He has climbed Mount McKinley in search of UV-resistant bacteria with unique proteins of possible use in the film industry. He has dived to the bottom of ice-covered lakes in Antarctica to study life there and better understand how micro-organisms adapt to Mars and other extreme environments. "It was like diving in an inkwell," Vass said. "But there are all sorts of things living there. It's amazing."
He has ideas for ultra-efficient vehicles and a mass spectrometer that prospects for gold in the ocean. He thinks he could create a super-duper video game. (His current favorite is "Portal," which he plays with his sons, Evan and Eric.)
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/dec/14/death-detector/