Two UNC Charlotte Klein College of Science students were announced today as team finalists in the Collegiate Inventors Competition, from the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
Students Naz Fathma Tumpa, a nanoscale chemistry Ph.D. student, and Aiden Hawkins, a senior chemistry major working toward a bachelor’s of science degree, have been working with advisors Michael G. Walter and Tyler J. Adams. Tumpa and Hawkins are representing UNC Charlotte as one of five teams of students to make it to the finals in the nationwide contest.
The four other graduate-level finalist teams are from University of Pittsburgh, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and two teams from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The team, working in the Walter lab, is presenting an innovative drug testing solution “Color-Metric Sensing of Amine Compounds for Illicit Drug Detection.” Using a bright, color-changing solution, they can test for drugs like fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, which all contain an amine compound.
The solution reacts with bright colors to detect illicit drugs.
“When we add our product in the illicit or illegal drug, it actually reacts with the drug and it changes color to blue or sometimes purple,” said Tumpa.
“We hope the impact of this invention is a decrease in the amount of fentanyl that is on the streets,” said Hawkins.
Tumpa and Hawkins will travel to Washington, DC in mid-October on an all-expenses-paid trip to meet with patent examiners to pitch their work and network for national exposure with other inventors and mentors. The event will be held at the United States Patent and Trademark Office headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia.
“I’m thrilled for our Klein College of Science students to be named as finalists in this nationwide competition, among impressive competitors,” said Klein College of Science Founding Dean Bernadette Donovan-Merkert. “The research conducted in the Walter lab is fascinating and offers advancements across a variety of applications. We are proud to have Naz and Aidan representing the innovative research at UNC Charlotte and we will be cheering them on in October.”
As the number of lives affected by illegal or inappropriate drug use continues to rise, this invention can help by offering a new way to detect illicit drugs by testing for the amine in a sample. The test is cost-effective and uses photoreactive dyes encased in a nontoxic, hydrophilic, biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogel polymer film to quickly and easily oxidize amine-containing compounds to produce vibrant changes in color and fluorescence.
“The entire Walter lab and myself are so proud and excited for Naz and Aiden, and the impactful work they’ve embarked upon,” said Professor of Chemistry Michael Walter, Ph.D. “Our lab has been leading the effort of developing high-performance, color-changing, fluorescent materials while staying alert for new sensing applications. We are excited about the chemistry and very hopeful that this technology can make a big impact and help to address the many challenges of the fentanyl and opioid epidemic,” said Walter.
The team is excited for this innovation and the impact it could have nationally on people’s lives. “Being in science, being a researcher, is rewarding, because it’s actually helping people–science is everything,” said Tumpa.
“I really love progress, moving the needle, pushing the boundary, getting farther with the knowledge we have already and what we will end up discovering,” said Hawkins.
“After watching and working daily with Naz and Aiden, I’m incredibly excited and happy that their hard work, determination, and critical thinking through NSF I-corps, laboratory research, and long days of prototyping have paid off on the national stage,” said Tyler Adams, a chemistry postdoctoral fellow in the Walter lab. “I can already see their future accomplishments and impact they will have on the world.”
The Collegiate Inventors Competition also includes a People’s Choice Award, with $2000 for the winning team and patent acceleration. You can vote once per day through Oct 16 at 5 p.m. ET.
