- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Khodakovskaya Inducted into Arkansas Research Alliance Academy

John Hill — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 15:28:14 +0000

Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya, professor of biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has been inducted into the (ARA) Academy of Scholars and Fellows. The induction of the new cohort of distinguished scholars and researchers took place during a Dec. 9 ceremony at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion. The cohort is composed of two new ARA Scholars, which is the recruitment of strategic research talent from outside the state, and six ARA Fellows, which is a recognition of outstanding researchers already residing in the state. “It is a big honor to join the Arkansas Research Alliance,” Khodakovskaya said. “I hope to be an efficient and enthusiastic contributor to cutting-edge interdisciplinary and inter-jurisdictional biological research with a focus on commercialization in Arkansas.” Khodakovskaya, who is also the director of Applied Science Graduate Programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been honored as an ARA Fellow and will receive a $75,000 grant to continue her outstanding research, which focuses on improvement of agricultural and industrial plants using advanced methods of biotechnology and nanotechnology. “We can celebrate the importance of research and the announcement of a record number of new scholars and fellows that will be doing research in Arkansas,” Gov. Asa Hutchinson said. “As a state, we do support the research of our higher education institutions because it brings innovation, it brings scientific discovery, it brings us steps forward in medical research. Through ground floor innovation, Arkansas research helps existing companies be more competitive and creates new startups, jobs, and patents that boosts the state’s high-tech economy.” The ARA Academy of Scholars and Fellows is made up of research scientists from Arkansas’ six major research institutions: University of Arkansas (U of A), the University of Arkansas for Medical�� Sciences (��Vlog��ýMS), ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Arkansas State University (A-State), University of�� Arkansas at Pine Bluff (��Vlog��ýPB), and the FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR). “ARA continues its mission to build the ARA Academy,” ARA President Jerry Adams said. “The members we’ve added today are truly representative of the enormous scientific talent that ARA is focusing on the future of the state of Arkansas.” Khodakovskaya’s collaborations with material scientists, nanotechnologists, and other plant molecular biologists and biotechnologists resulted in the development of a unique research area in the intersection of plant biology and nanotechnology. She was the first person to demonstrate that carbon-based nanomaterials can affect plants at genomic and metabolomic levels, which activates genes involved in water transport, cell division, and response to environmental stress.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson, left, congratulates Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya, right, and other Arkansas Research Alliance Academy of Scholars and Fellows members during a ceremony honoring her and seven other new inductees. Photos by Ben Krain.

“Dr. Khodakovskaya is a true pioneer in the area of crop improvement by the application of a wide range of carbon-based nanomaterials,” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale said. “She and her research team developed innovative approaches for the enhancement of plant tolerance to environmental stress using advanced methods of genetic engineering, molecular biology, and nanotechnology. The key to her success is a collaborative interdisciplinary approach used in her research.” Khodakovskaya’s recent research with the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium and NASA also holds potential to solve the problem of how to feed astronauts during long-term space exploration missions. An ongoing grant from NASA involves research to discover how to improve sustainability and stress tolerance in plants developed for exploration of Mars. Since 2008, Khodakovskaya has been a principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants totaling more than $10 million. Her research has been supported by grants from the USDA, Department of Defense, NASA, Arkansas Science and Technology Authority, and Arkansas Space Grant Consortium. She is the founder and CEO of Advanced Plant Technologies, an outgrowth opportunity to commercialize her research products. “Her research is closely linked to the economy of Arkansas,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “She is a co-principal investigator of a $4.5 million grant funded by NSF-EPSCoR, which is focused on identifying genes and mechanisms to improve resistance to high temperatures of rice, Arkansas’s primary crop.” The additional new ARA Academy members include Philip Massey and Hugh Churchill, both of U of A; Edward Yeh and Alan Tackett, both of ��Vlog��ýMS, Fabricio Medina Bolivar, A-State; Karl Walker, ��Vlog��ýPB; and Laura Schnackenburg, NCTR.

Spotlight on Nanotechnology Researchers: Ruby Trotter

John Hill — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 14:00:12 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock is highlighting some of our student researchers in celebration of National Nanotechnology Day on Oct. 9. Ruby Trotter is an undergraduate student researcher at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She is a recipient of a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Signature Experience program, which awards students up to $1,000 to support a research project, creative activity, or community service project that is influential to their academic development. What is your Signature Experience project? We’ve been working with graphene, a nanomaterial that’s promising for bone tissue regeneration technologies. Graphene is a single layer of carbon that is shaped in a flat sheet with a honeycomb-like structure and has several good biomedical properties. Graphene is tiny, so we mix it into a solution of water and ethanol to get it evenly dispersed. We have made scaffolds for bone tissue regeneration and want to see how graphene would interact with the human body. Right now, we’re studying different pathways by which it would degrade the body, and are continuing to study how useful it would be for bone tissue regeneration in the future. Specifically, we’re using microscopic images and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy to study how graphene interacts with cells in the immune system and how it degrades over time in the cells. The UV-vis technique allows us to see how light is absorbed as it passes through the sample. Based on that, we can tell the concentration of the graphene mixture in the cells. That way, we can see how much the concentration of the mixture dropped degraded over time. What do you find most interesting about this project? I really enjoy the fact that this project incorporates a lot of chemistry and biology. After I graduate, I want to become a physician, and what I’m learning right now contributes to that goal. I love chemistry, and I appreciate that I get to explore biology along with it. I also think nanotechnology is fascinating, because you can take small materials and do big things. What is it like to work with your mentor, Dr. Shawn Bourdo? It’s really awesome to work with Dr. Bourdo. I started working with him in July 2019, the summer before my sophomore year. He’s always been very supportive and outgoing. No matter his schedule, he always accommodates me when I have questions. Even though some of my classes aren’t directly related to the work I do at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, I have found a lot of topics that overlap with the work I do, and he has always been there to help me understand these concepts better. I always say I hit the mentor jackpot with Dr. Bourdo. How did you hear about the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences?�� I didn’t know much about nanotechnology when I first started here. Before my sophomore year, I was looking for research opportunities, and the previous student researcher under Dr. Bourdo reached out to me and told me about this position. What are your plans after graduation? I want to be a pediatrician and also enter the Master of Public Health program, because I am interested in addressing health disparities in different communities. After graduation, I plan to take a gap year to work as either an emergency medical technician or a medical scribe to gain experience in the field. After that, I plan to enter medical school in 2023.

New grant, National Fellowship for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Nanotechnology Researcher

John Hill — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:06:23 +0000

Dr. K. Bao Vang-Dings, research assistant professor at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, is ringing in the summer with exciting news. In May, the American Association of Immunologists (AAI) named Vang-Dings one of its nine 2021-22 Public Policy Fellows. Additionally, the Arkansas IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) has awarded her a 2021 Summer Research Grant. The $36,593 INBRE grant will support Vang-Dings’ cancer vaccine research, as well as an undergraduate research assistant to aid the project. For the next three months, Vang-Dings and her student assistant will investigate the ability of a unique nanoparticle-based system to fight melanoma. This nanosystem is designed to work in concert with the body’s immune system to trigger an aggressive reaction against tumor cells. This type of technique, called “immunotherapy,” boosts the body’s own natural defense (immune cells) against cancer. Existing immunotherapy-based approaches have a very low patient response rate. Vang-Dings seeks to disrupt this statistic with the unique multi-component system she and her colleagues have created. The nanosystem builds on the ongoing plasmonic nanoparticle research at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences. Dr. Zeid Nima Al Sudani, research associate professor, will lend his nanomaterial expertise to the project. If successful, this nanosystem-based vaccine may one day be the first of its kind for melanoma treatment and prevention. While the nature of research means that such success is likely far down the road, Vang-Dings is excited to begin this crucial next phase of her research this summer. “If we are successful, our nano-based cancer vaccine could not only improve melanoma treatment, but it may be useful to treat other cancers as well,” Vang-Dings said. Vang-Dings’ desire to improve human health is reflected in her recent AAI fellowship appointment. According to the association’s website, “the PPFP provides early-career researchers, who are within 15 years of receiving their terminal degree and who are committed to a career in biomedical research, with the opportunity to learn about and participate in the public policy and legislative activities of AAI.” As a Public Policy Fellow, Vang-Dings will be educated on and actively participate in the collaboration that exists between the scientific community and the government. The fellowship includes a trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of Congress and receive additional training. The end goal of the fellowship is equipping participants to advocate for biomedical research and its continued growth in the public policy sphere. Vang-Dings, who received her doctoral degree from the University of Minnesota, has been at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for around seven years, during which time she has been a mentor, an author on 15 peer-reviewed publications, and the recipient of a 2018 Arkansas Economic Development Commission seed grant through the National Science Foundation-supported Center for Advanced Surface Engineering.

Karabacak to serve as ARA Project Scope Speaker on June 16

John Hill — Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:47:19 +0000

Dr. Tansel Karabacak, chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, will share his work as the featured speaker of the June Arkansas Research Alliance Project Scope on June 16. The monthly talk takes a closer look at research in the state conducted by members of the Arkansas Research Alliance Academy of Scholars and Fellows. Karabacak will discuss his research on the synthesis of nanomaterials and their applications. The talk will begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 16, via Zoom. The event is free, but . “I would like everyone to know that we develop novel materials that are relevant to Arkansas’ economy and that research is an integral part of education at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” he said.�� Karabacak was also recently featured in the column in Arkansas Money and Politics, where he reveals the challenges and rewards of developing laboratory research for use in the public sector.

Chatterjee named 2021 Whitbeck Memorial Award winner

John Hill — Thu, 13 May 2021 15:00:34 +0000

The impressive achievements of future doctor Stuti Chatterjee have earned her the honor of the 2021 Edward L. Whitbeck Memorial Award at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.�� Frank L. and Beverly Whitbeck established the award in memory of their son, Edward Lynn Whitbeck, who was a senior at Little Rock University, the predecessor of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, at the time of his death in 1965. Each scholar receives a personalized plaque and a monetary award. “The Whitbeck Award is given to the outstanding graduating senior,” said Dr. Simon Hawkins, director of the Donaghey Scholars Honors Program. “Stuti is outstanding in so many ways, but more than that, she is inspirational. She represents the best of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Stuti’s education has changed her. It has given her so much, and she has given so much back to the university and the larger community.” Chatterjee, a Donaghey Scholar from Bryant, earned the Whitbeck Award while double majoring in chemistry and biology at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. After graduation, Chatterjee will be taking a gap year to work and to study for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) before going to medical school in the fall 2022 semester. “I think that medicine is one of those fields where you never stop learning,” she said. “It’s also one of the most giving fields. Showing empathy and compassion is something you don’t get to do at all jobs.” While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Chatterjee worked with Dr. Noureen Siraj, assistant professor of chemistry, to study the use of nanodrugs for effective cancer cell therapies. “I created a more non-invasive approach to treat cancer cells,” Chatterjee said. “Usually nanoparticles that are used to treat cancer are made out of gold. It works, but it’s very expensive. We are looking for organic elements that can be exchanged for gold in nanoparticles.” Chatterjee has received two SURF (Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship) grants and three Signature Experience Awards from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to fund her research. Her research project, “Tunable sized combination nanodrugs based on ionic materials,” has earned Chatterjee a second place award at the Student Research and Creative Works Expo at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as well as an honorable mention for the INBRE (Idea Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) Conference this year. She was also named the 2020 Outstanding Undergraduate Research Student for the Department of Chemistry. Even though she has received many accolades for her research on how to treat cancer using nanotechnology, Chatterjee is planning to specialize in pediatrics. A native of India, Chatterjee moved to Arkansas with her family when she was just 10 years old. Her father had received a job offer in Arkansas, and the move also provided the opportunity for better medical treatment for her brother, Sanidhya. “My brother had a brain hemorrhage when he was a child,” she said. “My parents thought he would have a better chance for treatment in the U.S. That is another thing that made me want to go into medicine. It was a doctor’s mistake that caused his hemorrhage, but it was also a doctor that fixed it. I saw firsthand the damage it can cause, but I also saw how that medical knowledge can be used to help someone.” Chatterjee also thanked her parents, Monish and Atima Chatterjee, for being a huge source of support as she finished her bachelor’s degrees.�� “I want to include my parents as role models who helped me succeed in college,” she said. “They have supported me so much by calling me and bringing in food. They have made my life easier by helping me do what I need to do.” In the healthcare field, Chatterjee also works with Dr. Meghan Wilson, a rehabilitation medicine physician at ��Vlog��ýMS who has tetraplegia from a spinal cord injury. Chatterjee assists Dr. Wilson with daily activities as well as clinical work by writing notes, performing patient exams, and conducting rounds on patients. “Stuti is able to empathize and show compassion when needed but is also focused and gets things done in an efficient manner,” Wilson said. “She asks questions about different diagnoses and is genuinely interested in my approach throughout the day. Her compassion and curiosity are what make her stand out from her fellow coworkers. Whether our team has 12 or 5 patients, Stuti is able to work with the same enthusiasm. She has also been kind and supportive when I have gone through difficult times, and I believe she has a genuine passion for helping others.” A firm believer in empowering women in STEM, Chatterjee volunteered with Girls of Promise while at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, though she has been an advocate for much longer. “When I was in high school, there were no women in my robotics program,” she said. “I started my own all-girls robotics team. It seemed like a boys club, and I didn’t want that to deter the girls from participating. We ended up going to the world competition.” During her time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Chatterjee has also served on the Student Government Association and learned Python to code a camera to monitor the Arkansas River for a professor’s research project. In healthcare, she worked as a research associate at ��Vlog��ýMS. Her supervisor, Dr. Michael Wilson, hired her to copy edit his book, “Behavioral Emergencies for the Healthcare Provider.”�� “Looking back at my achievements, I have been driven not only by my passion for science but by using that passion to give back to the community,” Chatterjee said. “Through my involvement within various organizations and performing well in academics, I hope to inspire and pave the way for the future classes of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.”

Nanotechnology research in skin generation lands ��Vlog��ý Little Rock grad job at Columbia University

John Hill — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 17:42:03 +0000

Ingrid Safina, an applied biosciences doctoral student, will graduate in December with a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, multiple published papers, and a job offer from Columbia University. Safina first joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2009 as an undergraduate student intent on a career in medicine. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree, she began pursuing a doctoral degree in applied biosciences. In 2016, she joined the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences (CINS) as a graduate research assistant. At the center, Safina received hands-on mentoring and training in biomedical research with a focus on skin regeneration. For the next four years, she investigated new ways to use nanoscale materials to regenerate skin. These techniques are designed to help patients who have lost significant amounts of skin due to burns, disease, and trauma. While skin grafts are the most common treatment for such serious wounds, this method isn’t always safe and effective for all patients. Synthetic material-based methods like Safina’s could be a more accessible solution. This biomedical research allowed Safina to combine her academic studies with her desire for a career in the medical field. As her research progressed, so did her motivation. “It has been my longest dream to work in the medical field,” Safina said. “My original motivation was the value associated with it. The medical field is very highly regarded everywhere and particularly in my native country, Rwanda. My parents encouraged me to pursue it, and I did because I wanted to make my family proud. Now, my motivation has changed a little bit. I am motivated because of the success I have been able to achieve and the many possibilities ahead to contribute to the scientific world, specifically in finding new therapies that work and preserve good health.” Under the mentorship of Dr. Bao Vang-Dings, research assistant professor, and Dr. Alexandru Biris, director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, Safina has published one peer-reviewed paper as first author and another as co-author, with more in progress. “Watching Ingrid grow as a student and a person over the past four years has been a privilege,” Biris said. “Her curiosity and strong work ethic make her a great scientist, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she does next. We’re pleased that working at the Nano Center was a positive, influential part of her journey.” Vang-Dings said that she enjoyed watching Safina grow from a student to a scientist with a promising future. “It is always encouraging to see the metamorphosis of students as they transition into independent Ph.D. scientists,” Vang-Dings said. “When Ingrid and I first met, she understood the theory and practice of the scientific process but did not actively participate in it. Over time, I’ve watched her take ownership of her projects as she transitioned into a fully independent scientist through hard work and determination. I am fortunate to have had a role in her scientific development, and I wish her only the best success in the next phase of her scientific career.” Safina says that her time at CINS has been transformative both professionally and personally. “I am deeply thankful for the amazing opportunities I found at CINS to grow as a researcher,” she said. “My experience here has helped me become confident to pursue my dreams, encourage others, and be a role model for accomplishing efficient work in a timely manner. Our advisors and the CINS staff are great models in those areas—confidence and leadership.” For Safina, who grew up in Rwanda and came to Arkansas to pursue higher education, being a part of the Nanotechnology Center also gave her a sense of family—a vital feeling for people without their biological families close by, she says. Now, Safina will once again make a major move to pursue her dreams in New York. She has accepted a position as a postdoctoral research scientist in the College of Dental Medicine at Columbia University. At Columbia, she will work on a wide variety of projects that utilize the skills she earned at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “I am so thankful for the hard work that the CINS staff does to help us finish our degrees with vast knowledge and skills that make us very competitive in the workforce,” Safina said.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student researches improving and prolonging human life��

John Hill — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 19:07:02 +0000

The path to becoming a researcher takes many different forms. For ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student William King, it all started with a fifth-grade plot to take over the world.�� A lofty dream, but the Bradford, Arkansas, native was practical about it — the first step had to be, of course, a quest for immortality. However, unlike other kids his age, King wasn’t interested in fountains of youth or magical potions.�� “I wanted to research the longevity of the human life,” he said. “I was always interested in ‘how close are we to being immortal?’” These questions introduced young King to biology, awakening a curiosity that would eventually lead him to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. As a science-minded, academically gifted high school student, King’s immortality quest had matured into a simpler but nobler desire — to prolong and improve human life.�� As a result, he wanted biological research to be the focus of his college career. While ��Vlog��ý Fayetteville and Hendrix College were options, King was swayed by the advanced research taking place at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, specifically in the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences.�� “I knew coming to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was a choice purely because of this building. We had the nanotech center, and that’s what I wanted,” he said. The nano center’s tissue regeneration research had caught King’s eye, but he wasn’t sure how to get involved. Lucky for him, the Science Scholars program he participated in, run by professor Jim Winters, visited the center for a tour during his first semester at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.�� The group listened to scientist Dr. Shawn Bourdo describe the center’s bone regeneration research and how integral students are to the work. William was riveted, immediately connecting tissue regeneration with his goal of prolonging human life. When the group moved on to the next portion of the tour, King hung back, walked up to Dr. Bourdo, and said something along the lines of “How can I get in on this?” In a stroke of serendipity, the center had recently received a grant from the Department of Defense to advance its bone regeneration platform. This grant just so happened to include funding for an undergraduate researcher. And the rest, as they say, is history. King worked at the nano center for the next three years, gaining invaluable hands-on mentoring, laboratory training, and research experience. He earned two Signature Experience Awards for his research and was listed as a co-author on a peer-reviewed journal article. Despite these noteworthy accomplishments, King says that his favorite part of working at the nano center was the friendships that developed with his coworkers, especially Dr. Bourdo, who became his primary mentor, and graduate students Bailey Jackson and Chris Griffin.�� “It felt like a family in its own right,” King says. King received a bachelor’s degree in biology in May 2019, graduating in three years instead of the usual four. After taking a well-deserved gap year, he’s returning to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to pursue a doctoral degree in the fall of 2020. “I thought about how I did want to discover more and learn all that I could. I decided on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock because it honestly felt like home,” he said. King will be pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Biosciences, but his goals are reminiscent of his fifth-grade self. “My hope is to use the knowledge I gain to begin working on learning how to reverse aging,” he said. “If I could make the world a better place, I would be happy.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock announces $750,000 grant for bone regeneration technology during Sen. Boozman’s visit to review research innovations

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 15:35:48 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced a $750,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to support the development of potentially life-saving bone regeneration technology during a Nov. 15 visit from Sen. John Boozman. The visit celebrated on-campus research initiatives that the senator championed for federal support.�� Pioneered at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, the NuCress scaffold is a multifunctional device designed to promote controlled, robust bone regeneration in fractures, gaps where bone is missing, and major injury defects, including previously untreatable catastrophic injuries. Such a technology is highly needed by a wide variety of patients, including wounded soldiers, victims of major accidents and trauma, and those with various bone diseases. The $750,000 grant, provided by the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program, will investigate the scaffold’s ability to combat infection while regenerating bone. Earlier this fall, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock received a $5.6 million grant from the Department of Defense to fund the pre-market development of the same bone regeneration technology. Sen. Boozman supported both grants during the application stages.�� “The commitment by DOD to continue advancing bone regeneration technology demonstrates the importance of this research and the opportunities it presents for our wounded warriors,” Sen. Boozman said. “I’m proud to support this award so we can discover breakthroughs, spark innovation, and achieve things we might have thought were impossible. This and other important research being conducted at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is essential to moving us forward and gives Arkansas something to be very proud of.” During the visit to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s nanotechnology center, Sen. Boozman met with faculty and student researchers and toured the labs in which the NuCress scaffold�� materials are developed. The bone regeneration research is led by researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock (principal investigator Dr. Alexandru Biris), the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (principal investigator Dr. Mark Smeltzer), and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (principal investigator Dr. David Anderson).

Sen. John Boozman and members of his staff visit with the researchers at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences.

“We are honored by both the DOD’s and Sen. Boozman’s continued support of our research,” Biris said. “Without it, we could not continue to develop this potentially life-changing technology.” The NuCress bone regeneration scaffold also recently received a TechConnect Defense Innovation award for the second consecutive year. Judged by a team of military and industry experts, the award is given to the top 15 percent of submissions to the annual Defense TechConnect Summit and Expo. Award selections are based on the potential positive impact the technology will have for the military and national security. The award was presented to NuShores Biosciences LLC, the licensee of the NuCress scaffold.�� “The recognition of our NuCress technologies by the Expo judges is gratifying and much appreciated,” NuShores CEO Sharon Ballard said. “This year’s conference validated the marketplace need for our initial orthopedic product and for applying our NuCress technologies to new medical indications.” Additionally, Sen. Boozman met with Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and distinguished professor of information science, who received a $2.4 million grant from the Department of Defense earlier this year to develop ways to track emerging cyber-social threats and strengthen social cybersecurity research infrastructure. Sen. Boozman also supported this effort. Agarwal updated Sen. Boozman on how technology being developed at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS) has been used to track malicious activities, including the dissemination of propaganda, hoaxes, and disinformation to influence beliefs and behaviors. These technologies include Blogtrackers and YouTubeTracker.

Sen. John Boozman, his staff, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock members hear a research update from Dr. Nitin Agarwal.

In this most recent grant, Agarwal will develop research infrastructure to assess social media, specifically blogs and YouTube, in real time and respond to the growing weaponization of online discourse in influencing peacekeeping, and tactical, operational, and strategic operations. The research infrastructure will include development of models, software applications, and training programs. Military units at all levels will benefit from the intended goals of the project in identification of threats and opportunities within the information environment. “We are thankful to Senator John Boozman for supporting the social networking research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Agarwal said. “The senator recognizes the importance of developing new approaches, software tools, and training programs for national security in cyberspace, and this grant was enabled through his support of funding for the Navy’s Social Networks Analysis program.” The U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, 839 Chandler Street, Fort Detrick MD 21702-5014 is the awarding and administering acquisition office. This work is supported by the Department of Defense, through the Joint Warfighter Medical Research Program under Award No. W81XWH1920014 and through the Peer Reviewed Orthopaedic Research Program under Award No. W81XWH1910742.�� Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock student wins awards for research into treatment of pancreatic cancer using nanomedicine

Ajani Oyindamola — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 12:58:48 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock doctoral student is receiving accolades for her research studying 3D models for the treatment of pancreatic cancer using nanomedicine.�� Emilie Darrigues, a doctoral student in applied science-chemistry, studies how plasmonic nanoparticles, some designed to deliver medicine targeting cancer cells, interact with cell cultures in a 3D model through her work as a graduate research assistant in the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences. Since the center receives funding through the Arkansas EPSCoR program, the center’s researchers participated in the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering (CASE) conference, where Darrigues received the first place award in the graduate student poster competition. In addition to the award, Darrigues received a $1,500 travel grant to attend the national EPSCoR conference in South Carolina in October. The Arkansas National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR program is a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, statewide grant program leveraging $24 million over five years to expand research, workforce development, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational outreach in Arkansas. The Center for Advanced Surface Engineering (CASE), is designed to strengthen research in Arkansas with national significance and major economic development. Darrigues received bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and rheology/functional materials in France, followed by four years of industrial work in research and development and lean manufacturing. While pursuing a master’s degree in engineering in France, Darrigues interned at the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences in summer 2013. She was so impressed with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that she knew she wanted to pursue a doctoral degree here, which she began in 2015. “You have very skilled people here with a lot of knowledge,” she said. “I have a lot of support that allows me to build a very good research project, but I can also be very independent. I was very happy to discover that with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. I am very lucky to work at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the nanotechnology center, and I was lucky to find a mentor like Dr. Alexandru Biris (director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences). He trains us to be researchers, not just Ph.D. students.” Darrigues also presented her research project, “Interaction of Drug pH-Responsive Gold Nanorods in ‘Big’ 3D Pancreatic Microtumors Using Fluorescence, Photoacoustic and Photothermal Microscopies,” at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Research and Creative Works Expo on April 18. She received first place in the graduate life sciences category. Darrigues plans to graduate in May 2020. Afterward, she plans to find a postdoctoral research position where she can continue her research using nanoparticles to treat cancer. She is inspired to improve treatment for pancreatic cancer since the disease has low survival rates. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is considered largely incurable with a five-year survival rate of just 5 percent. “The goal of 3D models, spheroids, or organoids mimicking the human body or real cancer tumors is really to try to have an additional ex-vivo step before we go to in-vivo; 3D might support ‘precision medicine’ or personalized therapy,”��Darrigues said. “Our next job will be focused on the functionalization of the nanoparticle to increase its interaction with the 3D cancer system in order to optimize our therapeutic approach to treat efficiently the pancreatic cancer cells.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock nanotechnology researchers discover new method to quantify graphene at the cellular level

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 15:19:38 +0000

An article written by University of Arkansas at Little Rock researchers, students, and collaborators has been accepted for publication into “Nanoscale,” a peer-reviewed scientific journal, as well as included in the 2018 Nanoscale HOT Article Collection.�� The article, “Quantification of cellular associated graphene and induced surface receptor responses,” presents a new, combination-based way to quantify and analyze the effect of graphene at the single cell level. The first author, Dr. Zeid A. Nima, is a postdoctoral research fellow at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences (CINS). He received his doctorate in applied chemistry from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2014 and joined CINS in 2015. The paper’s additional authors include current and past ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students and staff from CINS and the Department of Chemistry, as well as researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and the National Center for Toxicological Research. Nima notes that graphene, a nanomaterial, is being used more often in biomedical research and other scientific applications involving humans. However, scientists have generally lacked a way to quantify graphene at the cellular level and assess how cells respond to it. This inability has limited the safe use of graphene in real-world applications. For the past three years, Nima and his collaborators have been developing a solution to the graphene quantification problem. Their new publication represents the result of this work – a method that combines multimodal Raman and photoacoustic/photothermal spectroscopy (��Vlog��ýMS) with a quartz crystal microbalance technique to quantify the amount of graphene in a single cell. “Graphene has been used in nanomedicine and many biological applications, but there have always been challenges in quantifying how much graphene associates with an individual cell,” Nima explained. Furthermore, Dr. Bao Vang-Dings, the paper’s second author, studied how human immune cells respond to graphene, based on the amount of and time that cells are exposed to the nanomaterial. “This is important so that we can understand how nanomaterials interact on the cellular level and assess their toxicity to human cells,” Nima said. “In the future, this may impact how graphene can be used in applications that affect human health.” To read the full article, please visit the. Acknowledgements The research discussed in this article was supported in part by the following sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration award HHSF223201210189C (administered through the Arkansas Research Alliance). The views presented in this paper are not necessarily those of the U.S. FDA. Partial funding for this work was also provided by the Center for Advanced Surface Engineering, under the National Science Foundation grant IIA-1457888 and the Arkansas Asset III EPSCoR Program.

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