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Advanced Fiber-based Materials Center of Economic Excellence
Inception: About the CoEE: The Clemson University CoEE in Advanced Fiber-based Materials is developing a niche industry in high-tech fibers and materials including fiber-reinforced composite materials based on metals, ceramics, and polymers. Research at this CoEE concentrates on the composition of novel fiber materials, fabrics, and integrated components that possess unique functionality and value-added performance compared with traditional textile materials. This Center draws on South Carolina’s time-tested strengths in textile manufacturing and will be a catalyst to help existing companies support new industry opportunities in this field. CoEE research focused on capillary surface fibers applied in protein separation led to the 2007 creation of a start-up company, Specialty Custom Fibers, located in Pendleton, SC. To date, this CoEE has garnered more than $2.4 million in federal and private research grants. A multimillion-dollar non-state match was donated by the J.E. Sirrine Textile Foundation. In honor of the Sirrine Foundation, Clemson coordinated a successful student recruitment for the polymer fiber chemistry undergraduate program, resulting in 28 new undergraduates for the Fall 2009 semester. Funding level: CoEE Endowed Chair:
NSF has granted five Clemson professors associated
with the Advanced Fiber-Based Materials CoEE
$2 million to develop nanofiber-based probes—needles
10 times smaller than a human hair—for medical “This is like the procedure a butterfly uses to suck up its
food,” said Dr. Konstantin Kornev, Associate Professor in
Clemson’s School of Materials Science and Engineering.
Kornev cites one potential application as the ability to draw tiny samples of saliva from the glands of chemotherapy patients who often experience painful dry mouth as a treatment side effect. Other possible applications include extracting sweat from individual human pores or inserting new genes into cells.
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