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Innovation is a keystone of research at Tufts, as seen by the university being named one of the top 100 U.S. universities granted utility patents—also known as patents for invention—for 2024 by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Utility patents encompass many types of scientific breakthroughs that directly benefit society and human health, with potential for the creation of useful products that better the world. 

“Research and innovation are inseparable,” said Bernard Arulanandam, vice provost for research. “At Tufts, our researchers bring ideas to life—and break new ground—in ways that lead to meaningful discoveries and real-world innovations, as reflected in the numerous patents awarded to us last year.”

A number of these patents have been optioned or licensed by commercial parties for further development, including clinical trials. Last year, 30 patents were awarded in total. Tufts ranks 68 out of 100 on the NAI list.

“Global competition in science and technology is intense,” said U.S. National Science Foundation director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “To continue to keep our nation secure, we must invest in accelerating breakthrough technologies, transitioning these technologies to the market, and preparing Americans for better-quality, higher-wage jobs.”

A selection of patents drawn from across the university include the following faculty:

School of Arts and Sciences

Misha Kilmer, William Walker Professor of Mathematics, who holds a secondary appointment in computer science, received a patent for deep tensor neural networks—an innovation that transforms AI model architecture. These networks excel at capturing high-dimensional correlations in data through tensor-based representations, allowing them to detect subtle patterns that traditional models miss. By effectively modeling the intricate relationships between multiple data dimensions simultaneously, tensor networks achieve superior generalization on smaller datasets. This mathematical breakthrough enables more efficient processing of complex data for applications in image recognition, speech processing, and scientific analysis, while providing comprehensive tools for building and optimizing these powerful, adaptable models.

School of Dental Medicine

Pamela C. Yelick, professor of Basic and Clinical Translational Sciences, director of the Division of Craniofacial and Molecular Genetics, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and professor of biomedical engineering, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, holds a patent that introduces a specialized gel designed to assist in regenerating the soft tissue inside teeth, known as dental pulp. This gel mimics the natural environment of dental pulp and contains bioactive proteins and that promote tissue growth and blood vessel and nerve formation, revitalizing the tooth. Such a development could lead to advanced treatments for tooth repair, potentially reducing the need for traditional root canal procedures.

School of Engineering

Ayse Asatekin, associate professor and Steve and Kristen Remondi Faculty Fellow in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, holds two patents related to filtration. The first concerns a specialized filter that has a thin, nanoporous layer composed of polymeric nanoparticles, formed during the coating process, on a support with larger pores. These membranes can be functionalized to selectively filter, pass, or capture specific substances based on their chemical properties. Such membranes can be utilized in water purification, chemical processing, or medical diagnostics to efficiently separate desired components from complex mixtures. The second is for a new manufacturing method that enables fabrication of filtration membranes with high permeability and selectivity. This approach is faster than existing methods, as it does not require post-processing steps, and can be used to fabricate a broad range of membrane categories, such as nanofiltration.

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Charles Shoemaker, professor in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, is an inventor on three patents, which collectively seek to use VHH binding proteins as therapeutics for C. difficile and botulinum toxin-related diseases. The patents describe recombinant VHH binding proteins capable of specifically targeting and neutralizing toxins produced by Clostridioides difficile and Botulinum bacteria, and compositions and kits containing these VHH binding proteins, as well as methods for producing and using VHH binding proteins.

Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy

Simin Meydani, professor emerita of nutrition, and Mohsen Meydani, professor emeritus of nutrition, are inventors on a patent that covers a composition and method for treating, preventing, and reducing the risk of obesity, inflammatory conditions, and related diseases, as well as increasing gut microbiome diversity, immunity, cognition, muscle mass, and longevity. The composition is derived from fruits and vegetables, and can be formulated as a dry powder, capsule, or liquid; as a nutritional supplement, food, or beverage. This approach offers a potential dietary intervention for managing weight and promoting overall health and longevity.

School of Medicine

The late , associate professor of developmental, molecular and chemical biology, is an inventor on a patent for a novel method for efficiently generating edited DNA, ranging from DNA molecules with simple point mutations to complex DNA libraries. The methods and kits use a single-stranded deoxyuridine (dU)-containing template to align a series of DNA oligomers that contain mutations relative to the template strand, giving rise to the sequence variation in the product. The methods and kits may be used to produce DNA libraries or to generate multiple, widely spaced mutations in a target sequence.

A complete list of the Tufts lead inventors associated with 2023 patents follows.

School of Arts and Sciences

• Timothy Atherton, professor (Physics and Astronomy)
• Misha Kilmer, William Walker Professor of Mathematics (Mathematics)
• Krishna Kumar, Robinson Professor (Chemistry)
• Charles Mace, associate professor (Chemistry)
• David Walt (Chemistry)

School of Dental Medicine

• Jake Jinkun Chen, professor (Basic & Clinical Translational Science)
• Qisheng Tu, professor (Basic & Clinical Translational Science)
• Pamela C. Yelick, professor (Basic and Clinical Translational Sciences)

School of Engineering

• Ayse Asatekin, associate professor (Chemical and Biological Engineering)
• Irene Georgakoudi, adjunct professor (Biomedical Engineering)
• Mark Hempstead, professor (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
• David Kaplan, Stern Family Professor (Biomedical Engineering)
• Eric Miller, professor (Electrical and Computer Engineering)
• Fiorenzo Omenetto, Frank C. Doble Professor (Biomedical Engineering)
• Matthias Scheutz, Karol Family Applied Technology Professor (Computer Science)
• Igor Sokolov, professor and Bernard M. Gordon Senior Faculty Fellow (Mechanical Engineering)
• Robert White, associate professor (Mechanical Engineering)
• Qiaobing Xu, professor (Biomedical Engineering)

School of Medicine

• William Bachovchin, professor (Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology)
• Andrew Bohm, associate professor (Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology)
• Alexei Degterev, associate professor (Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology)
• Hung-Sen Lai, research assistant professor (Developmental, Molecular, and Chemical Biology)
• Mohan Thanikachalam, research assistant professor (Public Health and Community Medicine)

 Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

• Charles Shoemaker, professor (Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health)

Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy

• Mohsen Meydani, professor emeritus (Nutrition)
• Simin Meydani, professor emerita (Nutrition)
• Susan Roberts, adjunct professor (Nutrition)
• Edward Saltzman, associate professor (Nutrition)