Supported Projects

OTTCP provides financial support that enables the conversion of fundamental research into commercial technologies. We do so through a variety of programs including the Rothenberg Innovation Initiative (RI2), the Gates Grubstakes Fund, the Hagopian Innovation Prize and the McKenna Family Innovation Fund. Most awards are made though an annual competition, though we consider especially urgent ideas on an ongoing basis. Below is a list of funded proposals.

2025

Elowitz, Michael - Biological Circuits for Robust Control of Expression Levels in Gene Therapy (renewal)
Newman, Dianne - Novel Formulations and Strategies to Treat Chronic Wound Infections with Chlorate (renewal)
Yue, Yisong - Semantic Tokenization: The Cornerstone of Next-Generation Systems (new)
Wang, Lihong - Development of a Portable Parallel Ultraviolet Photoacoustic Microscopy (PUV-PAM) Device for Rapid Intraoperative Histology (new)
Mayo, Steve - Increasing the safety and sensitivity of cancer therapy with vesicle protein co-display and chemically induced dimerization (new)
Gharib, Mory - Ultrasound Shape Sensing for Surgical Navigation (new)
Atwater, Harry - Low-cost high-pressure hydrogen generation and compression for direct-use applications (new)
Faraon, Andre - Quantum optical interconnects for future superconducting quantum computers (new)

2024

Elowitz, Michael - Biological Circuits for Robust Control of Expression Levels in Gene Therapy (new)
Gao, Wei - A Wearable Aptamer Nanobiosensor for Non-Invasive Female Hormone Monitoring (renewal)
Kornfield, Julie - Non-Surgical Refractive Correction Using Therapeutic Microparticle Delivery to the Cornea (new)
Minnich, Austin - Development of a Highly-Scaled InP Transistor Amplifier with Outstanding Noise Performance and Stability for Commercial Remote Sensing Applications (new)
Newman, Dianne - Novel Formulations and Strategies to Treat Chronic Wound Infections with Chlorate (new)
Orphan, Victoria - Directed Evolution of Algal Communities for Gigaton Scale Carbon Capture and Sequestration (new)
Spiropulu, Maria - Development and Benchmarking of a Measurement Device Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDIQKD) Pre-Prototype System (renewal)
Voorhees, Rebecca - Discovery of Small Molecule Inhibitors of MTCH2 (renewal)
Wang, Kaihang - Design and Construction of Chimeric Bacterial Nanoparticles as Biological Control Agents (new)
Yang, Changhuei - Cancer Prognosis Prediction through Integrated Codesign in Prep, Hardware and Deep Neural Network (renewal)

2023

Cushing, Scott - Highly Tunable Lithium Tantalate On-Chip Entangled Photon Source (renewal)
Daraio, Chiara - Algae Biocomposites/Biomaterials (new)
Gao, Wei - A Wearable Aptamer Nanobiosensor for Non-Invasive Female Hormone Monitoring (new)
Low, Steven - Workplace Decarbonization Through Data, Learning and Control (new)
Pierce, Niles - Dynamic RNA Therapeutic Platform for Treating Diseased Cells Leaving Healthy Cells Untouched (renewal)
Spiropulu, Maria - Development and Benchmarking of a Measurement Device Independent Quantum Key Distribution (MDIQKD) Pre-Prototype System (new)
Voorhees, Rebecca - Discovery of small molecule inhibitors of MTCH2 for cancer therapy (new)
Yang, Changhuei - Cancer Prognosis Prediction through Integrated Codesign in Prep, Hardware and Deep Neural Network (new)

2022

Bjorkman, Pamela - Self-Assembling Viral Spike Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Platform Technology against SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Future Pandemic Coronaviruses (renewal)
Daraio, Chiara/Grubbs, Bob - Medical Polymers that Undergo Remotely Actuated Shape Change for Surgical Applications (renewal)
Elowitz, Michael - Cell Targeting with Synthetic Sense-and-Respond Living Circuits (renewal)
Faraon, Andrei - Multi-Spectral Mid Infrared Image Sensors Using Volumetric Meta-Optics (renewal)
Scherer, Axel - Label-Free Identification of Amino Acids for Protein Sequencing (new)
Van Valen, David - Deep Learning-Enabled Optical Barcodes for Imaging Pooled CRISPR Libraries (renewal)
Cushing, Scott - Highly Tunable Lithium Tantalate On-Chip Entangled Photon Source (new)
Pierce, Niles - Dynamic RNA Therapeutic Platform for Treating Diseased Cells Leaving Healthy Cells Untouched (new)
Emami, Azita - Dynamic Correction of Presbyopia (new)

2021

Bjorkman, Pamela - Self-Assembling Viral Spike Nanoparticles as a Vaccine Platform Technology against SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Future Pandemic Coronaviruses (new)
Elowitz, Michael - Cell Targeting with Synthetic Sense-and-Respond Living Circuits (new)
Faraon, Andrei - Multi-Spectral Mid Infrared Image Sensors Using Volumetric Meta-Optics (new)
Gao, Wei - Smart Bandage for Online Monitoring and Treatment of Infected Chronic Wounds (renewal)
Grubbs, Bob/Shapiro, Mikhail/Daraio, Chiara - Medical Polymers that Undergo Remotely Actuated Shape Change for Surgical Applications (new)
Hajimiri, Ali - LiDAR on a Chip (renewal)
Lester, Henry - A Wearable Opioid Monitoring System for Personalized Pharmacokinetics (renewal)
Thomson, Matt - Bioinspired, Self-Organizing Neural Networks for Real-Time Machine Learning (renewal)
Van Valen, David - Deep Learning-Enabled Optical Barcodes for Imaging Pooled CRISPR Libraries (new)

2020

Anderson, David - A Novel Neuropeptide-Targeted Drug Screening Platform (new)
Daraio, Chiara - Wearable Core Body Temperature Sensors (new)
Gao, Wei - Smart Bandage for Online Monitoring and Treatment of Infected Chronic Wounds (new)
Gharib, Mory - Development of a Non-Contact Image Based IOP Tonometer (renewal)
Hajimiri, Ali - LiDAR on a Chip (new)
Kornfield, Julie/Faber, Katherine - A Dendritic Pore Blood Analysis Platform for Detection of Pathogens at Zeptomolar Concentrations (renewal)
Lester, Henry - A Wearable Opioid Monitoring System for Personalized Pharmacokinetics (new)
Roukes, Michael - Sub-Milliwatt Analog Processor for Edge Computing and Machine Learning (new)
Thomson, Matt - Bioinspired, Self-Organizing Neural Networks for Real-Time Machine Learning (new)

2019

Faraon, Andrei - CMOS Color Image Sensors With Metamaterial Color Splitting
Fischer, Woody - Ooids - A natural, environmentally friendly, gentle microabrasive for cosmetics
Gao, Wei - Wearable Sweat Band for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Stress and Depressive Disorders (Renewal)
Gharib, Mory - Development of a Non-Contact Image Based IOP Tonometer
Kornfield, Julie/Faber, Katherine - A Dendritic Pore Blood Analysis Platform for Detection of Pathogens at Zeptomolar Concentrations
Meister, Markus - A visual prosthesis powered by deep learning and augmented reality
Miller, Tom - A data-driven future for quantum chemistry
Oka, Yuki - Cell-SELECT - in vivo gene editing based cellular engineering platform for treatment of neurological disorders
Scherer, Axel - RF Tags to Monitor Animal Health
Stoltz, Brian - Development of bis-Tetrahydroisoquinoline Anticancer Compounds (Renewal)
Yariv, Amnon - "Turnkey", Frequency-Agile Optical Technology-on-a-Chip (Renewal)

2018

Arnold, Frances - An Engineered Enzyme Platform for Biocatalytic Synthesis of Non-canonical Amino Acids (Renewal)
Baltimore, David - T cell antigen discovery using Signaling and Antigen-presenting Bifunctional Receptors (SABRs)
Thomson, Matt - Predictive Diagnostics Platform Using Single Cell Profiling of Human Blood
Gao, Wei - Wearable Sweat Band for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Stress and Depressive Disorders
Hoffman, Michael - Ultra-Portable Three-Stage Ozone-Assisted Nano-Filtration (ULTRON) Device for Point-of-Use Water and Wastewater Treatment Market (Renewal)
Scherer, Axel - Smart Patch Sensors for Health and Fitness Monitoring
Stoltz, Brian - Development of bis-Tetrahydroisoquinoline Anticancer Compounds
Yariv, Amnon - "Turnkey", Frequency-Agile Optical Technology-on-a-Chip

2017

Arnold, Frances - An Engineered Enzyme Platform for Biocatalytic Synthesis of Non-canonical Amino Acids
Campbell, Judy - Developing DNA2 Helicase/Nuclease Inhibitors as Novel anti-Cancer Drugs - Breast Cancer and Fanconi anemia (Renewal)
Baltimore, David - Immunological Repertoire Sequencing for High-Throughput Antibody and T-cell Receptor Discovery
Tai, Yu-Chong - 100X Higher Density Bioreactors for Cell/Virus/Vector Production
Faraon, Andrei - Slim Endoscopes Based On Dielectric Metasurface Optics For Intravascular Plaque Imaging And Other Applications
Ortiz, Michael - Oncotripsy: Targeting Cancer Cells Selectively via Resonant Harmonic Excitation (Renewal)
Hoffmann, Michael - Ultra-Portable Three-Stage Ozone-Assisted Nano-Filtration (ULTRON) Device for Point-of-Use Water and Wastewater Treatment Market
Yeh, Nai-Chang - Graphene Barriers for Nanoscale Copper Interconnects in ULSI
Arnold, Frances - Biocatalytic Platform for Synthesis of Organosilicon Compounds (Renewal)

2016

Arnold, Frances - Biocatalytic Platform for Synthesis of Organosilicon Compounds
Campbell, Judith - Developing DNA2 Helicase/Nuclease Inhibitors as Novel anti-Cancer Drugs – Breast Cancer and Fanconi anemia
Grubbs, Bob - Molecular Artificial Retina
Mazmanian, Sarkis - Development of novel probiotic therapies for Alzheimer's disease in preclinical models
Ortiz, Michael - Oncotripsy: Targeting cancer cells selectively via resonant harmonic excitation
Adkins, Jess - Development of a Device to Sequester Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide (Renewal)
Baltimore, David - Immunotherapy against HIV-1 using elite controller T cell receptors (Renewal)
Lester, Henry - Biosensors for Subcellular Pharmacokinetics of Ketamine (Renewal)
Low, Steven - IoT Platform for Distributed Energy Resource Optimization (Renewal)
Stoltz, Brian - Quaternary Heterocycles for Drug Discovery (Renewal)

2015

Adkins, Jess - Development of a Device to Sequester Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide
Baltimore, David - Immunotherapy against HIV-1 using elite controller T cell receptors
Cai, Long - Insituomics, Inc. - in situ transcription profiling for research and medicine
Heath, Jim - A Tool for Guiding Next Generation Cancer Immunotherapies
Lester, Henry - Biosensors for Subcellular Pharmacokinetics of Ketamine
Low, Steven - IoT Platform for Distributed Energy Resource Optimization
Stoltz, Brian - Quaternary Heterocycles for Drug Discovery
Bruck, Shuki - Rank Modulation for Next Generation Flash Memories (Renewal)
Ismagilov, Rustem - Genotyping Chemistry to Enable Global Monitoring of Influenza (Renewal)
Yang, Changhuei - Aperture Modulated Fourier Ptychography for 3D Digital Pathology (Renewal)

2014

Bruck, Shuki - Rank Modulation for Next Generation Flash Memories
Yang, Changhuei - Aperture Modulated Fourier Ptychography for 3D Digital Pathology
Zinn, Kai - New technologies for immunization and for screening monoclonal antibodies against human proteins
Ismagilov, Rustem - Genotyping Chemistry to Enable Global Monitoring of Influenza
Tombrello, Tom/Goddard, Bill/Scherer, Axel - Novel Probes for the Highly Multiplexed Detection of DNA Mutations
Hajimiri, Ali - Dynamic wireless power transfer (Renewal)
Sternberg, Paul - Nematode-derived small molecules that modulate the immune system (Renewal)
Gharib, Mory - A new method and device for noninvasive, easy-to-use, and low-cost diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (Renewal)

2013

Greer,Julia / Ortiz, Michael - Exploiting Nano-truss Architectures for Si Electrodes for Liion Batteries
Hajimiri, Ali - Dynamic wireless power transfer
Sternberg, Paul - Nematode-derived small molecules that modulate the immune system
Choo, Hyuck - Nanophotonics-based implantable IOP-sensor with remote optical readout for glaucoma (Renewal)
Davidson, Eric - Revolutionary approach to programmed alteration of differentiated cell identity (Renewal)
Emami, Azita - Novel noninvasive early treatment for traumatic brain injury(Renewal)
Gharib, Mory - A new method and device for noninvasive, easy-to-use, and low-cost diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (Renewal)
Kochmann, Dennis - A new class of composite material with electrically controllable properties for advanced shock absorption and vibration attenuation (Renewal)
Mazmanian, Sarkis/Patterson, Paul - Novel probiotic therapies for autism (Renewal)

2012

Choo, Hyuck - Nanophotonics-based implantable IOP-sensor with remote optical readout for glaucoma
Davidson, Eric - Revolutionary approach to programmed alteration of differentiated cell identity
Gharib, Mory - A new method for noninvasive, remote (standoff), and noncontacting diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases
Kochmann, Dennis - A new class of composite material with electrically controllable properties for advanced shock absorption and vibration attenuation
Mazmanian, Sarkis/Patterson, Paul - Identification of beneficial microbial factors for treatment of autism
Tirrell, David - Chemical methods and microfluidic devices for high-throughput protein expression, isolation, and characterization (Renewal)
Lester, Henry - Cell-based assay for Parkinson's disease neuroprotection by nicotine-receptor interaction (Renewal)

2011

Hajimiri, Ali - Magnetic molecular detection systems
Lester, Henry - Cell-based assay for Parkinson's disease neuroprotection by nicotine-receptor interaction
Scherer, Axel - Pore-based DNA single-molecule sequencing systems
Shan, Shu-ou - Efficient reversal of protein aggregation by a novel chaperone
Stoltz, Brian/Pierce, Niles - Shielded covalent probes: Engineering effective and selective gene silencing
Tirrell, David - Chemical methods and microfluidic devices for high-throughput protein expression, isolation, and characterization
Daraio, Chiara/Greer, Julia - Investigation of mechanical stability of polymer-embedded microwire arrays for flexible solar panels (Renewal)
Mazmanian, Sarkis/Patterson, Paul - Novel probiotic therapies for autism (Renewal)
Pierce, Niles - Conditional chemotherapy via programmable mechanical transduction with RNA (Renewal)
Tai, Yu-Chong - MEMS filter technology for the capture and culture of 'live' CTCs (circulating tumor cells) (Renewal)
Yang, Changhuei - Hybrid optoacoustic imaging with biochemical sensing ability (Renewal)
Scherer, Axel/Yeh , Nai-Chang - Self-aligned vertical silicon nano-transistors (Renewal)

2010

Daraio, Chiara/Greer, Julia - Investigation of mechanical stability of polymer-embedded microwire arrays for flexible solar panels,
Mazmanian, Sarkis/Patterson, Paul - Novel probiotic therapies for autism
Pierce, Niles - Conditional chemotherapy via programmable mechanical transduction with RNA
Scherer, Axel/Yeh , Nai-Chang - Self-aligned vertical silicon nano-transistors
Tai, Yu-Chong - MEMS filter technology for the capture and culture of 'live' CTCs (circulating tumor cells)
Yang, Changhuei - Hybrid optoacoustic imaging with biochemical sensing ability
Arnold, Frances - Engineering highly stable cellulases for conversion of cellulose to biofuels, renewal
Gharib, Mory - A novel platform for in vitro growth of venous valves (Renewal)
Hajimiri, Ali - Ultra low-cost hand-held battery-powered high-sensitivity biosensing microarray system for point-of-care molecular-level diagnosis and detection (Renewal)

2009

Arnold, Frances - Engineering highly stable cellulases for conversion of cellulose to biofuels
Davis, Mark - Crossing the blood-brain barrier
Gharib, Mory - A novel platform for in vitro growth of venous valves
Hajimiri, Ali - Ultra low-cost hand-held battery-powered high-sensitivity biosensing microarray system for point-of-care molecular-level diagnosis and detection