-value-of-seeds-240086\u0022\u003Eseed can remain dormant\u003C\/a\u003E for years before resuming growth.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhen synthetic biology is guided by a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1021\/acssynbio.1c00129\u0022\u003Estrong sense of responsibility\u003C\/a\u003E, scientists can learn how to redirect harmful processes, build safer tools and help society. This requires not only asking whether biological systems can be built, but also whether their creation should be controlled, where they should function and what safeguards are needed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the past two decades, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/nchembio.1979\u0022\u003Escientists have built\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.cell.2007.05.045\u0022\u003Emany kinds of\u003C\/a\u003E \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01913-5\u0022\u003Ebiological kill switches\u003C\/a\u003E \u2013 that is, genetic circuits that can shut down engineered cells under specific conditions. Some researchers have made cells dependent on a specific nutrient. Others have created cells that can survive only in a particular environment or activate self-destructive pathways when conditions change.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKill switches are not magic off buttons and do not replace careful regulation, physical containment or public oversight. But they are an important example of synthetic biology\u2019s moral compass: to not only build useful biological tools, but to build them with safety, accountability and humility in mind.\u003C!-- Below is The Conversation\u0027s page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --\u003E\u003Cimg src=\u0022https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/286762\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\u0022 alt=\u0022The Conversation\u0022 width=\u00221\u0022 height=\u00221\u0022\u003E\u003C!-- End of code. If you don\u0027t see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis article is republished from \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe Conversation\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E under a Creative Commons license. Read the \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Eoriginal article\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers announced on July 2, 2026, that they had created the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.64898\/2026.07.01.735724\u0022\u003Efirst synthetic cell\u003C\/a\u003E built from purified, nonliving components. The lab\u2019s cell-like system, dubbed SpudCell, raises key questions: What does it take to build a cell from scratch? If scientists assemble something that feeds, grows, copies genetic material and divides, have they created life?\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"While SpudCell is an important milestone in the field, it stops short of being a fully synthetic living cell."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-08 19:42:53","changed_gmt":"2026-07-13 16:12:48","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-08T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680580":{"id":"680580","type":"image","title":"spudcell.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783539781","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","changed":"1783539781","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 19:43:01","alt":"A rendering of transparent cells on a blue background","file":{"fid":"264858","name":"spudcell.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4473489,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/spudcell.jpeg?itok=ybyDU2tc"}}},"media_ids":["680580"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/creating-synthetic-life-in-a-lab-spudcell-falls-short-of-the-goal-but-raises-even-more-useful-questions-286762","title":"Read This Article on The Conversation"}],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"188776","name":"go-research"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71891","name":"Health and Medicine"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Ch5\u003EAuthor:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETara Deans, associate professor, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch5\u003EMedia Contact:\u003C\/h5\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelley Wunder-Smith\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:shelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eshelley.wunder-smith@research.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691068":{"#nid":"691068","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience Announces New External Advisory Board Leadership and Members ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E (IBB) is pleased to announce new leadership and membership for its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/about\/people\/advisory-board\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EExternal Advisory Board\u003C\/a\u003E, which provides strategic guidance to help advance the institute\u0027s mission of accelerating interdisciplinary research and innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EErin Dasher has been appointed chair of the External Advisory Board, and Vincent Ling will serve as vice chair. Dasher is founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/glui-io\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGlui Inc.\u003C\/a\u003E, a global advertising company creating engagement experiences across digital platforms. A seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and attorney, she brings more than 25 years of experience in venture capital, private equity, and mergers and acquisitions. Ling is chief business officer at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.morphocell.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EMorphocell Technologies\u003C\/a\u003E, where he leads commercialization of regenerative medicine technologies. He has more than 30 years of biotechnology leadership experience spanning cell therapies, protein engineering, and biopharmaceutical innovation.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIBB extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing board chair Chris Gemmiti for his outstanding leadership and service to the institute. The institute also thanks Linda Griffith for her valued contributions as a member of the External Advisory Board. Their expertise and commitment have helped shape IBB\u0027s continued growth and impact.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe institute is also pleased to welcome six new members to the External Advisory Board:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e72dedd6483cf827667bb2b4886fe7098\u0022\u003EChristopher Cashman, chief executive and advisor in the medical device, biologics, and advanced manufacturing sectors, with extensive leadership experience in public and private companies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e9e41324bd99f6430583f947df7ec5102\u0022\u003ERachel Cassidy, senior go-to-market and ecosystem executive with more than 30 years of experience building global innovation partnerships across the technology industry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ec11b998f2145affcc30e3e61c9178cea\u0022\u003EShawn P. Davis, CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.liberatebio.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ELiberate Bio\u003C\/a\u003E, where he leads the development of next-generation delivery technologies for genetic medicines and brings more than two decades of biotechnology and pharmaceutical leadership.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed491b31155c6316632e305391c679866\u0022\u003ECharles A. Gersbach, director of the Duke Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies and the John W. Strohbehn Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.duke.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EDuke University\u003C\/a\u003E, internationally recognized for his work in genome editing and gene therapy.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ed1bf1c75dec04ba844fa62cd2b3aa163\u0022\u003ETodd McDevitt, vice president and head of Cell Therapy Research at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.gene.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGenentech\u003C\/a\u003E, who leads development of cell-based therapies and previously founded Georgia Tech\u0027s Stem Cell Engineering Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e0aec0ac2886d7c9ba45553a081356ea7\u0022\u003ERidhi Tariyal, co-founder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nextgenjane.com\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ENextGen Jane\u003C\/a\u003E, whose work combines biotechnology, data science, and women\u0027s health to advance molecular understanding of uterine biology.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022IBB is fortunate to have an exceptional group of leaders whose expertise spans biotechnology, medicine, entrepreneurship, engineering, and innovation,\u0022 said Andr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda, Regents\u2019 Professor in the\u202f\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E\u202fand\u202fIBB\u2019s Executive Director. \u0022We are grateful to our outgoing members for their dedicated service and look forward to working with our new leadership and board members as we continue to advance transformative bioengineering and bioscience research.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe External Advisory Board brings together leaders from industry, academia, and entrepreneurship to provide strategic guidance that supports IBB\u0027s research, education, commercialization, and partnerships.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe External Advisory Board brings together leaders from industry, academia, and entrepreneurship to provide strategic guidance that supports IBB\u0027s research, education, commercialization, and partnerships. Erin Dasher has been appointed chair of the External Advisory Board, and Vincent Ling will serve as vice chair. IBB extends its sincere appreciation to outgoing board chair Chris Gemmiti for his outstanding leadership and service to the institute. The institute also thanks Linda Griffith for her valued contributions as a member of the External Advisory Board.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"IBB is pleased to announce new leadership and membership for its EAB, which provides strategic guidance to help advance the institute\u0027s mission of accelerating interdisciplinary research and innovation. "}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-09 15:33:18","changed_gmt":"2026-07-09 15:40:32","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-09T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680582":{"id":"680582","type":"image","title":"cropped_IBB-Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Ramblin Wreck drives past the Petit Biotechnology Building, home of the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783611550","gmt_created":"2026-07-09 15:39:10","changed":"1783611550","gmt_changed":"2026-07-09 15:39:10","alt":"The Ramblin Wreck drives past the Petit Biotechnology Building, a red brick building with large trees in the foreground.","file":{"fid":"264860","name":"_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":256205,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/09\/_0000_IBB---Ramblin-Wreck.jpg?itok=xf6agjcf"}}},"media_ids":["680582"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691040":{"#nid":"691040","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Researchers Develop a Safer, More Reliable Material for Growing Small-Scale Models of the Human Gut ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor years, scientists studying the human gut have relied on a material that most people would never expect: a jelly made from mouse tumors. Called Matrigel, it is used to grow tiny, patient\u2011derived versions of the intestine that help researchers understand disease, test new drugs, and explore future therapies. However, since this material comes from animal tissue, it\u2019s unpredictable, difficult to control, and limits medical applications.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.edu\/node\/1\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech\u003C\/a\u003E researchers and partners from the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E offers a promising alternative.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work includes contributions from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/andres-j-garcia\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EAndr\u00e9s Garc\u00eda\u003C\/a\u003E, Regents\u2019 Professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and Executive Director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bioresearch.gatech.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/a\u003E, whose research focuses on how engineered materials can guide cell behavior. Instead of relying on a biological mixture with hundreds of variable components, the team created a fully synthetic gel designed to give intestinal stem cells exactly what they need to grow and organize into healthy tissue.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo build it, the researchers analyzed the genetic signals of human intestinal cells to understand what kind of environment they naturally prefer. They found that these cells latch onto collagen\u2011like structures and reshape their surroundings as they expand. Using that information, the team engineered a customizable gel that mimics those cues, without using any animal\u2011derived ingredients.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe results were striking. Human intestinal cells grown in the synthetic gel formed realistic, well\u2011organized small-scale digestive tract models that closely match those grown in the traditional animal\u2011derived material. They maintained the same cell types, developed the same structures, and preserved patient\u2011specific features.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe implications reach far beyond the lab bench.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility. It also opens the door to future medical applications, from personalized drug testing to regenerative therapies, where animal\u2011based materials simply can\u2019t be used.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u0022Reproducible, well-defined culture conditions are essential to generating reliable data from patient-derived organoids in human disease research, and we were glad to contribute to work that brings the field a real synthetic alternative to Matrigel,\u201d said Kathryn Hamilton, a co-author of the study. Hamilton is an associate professor at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.upenn.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUniversity of Pennsylvania\u003C\/a\u003E and a primary investigator at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.chop.edu\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noreferrer noopener\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EChildren\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia\u003C\/a\u003E. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy replacing one of the biggest barriers in organoid science, this work moves the field closer to a future where patient\u2011specific tissues can be grown safely, reliably, and at scale.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cp lang=\u0022EN-US\u0022\u003E\u201cWe are excited about engineering this synthetic matrix as an alternative to natural materials and expect that it will accelerate human organoid research and clinical applications,\u201d Garc\u00eda said.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA new study conducted by Georgia Tech researchers and partners offers a promising alternative to gel derived from animal tissue that is currently used to grow organ models. A fully synthetic, precisely defined gel means researchers can grow small-scale organs more consistently and ethically, reducing reliance on animal tissue and improving reproducibility.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Researchers have developed a synthetic gel that could open new possibilities for drug testing and disease treatment."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 14:57:35","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 12:52:44","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680577":{"id":"680577","type":"image","title":"_0000_organoids.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists are able to use patient-derived tissue samples to grow miniature versions of human organs, allowing them to test new medications and disease treatments for personalized care.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783515079","gmt_created":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","changed":"1783515079","gmt_changed":"2026-07-08 12:51:19","alt":"Microscopic image of pink tissue cells","file":{"fid":"264855","name":"_0000_organoids.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":355456,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/08\/_0000_organoids.jpg?itok=b2NxWXSv"}}},"media_ids":["680577"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAshlie Bowman | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EParker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691061":{"#nid":"691061","#data":{"type":"news","title":"In Memoriam: Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA nationally recognized leader in energy systems, Shelton founded SEI as an interdisciplinary organization that brought together engineers, researchers, policy experts, and industry leaders to advance high-impact energy solutions. That vision remains central to SEI\u2019s mission and continues to guide its work today.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam was the quintessential engineer and innovator, whose vision was always accompanied by the development and demonstration of actual products instead of leaving them as promising concepts,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/garimella\u0022\u003ESrinivas Garimella\u003C\/a\u003E, Hightower Chair in the College of Engineering and professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u201cHe had the rare ability to see through nebulous ideas and claims and get to the fundamental engineering truths. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to seek his advice, which he freely gave. I will miss his friendship and counsel very much.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring a career of more than 35 years, Shelton made lasting contributions to sustainable energy and engineering innovation. His work spanned combustion research, solar energy technologies, and offshore wind systems. He secured more than $30 million in research funding, held eight patents, founded two energy-focused companies, and helped translate research into real-world energy solutions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to his research, Shelton was deeply committed to education. During his academic career, he developed undergraduate and graduate courses in energy technology, teaching both in person and online. His\u0026nbsp;Energy 101 course reached tens of thousands of learners through a massive open online course platform, covering topics such as energy supply, independence, economics, and society\u2019s energy demands.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhen I first started at SEI in 2016, Sam and I would meet for lunch to discuss the latest research, consider how far we\u0027ve come since the Carter administration, and grapple over the world\u2019s energy problems,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/people\/richard-simmons\u0022\u003ERich Simmons\u003C\/a\u003E, SEI\u2019s director of Research and Studies.\u0026nbsp;\u201cSam was genuine and objective, not working backward from a preconceived notion, but working forward with an open mind to understand, appreciate, and apply the first and second law. He was also colorful and witty! We are all privileged to pay these lessons forward to future energy students.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeyond academia, Shelton\u2019s engineering expertise reached a global stage as the designer of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2016\/07\/20th-anniversary-atlanta-games\u0022\u003EOlympic torch for the 1996 Atlanta Games\u003C\/a\u003E, an enduring symbol of innovation recognized worldwide. \u201cThe Olympics represented world peace, mankind coming together, and overcoming adversity. It was an amazing event to think about, to witness, to live through, and be a part of helping to create it,\u201d Shelton said in a \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=WyuWSPeGTXk\u0022\u003E2016 interview\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EShelton is survived by his\u0026nbsp;daughters, Suzie and Stacy, three granddaughters,\u0026nbsp;and a wide network of students, colleagues, and collaborators. His legacy continues through the programs he built, partnerships he fostered, and the people he helped.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EA\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.legacy.com\/us\/obituaries\/atlanta\/name\/samuel-shelton-obituary?id=61831858\u0022\u003Ememorial service\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E celebrating Shelton\u2019s life will be held Aug. 1 at 1 p.m. at The 57th Fighter Group Restaurant in Atlanta. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be directed to Roll Call, Georgia Tech\u2019s Fund for Excellence.\u003C\/em\u003E\u0026nbsp;Donations may be made at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/giving.gatech.edu\/campaigns\/63028\/donations\/new?\u0026amp;utm_source=ALMR26Q40NY1BU02KUD\u0022\u003Egtalumni.org\/SamShelton\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/sam-shelton\u0022\u003ESam Shelton\u003C\/a\u003E, founding director of the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/a\u003E (SEI), longtime professor in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EColleagues and friends remember Shelton as a dedicated mentor, collaborator, and educator, whose curiosity, generosity, and sense of humor left a lasting impression on students and peers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cSam exemplified the very best of Georgia Tech, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations of engineers and educators,\u201d said Tim Lieuwen, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. \u201cI am deeply grateful for his friendship, mentorship, and leadership. My heartfelt condolences go to his family, and to the many students, colleagues, and friends whose lives he touched.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Sam Shelton, founding director of the Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), longtime professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, and designer of the torch for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, passed away on June 20, 2026. "}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 21:11:19","changed_gmt":"2026-07-08 02:35:40","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-07T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680575":{"id":"680575","type":"image","title":"SamShelton.jpg","body":null,"created":"1783458862","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","changed":"1783458862","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:14:22","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute (Photo Credit: Georgia Tech Institute Communications)","file":{"fid":"264853","name":"SamShelton.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":485843,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/SamShelton.jpg?itok=LXffzX8m"}},"680574":{"id":"680574","type":"image","title":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","body":null,"created":"1783458708","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","changed":"1783458708","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 21:11:48","alt":"Sam Shelton, Founding Director of the Strategic Energy Institute","file":{"fid":"264852","name":"c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":33796,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/c46785ba-dee7-4ec5-a3fb-b6ad53283937.jpeg?itok=LUMuoM7e"}}},"media_ids":["680575","680574"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E || SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691059":{"#nid":"691059","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Expert: Brian An","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/06\/30\/meet-the-expert-brian-an\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EEnergy resilience broadens the scope of urban policy\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHousing and transportation are top priorities for many city mayors, policymakers and public policy researchers\u2014including \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/spp.gatech.edu\/people\/person\/c9f0cadc-5bb4-5b6f-9eca-bd38a9233993\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBrian An\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, an assistant professor at Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy. But in February 2021, soon after Winter Storm Uri wreaked havoc in Texas, an eight-hour power outage at his Atlanta home became an epiphany.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWhile housing stability had long been on my mind, losing power drove home the importance of another piece of urban infrastructure: reliable access to electricity,\u201d says An, an \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter faculty affiliate\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and co-director of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/urbanresearch.iac.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECenter for Urban Research\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E. \u201cIt sparked my interest in studying the intersection of energy and urban policy to help make cities and communities not only socially equitable but also resilient to extreme weather.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"In this EPIcenter Expert series, meet Brian An, EPIcenter Affiliate, studying the intersection of energy resilience and urban policy to improve grid equity during extreme weather."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:26:49","changed_gmt":"2026-07-07 16:31:03","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680569":{"id":"680569","type":"image","title":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EBrian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783441679","gmt_created":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","changed":"1783441679","gmt_changed":"2026-07-07 16:27:59","alt":"Brian An, EPIcenter Faculty Affiliate and Assistant Professor in Georgia Tech\u2019s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School of Public Policy ","file":{"fid":"264847","name":"Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":69638,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/07\/Brian-An_IAC-faculty-profile-732x1024.jpg?itok=wcUA_U3y"}}},"media_ids":["680569"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"194611","name":"State Impact"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EStory Written by: Silke Schmidt\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ENews Contact: \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E, Research Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691043":{"#nid":"691043","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia\u2019s First Superfund Research Center to Study Hazardous Industrial Pollution, Remediation","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA coalition of scientists from six universities and community partners has received a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.niehs.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)\u003C\/a\u003E grant to establish Georgia\u2019s first Superfund Research Center. The center will study the health effects and potential remediation of harmful contaminants in Glynn County, a Georgia coastal community with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.emory.edu\/magazine\/2024\/spring\/burden-brunswick\u0022\u003Ea long history of industrial pollution\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESuperfund sites are highly contaminated areas designated by the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/superfund\/what-superfund\u0022\u003EU.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)\u003C\/a\u003E for hazardous waste cleanup. Superfund Research Centers are coordinated research programs \u2014 not physical buildings \u2014 designed to address complex environmental health problems, reduce exposure to contaminants, and improve public health.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/tools.niehs.nih.gov\/srp\/programs\/index267.cfm\u0022\u003EFewer than 24\u003C\/a\u003E exist nationwide.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Community Asking Questions for Decades\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor generations, residents of the city of Brunswick and Glynn County have lived near former industrial facilities that produced or used chemicals such as toxaphene, PCBs, and mercury. Many have long suspected that these contaminants were affecting their health, yet lacked scientific evidence to validate their concerns.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThat began to change in 2023, when Emory University researchers launched the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S026974912500613X\u0022\u003EGlynn County human exposure study\u003C\/a\u003E at the invitation of residents. The study found elevated levels of legacy pollutants in the blood of many participants, confirming what community members had feared.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI want more neighbors to have the opportunity to be tested and to learn about the project,\u201d said resident Semona Holmes. \u201cBecause now more folks are saying, \u2018I want to be tested.\u2019\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOthers on the coast echoed the need for continued investigation. \u201cExposure isn\u2019t always uniform,\u201d said Brunswick resident Michael Staley. \u201cSome residents may have higher levels depending on their proximity, diet, or occupation. I hope this gives our neighbors a clearer understanding of how our communities are affected, because often regular people feel uncertain and overlooked.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResidents have repeatedly asked for more testing, more transparency, and more opportunities to understand what is in their soil, water, and bodies. \u201cI would like to see an expansion of the exposure study because the soil needs to be tested,\u201d said Larry Owens, who lives near the Hercules-Pinova site, a former chemical plant that closed in 2023.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother resident, John Freeman, emphasized the need for broad participation. \u201cThey need to make sure everybody in our neighborhood knows they are going to be doing research so that everybody will have the chance to come out and get tested and see what\u2019s in their bodies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBuilding on Community Momentum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new Superfund Research Center will expand this work significantly. Led by Emory University in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman College, and Texas Tech University, the center will focus on five major research areas:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022eaae967e07b3b81fd60ba6286b3615bd5\u0022\u003EHuman health research \u2014 evaluating links between chemical exposures and metabolic diseases.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ebae9bb06b2fa8cff77be0fb491e1c408\u0022\u003EToxicity testing \u2014 assessing how contaminants harm health.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022ee609cad4ed42d244dc99b94572f68295\u0022\u003EEnvironmental sampling \u2014 identifying soil, water, and other exposure pathways.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e953737438b0a65d926def30bd93a72c1\u0022\u003EExtreme weather modeling \u2014 studying how storms and flooding move hazardous chemicals.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e124a5cca6a8725180eba7d57942d84a8\u0022\u003ERemediation research \u2014 evaluating low\u2011impact cleanup strategies suitable for sensitive coastal ecosystems.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cBy combining cutting-edge exposure science and health research with direct community partnerships, the center will translate complex environmental data into practical information that supports healthier decisions for families, clinicians, and policymakers,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.emory.edu\/profile\/faculty\/dana-barr\u0022\u003EDana Barr,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eprofessor of environmental health at Emory University and director of the Superfund Research Center.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBarr credited community leadership for the center\u0027s existence. \u201cThis project is a direct consequence of community support in many forms. We would not be here without your efforts, and we know what that means: We must keep community voices at the forefront of our work, and we need to deliver.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECommunity Voices at the Heart of the Work\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResidents say the exposure study empowered them to speak up and demand answers.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAfter I learned my numbers showed contamination, I started coming to the community meetings,\u201d said Jocelyn Farmer, a fenceline resident. \u201cI wanted to learn more about the study and about my neighborhood.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother resident, Eugene Smiley, said that \u201ceveryone who lives in this neighborhood should have their blood tested. Yes, I think they should come back and give people a chance to get tested so that we all are aware of what chemicals are in our bodies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor many in this coastal Georgia area, the new center represents long-awaited recognition.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019ve been living here a long time, and we\u2019ve been exposed to it,\u201d said Victoria Mackey. \u201cIf this study had not happened, we would not have known. Now we have chemical awareness. There are generations that have been exposed to these chemicals. The expanded exposure study is needed.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunity partners also see the center as a turning point.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe research involves working with\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.healthycoastalneighborhoods.org\/\u0022\u003EHealthy Coastal Neighborhoods\u003C\/a\u003E, a community-driven coalition working at the intersection of environmental quality and public health in Glynn County, Georgia. The coalition brings together community groups, researchers, and residents to address the toxic legacy that has affected coastal Georgia communities for decades. The coalition issued a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.healthycoastalneighborhoods.org\/Photos\/HCN%20Superfund%20Center%20Press%20Release%20Website%206-10-26.pdf\u0022\u003Elocal news release\u003C\/a\u003E announcing the new research center on June 10.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe are honored and truly humbled to be partners in this project,\u201d said\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/people.research.gatech.edu\/jill-gambill\u0022\u003EJill Gambill,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eexecutive director of the CEAR Hub and senior research associate for the Institute for People and Technology at Georgia Tech-Savannah. \u201cThe residents of Glynn County have been asking hard questions about their health and environment for a long time. This center is our opportunity to put Georgia Tech\u0027s resources and expertise to work directly for the community.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EInvesting in Education, Engagement, and Local Capacity\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFunded at approximately $15 million over five years, the center will also support:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cul\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e31d51bd314b7ad43328ac994f0436402\u0022\u003ECommunity engagement programs.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e5cd4b589ec5ce0e5bf347a175b92f70b\u0022\u003EYouth educational outreach.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e304724d42fcbe165dcd814b23cba2d8e\u0022\u003EImprovements to the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.healthycoastalneighborhoods.org\/smart-seafood.html\u0022\u003EHealthy Coastal Neighborhoods\u2019 Seafood Smart website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e56228226f7b07420f5bd370d6e33a1d0\u0022\u003EA community advisory group.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003Cli data-list-item-id=\u0022e3d48d67a1692c28f7dea8f61df452170\u0022\u003ETraining for local healthcare providers.\u003C\/li\u003E\u003C\/ul\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe issue of industrial contamination is inherently complex, and this Superfund Research Center offers a rare opportunity to address it from multiple angles,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sph.emory.edu\/profile\/faculty\/noah-scovronick\u0022\u003ENoah Scovronick,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Edeputy director of the center. \u201cJust as important, the center supports community-led efforts to raise awareness and reduce exposures.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA Model for the Nation\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAlthough the center\u2019s work is focused on Glynn County, its findings will have national relevance. Communities across the country face similar challenges with legacy pollutants, and the center\u2019s research aims to provide actionable insights for reducing exposure and improving public health.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cEven after production stops, these chemicals can continue entering people\u2019s bodies through lingering exposure pathways,\u201d says\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/emoryhercules.com\/bio\/melanie-pearson-phd\/\u0022\u003EMelanie Pearson,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/a\u003Eassociate professor in the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. \u201cUnderstanding how that happens is essential to reducing risk. Partnering with affected residents strengthens the science and ensures it leads to meaningful, real-world benefits.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA coalition of scientists from six universities and community partners has received a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.niehs.nih.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)\u003C\/a\u003E grant to establish Georgia\u2019s first Superfund Research Center.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"A coalition of scientists from six universities and community partners has received a National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) grant to establish Georgia\u2019s first Superfund Research Center. "}],"uid":"27513","created_gmt":"2026-07-06 16:57:08","changed_gmt":"2026-07-06 17:01:51","author":"Walter Rich","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-06T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680555":{"id":"680555","type":"image","title":"Some of the researchers and coastal community members participating in the study.","body":"\u003Cdiv\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESome of the researchers and coastal community members participating in the study: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFront row: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMelanie Pearson\u003C\/strong\u003E and \u003Cstrong\u003EKasey McClary\u003C\/strong\u003E from Emory University, \u003Cstrong\u003ESemona Holmes\u003C\/strong\u003E from Urbana Perry Park Neighborhood Planning Assembly, and \u003Cstrong\u003ERachael Thompson\u003C\/strong\u003E from Glynn Environmental Coalition. \u003Cem\u003EBack row: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnita Collins\u003C\/strong\u003E from Urbana Perry Park Neighborhood Planning Assembly, \u003Cstrong\u003EKaty Smith\u003C\/strong\u003E from University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, \u003Cstrong\u003ENoah Scovronick\u003C\/strong\u003E from Emory University, community organizer and activist \u003Cstrong\u003EJazz Watts\u003C\/strong\u003E, \u003Cstrong\u003EJill Gambill\u003C\/strong\u003E from CEAR Hub at Georgia Tech, \u003Cstrong\u003EKimberly Andrews\u003C\/strong\u003E from University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, \u003Cstrong\u003EAlice Keyes\u003C\/strong\u003E from One Hundred Miles, and \u003Cstrong\u003EEtta Brown\u003C\/strong\u003E, who is a resident in the Urbana Perry Park neighborhood, a participant in the initial study of 100 residents, and a vocal supporter of the Superfund Research Center.\u003C\/div\u003E","created":"1783356598","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 16:49:58","changed":"1783357657","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 17:07:37","alt":"Some of the researchers and coastal community members participating in the study.  Front row: Melanie Pearson and Kasey McClary from Emory University, Semona Holmes from Urbana Perry Park Neighborhood Planning Assembly, and Rachael Thompson from Glynn Environmental Coalition.  Back row: Anita Collins from Urbana Perry Park Neighborhood Planning Assembly, Katy Smith from University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, Noah Scovronick from Emory University, community organizer and activist Jazz ","file":{"fid":"264832","name":"IMG_1697-2-use-THIS.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/IMG_1697-2-use-THIS.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/IMG_1697-2-use-THIS.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4846900,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/IMG_1697-2-use-THIS.jpeg?itok=tW6MRPHd"}},"680556":{"id":"680556","type":"image","title":"Georgia marsh photo","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia\u0027s first Superfund Research Center will address the human and environmental effects of heavily polluted sites located in coastal areas, including this one, in Glynn County, Georgia. (Emory photo by Rob Spahr)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1783357178","gmt_created":"2026-07-06 16:59:38","changed":"1783357249","gmt_changed":"2026-07-06 17:00:49","alt":"Georgia\u0027s first Superfund Research Center will address the human and environmental effects of heavily polluted sites located in coastal areas, including this one, in Glynn County, Georgia. (Emory photo by Rob Spahr)","file":{"fid":"264833","name":"2026_Brunswick-superfund-site_2-copy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/2026_Brunswick-superfund-site_2-copy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/06\/2026_Brunswick-superfund-site_2-copy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":697249,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/06\/2026_Brunswick-superfund-site_2-copy.jpg?itok=ZtpIYY5K"}}},"media_ids":["680555","680556"],"groups":[{"id":"69599","name":"IPaT"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"188084","name":"go-ipat"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:walter.rich@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EWalter Rich\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["walter.rich@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691032":{"#nid":"691032","#data":{"type":"news","title":"EPIcenter Experts in the News: AI, Prices, and the War","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the same time, ongoing geopolitical tensions are driving fluctuations in global oil markets and fuel prices. The expansion of AI data centers is also increasing demand for land, power, and water resources. And conflicts involving energy infrastructure in parts of the Middle East and Europe have affected supply stability.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EResponding to these challenges requires careful analysis of emerging trends, supported by strong research in policy and economics. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/people-faculty-affiliates\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFaculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E of Georgia Tech\u2019s \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnergy Policy and Innovation Center\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E study these complex, interconnected issues affecting energy systems, costs, and access. They analyze emerging trends, evaluate policy options, and identify practical pathways forward.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/epicenter.energy.gatech.edu\/2026\/07\/01\/epicenter-affiliated-experts-inform-public-understanding-of-energy-systems-and-their-economic-impacts\/\u0022\u003ERead Full Story on the EPIcenter News Page\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEPIcenter Faculty Affiliates\u003C\/strong\u003E have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunities across Georgia and the nation are navigating a range of economic and energy-related pressures. Gas prices, inflation, and the rapid growth of data centers are shaping the cost of goods and services, influencing everyday household financial decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"EPIcenter Faculty Affiliates have recently contributed to more than a dozen news broadcasts, public radio interviews, and national media conversations on energy price trends, the war in Iran, and what these mean for everyday Americans."}],"uid":"36413","created_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:36:58","changed_gmt":"2026-07-02 19:40:46","author":"pdevarajan3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680549":{"id":"680549","type":"image","title":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","body":null,"created":"1783021099","gmt_created":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","changed":"1783021099","gmt_changed":"2026-07-02 19:38:19","alt":"4 panel image: clockwise from upper left - solar panels in field, data center and cooling complex, Hormuz Island, gas pump in a car\u0027s fuel port","file":{"fid":"264825","name":"Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png","mime":"image\/png","size":103965,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/02\/Adobe-Stock-Image-Collage-600x400.png?itok=GVkV7SSC"}}},"media_ids":["680549"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"151","name":"Policy, Social Sciences, and Liberal Arts"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EPriya Devarajan\u003C\/a\u003E | SEI Communications Program Manager\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["priya.devarajan@research.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}},"691018":{"#nid":"691018","#data":{"type":"news","title":"New Research Seeks to Help Transplanted Cells Thrive in Type 1 Diabetes Treatment","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/bio\/alexander-e-vlahos\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAlexander Vlahos\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been awarded a five-year, research grant from \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.breakthrought1d.org\/\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener nofollow noreferrer\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 title=\u0022(opens in a new window)\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EBreakthrough T1D\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, the leading global type 1 diabetes (T1D) research and advocacy organization, to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D. The award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ET1D is caused by the autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells, requiring individuals to manage their blood glucose levels through lifelong insulin therapy. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited\u2014particularly when islets are transplanted beneath the skin\u2014due to poor blood vessel formation, immune rejection, and cellular stress following transplantation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVlahos\u2019 research addresses these limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft. Rather than relying solely on biomaterials or porous structures to support transplanted cells, the project focuses on programming the cells themselves to sense stress and respond dynamically.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/bme.gatech.edu\/news\/new-research-seeks-help-transplanted-cells-thrive-type-1-diabetes-treatment\u0022\u003ERead the full story.\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe award will support Vlahos\u2019 project, \u003Cem\u003E\u201cRewiring Cellular Microenvironments with Synthetic Circuits for Subcutaneous Islet Transplantation,\u201d\u003C\/em\u003E through the Georgia Tech Research Corporation. Transplanting pancreatic islets has long been investigated as a potential curative treatment, but long-lasting success in extrahepatic sites has been limited. Vlahos\u2019 research addresses existing limitations by combining synthetic biology\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Eand tissue engineering\u003Cstrong\u003E \u003C\/strong\u003Ein a new way: engineering cells to actively reshape their local environment after transplantation to make it more hospitable for the graft.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Alexander Vlahos has been awarded a five-year, research grant to support pioneering work aimed at improving therapies for T1D."}],"uid":"36479","created_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:34:15","changed_gmt":"2026-07-01 17:39:38","author":"abowman41","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2026-07-01T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"680543":{"id":"680543","type":"image","title":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","body":null,"created":"1782927261","gmt_created":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","changed":"1782927261","gmt_changed":"2026-07-01 17:34:21","alt":"A medical worker wearing latex gloves uses a device to test a patient\u0027s blood sugar.","file":{"fid":"264817","name":"_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":76893,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/07\/01\/_0000_Vlahos-Blood-Glucose.jpg?itok=MSzUqn6I"}}},"media_ids":["680543"],"groups":[{"id":"1292","name":"Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience (IBB)"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"138","name":"Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"171033","name":"Synthetic Biology"},{"id":"178211","name":"islet"},{"id":"49591","name":"Diabetes"},{"id":"195186","name":"cell engineering"},{"id":"1039","name":"pancreas"},{"id":"3344","name":"insulin"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39441","name":"Bioengineering and Bioscience"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EKelly Petty | Communications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}