CU Technology and Discovery News

CU Boulder College of Engineering & Applied Science—William Frantz didn’t walk away with the top prize at this year’s Lab Venture Challenge (LVC), but his research may still be a winner for future cancer patients. Frantz is developing microscopic droplets designed to help doctors track radiation therapy in real time, technology that could one day make cancer treatment more precise and less harmful, particularly for pediatric patients.

ScienceDaily—CU Boulder researchers have designed microscopic “racetracks” that trap and amplify light with exceptional efficiency. By using smooth curves inspired by highway engineering, they reduced energy loss and kept light circulating longer inside the device. Fabricated with sub-nanometer precision, the resonators rank among the top performers made from chalcogenide glass. The technology could lead to compact sensors, microlasers, and advanced quantum systems.

CU Boulder Today—A neural circuit hidden in an understudied region of the brain plays a critical role in turning temporary pain into pain that can last months or years, according to new University of Colorado Boulder research. The animal study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that silencing this pathway, known as the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC), can prevent or halt chronic pain.

CU Boulder Today—University of Colorado researchers have developed a fast, easy test that could help blood centers and hospitals monitor the quality of stored red blood cells. The palm-sized, chip-based device uses surface acoustic waves to assess cell aging, with the goal of improving transfusion outcomes and better allocating high-quality blood to patients.

Colorado AI News—A PhD student and an associate professor at CU Denver are trying to make today's language models more inventive without letting them drift into nonsense. They landed in MIT Technology Review's "What's next for AI in 2026" with a deceptively simple question: Can today's AI language models generate genuinely new ideas without turning creativity into nonsense?

In an ongoing effort to bridge a pervasive investment gap in innovation funding, the University of Colorado Boulder has awarded pre-seed funding to Illumen Therapeutics, developing cancer treatments based on discoveries from startup co-founder Roy Parker’s lab at CU Boulder.

FOX31 Denver—Host Genelle Padilla speaks with Jack Gugel and Thomas Martin, two researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder, who are studying pythons to develop a weight-loss treatment.

Denver7—NASA has selected a proposal from CU Boulder researchers to design and build instruments that will be deployed by astronauts on the Moon. The instrument suite designed at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) will analyze lunar dust, which is abrasive like glass and sticks to all surfaces. Lunar dust can damage equipment and harm astronauts if inhaled.

A new, thin insulator has been designed to boost the energy efficiency of windows by blocking heat. Designed by a team from the University of Colorado Boulder, this invisible window shield material has been dubbed Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator (MOCHI).

CU Boulder Today—Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., second only to heart disease. But a new cancer treatment method from CU Boulder researchers uses sound waves to soften tumors and could be a potent tool against the disease.