A red and white sign on the WPI campus displays the name Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where seed grants were recently announced.

WPI Awards Seed Grants to Early-Stage Research Projects

Three teams receive awards from Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund
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00:00 | 03:46
March 25, 2025

WPI has awarded $203,457 in grants from the Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund to three faculty-led teams focusing on research into energy-saving window coatings, advanced sensors to detect chemical and biological substances, and a wound-healing, antibacterial biomaterial that is activated by light.

The one-year awards will fund early-stage, interdisciplinary research that could lead to bigger projects, external collaborations, and future funding proposals.

“Seed grants provide critical early support for projects with great potential,” says Bogdan Vernescu, vice president and vice provost for research and innovation. “I am delighted to congratulate the recipients of these awards, and I want to thank the VPG Foundation for catalyzing discovery and innovation at WPI through their support.”

The Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund was made possible through the generosity of the VPG Foundation, which was established by the family of Valentin Gapontsev, founder of IPG Photonics. He received an honorary doctor of engineering degree from WPI in 2001 in recognition of his contributions to the field of photonics and the photonics industry. The VPG Foundation gift of $645,000 supports “Beyond These Towers,” WPI’s most ambitious and comprehensive campaign since its founding in 1865.   

The new awards represent the third round of funding from the Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund. 

Gapontsev Family Collaborative Venture Fund Awards

“The Glass with Sass: Flavylium-Coated Windows Fighting Energy Loss”

Preview

An array of photos shows the researchers involved in a project led by Anita Mattson, including Mattson, Soroush Farzin, Christopher Lambert, Doug Petkie, and Suzanne Scarlata.

From left, Anita Mattson, Soroush Farzin, Christopher Lambert, Doug Petkie, and Suzanne Scarlata

Anita Mattson, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, is principal investigator (PI) for the project, which was awarded $63,457. Co-PIs are Soroush Farzin, assistant professor of teaching in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering; Teaching Professor Christopher Lambert and Richard T. Whitcomb Professor Suzanne Scarlata, both of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; and Doug Petkie, professor and head of the Department of Physics.

“Photonic Chemical and Biological Sensing at Your Fingertips”

Preview

Two photos depict Doug Petkie and Rong Wang, who are working on a project funded by a seed grant.

From left, Doug Petkie and Rong Wang

Doug Petkie, professor and head of the Department of Physics, is PI of the project, which was awarded $70,000. Co-PI is Rong Wang, John C. Metzger Jr. Professor and head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

“Hybrid Biomimetic Materials for Light-Activated Drug Delivery”

Preview

A photo array show researchers led by Jeannine Coburn, including Coburn, Dmitry Korkin, and Lyubov Titova.

From left, Jeannine Coburn, Dmitry Korkin, and Lyubov Titova

Jeannine Coburn, associate professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, is PI on the project, which was awarded $70,000. Co-PIs are Dmitry Korkin, who holds the Harold L. Jurist ’61 and Heather E. Jurist Dean’s Professorship in Computer Science, and Lyubov Titova, professor in the Department of Physics.

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Anita Mattson
Anita Mattson
Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research in the Mattson Group is a combination of catalyst design, methodology development, and complex molecule synthesis. Our catalyst design program is focused on the synthesis and study of new families of non-covalent catalysts, including boronate ureas and silanediols, that [...]
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Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Teaching Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Christopher R. Lambert, Ph.D. is a Research Associate Professor with appointments both in the Bioengineering Institute and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. He is the Associate Director of the WPI Bioengineering Institute. He is co-founder of Active Surface Technologies [...]
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Dmitry Korkin
Dmitry Korkin
Professor, Computer Science
My research is interdisciplinary and spans the fields of bioinformatics of complex diseases, computational genomics, systems biology, and biomedical data analytics. We bring expertise in machine learning, data mining, and massive data analytics to study molecular mechanisms under [...]
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Doug Petkie
Doug Petkie
Interim Dean, Graduate and Professional Studies, Physics
I am delighted to collaborate with students and colleagues to enhance WPI’s global impact. WPI offers a vibrant and dynamic environment that emphasizes experiential learning and interdisciplinary research, with near-peer mentorship spanning the undergraduate and graduate programs [...]
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Jeannine Coburn
Jeannine Coburn
Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering
The overall objectives of my research are to develop clinically translatable tissue regeneration and drug delivery strategies, and three-dimensional, in vitro human disease models using biologically-derived biomaterials. We will utilize techniques from engineering, chemistry and [...]
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Lyubov Titova
Lyubov Titova
Professor & Department Head, Physics
  Ultrafast THz and Optical Spectroscopy Lab (PI: Titova) explores light–matter interactions in emerging functional materials. Our research focuses on nanomaterials, including two-dimensional (2D) materials such as MXenes, MXene–biopolymer composites, and layered semiconductors. [...]
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Rong Wang
Rong Wang
John C. Metzger Professor and Department Head, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research Science and Technology that enable the analysis of patients’ minute biopsy samples in the native states to reveal the fundamental causes of diseases and yield intervention points for treatment are in critical demand. Research in Wang group leverages interdisciplinary app [...]
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Soroush Farzin
Soroush Farzin
Assistant Professor of Teaching, Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering
I am a designer, researcher, and educator working at the interface of Architecture and engineering. I am currently an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Architectural Engineering program at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where I teach Design Studio and Great Project Semina [...]
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Suzanne Scarlata
Suzanne Scarlata
Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Suzanne Scarlata, Richard Whitcomb Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, joined the university faculty in 2016. She studies how small molecules in the bloodstream can change the behavior of cells. In particular, she is interested in how certain hormones and neurotransmitters c [...]
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