Research Insights
Notable Grants
Maternal vaccination impacts on neonatal susceptibility and response to Bordetella pertussis Friday, January 17, 2025 - Bordetella pertussis (Bp), the causative agent of “whooping cough,” is the most important vaccine-preventable disease and an NIH and CDC high priority. The incidence rates of pertussis have increased over recent years, corresponding to the switch from the whole cell pertussis vaccine (wP) priming and acellular pertussis vaccine (aP) boosting vaccination in the early 2000s, […]
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchard: Evolving and Enhancing IPM in Eastern Tree Fruit Systems Friday, January 17, 2025 - The objectives for this project will be: 1) measuring phenological shifts of these key pests and evaluating reliability of available monitoring tools and models; 2) refining IPM tools to ensure compatibility with evolving production practices, regulatory changes, and climate; 3) suppress pest populations across orchard agroecosystems with promising biocontrol agents and integrating enhanced IPM tactics; […]
Novel Epitranscriptomic Mechanisms in Metal Neurotoxicity Friday, January 17, 2025 - Chronic environmental exposure to neurotoxic levels of the metal manganese (Mn) affects the basal ganglia system and has been linked to the etiology of Parkinsonism. Within the basal ganglia (BG), Mn primarily accumulates in the globus pallidus, resulting in dysregulation of the BG neural circuitry. As the most abundant glial cells in the CNS, astrocytes […]
Microglial Hv1 Proton Channel as a Mediator of Environmentally-Induced Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Friday, January 17, 2025 - Neuroinflammation is a driving force contributing to neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). Microglia are the primary immune cell of the brain and are among the first responders to infection, toxic insult and aggregated proteins and contribute significantly to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The microglial inflammatory response, including inflammasome activation, has been demonstrated to be significantly […]
Establishing strains and conditions for long-term P. vivax cultures Friday, January 17, 2025 - Plasmodium vivax (Pv) is responsible for a significant portion of the malaria cases outside of Africa and causes significant socioeconomic burden worldwide. New therapies to treat Pv are needed, but a continuous, high yield culture system that enables the study of Pv’s biology has not been established. Without this tool, development of new therapies is […]
Discovering and deploying genetic solutions across maturity groups for durable resistance to multiple nematodes Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - Nematodes are among the top yield-robbers encountered by soybean farmers across the U.S. Almost all SCN resistant varieties in U.S. soybean production are derived from two genetic sources, imposing risk of genetic vulnerability and resistance breakdown. Soybean breeders and growers are limited in genetic sources for nematode resistance with competitive yield, which places U.S. soybean […]
PFI-RP: Gene discovery through variation of fungi across environments Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - Even in fungal model systems, up to 40% of genes have unknown or poorly characterized functions with no informative homologies in databases. Fungi tolerate a variety of stressful environments, including a wide range of temperature and moisture levels. The same fungal species isolated from different environments often shows variation in its genetic complement. Studies of […]
Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Evaluation of Local and Regional Surface and Groundwater Hydrology using Alternative Conceptual Models Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - We propose to continue development of a groundwater-hydrologic model for southeast Georgia and surrounding region (Okefenokee Swamp and associated rivers). We will explore the role of groundwater flows across southeast Georgia for future climate and coastal development scenarios including the effective dispersion of scalars within the groundwater system. We will maintain a specific focus on […]
Research for Managing Whiteflies and Whitefly-transmitted Viruses in Vegetable Crops in the Southeastern U.S. Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - The overall objective of this project is to improve the management of whiteflies and whitefly-transmitted viruses in vegetable crops in Georgia and other southeastern states. The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, causes global economic losses including an epidemic by this pest and whitefly-transmitted viruses that severely impact vegetable and other crop production in the southeastern United States. […]
Assessing infectivity of genomic RNA from positive-sense RNA viruses Monday, November 18, 2024 - Several methods have been developed to inactivate virus particles. These inactivation methods must be effective and reliable to prevent the accidental spread of viruses. It is crucial to completely inactivate high-risk agents, such as SARS-CoV-2, before they are removed from high-level biocontainment facilities for further handling. However, it is unclear whether common methods of virus […]
Theoretical and Experimental Studies of Elementary Molecular Species and Reactions of Importance to Gas Phase Chemical Physics Monday, November 18, 2024 - New theoretical and experimental methods in chemical physics being developed by the PIs provide great opportunities for the study of molecular species and chemical reactions of fundamental importance in combustion processes. In this research, high level quantum mechanical formalisms are a significant source of critical predictions concerning molecular systems that may be challenging for experiments. […]
PFI-RP: ElectricDot: Advanced Anomaly Detection and Diagnostics for Electrical Devices and Networks Monday, November 18, 2024 - The broader impact of this Partnerships for Innovation – Research Partnerships (PFI-RP) project is to enhance the reliability and security of electrical devices and networks within modern infrastructure including, but not limited to, buildings, manufacturing systems, and hospitals. This PFI-RP project introduces a smart sensor capable of detecting anomalies, pinpointing their locations, and diagnosing issues […]
Heparan sulfate co-polymerase function and defects in disease Monday, November 18, 2024 - Proteoglycans harboring heparan sulfate (HS) chains are widely found on cell surfaces and in extracellular matrices where they interact with growth factors, receptors, morphogens, and extracellular matrix components and play critical roles in processes such as cell survival, division, migration, differentiation, pathogen binding, and cancer development. HS biosynthesis is a complex process involving initial formation […]
Promoting resilience of spotted turtle populations on DOD installations Monday, November 18, 2024 - The project will advance scientific understanding of the effect of multiple stressors on aquatic species of interest to the Department of Defense (DoD) and promote the resilience of the spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) under anthropogenic and climate-induced stressors on DoD installations. The relative vulnerability of coastal and inland spotted turtle populations to hydrologic alterations, connectivity, […]
ECR: Upward Transfer Degree Pathways in Computer Science: A Mixed Methods Study of Structures, Policies, and Practices Friday, October 4, 2024 - As the U.S. invests in efforts to build its capacity to lead the world in the development of artificial intelligence and other areas of computer science, it faces a critical workforce bottleneck, a shortage of computer scientists to meet workforce demands in industry and academia, coupled with a lack of gender and racial diversity. One […]
Epigenomic consequences of breakage-fusion-bridge cycling Friday, October 4, 2024 - Project Summary Chromosome breakage can generate extraordinary genetic novelty that is selected upon during tumor progression. One commonly observed feature of cancer is the breakage-fusion-bridge (BFB) cycle, where double-strand breaks set off a chain reaction that leads to copy number variations and complex chromosome shattering events. The BFB cycle was first described in maize by […]
Treatment outcome requirements for disease prevention in Chagas disease Friday, October 4, 2024 - Abstract Infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi is generally controlled but often not eliminated by host immune responses. In humans and many other hosts, this persistent infection ultimately results in muscle tissue damage known as Chagas disease. It is widely accepted that the early detection and rapid treatment of T. cruzi improves treatment outcomes […]
GenAI Empowered National Initiative for Upholding STEM+C Education (GENIUS) Friday, October 4, 2024 - The development of a competent science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computing (STEM+C) workforce in the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is crucial for the nation’s economic growth, security, and global competitiveness. To achieve this goal, initiatives that combine a robust understanding of core STEM concepts with competence in computational thinking (CT) and AI are […]
BioFoundry: Glycoscience Resource, Education and Training (BioF-GREAT) Friday, October 4, 2024 - The BioFoundry: Glycoscience Resources, Education, And Training (BioF:GREAT) will develop new research, technologies, and instructional experiences to allow a broader adoption of glycoscience into research environments and education curriculums. Although glycans, also referred to as complex carbohydrates, are one of the four classes of biomolecules found in all living organisms, they have been consistently understudied […]
Linking smoke to fire: The effect of burn conditions on fuel availability, smoke production, and atmospheric processing Monday, September 16, 2024 - The overarching goal of the proposed research is to fill key science gaps in the understanding of smoke production and its physicochemical properties, as well as the evolution of these properties during atmospheric aging, to better understand the effects of smoke on health and visibility. Filling the major gaps in understanding smoke production in prescribed […]
Protein glycosylation and trafficking in Plasmodium falciparum Monday, September 16, 2024 - In all domains of life proteins are modified via glycosylation. This addition of sugar molecules to proteins is critical for their folding, function, and recognition by their partners. Rigorous studies have shown that in well-studied eukaryotic organisms, proteins synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are glycosylated on asparagine residues as well as on serine or […]
Cryptococcal vaccine development based on strong immunity induced by morphological strains Monday, September 16, 2024 - Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CME) is responsible for more than 15% of the total deaths of AIDS patients. The disease claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, with global mortality rates of ~70% despite antifungal therapies. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine clinically available for cryptococcosis. The challenges of preventing and treating this fungal disease motivate our […]
Collaborative Research: Characterizing and Fostering Playful Mathematics for Undergraduate and High School Learning Monday, September 16, 2024 - This project will investigate (a) how to meaningfully incorporate playful elements into the foundational secondary and undergraduate mathematics topics of algebra and calculus, and (b) the potential outcomes of “playifying” classroom mathematics for students’ learning and enjoyment. Motivation and engagement are critical factors in supporting students’ abilities to understand and persist in mathematics and the […]
Regulatory control of endogenous viruses to generate novel eukaryotic traits Monday, September 16, 2024 - The proposed activities will enhance understanding of how genes from microbial ancestors can evolve to operate in a eukaryotic genome to produce a new beneficial trait. Expected results are significant to discerning patterns of molecular evolution that lead to evolutionary leaps and phenotypic novelty given the large amount of genetic material from foreign entities entering […]
Identification of a New Transcriptional Network for Cone Photoreceptor Outer Segment Generation using Retinal Organoids and the Brown Anole Lizard Monday, August 19, 2024 - Degenerative photoreceptor (PR) cells contribute to vision loss in AMD patients. The lack of effective models to study PR repair and maintenance is a critical gap in our knowledge, limiting current therapeutic strategies to prevent retinal damage and reinstate vision in AMD. Previous data revealed an ATF6-dependent loss of cone PR outer segments (OS), correlated […]
Comparison of Advanced Glycation End Products, Oxidative Status, and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Healthy Dogs Consuming a Minimally Processed Diet Compared With an Extruded and a Retorted Diet Monday, August 19, 2024 - The health impact of food processing is a relevant and timely topic in human nutrition as processed food constitutes a large part of the world’s food consumption. Approximately 60% of food in the US and UK is ultra-processed. The term ultra-processed food indicates formulations generally including five or more ingredients, mostly of cheap industrial sources […]
Establishing Innovative Community Supervision Through a Person-Centered Model Monday, August 19, 2024 - Beginning in 2020, the Georgia Department of Community Supervision (DCS) has implemented a person-centered supervision (PCS) model for officers. This model seeks to meet the dual roles of DCS for accountability and rehabilitation by enhancing the voices of persons on probation and parole while under supervision through relying on elements of procedural justice, technology, and […]
Chicken Ecology and Ecosystem Services (ChickEES) Monday, August 19, 2024 - Livestock integration can restore synergies between animal and plant agriculture, long the cornerstones of sustainable farming. For example, pastured chickens (Gallus domesticus) might feed heavily on pests and weeds while generating nutrient-rich manure, benefiting crops. But chickens also might eat beneficial predatory, detritus-feeding or pollinating arthropods, or spread harmful bacteria (e.g., Campylobacter, Salmonella) that endanger […]
Diet and the Neurodevelopment of Impulsivity Monday, August 19, 2024 - Impulsivity refers to the propensity toward rapid action without forethought of the consequences and devaluing rewards that are delayed in time in favor of immediate gratification. Food impulsivity is associated with obesity and binge-eating disorder and can counter efforts to make healthy food choices. Regions of the brain that regulate food impulsive behaviors, such as […]
The Other Side of Genomics: Methods and Tools to Identify the Possible Negative Effects of Genomic Selection Tuesday, July 16, 2024 - Initial findings on genomic selection indicated substantial improvement in major traits, such as performance. Under genomic selection, the selection accuracy increases, and the generation interval decreases, accelerating the selection response. However, recent unofficial reports indicate an increased frequency of deterioration of unselected or negatively correlated traits. This phenomenon may arise due to the mismatch between […]
State economic support policies on the prevention of child abuse and neglect during and post the COVID-19 pandemic: Bridging evidence with policy implementation Monday, July 15, 2024 - Child abuse and neglect (CAN) is a pressing and preventable public health issue with negative lifelong consequences, including early deaths. Children living in economically disadvantaged families and communities are at high risk for CAN. Economic support policies may be effective strategies towards reducing CAN through strengthening families’ financial well-being and reducing related stress. Because states […]
Spatially Explicit Targeting of Northern Bobwhite Conservation Efforts Monday, July 15, 2024 - Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) populations continue to decline across most of the species’ range. Many states have used conservation triage approaches to identify areas where conservation actions are likely to be effective versus areas likely to never experience population recovery. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has identified over 2.3 million acres as Quail Restoration […]
Analysis of the Metabolic Capabilities of Prokaryotic Cells Monday, July 15, 2024 - The research goals of my laboratory are focused on advancing our understanding of physiologic processes that provide the necessary flexibility to the metabolic network of prokaryotic cells. Such flexibility is needed for cells to survive challenges encountered under the diverse conditions they find themselves in, be it free-living, in association with a host as a […]
Proposal to Expand an Engineering With Nature (EWN) Regional Proving Ground in the SE US Monday, July 15, 2024 - As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) continues to bolster the development and deployment of nature-based infrastructure solutions, the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems (IRIS) at the University of Georgia proposes to expand its capacity to conduct applied research in conjunction with a broader set of installations and enhance […]
Tracking shifts in phytoplankton iron physiology along a continental shelf gradient Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Despite significant advancements in our knowledge of marine microbial ecology over the past few decades, gaps remain in our understanding of microeukaryote diversity and physiology across vast regions of the open ocean, and how they contribute to community ecology and biogeochemistry. In an effort to address this, we combined omic and physicochemical measurements across a […]
Analysis of Metabolic Stress and Functional Integration in Prokaryotes Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - A fundamental feature of a living system is its integrated network of biochemical pathways that respond to endogenous and environmental stresses. In humans, there is a strong connection between metabolic network dysfunction and disease, while in microbes metabolic network structure dictates organismal capabilities, including pathogenesis. Metabolic strategies are conserved across biology, and insights obtained from […]
RTG: Geometry and Topology Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - This award supports the research training of postdoctoral researchers, PhD students and undergraduates in the mathematics department at the University of Georgia working in three closely related geometric areas: algebraic geometry, symplectic geometry and low-dimensional topology. These fields deal with both foundational questions at the heart of pure mathematics, such as understanding the possible shapes […]
Metabolic control of human endothelial development via the COUP-TF/1-deoxysphingosine axis Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Vascular and lymphatic systems have emerged as attractive therapeutic targets in a variety of diseases. Stimulating angiogenesis accelerates wound healing and tissue regeneration after myocardial infarction whereas inhibition of angiogenesis suppresses tumor growth1 and progression of intraocular neovascular diseases. Likewise, stimulating lymphangiogenesis aids in the treatment of secondary lymphedema, prevents atherosclerosis and could promote cancer […]
Mechanisms of uterine fluid absorption during early pregnancy, Wednesday, June 26, 2024 - Dynamic uterine fluid volume is essential for successful early pregnancy. Uterine fluid volume is the net result of secretion and absorption, which are respectively promoted by ovarian estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) through the uterine epithelium. Dysregulated uterine fluid movement has been associated with impaired early pregnancy, particularly in women with endometriosis undergoing ovarian stimulation […]
CAREER: Uncertainty-aware sensing and management for IoT Friday, May 24, 2024 - Bolstered by a massive scale of ubiquitously connected smart devices, the emergence of Internet-of-Things (IoT) has brought about substantial conveniences to our daily life through a plethora of applications, of which many are safety-critical, including healthcare, surveillance, and autonomous driving, to name a few. For such safety-critical domains, the current toolkits usually fall short in […]
CAREER: Engineering next-generation adrenal gland organoid Friday, May 24, 2024 - Organoids are 3D, miniature versions of human organs, that help us learn about how organs grow and work. Organoids are useful for understanding human organ development, how cells talk to each other, and how our bodies fix themselves. This project focuses on making better organoids that act more like real organs. Organoids are usually made […]
Assessing global measles outbreak risk via classification methods Friday, May 24, 2024 - Large and disruptive measles outbreaks are largely predictable with modern forecasting technology and publicly accessible data. We envision a future where global-scale, country-level risk assessment empowers the advocacy case for targeted immunization in advance of outbreaks. As it stands, WHO regularly publishes retrospective lists of large disruptive outbreaks. Broadly speaking, this grant funds the development […]
PREP@UGA: Post-Baccalaureate Research Training to Diversify Biomedical Science Friday, May 24, 2024 - The University of Georgia (UGA) proposes a renewal of PREP@UGA that builds on the program’s successes to date and continues to advance diversity of the biomedical research workforce. Diversity of the biomedical research workforce is critical to the success of the NIH mission and necessary for research innovation, translation, and justice. However, ongoing, difficult work […]
Multi-omics approaches to lower the barriers to sustainable production of plant natural products with relevance to human health Friday, May 24, 2024 - Plants synthesize complex molecules for defense and signaling using specialized metabolic pathways. These plant natural products enhance their own evolutionary fitness and many of these molecules have been used with great success as pharmaceuticals to treat a wide range of human diseases as exemplified by Paclitaxel and Vinorelbine. However, our access to plant specialized metabolites […]
CAREER: From Underground to Space: An AI Infrastructure for Multiscale 3D Crop Modeling and Assessment Monday, April 22, 2024 - A crop’s traits and 3D structure (the shape and architecture of plants, including both above- and below-ground parts) are the attributes that chiefly influence crop growth and yield and provide critical evidence for plant phenotyping (the characterization assessment of plant traits). Crop yield predictions can be made by assessing 3D plant structures using crop sensing […]
CAREER: Integrating Seascapes and Energy Flow: learning and teaching about energy, biodiversity, and ecosystem function on the frontlines of climate change Monday, April 22, 2024 - Coastal marshes provide a suite of vital functions that support natural and human communities. Humans frequently take for granted and exploit these ecosystem services without fully understanding the ecological feedbacks, linkages, and interdependencies of these processes to the wider ecosystem. As demands on coastal ecosystem services have risen, marshes have experienced substantial loss due to […]
Value-addition Institute for Business Expansion (VIBE): A Georgia-Based Agricultural Innovation Center to Bring Farmers from Fresh to Value-added Markets Monday, April 22, 2024 - Georgia has a rich agricultural history in fresh produce, owing to its long growing season. Creation of value-added markets would provide a valuable source of income to growers during times where fresh produce is not actively being grown and harvested. In rural areas where farms are primarily located, many entrepreneurs lack accessibility to appropriate business […]
FMRG: Cyber: Cyber-Coordinated Analytical Framework for Multi-stage Distributed Future Manufacturing Systems Monday, April 22, 2024 - A manufactured product is the end of a long chain of interwoven manufacturing steps that may span geography, industries, and manufacturing processes. Each step may be optimized, yet for a step there may be uncertainty about the larger context of its contribution that if known during production would allow for greater efficiencies, better quality, and […]
Synthetic multi-component influenza vaccines to elicit broad immunity Monday, April 22, 2024 - Seasonal influenza viruses cause significant disease burden. While seasonal influenza vaccines are available, these are often poorly efficacious due to mismatch with circulating virus strains, particularly in the populations at greatest risk of complications from infection, including the elderly, infant, and immunocompromised. Influenza A viruses (IAV) also pose a pandemic risk for which seasonal influenza […]
CAREER: Detecting Quantum Signatures in Nonadiabatic Molecular Dynamics Thursday, March 28, 2024 - With support from the Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanisms A (CSDM-A) program in the Division of Chemistry, Melanie Reber of the University of Georgia is developing methods capable of measuring transient changes in the absorption spectra of molecules in the gas phase. Gas phase measurements, specifically in a molecular beam, allow for detailed study of […]
CAREER: New Pericyclic Methodologies for the Convergent Synthesis of Complex Ring Systems Thursday, March 28, 2024 - With the support of the Chemical Synthesis program in the Division of Chemistry, Christopher Newton of the University of Georgia is designing novel molecular “building blocks” that improve the reactivity and versatility of molecular addition reactions. These addition reactions enable the rapid construction of complex organic molecules through the joining of two simpler fragments and […]
Regulation of protein transport in cilia Thursday, March 28, 2024 - Cilia are thread-like microtubule-based cell extensions which function in cell locomotion, fluid transport, and signaling. Many developmental disorders and diseases are caused by defects in ciliary function and assembly. To assemble cilia of a specific size and composition, cells have to transport hundreds of different proteins from the cell body into the organelle. Intraflagellar transport […]
Dissecting Behavioral and Neural Mechanisms of Hand Dexterity after Stroke for Effective Rehabilitation Thursday, March 28, 2024 - Following a stroke, hand dexterity does not recover fully for most patients, significantly reducing quality of life. Optimal and effective assessment and therapies for achieving hand dexterity are currently lacking due, in part, to limited scientific knowledge of human hand dexterity in health and disease. Hand dexterity hinges on multiple essential behavioral components embedded in […]
NSF Convergence Accelerator Track I: SpheriCity — Circularity from Molecules to the Built Environment in Communities Thursday, March 28, 2024 - This project aims to optimize circularity, from the city up, transforming the linear consumption model of raw material extraction, production, use, and disposal that dominates the global economy. This linear model has led to serious unintended worldwide issues, from pollution to resource depletion. This project will reimagine how we design, from molecules and materials to […]
Ethical Industry 4.0: Embedding Legality, Integrity, and Accountability in Digital Manufacturing Ecosystems Thursday, February 22, 2024 - This project is centered around the creation and validation of an innovative digital framework to foster an ethical manufacturing ecosystem where machine ethics, including legality, integrity, and accountability, is mandated throughout the product design-fabrication-service life cycle. In the era of Industry 4.0, manufacturing systems are enhanced with advanced technologies and interconnectivity. While this evolution significantly […]