PITA Newsletter: Spring 2019

www.pitapa.org Spring 2019 PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE A Commonwealth-University-Industry Partnership for Economic Development through Research, Technology, and Education

Predicting and Improving Ridesharing for Drivers and Passengers P.3

IN THIS ISSUE REVOLUTIONIZING THE TREATMENT OF BRAIN ANEURYSMS – P.4 ANTIMICROBIAL GRANULAR ACTIVATED CARBON – P.5 DEVELOPING NEW ADHESIVES TO WITHSTAND EXTREME CONDITIONS – P.6

Message from PITA Co-Directors

The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) has connected Pennsylvania’s companies with the Commonwealth’s world-class university researchers and their students for over 20 years, promoting economic development in Pennsylvania. PITA, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development, helps Pennsylvania increase the state’s market competitiveness through the development of new technologies and process improvements.

We are proud of the program’s strong history of working with Pennsylvania companies and students to foster economic growth in the state. The program has supported over 1,150 technology and process improvement projects in partnership with more than 440 Pennsylvania companies, obtaining more than $2 of funding from industry and federal resources for every $1 of state funding obtained.

PITA has also mobilized more than 450 faculty members and 1,900 students to work on Pennsylvania-specific technology, process improvement, and educational outreach projects, and has also enabled 12 startup companies created from PITA-sponsored technologies. In this edition of the PITA Newsletter, we highlight recent partnerships with Gridwise, Ancure, Evoqua Water Technologies, and Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Company.

As always, we welcome partnerships with new companies. Those interested in working with faculty and graduate students on short-term technology development or process improvement projects should contact the PITA Associate Directors Chad Kusko, Lehigh University, chk205@lehigh.edu; or Colleen Mantini, Carnegie Mellon University, cmantini@cmu.edu.

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BURAK OZDOGANLAR

RICHARD SAUSE

ozdoganlar@cmu.edu Carnegie Mellon University

rsause@lehigh.edu ATLSS, Lehigh University

PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

Predicting and Improving Ridesharing for Drivers and Passengers For more information, contact Sean Qian at seanqian@cmu.edu

Ridesharing pricing models are based on supply and demand. When demand spikes, prices surge, and when demand is low, prices are based on a flat base rate. Drivers enjoy higher profits in popular areas with surging prices, but current pricing models function in real-time, meaning that drivers only see busy areas after the areas are already busy.

As a result, both passengers and drivers lose out.

Passengers wait longer and potentially pay more, while drivers try to catch up with changing rider demands. Additionally, when drivers hit the roads without a plan, they end up coasting and looking for riders, which not only wastes time and fuel, but also worsens traffic congestion.

To improve ridesharing services, Sean Qian, a Carnegie Mellon University assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC), teamed up with Gridwise, a Pittsburgh startup company founded in 2016 that aims to improve on-demand ridesharing. The group received funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance (PITA) to develop an advanced predictive model

We use all kinds of information and data, from weather conditions to traffic incidents. This way, if a driver sees a possible surge in an area related to rain or a concert, they can make a more efficient decision.”

— Sean Qian, a CMU assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, director of the Mobility Data Analytics Center (MAC)

that makes ridesharing platforms more efficient. Now the Gridwise mobile application allows drivers to track real-time rider demand, as well as plan ahead of time for upcoming surges in driver demand.

Several years ago, Ryan Green, now the CEO and cofounder of Gridwise, drove for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft. He grew tired of chasing surges and founded Gridwise in 2016 to help his fellow drivers.

“Gridwise originates from the perspective of the ridesharing drivers,” says Green. “We saw the problems Continued on page 7

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Revolutionizing the Treatment of Brain Aneurysms For more information, contact Christopher Bettinger at cbetting@andrew.cmu.edu

“This genipin coil coating has the potential to reduce incidents of aneurysm recurrence. It’s our hope that with this particular treatment, patients can receive just one surgery and be finished.”

— Michael Horowitz, neurosurgeon at the Pennsylvania Brain and Spine Institute

Brain aneurysms often go unnoticed by those afflicted by them.

Unless an aneurysm ruptures, patients can go about their day, completely unaware of the deadly vascular defect.

Functioning blood vasculature allows blood to flow like rivers, says Chris Bettinger, an associate professor of Materials Science and Biomedical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. An aneurysm occurs when the weakened vessels lead to a bulge in vasculature, causing blood to pool in the bulge, much like stagnant bogs might form after part of a river bank collapses.

derived from gardenia fruit extract that serves as an extremely successful cross-linker for proteins. This creates a much more stable clot.

Once a coil is administered, the controlled release of genipin would begin. The clot would be reinforced and strengthened by cross-linked proteins, cutting the failure rate in half, to just 15 percent.

Traditional platinum coils result in the eventual destabilization (top) of a fixed blood clot. Genipin-coated platinum coils result in the stabilization of a treated aneurysm (bottom).

“This genipin coil coating has the potential to reduce incidents of aneurysm recurrence,” says Horowitz. “It’s our hope that with this particular treatment, patients can receive just one surgery and be finished.”

The initial PITA-funded in vitro component of this study has been successful. Now the team has partnered with Mayo Clinic for the in vivo component of the study.

Ruptured aneurysms can occur at any age, and the mortality rate is almost 60 percent without treatment. Current aneurysm treatments involve endovascular therapy, which is administered through a catheter. Surgeons insert a platinum coil through the catheter and directly into the defect, causing a blood clot and ultimately sealing off the vasculature defect, rebuilding the river bank. Unfortunately, treatment fails 30 percent of the time because the body breaks down and absorbs the tissue clot, and the aneurysm forms again.

“Current treatments are temporary solutions that the body eventually processes,” says Bettinger. “When the clot fails, weeks later, months later, or years later, a patient has to undergo the same procedure again.”

Surgeons have to perform the same procedure, and patients face a 30 percent failure rate yet again. This model isn’t sustainable, so Bettinger teamed up with Ancure, LLC, a Pittsburgh-based company that specializes in medical device coatings, as well as Michael Horowitz, a neurosurgeon at the Pennsylvania Brain and Spine Institute.

The team aims to make aneurysm treatments more permanent.

Through PITA funding, they’ve been testing GeniCoat, a genipinbased, controlled release material. Genipin is a chemical compound

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TRADITIONAL PLATINUM COILS RESULT IN THE EVENTUAL DESTABILIZATION (TOP) OF A FIXED BLOOD CLOT. GENIPIN-COATED PLATINUM COILS RESULT IN THE STABILIZATION OF A TREATED ANEURYSM (BOTTOM).

PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

Antimicrobial Granular Activated Carbon For more information, contact Derick Brown at dgb3@lehigh.edu Water treatment filters, found everywhere from household filters to municipal plants, use granular activated carbon (GAC) to remove contaminants from water. This effective method works through sorption, the physical and chemical process by which one substance becomes attached to another. The activated carbon molecules, which have a large surface area, attach to chlorine and other pollutants, and then trap them in a filter.

GAC’s large surface area raises concern, however, because it can serve as a solid surface for the growth of bacterial biofilms. Pathogenic biofilms that grow on GAC can pose a dangerous threat, but some biofilms may actually further enhance the water treatment, because some biofilms break down the contaminants that have been adsorbed

by GAC. Lehigh University has joined forces with Evoqua Water Technologies, a Pittsburgh-based company, to develop a passive antimicrobial GAC. Passive antimicrobial surfaces simply repel bacteria without directly interacting with it. Lehigh researchers combined their expertise in environmental materials and environmental biotechnology with Evoqua’s activated carbon expertise and manufacturing capabilities. Lehigh researchers include Derick Brown, professor and associate chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Dr. John Fox, assistant professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and graduate student Hankai Zhu.

Using simple batch respirometer experiments, which measure the respiration rate of living organisms, the researchers monitored oxygen levels to determine how much bacteria existed in water samples. Then, they demonstrated that the biofilms that had attached to the GAC could be used to break down bacteria, effectively enhancing the filtration system. This approach does not require the leaching of any toxic chemicals to provide the antimicrobial properties, making the GAC suitable for drinking water and ultra-pure water applications.

“The technology being developed in collaboration with Lehigh University is critical to sustaining a competitive edge in the activated carbon market, as well as advancing science in the activated carbon field,” says Adam Redding, a scientist at Evoqua Water Technologies.

“The technology being developed in collaboration with Lehigh University is critical to sustaining a competitive edge in the activated carbon market, as well as advancing science in the activated carbon field.”

— Adam Redding, scientist at Evoqua Water Technologies

PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

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Developing New Adhesives to Withstand Extreme Conditions For more information, contact Ray Pearson at rp02@lehigh.edu

The chemical industry relies heavily on containment vessels, which are lined with polymers. Polymer-lined containment vessels can be used to safely store and transport a variety of chemicals, but some chemicals require specific temperature or pressure conditions.

When such conditions are required, most adhesives that hold the polymer liner to the vessel aren’t up to the challenge. Because the adhesives will break down, chemicals are stored in glass-lined vessels or vessels manufactured from expensive alloys, such as inconel, that can withstand higher temperatures.

To develop an alternative to this high-cost option, PITA funded Lehigh University and the Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Company, based in Emmaus, Pa., to develop an inexpensive epoxybased adhesive that can withstand extreme conditions. Ray Pearson, professor of Materials Science & Engineering and director of the Center for Polymer Science and Engineering at Lehigh University, has researched epoxies extensively.

Pearson’s expertise, paired with Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Co.’s longstanding experience in polymer linings, has culminated in a new adhesive system.

“I’ve researched epoxies for years,” says Pearson. “I received the 2018 Award in Excellence in Adhesion Science from the Adhesion Society for my theories, but our short time working with the Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Co. team allowed us to turn that theory into practice.”

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Pearson’s expertise, paired with Electro Chemical Engineering and Manufacturing Co.’s longstanding experience in polymer linings, has culminated in a new adhesive system.

They first analyzed current commercial adhesives, but none of them had the desirable response to extreme conditions. They decided to study a model adhesive system to better understand the tradeoffs between processing characteristics, temperature resistance, and mechanical performance. Then, engineers at Electro Chemical Engineering worked with commercial material suppliers to develop a new, custom-made adhesive based on the model.

PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

Ridesharing

Continued from page 3

that existed for drivers, so we explored ways to help drivers combat these every day challenges.”

Green says about 15 percent of Pittsburgh’s ridesharing drivers used the Gridwise application when the PITA grant was awarded, but now the majority of the Pittsburgh’s ridesharing drivers take advantage of it. The app spikes drivers’ profits by up to 40 percent, and riders enjoy shorter wait times as well. Gridwise has expanded into other cities, too, which means Pittsburgh problem-solving isn’t just helping Pittsburgh drivers — it’s improving ridesharing experiences and traffic congestion across the United States, making the country’s transportation grid more efficient.

Green and the Gridwise team joined up with Qian, which allowed them to utilize extensive data sets to better understand what makes passengers and drivers a good match. The Mobility Data Analytics Center provided data about transportation including parking, traffic incidents, and bus ridership, which serves as a foundation for the model. Qian and Matthew Battifarano, a graduate student researcher, combined this foundation with social media data, ridesharing data, and more provided

by Gridwise, and developed a model that can now predict when and where ridesharing demand will spike up to two hours in advance.

“Gridwise originates from the perspective of the ridesharing drivers.

We saw the problems that existed for drivers, so we explored ways to help drivers combat these every day challenges.”

— Ryan Green, CEO and

“This PITA-funded project provided us with the platform to solve a real-world problem here in Pittsburgh,” says Qian. “We’ve effectively improved the mismatching that occurs between drivers and passengers, which means better service for passengers, increased revenue opportunities for drivers, and overall better transportation infrastructure performance.”

“We use all kinds of information and data, from weather conditions to traffic incidents,” says Qian.

“This way, if a driver sees a possible surge in an area related to rain or a concert, they can make a more efficient decision.”

co-founder of Gridwise

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PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

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on real-world, market-driven challenges confronting PA companies.

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INFRASTRUCTURE and enhancing the competitiveness of PA companies with the goal of the TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE ALLIANCE creation of jobs in Pennsylvania and the retention of highly trained/educated www.pitapa.org Faculty and students assist companies in creating technology of the future benefits PA industry.

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PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE

Projects must address se, university equipment andone of the following PITA Technology Focus Areas: • Transportation

afforded the opportunity to work and Information Technology • Telecommunications

• Facilities fronting PA companies.

• Water Systems • Energy & Environment

• Public Health & Medicine ting technology of the future

• Hazard Mitigation & Disaster Recovery

panies with the goal of the

Project duration is typically 18 months. Project involves graduate and/or

ion of highly trained/educated undergraduate students.

Project targets $2 of leveraged funding for every $1

of PITA funding. All PITA funds are expended within the University.

PITA is an industry-led program that enables companies to identify opportunities for the University, through its faculty and students, to provide expertise and capabilities that they may not otherwise be able to access.

through an RFP process in Pennsylvania companies gain access to faculty expertise, university equipment,

and students. University faculty and students are afforded the opportunity to work on real-world, market-driven challenges confronting Pennsylvania companies.

Faculty and students assist companies in creating technology of the future and enhancing the competitiveness of Pennsylvania companies with the goal of the creation of jobs in Pennsylvania and the retention of highly trained/educated students in Pennsylvania.

A Technology Focus Areas:

PITA Technology Focus Areas include:

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Transportation

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Telecommunications and Information Technology

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Energy & Environment

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involves graduate and/or

leveraged funding for every $1

within the University.

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PITA | PENNSYLVANIA INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE | SPRING 2019 | WWW.PITAPA.ORG

Jacob Williamson-Rea Chief Editor 412.268.9157 Chad Kusko PITA Co-Associate Director Lehigh University chk205@lehigh.edu 610-758-5299 Colleen McCabe Mantini PITA Co-Associate Director Carnegie Mellon University cmantini@cmu.edu 412-268-5314