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Recent News

headshot of Laurel Corgard

The Foundations of Innovation: Laurel Corgard’s 40-Year Legacy at Tech Comm

August 3, 2026

Celebrating patent administrative specialist Laurel Corgard’s 40th anniversary at the University of Minnesota and decades of tech transfer’s evolution.

government building

Changing the Rules of Discovery: How the Bayh-Dole Act Transformed Tech Transfer

August 3, 2026

Explore how the Bayh-Dole Act of 1980 transformed university research and tech transfer, leading to some of the University of Minnesota’s most groundbreaking innovations.

Blue graphic with Cryton BioSciences logo and animation of a mitochondria

The Future of Cancer Care: How Cryton Biosciences Targets the Cell’s Engine

July 27, 2026

University of Minnesota startup company Cryton Biosciences, is advancing a breakthrough technology to enhance mitochondrial function to treat diseases like colorectal cancer.

An industrial building with solar panels on the roof surrounded by green space and other industrial structures

Deep Earth, Urban Spaces: How a UMN Startup is Decarbonizing the Skyline

July 15, 2026

UMN startup Darcy Solutions is decarbonizing urban buildings with an innovative, groundwater-based geothermal system that requires significantly less space than traditional geothermal installations.

Six sequential images of SpudCell (in green against a black background) dividing from a single egg shape to two circular cells.

World’s first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle could revolutionize biological engineering

July 1, 2026

Two research teams from the College of Biological Sciences have developed the world’s first synthetic cell with a complete life cycle, built entirely from non-living chemical components. The project, called SpudCell, marks a major breakthrough in biological engineering.

Professor Jian-Ping Wang holding up a small semiconductor chip.

UMN launches new center to advance microelectronics and semiconductor industries

May 20, 2026

The UMN, in collaboration with Polar Semiconductor and Honeywell Aerospace, is establishing a first-of-its-kind academic-industry Spin Technology Center to advance the state’s microelectronics and semiconductor industry.

Two people stand shoulder to shoulder

Adialante Turns to Silicon Valley to Scale Its University of Minnesota-Born MRI Innovation

July 8, 2026

For months, Adialante struggled to pay itself pushing them into “cockroach mode.” Now, it has nearly a dozen clinics onboard and $20M of letters of intent.

Two cells in close proximity. (Source: Orion Venero, Adamala Lab)

SpudCell: Scientists Made a Cell With Most of the Hallmarks of Life. Here’s What to Know

July 1, 2026

From why it was created to whether it’s alive, here’s what to know about SpudCell, the latest advance in synthetic biology.

A gloved hand holds a scoop containing dark, flake-like neodymium-praseodymium alloy strips.

Does the World Need Chinese Rare Earths? Not Necessarily, Say These Companies.

June 2, 2026

Beijing’s move to choke off the supply has spurred companies to develop new products.

The (Literal) Pulsing Heart of Medtronic’s Relationship with the University of Minnesota

The (Literal) Pulsing Heart of Medtronic’s Relationship with the University of Minnesota

May 13, 2026

Medtronic supports the U of M’s Visible Heart Lab in exchange for the chance to test devices on donated human hearts.

Screenshot of a video game. Two animated humans stand in a forest.

"Reclaim" video game voiced entirely by Ojibwe community members helps keep language alive

April 15, 2026

A video game is helping people experience the Ojibwe culture in a new way.

Orange tinted laboratory with a Kare11 logo/branding overlay

U of M researchers launch startup aiming to reduce AI energy consumption

April 14, 2026

Researchers are making big strides on a potential solution to concerns about the energy demands of the data centers that power AI.