Day Two of TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo

Day two of the TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo in Anaheim saw an increase in vendors and attendees at the Anaheim Convention Center. Hundreds of researchers, innovators, industry and government agencies roamed the featured poster presentations, Alon Gorodetsky’s, associate professor of chemical engineering and materials science, Ph.D., chemistry, “Adaptive Infrared-Reflecting Systems Inspired by Cephalopods” among them. The second day featured presentations focused on materials innovation, fireside chats with innovation leadership and a Small Business Innovation Research company spotlight.

Tuesday afternoon featured two faculty members, who discussed their latest research with attendees during the event’s showcase reception, where attendees mixed and mingled. Reginald Penner, professor of chemistry, Ph.D., chemistry, featured his two technologies, “Process for Electrodepositing Manganese Oxide with Improved Rate Capabilities for Electrical Energy Storage,” which enhances lithium batteries’ energy, power and performance as well as “Enhanced Cycle Lifetime with Gel Electrolyte for Mn02 Nanowire Capacitors,” which is a novel way of preparing electrodes for nanowire-based batteries and capacitors with extremely long cycle lifetimes.

“We are really electrochemists and we dabble in all these fields where the materials that we make can have some application,” said Penner. “For example, we use electroplated nanowires to make batteries, or we use nanowires to make hydrogen sensors that are very fast and very sensitive.”

Penner described incorporating this technology into one of his latest projects, a biosensor that detects bladder cancer in urine. This project was recently presented at the 2018 Grad Slam at the Cove @ UCI. Penner is currently raising a round of series B funding for his company, Phage Tech, Inc. to incorporate virus particulars that recognize and bind the cancer biomarkers the team is trying to detect.

“The ultimate goal is an at-home cancer test,” said Penner. “For the short-term, we are trying to get the technology into a doctor’s office to start taking data because it’s very non-intrusive.”

Yun Wang, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Ph.D., mechanical engineering, presented his two different technologies, “Energy Harvester from Breath-Associated Belly Movement,” which collects enough energy from the human body to continuously power cell phones and other wearable devices.

“We are able to produce high-power lightweight fuel cell technology,” said Wang. “The fuel cell technology’s primary application is automobiles to replace the internal combustion engine, which is powered by hydrogen. It’s a very coming-of-age technology.”

He also discussed “Thermal Devices for Controlling Heat Transfer,” which is a new sandwich-like structure that directs heat transfer flow in a compact, thin form with distinct thermal resistance in opposite directions.

“This technology allows you to use the body’s energy, like breathing, to generate power to support cell phone use,” said Wang. “This allows cell phones to be independent of a charging station, so you can use your phone for an unlimited number of days without charging [your cell phone].”

In addition to these research posters, several more were accepted and featured in the Expo Hall:

• Sunny Jiang, professor and chair of civil and environmental engineering, Ph.D., marine science: Integration of microfluidic chip with Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) assay for rapid quantification of Enterococcus Faecalis.

• Gorodetsky: Reflectin as a Material for Neural Stem Cell Growth. • Michelle Digman, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Ph.D., chemistry: Fluorescence Lifetime Trajectory of the Mouse Pre-Implantation Embryo Predicts its Viability.

Several UCI faculty members were also featured during the event’s panel discussions and presentations May 14 thru 15 on micro and bio fluidics, including Marc Madou, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Ph.D., semi-conductor electrochemistry and Abraham Lee, professor of biomedical engineering, Ph.D., mechanical engineering.

For more information about UCI’s available technologies, click here.

Read the full article at: http://innovation.uci.edu/2018/06/day-two-of-techconnect-world-innovation-conference-expo/