CELEBRATE PRINCETON INVENTION 2016 It takes a university… Office of the Dean for Research f necessity is the mother of invention, then the university may be the www.princeton.edu/research extended family that nurtures a discovery from its birth in a scientist’s 91 Prospect Ave. lab through its trying experimental phases on the path to becoming Princeton, NJ 08540 I a benefit to society. We often talk about this last stage, but it is an Tel.: 609-258-5500 [email protected] invention’s infancy and early development that usually require the most creativity and effort. To learn more about the researchers and Those early days involve long technologies in this brochure, contact: hours at the lab bench, sleepless John Ritter nights, false starts and do-overs, Director, Technology Licensing and yet Princeton inventors choose www.princeton.edu/patents this path because they glimpse the 87 Prospect Ave., 3rd Floor greater potential of their work. Princeton, NJ 08544 They know — or at least they Tel.: 609-258-1001 hope — that the knowledge they [email protected] create or discover could treat a viral illness for which we have no cure, For information on fostering industry- faculty collaborations, contact: or help restore movement after a stroke, or guard pacemakers against Coleen Burrus malicious hackers. These faculty Director, Corporate Engagement and members, postdoctoral researchers, Foundation Relations cefr.princeton.edu and graduate and undergraduate 91 Prospect Ave. students are inspired not only by Princeton, NJ 08540 the drive to uncover knowledge but Tel.: 609-258-3277 also by the desire to contribute in [email protected] meaningful ways to societal and environmental well-being. Each of these inventors knows that inspiration is not enough. For inquiries regarding Invention stems not just from brilliant ideas and hard work but also sponsored research, contact: from luck and serendipity, and the ability to recognize an important Jeff Friedland finding among data from an experiment that didn’t have the expected Director, Research and Project result. At Princeton we are fortunate to be able to provide an Administration environment where all research can thrive, and individuals are afforded www.princeton.edu/orpa 87 Prospect Ave., 2nd Floor the opportunity to dream the innovations of the future. We hope you Princeton, NJ 08544 will join us as we celebrate the extended family of University researchers Tel.: 609-258-3090 who bring discoveries to life. [email protected] Pablo Debenedetti Dean for Research For more on entrepreneurship at Princeton, contact: Class of 1950 Professor in Engineering and Applied Science Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Mung Chiang Inaugural Chair, Princeton Entrepreneurship Council Director, Keller Center entrepreneurs.princeton.edu kellercenter.princeton.edu Princeton Entrepreneurial Hub 34 Chambers St. Princeton, NJ 08542 Tel.: 609-258-5071 [email protected] Table of Contents Featured Inventions 2016 8 Student-powered venture 12 Bridging the gap Undergraduate startup brings University discoveries receive 3 A test for mitochondrial health electricity to remote areas additional development to make Ileana Cristea, Professor of Molecular them ready for use 9 Princeton Plasma Physics Biology Laboratory spins off new 13 New ideas in the natural 3 Adaptive cognitive prosthetic technologies sciences Timothy Buschman, Assistant Professor Inventions range from food Early-stage research projects of Psychology and the Princeton sterilization to bomb detection provide the seeds of innovation Neuroscience Institute 10 Startup culture 14 Transformative technologies 4 Securing implantable medical Companies based on Princeton Major impacts emerge from cross- devices against attack innovations spark economic disciplinary teams and diverse Niraj Jha, Professor of Electrical activity perspectives Engineering 11 Collaborations with industry 5 Selective fluorination of drug Corporate engagement plays and PET imaging molecules an essential role in developing John Groves, Hugh Stott Taylor Chair of University inventions into real- Chemistry world technologies 6 A fast and easy method for making Janus nanoparticles Rodney Priestley, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering Inventors F Y16 7 Small, fast and cost-efficient flow sensors 15 Princeton faculty members and teams Marcus Hultmark, Assistant Professor of A list of Princeton inventions by current and former members Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the University research community for fiscal year 2016 The Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment invention.princeton.edu Celebrate Princeton Invention 2016 1 Addressing society’s most pressing challenges esearch conducted in the laboratories at Princeton is aimed at answering fundamental questions about life, the world around us and the universe beyond. RSometimes this quest for understanding leads to technologies that can address society’s most pressing challenges, such as helping patients recover from stroke or improving the detection of cancer. When this synergy of basic and applied research occurs, Princeton’s Office of Technology Licensing assists our faculty researchers and their teams with the transfer of innovations to partners with the skills to further develop them to the point where they can benefit our planet and society. Our office continues to evolve as we respond to increased interest from our University community to engage in technology transfer for the benefit of society. Over the past year we have ramped up our capability to advise faculty and students about startup ventures through the creation of a New Ventures position. Through such activities, universities can stimulate economic growth in ways that provide new jobs, livelihoods and sometimes the foundation of an entire industry. Each year, Celebrate Princeton Invention gives us the opportunity to honor the Princeton faculty, staff researchers and students who create new and transformative technologies. Their efforts constitute one of the many ways in which Princeton fulfills its mission of service to the nation and to humanity. John Ritter Director, Technology Licensing Rapid changes to technology and Fundamental, curiosity-driven scientific society are making the connections inquiry is at the heart of Princeton’s research between world-class research and the endeavors. This exploration of nature and “innovation ecosystem more important “our place within it inspires and educates the than ever. At Princeton, we are eager to next generation of science and engineering see those connections flourish, and our leaders and lays the groundwork for future students and faculty are enthusiastically innovations. The quest for knowledge also collaborating with both industry and sometimes results in the discovery of new the nonprofit sector to discover and technologies that, with further development, implement ideas that will help address can benefit humanity. Through Celebrate the world’s challenges. Princeton Invention, we are proud to celebrate Christopher L. Eisgruber the bold and groundbreaking work of our President, Princeton University faculty, postdoctoral researchers and students. David S. Lee Provost, Princeton University 2 Celebrate Princeton Invention 2016 ” invention.princeton.edu” Featured Inventions 2016 Invention Collaborators A test for mitochondrial health Rommel Mathias, a former postdoctoral research fellow in molecular biology; Todd Greco, associate research scholar Ileana Cristea, professor of molecular biology in molecular biology; Thomas Shenk, the James A. Elkins Jr. Professor in the Life Sciences; and Adam Oberstein, a What it does postdoctoral research fellow in molecular biology. he role of mitochondria — which are known as the power Tplants of the cell — in human health is an active area of Development status research. A team led by Ileana Cristea is pioneering methods to Patent protection is pending. Princeton is seeking outside monitor and explore molecular regulators that have implications interest for further development of this technology. for the research and treatment of mitochondrial diseases as well Funding source as cancer, aging and viral infections. National Institutes of Health Cristea’s research group has identified new enzymatic activity by an important regulator of cellular energy production known as sirtuin 4. The researchers demonstrated that Invention sirtuin 4 acts in mitochondria to turn off energy production by inhibiting an important piece of the energy-making machinery, Adaptive cognitive prosthetic the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Sirtuin 4 inhibits Timothy Buschman, assistant professor of pyruvate dehydrogenase activity through a process known as psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience delipoylation. Institute The team created an assay to accurately measure delipoylation in cells or tissues, which can be used to monitor the activities of What it does sirtuin 4 and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. This assay he adaptive cognitive prosthetic is a device that, when can be performed implanted in the brain, helps recover cognitive function in T in any type of cell, patients with a stroke or traumatic brain injury. The goal is to tissue or patient restore or replace a sample. The test damaged brain region. can help researchers When a region of quickly assess the the brain ceases to activity of sirtuin 4 function, the adaptive and discover ways cognitive prosthetic to inhibit it to boost will enable signals in mitochondrial health, the brain to