DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The State of Ohio Technology Validation Startup Fund just awarded three tech startups $200,000 in grant awards. All three startups utilize technology developed at the University of Dayton through the Propel Dayton program. Before the companies are launched, they undergo three phases including exploring commercial opportunities and outlining available resources. An […]
A better mask
A better mask Michelle Tedford • April 09, 2021 The University of Dayton s business development program helps one researcher grow his great idea into solutions for cleaner air and cleaner water.
Luis Estevez wants his research to help the world. So when the coronavirus hit, he looked at the clean water technology he was developing in the UD Research Institute and decided he could use it to clean the air, too.
Silver nanoparticles in the AIMM mask
destroy the virus’s ability to infect.
His N95 mask has a distinct advantage over the masks now used, he said. Typical N95 masks rely on overlapping fibers to trap the virus and other pathogens. They get contaminated and are thrown away or undergo a complicated disinfection process. His design coats the mask with silver nanoparticles that destroy the virus’s ability to infect.
When Allan Crasto retires as Executive Director of the University of Dayton Research Institute March 1, he will leave behind a legacy of significant organizational growth in a variety of forms. In the five years since he assumed the role, sponsored research revenue grew by 70 percent to $170 million, the employee population grew by 60 percent to 709, UD rose from third to first place among all colleges in the nation in materials research, and UDRI was reorganized and rebranded.
But Crasto’s contributions to research growth began 32 years ago, when he joined UDRI as a research scientist specializing in polymer-matrix composites. He quickly earned a reputation not only for his technical expertise, but for his ability to develop relationships with Department of Defense and industry customers and build research programs, said John Leland, vice president for research at UD.