CU Technology and Discovery News

CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder researchers have discovered a new way to make human rabies vaccines that could greatly expand access to immunization across the globe.

Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES)—CIRES and NOAA scientists have developed the Hourly Wildfire Potential Index (HWP)—an hourly updated assessment of wildfire risk across every nine square kilometers of land. The tool enhances existing weather prediction models by providing more accurate, real-time forecasts of wildfire activity and associated smoke emissions.

The AB Nexus program announced its 2025 seed grant awards to four research teams from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and the University of Colorado Boulder. Collectively, the winning teams will receive $750,000 in funding to advance cutting-edge research that improves human health and well-being.

KUNC—An innovative cancer therapy inspired by the gripping power of geckos might be on the horizon. Scientists at CU Boulder studied the microscopic structures on gecko toes that allow the tiny reptiles to climb walls and cling to slippery surfaces like windows.

CU Boulder Today—Sanghamitra Neogi, an associate professor in the Ann and H.J. Smead Aerospace Engineering Sciences department, is exploring ways to protect semiconductors and microchips from heat damage. She specializes in nanoscale semiconductors, which are so tiny their parts are measured in nanometers (billionths of a meter).

CU Boulder Today—CU Boulder scientists have taken a cue from geckos to develop a material able to stick to tumors inside the body, pumping out chemotherapy drugs for days. The technology, developed with doctors at CU Anschutz, is described in the journal Advanced Materials.

Venture Partners at CU Boulder has announced the first recipients of a new translational funding program designed to advance promising, early-stage therapeutics with strong commercial potential. The program provides up to $50,000 per project to help CU Boulder researchers generate critical validation data or develop new intellectual property, bringing new treatments a step closer to patients in need.

The Conversation—Over the past several months, universities have lost more than $11 billion in funding. Research into cancer, farming solutions and climate resiliency are just a few of the many projects nationally that have seen cuts. The Conversation asked Massimo Ruzzene, senior vice chancellor for research and innovation at CU Boulder, to explain how these cuts and freezes are impacting the university and Colorado’s local economy.

CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have created a new way to build and control tiny particles that can move and work like microscopic robots, offering a powerful tool with applications in biomedical and environmental research.

CU Boulder Today—In a new study, physicists at the University of Colorado Boulder have used a cloud of atoms chilled down to incredibly cold temperatures to simultaneously measure acceleration in three dimensions—a feat that many scientists didn’t think was possible. The device, a new type of atom “interferometer,” could one day help people navigate submarines, spacecraft, cars and other vehicles more precisely.