West Virginia University physics professors and an undergraduate student have discovered a new astronomical phenomenon.
Duncan Lorimer and Maura McLaughlin, assistant professors in the Department of Physics in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and David Narkevic, a senior physics and political science student from Philippi, detected a powerful, short-lived burst of radio waves.
The findings of their study appear in the September 27, 2007, edition of the online journal Science Express; the findings are also available at http://www.nrao.edu/pr/2007/brightburst.
“This burst appears to have originated from the distant universe and may have been produced by an exotic event such as the collision of two neutron stars or the death throes of an evaporating black hole,” said Lorimer, who also serves as assistant astronomer at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Pocahontas County.
The discovery came about as Narkevic was re-analyzing archived data to find new pulsars that had burst sporadically–as opposed to the usual type of these neutron stars which pulsate periodically.
The team looked at observations from the Small Magellanic Cloud recorded by the 210-foot Parkes radio telescope in Australia and surprisingly found the burst outside of the cloud in the distant universe. The cloud is a dwarf galaxy located about 200,000 light years from the Milky Way.
The discovery involved a bit of luck, Narkevic explained, because the survey included observations of the sky surrounding the clouds.
The burst of radio waves, considered a significant finding by astronomical standards, lasted less than five milliseconds. The signal was spread out with higher frequencies arriving at the telescope before the lower frequencies. This effect, called dispersion, is caused by the signal passing through ionized gas in interstellar and intergalactic space.
The amount of dispersion in this newly discovered burst indicates that it likely originated about three billion light-years from Earth.
“We’re actively looking for more of these powerful, short bursts in other archival pulsar surveys and hope to resolve the mystery of their origin,” McLaughlin said. “If we can associate these events with galaxies of known distance, the radio dispersion we measure can be used as a powerful new way to determine the amount of material in intergalactic space.”
Using its recent results, the team predicts that hundreds of similar events will occur each day outside the Milky Way.
The team has not found the origin of the phenomenon, but it has a couple of theories: One idea is that it may be part of the energy released when a pair of superdense neutron stars collide and merge.
Another theory suggests that the burst of energy is the last gasp from an evaporating black hole.
“We are primarily a program for researching pulsars, but this discovery potentially opens up a whole new area of study here at WVU,” Lorimer noted. “The discovery parallels the story of gamma-ray bursts, which became a new field of astronomy and occupied the research of many scientists for years trying to identify their characteristics. This mysterious occurrence could trigger a new area of cosmic study that we’re involved in from the beginning.”
In addition to Lorimer, McLaughlin and Narkevic, the research team includes Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University in Australia and Fronefield Crawford of Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa.
The pulsar research program at WVU began in May 2006 when Lorimer and McLaughlin were jointly appointed by the University and the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, which manages the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope, the 100-meter Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation and is operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities Inc.
The Parkes radio telescope is part of the Australia Telescope, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia for operation as a National Facility.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Monday, September 24, 2007
Physics student awarded scholarship for work on combating global warming
The solution to global warming may lie under the sea.Adam Jozwick, a West Virginia University physics student, was recently awarded a $10,000 National Consortium for Measure and Signatures Intelligence Research (NCMR) Program Scholarship for his work on predicting methods of relocating greenhouse gases from the atmosphere to subsurface layers of the Earth—a process that could help alleviate global warming.
The scholarship, supported by the National Science Foundation, will assist Jozwick with tuition, textbooks, room and board.
The WVU student has been collaborating with Martin Ferer, a professor in the Department of Physics in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and with scientists and engineers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to develop realistic models of carbon dioxide storage below the Earth’s surface.
Ferer and Jozwick analyze the sub-surface fracture networks and determine if injected CO2 will bubble to the surface in the future.
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing greenhouse gases. Jozwick’s goal is to develop a method that will allow the injected CO2 to dissolve and mix with underground chemicals, and eventually mineralize into the Earth’s sub-layers. The result could permanently alleviate the strain of greenhouse gases on the environment.
The NETL website, http://www.netl.doe.gov/newsroom/features/08-2007.html, says that with the development of the right sub-surface fracture network, “It is likely that we would run out of coal before we run out of places to store the CO2 its combustion creates.”
In 2005, the United States emitted 6.1 billion tons of CO2 (see NETL article).
“The solution to global warming will require a number of methods to reduce greenhouse gases in our atmosphere,” Ferer explained. “One promising approach is the stable underground storage of these gases, which Norway has successfully utilized for decades to store carbon dioxide under the floor of the North Sea.”
Ferer earned a bachelor’s from the University of Detroit in 1966 and a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana in 1972.
The WVU professor develops fine-scale models of complex phenomena relevant to applied problems. He has published various articles on topics including the injection of CO2 into porous media saturated with seawater.
“Since I started working with Dr. Ferer last January, I have learned the importance of computers in modern physics and how to use physical laws to create realistic models,” Jozwick said.
Jozwick, a native of Doddridge County, is expected to graduate in May 2008 with a bachelor’s in physics from WVU. He hopes to attend graduate school in the future.
Caption: WVU student Adam Jozwick (right) is collaborating with Martin Ferer, a professor in the University's Department of Physics, to develop realistic models of carbon dioxide storage below the Earth's surface. Jozwick was recently awarded a $10,000 scholarship for his work. Photo by Katie Kline.
Marshall Forensic Science Center Receives $2 Million Grant
Marshall University is set to benefit from more than $2 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Justice for initiatives at the Marshall University Forensic Science Center (MUFSC). The funding will support the continued development of MUFSC as a working model forensic laboratory and a resource for the national forensic community.
Marshall University officials were notified by the Department of Justice recently that they would receive funding for two competitive grant applications that university officials submitted earlier this year to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Because of previous federal support U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd has secured since Fiscal Year 1998, the Center is now in a competitive posture at the national level to obtain additional grant funding. The grant awards will help fund the Center’s education and training agenda and will help expand upon MU’s efforts to establish the National Institute of Forensic Science Education and Training.
“The grant funding not only helps train practicing DNA analysts and crime scene investigators, but also will help prepare the next generation of forensic scientists to meet ever-evolving challenges for the justice system,” said Dr. Terry Fenger, MUFSC director.
One grant of $1.5 million will be used toward funding MUFSC’s DNA training courses that are endorsed by the NIJ. An additional grant of $510,974 will help MUFSC, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), provide courses in the areas of crime scene investigation, crime scene photography, impression evidence analysis, and additional relevant courses.
“The availability of Marshall’s Crime Scene House provides the FBI and MU with a unique setting to conduct a variety of mock crime scene exercises which benefit forensic scientists and investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies from across the country,” Fenger added.
The MUFSC is dedicated to providing the highest quality forensic analysis. The Center has a unique relationship with the West Virginia State Police as the first university to partner with a state crime laboratory on developing and maintaining a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database, the DNA database for convicted offenders. Through MUFSC’s master of science degree program, students have access to state-of-the-art equipment, as well as a top-notch faculty. The MUFSC employs one of the most skilled DNA workforces in the country, consisting predominantly of the Center’s forensic science graduates.
Marshall University officials were notified by the Department of Justice recently that they would receive funding for two competitive grant applications that university officials submitted earlier this year to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Because of previous federal support U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd has secured since Fiscal Year 1998, the Center is now in a competitive posture at the national level to obtain additional grant funding. The grant awards will help fund the Center’s education and training agenda and will help expand upon MU’s efforts to establish the National Institute of Forensic Science Education and Training.
“The grant funding not only helps train practicing DNA analysts and crime scene investigators, but also will help prepare the next generation of forensic scientists to meet ever-evolving challenges for the justice system,” said Dr. Terry Fenger, MUFSC director.
One grant of $1.5 million will be used toward funding MUFSC’s DNA training courses that are endorsed by the NIJ. An additional grant of $510,974 will help MUFSC, in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), provide courses in the areas of crime scene investigation, crime scene photography, impression evidence analysis, and additional relevant courses.
“The availability of Marshall’s Crime Scene House provides the FBI and MU with a unique setting to conduct a variety of mock crime scene exercises which benefit forensic scientists and investigators from state and local law enforcement agencies from across the country,” Fenger added.
The MUFSC is dedicated to providing the highest quality forensic analysis. The Center has a unique relationship with the West Virginia State Police as the first university to partner with a state crime laboratory on developing and maintaining a Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database, the DNA database for convicted offenders. Through MUFSC’s master of science degree program, students have access to state-of-the-art equipment, as well as a top-notch faculty. The MUFSC employs one of the most skilled DNA workforces in the country, consisting predominantly of the Center’s forensic science graduates.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Marshall’s Human Research Program Receives National Accreditation
Marshall University’s human research program has received national accreditation, a first for any university in West Virginia, according to the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc.
Only 32 organizations in the country have full accreditation through the association, a nonprofit that evaluates organizations that conduct human research. Accredited entities must be able to demonstrate that extensive safeguards are built into every level of their research operation.
“Marshall University is committed to the most comprehensive protections for research participants as well as the highest quality research,” Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp said. “We sought accreditation, because our program is committed to continuous improvement. We strive to go beyond what is required by law to protect human participants and ensure integrity in research. It is an honor to have our program recognized in this manner.”
Marshall’s Office of Research Integrity serves as the institutional review board for the Huntington VA Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The types of research conducted include medical studies, cancer studies, new medical devices, investigational drugs and social and behavioral studies like the ones conducted through the Marshall University main campus and the Graduate College in South Charleston. Through affiliation with Marshall, all of these programs share in the accreditation, which is valid for three years.
Dr. Cynthia Winger, director of the office, said that the tough process meant every aspect of the entire program was examined. She said the university puts the wellbeing of all research participants first giving the program a strong foundation before the accreditation review process began.
“After going through a very stringent process we know without doubt that everything about our human research program meets or exceeds federal regulations,” Winger said. “Through accreditation, we demonstrated our high ethical standards in protecting research participants, which should be a signal to the public that they can trust our process.”
Other academic institutions that were granted accreditation at the same time as Marshall include Harvard University, University of Oklahoma and University of Kansas.
Only 32 organizations in the country have full accreditation through the association, a nonprofit that evaluates organizations that conduct human research. Accredited entities must be able to demonstrate that extensive safeguards are built into every level of their research operation.
“Marshall University is committed to the most comprehensive protections for research participants as well as the highest quality research,” Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp said. “We sought accreditation, because our program is committed to continuous improvement. We strive to go beyond what is required by law to protect human participants and ensure integrity in research. It is an honor to have our program recognized in this manner.”
Marshall’s Office of Research Integrity serves as the institutional review board for the Huntington VA Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center, Cabell Huntington Hospital and the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The types of research conducted include medical studies, cancer studies, new medical devices, investigational drugs and social and behavioral studies like the ones conducted through the Marshall University main campus and the Graduate College in South Charleston. Through affiliation with Marshall, all of these programs share in the accreditation, which is valid for three years.
Dr. Cynthia Winger, director of the office, said that the tough process meant every aspect of the entire program was examined. She said the university puts the wellbeing of all research participants first giving the program a strong foundation before the accreditation review process began.
“After going through a very stringent process we know without doubt that everything about our human research program meets or exceeds federal regulations,” Winger said. “Through accreditation, we demonstrated our high ethical standards in protecting research participants, which should be a signal to the public that they can trust our process.”
Other academic institutions that were granted accreditation at the same time as Marshall include Harvard University, University of Oklahoma and University of Kansas.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Global Grid Exchange® Higher-Ed Student Project Competition Announced
The West Virginia High Tech Consortium Foundation’s Global Grid Exchange® program is proud to announce the Fall 2007 Higher-Ed Student Project Competition. This is a statewide competition that encourages undergraduate and graduate level college students to embrace one of the newest trends in the computing industry, grid computing. This year, the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation is the sponsor.
The Global Grid Exchange program aggregates the computational capacity of thousands of Internet-connected computers to deliver advanced supercomputing capacity on demand. Computational grids are being used by researchers and businesses to solve computationally intense problems in domains such as Life Science, Energy, Semiconductors, Defense and Finance, to name but a few. Past competition entries have covered a broad range of fields - from decryption to wireless communications. By harnessing the power of thousands of computers to work in parallel, grids allow problems to be solved in days that would otherwise take decades.
Students (or student teams) who wish to participate in this competition are challenged to write grid-based computer applications that leverage the power of the Global Grid Exchange program. Winning applications will either perform a well-defined “deep” calculation or provide a “user capability;” in either case, relying on computations that are not possible (in reasonable time) without the power afforded by a computational grid.
In the spirit of grid computing, in which computational work is performed remotely, all aspects of the competition will be conducted online. Applicants will submit their grid application along with instructions for its execution plus any datasets required for a verification test. Source code for the application must also be submitted; the code will be judged for its engineering quality and informative documentation.
Whereas a traditional science fair would require a presentation poster to accompany a project submission, this competition requires students to adopt the modern business practice of making presentations via telephone conference calling accompanied by electronic media (e.g., a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation or interactive web site). The presentation must describe the application, why it requires grid-scale computation, difficulties encountered during its development, known limitations and suggested future enhancements or research direction.
One first place prize of $1,000 and one second place prize of $500 will be given in this competition.
Any undergraduate or graduate student attending a West Virginia higher-education institution interested in math, engineering, and/or computer science can participate. Those students who have Java programming experience will be at a slight advantage over those who do not.
Students interested in competing should submit an entry form and declare their official entrance in the competition no later than Monday, October 1, 2007. More information and entry forms can be obtained by emailing a request to bbunner@wvhtf.org. Completed entry forms can be emailed, faxed or mailed to Brent Bunner, WVHTC Foundation, 1000 Technology Drive, Suite 1000, Fairmont, WV 26554. Phone: (304) 333-6766. Fax: (304) 366-2699. Email: bbunner@wvhtf.org
The Global Grid Exchange program aggregates the computational capacity of thousands of Internet-connected computers to deliver advanced supercomputing capacity on demand. Computational grids are being used by researchers and businesses to solve computationally intense problems in domains such as Life Science, Energy, Semiconductors, Defense and Finance, to name but a few. Past competition entries have covered a broad range of fields - from decryption to wireless communications. By harnessing the power of thousands of computers to work in parallel, grids allow problems to be solved in days that would otherwise take decades.
Students (or student teams) who wish to participate in this competition are challenged to write grid-based computer applications that leverage the power of the Global Grid Exchange program. Winning applications will either perform a well-defined “deep” calculation or provide a “user capability;” in either case, relying on computations that are not possible (in reasonable time) without the power afforded by a computational grid.
In the spirit of grid computing, in which computational work is performed remotely, all aspects of the competition will be conducted online. Applicants will submit their grid application along with instructions for its execution plus any datasets required for a verification test. Source code for the application must also be submitted; the code will be judged for its engineering quality and informative documentation.
Whereas a traditional science fair would require a presentation poster to accompany a project submission, this competition requires students to adopt the modern business practice of making presentations via telephone conference calling accompanied by electronic media (e.g., a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation or interactive web site). The presentation must describe the application, why it requires grid-scale computation, difficulties encountered during its development, known limitations and suggested future enhancements or research direction.
One first place prize of $1,000 and one second place prize of $500 will be given in this competition.
Any undergraduate or graduate student attending a West Virginia higher-education institution interested in math, engineering, and/or computer science can participate. Those students who have Java programming experience will be at a slight advantage over those who do not.
Students interested in competing should submit an entry form and declare their official entrance in the competition no later than Monday, October 1, 2007. More information and entry forms can be obtained by emailing a request to bbunner@wvhtf.org. Completed entry forms can be emailed, faxed or mailed to Brent Bunner, WVHTC Foundation, 1000 Technology Drive, Suite 1000, Fairmont, WV 26554. Phone: (304) 333-6766. Fax: (304) 366-2699. Email: bbunner@wvhtf.org
STaR Enterprise Takes Off in State
Event focuses on academic research
This article appeared in the September 18, 2007, edition of the Times West Virginian (Fairmont).
By Jessica Legge
MORGANTOWN — The presidents of West Virginia University, Marshall University and the University of Louisville came together Monday to discuss academic research during the annual West Virginia Science, Technology and Research Symposium.
The 2007 event, titled “Defining our Future: The STaR Enterprise in West Virginia,” started Monday morning and continues today at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown. The event features guest speakers, panel discussions, scientific sessions on various topics, and a poster competition for college and university students.
Dr. Paul Hill, vice chancellor for science and research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said research is the foundation for the country’s economic future. The people at the STaR Symposium and the programs they represent are a $200 million enterprise in West Virginia, he said.
Michael Garrison of WVU, Stephen Kopp of Marshall, and special guest panelist Dr. James Ramsey of Louisville made up the keynote panel Monday on “Collaborative and Competitive Research.” These individuals talked about their school’s research goals and strategies.
Jay Cole, education policy advisor to Gov. Joe Manchin, served as moderator. Cole said every example of successful regional high-tech development over the last 50 years has involved the leadership of a research university.
The University of Louisville started placing an emphasis on funded research around 1997 and 1998, President Ramsey said. At this time, the school adopted a plan called “Challenge for Excellence” that focused on building research and becoming a “premier, nationally recognized, metropolitan research university.”
He said the University of Louisville identified potential growth areas in two economic clusters: health care and life sciences, and logistics and distribution management. In the area of health care, the institution has done a lot of cancer research, including work with cervical cancer and the vaccine.
Kentucky’s “Bucks for Brains” state campaign has providing vital funding for the University of Louisville’s research programs and to bring in faculty and researchers, Ramsey said. The school has had to look for other funding sources beyond the state to build its physical infrastructure. The university constructed four research facilities and is working on the development of a downtown research park.
President Kopp of Marshall University said there are many parallels between Kentucky and West Virginia’s research efforts. Although West Virginia may be behind, it is working to close the gap, he said.
Marshall has researchers who are accomplished, but in the past, the university’s research was not focused. Now, Marshall University is evolving as a research university and continues to progress, he said. The school is working on a range of projects, from purely theoretical research to applied research.
Kopp said he knew it would be a challenge to fund research programs and cover faculty, equipment and other needs without being affected by state budget cuts.
Marshall created a funding model that is self-sustaining and does not require basefunding from the state.
Kopp stressed that even if the state does an exceptional job with research and educating school children about career opportunities, it also needs to ensure that jobs are available in these fields.
The role of universities and state government in research and education is changing, WVU President Garrison said. In the nation, people are seeing a commitment to innovation and enhancing the public research venture.
“We must ask ourselves what part West Virginia will play in the next wave of creativity,” he said. “We’ve grown our research enterprise at WVU. We will be diligent in staying focused on our priorities.”
Garrison said WVU is committed to becoming a leading energy research facility and strives to complement the economic development in the state. Some of the university’s research priorities include biometrics and nanotechnology, and WVU has a vibrant Health Sciences Center.
With the success of students and the hard work of faculty, WVU is at a “crossroads” and is ready for more growth, Garrison said. He thanked Gov. Manchin and the legislators for their focus on research funding.
“We’re very encouraged by this symposium,” Garrison said.
This article appeared in the September 18, 2007, edition of the Times West Virginian (Fairmont).
By Jessica Legge
MORGANTOWN — The presidents of West Virginia University, Marshall University and the University of Louisville came together Monday to discuss academic research during the annual West Virginia Science, Technology and Research Symposium.
The 2007 event, titled “Defining our Future: The STaR Enterprise in West Virginia,” started Monday morning and continues today at the Waterfront Place Hotel in Morgantown. The event features guest speakers, panel discussions, scientific sessions on various topics, and a poster competition for college and university students.
Dr. Paul Hill, vice chancellor for science and research at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, said research is the foundation for the country’s economic future. The people at the STaR Symposium and the programs they represent are a $200 million enterprise in West Virginia, he said.
Michael Garrison of WVU, Stephen Kopp of Marshall, and special guest panelist Dr. James Ramsey of Louisville made up the keynote panel Monday on “Collaborative and Competitive Research.” These individuals talked about their school’s research goals and strategies.
Jay Cole, education policy advisor to Gov. Joe Manchin, served as moderator. Cole said every example of successful regional high-tech development over the last 50 years has involved the leadership of a research university.
The University of Louisville started placing an emphasis on funded research around 1997 and 1998, President Ramsey said. At this time, the school adopted a plan called “Challenge for Excellence” that focused on building research and becoming a “premier, nationally recognized, metropolitan research university.”
He said the University of Louisville identified potential growth areas in two economic clusters: health care and life sciences, and logistics and distribution management. In the area of health care, the institution has done a lot of cancer research, including work with cervical cancer and the vaccine.
Kentucky’s “Bucks for Brains” state campaign has providing vital funding for the University of Louisville’s research programs and to bring in faculty and researchers, Ramsey said. The school has had to look for other funding sources beyond the state to build its physical infrastructure. The university constructed four research facilities and is working on the development of a downtown research park.
President Kopp of Marshall University said there are many parallels between Kentucky and West Virginia’s research efforts. Although West Virginia may be behind, it is working to close the gap, he said.
Marshall has researchers who are accomplished, but in the past, the university’s research was not focused. Now, Marshall University is evolving as a research university and continues to progress, he said. The school is working on a range of projects, from purely theoretical research to applied research.
Kopp said he knew it would be a challenge to fund research programs and cover faculty, equipment and other needs without being affected by state budget cuts.
Marshall created a funding model that is self-sustaining and does not require basefunding from the state.
Kopp stressed that even if the state does an exceptional job with research and educating school children about career opportunities, it also needs to ensure that jobs are available in these fields.
The role of universities and state government in research and education is changing, WVU President Garrison said. In the nation, people are seeing a commitment to innovation and enhancing the public research venture.
“We must ask ourselves what part West Virginia will play in the next wave of creativity,” he said. “We’ve grown our research enterprise at WVU. We will be diligent in staying focused on our priorities.”
Garrison said WVU is committed to becoming a leading energy research facility and strives to complement the economic development in the state. Some of the university’s research priorities include biometrics and nanotechnology, and WVU has a vibrant Health Sciences Center.
With the success of students and the hard work of faculty, WVU is at a “crossroads” and is ready for more growth, Garrison said. He thanked Gov. Manchin and the legislators for their focus on research funding.
“We’re very encouraged by this symposium,” Garrison said.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
NSF Announces East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for 2008
The National Science Foundation's East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes (EAPSI) program offers U.S. graduate students in science and engineering a unique opportunity to study abroad for eight weeks with foreign researchers in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan.
In 2008, the EAPSI awards will include a stipend of $5,000, an allowance for international travel and support to attend a pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. Foreign co-sponsoring organizations will provide additional support to cover EAPSI students' living expenses abroad.
For more information, visit the EAPSI website at http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi or contact Dr. Andrew S. Backe at abacke@nsf.gov or (703) 292-4771.
In 2008, the EAPSI awards will include a stipend of $5,000, an allowance for international travel and support to attend a pre-departure orientation in Washington, D.C. Foreign co-sponsoring organizations will provide additional support to cover EAPSI students' living expenses abroad.
For more information, visit the EAPSI website at http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi or contact Dr. Andrew S. Backe at abacke@nsf.gov or (703) 292-4771.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Vandalia Research Launches Custom DNA Ladder Service
Vandalia Research Inc. announced it has received official notification of grant award for a Phase I Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institute Of Diabetes And Digestive And Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). The grant, in the amount of $153,311, will be used to begin development of an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) for monitoring galactosemia.
Vandalia Research Inc. has partnered with Marshall University under the NIH’s STTR guidelines to complete the project. Dr. Menashi Cohenford of Marshall University’s Integrated Science and Technology Department is principal investigator for the project.
The long term objective of the project is to develop a diagnostic kit for monitoring nonenzymatically galactated proteins in galactosemia. Classical galactosemia is a disorder of galactose metabolism caused by a deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase. The resulting severe impairment of galactose metabolism has been recognized for half a century and the frequency of this disorder is estimated to be 1 in 40,000 births. Cohenford’s technology will enable these patients to manage their disease by monitoring galactated proteins in blood, similar to current tests for diabetes.
During Phase I, researchers at Vandalia Research and Marshall University will attempt to develop a monoclonal antibody probe directed to nonenzymatically galactated albumin that bystandard immunological techniques will prove specific to galactated albumin. Cohenford will apply for a Phase II STTR grant following successful completion of his Phase I research, and plans to collaborate with the Galactosemia Foundation to obtain galactosemia patient samples for Phase II of the study.
About Vandalia Research, Inc. – Vandalia Research is a biotechnology research company based in Huntington, W.Va. Its core technology is the Triathlon, which enables large-scale production of specific, high-quality DNA sequences with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The company now provides milligram and gram scale DNA production for a variety of applications, including diagnostics, DNA vaccines, standards, and others.
For more information, call (304) 529-0803 or visit the Vandalia Research website at www.vandaliaresearch.com.
Vandalia Research Inc. has partnered with Marshall University under the NIH’s STTR guidelines to complete the project. Dr. Menashi Cohenford of Marshall University’s Integrated Science and Technology Department is principal investigator for the project.
The long term objective of the project is to develop a diagnostic kit for monitoring nonenzymatically galactated proteins in galactosemia. Classical galactosemia is a disorder of galactose metabolism caused by a deficiency of galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase. The resulting severe impairment of galactose metabolism has been recognized for half a century and the frequency of this disorder is estimated to be 1 in 40,000 births. Cohenford’s technology will enable these patients to manage their disease by monitoring galactated proteins in blood, similar to current tests for diabetes.
During Phase I, researchers at Vandalia Research and Marshall University will attempt to develop a monoclonal antibody probe directed to nonenzymatically galactated albumin that bystandard immunological techniques will prove specific to galactated albumin. Cohenford will apply for a Phase II STTR grant following successful completion of his Phase I research, and plans to collaborate with the Galactosemia Foundation to obtain galactosemia patient samples for Phase II of the study.
About Vandalia Research, Inc. – Vandalia Research is a biotechnology research company based in Huntington, W.Va. Its core technology is the Triathlon, which enables large-scale production of specific, high-quality DNA sequences with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The company now provides milligram and gram scale DNA production for a variety of applications, including diagnostics, DNA vaccines, standards, and others.
For more information, call (304) 529-0803 or visit the Vandalia Research website at www.vandaliaresearch.com.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
RFP for National Science Foundation RII Released
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, Division of Science and Research, has released a request for pre-proposals for the FY2008 West Virginia Research Infrastructure Improvement (RII) Proposal to the National Science Foundation. Principal investigators for this program must be STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) faculty from West Virginia University or Marshall University, but faculty from other colleges and universities may be part of the research team for the pre-proposal.
To request a copy of the RFP, contact:
Jan R. Taylor, Ph.D.
Deputy Director/Senior Research Fellow
jtaylor@wvepscor.org
(304) 558-4128 x3
To request a copy of the RFP, contact:
Jan R. Taylor, Ph.D.
Deputy Director/Senior Research Fellow
jtaylor@wvepscor.org
(304) 558-4128 x3
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