Inventor Spotlight Archives - MSU Innovation Center

Dr. Chengcheng Fang EVs

2025 MSU Corporate Connector Award-Dr. Chengcheng Fang’s Battery Innovations Are Powering the Future of EVs 

Electric vehicles (EVs) have revolutionized transportation, but their reliance on batteries presents several persistent challenges. These batteries are heavy, and limited by energy-density, fast-charging capability, and low temperature performance, and a major contributor to “range anxiety”—the fear of running out of charge before reaching a destination or charging station, particularly on long, desolate roads.  Dr. …

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Elad Harel in the lab Biology

MSU expert: Using light to hear biology

MSU Today

Elad Harel is used to shining a light on the mysteries of the natural world. Working at the cutting-edge of ultrafast spectroscopy — the application of short laser pulses to analyze the dynamics of molecules — the Michigan State University associate professor’s research aims to reveal how microscopic phenomena impact large complex systems. One promising frontier …

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EV

The future of EV batteries

MSU Today

This story was originally published on Automation Alley. One of the biggest hurdles for the public in adopting electric vehicles is limited battery performance. Current EV batteries aren’t perfect, so at Michigan State University, we are using fundamental material science and new chemistry research to produce batteries with improved energy density and safety. Our research …

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soil SWRT Alvin Smucker

SWRT: MSU Professor’s Innovative Technology Designed to Improve Crop Production with Less Water and Nutrients

East Lansing, MI — With climate change disrupting food availability and quality on the rise, a Michigan State University soil biophysics professor’s subsurface water retention technology—or SWRT—is poised to positively impact crops worldwide. Dr. Alvin Smucker of the Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences developed the SWRT technology with his colleagues after six years …

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Bacterial Alchemy: Transforming Microbes into Nutraceutical Factories 

East Lansing, MI – Björn Hamberger, an associate professor at Michigan State University (MSU) in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, tells the story of a pre-homo sapiens man buried in a cave in Iraq surrounded by many flowering plants. “We know some of these plants today as powerful antimalarials,” says Hamberger. Humans knew …

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Using Activated Biochar and Plasma to Combat PFAS

Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of manufactured chemicals used in various industrial and consumer applications for over 60 years. They are often used in products such as non-stick cookware, stain-resistant carpeting, and firefighting foam. PFAS are extremely persistent in the environment, meaning they do not break down easily, leading to them being …

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Developing the Next Generation of Spectroscopy Tools to Explore the Molecular World

Spectroscopy is a broad field that studies the interaction of electromagnetic radiation and matter and is used across numerous disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, and astronomy. “We use electromagnetic radiation, which could be visible light that we are all used to experiencing when we go outside and see the world before us. It could be …

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Dr. Anil Jain Recognized for 30 Years of Advancements in the Field of Biometrics

Biometrics, or the recognition of individuals by means of unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints, have been used in law enforcement for over 100 years. “The whole idea of biometric recognition is to use your body characteristics, either fingerprint, face, voice or the iris of the eye, to define your identity,” said Anil Jain, University …

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MSU Professor Creating Disease Resistant Potatoes to Reduce Pesticide Usage

For centuries, potatoes have been a staple crop of many countries and, to this day, remain an essential crop in many nations worldwide. However, potatoes can be susceptible to various fungal infections called blights, which can wipe out entire crops. One of the most notable examples, the Irish Potato Famine, was caused by a potato …

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MSU Faculty Develop Smart-Wheelchair Design

Dr. Tamara Bush, a Mechanical Engineering professor at Michigan State University, and biomechanics post-doctoral student Dr. Justin Scott have developed the world’s first Smart Wheelchair. Current wheelchair designs have a limited range of adjustment, often only allowing users to recline by tilting the seat back rearward. However, these designs are often inadequate to treat pressure …

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