Research Core
Phase I Research Projects
Under Phase 1, a total of 14 INBRE-supported research projects are organized within the following five research themes:
Investigator: Dr. Carlton Cooper, UD Biological Sciences
Research Title: Bone stromal factors regulate prostate cancer cell adhesion to human bone endothelial cells
Synopsis: Advanced prostate cancer typically spreads to bone, where it causes intense pain and discomfort. The spread of prostate cancer to the bone requires prostate cancer cells to attach to bone cells called bone marrow endothelial cells. The production of the proteins involved in this interaction is regulated tightly by soluble factors in the bone marrow. The proposed work seeks to evaluate the effect some of these factors have on the ability of prostate cancer cells to bind to bone marrow endothelial cells. The researchers hope that the knowledge gained will be useful in designing treatment to prevent bone disease in patients with early stage prostate cancer.
Mentor: M. Cynthia Farach-Carson, UD Biological Sciences
Investigator: Dr. Eric M. Furst, UD Chemical Engineering
Research Title: Understanding cellular response in three-dimensional tissue engineering scaffolds
Synopsis: A critical element in tissue engineering is the proper design of scaffold materials that can respond to specific stimuli and elicit a desired biological response of cells, in this case, differentiation, proliferation, organization and growth. The primary goal of this work is to understand and, in turn, engineer tissue scaffold materials for microscopic mechanical responses, molecular delivery kinetics, and functionality on the length and timescales of cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, motility and remodeling.
Mentor: Dr. Abraham Lenhoff, UD Chemical Engineering
Investigator: Dr. Robert Rogers, UD Electrical & Computer Engineering
Research Title: Nano-scale Biosensors for Neurophysiological Applications
Synopsis: This work seeks to develop a tiny implantable recording/stimulating device that will allow for monitoring and controlling nerve activity. If successful, these devices would have important clinical potential to assist those with neuromuscular maladies.
Mentor: Dr. Tom Buchanan, UD Mechanical Engineering
Investigator: Dr. Peter DiMaria, DSU Chemistry
Research Title: Small Nuclear RNAs in Microsporidia
Synopsis: The project involves the characterization of small nuclear RNAs in microsporidia: organisms that are responsible for a variety of disease conditions in immune-suppressed individuals including AIDS patients. Particular emphasis will be on the identification of novel and divergent structural elements associated with these RNAs.
Mentor: Dr. Murray Johnston, UD Chemistry & Biochemistry
Investigator: Dr. Malcolm D’Souza, Wesley Chemistry
Research Title: Extent of Nucleophilic Participation in the Solvolysis of Substituted Acyl Chlorides
Synopsis: Our major focus is in the field of solution kinetics, which are of basic importance to organic chemistry because they study the bond making and bond breaking process during reactions. The concepts we propose are short hand ways of considering the effects of solvent (medium); ultimately these will aid in the synthesis of drugs.
Mentor: Dr. Dennis Kevill, Northern Illinois University, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Investigator: Dr. Vincent Fondong, DSU Biotechnology
Research Title: Characterization of a geminivirus encoded suppressor of gene silencing
Synopsis: The use of transgenic plants to express orally immunogenic protein antigens is an emerging strategy for vaccine biomanufacturing and delivery, though a limiting factor has been the relatively modest levels of accumulation of some antigenic proteins in plant tissues. Recent studies suggest that this problem can be overcome through the use of suppressors of gene silencing encoded by several viruses.
Mentor: Dr. Pamela Green, UD Plant & Soil Sciences; College of Marine and Earth Studies
Investigator: Dr. Tatyana Polenova, UD Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research Title: Structural and Mechanistic Studies of Vanadium Chloroperoxidase by Solid-State NMR
Synopsis: Vanadium-containing haloperoxidases are the most efficient halide oxidants known to date. However, the substrate specificity of these enzymes is poorly understood, hampering the biotechnological applications of these proteins. The electrostatic environment of the protein active site is believed to determine the catalytic activity of the enzyme. In this project, the electrostatics of the active site amino acids will be investigated, using advanced solid-state NMR MAS spectroscopy of uniformly and sparsely enriched chloroperoxidase, prepared as hydrated microcrystalline or amorphous precipitates.
Mentor: Charles Riordan, UD Chemistry & Biochemistry
Investigator: Dr. Erica Selva, UD Biological Sciences
Research Title: Analysis of 7H24 a new Hedgehog signaling gene
Synopsis: Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, our objective is to examine factors that function outside the cell to modulate signaling so we might advance our understanding of how these factors control signaling in developing organisms, which in turn will yield insights into how extracellular influences contribute to the breakdown of cellular controls that leads to cancer. The focus of this proposal is the cloning and characterization of 7H24, which identifies a novel mutant, whose normal gene product acts outside of cells to influence the Hedgehog signal transduction pathway. The Hedgehog pathway is an excellent system to study the importance of extracellular factors that participate in developmental signaling and their role in carcinogenesis because: the Hh pathway is utilized repeatedly during organismal development, its roles in development are often evolutionarily conserved and mutations that lead to the inappropriate activation of Hh pathway components have been linked to the most common form of human cancer, basal cell carcinoma.
Mentor: Dr. Daniel Carson, UD Biological Sciences
Investigator: Dr. Tom Bauer, CCHS, Graham Cancer Center, Thoracic Surgery
Research Titles: Computer Assisted Visual Enhancement of CT scans
Epidemiological Planning in a Lung Cancer Screening Program
Oligonucleotide enhancement of chemotherapeutic effects on cancer cells
Synopsis: Virtual reality methods are used to extract 3D datasets from CT and MRI scans. Algorithms were examined to provide the ability to measure exact distances within the virtual bronchoscopy program to aid in preoperative planning. Similar work was performed on a second patient’s CT scan that had an obstructing tumor of the left main stem bronchus.
The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center is a participant in an international lung cancer screening program entitled I-ELCAP (International-Early Lung Cancer Action Program). This program collects demographic data on high-risk patients for lung cancer and then performs low-dose high-resolution CT scans on an annual basis. The demographic data is reviewed by using the Battelle Starlight information visualization system at DBI.
The Kmiec research group has been studying several aspects of the DNA repair mechanisms. During their extensive work with RAD 51, several observations were made regarding the effect of oligo nucleotides on the cell cycle. It is well known that oligonucleotides will initiate the DNA repair mechanism when allowed to enter cells. It was also noted that the cells stalled in S phase during the exposure. Our project centers on better understanding this interaction and identifying which oligonucleotides have the greatest increase in S phase.
Mentors: Dr. Karl Steiner, UD Delaware Biotechnology Institute
Dr. Eric Kmiec, UD Biological Sciences
Investigator: Dr. Lynn Everett, Wesley Biology
Research Title: Genetic Variability in Borrelia burgdorferi
Synopsis: This bacterium, transmitted by ticks, is the causative agent of Lyme disease. A large number of genetic variants have been reported from ticks collected in New York state, while only few of these variants were also found in patients with systemic Lyme disease. This study will assess the genetic diversity in Delaware populations to aid risk assessment and to identify the proper mix of variants for development of an effective vaccine.
Mentor: Dr. Daniel Carson, UD Biological Sciences
Investigator: Professors Jonathan Kidd, Kathleen Curran, Wesley Biology
Research Title: Distribution of Lyme and Other Tick-borne Diseases in Delaware
Synopsis: We are currently conducting a statewide survey of deer ticks and lone star ticks to determine their distribution within the state, and their infection rates with the causative agents of Lyme disease, human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, human monocytic ehrlichiosis, and STARI. Our goal is to identify disease "hot spots" within the state, and calculate relative risk indices for each disease.
Investigator: Dr. Kathleen Brewer-Smyth, UD Nursing
Research Title: Neurological Function and HIV Risk Behaviors of Female Prison Inmates
Synopsis: The purpose of this study is to explain the relationship between neurological function and HIV risk behaviors in high risk female prison inmates. Female inmates are evaluated with specific HIV risk behavior measures, neurological, and neuropsychological testing. Secondary analyses of existing data are also being conducted to further investigate relationships between neurological abnormalities and other high risk behaviors. In spite of the high prevalence of neurological conditions of female prison inmates, few studies investigate relationships between neurological function and high risk behaviors in this population, which could inform risk-reduction interventions. The State of Delaware is among five states with the highest rates of women with AIDS in the nation and many of these women cycle through the prison system. Female inmates receive short sentences and are frequently jailed and released for repetitive crimes, returning to high-risk behaviors in the community, posing major public health risks.
Investigator: Dr. Christine Cannon, UD Nursing
Research Title: Patient Care during Chronic Illness
Synopsis:
Investigator: Dr. Thomas Hardie, UD Nursing
Research Title: Addiction Research
Synopsis:
Investigator: Dr. Kathleen Schell, UD Nursing
Mentor: Dr. Mary-Ann McLane, Associate Professor of Medical Technology, University of Delaware
Research Title: A Clinical Comparison of Upper Arm and Calf Automatic Non-invasive Blood pressures in Pediatric Intensive Care Patients
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