/news-archive/tag/alexandru-biris/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Thu, 29 Nov 2018 21:05:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /news-archive/2018/11/29/nanomaterials-bone-wounds/ Thu, 29 Nov 2018 21:05:42 +0000 /news/?p=72840 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock researcher studies how nanomaterials can speed healing in bone wounds]]> Dr. Shawn Bourdo, research assistant professor at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received an $85,500 grant from the (NIH) to study how certain nanomaterials may enhance healing in bone wounds. The project, led by Dr. Madhu Dhar at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will investigate the effect that graphene nanomaterials have on bone cell growth. The team hopes that these nanomaterials will be able to stimulate cell growth to promote tissue and bone healing. Based on the results, the researchers will understand the cell-nanomaterial interaction which will provide clues on how to tailor the nanomaterials for increased cellular response. Eventually, this research may have major benefits for individuals who suffer from bone fractures, trauma, and diseases. 鈥淥ne of the most exciting aspects of the work is that preliminary data shows that these materials can stimulate stem cells to grow into bone cells without any external growth factors,鈥� Bourdo said. 鈥淭he work we are undertaking will provide some of the first clues as to how graphene-based materials influence the cellular pathways that lead to bone formation.鈥� Bourdo will be joined in his work by an undergraduate student and Dr. Alexandru Biris, director and chief scientist at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences. This project will provide new research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at both 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, materials chemistry, and veterinary and human medicine. This project is funded through the NIH鈥檚 Academic Research Enhancement Award program. The goal of this program is to support meritorious research, enhance opportunities for undergraduate and graduate student researchers, and strengthen the research environment of schools that have not been major recipients of NIH support. Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R15AR070460. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Contributing Editor: Lydia Perry / Office of Research and Sponsored Programs]]> /news-archive/2018/10/23/nanomaterials-research/ Tue, 23 Oct 2018 18:41:41 +0000 /news/?p=72434 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock researcher receives nearly $50,000 to study effects of nanomaterials on immune systems]]> Dr. Kieng Bao Vang-Dings, research assistant professor at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, received $49,509 from the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering to study the effects of tunable nanosystems on the human immune system. This study will help scientists understand the immune system鈥檚 response to nanosystems – 聽important knowledge as nanosystems are increasingly used in both medical interventions and everyday products. Tunable nanosystems are tiny materials (measured between 1 to 100 nanometers) that can be manipulated for use in various science and engineering applications, including cancer treatments, regenerative medicine, and neural stem cell differentiation. With this growing prevalence in mind, Vang-Dings will study how one commonly used nanosystem, gold nanoparticles coated with silver, interacts with the immune system. 鈥淭he immune system is the body鈥檚 primary defense against pathogenic microorganisms,鈥� Vang-Dings said. 鈥淚f tunable nanosystems are to be used in biomedical applications, we must fully understand how they can influence the immune system.鈥� Vang-Dings will collaborate with Dr. Alexandru Biris, director and chief scientist of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. The research team will use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to monitor the nanomaterials鈥� interaction with primary immune cells for seven days. The team will then assess any surface protein or cytokine changes caused by treatment with the nanosystem. The project was awarded through the Arkansas Economic Development Commission鈥檚 seed grant program, which supports Arkansas researchers in higher education who focus on creating nanomaterials that are useful for various science and engineering applications. Vang-Dings joined 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock in 2015. She received a bachelor鈥檚 degree in biology from the University of Minnesota in 2002 and a doctorate in microbiology, immunology, and cancer from the University of Minnesota in 2010. This project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation under award number 1457888. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. Contributing Editor Lydia Perry / Office of Research and Sponsored Programs Photo by Benjamin Krain]]>