News
Welcome to the Innovation News page. This is where all the top and recent news articles will be displayed, as well as all the news from 2023, 2024, and 2025.
Top News
For years, the partners in MPT Homes followed the same formula as everyone else elevating homes along the flood-prone coasts of Louisiana and Florida, jacking up the houses and placing them on stacks of concrete blocks. But Tony Monk, James Packer and Robert Turner wanted a stronger support system, one made of steel, that could withstand the increasingly severe flooding and hurricanes. "There wasn't much, if any, steel foundation construction taking place. The materials, labor and equipment can cost more. Then James figured out a better way: a design that interlocks the steel without fasteners. No nuts, bolts or screws," said Tony Monk Jr., MPT senior executive partner.
Early on the morning of Aug. 29, 2005, the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina cascaded into the Murphy Oil Refinery in Chalmette. An above-ground storage tank holding 65,000 barrels of oil stood in the water's path. The oil alone weighed 19.5 million pounds, but the flood surge easily shrugged aside the tank. It ruptured, and oil poured into the surrounding neighborhood. More than 1,700 homes were damaged. Cleanup and damages cost Murphy Oil around $500 million. Sabarethinam Kameshwar, an assistant professor in LSU's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, wants to make sure these kinds of spills never happen again. He is working on software to create a tank anchoring system, and his 2023 I-Corps IdeaLaunch training is helping him turn his idea into a business.
Cremmjoy's soft serve ice cream and frozen confections technology is roughly 18 months away from hitting the commercial market, company officials said, and disrupting a billion-dollar global industry whose technology remains frozen in time.
Recent News
How MPT Plans to Disrupt the Home Elevation Business
For years, the partners in MPT Homes followed the same formula as everyone else elevating homes along the flood-prone coasts of Louisiana and Florida, jacking up the houses and placing them on stacks of concrete blocks. But Tony Monk, James Packer and Robert Turner wanted a stronger support system, one made of steel, that could withstand the increasingly severe flooding and hurricanes. "There wasn't much, if any, steel foundation construction taking place. The materials, labor and equipment can cost more. Then James figured out a better way: a design that interlocks the steel without fasteners. No nuts, bolts or screws," said Tony Monk Jr., MPT senior executive partner.
Never Again: Oil Spill Prevention System Sparked by Katrina
Early on the morning of Aug. 29, 2005, the flood waters from Hurricane Katrina cascaded into the Murphy Oil Refinery in Chalmette. An above-ground storage tank holding 65,000 barrels of oil stood in the water's path. The oil alone weighed 19.5 million pounds, but the flood surge easily shrugged aside the tank. It ruptured, and oil poured into the surrounding neighborhood. More than 1,700 homes were damaged. Cleanup and damages cost Murphy Oil around $500 million. Sabarethinam Kameshwar, an assistant professor in LSU's Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, wants to make sure these kinds of spills never happen again. He is working on software to create a tank anchoring system, and his 2023 I-Corps IdeaLaunch training is helping him turn his idea into a business.
Cremmjoy's Game-Changing Soft-Serve Technology Nears Market Launch
Cremmjoy's soft serve ice cream and frozen confections technology is roughly 18 months away from hitting the commercial market, company officials said, and disrupting a billion-dollar global industry whose technology remains frozen in time.
LSU's New 3D Tumor Cell Culturing System Could Accelerate Breast Cancer Research, Treatment
An LSU-created system for growing breast cancer tumors mimics the way tumor cells grow and interact to drive drug resistance, offering scientists a faster and more effective way to test new cancer treatments.
Ocular Implant Could Treat Eye Infections in People, Animals
LSU has developed a new way to treat and prevent serious eye infections, a tiny silicone implant that slowly releases antiviral medicine over time. "Eye infections caused by herpes viruses are a persistent problem for people and animals. Without treatment, the infections can cause permanent damage or even blindness," said Dr. Andrew Lewin, a board-certified veterinary ophthalmologist and former LSU Veterinary School of Medicine faculty member.
Phish Fight: How LSU Cyber Clinic Helped One Small Business Defend Itself
When Denham Springs-based Permanent Coatings wanted to strengthen its cyber defenses, the family-owned industrial paint maker turned to the LSU Cyber Clinic. The clinic is a collaboration between the university and the Louisiana Small Business Development Center (LSBDC). The clinic and LSBDC offer workshops to educate business owners and workers about potential threats, risks and the consequences of common security threats.
Advanced Microwave Imaging Quietly Builds a Global Reputation in Inspection Technology
When United Launch Alliance needs to check the foam insulation that protects its rockets from space's extreme temperatures, the Lockheed Martin-Boeing joint venture calls on a two-person shop in Baton Rouge: Advanced Microwave Imaging (AMWI) of Baton Rouge.
LSU, Kenyatta University Partnership Will Accelerate Innovation, Research
LSU and Kenyatta University will work together to drive innovation, research and job growth in STEM-related fields in Kenya and globally under a first-of-its-kind partnership funded by a federal grant.
From Imaginary Company to Real Success: LSU Students' Zenith Software Empowers Small Businesses
In 2021, sophomore computer science majors Darrin Lea, Blake Bollinger, John Bajor and Trevor Baughman wanted to attend CES. The problem? The country's biggest tech show was only open to business professionals. So, they created a website for what was then a fictitious company, Zenith Software.
Hybrid Circuit Breaker Could Reduce Injuries from Electric Arcs
An LSU-patented circuit breaker could slash costs for industrial plants and sharply limit injuries from arc flash, the lightning bolt created when high voltage equipment fails and electricity jumps from one conductor to another.
Short and Sweet: I-Corps Teaches Professor to Abbreviate Presentations to Potential Customers
LSU Biological Sciences Professor Roger Laine established his startup bonafides in Silicon Valley well before he enrolled in the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps.
LSU Invention Could Accelerate Hypersonic Aircraft and Spacecraft Design
Just about everyone has seen the black-and-white photos of a bullet in flight, the projectile surrounded by layers of shock waves. That is a Schlieren image. Schlieren images capture light deflection, and the technology has been used for more than 150 years to examine high-speed airflows invisible to the naked eye. Now, an LSU researcher has patented an easy-to-use version of the system that gives engineers vastly more information about high-speed airflows' effects on rockets and supersonic aircraft.
I-Corps Helps Schwarz Lay Foundation for Startup Success
Andrew Schwarz knew exactly who his startup's customers were. A professor of information systems and decision sciences in LSU's College of Business Administration, Schwarz had worked in market research for Fortune 500 firms and built trend-forecasting models for the credit card and food-and-beverage industries.
Monitoring System Could Save Lubricant, Food Industries Millions Each Year
LSU researchers have invented an automated sensor that could drastically reduce waste for grease and food manufacturers, saving each U.S. industry millions of dollars a year. "Making grease is a very complicated process, as much an art as a science. It's not as simple as following a recipe," said Koottaparambil Lijesh, co-inventor and a postdoctoral researcher in the LSU Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. "Grease exhibits the properties of a solid and a liquid. Grease is formed through complex chemical reactions where its consistency evolves over time. Slight variations in the factory temperature, raw material quality, when mixing in additives and adding ingredients can lead to differences in the final consistency - how thick or fluid the grease is - across batches."
New Antibiotics May End Chronic Infections, Slash Billions in Health Care Costs
An LSU-led research team is developing a new class of antibiotics capable of bypassing the defenses of drug-resistant bacteria, which otherwise make it difficult to cure chronic infections.