he is part of a team, part of an institution (Rochester U.) within a larger academic community.

Is he the solo fighter going against the grain so bad that now he must fall alone?

I don't think so, he's not independent in all this, he is interdependent; there are other in on this, now possibly looking to distance themselves.

I think maybe he stumbled onto something overlaps with 'national security' secrets. This would necessitate some manner of an "import conspiracy"; that there already exist room temp semiconductors, that this tech has not been yet chosen to be unveiled yet; and so he must be character destroyed unless he complies