Biosciences

Modendo, a CU Boulder spinout, has been awarded a $3 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a project to provide researchers with powerful new tools to study brain circuits at scale.

CU Boulder College of Engineering and Applied Science—CU Boulder's BioServe Space Technologies is being recognized for decades of contributions to the International Space Station with a NASA Space Flight Awareness Supplier Award. Housed within the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, the center has been designing, building and flying microgravity life science research experiments and hardware since 1987, with six payloads launching less than two months ago.

Venture Partners capped off its fifth Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator with the 2026 Ascent Deep Tech Community Showcase, where research-based startup teams pitched innovations originating from CU to an audience of investors, entrepreneurs and fellow researchers. The showcase featured ventures developing breakthrough solutions in health, robotics, advanced materials and more.

Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA)—The presenting companies selected for the 2026 Rocky Mountain Life Sciences Investor & Partnering Conference feature close to 50 companies from Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West, including eight from CU Boulder.

The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) has announced that eight CU Boulder researchers and four startups received funding through the latest round of the Advanced Industries Accelerator Program. The awards, granted through the Proof of Concept and Early-Stage Capital and Retention programs, represent one of the university's strongest performances to date.

NASA—Research led by Tobias Niederwieser, assistant research professor in CU Boulder's BioServe Space Technologies, is exploring how microgravity can enable the large-scale production of high-quality blood stem cells aboard the International Space Station. The work could improve treatments for blood cancers, immune disorders and other diseases by creating more reliable supplies of stem cells for patients on Earth.

9NEWS—Ding Xue, professor in CU Boulder's Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, said the study opens the path to see if the protein affects humans in crowded cities.

CU Boulder Today—University of Colorado Boulder researchers have developed a method to activate and sustain glowing bioluminescent algae using simple chemical solutions, opening the door to future technologies such as living sensors and autonomous systems that operate in dark environments.

CU Boulder Today—The prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences has announced its newest members, and they include CU Boulder affiliates William Penuel and Jun Ye.

CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences—Research suggests that disrupted or fragmented sleep after a traumatic brain injury not only interferes with the healing process but also has long-term consequences for brain health. Rachel Rowe, an assistant professor of integrative physiology at the University of Colorado Boulder, has investigated this question in a recent study linking low-quality sleep following traumatic brain injury to cognitive impairment, persistent inflammation and delayed healing.