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

U.S. Sen. John Boozman Visits ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, NuShores Biosciences

John Hill — Mon, 08 Nov 2021 18:28:29 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and its spinoff company, NuShores Biosciences, received a visit from Sen. John Boozman Oct. 29 to check out the ongoing research and scientific advancements at the institutions. Sen. Boozman first visited NuShores Biosciences to get a firsthand look at innovative labs and projects underway in central Arkansas. NuShores CEO Sharon Ballard and Dr. Alex Biris, director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences, gave the senator a tour of the facility and reviewed the initiatives to commercialize the bone and tissue regeneration technologies. “I’m grateful for Sen. Boozman’s support of NuShores and our licensor ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” Ballard said. “He asked great questions and enjoyed discussing our science and manufacturing efforts with our team. It was quite the energy boost to have a sitting senator take such interest and encouragement in our work!” Sen. Boozman also learned about the manufacturing processes for the NuCress Bone Scaffold that has been developed at NuShores with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Army Medical Command. “NuShores is doing groundbreaking work to help improve bone regeneration technology, and I enjoyed getting to learn more about its operation and research, which could ultimately help prevent amputations,” Sen. Boozman said. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, the senator toured the Collaboratorium for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS), the Emerging Analytics Center (EAC), and the Cyber Arena in the Donaghey College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to see the amazing projects taking place in information science, computer science, cybersecurity, and augmented and virtual reality. “Sen. Boozman’s visits are always a delight,” said Dr. Lawrence Whitman, dean of the Donaghey College of STEM. “We appreciate his support of the vital research at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the manner in which he engages us to ensure that we are providing impact for all Arkansans.” Sen. Boozman and his staff have worked with the university for the last several years in helping secure federal funding for many of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s research projects focused on national security. “The important research conducted at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is leading to breakthroughs and discoveries that enable us to better safeguard our country against emerging threats,” Sen. Boozman said. “I’m proud to support the development of innovative strategies advanced by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock researchers that offer solutions to enhance our national security and preparedness.” In , Dr. Nitin Agarwal, Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and distinguished professor of information science and director of COSMOS, shared how his research team is using social media analysis to defend against global disinformation threats. One example is COSMOS’ in partnership with the Arkansas Attorney General’s office. COSMOS’ research is funded in part by the U.S. Department of Defense and National Science Foundation. “We deeply appreciate Sen. Boozman for his unwavering support to the research conducted at COSMOS for strengthening the social and cognitive security apparatus that is furthering the U.S. Department of Defense’s mission, particularly enhancing force protection and operation security against adversarial information operations,” Agarwal said. “During the visit, Senator Boozman inspired and encouraged to keep up the groundbreaking research that is of national and strategic importance.” In the Cyber Arena, Sen. Boozman met several students enrolled in ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s new cybersecurity degree program, which is working to fill the gap of qualified cybersecurity professionals needed to protect network security throughout the country. “We appreciate Sen. Boozman’s work to bring cybersecurity workforce development and research opportunities to Arkansas. Our students have tremendous talent and creativity in developing solutions to defend the nation, and the senator works hard to continue providing them with opportunities to make use of those talents.” said Philip Huff, assistant professor of cybersecurity. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has received numerous grants and created partnerships for workforce education and cybersecurity. These grants are helping ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to provide K-12 cybersecurity education to students in Arkansas, the country’s first graduate certificate in cybersecurity education, and a for first responders.

Sen. John Boozman visits with Dr. Alex Biris and other workers at NuShores Biosciences.

“The State of Arkansas is providing outstanding support for research and teaching in computer science and cybersecurity,” said Dr. Albert Baker, chair of the Department of Science. “The federal support Sen. Boozman has secured for productive research programs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is producing actionable results for the state and the nation. We are genuinely appreciative that the senator took the time to review the funded research projects.” Dr. Jan Springer, director of the , discussed the work the center is doing to enhance the nation’s border security. “Our team in the Emerging Analytics Center showcased their work on automated detection of organic threats in x-ray scans for Sen. Boozman,” Springer said. “Throughout this project, the senator has emphasized the importance of innovating border security and has helped us tremendously in securing funding for developing tools and techniques to meet this national priority.”

NuShores Biosciences receives $2.8 million contract for intelligent manufacturing automation of NuCress medical devices

John Hill — Fri, 09 Oct 2020 16:01:17 +0000

NuShores Biosciences, a spin-off company of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received a three-year, $2.8 million contract from the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC), a biomedical technology consortium associated with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. “This new contract will enable us to develop an intelligent, hands-free factory-in-a-box with features such as real-time situational awareness that anticipates failures or production challenges before they cause waste,” said Sharon Ballard, CEO of NuShores. “Our factory-in-a-box concept will reduce human error to increase quality and meet regulatory standards.” The contract will enable NuShores to develop intelligent automated production of its NuCress bone void filler scaffold products using its factory-in-a-box concept. Key collaborators on the project include ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and of Cincinnati. “This project will enable NuShores to compete globally in pricing and performance and to accelerate the maturity of emerging products in our pipeline,” said NuShores manufacturing manager Mark Pelo, a 27-year veteran of the implantable medical devices industry who joined the company in July. MiQ Partners brings a long history of manufacturing intelligence solving complex problems. MiQ will combine their automation experience with NuShores’ material sciences experience in bone regeneration scaffolds to develop multi-generational manufacturing solutions and a roadmap of the full expression of the factory-in-a-box concept for future investment. Founded in 2014 at the request of the U.S. Department of Defense, NuShores is the licensee of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s bone regeneration products, which have been developed primarily with DOD funding. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is pleased to continue its productive collaboration with NuShores,” said Dr. Brian Berry, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock vice provost for research. “Research is a cornerstone of our university, and we look forward to seeing these tangible results.” Today, NuShores is positioning itself to become a leader in regenerative medicine by tackling some of the field’s most challenging clinical problems. The new contract complements more than a decade of research into the science of tissue regeneration by Dr. Alex Biris, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences and pioneer of the NuCress scaffold technology.

Dr. Alexandru Biris is chief scientist and director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock.

“We are very pleased that MTEC saw the value and innovation in our manufacturing process,” Biris said. “This contract represents a major step toward getting our bone regeneration scaffold in the hands of surgeons and fulfilling our promises to the DOD. Smart manufacturing will help make our long-term advanced research a clinical reality.” Dr. Karrer Alghazali, a research scientist at NuShores and graduate of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, said the improved automation process will allow NuShores to produce bone regeneration projects quicker. “This project will allow us to move from a labor-intensive manual process to a standardized system engineering automated process that will benefit our current and future product pipeline,” Alghazali said. “It is exciting to have been a part of both this groundbreaking tissue regeneration research and now innovating the manufacturing automation efforts of the resulting medical devices.” In the upper right photo, NuShores CEO Sharon Ballard holds a piece of NuCress bone void filler scaffold. Photo by Ben Krain.

��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.

NuShores Biosciences receives $1.7 million grant to study bone regeneration technology

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 20 Sep 2018 13:10:30 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock spin-off company, has received a $1.7 million grant to study how NuShores’ bone regeneration technology can be applied in craniofacial tissues.�� The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a component of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded the company a 2.5-year Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Fast Track grant to study the NuCress bone filler scaffold’s ability to facilitate dental implants in the jaw. “This NIH award is a direct result of the profound study results in long bone delivered by our research collaborators at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. The reviewers were able to clearly see the potential in dental applications for this technology. I’m excited to work with world-class clinicians to study the NuCress scaffold for the future benefit of their patients,” states Sharon Ballard, NuShores’ CEO. The NuCress scaffold is a nanomaterial-based bone regeneration device developed for large segmental defects. This development is led by Dr. Alex Biris, the director and chief scientist of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences and a professor of systems engineering in the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology. “This is a significant win to expand NuShores’ technology, made possible through our university relationships, Arkansas’ small business development infrastructure, and tireless work by a dedicated team. We are grateful,” said Biris.

NuShores Biosciences, LLC

NuShores has partnered with Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine on this grant. If successful, the scaffold will be a transformational tool for surgeons involved in bone regeneration in a variety of fields. Founded in 2014, NuShores has the exclusive, global license from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to commercialize university-owned patented and patent-pending technologies related to the NuCress scaffold. The company has received assistance from the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center. The NuCress scaffold has already given a number of animals a new lease on life. For example, just last year, it was used at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine to heal Hercules, an alpaca who broke his leg on his ranch in Lebanon, Tennessee, at only 24 hours old. The open wound and exposed bone led to a serious infection, which prevented the bone from healing properly. Against the odds, the scaffold eliminated the infection and completely regenerated the missing bone. Thanks to the NuCress scaffold, Hercules is now a thriving member of his herd. About the SBIR Program The SBIR program involves 11 federal agencies investing more than $3 billion a year in high risk/high payoff research and development conducted by the nation’s leading science-technology innovators. NuShores’ award is known as a Fast Track Grant, where funding occurs when SBIR Phase I and Phase II proposals are peer reviewed at the same time and granted in a single award. This approach expedites funding and research for the companies. Research described in this press release is supported by the National Center for Dental and Craniofacial Research of the National Institutes of Health under award number 1R44DE028213-01.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock reseachers pioneer device to speed bone regeneration

Janea Snyder — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 18:13:31 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock collaborates with many diverse partners, from NASA to the U.S. Navy to the National Park Service. However, two of its latest partners break the mold: a young alpaca and a rodeo cow, both of whom have a new lease on life thanks to technology developed by the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences (CINS) at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and researchers at the . This technology, the NuCress scaffold, is a nanomaterial-based bone regeneration device pioneered by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Dr. Alexandru S. Biris, a systems engineering professor, Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable Trust Nanotechnology chair, and director of the Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences. Biris’s long-time research partner, Dr. David Anderson, is professor and head of Large Animal Clinical Sciences at the (UTCVM). Together, Biris, Anderson, and their teams have designed, patented, and tested the NuCress scaffold. The scaffold is implanted directly at the wound site by a surgeon and can be loaded with drugs to fight infection or with hormones and stem cells to encourage bone growth. As a result, the scaffold can deliver bacteria-fighting drugs directly to the wound site and be safely absorbed by the body—generally eliminating the need for additional surgeries. It is currently in the preclinical stages of development. Supported by funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, the NuCress scaffold is showing great promise in preliminary studies. But this year, it has��moved out of the lab and into the field, restoring two severely injured animals to full health. Healing Hercules

Hercules the alpaca

Hercules the alpaca was only 24 hours old when he broke his leg on his ranch in Lebanon, Tennessee. The baby animal received a plasma transfusion and was bottle-fed for months. To make matters worse, the open wound and exposed bone led to a serious infection, which prevented the bone break from healing properly. As a result, the animal’s veterinarian referred him to UTCVM for advanced treatment. Dr. Pierre-Yves Mulon, UTCVM assistant professor in Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery, was the expert orthopedic surgeon who oversaw Hercules’s case. Having worked with both the latest commercially available technologies and the NuCress scaffold, Mulon determined that the scaffold was the best option to heal the fragile animal. He trimmed the scaffold to match the break, loaded it with antibiotics, implanted it in the wound…and waited. Given Hercules’s condition, Mulon expected a long road to recovery. But the NuCress scaffold quickly exceeded expectations. “Hercules responded well and fast,” Mulon said. “He was able to walk immediately after surgery and has been very active. The bone repaired within the time range expected for a closed fracture, though it was an open one.” Mulon explained that while other options, such as traditionally administered drugs or implantable antimicrobial beads, could have been used, they would have presented more obstacles, such as future surgeries. “It is difficult to confirm if the results would have changed using any other option; however, I think it would have necessitated more time,” said Mulon, adding, “Any open fracture carries a guarded to poor prognosis, and Hercules made it, and we are very happy.” Joining the Rodeo A much tougher test of the scaffold’s abilities came this fall, with much higher stakes. Mulon was faced with a gravely injured prize breeding cow in the rodeo industry. Considered a genetic founder of the herd, this pricey bovine was suffering from a complicated, chronic bone infection in her leg. The infection was so severe that the cow had already undergone one unsuccessful surgery, and options were limited. Traditional treatments, with their need for future surgeries and their delayed infection fighting, could have actually harmed the vulnerable cow more.

Dr. Pierre-Yves Mulon, assistant professor in Farm Animal Medicine and Surgery, University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine

Time was running out. Remembering Hercules’ remarkable results, Mulon and the animal’s owner decided to take a risk. Mulon implanted an antibiotic-loaded NuCress scaffold in the cow’s injured leg. Though he was hopeful that the scaffold would work a miracle, Mulon gave the animal’s owner a bleak prognosis—x-rays indicated that the wound could be too far gone to heal. “She was suffering such a deep orthopedic infection that…she would have been put to sleep if the bone infection could not be resolved,” Mulon said. But, once again, the NuCress scaffold exceeded expectations. The infection completely healed, and, after a lengthy recovery, the cow is back home and well on her way to being a functioning member of the herd again. “I strongly believe that the slow release of antibiotics over a prolonged period of time [by the scaffold] helped this cow tremendously and led to the successful outcome,” Mulon asserted. “I have not seen any product comparable to this one.” Looking to the Future Having worked on the scaffold for over a decade, Biris and Anderson share Mulon’s enthusiasm. “We are very happy that these animals are benefiting from the technology,” Biris said. But alpacas and cows are just the beginning of the scaffold’s story. Supported by an over $5 million grant from the Department of Defense, Biris, Anderson, and their teams are optimizing the NuCress scaffold for use in long bone. Additionally, —the company commercializing the device—is preparing to apply to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for regulatory approval of the scaffold, moving it one step closer to human use. The teams also are seeking funding to expand the scaffold’s uses to other types of wounds and areas of the body. If successful, the NuCress scaffold could become an essential part of the bone-healing process for injured soldiers, car accident victims, cancer survivors, and more. Contributing Writer: ��Emily Davis, Content/Grant Writer, Center for Integrative Nanotechnology Sciences This work was supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Defense Medical Research and Development Program, under Award No. W81XWH-15-1-0666. Opinions, interpretations, conclusions and recommendations are those of the author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Department of Defense. In conducting research using animals, the investigator(s) adheres to the laws of the United States and regulations of the Department of Agriculture.

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

U.S. Sen. John Boozman Visits ����Vlog��ý Little Rock, NuShores Biosciences