WEST LAFAYETTE – American women have discovered and developed numerous inventions used across all industrial sectors that benefit our global society. Tabitha Babbitt was a Shaker toolmaker who invented the circular saw; Dr. Patricia Bath created the Laserphaco Probe to remove cataracts more quickly and accurately during surgery; Grace Murray Hopper conducted programming language design work that led to COBOL, one of the first computer programming languages; Stephanie Kwolek created Kevlar synthetic fibers, which are used in bulletproof vests; and Patsy Sherman invented Scotchgard fabric stain repellent.
In observation of Women's History Month, Purdue Research Foundation recognizes women researchers across all academic disciplines at Purdue University who are discovering and developing innovations that could benefit society. Several are available for industry partners to further develop and commercialize, including:
* A piston with a waved surface structure that decreases power loss in axial piston pumps. The piston increases efficiency by creating additional hydrodynamic pressure buildup. It was developed by Monika Ivantysynova, MAHA Fluid Power Systems Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering and Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering in the College of Engineering and College of Agriculture.
* A disease-on-a-chip model that provides a more accurate assessment of a tumor's sensitivity to drugs than current models. It replicates tumor growth for use in tumor detection and the development of drugs that target tumor cells and not the adjacent tissue. It was developed by Sophie A. Lelièvre, associate professor of cancer pharmacology in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
* A chemical genetic approach to identify substrates in breast cancer, developed for use as potential targets for treatment of breast cancer. It was developed by Kavita Shah, the Walther Associate Professor of Chemistry in the College of Science.
* A treatment for septicemia involving molecules derived from chitosan. It also can be used to filter bacteria from water and filter endotoxins from plasmid DNA samples. It was developed by Yoon Yeo, associate professor of biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering.
For more information about these and other technologies developed by women researchers at Purdue, contact innovation@prf.org
