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INTELLECTUAL MERIT  

Graduate student Omar Padilla Velez, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, gathered a team of Cornell scientists working in fields from Chemistry to Physics, to bring science to students from middle to undergraduate schools in Puerto Rico.

Princeton investigators detected channels of conducting electrons that form between two quantum states on the surface of a bismuth crystal subjected to a high magnetic field. These two states consist of electrons moving in elliptical orbits with different orientations. The researchers found that the current flow in these channels can be turned on and off, making these channels a new type of controllable quantum wire.

Princeton investigators developed an approach to directly measure the influence of chain connectivity on the glass transition temperature of copolymers for the first time. This development is important as it provides insights into the design of copolymer interfaces for applications in which transport of entities is important.

Radical, light initiated chemical reactions were used to synthesize multifunctional, star-shaped polmyers with each chain end bound to a DNA mimicking polymer (the “Click Nucleic Acid or CNA developed with the support of the NSF).  

The scientific understanding of evolution is extensive, but limited by some notable, if not embarrassing, gaps.  Among the great challenges of basic science is to understand the origin of life, and, in particular, the origin of the double helix structure of stacked base pairs of DNA and RNA, life’s most remarkable molecular creation.

DNA origami technology is used to develop building blocks that self-assemble into predetermined finite-sized structures. The objectives of this research are to understand, control, and build self-closing structures inspired by self-assembling viruses, whose smallest capsids have an icosahedral symmetry and are decomposable into so-called “quasi-equivalent” triangular subunit arrangements, characterized by the “T” number (Fig. 1A). Assembly occurs using programmed edge-edge interactions based on a lock-and-key mechanism and base stacking between the blunt ends of the double-helices.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials like graphene are highly deformable due to their atomically thin structure. To fabricate deformable devices (e.g. flexible and wearable electronics) that capitalize on their ultrasoft nature, it is critical to assess the bending stiffness of graphene.

In Summer 2019 the I-MRSEC officially released the web series “Magnetic Fields,” which follows middle school aged characters as they encounter a new material at the I-MRSEC, and emphasizes the scientific process, persistence, and the diversity of scientists. The episodes include “Behind the science,” featuring interviews with I-MRSEC researchers sharing their paths in science and advice to those interested in STEM studies.

MEM-C has developed a unique high-resolution x-ray emission spectrometer for studying phosphorus-rich, air-sensitive materials.