that level of technology to map DNA, Massachusetts-based Gene Network Sciences has emerged at the forefront of the convergence of genomics and supercomputing. In short, the company’s supercomputers use artificial intelligence and a map of human DNA to determine how a specific person will react to a specific drug. This enables pharmaceutical companies to more efficiently develop treatments to such diseases as cancer and heart disease, and it enables doctors to determine whether or not a certain patient will respond to a particular drug.
The company’s clients include Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Biogen Idec. “The driving force for our technology and its application has to do with matching up the right drug to the right patient. We’re all different with different DNA, so we all respond differently to different drugs,†says Hill.
FELIX EJECKHAM
Co-founder & CEO
Group4 Labs
Ejeckham’s team developed the next generation of gallium nitride-on-diamond wafer, known as the Xero Wafer. The Xero Wafer is designed to withstand higher temperatures, and achieve greater power density and efficiency levels than traditional semiconductor wafers.
Innovation: Ejeckham and his team could change the way consumers and businesses use nearly every device from cell phones and PCs to biotech devices and radar, anything that requires a chip.
GREGORY EVANS
Founder
LIGATT Security and the Technology Crimes Institute
Evans developed the first wireless tracking device for computers, called eSnitch, which enables a person to track a stolen computer anywhere in the world. Evans also launched a popular caller ID spoofing service, SPOOFEM, allowing the user to place a call and have a different number display on the recipient’s caller ID.
Innovation: Spoofing services have been upgraded, allowing users to send untraceable text messages to all the major cellular and paging carriers.
ALEC GALLIMORE
Professor
University of Michigan
Gallimore’s research enables spacecrafts to travel five to 10 times faster, using electronic propulsion rather than conventional rocket propulsion. Other applications for his work include propulsion for commercial and military satellites. This technology helps reduce the cost of satellites by saving fuel and reducing spacecraft weight.
Innovation: Gallimore’s work contributed to the performance improvement of Hall thrusters, which are used to launch commercial and military satellites.
JUAN GILBERT
Associate Professor
Auburn University
Gilbert is the inventor of Applications Quest, a data mining software tool that allows the use of race, ethnicity, gender, etc. to be considered in admissions, employee hiring, or any other application processing area so that no preference is given to race or gender.
Innovation: Gilbert is also the inventor of an electronic voting system, Prime III, which enables people with physical disabilities or visual or hearing impairments to vote using touch and/or voice commands.
PAULETTE JANUARY
Senior Softward Quality Engineer
DRS Technologies Inc.
“The coolest thing about what I do is that what I do really matters. It helps our military,†says January. It may be cool stuff, but there’s some serious tech behind the airborne instrumentation pods that mount on military aircraft and track a pilot’s performance in air combat simulations.
In English, this means that January works on developing and tweaking the software on a device