Proof of Concept Awards

Salvatore Salamone Rail Defect Detection by Noncontact Vibration Measurements

Synopsis:

Nonvisible transverse defects in railways are one of the main causes of railway track-related incidents, costing hundreds of millions of dollars in the past two decades. Current rail inspection technologies cannot be mounted on operating train cars and are only reliable at slow speeds, costing railway operators time and money. UT engineers have developed a laser doppler system that can be used on operating trains and at much higher speeds.

Sanchita Bhadra PFAS detection using agnostic biosignatures

Synopsis:

The Environmental Protection Agency has recently proposed new regulations for levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which is a large class of thousands of different harmful hard to degrade ‘forever’ chemicals. The maximum levels of PFAS are currently significantly lower than the detection limit of currently available assays. The Ellington lab is adapting a DNA fingerprint technology they invented for NASA to allow for throughput detection and quantification of PFAS chemicals aided by machine learning algorithms.

Stanley Roux A New Approach to Improving Crop Yield and Stress Tolerance

Synopsis:

This project evaluates a new genetic strategy to improve crop yield and stress tolerance by co‑overexpressing the apyrase PS and its newly identified binding partner, PATL4, building on extensive prior greenhouse and field evidence that PS alone increases plant growth and yield. The proof‑of‑concept work generates Arabidopsis lines expressing both genes to test whether their combined activity produces synergistic gains in growth, nutrient uptake, drought tolerance, and seed yield compared to single‑gene approaches. Results from this study are expected to support new intellectual property and future field trials in major crops such as soybean, advancing commercialization pathways for high‑value agricultural traits.

Tanya Hutter Technology for At-Home Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Synopsis:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the 3rd leading cause of death globally, but there are currently no options for accessible, affordable, interactive, and at-home pulmonary rehabilitation. A team led by Dr. Tanya Hutter is developing a wearable device that can provide remote breath training exercises and extensive monitoring capabilities to help patients rehabilitate at home.

Tom Yankeelov Predicting and Optimizing Cancer Treatment

Synopsis:

When treating cancer, some treatments are more or less effective for different patients and physicians often lack tools that predict how patients will respond. UT researchers have developed a mathematical model that uses patient-specific imaging data to make accurate, patient-specific predictions of eventual response early in the course of therapy. They are currently focused on advanced brain, breast, and prostate cancer and are collaborating with UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Zachariah Page Multi-Material 3D Printing

Synopsis:

The awarded project advances a simple, one-step multi‑material 3D printing process that enables precise control over local mechanical and chemical properties within a single printed object, overcoming long‑standing challenges with weak interfaces and labor‑intensive post‑processing. By combining wavelength‑selective chemistries with commercially available materials, the approach produces parts with extreme stiffness contrast and rapidly dissolvable supports, significantly reducing manufacturing time and cost. This proof‑of‑concept funding supports scale‑up, cost reduction, and prototype demonstrations aimed at accelerating commercialization for applications such as wearable electronics, dental devices, soft robotics, and other high‑performance consumer and medical products.

Zhengrong (Rong) Cui: Novel Red Blood Cell Dry Powders and Method of Preparation

Synopsis:

Blood transfusions are the single most used lifesaving procedure in hospitals worldwide but packed blood cells used for transfusion can only be stored in refrigeration for 42 days before needing to be discarded. College of Pharmacy researchers have invented a technology that can successfully preserve human cells as a powder that can then be reconstituted. The inventors are seeking to prove out this technology for red blood cells to provide a better solution for life-saving blood transfusions in the hospital and battlefield.

Zoya Heidari Accelerated Fluid Flow Characterization in Organic Shales

Synopsis:

Large volumes of water are produced from organic shales during oil production, leading to high costs for disposal. Among other limitations, current conventional methods for predicting fluid production take a long time, are expensive, and don’t work with irregular shaped samples. UT petroleum engineers are developing a faster and cheaper fluid flow characterization for organic shales that overcomes nearly all limitations of current methods.