A new computational method developed by Ivan Erill and colleagues is simple, fast, and effective at detecting the spread and source of antibiotic resistance genes. “It’s great for studies trying to find insight into what’s happening in bacterial genomes,” Erill says. Continue Reading UMBC’s Ivan Erill demonstrates fast, low-cost method to monitor spread of antibiotic resistance over time
Diseases such as polio, the common cold, and meningitis are all caused by closely related enteroviruses and the way that these viruses multiply in the body is poorly understood. Deepak Koirala hopes to change that by investigating how the RNA structures within these viruses’ genetic material enable them to multiply. The answers could lead to drugs that attack specific mechanisms critical for viral replication, stopping these diseases in their tracks. Continue Reading Deepak Koirala to grow understanding of how enteroviruses replicate with $786K NSF CAREER Award
“The questions I’m asking in this CAREER grant set the stage,” she says, for discovering how arachnid species that can reproduce both sexually (with a mate) and asexually (without a mate) “control whether it’s going to be one reproductive mode or the other,” Mercedes Burns says. “Ultimately we want to understand what allows for this kind of reproductive strategy in these systems, which we don’t see commonly in animals.” Continue Reading Mercedes Burns to study arachnid evolution in Japan through prestigious NSF CAREER Award
A new paper in Nature Communications illuminates how a previously poorly understood enzyme works in the cell. Many diseases are tied to chronic cellular stress, and Aaron T. Smith and colleagues discovered that this enzyme plays an important role in the cellular stress response. Better understanding how this enzyme functions and is controlled could lead to the discovery of new therapeutic targets for these diseases. Continue Reading UMBC’s Smith lab discovers enzyme ATE1’s role in cellular stress response, opening a door to new therapeutic targets
Deepa Madan, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UMBC, has received a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER award for research on materials that could improve wearable medical devices, reduce energy waste, and power sensors to monitor everything from the safety of infrastructure to the paths pollutants travel. Continue Reading Unlocking the secrets of materials that turn heat into electricity: UMBC’s Deepa Madan wins NSF CAREER Award
Over the past week, UMBC faculty and students have given primetime TV news watchers in Baltimore a glimpse of the frontiers of artificial intelligence (AI) research. WZJ, Baltimore’s CBS News affiliate, aired the AI series in six segments, four of which featured UMBC researchers. Continue Reading UMBC experts guide TV viewers through the promises and pitfalls of artificial intelligence
UMBC researchers are partnering on STAR-X, a nine-month mission concept study investigating black holes, galaxy clusters, and often-elusive transient cosmic events like supernova explosions. STAR-X is one of two Explorer missions to receive $3 million from NASA for this concept phase, before NASA selects one in 2024 to proceed with implementation, targeted for launch in 2028. Continue Reading UMBC partners on STAR-X, a $3M NASA mission concept study through the CRESST II research consortium
More than 40 active UMBC researchers are listed among the top 2% of the world’s most-cited scientists and engineers in an analysis recently published by Elsevier. “This analysis shows that our researchers are truly impacting the scientific community in a significant way,” says Karl V. Steiner, vice president for research and creative achievement. Continue Reading UMBC researchers listed among the world’s top 2% of most-cited scientists and engineers
The new director, Charles Ichoku, brings deep and well-rounded experience in Earth science research, at NASA, and in student development programs—exactly the elements GESTAR II brings together and hopes to expand upon. Continue Reading New center director to take NASA-supported Earth science research into next era at UMBC
U.S. News and World Report has recognized UMBC’s online master’s degree in information systems as #41 on their national list of 2023 Best Online Master’s in Computer Information Technology Programs. Continue Reading U.S. News ranks UMBC’s online master’s in information systems among best in the nation
Tagide deCarvalho produces artistic images of microscopic life that combine her skill at the lab bench with her artist’s eye. Her artwork continues to earn her accolades worldwide. “I just get so excited when I see things under the microscope,” she says, and her art is “a way to capture the excitement and share it with other people.” Continue Reading New “Life Magnified” USPS stamp series features Tagide deCarvalho’s images of microscopic life
It’s rare to meet a mathematician who is also a bestselling novelist, but UMBC’s Manil Suri is happy to be unique. “The Big Bang of Numbers,” Suri’s first nonfiction book, is written to show people who aren’t necessarily fond of math that the discipline is foundational to our world—and can even be fun. Continue Reading Manil Suri’s new book, “The Big Bang of Numbers,” introduces readers to the wonder of math
