Our Members' Stories
Our members elevate research from basic to applied and beyond. Their work has been critical to ensuring that the United States government is ready and able to address any challenges that may arise. These are their stories.
Predicting Toxicity Without Touching the Toxin
Learn how Urs Jans of The City College of New York uses computerized models and big data to understand how toxins work within the human body - all without touching the toxins or harmful substances themselves.
Team Teaches Drones How to Fly Like a Flock of Starlings
Learn how Umit Uyar of The City College of New York is creating drones that mimic the flying patterns of birds to confuse and distract enemy radar systems to keep our troops safe both at home and abroad.
An Old Technology, a New Purpose: Silk for Gas Masks
Learn how Raymond Tu of The City College of New York is using silk to create new, more effective gas masks that can filter out specific toxins without compromising the user's safety and ability to breathe.
Nanodetectors Stretch Physics to Prevent Deadly Attacks
Learn how Abdennaceur Karoui of NC Central University is using new quantum signal detection technology to prevent chemical and biological attacks before they happen.
Toxicity's New Foe:
​Brain-on-a-Chip
Learn how Yeoheung Yun of North Carolina A&T State University is replacing animal testing for toxins with a groundbreaking, innovative new technology: a virtual model of a human "brain-on-a-chip."
Team Works on Mini-Livers to Test for Poison Gas
Learn how Narayan Bhattarai at North Carolina A&T State University and Jeffrey Macdonald of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are using human liver cells to quickly detect poisonous gases.
A Predictive Method to Swat Buggy Software
Learn how Janwei Niu from The University of Texas at San Antonio is working on a program that can tell whether a software program is likely to be glitchy to eliminate vulnerabilities and risks in computer software.
Using Drones to Map Potential Gas Attacks
Learn how Kiran Bhaganagar of the University of Texas at San Antonio is developing a model to help the United States military understand the effects of chemical warfare to help evacuate people and save lives.
Invisible Film: Protection Against Foreign Contaminants
Learn how Jasim Uddin of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley protects NBC suit wearers against biological contaminants using an invisible nanobarrier to protect its user.