NASA astronaut Scott Kelly visits WFU Nanotech Center

Students in a Wake Forest University laboratory had an out-of-this-world experience today.

During a brief visit to Wake Forest’s Center for Nanotechnology & Molecular Materials, astronaut Scott Kelly met with students and checked out tiny technologies that could help power the future in big ways.

The Nanotech Center is an interdisciplinary research hub that brings scientists, entrepreneurs and engineers together in a creative environment dedicated to innovation. Recent research has focused on developing thermoelectric fabrics that convert heat into power; water desalination solutions that may assist with kidney filtration; and lighting alternatives that save energy and money.

Recently, Kelly has made international headlines because physicians observed changes in his gene expression following a year in space. Scientists at NASA compared his DNA to his identical twin brother Mark Kelly, who is also an astronaut.