Four New York state companies have been chosen to participate in the Cornell Center for Materials Research (CCMR) JumpStart Program, through which they will collaborate with Cornell faculty members to develop and improve their products.

The program is supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR), with the ultimate goals of revenue growth and job creation. JumpStart projects receive up to $5,000 in matching funds for project costs that include faculty and research staff time, facilities, services, supplies and materials.

A total of 98 companies have benefited from the JumpStart program since its inception in 2005.

This semester’s projects: 

• CathBuddy Inc. (Woodbury) will collaborate with Yadong Wang, professor of biomedical engineering, to identify suitable materials for use in a reusable intermittent catheter system. The team will conduct basic materials testing on candidate materials before and after extended exposure to UVC radiation and steam sterilization.
• Halomine Inc. (Ithaca) will collaborate with Christopher Ober, professor of materials science and engineering, to improve a new antimicrobial coating for food equipment. The team will optimize the polymer synthesis and formulation to improve performance of the coating on stainless-steel surfaces.
• Heat Inverse LLC (Ithaca) will collaborate with Francesco Monticone, professor of electrical and computer engineering, on the development of passive cooling thin films for refrigerated trucking and solar applications. The team will make spectral and absorption measurements of a number of potential polymer matrices containing micro/nanoscale features.
• Thalle Industries Inc. (New York City) will collaborate with Ken Hover, professor of civil and environmental engineering, on the development of a process for repurposing/recycling materials generated by excavation work in road beds into a useful fill product.

NYSTAR supports collaborative industry/academic partnerships to foster integrated approaches for developing and commercializing innovative technologies and serves as a resource for small and startup technology companies.

CCMR is a National Science Foundation- and New York state-funded interdisciplinary research center at Cornell. Its mission is to advance, explore and exploit the forefront of the science and engineering of advanced materials.