Research News

An engineering researcher at RIT has discovered the means to process data using DNA. Amlan Ganguly, computer engineering department head in RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering, and researchers at the University of Minnesota, designed a microfluidic integrated circuit to perform complex operations through artificial neural network computations on data stored in DNA.

Each year, RIT welcomes nearly 2,000 students from more than 100 countries to its campus. The draw of a top-notch STEM education, along with a nationally ranked co-op and internship program and an increasing global reach with numerous opportunities for programmatic exchanges, gives students the chance for real-world work experiences and career focus.

In tumors, cells follow microscopic fibers, comparable to following roads through a city. Researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology developed a new technique to study different features of these “fiber highways” to provide new insights into how cells move efficiently through the tumor environment.

In a space known for innovative science and technology, Paige Manley '24 (3D digital design) is demonstrating the value of art as an aid to science through opportunities with NASA.

Michael Zuzak, a faculty-researcher at RIT, is one of a growing field of engineers looking to improve computer chip security during manufacturing. Zuzak received a two-year National Science Foundation grant to use the developmental practice of logic obfuscation to enable system-wide security during the manufacturing and testing of integrated circuits.

Researchers are improving non-invasive treatment options for degenerative disc disease, an ailment that impacts 3 million adults yearly in the U.S. Using state-of-the-art gene editing technology in mesenchymal stem cells, the researchers will add to the growing field of regenerative medicine, the process of producing cellular therapies to alleviate pain and lack of mobility.

AIM Photonics hosted several days of training Aug. 15-17 in Photonic Integrated Circuits: Testing and Packaging Boot Camp, including one day at RIT.

Qian Xue, associate professor of mechanical engineering in RIT's Kate Gleason College of Engineering and recent NSF CAREER Awardee, is exploring how the varied sizes, shapes, and directions of whiskers on harbor seals can correlate to better sensor technologies. 

From building a cleanroom in his family home while he was in high school to becoming an entrepreneur and Ph.D., it is no wonder that RIT alumnus Matt Hartensveld is viewed as a future leader in the microelectronics industry. He was recently named SEMICON West 20 under 30 awardee, given by the organization to recognize the microelectronic industry’s brightest young leaders.

Professor Bruce Smith has made a career of innovations in nanolithography—the process of etching complex patterns on semiconductors—and in preparing a long line of graduates for work in organizations around the globe. Celebrating 35 years as a faculty member, his retirement from RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering is a significant milestone that comes after many years of collaborating with leading semiconductor groups around the world.

Researchers from five colleges at RIT are testing a new way to deliver mental health therapy to people struggling with alcohol/drug addiction and aggressive behavior. RIT is running a randomized clinical trial with the Food and Drug Administration to test the therapy platform “RITchCBT” as a tool for treating people whose substance use disorders have led to intimate partner violence.

The Rochester Beacon features the U.S.-Japan University Partnership for Workforce Advancement and Research & Development in Semiconductors for the Future, of which RIT was named a member during the 2023 G7 Summit in Hiroshima, Japan.