Today’s top 5 from Purdue University

‘Purdue News Now’

A visit from the Dominican Republic’s president and a preview of next week’s Road School are among the latest stories in this week’s edition of “Purdue News Now.”

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Plus, check out five good stories below you may have missed.

Bringing a treasured Indy 500 tradition to the Purdue Grand Prix

Out of the hundreds of racetracks in the U.S., only two have racing surfaces that include original bricks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. One, of course, is IMS, where the start/finish line features the legendary Yard of Bricks — the only portion of the brick-covered track installed in 1909 that remains part of the current racing surface. The other is the Purdue Grand Prix track, thanks to a generous donation by Doug Boles, president of IMS and IndyCar, and three Boilermaker alumni who facilitated the brick donation and installation last fall.

Media contact: Trevor Peters, peter237@purdue.edu

Purdue, Dominican Republic chart ambitious path for strategic collaboration with campus visit of President Luis Abinader

Purdue University President Mung Chiang welcomed His Excellency President Luis Abinader of the Dominican Republic and an official delegation to Purdue’s West Lafayette location March 6-7, reinforcing a dynamic and rapidly expanding collaboration between Purdue and the Dominican Republic, a strategic ally and neighbor to the U.S. The partnership focuses on joint efforts to advance critical industries, including semiconductors and biotechnology.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

Software startup Molecular Intelligence improves structuring molecules from cryo-EM image data

Purdue University experts in the College of Science and Rosen Center for Advanced Computing have launched Molecular Intelligence, a software company whose solutions help researchers determine the 3D structures of biomolecules imaged with cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Molecular Intelligence’s end users are research scientists in bioengineering, medical science and pharmaceutical companies who use cryo-EM to determine 3D structures of proteins, nucleic acids and other biomolecules.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

Manfra appointed to lead Purdue’s quantum institute

Quantum computing expert Michael Manfra has been named director of the Purdue Quantum Science and Engineering Institute, effective March 1. He is the Bill and Dee O’Brien Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and professor of materials engineering. Manfra is widely recognized as a groundbreaking researcher and innovator in quantum science and technologies. He led a team of Purdue scientists who demonstrated concrete evidence of the existence of anyons, a type of subatomic particle that is particularly important in efforts to build a utility-scale quantum computer.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

Excellence at scale: Purdue ranks 4th nationally for U.S. patents received

An injection manifold design to improve next-generation engine performance. A robotic system to place and fasten materials to automate building construction. A biomedical scaffold to stimulate nerve function and promote muscle regeneration. These were among the 213 innovations created by Purdue University researchers for which the Purdue Research Foundation received patents in the 2024 calendar year from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, reflecting Purdue’s status as a global leader in protecting and promoting intellectual property. Purdue placed seventh internationally and in the top four of U.S. universities for patents received.

Media contact: Erin Murphy, ermurphy@purdue.edu

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About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 107,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 58,000 at our main campus in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 13 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its comprehensive urban expansion, the Mitch Daniels School of Business, Purdue Computes and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.