Researcher Stories

CU Independent—Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are working to make the moon habitable. And they are focused on one of the most difficult challenges to lunar living: dust. Xu Wang, a research scientist at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at CU Boulder, was one of the winners of NASA’s 2023 Entrepreneurs Challenge.

CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—Distinguished Professor Zoya Popovic is among 162 inventors named 2023 fellows of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Election as a fellow in the academy is the highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors. Popovic, a leading researcher in high-efficiency, low-noise microwave and RF engineering, was elected for her “prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on the quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society.”

Venture Partners at CU Boulder and the university’s Industry and Foundation Relations (IFR) team brought together dozens of stakeholders in the renewable energy and storage ecosystem to discuss innovations, issues and opportunities in the vibrant sector.

Colorado Arts and Sciences Magazine—A pair of University of Colorado Cancer Center researchers are closer to their goal of bringing their therapy to patients—as one of nine research endeavors receiving funding from the Anschutz Acceleration Initiative (AAI). The project is led jointly by Tin Tin Su, professor of molecular, cellular and developmental biology at CU Boulder, and Antonio Jimeno, professor in the CU Department of Medicine's Division of Medical Oncology.

College of Engineering and Applied Science—Aerospace PhD student Spencer Dansereau aims to take carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and extract the carbon molecules to create 3D-printed carbon fiber, which can be used for everything from bicycles to aerospace components. In 2023, Mach Electric Aerospace took first place in CU Boulder’s Lab Venture Challenge business development competition and second place in the New Venture Challenge.

The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has ranked the CU system 14th among the “Top 100” institutions nationwide for recent patent activity. That prominent position reflects the strength of CU-led discoveries and their potential to be translated into society-benefiting technologies with the support of CU’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.

LongPath is harnessing quantum technology to detect methane emissions from oil and gas operations, innovation that benefits industry and investors—and the planet. Most recently, LongPath received landmark financial backing from the Department of Energy (DOE) for a loan of up to $189 million to accelerate the scale-up of the company’s monitoring systems.

Global Cosmetics News—Tattoo artist Keith “Bang Bang” McCurdy, famous for working with celebrities, has created a company, Hyprskn, to launch a new product called “Magic Ink.” Developed with Professor Carson Bruns from CU Boulder, Magic Ink can be controlled with a special stylus, the “magic pen,” that uses two wavelengths of light to activate or deactivate the tattoo’s visibility.

Research & Innovation Office (RIO)—CU Boulder announced seven winners of the 2023-2024 translational quantum research seed grants, incentivizing quantum science and technology innovations launched from the lab to accelerate them along the development path to new programs and businesses.

CU Boulder Today—The world must slash greenhouse gas emissions to nearly zero by 2050. To reach this goal, technological innovations that can help reduce emissions from the source or absorb emitted warming gasses are crucial. Here's a look at four innovations CU Boulder researchers are working on today.