I n n o v a t o r s
BUSINESS INNOVATOR
Juan Hinestroza
Colombia
Which of these
shirts goes with my
sweater?
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 chem- polymers and other synthetic ma-ical structures—to develop fabrics terials and develop a process called
that perform functions such as filter- electro-spinning, which manipu-ing germs and hazardous gases and lates magnetized microscopic par-that can generate their own color ticles to create protective nano-lay-instead of using dyes. ers around the fibers. The process
As a student of chemical engi- strengthens the properties of the
neering at the Universidad Indus- materials by enhancing the fibers’
trial de Santander in Bucaramanga, properties and functions.
in northeastern Colombia, Hine- His work has already won wide-stroza wondered whether nanotech- spread recognition. Hinestroza re-nology, which is also used for devel- ceived the John D. Watson Young In-oping complex electronic circuitry, vestigator Award from the New York
could be applied to altering the mo- State Office of Science, Technology
lecular structure of textiles. A doc- and Academic Research in 2005 and
torate at Tulane University in 2002 the National Science Foundation
helped him expand his research into Early Career Development Award
