Scalable Production of Fungal Ice-Nucleating Proteins
Our work will focus on two main objectives. First, we will optimize growth conditions and INP extraction protocols from fungal cultures to enable direct, high-yield protein purification. Second, we will establish heterologous expression of fungal INPs in microbial hosts such as yeast, with the goal of enhancing INP production yield and scalability. The proposed work […]
Novel Design Methodologies of Anisotropic Lattice Structures for the Optimization of Gas Distribution Systems
This research will replace conventional diffuser plates with porous, optimized lattice structures. These will be developed using physics-informed generative algorithms and multiscale simulation frameworks, then validated experimentally using Boise State’s MOCVD reactor system. The project leverages academic resources to overcome industrial lock-in, enabling retrofit-compatible designs that reduce cost while enhancing deposition uniformity.
Commercialization of a 3D Printed Cutting System
This project will launch a new product that addresses an unmet critical need in the standardization of mechanical testing for engineered and biological materials. This patented product, called the Print-A-Punch, uses 3D printed components in combination with fasteners and replaceable flexible razors to extract dumbbell-shaped coupons from soft materials for tensile testing. Relative to existing […]
Transforming partnerships with Idaho law enforcement agencies for forensic geophysics practice and education at Boise State University
Forensic geophysics, a growing discipline that uses non-invasive and non-destructive techniques to identify subsurface disturbances, offers new possibilities for locating unmarked burials and associated crime scene evidence. At Boise State University, the Department of Geosciences often responds to requests from Idaho law enforcement agencies to assist in searching for missing persons. Building on this foundation, […]
Amplifying Impact: A Scalable Model of Engaged Scholarship for Measuring Idaho’s Music Industry
This project investigates the economic, cultural, and community development impacts of Idaho’s music industry, with Treefort Music Fest serving as a focal point to understand how creative ecosystems contribute to statewide vitality. Through a community-engaged and mixed-methods approach—including economic modeling, qualitative interviews, and case study analysis—the project will generate a holistic framework for understanding music’s […]
Commercializing RhetorixLab: A Market-Driven Solution for Authentic Learning in the Age of AI
This project addresses these challenges, academic integrity, ensuring meaningful learning outcomes, and cultivating skills needed for today’s workforce, by accelerating the development and commercialization of RhetorixLab – a transformative assessment platform built around Asynchronous Oral Assessments (AOAs). Initially developed and piloted at Boise State University, AOAs require students to respond to prompts in a timed, […]
Sensitive Lateral Flow Assay using Dissolvable Nasal Swabs
Influenza (flu) infections are commonly diagnosed using Rapid Influenza Diagnostic Tests or RIDTs that are inexpensive, do not require specialized equipment, and can provide results within 15 minutes. RIDTs, however, often produce false negative results requiring that their outcomes be validated with advanced tests which largely compromises their time and cost benefits. In this project, […]
Making the Case for Higher Taxes
This project by the Institute for Macroeconomic and Policy Analysis (IMPA) translates research on corporate taxation into actionable tools and policy evaluations. Challenging traditional critiques, the research shows that increasing corporate tax rates reduces inequality in income and wealth and generates significant government revenue without harming investment and economic growth. Through policy briefs, open-access code […]
Hydrogel Plant Growth Substrates with Intact Microbiomes for Controlled Environment Agriculture
The key objective of this project is to develop a fundamentally unique PGS that is vastly superior to rockwool. This will be accomplished by encapsulating beneficial bacteria within hydrogel soil surrogates to recreate a natural root zone, complete with an intact microbiome. Referred to as MicroBiome-Utilizing Growth Substrates (μBUGS), these materials will host the microbiome […]
Full 3D-Tomography (F3DT) Software
F3DT is a new technology for non-invasive imaging of the interior of an object. It is like the CT scan for imaging the interior of the human body, but instead of using radiative X-rays, it uses non-invasive mechanical waves (i.e., elastic waves in solids, sound waves in liquids). F3DT has a wide range of applications, […]
