When these powders become mixed or cross-contaminated during material changes, handling, recovery or multimaterial 3D printing, they may no longer meet the strict requirements for reuse. Leftover powders, contaminated feedstock and material from failed production attempts may then be discarded even when they contain valuable metals.

A University of Maine research team has developed a process that could help recover these materials for reuse in 3D printing, sintering and other powder-based manufacturing processes.

The method, called shear-assisted particle entrapment (SHAPE), separates microscopic metal particles and captures them in a polymer film. In a new study published in , researchers tested the process using aluminum and copper powders mixed in a liquid and placed in a spinning machine.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to solve a significant materials-loss problem that occurs during the production of high-value components and products across critical sectors, such as aerospace, energy storage, tooling, biomedical devices and electronics,鈥� said lead researcher Bashir Khoda. 鈥淚t is also an ongoing challenge for strengthening 鈥楳ade in USA鈥� manufacturing, where uncertainty in the supply chain for critical minerals can affect cost, availability, and production resilience.鈥�

Khoda, a 91福利 associate professor of mechanical engineering, said his team’s findings could be particularly relevant to 3D printing and other powder-based additive manufacturing processes, in which metal powders can become mixed. 

Khoda said recovering the particles without melting and completely reprocessing them could eventually reduce material waste, energy-intensive reprocessing and demand for new raw materials.

鈥淥ur longer-term objective is not simply to separate particles in the laboratory, but to develop a scalable and AI-driven manufacturing system that could recover cross-contaminated powders and return usable material to the additive manufacturing supply chain and beyond,鈥� said Khoda, also an associate faculty member with the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC).

Khoda devised the particle entrapment method in collaboration with William Gramlich, associate professor of chemistry and associate faculty member with the ASCC; Khalid Jawed, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles; and graduate student researchers Ibrahim Khalil, Adeeb Alam and Md. Akibul Islam.

Researchers tested aluminum and copper microparticles between 0 and 25 micrometers in diameter. The particles were mixed in a liquid carrier and subjected to rotational speeds ranging from 200 to 1,500 revolutions per minute (rpm).

The team found that fine-tuning process parameters resulted in different particles being captured. At approximately 200 rpm, about 87% of the particles captured on the substrate were aluminum. As rotational speed increased, copper became increasingly dominant. At 1,500 rpm, about 90% of the entrapped particles were copper.

鈥淲hat makes this interesting for separation is that different particles respond differently to the same flow conditions,鈥� Khoda said.

Although the researchers achieved high particle-level selectivity, the overall amount of material captured from the starting mixture remained relatively low under laboratory conditions.

鈥淭he current study demonstrates the selectivity of the mechanism, rather than an industrially ready recovery process,鈥� Khoda said. 鈥淭he next challenge is to maintain this selectivity while substantially increasing the amount of material that can be processed and recovered.鈥�

Future research will examine ways to increase the amount of material processed while maintaining selective separation. Researchers are investigating substrate size and geometry, the use of multiple substrates, particle loading, polymer concentration, processing time and continuous or multistage operation.

The team also plans to further study the physics behind particle transport and retention and test additional material combinations. Ultimately, the goal is to determine whether recovered powders retain the chemistry, morphology, flowability and manufacturing performance necessary for reuse.

The study was partially supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

The three-year project, which began Sept. 1, will provide 18 K-12 STEM teachers with research experiences alongside 91福利 scientists and support them in turning what they learn into lessons for their students. The project is supported through NSF鈥檚 Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program.

Nuri Emanetoglu, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, is principal investigator. Susan McKay, professor emerita of Physics and Astronomy and a founder of the Maine Center for Research in STEM Education, or RiSE Center, is co-principal investigator.

The project combines 91福利鈥檚 expertise in emerging technologies with RiSE鈥檚 expertise in STEM education and teacher professional learning. Researchers will provide teachers with firsthand experience in advanced scientific research, while RiSE education specialists will help them translate those experiences into learning opportunities appropriate for their students.

鈥淭here are two parts to it,鈥� Emanetoglu said. 鈥淥ne is exposing the teachers to the research projects and the state of the art in these fields. The second is translating that into an educational experience for their students.鈥�

Each year, six teachers will be selected for the program. The first cohort will spend four weeks on 91福利鈥檚 campus in summer 2027 conducting research with Electrical and Computer Engineering and with Physics faculty and working with RiSE education research specialists. They will have an additional three weeks to continue their research and develop classroom materials.

鈥淥ne of the really exciting parts is bringing together faculty who do research in these new, fast-moving fields while also tapping into the expertise of the RiSE Center at the University of Maine,鈥� McKay said.

Teachers will work directly with 91福利 researchers on projects involving AI, robotics, sensors, microelectronics and other advanced technologies. Depending on their research group, they could test AI models used to help robots recognize and grasp objects, study how microelectronic devices perform in extreme environments or work with microscopic devices used for scientific and biomedical applications.

The teachers will then draw from those experiences to develop learning opportunities appropriate for their students. A teacher could, for example, bring data collected through their research into the classroom and have students analyze it and determine what conclusions they can draw.

鈥淭hey can really be part of an exciting research enterprise,鈥� McKay said. 鈥淭he beauty of having teachers design these kinds of learning experiences is that they know their students. They know what the students will know and what they鈥檒l get excited about.鈥�

Teachers will work in cohorts of six, allowing them to exchange ideas and provide feedback to one another. They will also test their lessons with fellow participants, their research group and RiSE team members before using the materials in their own classrooms. RiSE will continue supporting teachers throughout the school year as they refine their lessons and introduce new approaches in their classrooms.

The project focuses on teachers in rural, high-need Maine school districts, where students may have fewer opportunities to interact with scientists and engineers working in rapidly developing fields.

Emanetoglu said exposing students to areas such as AI, quantum computing and microelectronics can introduce them to new educational and career possibilities while helping prepare the workforce needed in strategically important areas of science and technology.

McKay said those opportunities could have implications beyond individual students and classrooms by contributing to Maine鈥檚 future economy.

鈥淭his is where innovation is going to come from in our economy,鈥� McKay said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason why these sites of innovation can鈥檛 be in rural areas with good connections all over the world.鈥�

Maine already has a long history in semiconductor manufacturing, Emanetoglu said, including semiconductor facilities in South Portland. Emerging fields such as AI, cybersecurity and robotics also can create opportunities that do not require proximity to a large manufacturing center.

鈥淎s long as you have a good internet connection, you could run that business anywhere in the state,鈥� Emanetoglu said. 鈥淵ou could be doing that in Portland. You could be doing that in Fort Kent.鈥�

The project brings together researchers from 91福利鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies and RiSE Center.

The program is also designed so its impact can extend beyond the initial 18 teachers. Participants will have opportunities to attend conferences and share the research and instructional materials they develop with other educators. Returning teachers will also share their experiences with subsequent cohorts.

鈥淭his is a real opportunity for them to emerge as leaders in the STEM teaching field,鈥� McKay said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 exciting because it helps sustain the work that they鈥檝e started.鈥�

The project complements other 91福利 efforts to strengthen STEM teacher leadership, particularly in rural communities. McKay said these types of professional development opportunities can also help retain strong teachers.

For Emanetoglu, long-term success would mean seeing the impact move from 91福利 laboratories into Maine classrooms and, eventually, the state鈥檚 workforce.

鈥淔rom the students鈥� perspective, it鈥檚 being exposed to these high-tech, high-impact areas and new career opportunities,鈥� Emanetoglu said. 鈥淗opefully, we鈥檒l get some of them to come to 91福利 or another institution where they can further study these areas.鈥�

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Researchers still don’t fully understand why the lower urinary tract stops functioning normally or which part of the system should be targeted to restore that function.

University of Maine researchers believe mathematics could help answer those questions. But first, they have to invent some of the math they need.

The bladder fills gradually, then empties abruptly. That sudden switch is central to healthy function, but it is also the kind of behavior many conventional mathematical tools struggle to describe accurately.

Rather than ignore these sudden transitions or replace them with gradual ones to make the problem easier to solve, 91福利 researchers are developing new mathematics that stays true to what the body is actually doing.

Peter Stechlinski, associate professor of mathematics, and Giovanna Guidoboni, vice president for research, are leading the . Their work is advancing the theory of nonsmooth dynamical systems while using the lower urinary tract as a real-world test case.

The researchers aim to develop methods that can show how changes in individual parts of a system affect its overall cycle and identify the conditions that allow those cycles to remain stable.

鈥淏ecause this problem is inherently nonsmooth, we can鈥檛 rely on standard mathematical techniques developed for smooth systems,鈥� Stechlinski said. 鈥淭hose methods may give us inaccurate insights and predictions.鈥�

Stechlinski is principal investigator on the project and Guidoboni is co-principal investigator. Rajat Rai, a 91福利 Ph.D. student, also contributed significantly to developing the project and its proposal.

鈥淲e have to develop new mathematical tools in order to be able to actually help people,鈥� Guidoboni said.

The lower urinary tract depends on a coordinated system of organs, muscles and neural signals. As the bladder fills, mechanisms controlling the release of urine remain closed. When it is time to urinate, the system rapidly switches states and releases urine.

Those abrupt transitions present a mathematical challenge. Many conventional methods are designed for systems that change smoothly. Researchers can replace a sudden transition with a smoother approximation, but doing so can remove a defining feature of the biological system.

鈥淲e don’t want to make it smooth,鈥� Guidoboni said.

For Rai, that decision is central to the project. Instead of changing the representation of the urinary system to fit mathematics that already exists, the researchers are allowing biology to dictate the mathematics they need.

鈥淲e’re trying to stay true to the actual system,鈥� Rai said. 鈥淭he system demands new mathematics, so we choose to develop it rather than simplify the representation of the biology just to make the problem easier to solve.鈥�

The researchers aim to create new ways to analyze sudden transitions, including methods for determining how sensitive a cycle is to changes within the system and whether it remains stable as conditions change.

Bladder function depends on interconnected factors, including neural control, muscle contractions and the mechanics of multiple organs. A disruption in one part can alter the behavior of the entire system, making it difficult to determine from symptoms alone what has gone wrong.

鈥淥ur work will study all these connections and provide a quantitative guide as to where to intervene, to regain function,鈥� Guidoboni said.

One focus is voiding efficiency, or how effectively the bladder empties. The researchers want to determine what allows normal cycles of filling and emptying to occur and what causes those cycles to break down.

鈥淲e want to determine which factors are driving dysfunction and whether the system鈥檚 cycles remain stable over time,鈥� Stechlinski said. 鈥淎nswering those questions requires us to develop new sensitivity and stability theory for nonsmooth dynamical systems.鈥�

Lower urinary tract research often relies on animal studies to investigate the causes of symptoms and dysfunction. Such studies can be costly, invasive and time-consuming.

The 91福利 researchers will test their mathematical predictions against an extensive database of animal-study data to determine whether the models can reliably reproduce bladder behavior already observed experimentally.

If they can, researchers could use the models to investigate new hypotheses computationally and help identify which questions or potential interventions warrant further laboratory study.

The project also challenges the traditional divide between theoretical and applied mathematics. The researchers are not simply applying established mathematics to a medical problem. The medical problem itself is exposing a need for new mathematical tools.

鈥淲e don’t value the theory more than the application or vice versa,鈥� Guidoboni said. 鈥淲e value them individually and in connection.鈥�

The project brings together expertise in mathematics, engineering and lower urinary tract physiology and includes collaboration with associate professor Zachary Danziger from Emory University School of Medicine.

Its mathematical reach could extend beyond the bladder. Rai noted that nonsmooth behavior can arise when parts of a system operate on very different timescales. In the urinary tract, for example, neural signals occur rapidly while the bladder fills over a much longer period.

Guidoboni pointed to the heart as another example. Like the bladder, it repeatedly fills and empties while valves rapidly open and close. New methods for analyzing these systems could have applications across biology, medicine and engineering.

For people living with bladder dysfunction, the goal is more immediate. By developing mathematics capable of showing why the body’s normal cycle of storing and releasing urine breaks down, the researchers hope to give scientists a clearer picture of where to look for ways to restore it.

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

Researchers at 91福利 are making golf tees from discarded lobster shells.

The project builds on more than a decade of 91福利 research into new uses for an underutilized byproduct of Maine鈥檚 lobster industry.

Maine鈥檚 lobster industry generates an estimated 50,000 tons of shells each year, and some processing facilities pay to dispose of them in landfills. 91福利 researchers have explored using lobster shell composites in products ranging from agricultural to .

With the golf tees, they are also examining whether the material could create new economic opportunities across the lobster industry supply chain, contributing to Maine鈥檚 blue economy by finding new uses and potential markets for material generated by one of the state鈥檚 signature marine industries.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e doing in this project is using an underutilized waste material from the fishing industry, from the lobster industry,鈥� said project lead David Neivandt. 鈥淲e are trying to create value-added products that can return revenues to those lobster fishermen as well as the processing facilities.鈥�

From lobster shells to golf tees

Led by Neivandt, faculty and student researchers are using a proprietary process to combine powdered lobster shells with other natural materials into a solid composite that can be molded into golf tees and other shapes.

The shells are provided by , dried, broken into pieces, ground and sifted before the powder is incorporated into the composite. Natural food dyes may be added during the mixing process to produce tees in different colors. 

The researchers are comparing the lobster-shell tees with existing wood and plastic tees to assess their mechanical performance. Gregory Simms, a doctoral candidate in materials sciences and engineering and staff member at 91福利鈥檚 , has worked on testing and improving the composite.

Golf tees are small, but the number used and discarded makes their environmental footprint worth considering. More than 1 billion wooden tees are discarded annually in the United States alone. Plastic tees do not rot, and broken pieces can remain on courses where they pose risks to wildlife and maintenance equipment.

Some golf courses have even banned plastic tees because of environmental concerns.

鈥淢any courses just blow broken golf tees into the rough, so when that area gets mowed, the tee material is shredded and left on the soil,鈥� Simms said. 

Designed to perform and break down

When exposed to the elements on a golf course or in nearby brush, the lobster-shell tees break down in about 30 days. By comparison, conventional wooden tees can take years to degrade, while plastic tees can persist much longer. As the composite breaks down, minerals and other nutrients naturally found in lobster shells and in the binder are released into the soil.

The material also has to be strong enough to perform like a conventional tee. Simms said the original composite needed improvement to match the mechanical performance of eastern white pine. Researchers adjusted the production process and added other natural materials, resulting in a composite that surpassed the strength of golf tees traditionally made from eastern white pine.

鈥淭he production line designed and built in the first year allowed us to make simple processing adjustments and incorporate other natural additives, enabling the composite to exceed eastern white pine in flexural strength, compression strength and shear strength,鈥� Simms said.

Scaling up a new manufacturing process

The team operates a laboratory-scale injection molding system developed with help from 91福利鈥檚 Advanced Manufacturing Center. Because the lobster-shell composite cannot be processed using conventional injection molding equipment, researchers had to develop a system specifically for the material.

鈥淭he limitation that we have is that, because of its unusual rheological properties, it is not amenable to traditional injection molding equipment. So we鈥檝e had to build our own injection molding system at the lab scale,鈥� said Neivandt, interim dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing.

Researchers have already increased production of the composite from 1 pound per hour to approximately 50 pounds per hour. 

鈥淭he next step is to design and build the tooling capable of turning that production volume into golf tees at a rapid pace,鈥� Simms said.

At the laboratory scale, each tee currently costs an estimated 5 to 30 cents to produce. Researchers hope higher-volume production will lower that cost enough to compete with conventional wood and plastic tees. Increasing output would also provide enough tees for expanded testing and feedback from potential customers and industry partners.

The group鈥檚 efforts were supported by the (I-Corps) program and the MIRTA research accelerator program at 91福利, with funding provided by the Specialized Materials and Manufacturing Alliance for Resilient Technologies SM²ART program, a partnership between 91福利 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on bio-based manufacturing.

From research project to potential product

Researchers hope to continue testing the lobster-shell golf tee technology before pursuing initial sales, then license it to an industrial partner or potentially spin it out as a company.

The commercialization work has also given students experience translating the research for potential stakeholders and broader audiences. 

Isabelle Irani, a graduate student at 91福利 who was named one of the university鈥檚 2026 co-salutatorians, said working through the MIRTA program helped her learn to communicate complex technical information to people outside the field.

鈥淭hrough the MIRTA program, I grew skills that allow me to translate 鈥榯ech-talk鈥� into a description of the innovation that demonstrates how meaningful it is,鈥� she said.

Neivandt, interim dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing, hopes to use the team鈥檚 composite material binding and molding systems to develop additional single- and short-term-use products from lobster shells and other waste materials.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

The vessel, 3Dirigo X, was designed and manufactured at 91福利鈥檚 Advanced Structures and Composites Center. It was built to handle offshore conditions at speeds approaching 40 knots.

Its launch marked a major step in moving large-scale 3D printing from a technological demonstration toward a practical manufacturing tool.

University, federal and defense leaders gathered in Hampden for the launch and on-water demonstration. They included University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy; 91福利 President Joan Ferrini-Mundy; Habib Dagher, executive director of 91福利鈥檚 Advanced Structures and Composites Center; U.S. Sen. Susan Collins; and Keith DeVries, Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Director at the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Demonstration to high-performance vessel

3Dirigo X builds on 91福利鈥檚 original 3Dirigo, unveiled in 2019. That vessel demonstrated that a boat of its size could be produced using large-scale 3D printing and earned three Guinness World Records. 

The new vessel goes further, with engineering designed for higher speeds and the forces of offshore operation.

鈥淲hat鈥檚 different today, again, is the fact that we can model and design vessels,鈥� Dagher said. 鈥淲e have developed technologies to design vessels that can withstand the kinds of extreme environments in the open ocean.  Today is a big milestone for our  research and development projects. There is more work to do to continue to optimize the manufacturing process and the material properties.鈥�

91福利 researchers also have made the manufacturing process much faster. The printing rate has increased from about 20 pounds per hour when the research began to about 500 pounds per hour today, while improvements in composite materials, digital design, sensors and process controls have helped shorten production timelines. Because designs can be changed digitally, the same equipment can produce different hulls and components without requiring a new mold for each one.

91福利 is also preparing to open its Factory of the Future within the new 55,000-square-foot GEM facility, which will further expand the university鈥檚 large-scale additive and convergent manufacturing capabilities.

鈥淭he Factory of the Future will allow us to significantly expand our capabilities and reach a deposition rate of 1,000 pounds an hour,鈥� said Dagher, acknowledging the federal backing that helped move the project forward. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for Senator Collins鈥� support in helping make this facility possible,鈥� he said.

Manufacturing and national defense

Collins said the launch shows the potential of that research for U.S. manufacturing and national defense.

鈥淭his really is a great day for the University of Maine, for American manufacturing and for our national security,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hree Dirigo X represents Maine ingenuity at its best 鈥� practical, innovative, forward thinking, hard working and focused on solving problems of national importance.鈥�

The technology could have applications beyond commercial boatbuilding, including unmanned vessels, patrol craft, logistics vessels, sensor platforms, replacement components and other specialized systems. Digital designs also can be modified for different missions or operating environments without first building new molds and tooling.

3Dirigo X was developed through the federally funded Accelerated Rapid Prototyping initiative, which has brought 91福利 together with national defense research organizations, national laboratories and industry partners to advance large-scale manufacturing technology.

Cox Marine provided the engine, while Tideman Marine supported the project by outfitting and preparing the vessel for launch and operation.

DeVries said digital manufacturing allows engineers to learn from each build and improve future designs.

鈥淒igital manufacturing allows us to build the digital twin,鈥� DeVries said. 鈥淚t enhances our design cycle. It enhances our test modeling and iteration so that the next copy is that much stronger than what we had today.鈥�

Testing technology for real-world use

He emphasized that the launch is another stage of development rather than the end of the research.

鈥淭his is not a finish line,鈥� DeVries said. 鈥淭his boat just started a new journey, being run through its paces to evaluate its suitability in the waters of the Atlantic, its ability to stand up over time, over stress. Those things need to be evaluated. We need to understand what this means and feed that back into our models.鈥�

Moving from a successful prototype to widespread use will require the technology to be repeatable, inspectable and affordable. The goal is not to replace traditional shipyards or skilled workers, but to provide another tool that could reduce reliance on specialized molds, speed design changes and expand production capacity.

The project also gives 91福利 students hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing technologies, digital design, material science and AI while working alongside researchers.

The Advanced Structures and Composites Center has employed more than 3,000 student interns over the years, reinforcing the university鈥檚 learner-centered R1 mission by giving students hands-on research and workforce experience.

Building Maine鈥檚 future workforce

鈥淪tudents are working alongside world-class researchers on technologies that have real-world implications, and they earn their degrees along the way,鈥� Ferrini-Mundy said. 鈥淓xperiences like this prepare the engineers, scientists, innovators and manufacturing leaders that Maine and the nation need.鈥�

That combination of research, technology and workforce development also has implications for Maine鈥檚 economy, where manufacturers can face high costs, long lead times and demand for workers with advanced technical skills.

鈥淭he work that you are doing, those of you who are here today, really is quite remarkable,鈥� Malloy said. 鈥淚t reminds the people of Maine, the people of New England, the people of the nation, about how important our institution is, and how we can contribute to the safety of our forces, how we can make sure that Maine has the people who will drive the economy going forward.鈥�

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

The free, 20-hour program will give high school students in grades 9-12 hands-on experience with artificial intelligence. Participants will explore generative AI, ethics and real-world applications in fields including health care, business, computer science, sports, sustainability and the arts. Students will work with industry mentors, collaborate with peers and create a capstone project that addresses a real-world challenge.

No coding or computer science experience is required, and all necessary devices and materials will be provided. Students who are curious about technology, creativity, entrepreneurship or how AI is shaping future careers are encouraged to apply.

The bootcamp will be held over three Saturdays: Oct. 31, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14. Students must attend all three sessions.

Applications close Sept. 30. Learn more and apply at .

Four years after unveiling the world鈥檚 first fully bio-based, 3D-printed house, 91福利鈥檚 Advanced Structures and Composites Center is partnering with Penquis, a Maine-based nonprofit, to produce up to nine homes in the Greater Bangor area.

The homes will be built in three stages, allowing researchers to test each round, make adjustments and apply those lessons to the next. 

The project will use the Factory of the Future within 91福利鈥檚 new GEM facility to determine how BioHome3D can move from a one-home demonstration to a repeatable manufacturing system.

The work is supported by $4 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins.

ASCC Executive Director Habib Dagher describes the long-term vision as a 鈥淔ord factory of homes鈥� 鈥� a highly automated system capable of producing housing faster, more efficiently and at much greater volume.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already demonstrated that we can build the house,鈥� Dagher said. 鈥淣ow the challenge is how do we scale this technology so we can manufacture homes faster, more efficiently and in much greater numbers.鈥�

What has changed since 2022 is 91福利鈥檚 manufacturing capacity. When BioHome3D development began, the university鈥檚 system deposited material at about 100 pounds per hour. Its newer large-scale printer can operate at roughly 500 pounds per hour, and future equipment is expected to reach about 1,000 pounds per hour.

The Factory of the Future gives researchers the capacity to test those higher production speeds and more automated manufacturing processes than were possible when the first BioHome3D was created.

That increased capacity could be especially important in Maine, where the housing shortage is compounded by a limited construction workforce. Moving more of the building process into an automated manufacturing environment could allow more homes to be produced without requiring a proportional increase in on-site labor.

鈥淭his project is about much more than nine homes,鈥� Dagher said. 鈥淭hose homes give us an opportunity to validate and improve the manufacturing system we would need to ultimately produce housing at a much larger scale.鈥�

91福利 unveiled the 600-square-foot BioHome3D prototype in November 2022. Its floors, walls and roof were 3D-printed using material made from wood fiber and bio-resins, creating a new use for residual wood from Maine sawmills.

The prototype was manufactured in three six-sided modules, transported to the site and secured on its foundation in about half a day. It has since gone through three Maine winters as researchers continue to monitor its durability and long-term performance.

The partnership with Penquis will bring the next generation of BioHome3D homes into the Greater Bangor community, giving researchers an opportunity to evaluate repeated production while adding housing in the region.

鈥淗ousing remains a significant challenge in communities across Maine, and this project offers an opportunity to explore an innovative approach to creating additional housing,鈥� said Lawrence Rogers, housing development director at Penquis. 鈥淪ignificant planning work has already been completed, including selecting architectural and engineering partners. This funding represents meaningful progress toward advancing the project and achieving our broader mission of expanding affordable housing.鈥�

As researchers work toward wider use of the technology, BioHome3D must also meet the requirements needed to move beyond the research setting.

鈥淪afety has to be built into the technology as we scale it,鈥� Dagher said. 鈥淭hat means developing fire-resistant materials and completing additional testing necessary to demonstrate that these homes can meet the standards required for broader use.鈥�

Each group of homes will give researchers another opportunity to evaluate the system under real-world conditions and incorporate what they learn into the next round. Those results will help determine what is needed to move BioHome3D toward a manufacturing model capable of producing housing at greater scale.

Dagher said support from Maine鈥檚 congressional delegation is helping 91福利 take that next step.

鈥淭his marks a major milestone for 91福利鈥檚 BioHome3D technology. Thanks to Senator Collins and Maine’s congressional delegation, and our industry partners, we have critical support to help address urgent housing needs locally and nationally,鈥� Dagher said. 鈥淏y combining local sawmill waste with cutting-edge additive manufacturing, we are demonstrating how code-compliant, sustainable housing can be produced faster and more efficiently.鈥�

Contact: MJ Gautrau, MJ@composites.maine.edu

New research and education facilities are open. Major athletics construction is taking shape. More parking spaces have been added, and new sidewalks, roads, landscaping and lighting are changing how people move through campus.

Here are 10 of the biggest changes you鈥檒l notice:

1. GEM is opening

91福利鈥檚 new 47,000-square-foot GEM facility is opening soon. Home to the Factory of the Future, it combines AI-enabled 3D printing, advanced manufacturing, research, industry collaboration and hands-on student learning opportunities statewide.

2. SAWIC is opening

The new 14,200-square-foot Sustainable Aquaculture Workforce Innovation Center is also opening soon. Students will train with commercial-scale aquaculture systems while supporting applied research in fish health, nutrition, new species and sustainable production practices.

3. More than 236 new parking spaces

A total of 236 parking spaces have been added since commencement. Expanded parking near Dunn and Corbett halls, Wells and the CCA area includes additional visitor and ADA spaces across campus. .

4. Better pedestrian pathways

Getting around campus is easier. New and repaved sidewalks, crosswalks and pedestrian routes create direct connections, separate pedestrians from vehicles and improve ADA access near Dunn and Corbett halls, Wells Common and Memorial Gym.

5. More green space

Parts of campus once dominated by pavement are getting greener. New grass, trees and landscaping create more open space, improve campus appearance and provide buffers between roads, sidewalks and buildings.

6. Long Road has a new look

Long Road has been rerouted and redesigned with new sidewalks, curbing, landscaping, clearer entrances and better sightlines toward The Mall. A ride-share and short-term drop-off area is also being added.

7. Morse Arena rising

Steel is rising on the future home of Maine Basketball. Morse Arena will feature 2,600-plus seats, a full concourse, club section, video boards, improved amenities and a new student-section experience.

8. Refreshed north campus gateway

91福利 sign has been relocated, with improved landscaping and clearer views toward the Maine 鈥淢.鈥� The parking lot next to Bennett Hall is also being repaved.

9. Campus landmarks getting a refresh

A fraternity monument displaced by construction has been recreated nearby, and five EV charging stations are planned. Later this fall, the Maine bear monument will get a new granite base and updated plaque. 

10. Campus brighter after dark

New lighting is being installed in parking and pedestrian areas across north campus. The upgrades illuminate routes after dark while directional fixtures reduce light spill and impacts on nocturnal wildlife.

Contact: David Nordman,聽david.nordman@maine.edu.

Led by 91福利鈥檚 Prabuddha Chakraborty, multidisciplinary teams across four states will advance smart and secure grid technologies. A smart grid uses sensors, software, communications technologies and AI to make real-time operating decisions, while a secure grid can continue operating during cyberattacks, poor-quality data, equipment failures or disrupted communications. 

Together, these technologies can improve the reliability, affordability and security of electric service while helping utilities operate more safely and efficiently.

Each jurisdiction brings unique expertise to the research team and will address a different cybersecurity barrier to adopting AI, including hardware security, anomaly detection and forecasting, self-healing systems and microgrid simulations. 

The 91福利 team plays a central leadership role by connecting the research themes into a broader framework, rather than treating them as separate technical efforts. 

鈥淣o single field can solve this issue alone. The project combines power systems, AI, cybersecurity, hardware security, communications, sensing, economics, visualization and workforce training. If you leave out any one of those pieces, you may get an interesting technical result, but not a solution that works in the real world,鈥� said Chakraborty, the Waldo Libbey Assistant Professor at the University of Maine. He holds appointments in 91福利鈥檚 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Advanced Structures and Composites Center.

The project is supported by a new two-year, $2.4 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy鈥檚 Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR).

By combining advances in AI, cybersecurity and workforce development, the project aims to strengthen electric grid resilience while demonstrating how collaboration across DOE EPSCoR jurisdictions can help address some of the nation鈥檚 most pressing energy challenges.

The project includes researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the University of North Dakota and the University of Puerto Rico Mayag眉ez. Together, they will develop smarter, more secure electric grid technologies for regions particularly vulnerable to extreme weather and unreliable power systems. 

鈥淲e hope that this project allows jurisdictions like Puerto Rico to improve their ability to provide reliable electricity to citizens, especially in areas without electricity after Hurricane Maria,鈥� said project co-principal investigator Juan Patarroyo Montenegro, an assistant professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayag眉ez. This project is vital to modernize our grids so they can function properly while becoming stronger for future challenges and natural disasters.鈥�

The project embeds workforce development throughout the research. Each team will train students, develop educational modules and build the long-term capacity needed to maintain smart, secure electric grids and respond to new challenges. 

鈥淚t is important to us that we help create a new generation of students who are passionate about cybersecurity and integrating secure sensing, learning and visualizations in electricity systems in a way that improves grid resilience and supports local communities to improve their lives,鈥� said co-principal investigator Daisy Green, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Hawaii Manoa.

Each jurisdiction is also collaborating with local utilities as part of the research process.

鈥淭hrough our simulated microgrid testbeds, we are developing AI-driven, federated learning-based self-healing technologies to strengthen the cyber resilience of modern power systems,鈥� said co-principal investigator Prakash Ranganathan, director of the Center for Cyber Security Research and associate professor at the University of North Dakota. 鈥淏y working with utility partners, we aim to transition these innovations into real-world electric grids, enhancing their reliability, security, resilience and recovery from cyber and physical disruptions.鈥�

Story by Heather Johnson, EPSCoR graduate assistant

Contact: Daniel Timmermann, daniel.timmermann@maine.edu

Waterbury, a University of Maine senior from Topsham, Maine, who is majoring in chemical engineering, works as a quality control and process engineer for his summer fellowship. He supports research, testing and quality control while gaining experience in an industrial setting.

鈥淎s a chemical engineer, this work is directly in line with the majority of my career options and perfectly aligns with my personal passion for research and development and process troubleshooting,鈥� Waterbury said.

The paid fellowship through 91福利鈥檚 Building Science Program has allowed Waterbury to apply his coursework in a professional setting, take on new responsibilities and develop research and problem-solving skills. It also has helped him better understand the type of work he may pursue after graduation 鈥� exploring ways to make homes more affordable, resilient and energy efficient.

鈥淭his internship with TimberHP isn’t just beneficial to both my future academic and professional career 鈥� it is vital,鈥� Waterbury said. 鈥淚n my field, given the ample opportunity to intern or co-op before graduation, not having any experience is professionally fatal for a fresh graduate.鈥�

Providing students with real-world experience is central to 91福利鈥檚 commitment to being a learner-centered R1 and the state鈥檚 research and development department. Building Science Program fellowships, which can offer stipends and academic credit, support that goal by enabling students to work with 91福利 faculty or leading companies in the state, including TimberHP and Trane Technologies, on building and material design. 

Problems they help tackle include keeping more heat and air conditioning inside homes, potentially decreasing energy use and costs, and reducing moisture buildup in walls that can cause structural degradation over time. 

鈥淚t has been a pleasure working with Brian through the Building Science fellowship program this summer,鈥� said Evan Brewer, quality manager for TimberHP. 鈥淗is analytical approach and  foundational research have improved our understanding of the factors that drive product quality. His work has helped to establish a path forward for product improvements that will benefit our company and customers.鈥�

Fellowships can last a single fall, spring or summer semester or an entire year.  Students apply directly for projects and help shape their research goals and work plans. They also apply for funding, which can range from $2,500-$5,000 for project supplies, internship-related expenses and, in the case of on-campus projects, stipends. Applications are available online. 

The Building Science Program receives funding from the Harold Alfond Foundation through . The foundation鈥檚 historic investment in the Maine College of Engineering and Computing is advancing 91福利鈥檚 efforts to expand workforce development, research and education in building performance, energy systems, sustainable construction and Maine鈥檚 economy and quality of life.

The program is supported by a 100% federally funded $374,193 Maine Department of Energy Resources grant as part of an award from the Employment and Training Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Kyle Rooney, industry liaison for the Building Science Program and staff member at 91福利鈥檚 Advanced Manufacturing Center, said Maine employers have consistently expressed a need for graduates who understand building systems, equipment and energy analysis before entering the workforce.

The program was created after faculty members from several disciplines identified a growing need for workers with expertise in building performance, energy systems and sustainable construction. It brings together education, research and industry partnerships to address housing, energy and workforce challenges in Maine.

鈥淲e all understand that there is a major housing shortage in Maine, and home prices have gone up drastically,鈥� said Justin Lapp, an associate professor of mechanical engineering who co-developed the program. 鈥淎t the same time, buildings use about one-third of Maine鈥檚 energy, and there are new energy codes that are coming online that will require new buildings to be more energy efficient.鈥�

Another Building Science Program fellow, Zechariah Hoeft, took his research out of the lab and onto the roof of 91福利鈥檚 Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center for his project.

During summer 2025, Hoeft tested a plant-fiber house wrap under outdoor conditions. Pieces of the material were wrapped around wood and evaluated over several months for their ability to withstand rainfall while allowing trapped water vapor to escape.

鈥淥ne of the fun parts of the project was that we did not just test the material in the lab,鈥� said Hoeft, who is now pursuing his master鈥檚 degree at 91福利. 鈥淲e made a practical outdoor test.鈥�

The project gave Hoeft experience designing a real-world test, evaluating a material over time and working through challenges that do not always appear under controlled laboratory conditions.

Together, Waterbury鈥檚 internship and Hoeft鈥檚 research show the range of opportunities available through the Building Science Program, from employer-based internships to faculty-mentored research.

In addition to fellowships, the program offers undergraduate and graduate certificates, courses and dedicated laboratory space for students interested in building performance, energy systems and sustainable construction.

鈥淎s our new certificate programs and courses become available over the next few years, we hope to see students who are taking courses and doing projects to specialize in making buildings more energy efficient, cost effective and longer lasting,鈥� Rooney said.

Students interested in Building Science fellowships, certificates and project opportunities can visit the program website for more information.

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu

Existing computer models used to guide decisions about energy infrastructure and contamination often treat microbes as fixed and unchanging, even though they constantly adapt to their surroundings. For decades, incorporating molecular biology information into those models has remained one of the field鈥檚 biggest unsolved challenges.

Now, a research team led by University of Maine professors Jiaze Wang and Amanda Albright Olsen is aiming to close that gap after receiving funding through the .

Using artificial intelligence, the 91福利 researchers are working to incorporate molecular biology information into the physical models scientists rely on to predict what鈥檚 happening underground. The challenge is one of scale. Microbial genomic data is extraordinarily detailed but has historically been too complex to integrate into large-scale underground models.

The project will analyze microbial genetic information using AI to identify the biological processes that most strongly influence underground chemical reactions. Those insights will then be integrated into existing subsurface models, allowing scientists to better simulate how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact in changing environments.

By bringing molecular biology into subsurface models, the researchers hope to improve predictions that support groundwater management, environmental remediation, responsible critical mineral development and energy infrastructure planning. Improved models could help scientists and decision-makers protect groundwater, clean up contaminated sites and plan energy projects with greater confidence.

The Genesis Mission award

The Genesis Mission is a historic new national initiative led by the U.S. Department of Energy, which is building the world鈥檚 most powerful integrated science discovery platform. By uniting government, industry, academia and philanthropy, it is accelerating breakthroughs in energy, scientific discovery and national security through a new platform that combines AI, supercomputing, quantum systems and advanced scientific instruments.

91福利 was selected as part of the inaugural cohort of Genesis Mission-funded research teams, making it one of the first universities participating in the innovative initiative. The awards were announced Wednesday at a U.S. DOE event in Washington, D.C.

91福利 is leading the project in partnership with the University of Delaware and Argonne National Laboratory. The collaboration brings together expertise in bioinformatics, computational biology, AI, subsurface modeling and geochemistry.

The 91福利-led project was one of 278 selected by the DOE from more than 5,000 proposals. It was also the only project selected from Maine.

What it means for 91福利

The project builds on 91福利鈥檚 nationally recognized strengths in environmental research and computational modeling while expanding collaborations across disciplines and institutions.

The grant funds a graduate student and postdoctoral researcher at 91福利, both of whom will train directly on the project. That hands-on experience reflects 91福利鈥檚 mission as the state鈥檚 R1, learner-centered university, giving students opportunities to contribute to nationally significant research while working alongside leading scientists and preparing to lead and innovate in the state鈥檚 workforce.

鈥淲e are proud to be part of the inaugural Genesis Mission and to see our researchers contributing to this new era of scientific discovery,鈥� President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. 鈥淭his project exemplifies what makes 91福利 such a special place to learn and innovate. Our students have the opportunity to work alongside nationally recognized experts on projects that address some of the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges while developing solutions that can make a difference here in Maine and well beyond.鈥�

Giovanna Guidoboni, interim vice president for research, said the award reinforces 91福利鈥檚 leadership in interdisciplinary research.

鈥淎t 91福利, leading research that addresses complex, real-world challenges is at the heart of our mission,鈥� said Guidoboni, also the dean of the Maine College of Engineering and Computing. 鈥淭his project demonstrates the impact of bringing together expertise across disciplines while creating meaningful, research-based learning opportunities for our students. What we learn matters, but how we apply that knowledge to improve lives and communities is what defines us.鈥�

AI and environmental science converge

Wang, the principal investigator, said the project brings together disciplines that have historically worked in isolation.

鈥淭his project is trying to bring together concepts from very different disciplines and unite them,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淲e know the subsurface is a combination of geology and biology, and our goal is to bring that expertise together.鈥�

The challenge, she said, extends to the microbes themselves.

鈥淭he microbes are like magicians,鈥� Wang said. 鈥淭hey can transform the subsurface in ways we don鈥檛 fully understand yet, and we know so little about them.鈥�

For Olsen, the co-principal investigator, the use of AI and the Genesis Mission award represents a turning point.

鈥淭his is a problem I didn鈥檛 think we would solve,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving this project, where I can actually see a path to solving something people have worked on for my entire career, that feels like a paradigm shift in how we do this kind of work.鈥�

Starting with the coast

In this first phase, the team is focusing on coastal systems, including salt marshes like the ones that define much of Maine鈥檚 shoreline. The team will test its work using real-world data from coastal wetlands from Lake Erie to the Chesapeake Bay.

Coastal environments change quickly, making it easier to observe how microbes, minerals and groundwater interact than in slower-changing systems. They also face challenges such as saltwater intrusion, groundwater contamination and declining water quality, making them an ideal testing ground for the team鈥檚 approach.

Salt marshes are systems people in Maine already understand and value, Olsen said, making them a natural starting point for tools that could eventually benefit land-locked communities.

Applications far beyond the coast

Although the work begins on coastlines, the researchers say the tools they鈥檙e developing could be applied to subsurface systems around the world. The same modeling approach could help determine where it鈥檚 safe and healthy to build energy infrastructure, whether contamination found at a site will break down or spread and how critical minerals can be mined more responsibly. 

The work could also inform decisions about using the subsurface in other rapidly changing environments, including polar regions.

By the end of the project, the team plans to deliver:

• A library of microbial genetic information for subsurface physical models
• An upgraded version of a widely used subsurface simulation model
• A faster AI model emulator capable of running large-scale subsurface predictions

鈥淎ny system where you鈥檙e trying to understand whether a soil is healthy, or whether water is contaminated, requires understanding how these reactions couple together,鈥� Olsen said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 true almost anywhere on Earth鈥檚 surface.鈥�

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

The that Maine鈥檚 Forest Bioproducts Advanced Manufacturing Tech Hub has been awarded $20 million to accelerate commercialization of advanced forest bioproducts and strengthen Maine鈥檚 forest economy.

Maine鈥檚 Tech Hub is a consortium of public and private partners led by the University of Maine, including core collaborators from the state of Maine and the Maine Technology Institute (MTI). 

With this investment from the EDA, the Tech Hub partners will work together to expand commercial-scale production of new forest products, strengthen Maine鈥檚 manufacturing infrastructure, and develop the skilled workforce needed to support long-term growth in the state鈥檚 forest bioproducts industry.

鈥淢aine鈥檚 Tech Hub represents the future of forest innovation, building on two centuries of forest industry leadership and 160 years of University of Maine excellence in research, development, education, and the cultivation of world-class facilities that serve the forest economy,鈥� said Joan Ferrini-Mundy, president of the University of Maine and its regional campus in Machias, as well as vice chancellor for research and innovation for the University of Maine System. 鈥淭ogether with our partners, and powered by the expertise of our talented faculty, staff and students, we will position Maine as a global leader in advanced forest biomaterials, economic growth and innovation.鈥�

Maine鈥檚 Tech Hub will build on the EDA-supported work of Forest Opportunity Roadmap/Maine (FOR/Maine) to ensure that Maine continues to adapt to changing markets and maintain its leading role in the global forest economy. The Hub鈥檚 focus is on supporting companies that are converting low-value wood into next-generation products in three areas of strategic national significance: advanced construction systems, advanced packaging materials and alternative aviation fuels.

鈥淟ow-value wood is an abundant domestic resource with untapped potential to reshore manufacturing and reduce America鈥檚 dependence on volatile foreign supply chains,鈥� said Renee Kelly, acting regional innovation officer for Maine鈥檚 Tech Hub and 91福利鈥檚 associate vice president for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement (SPIRE). 鈥淲ith 16 million acres of trees, world-leading forest products R&D, well-established infrastructure to harvest and process wood products, and a strong coalition committed to the growth of Maine鈥檚 forest economy, Maine is best positioned to turn this opportunity into lasting economic impact.鈥�

The Maine Tech Hub is structured to help companies overcome common challenges in scaling production of new technologies and to assist them in finding a clear path to market. As a global leader in forest bioproducts R&D, 91福利 will oversee the Hub project area focused on technology development (helping companies develop, test and pilot new products) and coordinate the Hub鈥檚 governance structure. 

Maine Technology Institute (MTI) will focus on market development for new products by providing vouchers and grants, supporting entrepreneurship, expanding export assistance and attracting investment. 

The Maine Department of Labor will lead workforce development by creating and scaling registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships aligned with advanced manufacturing and construction needs through the Bioproducts Manufacturing Apprenticeship Partnership (BioMAP). 

鈥淢arket development is often the missing link between a promising technology and a durable business,鈥� said Brian Whitney, MTI president. 鈥淢TI is taking on that early risk so our forest bioproducts partners can move faster toward commercialization, strengthen domestic supply chains, and create jobs here in Maine. We’re honored to lead this piece of the Hub’s work.鈥�

These investments will also expand apprenticeship and training opportunities to prepare workers for careers in Maine鈥檚 growing forest bioproducts industry.

鈥淭he Tech Hub鈥檚 strategy represents a coordinated, employer-led approach to workforce development that will strengthen Maine鈥檚 competitiveness in the forest bioproducts industry,鈥� said Laura Fortman, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor. 鈥淯nder the State Workforce Development Board鈥檚 leadership, this effort will scale registered apprenticeships 鈥� in coordination with industry, education, labor, and community partners 鈥� to build the skilled workforce needed for adopting smart manufacturing technologies and create clear pathways into good-paying jobs here in Maine.鈥� 

For companies, the Maine Tech Hub represents critical and welcome new investment in the growth of Maine鈥檚 forest bioproducts sector.  

鈥淏iofine is proud to be developing an industrial-scale biorefinery at the former paper mill in Lincoln, Maine, where we鈥檒l turn low-value wood waste into advanced biofuels,鈥� said Mike Cassata, co-founder and chief development officer of Biofine Developments Northeast. 鈥淭his means new, high-paying jobs and real economic revitalization for a rural community that’s been waiting for this kind of investment. Our first plant alone is designed to anchor $300 million in private capital, with products already in high demand from some of the world鈥檚 largest fuel and chemical companies. With a coordinated Tech Hub behind us, we鈥檒l be able to move faster toward production, and establish a model that can scale throughout the region and across the country.鈥�

The investment also drew support from Maine鈥檚 congressional delegation and state leaders, who highlighted its importance to Maine鈥檚 economy, workforce and future competitiveness. Their statements follow:

Sen. Susan Collins:

鈥淭his funding is welcome news for the University of Maine, Maine鈥檚 forest products industry, and the many partners working to build a stronger economic future for our state. I was proud to champion this forward-looking project, which will help find new and innovative ways to leverage our state鈥檚 bountiful natural resources, create good-paying jobs, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and help ensure that the forest products industry remains a cornerstone of Maine鈥檚 economy for generations to come.鈥�

Sen. Angus King:

鈥淢aine鈥檚 forests have long been one of our greatest economic strengths, and this investment will help ensure the state鈥檚 forest products industry evolves with the times to remain one of our greatest competitive advantages for generations to come. By bringing together the University of Maine, Maine innovators, workers and researchers, the EDA Tech Hub will help turn homegrown materials into new products, new industries, and good-paying jobs across our state.鈥�

U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree:

鈥淭his is welcome news for Maine and for the future of our forest products economy, which has enormous potential to create jobs, strengthen rural communities, and position Maine as a national leader in advanced forest bioproducts. I鈥檓 thrilled to see this funding is moving forward, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure Maine gets the federal resources it has earned and deserves.鈥�

U.S. Rep. Jared Golden:

鈥淲hether in the woods, the workshop, the lab or the cutting-edge manufacturing plant, Mainers have been leaders in the forest products industry since before statehood. This award is richly deserved. Congratulations to the University of Maine, the Maine Tech Hub and all the professionals and students who will continue to innovate and lead this sector into the future.鈥� 

Gov. Janet Mills:

鈥淭his significant federal investment reflects Maine鈥檚 growing reputation as a global leader in the advanced manufacturing of forest bioproducts. Maine companies are leading the way in manufacturing innovative and environmentally friendly products that are changing how the world builds homes and businesses, packages products, fuels transportation, and more 鈥� and in doing so, they’re writing the next great chapter of Maine’s storied forest products industry. My Administration looks forward to supporting the growth of this critical workforce, and I congratulate the University of Maine and all of Maine鈥檚 Tech Hub partners on this important award.鈥�

Contact: David Nordman, david.nordman@maine.edu

In the fall, University of Maine researchers will begin developing specialized surface acoustic wave resonator microchip sensors designed to operate inside future fusion reactors while monitoring the structural integrity of facilities. They will be tested under radiation conditions several orders of magnitude more intense than those found in conventional fission reactor systems.

鈥淪olid-state technologies, such as the harsh environment microwave acoustic-based sensors fabricated at 91福利, have been shown to be a viable solution for operating in nuclear environments due to their overall robustness, capability of operating under high irradiation conditions, small size and wireless operational capabilities,鈥� said Mauricio Pereira da Cunha, professor of electrical and computer engineering and researcher at 91福利鈥檚 Frontier Institute for Research in Sensor Technologies (FIRST).

Fusion energy differs from conventional nuclear fission because it combines atomic nuclei rather than splitting them apart. Scientists have long pursued fusion because it has the potential to generate large amounts of energy with fewer long-lived radioactive byproducts than traditional nuclear systems. 

As fusion technologies advance toward commercial deployment, 91福利 researchers aim to develop sensors capable of tracking temperature; reactor power, or neutron flux; and strain on reactor vessel walls without being damaged or destroyed by extreme heat and radiation.  According to Luke Doucette, senior research scientist and R&D program coordinator at

FIRST, the work builds the team鈥檚 previous research in harsh-environment sensor development for advanced nuclear applications.

鈥淚n particular, we recently demonstrated for the first time that microchip sensor devices developed at 91福利 are capable of monitoring in-core fission reactor powers while operating at temperatures up to 800 degrees Celsius, or about 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit,鈥� Doucette said. 

The current project is supported by a funding award from the Hercules program led by Helion Energy, which aims to build its first commercially-viable nuclear fusion power plant and have it delivering energy to the electric grid by 2028. 

The 91福利 team, which includes research scientist Morton Greenslit of FIRST, will test their sensors under irradiation conditions designed to simulate the harsh operating environments expected inside Helion鈥檚 fusion reactors. 

As the research progresses, the team will also plan to engage graduate and undergraduate students to work on the project.Project collaborators include engineers from Helion Energy and researchers at the University of Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory. 

Story by William Bickford, graduate student writer

Contact: Marcus Wolf, 207.581.3721; marcus.wolf@maine.edu 

The fellowships were developed to increase undergraduate student involvement in faculty-supervised research and creative activity. Winners receive $3,000 to put toward their research projects over the summer months.

The 2026 CUGR Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Recipients are:

• Abigail Bergmark, microbiology, for a project titled 鈥淐yclic-di-GMP Effects on Candida albicans in the Presence of Fluconazole.鈥� Bergmark will be advised by Robert Wheeler.
• Amelia Bradford, anthropology, for a project titled 鈥淲ho鈥檚 Who In Biddeford, ME: The Life of 20th Century Textile Mill Workers as Told Through the Company Newspaper.鈥� Bradford will be advised by Susan Pinette.聽
• Rachel Harrington, marine science, for a project titled 鈥淧FAS Contamination and Temperature Effects on American Lobster.鈥� Harrington will be advised by Amalia Harrington.
• Alyssa Hinderer, marine science, for a project titled 鈥淧redicting PFAS Deposition In Maine Estuaries.鈥� The award for Hinderer, who will be advised by Margaret Estapa, was funded by Maine Sea Grant.聽
• Emily Leszczewski, marine science, for a project titled 鈥淓ffects of 41% Glyphosate Exposure On Behavior, Molting, And Stress Response Of Postlarval American Lobsters (Homarus americanus).鈥� Leszczewski will be advised by Amalia Harrington.
• Tyler Lilya, marine science, for a project titled 鈥淎 Novel Multi-Trophic Bio-Filter Apparatus To Remove Point Source, Anthropogenic Eutrophication From Waste Treatment Outflows.鈥� Lilya will be advised by Timothy Bowden.
• Willow McConochie, botany, for a project titled 鈥淎ssessing the Emotional Responses of Hikers to Hand Drawn Versus Generative AI Imagery of a High Alpine Species.鈥� McConochie will be advised by Jacquelyn Gill.
• Declan Mercer, engineering physics, for a project titled 鈥淔ueling The Magnetic Machine: Applications Of Superparamagnetic Functionalization.鈥� Mercer will be advised by Ioan-Augustin Chioar.
• Mackenzie Michaud, wildlife ecology, for a project titled 鈥淣esting Ecology of Maine Wood Turtles.鈥� Michaud will be advised by Matthew Chatfield.
• Emma Morrison, biochemistry, for a project titled 鈥淎ntibacterial Agent Cetylpyridinium Chloride (CPC) Ironically Inhibits Immune Cell Function: Mechanisms of Action on Signaling and Cytokines.鈥� The award for Morrison, who will be advised by Julie Gosse, was funded by the 91福利 Institute of Medicine.聽
• Lindsey Pellett, child development and family relationships, for a project titled 鈥淧arental ACE Scores and Family Dynamics: A Qualitative Study.鈥� Pellett will be advised by Daniel Puhlman.
• Wyatt Perron, philosophy, for a project titled 鈥淧osing In Bondage: A Phenomenological Investigation of The Male Loneliness Epidemic.鈥� Perron advised by Derek Michaud.
• Jayde Temby, child development and family relations, for a project titled 鈥淎 Qualitative Analysis of Family Relations with Children with ASD.鈥� Temby will be advised by Puhlman.

The 2026 MSGC Summer Undergraduate Award Recipients are:

• Berra Algul, engineering physics, for a project titled 鈥淧olar Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Microscopy.鈥� Algul advised by Nicholas Bingham.
• Keith Falkner, physics for a project titled 鈥淚nverse Magnetic Origami: Exploring Collective Magnetic Behavior By Unfolding Platonic Solids.鈥� Falkner will be advised by Chioar.
• Eloise Fontaine, physics, for a project titled 鈥淢easuring Exchange Bias in Hysteresis Loops.鈥� Fontaine will be advised by Bingham.
• Drake Grove, biomedical engineering, for a project titled 鈥淚mproving CNF Processing Through Press-Assisted Dewatering.鈥� Grove will be advised by Caitlin Howell.
• Mino Iobs, physics, for a project titled 鈥淕rowth, Characterization, and Quantum Analysis of Weyl Semimetal Mn2Sn Thin Films.鈥� Iobs will be advised by Bingham.
• Mackenzie Jones, physics, for a project titled 鈥淐reating Fe3O4 Films for Quantum Sensing & Astronomy Applications.鈥� Jones will be advised by Bingham.
• Gavin Libby, engineering physics, for a project titled 鈥淪olar Thermal Reactor Prototype Sensor Update.鈥� Libby will be advised by Justin Lapp.
• Benjamin Morgan, mechanical engineering, for a project titled 鈥淓ducation for K-8 in Manufacturing Engineering.鈥� Morgan will be advised by Philip King.
• Alexander Thayer, physics, for a project titled 鈥淚nvestigating Electronic Band Structure of Cr-doped WSe2 via Vertical Magnetoelectrical Transport.鈥� Thayer will be advised by Dinh Loc Duong.