1. Material for Future Bio-Molecule DetectionDaniel Gall, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, DMR 0645312 Outcome: Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created a material that deforms when applying an electric voltage. Impact: Such a material will potentially enable efficient detection of biological molecules including those linked to major diseases like Leukemia or Alzheimer's. Explanation: Aluminum nitride is known to expand or contract when a voltage is applied. A new form of aluminum nitride was created by depositing aluminum and nitrogen atoms from various angles. This new material tilts sideways when applying a voltage. Therefore an oscillating voltage will cause vibrations that can form ultrasound waves within a liquid like water. Such waves are potentially useful to detect biological molecules. The key new finding by Professor Daniel Gall and graduate student Ruopeng Deng is that the direction of the depositing atoms directly affects the directional arrangement of the atoms within the aluminum nitride that forms on the substrate. Aluminum and nitrogen atoms are deposited from specific directions (blue arrow) onto a flat surface. This leads to aluminum nitride (grey) with a tilted microstructure, with promising electro-mechanical properties. (courtesy of D. Gall)