Penn Engineers Receive 3 Grants through Manufacturing PA Initiative

Governor Tom Wolf recently announced grants to fund 26 projects as part of the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, 3 of which were awarded to projects at the University of Pennsylvania. The Manufacturing PA Innovation Program aims to capitalize on the cutting-edge science and engineering research of Pennsylvania’s educational institutes by forging partnerships between them and the manufacturing sector.

The 3 projects spearheaded by Penn are led by Kevin Turner, Shu Yang, and Mark Yim and were each granted approximately $70,000. The Penn professors will be collaborating with Pennsylvania-based companies to bring their groundbreaking visions to life.

Kevin Turner, Professor and Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, will be collaborating with Penn Color to investigate the use of cellulose materials in inks for additive manufacturing, broadening the materials choices for 3D printing.

Along with the pharmaceutical company Merck, Shu Yang, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will be designing a drug capsule that deploys drugs gradually, remaining in the stomach for up to two weeks.

Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Science Mark Yim’s project will work in conjunction with Greppo Technologies, a Pennovation Center-based spin-off company Yim founded, to develop steerable needles that could deliver minimally invasive medical treatments.

Read more about the grants funding these innovative projects on Governor Wolf’s website.