JOHN RITTER: Imagine if you're a diabetic
and you can measure your blood glucose level using a laser
rather than pricking your finger,
instead, a person can put their wrist
in front of a laser to take the measurement.
Princeton researchers are working
to solve real world problems in health, technology,
and the environment.
University research can have a meaningful impact
on people's lives.
CLAIRE GMACHL: We develop new, tiny semiconductor lasers
that are engineered to emit light in a very special way.
We can use them to detect chemicals
for applications in the environment, in health,
and security.
JOHN RITTER: Professor Gmachl is exploring new ways
to use lasers to detect blood sugar levels in diabetics.
A person could put a device, like a wrist watch,
on their body that would continually
measure their blood glucose level.
CLAIRE GMACHL: We do want to build
technologies that serve people.
So we look at society, we look at the environment, and ask,
what are important questions to answer?
Fields where there are open questions, where
one can have impact, and kind of do good.
On the other hand, I wouldn't be a real scientist
if I wasn't also just motivated by creating something new.
JOHN RITTER: Our researchers are also
exploring ways in which humans can more effectively interact
with computers.
For example, Professor Verma and his team
are developing technologies to make it easier for people
to interact with computers, or other electronic devices,
using hand gestures instead of typing on a keyboard.
NAVEEN VERMA: So the technology that we're
interested in creating, in some sense,
really focuses on enabling interactions
between electronics, or computers,
and the physical world.
A part of our research is really interested in enabling
interfaces between humans and computers
that are much more compelling.
Possible applications for this technology
are extremely wide and very diverse.
In operating theaters for hospitals
where surgeons, once again, in very constrained spaces,
need to be able to interact with information that's
being provided to them via display,
and things like gestures, are very compelling ways
for them to interact with this sort of information technology.
Because of course here we also face the constraint
where infection can be transferred if surfaces
are touched while a surgeon is engaged in some surgery.
And in some sense, these are applications
that we didn't really think of when
we started working on this technology, which are now
sort of coming to surface.
JOHN RITTER: All of these projects
involve students doing basic research.
For example, students in Professor Kang's laboratory
are studying a gene that is involved
with the spread or metastasis of cancer.
YIBIN KANG: One of the research efforts
that we have been doing as of the past 10 years
is to find out what kind of tumors
are aggressive based on their molecular features.
And more importantly, find driver genes
that make those tumors aggressive
because that's the first step towards treating them.
So in the end, we are now able to tell the patients
whether they have a bad tumor, but furthermore, we
can tell them that even though they have a bad tumor,
we have a way to treat them to stop them from spreading.
JOHN RITTER: The thing that separates us
from other institutions is our world class faculty
and researchers.
This is about research that can benefit society.