Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation

Methods and compositions for identifying, quantifying, or characterizing specific biological molecules (e.g., nucleic acids, proteins, metabolites, antibodies) or microbial species, often for diagnostic, prognostic, or quality control applications.

Development of therapeutic approaches involving the genetic modification of cells (e.g., T cells, stem cells, macrophages) or the use of viral/non-viral vectors to deliver genetic material for disease treatment.

Development and use of engineered biological systems, such as organ-on-a-chip devices, dynamic hydrogels, or genetically modified cells, to mimic physiological conditions, study disease mechanisms, screen compounds, or develop cell-based therapies.

Development of lipid-based nanoparticles, liposomes, or other molecular platforms to encapsulate and deliver therapeutic agents, particularly nucleic acids, to target tissues or improve pharmacokinetics.

Methods and systems for the efficient and scalable production, purification, and formulation of proteins and peptides, including fermentation, chromatography, and cell-based expression systems.

Systems and methods that use imaging technologies, computer vision, and augmented reality to provide real-time guidance, localization, and visualization during surgical procedures or for detailed anatomical assessment.

Design and synthesis of acyclic or carbocyclic organic compounds that selectively modulate specific biological targets or pathways for the treatment of diseases.

Therapeutic strategies employing nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, oligonucleotides) to modulate gene expression, deliver genetic material, or interfere with disease-causing pathways. Includes gene therapy using viral vectors.

Therapeutic approaches involving the use of living cells, often genetically modified or ex vivo activated, to treat diseases, particularly cancer, by modulating immune responses or replacing damaged cells.

Techniques for identifying microorganisms, assessing their viability, quantifying their presence, profiling their metabolic activity, or determining their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents, often in complex biological or environmental samples.

Design and engineering of proteins or peptides to directly modulate immune responses, including enhancing antigen presentation, suppressing inflammation, or activating specific immune cell types.

Delivery systems specifically engineered to administer advanced drug formulations (e.g., microparticles, biologics, extended-release systems) to achieve precise targeting, controlled release kinetics, or enhanced therapeutic efficacy within the body.

Design and modification of antibodies or antibody-derived fragments for targeted therapeutic intervention, including bispecific formats, Fc region modifications, and activatable constructs.

Design and application of devices that are inserted into the body or implanted to treat diseases, modulate physiological functions, or repair anatomical structures.

Identification and measurement of specific nucleic acid sequences (DNA, RNA), their expression levels, or epigenetic modifications (e.g., methylation) as indicators for disease presence, progression, risk, or treatment response.

Self-contained or modular devices designed to automate and integrate multiple steps of molecular diagnostic assays, from sample preparation to result interpretation, often for point-of-care or high-throughput applications.

Modification of protein or peptide sequences, structures, or post-translational modifications (e.g., glycosylation, lipidation) to enhance their stability, solubility, delivery, or therapeutic efficacy.

Systems that provide therapeutic stimulation or field therapy through wearable devices, often incorporating physiological sensing and closed-loop feedback for personalized and adaptive treatment.

Development and application of therapeutic proteins or peptides produced through recombinant DNA technology, including fusion proteins and modified growth factors.

Assays leveraging CRISPR-Cas systems (e.g., Cas12, Cas13) for highly specific and sensitive detection of target nucleic acids, often involving collateral cleavage activity or reporter molecules.

Methods and reagents designed to improve the specificity, efficiency, or yield of nucleic acid capture, ligation, amplification, or library preparation steps, particularly for sequencing applications or quantitative analysis.

Employs materials engineered at the nanoscale to create highly sensitive and selective sensors for detecting chemical, biological, or physical analytes, often leveraging plasmonic, photonic, or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effects.

Modifying microorganisms, plant cells, or animal cells through genetic engineering to enhance or enable the biosynthesis of target compounds, often involving metabolic pathway engineering.

Hardware and control techniques for optimizing memory access latency, ensuring data integrity, and managing storage resources efficiently. This includes error correction, read/write voltage control, and intelligent data placement or in-memory computation.

Therapeutic application of electrical signals to nerves or tissues to modulate their activity, often using implantable devices, electrodes, and sophisticated programming for various conditions.

Identifying novel enzymes or modifying existing enzymes through mutagenesis and directed evolution to improve catalytic activity, substrate specificity, or stability for industrial biotransformations.

Use of alternating electric or magnetic fields at specific frequencies and intensities to achieve therapeutic effects, such as inhibiting cell proliferation (e.g., cancer) or modulating cytokine production.

Utilizing machine learning, particularly deep learning, to analyze medical data such as images, sensor readings, or physiological signals for disease prediction, diagnosis, or treatment assessment.

Novel hardware designs and processing pipelines tailored for specific computational tasks, such as graphics rendering, neural network operations, or matrix transformations, often involving custom circuits, memory arrays, or data flow mechanisms.

Therapeutic interventions that target immune checkpoint pathways to either enhance or suppress immune responses, often used in cancer immunotherapy or autoimmune diseases.

Devices and methods utilizing ultrasound energy for non-invasive or minimally invasive treatment, including focused ultrasound for tissue ablation, neuromodulation, or enhanced substance delivery.

Methods and systems for improving the quality of video streams, generating intermediate frames, or continuously locating and following objects within a sequence of images, even under occlusion.

Development of devices and methods for non-invasive or minimally invasive collection and analysis of physiological data, often from wearable sensors, to monitor health, activity, or specific conditions.

Methods and kits for amplifying nucleic acids at a constant temperature, enabling faster results and point-of-care applications, often used for pathogen or contamination detection.

Technologies for establishing and managing high-bandwidth, low-latency communication pathways between computing components, peripherals, or systems, focusing on signal integrity, synchronization, and interface standards.

Therapeutic application of light, typically in the red or near-infrared spectrum, to stimulate cellular function, reduce inflammation, and promote healing, often involving specific wavelengths and irradiance levels.

Techniques for precisely creating structures, patterns, or devices with feature sizes in the nanometer range, including various lithography methods, self-assembly, and controlled growth of nanowires or thin films.

Focuses on the mechanical design, articulation, and actuation of hand-held or robotic surgical instruments, including improvements in stapling, cutting, grasping, and tissue manipulation.

Creation of membranes and surfaces with nanoscale features to control properties like porosity, hydrophobicity, or catalytic activity, particularly for applications in filtration, separation, and environmental remediation.

Specialized hardware, architectural designs, and computational methods to improve the speed, efficiency, and security of artificial intelligence and machine learning model execution, particularly for inference and data processing.

Techniques for rendering, interacting with, and managing content within augmented or virtual reality environments, including spatial tracking, gaze interaction, and dynamic multi-application display management.

Focuses on the design of medical equipment for ease of use, mobility, and adaptability in various clinical or home environments, including carts, mounting systems, and compact form factors.

Developing advanced bioreactor designs, fermentation strategies, and downstream processing techniques to optimize yield, purity, and efficiency of biotechnological production.

Processes for creating or manipulating three-dimensional digital representations of objects or environments, including mesh generation, surface fitting, and depth estimation from multiple views.