School Notes: School of Engineering & Applied Science
May/June 2023

Transforming Yale Engineering

Yale University announced plans for a historic series of infrastructure investments that would transform the face and trajectory of the School of Engineering & Applied Science and advance the university’s strategy for hastening engineering, science, and technology breakthroughs. Over the next decade and beyond, Yale will undertake several major construction projects in the lower Hillhouse Avenue area, all on sites already owned and occupied by the university. The combination of new and renovated spaces will be designed to manifest and reinforce the school’s culture of innovation and collaboration, aiding Yale’s broad effort to address grand challenges of the twenty-first century, from access to clean drinking water to reliable artificial intelligence. (Read a Yale Alumni Magazine report on the project.)

Treating brain cancer with nanoparticles

Researchers developed a nanoparticle-based treatment that targets multiple culprits in glioblastoma, a particularly aggressive and deadly form of brain cancer. The new treatment uses nanoparticles that adhere to the site of the tumor and then slowly release the synthesized peptide nucleic acids that they’re carrying. These peptide nucleic acids target short strands of RNA known as “oncomiRs” that promote cancer cells and growth of the tumor. When the peptide nucleic acids attach to the oncomiRs, they stop the tumor-promoting activity. Prof. Mark Saltzman’s laboratory worked on the treatment system with UConn researchers. The results were published in Science Advances.

CS professor wins second Oscar

Computer science professor Theodore Kim has received his second Academy Award. The award, for technical achievement, is for a computer animation program he codeveloped called Fizt2 (pronounced “fizz-tea-too”), which he describes as “a simulator for all things soft and squishy.” When it comes to depicting things like muscle, flesh, and cloth, Fizt2 makes sure that the laws of physics are followed to make things look natural. Previously, animators had very basic methods for working with soft materials, and things could go wrong very quickly. The technology has been used in numerous movies, including Cars 3, Coco, Toy Story 4, and Turning Red.