Unscripted: Science and Engineering Research–

May 27, 2020

Nasty Bugs: Removing Parasitic Worms from Wastewater

Because of the strict food safety measures, and the quality of water and wastewater
treatment infrastructure in the U.S., there are not parasitic worms in wastewater
or biosolids.

Removing viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, from wastewater is important. So too is treating wastewater to remove parasitic worms, which affect more than 1 billion people worldwide. . . . Read More

May 07, 2020

Q&A with the MTU Masterminds of 3D-Printed PPE

Michigan Tech's 3D printing fleet has been put to work producing personal protective
equipment for the community.

Michigan Technological University’s Van Pelt and Opie Library may be more solitary than ever these days, but it isn't quiet. The library's 3D printers are running full blast, turning out thousands of face shields for community health workers. . . . Read More

May 04, 2020

Prismatic Primer: MTU Photonics and Optics Harness the Light

Looking through the lens of photonics and optics is an inherently interdisciplinary
adventure.

Photonics and optics — the fields of light — are like the colors of the rainbow. There are measurable differences, but no one draws a heavy black line between them. . . . Read More

April 30, 2020

Guest Blog: Quick, We Need a Writer!

The National Guard is ready to deploy the Mobile Thermal Utility Sanitizer (MTU Sanitizer)
that Sidona DeBrule and Lindsey Wells worked on alongside other University engineers,
Credit: Andrew Barnard

In her guest blog, Maria Bergstrom, academic advisor and lecturer in Humanities, shares how the call for a writer is a reflection of the times — and you just never know where your education will take you. . . . Read More

April 22, 2020

Supply Chains and Pandemics

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed opportunities to adjust supply chains for increased
resiliency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the need for supply chains to evolve to meet demand flux and minimize risk. . . . Read More

April 02, 2020

Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis: The Making of Vaccines

Researchers at Michigan Technological University are creating new processes to improve
the second of three steps of vaccine manufacturing â€” purification â€” which often accounts
for 50-70% of the manufacturing costs of a vaccine.

New purification methods may streamline the vaccine manufacturing process and make scaling up production easier. . . . Read More

March 20, 2020

MTU Engineering Team Joins Open-source Ventilator Movement

Using distributed technologies like 3D printing and circuit milling systems, makers
around the world hope to build an open-source ventilator.

HardwareX has an open call for papers to build an open-source, 3D-printed ventilator and other COVID-19 medical hardware. They need ideas, printers, medical experts and a synthetic lung. . . . Read More

March 09, 2020

Stream Gauge Lost in 2018 Flood Returns This Spring

A stream gauge will be placed in spring 2020 by the newly replaced Paradise Road bridge
over the Pilgrim River.

Thanks to a partnership between Michigan Tech and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the flow monitoring gauge on the Pilgrim River will be replaced in spring 2020. . . . Read More

March 04, 2020

Trees Don't Lie

Zach Merrill cores a jack pine in Chippewa Harbor at Isle Royale National Park. Kneeling
in itchy common juniper, wading through marshes, and moose encounters come with the
PhD candidate's research. He has no complaints.

There’s a method to my dendrochronology. . . . Read More

February 20, 2020

Research Heats Up with HITEMMP

Next generation heat exchangers will be 3D printed, low-cost, ultra-compact and able
to withstand high-temperature, high-pressure environments.

HITEMMP stands for High Intensity Thermal Exchange through Materials and Manufacturing Processes, a new initiative through the Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). . . . Read More

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