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Technology Accelerator Fund Awardees

Projects funded by TAF

Since 2011, the Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) has helped faculty inventors and scientists turn their research into market-ready technologies. These are the annual award winners:

TAF Class of 2024

Luis R. De Jesus Baez headshot
Luis R. De Jesus Baez
University at Buffalo
Copper-based Conductive Ink Technology for Printed Electronics
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University at Buffalo (UB) chemist Luis R. De Jesús Báez sees a future where flexible cell phones and computers offer consumers convenience and portability with the same processing power and at the same price point as their traditional rigid counterparts.

De Jesús Báez developed high-performance conductive copper-based inks that perform better, and cost less than the silver inks currently used in printable flexible electronics. “When you look at conductive inks there's two words there -- conductive refers to the ability to transport either electricity or temperature through a specific frame and inks refers to how easily it may be printed,” De Jesús Báez explained. He is working with UB spin out Copprium to turn his technology into a marketable product and make his vision a reality.

The company connected with SUNY’s portfolio of technology-to-market programs and earned two $50,000 investments: one from the SUNY Startup Summer School 2024 Demo Day, and the other from the SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) Class of 2024. In addition to the seed funding, Copprium received support from SUNY’s entrepreneurs-in-residence to further develop its business model and go-to-market strategies.

“TAF is different from other funding agencies because it really promotes that industry-academic connection. It brings about a perfect symmetry between what the challenge is for a specific company and the connection with academics for possible solutions,” said De Jesús Báez.

TAF Class of 2024 Winner - Luis De Jesús Báez - University at Buffalo

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Devinder Mahajan headshot
Devinder Mahajan
Stony Brook University
Large-Scale Hydrogen Storage and Separation
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Stony Brook University chemical and molecular engineering professor Devinder Mahajan has a vision: to develop technologies that lead to commercialization for human welfare. His research focuses on low-carbon technologies that address sustainability and climate change issues.

A prolific inventor, Mahajan has published over 300 papers and holds 15 patents. Most recently, Mahajan and his research team at Stony Brook University developed a single system for storage and release of blended hydrogen and methane that operates under near ambient temperature and pressure conditions. This system is able to overcome the significant challenges related to efficient storage and on-demand release of hydrogen – a key step in transitioning away from fossil fuels.

Mahajan received a TAF Class of 2024 investment to demonstrate that the system has commercial potential. “We look forward to using this funding to move this technology forward and be part of the global change,” Mahajan said.

TAF 2024 Award Winner - Devinder Mahajan - Stony Brook University

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L. Nathan Tumey headshot
L. Nathan Tumey
Binghamton University
Novel Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs) to Treat Cancer
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After spending over 15 years as a researcher in the pharmaceutical industry, Nathan Tumey joined Binghamton University’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Tumey is a leading expert in antibody-drug-conjugate (ADC) technology in which the specificity of an antibody is used to deliver a drug to specific tissue types. “One of major challenges in the development of ADCs is how and where to attach the drug to the antibody,” Tumey explained, noting that the site of attachment is important to the safety and efficacy of the ADC.

His lab has developed new ADC technology that relies on an enzyme known as legumain that is overexpressed in a variety of diseases, including cancer. Working in collaboration with National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, Tumey is using the technology to target Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare pediatric cancer.

Tumey received a TAF Class of 2024 investment to support a three-way collaboration between NIH researchers and Manhattan BioSolutions. The funding will be used to optimize the technology so that the team can select the best molecule for clinical development.

"Noting that this innovation is a chemical technology that is relevant to multiple drug applications, Tumey believes that it may be useful in cancers beyond RMS." The industry- turned academic researcher is excited that potential collaborators are keenly looking at the technology and waiting for proof-of-concept data that shows it is ready to take to the commercialization stage.

“Academic research is exciting – but movement towards clinical application almost always involves the private sector,” Tumey said. “These types of partnerships are essential for translating laboratory findings into clinical practice.”

TAF 2024 Award Winner - L. Nathan Tumey - Binghamton University

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Mengbing Huang headshot
Mengbing Huang
University at Albany
Single-mode Sapphire Fibers for Optics Sensing
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Most fiber optic sensors are made of silica. Unfortunately, the material quickly degrades under extreme temperatures, high pressure, corrosive chemicals, intense radiation, and other conditions associated with combustion engines, power plants, nuclear reactors, and space exploration.

“Single-crystal sapphire fibers capable of withstanding high temperatures have long been believed as a promising platform for fiber optic sensing in harsh environments,” explained University at Albany Professor Mengbing Huang. “The barrier to deploying sapphire has been the lack of an optical cladding that is durable under these conditions.

Huang’s research team in the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering developed an innovative technology to enable the formation of buried cladding with excellent high-temperature stability within sapphire fibers (US8852695B2, “Optical barriers, waveguides, and methods for fabricating barriers and waveguides for use in harsh environments”).

“We know how to do this in principle, but there's still a gap going from a laboratory environment to the actual condition,” said Huang. The 2024 TAF investment will help Huang and his industry collaborators bridge that gap and make sapphire fiber based optic technology a reality for harsh-environment sensing.

SUNY TAF Class of 2024 Winner - Mengbing Huang - University at Albany

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Henri Tiedge and Valerio Berardi headshot
Henri Tiedge and Valerio Berardi
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
siRNA Therapeutic for Breast Cancer
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Despite improvements in therapeutic interventions, breast cancer remains a major cause of cancer mortality among women. SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University researchers Henri Tiedge and Valerio Berardi developed a siRNA therapeutic that targets BC200 RNA, a small non-coding RNA demonstrated to be a driver of breast cancer transformation and progression.

“We used a technique called siRNA or small interfering RNA,” Tiedge explained. “In this case, it blocked BC200 RNA and allowed the malignant breast cancer cells to revert to a normal cell type.” Berardi added that the therapeutic is cost-effective and can be produced at scale. The TAF award will help them take the first steps toward turning their discovery into clinical treatment.

Both researchers are inspired by personal experiences, including friends and family members who have been diagnosed with and survived or died from breast cancer. “As scientists we try to understand deep and theoretical questions,” Berardi said. “In the end we really want to impact people’s lives. The idea that you can save somebody or relieve some pain is really gratifying.”

TAF Class of 2024 Winners - Henri Tiedge & Valerio Berardi - Downstate Health Sciences University

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Gyu Leem and Chang Geun Yoo headshot
Gyu Leem and Chang Geun Yoo
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Sensor for Per and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS)
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PFAS (short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are known to contaminate ground and surface waters. Also known as “forever chemicals,” they linger in the environment and pose a health threat to humans and wildlife. 

Traditionally, testing water samples for PFAS, requires sending the samples to specialized labs for analysis, a process that can be slow and costly. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry researchers Gyu Leem and Chang Geun Yoo are conducting groundbreaking research that aims to revolutionize way to measure PFAS. Working with chemistry post-doc Dr. Rich List and chemistry Ph.D. students Ramachandra Legundapati and Katie Gavazzi, they developed an electrochemical sensing device that enables direct, on-site measurement of PFAS and provides immediate, accurate and reproducible results down to trace parts per trillion.

The research team received a 2024 SUNY Technology Accelerator Fund (TAF) investment to turn their sensor into a marketable product. At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to contain PFAS, according to a recent study by the U.S. Geological Survey. “We have a technology that works nicely and the TAF funding will help us take the next step of making it easily usable by a consumer, such as a homeowner or municipal water system,” said List. “We want people to be confident that they have truly safe and purified drinking water.”

TAF Class of 2024 Award Winner - Gyu Leem & Chang Geun Yoo - SUNY ESF

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Mark Zeman and Mary DeGroat headshot
Mark Zeman and Mary DeGroat
SUNY Upstate Medical University
ELUCIDATE – Project Communication Platform
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Most conventional work applications provide stakeholders with an overwhelming amount of information. SUNY Upstate Medical University information technology experts Mark Zeman and Mary DeGroat created a web-based project insight platform that allows stakeholders to quickly find the status of a project.

Zeman recalls that when he worked in the private sector, project teams would have weekly reports and monthly program reviews where they would give their status reports “Most stakeholders were only interested in two or three projects but had to sit through 50 or so presentations,” Zeman noted. “Think about the wasted time – that’s the problem that ELUCIDATE solves.”

ELUCIDATE provides a way to share project status without having the formality of a project status report every week. The app, which is available to all 11,000 employees at Upstate, allows users to ‘follow’ the projects they are interested in and receive real time project updates via a newsfeed.

Based on the current success of ELUCIDATE, Zeman and DeGroat want to build a platform that can go beyond Upstate. “This technology is scalable to any type of organization,” said DeGroat. “This TAF investment will give us the means to package ELUCIDATE as a commercial application.

TAF Class of 2024 - Mark Zeman & Mary DeGroat - Upstate Medical University

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Previous Awardees

TAF Class of 2023

 

Yanna LiangYanna Liang
CNSE/University at Albany
Removing Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from Drinking Water

blank headshot frameAnthony Di Pasqua and Mengwei Sun
Binghamton University 
Deep-penetrating Lidocaine Topical Gel

Miao YuMiao Yu
University at Buffalo
Membrane for Highly Efficient CO2 Capture

Moro SalifuMoro Salifu
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Drug to Treat Vascular Access Stenosis and Thrombosis

Wendong TaoWendong Tao 
SUNY College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry 
Sustainable Wastewater Treatment

Janet PaluhJanet Paluh
CNSE/University at Albany  
Artificial Intelligence Framework for Tumor Diagnostics

Alexander OrlovAlexander Orlov
Stony Brook University
Green Polymer Nanocomposites

Adam WaickmanAdam Waickman
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Treatment for Flaviviruses

Audrey BernsteinAudrey Bernstein
SUNY Upstate Medical University
Regenerative Wound Healing

 

TAF Class of 2022

Thomas Begley headshotThomas Begley
University at Albany
MRMod: Software to Measure RNA Modopathies
Learn more: Research Is Bringing Personalized Medicine to the Next Level

Kambiz Ghanzinour headshotKambiz Ghanzinour
SUNY Canton
Digital-PASS to Empower K-12 Students to Mitigate Security Threats From the Internet
Learn more: Professor’s Work Helps Improve Cyber Awareness Through Gaming

Juntao Luo headshotJuntao Luo
Upstate Medical University
An Injectable Nanoformulation of CMT-3 for Sepsis and ARDS Treatment
Learn more:  New Research Uses Nanotechnology To Fight Disease At The Molecular Level

Bandaru Ramarao headshotBandaru Ramarao
College of Environmental Science and Engineering
Production of Targeted Bioplastic from Agro-Waste for Food Packaging Applications
Learn more:  New Research is Turning Waste Into BioPlastics for Everyday Use

Shenqiang Ren headshotShenqiang Ren
University at Buffalo
Conductive Copper Ink Materials for Flexible Electronics in High Temperature Applications
Learn more: Powering the Next Generation of Electronics with Clean, Sustainable Energy

Clinton Rubin headshotClinton Rubin
Stony Brook University
Low Intensity Vibration to Accelerate T-Cell Proliferation in Autologous Cell Therapy
Learn more: Research is Working to Make Cancer Treatment More Effective and Accessible

Scott Schiffres headshotScott Schiffres
Binghamton University
Enhanced Nondestructive Testing in Metal Power-Based Additive Manufacturing (ENDTech)
Learn more: The Future Meets the Past With 21st Century Materials Printing

Woongje Sung headshotWoongje Sung
University at Albany
Rugged SiC Power MOSFETs Enabled by Innovative Device Architecture and Novel Processing Technique
Learn more: New Research Is Accelerating the Clean Tech Revolution

TAF Class of 2020

Qingzhi Zhu
Stony Brook University
Nitrogen Sensor for Advanced Septic Systems 

Alex Nikulin, Timothy S. de Smet
Binghamton University
System for Locating Orphaned Gas and Oil Wells

Albert Titus
University at Buffalo
Miniaturized pH Sensor for Healthcare and Manufacturing Applications

John Danias
Downstate Health Sciences University
Gene Therapy for Glaucoma

TAF Class of 2019

Derek Werthmuller
University at Albany
Community Asset Tracker

Janet Morrow
University at Buffalo
New MRI Contrast Agent

Shenqiang Ren
University at Buffalo
Aerogel Insulation

Chongmin Huan and Christopher Roman
Downstate Health Sciences University
New Lupus Drug

TAF Class of 2018

Igor Lednev
University at Albany
Alzheimer’s Diagnostic

Chuan-Jian Zhong
Binghamton University
Emission Control System Catalysts with Low Levels of  Platinum Group Metals and Low Operating Temperatures

Blaine Pfeifer
University at Buffalo
A Consolidated Liposomal Design for Staph Infection Vaccination

Steven Macknik
Downstate Health Sciences University
Ocular Tremor Measurement System Enabling Ultra-Sensitive Eye-Tracking

Anurag Purwar
Stony Brook University
A Design-Driven Educational Robotics Framework

Eric Helms, Jacqueline Bennett
SUNY Geneseo, SUNY Oneonta
Green Chemical Synthesis Process

 

TAF Class of 2017

Daniele Fabris
University at Albany
RNA-based Technologies for the Detection of Pathogens in Dairy Production

Susan Bane
Binghamton University
Fast, Versatile Biomolecule Coupling Technology

Sathy Balu-Lyer
University at Buffalo
Technology to Reverse Unwanted Immunogenicity

Patanjali Parimi
SUNY Oswego
Secure High Data Rate Communications Employing Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) Modulation of EM Waves

TAF Class of 2016

Mark Stewart
Downstate Health Sciences University
Next Generation Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator and Cardioversion Device

Qing Lin
University at Buffalo
Chemical Technologies for Translating Peptide Hormones into Therapeutics for Treatment of Diabetes and Obesity

Wayne Jones
Binghamton University
Thin Film Polymer Nanocomposites for Low Cost Passive Solar Applications

Christopher Neville/Brian Rieger
Upstate Medical University
Cognitive Testing Suite for Use in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Assessment

Chris Nomura
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery of Anticancer Agents

Igor Lednev
University at Albany
Identification of Body Fluids Using Raman Spectroscopy

TAF Class of 2015

Paul Maccabee
Downstate Health Sciences University
Improved Diagnosis of Demyelinating Neuropathies Using Magnetic Stimulation

Rabi Musah
University  at Albany
Automated Gel Electrophoresis Detection

Tomas Henriquez
SUNY Buffalo State
Haptic Video Game Controller

William Kerr
Upstate Medical University
SHIP 1 Inhibitory Drug Candidates for Blood Cell Recovery and Treating Obesity

Annie Rohan
Stony Brook University
Novel Medical Catheter Device with Light Emitting Diodes

Glenna Bett
University at Buffalo
Novel in vitro Arrhythmia Drug Safety Screening Assay

TAF Class of 2014

Thomas Floyd
Stony Brook University
Spinal Fiber Optic Monitoring for Ischemia

Douglas Conklin
University at Albany
Repurposing a Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor for Breast Cancer Treatment

Jason Armstrong
University at Buffalo
Ultra-stable pico-resolution metrology system for devices beyond Moore’s law

Mahmood Hussain
Downstate Health Sciences University
Therapeutic Agents to Lower Plasma Lipids and Regress Atherosclerosis

Wayne Jones
Binghamton University
Thermally Stabilized Dyes

Steven Diver
University at Buffalo
Metal Scavenger Resins for the Removal and Recovery of Transition Metals from Chemical Processes
 
Gary Niemen
Upstate Medical University
Minimally Invasive Infusion & Suction Therapy Device Effective Treatment for Abdominal Trauma and Sepsis

Balaji Sitharaman
Stony Brook University
Novel Graphene Nanoparticle (GNP) Based Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Contrast Agents

Leslie Ying
University at Buffalo
Super-Fast Reconstruction Technique for Parallel Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Susan Sharfstein
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Artificial Human Trabecular Meshwork for High-throughput Glaucoma Therapeutic Screening

TAF Class of 2013

Fatimah Shahedipour‐Sandvik
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Novel Method to Deactivate Defects and Improve Performance of Electronics

Jason Armstrong
University at Buffalo
Metrology System Capable of Studying a Single

Sabine Brouxhon
Stony Brook University
New Therapy for Breast and Related Cancers

Stewart Loh
College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Converting Cellulose to Ethanol

Henri Tiedge
Downstate Health Sciences University
New Blood Test for Circulating Tumor Cells

TAF Class of 2012

Alexander Cartwright
University at Buffalo
Graded Polymeric Photonic Bandgap Gratings for Compact Multispectral Analyzers

Sarbajit Banerjee
University at Buffalo
Smart Windows

Anurag Purwar
Stony Brook University 
Sit to Stand Device

Andrew Kaufman
Upstate Medical University
Wireless Pulse Oximetry Suicide Detection System

Paul Agris
University at Albany
Novel Antibiotics Targeting Conserved RNAs of Drug Resistant Pathogens

Ken McLeod
Binghamton University
MicroEnvironmental Control Systems

TAF Class of 2011

Lei Zuo
Stony Brook University
Electricity Generating Shock Absorbers

Scott Tenenbaum
SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Novel Antibiotics Targeting Conserved RNAs of Drug Resistant Pathogens
 
Ron Miles
Binghamton University
Optical Differential Microphone

Thomas Szyperski
University at Buffalo
Screening for Ovarian Cancer

Edward Quadros
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
A New Blood Test for Neuro-developmental Disorders