2022 CU SPUR Projects

Project Description UV light is an exciting alternative to chlorine for disinfection of water. This research will use ultraviolet (UV) light technology for disinfection purposes, particularly for control of microbial growth and biofilm development in water distribution systems. The impact of UV light on microorganisms will be studied through microbiological...

Project Description The student will work with mechanical and environmental engineers to test and deploy personal air quality monitors with participants in a research study being conducted in North Denver. The students responsibilities will include sensor calibration, providing sensors to research participants and training them on sensor use, as well...

Project Description The goal of this project is to improve the performance, capacity, usability, and scalability of SynBioHub, a next-generation repository for managing synthetic biology projects. SynBioHub3 will store designs for engineered biological systems, information about plans and protocols for the construction and experimentation on these designs, the experimental data...

Project Description Thermal bubble-based micro-pumps are an upcoming microfluidic pump technology that are scalable, fully integrated, and have no moving parts. These pumps consist of a thin film resistor which superheats liquid to near its critical temperature (330 °C in the case of water) in less than 10 µs which...

Project Description In this project, the student will participate in the use of machine learning models to predict solar magnetic eruptions (more colloquially known as "solar flares"). Solar flares and associated coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the main drivers of Earth-impacting space weather events, including ionospheric disturbances, geomagnetic storms, and...

Project Description Volumetric Additive Manufacturing (VAM) is a new 3D printing technique in which a centimeter sized part with features smaller than a human hair prints in just a few minutes. VAM works by projecting images into a liquid volume of material from different angles. As more projections occur, light...

Project Description Wet granular flows involve small, solid particles that are coated with thin liquid layers. They are important in coating processes (such as for controlled-release pharmaceuticals, fertilizers and candy), agglomeration processes (e.g., air filtration) and natural phenomena (e.g., avalanches and mudslides). This project studies the fundamentals of wet granular...

Project Description The Building Legacy in Engineering research project will take an inter-institution approach to create an authentic and scalable inquiry-based, active learning environment focused on sustainable civic innovation. This project is designed to document and validate the approach to be replicated by other university partnerships to strengthen communities. The...

Project Description Helical particles made of a composite polymer material and paramagnetic nanoparticles can be driven to propel by the torque induced from the continuous misalignment of the magnetization of the particles with a rotating magnetic field, thus mimicking the mechanism of bacterial motion through flagella and cilia rotation. While...

Project Description This project will require you to learn how to synthesize microbubbles and isolate them by size using centrifugation. You will also learn how to observe them under the microscope and measure their size distribution. You will then learn how to use a high-intensity focused ultrasound device and passive...