Three flags flying: USA flag, Minnesota Flag, Sartell Flag.

 
News

News and stories featuring Tech Comm, University of Minnesota researchers, innovations, startups & entrepreneurs.

Recent News

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.

Linda Kinkel holds two potted plants

When microbes cooperate, crops win

May 8, 2026

Linda Kinkel, a professor of plant pathology in the University of Minnesota's College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, digs into microbes at a potato disease research nursery in Grand Rapids.

Maroon graphic with the University of Minnesota logo and the text "300 Startups" inside a yellow circular badge.

University of Minnesota’s Technology Commercialization Office Surpasses 300 Startups Launched

April 17, 2026

The University of Minnesota reaches 300 startups since 2006, showcasing the Technology Commercialization office as a primary engine for translating research into real-world solutions.

 

Pat Dillon

Congress Reauthorizes Key Research Program for Small Businesses

April 15, 2026

The Small Business Innovation Research-Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) program was recently reauthorized for five years, reopening a critical source of funding for UMN innovators seeking to commercialize their ideas and technologies through startup companies.

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.