2014-2015 Pilot Project Recipients

BASIC SCIENCE APPLICATIONS

Investigating Uncertainties in Satellite – Derived Estimates of Premature Mortality Associated with Particulate Matter

The goal of this project is to investigate the uncertainties in satellite-derived-PM2.5 and the implications for estimated health risks world-wide.

  • Colette Heald
  • Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Understanding and Ameliorating Arsenic – Induced Protein Misfolding

The objective of this project is to test the hypothesis that pre-conditioning cells by activating protein misfolding stress responses with small molecules prior to exposure to arsenic will reduce arsenic’s cytotoxicity.

  • Matthew Shoulders
  • Assistant Professor, Chemistry

TRANSLATIONAL APPLICATIONS

Sulfur DNA modifications in gut microbes confer resistance to oxidative stress

The goals of these studies are to characterize gut microbes that possess phosphorothioate (PT) modifications of their genomes and to assess the impact of PT modifications and the compositions of the gut microbiome during inflammation.

  • Peter Dedon
  • Professor, Biological Engineering
  • James Fox
  • Professor and Director, Biological Engineering and Division of Comparative Medicine
  • Eric Alm
  • Associate Professor, Biological Engineering

The role of arsenic in adult brain pathology. Translational studies in the mouse.

The purpose of this project is to develop preliminary information on the potential of certain compounds in the environment to cause neuropathological changes in the brain.

  • Steve Tannenbaum
  • Professor, Biological Engineering, Chemistry, and Toxicology

Can microbiome therapy cure IBD in sick dogs?

The primary goal of this project is to test whether Fecal Microbiota Transplant can cure Inflammatory Bowel Disease in canine patients.  The secondary goal of this project is to generate preliminary data for an Investigational New Drug application for human trials.

  • Eric Alm
  • Associate Professor, Biological Engineering
  • Susan Erdman
  • Principal Research Scientist, Division of Comparative Medicine

Measuring Chemical Fluxes from Contaminated Sediments using Eddy Correlation, Fiber-optic-based Optical Chemical Sensing, and the SWIFT flux tracer concept

The broad projective of the project is to develop a new technology, based on eddy correlation, to rapidly measure benthic releases of chemicals from a large range of contaminated sediments.

  • Harold Hemond
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering