In an effort to simplify the process of diagnosing diseases caused by such pathogens as tuberculosis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and even HIV, Prof. Dan Luo, biological and environmental engineering, and Prof. Edwin Kan, electrical and computer engineering, have combined inventions from their respective fields to potentially revolutionize the way diseases are detected in the developing world with a new handheld device. Kan and Luo’s work on their joint invention is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the Grand Challenge program to develop “point-of-care diagnostics” for developing countries that do not have the laboratory and research space to test and diagnose diseases.

Prof. Greg Graffin, the frontman and vocalist of acclaimed punk band Bad Religion which has been active for over 30 years and has released 15 studio albums, teaches an evolution course for non-majors at Cornell.

NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity discovered a mineral vein telling of a warmer, wetter and potentially more conducive to life past for the seemingly cold, dry and desolate Red Planet.

Prof. Suzanne Snedeker, food science, and Prof. Anthony Hay, microbiology, researched the contribution that microorganisms in the gut and environmental toxins known as “obesogens” have on ever rising obesity levels. Their work, which was published last October in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, reported a link between composition of gut microbiota, exposure to environmental chemicals and the development of obesity and diabetes.