An assistant professor of biomedical engineering and an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the University of Akron have been awarded nearly $1 million in Faculty Early Career Development grants by the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Both researchers are on teams at the Austen BioInnovation Institute of Akron, of which the university is a founding member.
Biomedical engineering professor Yang Yun and his colleagues will use a $450,000 grant on research aimed at translating nonviral gene therapy from the research laboratory to the clinic, according to a university release. Yun is investigating the mechanisms of DNA shuttling and transporting into a cell’s nucleus.
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“With the hypothesis that some DNA complexes are too large to enter a cell’s nucleus through its pores, this research involves engineering DNA complexes at the nanoscale level to control their sizes and structural conformations,” Yun said in the release. “If successful, breakthrough findings could prove nonviral delivery systems as effective as viruses.”
Chemical and biomolecular engineering professor Jie Zheng will get $400,000 to develop a multi-scale modeling and simulation platform. This platform would bring together structural prediction, computational biology and bioinformatics to form a model of biological activity in cell membranes.
“This is important for understanding the molecular mechanism of protein aggregation and analysis,” Zheng said in the release. “These findings can be used toward developing therapeutic strategies and
inhibitors against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes II.”
Both research projects involve collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students, outreach to kindergarten, elementary and high school students, teachers and mentorships, the university said. These outreach efforts are aimed at sparking students’ interests in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine careers.
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“These NSF awards are widely regarded within academic institutions and the larger scientific community as most prestigious for young investigators and are typically awarded to junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research, said George K. Haritos, dean of the UA College of Engineering, in the university’s release.