PhD student Pranav Sultania (second from left) accepts the Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize on behalf of his team from Janetos’ widow Valerie Gamache (far left) and (starting from third from left) BU’s Dennis Carlberg, Michael Gevelber, and Lisa Tornatore. Photo by Dave Green 

Accolades

Squid-Inspired Lab Technology Wins Student Team a Boston University Climate Award

Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize given to project that makes lab fluid pumps greener, quieter, and cheaper

A student-built device designed to make lab experiments cheaper, quieter, and more eco-friendly has won Boston University’s Anthony Janetos Climate Action Prize. 

The fluid pump—which can be used to help study biological tissues, environmental samples, and cell cultures—was inspired by the mechanism squid use to propel themselves through water.

The technology was developed by BU College of Engineering PhD student Pranav Sultania, with manufacturing and testing support from undergraduate Isabella Santarpia.

Fluid pumps are the workhorses of research labs, used in just about any project that involves transferring liquids or suffusing samples with dangerous and delicate chemicals. Unlike the bulky, energy-hungry existing versions, the BU students’ technology—officially a bistable soft pump platform—is made with flexible materials, taking up at least 50 percent less lab space. To get the fluid moving, the pump mimics a squid’s jet propulsion technique: the mollusk sucks in water then shoots it out to zip through the ocean.

The team says its technology runs on a fraction of the energy required by existing pumps and could save labs thousands of dollars in up-front and running costs. According to their pilot studies across a range of BU labs, the pump reduces power consumption by up to 99 percent compared to current options. With BU’s help, Sultania (ENG’21,’27) has filed a patent for the device and taken the first steps toward incorporating a company, Magnesis Robotics, to commercialize it.

“The Climate Action Prize validates the work that we are trying to do to take this technology and have some real-world impact,” says Sultania. “It shows that people recognize our technology has potential. It’s also a path for taking it outside BU, because people will see we’ve been making an impact outside our own lab.”

The prize is open to projects backed by the BU Campus Climate Lab, which gives funding to faculty-student research teams working to advance the University’s sustainability and climate goals. Previous winners have developed solutions designed to improve campus air quality, offset lab waste, and electrify heating systems. The award is named after the late Anthony Janetos, the internationally renowned climate researcher who directed BU’s Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future.

The winning team’s faculty advisor was engineer Tommaso Ranzani, whose research is focused on engineering robots to help perform minimally invasive surgeries. He says the pump could have benefits beyond its environmental ones.

“I’m excited, because the device can deliver dramatic energy savings and near-silent operation without sacrificing functionality, meaning labs can run long experiments with far lower cost, noise, and maintenance,” says Ranzani, a BU College of Engineering assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “Pranav and Isabella combine deep technical rigor with tireless effort and practical focus; their work shows a real commitment to immediate environmental impact.”

From Underwater Robots to Lab Pumps

The lab pump grew out of Sultania’s PhD work in Ranzani’s lab, where he’s been devising underwater propulsion systems with support from the Office of Naval Research. That technology could be used in lieu of propellers on underwater robots, but may also have applications in aquaculture and wastewater management.

“We realized the exact same mechanical system—with one minor tweak—can act like a pump,” says Sultania. 

After testing two prototype pumps, the team built a handful more to pilot in other BU labs. “The biggest challenge was learning how to turn an idea into something real and functional,” says Santarpia (ENG’27). “A lot of it came from being patient, continuing to learn, and working through setbacks together.”

The pair also recently won big at BU Innovators’ Night, scooping up the $20,000 first-place General Track prize. They’ve already spent time interviewing potential customers for feedback and ideas. And Sultania says preparing to commercialize the technology has brought a series of valuable lessons: “If you want to make it a business, can you manufacture thousands of units a week? How are we finding customers, fundraising?” 

He plans to devote himself full-time to running Magnesis—which he hopes will sell the pumps and his underwater propulsion technology—after graduating next year. The company could even pivot the pump technology to other uses, including residential ones; a Magnesis fish tank pump is just one potential avenue of exploration.

Sultania presented the team’s findings—and collected the award—at the annual Campus Climate Lab spring symposium. One audience member was Janetos’ widow, Valerie Gamache. She says she feels immense pride in the winning team—and in all of the students who’ve contributed ideas and projects since the prize’s 2021 inception.

“Tony was deeply optimistic and believed in people’s capacity to meet complex challenges with creativity and purpose,” says Gamache. “This year’s winner reflects that spirit—reimagining everyday lab systems to dramatically reduce energy use while opening the door to broader impact.”

Campus Climate Lab is led by BU Sustainability in collaboration with the BU Institute for Global Sustainability and the University’s Office of Research.