Georgia Tech News Center

GTRI researchers Brooke Beckert, Nicholas Guise, Alexa Harter and Adam Meier\

$25M Project Will Advance DNA-Based Archival Data Storage

By John Toon January 16, 2020

The demand for archival data storage has been skyrocketing, and if a new research initiative reaches its goals, that need could be met by taking advantage of an efficient and robust information storage medium that has proven itself through the centuries: the biopolymer DNA.

The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity’s Molecular Information Storage program has awarded a multi-phase contract worth up to $25 million to develop scalable DNA-based molecular storage techniques. The goal of the project is to use DNA as the basis for deployable storage technologies that can eventually scale into the exabyte regime and beyond with reduced physical footprint, power and cost requirements relative to conventional storage technologies. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT

Spotlight

Early Action Applicants Get Admission Decisions from Georgia Tech

A total of 4,569 students have been admitted this round, out of 22,199 applications.
Transfer Program Offers New Path to Georgia Tech for Pell-Eligible Students

Talent Initiative Transfer Pathway aims to help Tech enroll more promising low- and moderate-income students.
Georgia Tech’s Air Force ROTC Ranked One of Nation’s Best

The Air Force organization that oversees ROTC units evaluated detachments on five metrics.
Tweaks Behind the Rebirth of Nearly Discarded Organic Solar Technologies

A minuscule chemical tweak is advancing an organic solar technology that was believed unviable.

Campus and Community

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Early Action Applicants Get Admission Decisions from Georgia Tech

A total of 4,569 students have been admitted this round, out of 22,199 applications.
GT 1000, GT 2000 Seek Team Leaders

Applications for summer or fall GT 1000 team leaders (TLs) are being accepted until Jan. 24.
Transfer Program Offers New Path to Georgia Tech for Pell-Eligible Students

Talent Initiative Transfer Pathway aims to help Tech enroll more promising low- and moderate-income students.
Faculty and Staff Show Artistic Side

The Georgia Tech Arts Faculty and Staff Art Exhibit opened Jan. 13 and runs through Feb. 23 at the Ferst Center for the Arts.
Faculty Honored by USG for Classroom Excellence

Ashok Goel and Donald Webster are being recognized by the University System of Georgia for their dedication in the classroom.
Epic Intentions Sets Projects for Spring 2020

The interdisciplinary volunteer organization works with different companies throughout Atlanta.
Board of Regents Offers Guidance on Political Activity

As the 2020 legislative session begins, the University System of Georgia (USG) would like to remind all employees about its policies on political...
Ramble In to a New Year

The first day of spring marks a new beginning for Tech students new and old — so why not say hello to someone new?
fathima lahar
Fathima Lahar: Making Dreams Come True

Graduate wants to inspire others whose career has stalled: "It’s never too late."
isabella and eli sanders
Isabella Sanders: Encouraging Women in STEM

Student Earns Two Master's Degrees in STEM Fields.

feranmi
Georgia Tech’s 100,000th Living Engineering Graduate

Chemical Engineering Major Reaches Milestone With her Degree

drivable couch
Building a Drivable Couch

Georgia Tech Students Motorize Living Room Furniture With Old Scooter Parts

Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage Recipients to Be Honored for Being Pioneers in Classroom and Beyond

The prize honors those who have made a positive difference by standing up for moral principle while facing personal risks.
zvi galil and david joyner
OMSCS Wins Oscars of Educational Technology

The Online Master of Science in Computer Science won Reimagine Education’s gold award for the best distributed/online program for nurturing 21st-...
chris payne
Chris Payne Finds His Passion in Brotherhood and Video Games

Payne will graduate this December with a B.S. in computational media.
aditi shah
Aditi Shah: Journey of Independence

Aditi Shah, who has been blind since age 15, believes she can be an inspiration to other blind people who are interested in STEM careers,

Breaking Down the Cap and Gown

Take a look at the caps and gowns worn by Institute leaders.
megan stevens
Megan Stevens to Earn Family's Fifth Georgia Tech Degree

Her parents and sister all graduated from Tech, and many of them aren't stopping there.
What to Read During the Holiday Break

We asked several avid readers for recommendations. The books range from a story of the reflections and adventures of a failed novelist to a how-to on...

Science and Technology

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$25 Million Project Will Advance DNA-Based Archival Data Storage

A new research initiative is using DNA as an efficient and robust archival storage medium.
Leviathan Polymer Brush Made With E. coli Holds Bacteria at Bay

A fortuitous slip in the lab leads to the creation of a monstrously large polymer brush
Scientists Transform Barbecue Lighter Into a High-Tech Lab Device

Researchers have devised an inexpensive technique for building a laboratory device known as an electroporator.
Georgia Tech Collaborates with IBM to Develop Software Stacks for Quantum Computers

Georgia Tech has agreed to join the IBM Q Hub at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Laser Pulse Creates Frequency Doubling in Amorphous Dielectric Material

Researchers have demonstrated a new all-optical technique for creating robust second-order nonlinear effects in materials that don’t normally support...
Tweaks Behind the Rebirth of Nearly Discarded Organic Solar Technologies

A minuscule chemical tweak is advancing an organic solar technology that was believed unviable.
Moths and Perhaps Other Animals Rely on Precise Timing of Neural Spikes

Researchers have captured and analyzed nearly all of the brain signals sent to the wings of hawk moths.
Tiny Magnetic Particles Enable New Material to Bend, Twist, and Grab

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology and The Ohio State University has developed a soft polymer material, called magnetic...
Armored With Plastic ‘Hair’ and Silica Shell, New Perovskite Nanocrystals Show Enhanced Durability

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a novel approach aimed at addressing the material’s durability problem: encasing...
El Nino Swings More Violently in the Industrial Age, Hard Evidence Says

Hard evidence now says: El Nino and the climate phenomenon that drives it have become more extreme in the industrial age.
Georgia Tech Internet of Things Research Center Releases White Paper on Digital Transformation

New white paper offers pathways for business leaders exploring digital transformation and the Internet of Things.
Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life, Just Not Next Door

An exoplanet study on axis tilts raises hopes that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe.
Informatics Accelerates Design of Hybrid Membrane Materials for Chemical Separations

A $1.7 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will help a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology develop much cheaper ways to...
Novel Solar Cells Arrive at International Space Station for Testing

Five different types of solar cells fabricated by Georgia Tech researchers have arrived at the International Space Station to be tested.
National Labs, Georgia Tech, Collaborate on AI Research

Georgia Tech is part of a new research center created to solve some of the most challenging issues in AI.
Q&A with Georgia Tech Professors on the Intersection of Science Fiction and the Chemical Elements

A discussion with Georgia Tech scientists and science fiction writers explores connection in science, fiction and culture.

3D-Printed Device Finds ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Cancer Cells by Removing the Hay

A new approach enabled by 3D printing could help isolate tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream.
Reframing Antarctica’s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level

There's a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn't mean the ponds aren't dangerous.
Research On Large Storm Waves Could Help Lessen Their Impact On Coasts

An international team of researchers has analyzed months of data of large nearshore waves to provide new insights that could help improve the designs...

Business and Economic Development

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Creative Destruction Lab Joins Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business

Georgia Tech agreement brings CDL’s successful program for rapid scaling of science-based companies to Atlanta
NSF Invests Another $750K in Student Startup FireHUD

FireHUD's reimagined platform monitors physiological data in real-time to guard against overexertion.
Atlanta Regional Commission Calls Kendeda Building ‘Groundbreaking Example of Sustainability Leadership’

The building is the first of its kind on the Southeast and designed to meet the Living Building Challenge 3.1 performance standards.
The Transformation-Ready Institution

A new report reveals how university leaders are preparing for changing market forces and disruption in higher education.
Georgia Tech-Lorraine Recognized for Boosting Economic Development

GT Lorraine receives the Crystal Peach Award for economic development work.
Georgia Tech’s Technology Square Phase III to Include Scheller Tower

A new building in Tech Square Phase III to be named Scheller Tower
Georgia Tech’s Economic Impact on Atlanta Clocks in at $3.3B in 2018

Annual analysis shows the Institute's impact grew 8.5% and contributes 27,000 jobs to the region.
Forum Addresses Tech’s Role in Economic Development

Entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and political leaders gathered at The Biltmore Wednesday afternoon for an economic development forum.
karen fite
Karen Fite to Lead Enterprise Innovation Institute as Interim Vice President

Fite, who is EI²’s associate vice president, will lead the 12-program organization while Georgia Tech conducts a national search for a permanent vice...
Georgia Institute of Technology and Morehouse School of Medicine Announce Collaborative Effort for Health Technology Startup Development

Initiative aims to expand Morehouse School of Medicine’s research commercialization efforts, and support focus on the needs of underserved minority...
Georgia Smart Communities Challenge Selects Four New Community Projects

Columbus-Muscogee, Macon-Bibb, Woodstock, and Milton will work with Georgia Tech to launch ideas in their communities.
Finding the ‘Goldilocks’ Level of Enthusiasm for Business Pitches

Georgia Institute of Technology researchers found that how long an entrepreneur displays the highest level of excitement during a pitch plays a major...
GTRI Celebrates Grand Opening of Cobb County Research Facility South Campus

GTRI opens Cobb County Research Facility South Campus with ribbon cutting.
VentureLab works to commercialize liquid cooling system technology developed at Georgia Tech

Liquid cooling system lets microchips perform more operations per second, but at cooler temperatures than current commercial options.
National Search Launched for VP and Director of Enterprise Innovation Institute

Georgia Tech is beginning a search for a new vice president for the Enterprise Innovation Institute
Durability Vs. Recyclability: Dueling Goals in Making Electronics More Sustainable

Research released by a team at Georgia Institute of Technology looked into the impact of government policies put in place to reduce the amount of...
Georgia Tech Procurement Assistance Center Enters 33rd Year of Continuous Service to Georgia Businesses

Program helped Georgia-based firms win more than $14.1 billion in government contracts since 1986.
Applications now open for the 2019 Georgia Innovative Economic Development Internship Program

Graduate students have opportunity to further research in 10-week, paid summer internship at Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech Hosts State Legislative Leaders at ATDC HealthTech Summit

Georgia's lieutenant governor, state senators see how ATDC leads startup innovation in health technology
Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership recruiting companies to participate in new energy management improvement program

Federal award supports targeted focus on energy management system implementation and improvements for manufacturers in six southern states.

Earth and Environment

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Georgia Tech Energy Policy Researcher Writes About ‘Green New Deal’ in ‘Scientific American’

The article focuses on the jobs impact of the proposed environmental legislation.
El Nino Swings More Violently in the Industrial Age, Hard Evidence Says

Hard evidence now says: El Nino and the climate phenomenon that drives it have become more extreme in the industrial age.
Exoplanet Axis Study Boosts Hopes of Complex Life, Just Not Next Door

An exoplanet study on axis tilts raises hopes that advanced life may exist elsewhere in the universe.
Reframing Antarctica’s Meltwater Pond Dangers to Ice Shelves and Sea Level

There's a speed limit on the damage surface ponds can do to ice shelves, but that doesn't mean the ponds aren't dangerous.
Energy Regulation Rollbacks Threaten Progress Against Harmful Ozone

This is what could happen if all endangered regulations that help in the fight against harmful ozone go away.
Georgia Tech Dedicates the Most Sustainable Building of Its Kind in the Southeast

The Kendeda Building goes beyond sustainability to be a regenerative building that gives back more than it takes from the environment.
Georgia Tech Included in Major Water Desalination Research Initiative

Georgia Tech is part of a new effort to address water security issues in the United States.
Warming Impedes a Coral Defense, but Hungry Fish Enhance It

Corals exude defenses against bacteria associated with bleaching, but warming disadvantages the defense. Conservation offers limited hope.
Metal Oxide-infused Membranes Could Offer Low-Energy Alternative For Chemical Separations

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology are working on membranes that could separate chemicals without using energy-intensive distillation...
Instability in Antarctic Ice Projected to Make Sea Level Rise Rapidly

Instability hidden within Antarctic ice is likely to accelerate its flow into the ocean and push sea level up at a more rapid pace than previously...
Rising Tundra Temperatures Create Worrying Changes in Microbial Communities

Rising temperatures could affect the microbial communities in northern latitude tundra.
Scientists Discover the Biggest Seaweed Bloom in the World

Record-breaking belt of brown algae stretches from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico
Smart Sea Sensors Expo Highlights Accomplishments and Shares Future Plans

Smart Sea Level Sensors project marks first year successes.
Turner Foundation Awards Grant Supporting the Region’s First Sustainability Network

The Turner Foundation recently awarded the Georgia Tech Foundation a $40,000 grant.
Ocean Optimism

A four-day summit that will begin laying the foundation for establishing a united community of researchers focused on preserving a global resource
honeybee
Adhesive Formed From Bee Spit and Flower Oil Could Form Basis of New Glues

Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology are looking at that mixture of ingredients as a model for a bioinspired glue because of its unique...
Georgia Tech to Launch State’s First Master’s Program Focused Exclusively on Sustainability

The degree program will help educate the next generation of sustainability leaders for corporations, government, and non-governmental organizations.

When Coral Species Vanish, Their Absence Can Imperil Surviving Corals

Off of Fiji, a Georgia Tech study elucidates a potential silent coral reef killer: Disappearing biodiversity appears to threaten the lives surviving...
The Helix, of DNA Fame, May Have Arisen with Startling Ease

An evolutionary enigma may have just been cracked: Explaining how the helix of RNA and DNA evolved.
Swapping Bacteria May Help ‘Nemo’ Fish Cohabitate with Fish-Killing Anemones

Why the fish-killing anemone spares the clownfish is a scientific mystery that Georgia Tech marine microbiologists are now tackling in fish mucus.

Society and Culture

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Georgia Tech Professor Produces 'The Nerdiest Study of 2019'

Prof. Joseph H. Saleh uses his engineering perspective to decode political history
Atlanta Honors College Namesake, Mayor Ivan Allen Jr., through Newly Dedicated Bridge in Downtown Atlanta

The Path Bridge connecting downtown to the Westside highlights the legacy of Mayor Ivan Allen Jr.
Natural Disasters Contribute to Holiday Travel Delays

Natural disasters and severe weather are unusual factors in planning for travel around the Thanksgiving holiday.
llya Kaminsky is One of the World's Top Poets, and He Teaches at Georgia Tech

Ilya Kaminsky, professor in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication, is a finalist for the National Book Award in Poetry.
Poetry@Tech Works to Increase Diversity in Literary Criticism, Publishing

Poetry@Tech is partnering with poets and scholars in the UK on a program meant to increase diversity among poetry critics in the United States.
Study Probes Gender Pay Gaps in U.S. Federal Science Agencies

The researchers, including Kaye Husbands Fealing, set out to understand the reasons behind gender pay gaps at U.S. federal science agencies.
New Partnership with Georgia State Looks for Computing Solutions to Social Challenges

Georgia Tech computer science researchers are collaborating with social scientists from GSU thanks to a new $180K grant.
Georgia Tech Poet Ilya Kaminsky Named Finalist for National Book Award

Ilya Kaminsky's book 'Deaf Republic' was one of 245 volumes of poetry submitted for the highly coveted literary award.
Kaye Husbands Fealing Elected NAPA Fellow; Keynotes AAAS Fellowship Program

The School of Public Policy Chair was chosen among 51 leaders in the field of public administration to have been selected for NAPA's 2019 Class...
Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering Graduate James McConville Sworn in as Army’s Top Officer

A decorated helicopter pilot who earned a master's in 1990, McConville is the first aviator to serve as the Army’s chief.
$3M NSF Project Will Use Nature’s Designs to Spark High School Students’ Interest in Engineering

Four-year project will bring teachers into Georgia Tech labs and create new curriculum materials for them to use in class.
Associate Professor Willie Belton
New Georgia Tech Study Examines Diversity, Social Mistrust

Economist Willie Belton’s study finds suggestive evidence that social capital falls when diversity rises because we view such changes as a conflict...
NSF Invests $4 Million in Big Data for Southern United States

A $4 million NSF award will help apply data science and engineering to challenges of the southern U.S.
Innovative Career Course Features Cross-Cultural Studies, Importance of Humanities

'Career Design for Global Citizenship' uses a study-abroad metaphor for career exploration
humanTech Symposium Identifies Opportunities, Challenges for Humanities at Technological Universities

Paula M. Krebs, executive director of the Modern Language Association, spoke along with other humanities scholars.
Smart Communities Address Transportation, Housing, Flooding Challenges

Four Georgia communities are exploring innovative technologies and collaborating with Georgia Tech and local partners.
Mobile Phone Accessibility Improves, But Gaps Remain, Study Finds

Mobile phones are increasingly more accessible by people with disabilities, but significant gaps remain.
Will Moving to the Commercial Cloud Leave Some Data Users Behind?

A space policy researcher urges caution on the design of commercial cloud contracts for hosting federal agency data.
Flu Vaccine Supply Gaps Can Intensify Flu Seasons, Make Pandemics Deadlier

A tweak to our flu vaccine resupply logistics could save thousands of lives
Study Finds Dramatic Growth in Numbers of “Supporting Scientists” on Research Teams

A new study examines the roles of supporting scientists in the research enterprise.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

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Metagenomics Unlocks Unknowns of Diarrheal Disease Cases in Children

Researchers have found that conventional culture-based lab tests may misdiagnose as many as half of the microbial causes of diarrheal diseases in...
3D-Printed Device Finds ‘Needle in a Haystack’ Cancer Cells by Removing the Hay

A new approach enabled by 3D printing could help isolate tumor cells circulating in the bloodstream.
Particles Emitted by Consumer 3D Printers Could Hurt Indoor Air Quality

The particles emitted from 3D printers can negatively impact indoor air quality and have the potential to harm respiratory health, according to a...
GTRI Interns Create Portable, Modular Medical Imaging Devices for Remote Places

Students used a 3D printer and magnets to build an expandable prototype device.
New $1.2 Million NSF Grant Aims to Improve Treatment for PTSD Patients

The grant — which includes Georgia Tech, Emory, and the University of Rochester -- will fund the development of a computational assessment toolkit...
Bathroom Scale Could Monitor Millions with Heart Failure

This scale could help keep heart failure patients out of the hospital.
Wearable Brain-Machine Interface Could Control a Wheelchair, Vehicle or Computer

Combining new classes of nanomembrane electrodes with flexible electronics and a deep learning algorithm could help disabled people wirelessly...
Suturing Device, Helicopter Hoist Stabilizer Make it to Finals of National Collegiate Inventors Competition

One invention keeps patients safe during emergency airlifts. The other simplifies prostate-removal surgery.
Periodontitis Bacteria Love Colon and Dirt Microbes

Mythbuster: Ideas that bacterial collaborations within microbiomes are generous and exclusive appear to be quite wrong.
Stretchable Wireless Sensor Could Monitor Healing of Cerebral Aneurysms

A wireless sensor small enough to be implanted in the blood vessels of the human brain could help clinicians evaluate the healing of aneurysms.
Cassie Mitchell Receives 2019 Award from the American Neurological Association

Awards recognize work in the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, the microbiome and stroke, clinical trial design, and more
Millions of Children Exposed to Opioid Misuse at Home, New Georgia Tech Study Reveals

The study is from Lindsey Bullinger of the School of Public Policy and a co-author from Indiana University.
Nanoscale “Glass” Bottles Could Enable Targeted Drug Delivery

Tiny silica bottles filled with medicine and a special temperature-sensitive material could be used for drug delivery to kill malignant cells only in...
Soft Wearable Health Monitor Uses Stretchable Electronics

A wireless, wearable monitor built with stretchable electronics could allow comfortable, long-term health monitoring of adults, babies and small...
Aaron Levine, a bioethicist in the School of Public Policy.
Georgia Tech Expert Raises Concerns About Medical Crowdfunding for Advanced Cancer Therapies

Aaron Levine's new paper in 'The Lancet Oncology' examines crowdfunding for CAR-T cell therapy
$21.9 Million Gene Modulation Research Effort Targets Influenza Pandemics

A new $21.9 million research initiative will modulate gene expression to help protect against pandemic flu.
Study Ties Poor Sleep to Reduced Memory Performance in Older Adults

Variability in night-to-night sleep time and reduced sleep quality adversely affect the ability of older adults to recall information.
Hydrogel Offers Double Punch Against Orthopedic Bone Infections

Researchers have a developed a hydrogel that both attacks bacteria and encourages bone regrowth.
Antibiotics, Taken Strategically, Could Actually Help Defeat Antibiotic Resistance

Those same antibiotics driving the rise in antibiotic resistant bacterial strains could help defeat them if used as part of an informed strategy.
New Machine Learning Research ID’s Opioid Addiction Self-Treatments and Risks

Findings provide new insights into how people use clinically untested opioid recovery methods.

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Expert Voices

James Wray

James Wray (Photo Fitrah Hamid)

More Hints of Life on Ancient Mars
James Wray
School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

TECH IN THE NEWS

Feature Stories

Saumya Sharma
The Month in Photos: December 2019
Atlanta BeltLine, Strategic Plan, and Commencement
The Inventure Effect
The Inventure Effect
Last year’s InVenture Prize finalists are working around the clock to make their innovative vision a reality.
Ryan Gravel sitting in a stylish chair, smiling and looking up
The Man With a Plan
Twenty years ago this month, Ryan Gravel submitted a master’s thesis that would transform Atlanta.
Creative montage of colorful nebula and stars
Star Power
Across Tech, women are investigating the great unknowns of space.

Featured Videos

A heart condition in high school led Hannah Geil to study biomedical engineering at Georgia Tech. Now she’s able to work in the medical field where she can help heal hearts the same way hers was healed.

Kevin Satterfield grew up with a healthy obsession with aviation. This Georgia Tech economics major will be headed to work for Delta Airlines after graduation.

Dalton, Georgia native Ryan Harper grew up with a love for fast cars. After his Georgia Tech graduation, he’s headed to fulfill his dreams with Corvette Racing.