Technograph Fall 2016

VOLUME 132: FALL 2016

WATER Professor works to find a sustainable solution to worldwide crisis PAGE 7 »

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TECHNOSTAFF Technograph editor Isabella Jackson Assistant Technograph editor Brooks Berish Editor-in-Cheif Masaki Sugimoto Managing editor for reporting Michal Dwojak Creative director Hannah Auten Designers Michelle Tam Jacob Singleton Copy chiefs Samantha Skipper Writers Lilly Mashayek Jessica Peterson Emily Scott Page transmission Joseph Longo Co-publishers Kit Donahue Melissa Pasco Email technograph@dailyillini.com Mail Technograph 512 E. Green St, 3rd floor Champaign, IL 61820 Phone (217) 337-8350 AN ILLINI MEDIA MEDIA PUBLICATION COPYRIGHT 2016

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Detecting sepsis

Water crisis

Solar energy

Students working on lifesaving device win $15,000 in national competition

Professor works to find a sustainable solution for water crisis

University researchers work to make solar energy more affordable

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PAGE 7

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Students working on life-saving device win $15,000 in national competition LILLY MASHAYEK | TECHNOGRAPH WRITER

A

handful of undergraduate students came together to create a lifesaving device that works against a disease which kills more people in the U.S. than prostate cancer, breast cancer and AIDS combined; sepsis.

These University students won a $15,000 prize for developing a disposable chip that detects biomarkers of sepsis. The prize is from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, or NIBIB, which is an institute at the National Institutes for Health.

The University’s Bioengineering Team won the prize for placing second in the Design by Biomedical Undergraduate Teams (DEBUT) Challenge, which is sponsored by NIBIB. Winning teams designed tools in response to numerous health care concerns such as sepsis, which is a potentially deadly bodily response to infection.

“Now we are in our fifth year, so it’s kind of known as a prestigious competition,” said Zeynep Erim, program director in the Division of Interdisciplinary Training at NIBIB. “It’s a quite competitive process.”

In order to compete, teams must consist of at least three members and all

of them must be undergraduate students.

Erim said the DEBUT Challenge received 72 applications from all over the country for this year’s competition.

Members of the University’s team include students Emilee Flaugher, Manish Patel, Michael Rappleye, Ishan Taneja, Samuel Wachspress and Jackson Winter.

University professor Rashid Bashir and research scientist Bobby Reddy served as mentors for the lab group and project.

The team expanded on similar research previously done by other graduate and postdoctoral students in their lab group, said junior in engineering Emilee Flaugher, who joined the team in May 2015.

“So initially similar technology was used for work with HIV,” she said. “So that’s sort of where the technology started off, and then we started working with it to look at some proteins associated with sepsis.”

Flaugher said the device works by first taking a really small sample of blood and then destroying the red blood cells in it. Once the red blood cells are removed, the blood moves through a narrow channel that contains a sort of glue that attracts the protein biomarker

for sepsis. The more protein on the white blood cells, the more that will get caught in the glue.

“Think about a ball with Velcro on it; if you rolled it down an aisle of Velcro, the more Velcro that was on the surface, the better odds you would have to catch it,” she said.

The number of white blood cells in the blood are counted before and after they enter the channel containing the glue.

Based on the difference in white blood cell counts, the team can determine how much of the protein that is associated with sepsis is present in the blood.

“By using that information we are building basically data sets that tell us … if this many percentage of white blood cells got caught, what does that mean for disease state,” Flaugher said. “The more that got caught, the further along in this septic pathway you would be.”

Sam Wachspress, who graduated from the University last fall, joined the team in spring 2016 as a postdoctorate after he saw a post on Reddit that said the lab was looking for someone to help with software and computer algorithms for the device.

“It seemed like an interesting project

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so I got back to them and I ended up doing a lot of work on it,” he said. “So I did the signal analysis that is used to detect cells and also wrote the application which communicates wirelessly with the device to provide real time cell counts.”

Flaugher said the team began the application process for the competition at the end of the spring 2016 semester and worked on it throughout the summer.

“What really makes the project interesting is that it’s achieving this thing that’s identification as a point of care device,” Erim said. “They were able to keep the costs within reason to make it really feasible at some point that it will reach the patient.”

She said that the team told her they plan to keep working on the project and to see it through commercialization, which Erim said is an aspect that is “exciting about the project.”

After winning second place, Wach-

spress said, “It was kind of exciting to find out like, wow, NIH is recognizing this work.”

He said the device is currently broken up into independent modules for each stage of the test and that they are currently trying to combine them all into a single device.

“Then there’s a lot of bench top electronic equipment — the demo takes up, like, most of a desk, but we (want to) get it down to handheld size,” he said.

Flaugher said that the team plans to use the prize money they received to work on improving their project design and towards their goal of commercializing the device.

“Our final design is that we want these disposable cartridges and a reader that’s integrated that works specifically with these cartridges,” Wachspress said.

“They were able to keep the costs wihtin reason to make it really feasible at some point that it will reach the patient.”

— ZEYNEP ERIM, Program Director at NIBIB

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Professor works to find a sustainable solution for water crisis

BY JESSICA PETERSON | STAFF WRITER

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a person has been able to drink knowledge, freedom and water his entire life, why should he care about others around the world who have not been granted the same privilege?

Jeremy Guest, assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering, said that the 700 million people who lack improved water sources are the driving force behind his work to provide clean, sustainable water for humans around the world.

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“You think about the impact you want your research to have, especially when about a third of the world lacks access to what we consider to be the most basic human right.”

— GUEST

The first time Guest heard his calling was in a lecture given by Frank Rijsberman, who at that time was the director of Water Sanitation and Hygiene through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Guest was a student focused on reducing energy consumption through U.S. utilities at the University of Michigan. It was a rude awakening when he saw the many communities in developing countries thirsty for water.

He was unable to sleep for three nights after the presentation and stayed awake as he wrote down ideas. Rather than building bridges or helping create visually-stunning outcomes, Guest decided to pursue the complexities of water, one project at a time.

Today at the University of Illinois, Guest continues to focus his research toward the end goal of providing the world with sustainable water access and guides his students as they attempt to do the same.

Guest's goal is to supply these areas not only with clean water for the immediate future, but with a service that will continue to supply water. This process of turning wastewater into drinking water is sustainable because wherever humans are found, there will be wastewater.

John Trimmer, doctorate student currently working with Guest and a past member of the Peace Corps, spoke about Guest’s goal of advocating not only for wholesome infrastructures, but the relationships that are built while working with the communities being helped.

“I think most importantly, Jeremy (Guest) is committed to making sure we work with people in a way that is respectful and conscientious,” Trimmer wrote in an email.

Guest visits sub-Saharan Africa twice a

0 0 7 m

illi o n

year, for two weeks at a time. During these visits, he connects with the organizations he works with during the rest of the year – African universities and non-governmental organizations.

As organizations look for solutions to problems, the answers they find sometimes leave the initial problem unsolved.

Guest spoke about the building of latrines in order to solve problems caused by open defecation. Communities saw a pit housed by concrete slabs, and rather than using the infrastructure to defecate, they used it to store seed and grain.

Guest also explained how mosquito nets, intended for preventing malaria from spreading, are typically used like chicken wire to corral livestock; one problem is being solved while another continues to remain prevalent.

Guest said partnering with these universities and NGOs has provided a unique educational opportunity for those coming together to work on the same project.

Civil and environmental engineering students at the undergraduate, masters and doctorate levels all have the opportunity to join Guest’s team and research resource recovery.

.

lack people to access 0 H clean 2

Guest said the independent projects students pursue under his supervision will vary, but the underlying theme and goal is to utilize different methods to create a continuously accessible infrastructure.

Amanda Lardizabal, a doctoratal student, emphasizes the value of working closely with a professor as passionate as Guest.

Lardizabal notes the importance of car-

“He is as committed to his students as he is to his work, which inspires and motivates students to be as devoted to their work as he is.”

— LARDIZABAL

ing about the work needed to complete the group’s project, yet goes on to explain how Guest’s influence travels outside the laboratory doors.

“He inspires his students to not only be great researchers, but innovators and leaders as well,” Lardizabal said.

Being human-oriented versus result-oriented provides a well-rounded perspective

9 to Guest when working abroad. Guest said his focus is to help improve lives as soon as possible, especially if the circumstances are ones he has never faced himself.

Peter Luswata, president of an NGO in Uganda, works with Guest on converting pig waste into energy through a process where manure is fermented into a biogas. This energy can then be used to power the infrastructure responsible for cleaning the water.

In leveraging approaches to reach a larger scale and realizing milling corn will produce more income, Luswata and Guest enable the NGO to have a wider reach.

Guest said both he and Luswata have enjoyed their collaboration together. Guest dismissed the notion of cultural barriers and emphasized human connection.

Although Africa is the prime focus of Guest’s work and research, he does not turn a blind eye to the demand for clean

“We’re all just people who want to live out long, happy, successful lives. We want better for our kids. There are many connections that transcend where you are and what language you speak.”

— GUEST

water in America. The water crisis in Flint, Michigan, rose to the country’s focus less than a year ago.

Guest recalls being disturbed by the news, specifically regarding the children whose tap water contained elevated lead levels, which could lead to long-term health complications.

Guest said that there is an understanding that most of America's water is clean and safe, and there is a sense of trust in those who are in charge of supplying it. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

Even after 11 years of working with waste water and advocating for sustainability, for Guest, there is no question of whether to delve further into this work or take a different path.

Guest said his future research and projects will continue to integrate technology and development with a focus on providing not only infrastructure, but also a service for communities in East Africa.

The personal significance of Guest’s work is apparent. His office is covered in children’s artwork, a clock with water designs and a painting with the word ‘water’ in several languages.

Trimmer recognizes Guest is not in the “water business” for acknowledgement nor academic accolades. His motivation lies in knowing his work will better the lives of many.

"When it comes down to it, I believe there are truths that are intrinsically valid," Guest said. "One is that everyone deserves safe access to water and sanitation."

A man who has always had water to drink can still help those who have not. jtpeter3@dailyillini.com

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University researchers work to make solar energy more affordable

BY EMILY SCOTT | TECHNOGRAPH WRITER

I

n the ongoing search for reliable renewable energy sources, two University professors are working to make a form of solar power technology more affordable.

Mechanical science and engineering professors Kimani Toussaint and Placid Ferreira, along with researchers from the University of Michigan and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, were recently selected to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative. This initiative,

which is comparable with President John F. Kennedy’s “Moon Shot” initiative, aims to support research that will make renewable energy more cost competitive with traditional energy sources.

Toussaint and Ferreira’s project involves developing a specific type of solar power technology using solar concentrator systems, which uses refl ective surfaces to focus light at points of absorption and convert that energy into electricity.

Although con-

centrating solar power has been in the industry for decades, it hasn’t been able to compete with photovoltaics, the type of technology used in solar panels that creates an electric current when exposed to light. The team’s goal is to reduce the cost of concentrating solar power so it can compete with solar

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“The challenge is that the cost of photovoltaics . . . has become so inexpensive that the attraction to concentrating solar power is not as strong from a financial perspective,” Toussaint said.

But concentrating solar power has specific advantages over photovoltaics. One of the main challenges with photovoltaics is storage, as it relies on the presence of sunlight to keep its battery charged.

With concentrating solar power, heat can be stored for much longer periods of time and accessed during nighttime operations.

“When you do want to have access to power where there is no more sunlight, concentrating solar

power becomes extremely attractive,” Toussaint said.

Ultimately, their goal is to create a new technology that can be put to market and used in the industry, and they hope to achieve this in a way that hasn’t been done before.

They proposed a flat structure for collecting sunlight, which is different from the traditional concentrating solar power collector that is curved, almost like a bowl. Making the structure flat uses less material, but also brings about a new set of challenges — which is where Toussaint and Ferreira’s expertise in nanotechnology comes in.

Toussaint leads a lab in photonics research of bio/nano environments, and said the lab has done a lot of work in nanotechnology, which

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deals with dimensions less than 100 nanometers. But in this project, they’ll use techniques from nanotechnology to attempt to focus over long distances.

“People have shown . . . that you can take nanostructures and arrange them in such a way that you can focus over distances that are shorter than the thickness of human hair,” he said. “No one has shown that you can do that over centimeters, or meter distances, much longer distances . . . so if we could pull that off, it would be a big deal.”

Ferreira said using nanotechnology in this type of way is something that isn’t normally done. “(This research) is taking emerging technology, that’s nanotechnology, and using our understanding of phenomena that occur at the nanoscale to address problems of the environment and energy,” he said. “So that’s kind of a rather challenging thing to do, and that’s what makes it interesting and special.”

The multiple skill sets they are using in this research — such as in energy and energy conversion, manufacturing and fabrication of materials, and in Toussaint’s case, optics and nanotechnology — are not usually used in collaboration, Ferreira said.

The project is Toussaint’s first foray into solar energy research, but he said it’s something he’s always wanted to do. He hopes this work will make solar power more viable in the face of a future that needs it.

“We’re a planet that has a sun. So being able to access some of the energy from that sun in a waste-free way would be a huge plus,” he said. “I think that it’s only a matter of time that we don’t have any choice but to embrace more renewable energy forms. And you can’t talk about renewable energy . . . without thinking about solar energy. Simply because we have sunlight.”

Solar power has become more feasible over time, especially with the decreased cost of photovoltaics.

Toussaint said he doesn’t expect concentrating solar power to completely replace solar panels, but he does expect the two technologies to become complementary to each other.

“I think if we’re successful, it’ll point us in a certain direction that will allow us to harness phenomena at the nanoscale to actually increase the efficiency of energy conversion devices,” Ferreira said.

Toussaint’s ultimate hope is that this research will add to the vast amount of research in solar technology that has already been done.

“We’re hoping to be able to at least contribute to that body of work in a way that makes this a lot more viable,” he said. “If we’re successful, it’s not that it’s just good for concentrating solar power, it would be good for the entire solar industry.” emscott5@dailyillini.com

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