Politics, Business & Culture in the Americas

BUSINESS INNOVATOR: Juan Hinestroza, Colombia



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Imagine a shirt that can change colors with the wave of a magnet or a jacket that can protect you from disease. Thanks to Colombian-born engineer Juan Hinestroza, these products may soon be available at your local store.

Hinestroza, 38, an assistant professor in the Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell University, is one of the world leaders in developing what he calls “smart textiles.” With a research team of ten Cornell graduate students, he has pioneered the use of nanotechnology—the science of engineering molecular-size chemical structures—to develop fabrics that perform functions such as filtering germs and hazardous gases and that can generate their own color instead of using dyes…


Tags: Colombia, Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design at Cornell, Juan Hinestroza, Smart textiles
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