Sustainability 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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Study raises the possibility of a country without butterflies

MSU Today

Butterflies are disappearing in the United States. All kinds of them. With a speed scientists call alarming. A sweeping new study published in the journal Science tallies, for the first time, butterfly data from more than 76,000 surveys across the continental United States. The results: From 2000 to 2020, the total butterfly abundance fell by 22% across …

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packaging

Plastipak invests in MSU School of Packaging Building Expansion

College of Agriculture & Natural Resources

Plastipak Packaging, Inc., a leading innovator in the packaging and recycling industries, has made a gift to the Michigan State University (MSU) School of Packaging (SoP) to support a major expansion to the SoP building. Plastipak’s donation will be used to support a transformational expansion project approved by the MSU Board of Trustees in February 2024 that will double the …

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packaging

New research finds that certain packaging materials can show 70% lower emissions than alternatives

MSU Today

A comprehensive assessment by researchers, including Rafael Auras from Michigan State University, sought to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of replacing polyethylene, or PE, packaging like bags, films and containers with alternative materials, including paper, glass, aluminum and steel. The findings reveal that PE packaging can have an average life cycle global warming potential, or GWP, …

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PFAS

MSU-patented PFAS destruction technology licensed by a Lansing company

Center for PFAS Research

In 2019, MSU patented a method for completely defluorinating PFAS molecules; the method was developed by Hui Li, Stephen Boyd, and Brian Teppen of the MSU Department of Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences. In 2023-2024, the MSU patent was licensed by a woman-owned company in Lansing called Enspired Solutions. Enspired Solutions has obtained venture capital funding …

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$706,000 for lithium-ion phosphate recycling

MSU Today

As the industry surrounding electric vehicles evolves, a lithium-ion battery is emerging that could have a market value of $35 billion by 2030. Considering the average life span of lithium-ion batteries is about 10 years, the need for innovative recycling strategies is becoming urgent. Researchers at Michigan State University will use $706,000 from the Michigan …

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AgTech

Michigan State University Hosts Second Annual AgTech Summit at Great Lakes EXPO

Michigan State University Research Foundation

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (Dec. 17, 2024) — The Michigan State University Research Foundation and MSU Technologies hosted the second annual AgTech Summit on December 12, 2024. The event brought together agricultural innovators, researchers, and industry leaders to share insights and solutions aimed at advancing Michigan’s agricultural sector. Held alongside the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and …

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Redoxblox

MSU Startup of the Year Drives Transition to Sustainable Energy Solutions 

MSU Innovation Center

A new, fast-growing company based on Michigan State University (MSU) technology is tackling the urgent need for sustainable energy and grid reliability. RedoxBlox, recently named the 2024 MSU Startup of the Year, is leading the way in energy storage technology, creating groundbreaking solutions for power generation and industrial heat applications.  RedoxBlox’s innovative technology was developed …

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EarthMetric

Earthmetric: Revolutionizing Farming Through Technology and Sustainability

The origin of EarthMetric Innovation’s Bluewise System is in the fields of farmers. “Engineers develop some tangible solutions to what society needs. I guess that was kind of always my motto for my career,” says Younsuk Dong, Ph.D., EarthMetric co-founder and Assistant Professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at Michigan State University’s (MSU) College of …

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catalyst

MSU is developing an ultrastable catalyst to improve fuel cells

College of Engineering

Research at Michigan State University and Princeton University developed a highly stable electrocatalyst for fuel cells that are used in sustainable energy applications, such as electric vehicles. The innovation promises cheaper and more efficient clean energy systems, helping to combat climate change and reduce the dependence on fossil fuels. José Mendoza-Cortes, assistant professor in the Department …

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