A modular, vacuum-based multi-arm robotic harvesting system designed to help apple growers address seasonal labor shortages and harvest fruit at near-human speeds with minimal bruising.

Dr. Zhaojian Li and Kyle Lammers

AI Mechanic: Acoustic Predictive Maintenance

Smartphone-based predictive maintenance that uses acoustic AI to detect abnormal equipment sounds, flag early wear/failure, and support maintenance decisions without dedicated sensor networks.

Michigan State University DeepTech Lab (PI: Josh Siegel; Kehinde Elelu; Tashfain Ahmed; Ali Saffary)

AutoSpect: Automated Elemental Imaging from Mass Spectrometry

An all-in-one software platform that automates processing of LA‑ICP‑TOF‑MS mass spectrometry imaging datasets to produce quantitative elemental maps and isotope measurements faster and more reproducibly than manual workflows.

Dr. Andrew M. Crawford (software development), Dr. David Z. Zee, Dr. Keith W. MacRenaris, Dr. Thomas V. O’Halloran

beSocratic: Building Critical Thinking in STEM

An evidence-based learning platform that helps instructors run and create open-ended activities where students explain concepts in their own words and through drawings/graphs, with tools that summarize responses for instructors.

Melanie M. Cooper, Michael W. Klymkowsky

Human Mini Hearts for Drug Testing and Therapy

Scalable production of human mini-hearts (organoids/assembloids) that replicate key heart physiology and anatomy, supporting drug discovery, safety testing, and potential cell-therapy applications.

Y. Lewis Israeli, B. Volmert, C. O’Hern, A. Kostina, A. Aguirre

Improving Camelina Oil for Biofuels

By modifying key Camelina seed regulators, this technology tunes fatty acid profiles to improve oxidative stability and cold-flow, producing oils for biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuels from a low-input crop.

Emily Pawlowski, Suresh Kumar Gupta, Erich Grotewold

Near-Infrared (NIR) Light-Activated Cancer Therapy

Light-activated drugs (near‑infrared photosensitizers) designed to destroy tumors with high precision by activating therapy only at the tumor site, helping minimize damage to healthy tissue.

Prof. Sophia Lunt, Ph.D., Prof. Richard Lunt, Ph.D., Hyllana Medeiros, Ph.D., Amir Roshanzadeh

Lignin-Based Materials for Sustainable Manufacturing

Patented approaches that use lignin (a renewable byproduct) to replace petroleum-based inputs in adhesives, foams, coatings, and biocomposites to support lower-carbon manufacturing.

Mojgan Nejad, Saeid Nikafshar, Mohsen Siahkamari, Enoch Acquah, Manasseh Agbedam

MSU Potato Breeding: Better Varieties for Growers and Processors

Development of conventionally bred and bioengineered potato varieties designed to improve yield, disease resistance, storage life, and processing reliability for the potato industry.

David Douches and the MSU Potato Breeding & Genetics team (including Joe Coombs, Greg Steere, Matt Zuehlke, Kelly Zarka, Dan Zarka, and Chris Long)

New RNA-Targeting Treatments for Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Drug candidates designed to shut down a cancer-driving RNA target (PVT1 exon 9) using antisense oligonucleotides and related approaches, aimed at aggressive prostate cancers that don’t respond to current treatments.

Olorunseun O. Ogunwobi, MD, PhD, Rachel Bonacci, PhD, Chinedum Udekwu, MS

PFAS-Free Barrier Coatings for Recyclable Paper Packaging

Water-based, PFAS-free barrier coatings designed to replace wax/plastic coatings while maintaining moisture/grease/oxygen resistance, supporting recyclable and compostable fiber-based packaging.

Muhammad Rabnawaz, Ajmir Khan, Syeda Shamila Hamdani, Anurag Ganapathi, Sarla Yadav, Gurjot Singh, Hazem Elkholy, Sadaf Mearaj

Piezoelectric Liquids: Electricity from Pressure

Liquid materials that generate electrical pulses when pressure is applied, enabling repeatable pressure-to-power and sensing applications using environmentally benign feedstocks.

Gary Blanchard (MSU), Gary Baker (University of Missouri)

S3 Wearable Calving Monitor: Real-Time Tracking of Labor in Cattle

A wearable system that remotely measures uterine contractions in cattle to provide earlier, more reliable alerts for labor onset and complications compared with behavior-based or invasive methods.

Hanne M. Hoffmann, Wen Li, Mohammad Kafi Kangi

Sit Sense: Changing the Standard of Care for Pressure Sore Prevention

Sit Sense is a smart medical recliner that automatically repositions patients to redistribute pressure, reducing pressure sore risk without caregiver lifting—cutting facility-acquired injury costs and easing nurse strain.

Tamara Reid Bush, Justin Scott

Smart Contact Lens for Glaucoma Monitoring

A contact lens–based sensor system designed for continuous, real-time, home-based monitoring of intraocular pressure to support earlier detection and improved glaucoma management.

Dr. Arthur Weber and Dr. Wen Li

Sustainable Packaging for Fresh Produce

Sustainable packaging for fruits and vegetables using biobased materials (e.g., fiber/agricultural waste), with compostable/biodegradable formats and shelf-life extension approaches to reduce food waste.

Dr. Eva Almenar and collaborators (Dr. Euihark Lee, Dr. Amin Joodaky, Ms. Purva Khule, Dr. Argus Cesar da Rocha Neto, Mr. Pramit Sawant, Dr. Laurent Matuana, Mr. Haile Duguma, Mr. Aidan McArdle)

Switched Source – Phase-EQ: Unlocking Grid Capacity Without Rebuilds

A pad-mounted device that automatically balances load across three phases in real time to unlock up to 1.5 MW additional capacity, reduce outages, and enable more solar/batteries/EVs without major rebuilds.

Charles Murray, P.E. (President & Co Founder), Lane Nelson (COO & Co Founder), the Switched Source Electrical & Mechanical Engineering Team

Targeted Alpha Therapeutics: Targeted Alpha Therapy for Bladder Cancer

A highly targeted bladder cancer treatment approach intended to improve standard of care with fewer side effects, described as a platform technology that can expand to other cancers.

Kurt R. Zinn, Jinda Fan, Satyendra Singh, Nate Kauffman

Tarn Biosciences: New Treatments for Drug-Resistant TB and NTM

Development of new drug candidates (new chemical entities) targeting mycobacterial infections such as TB and NTM, including programs focused on MmpL3 and a novel nitroreductase strategy.

Robert Abramovitch, PhD, Edmund Ellsworth, PhD, Jim Vrbanac, PhD

Turning Wastewater into Clean Water and Green Ammonia

A system that converts high-strength wastewater into clean water, renewable methane, and recoverable green ammonia using biological treatment, targeted bacteriophages, anaerobic digestion, and electrochemical recovery.

Emilia Emerson, Carter Monson, Yan Liu, Wei Liao (MSU Anaerobic Digestion Research and Education Center (ADREC), Benjamin Thomas, James Dusenbury (Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center)

Vibrating Dipstick Sensor for Viscosity and Density

A vibrating “dipstick” tool that estimates viscosity and density of fluids and soft/semi-solids in place, enabling monitoring without extracting samples.

Sunil Kishore Chakrapani and Sarthak Desai

XProteome: Deeper Blood Protein Profiling for Early Detection

A platform designed to expand plasma protein profiling by improving detection of low-abundance and rare proteins, supporting earlier disease detection and personalized medicine.

Dr. Morteza Mahmoudi, Dr. Babak Borhan, Dr. Amirata Saei Dibavar, Ms. Bahareh Ghaffari

Faculty Exhibitor Spotlight