The Iowa Stater
May 1996
Technology in the works
From where she sits, it's hard for Lisa Kuuttila not to see the next big-royalty-generating technology coming down the pike at Iowa State. Kuuttila, the associate director of the Center for Advanced Technology Development, which helps ready Iowa State technologies for commercialization, says all the projects her office is working on "are exciting."Consider this short list of tech-nologies in the works at CATD.
Molecular flashlight
Susan Carpenter, associate professor of microbiology,
immunology and preventive medicine; George Kraus, professor
and chair of chemistry; and Jake Petrich, associate professor
of chemistry, are working on a tech-nology that combines
recombinant DNA and a chemical biocide to combat diseases
like cancer and possibly, AIDS. The technology uses
photoactive molecules, which can be energized in the presence
of light generated by a chemical interaction. The light-
activated molecules target and destroy viruses in the body.
While the technology looks promising, the researchers say
several formidable hurdles remain.
Revved-up robots
Work by Ken McConnell, professor of aerospace
engineering and engineering mechanics, could result in
robotic quickness and flexibility of Olympian proportions.
McConnell is working on ways to control residual vibrations
that occur when a robot arm moves. The faster the arm moves,
the greater the effect of residual vibrations. McConnell's
overall goal is to build lighter, more flexible robots that
use less energy.
Memory minder
Ever caught with your memory down? That may never be the
case if the work of Kelvin Nilsen, assis-tant professor of
computer science at Iowa State, and Andy Burkland, Electronic
Technology Corp., Ames, is a success. They are developing a
dynamic memory management system for computers. The idea is
to get more power out of your computer by continually
managing its memory, making it operate at peak efficiency.
The system already provides a five-fold improvement of memory
systems and is geared for use in desktop multi-media systems,
intelligent interactive robotics and virtual reality.
-- Skip Derra, News Service
The Iowa Stater, stater@iastate.edu, University Relations
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