UMBC, UMB receive $4 million NIH REACH grant to create new biomedical and life sciences accelerator program

Dec 1, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

UMBC is continuing its commitment to diversifying Maryland’s biomedical and life sciences ecosystem through its latest collaborative effort with the University of Maryland, Baltimore to develop a new life sciences accelerator program focused on faculty development and research commercialization efforts. Continue Reading UMBC, UMB receive $4 million NIH REACH grant to create new biomedical and life sciences accelerator program

Open, naturally lit atrium with round tables with ocean blue tablecloths filled with people. Screens and podium at the front of the room; someone is presenting.

UMBC-led aquaculture conference brings together academics, business and government leaders, educators to move the industry forward

Nov 20, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

More than 110 attendees met for the second annual Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon conference in October. The conference gave stakeholders the opportunity to share progress and address remaining challenges to move the aquaculture industry forward. USM Chancellor Jay Perman said the project is “poised to change the face of food scarcity and food production the world over.” Continue Reading UMBC-led aquaculture conference brings together academics, business and government leaders, educators to move the industry forward

An aerial view of the International Space Station, a linear facility with large solar panels on either end, giving it a barbell-shaped appearance. In an inset, the CALET instrument looks like a complicated amalgamation of boxes and tubes, attached to the station by a robotic arm.

Study finds strongest evidence yet for local sources of cosmic ray electrons

Nov 14, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

CALET, a telescope equipped to detect extremely high-energy cosmic rays, has detected electrons arriving near Earth with more energy than ever detected before. The results suggest the electrons came from a local, young source, such as the aftermath of a supernova, and bolster current understanding of cosmic ray production. Continue Reading Study finds strongest evidence yet for local sources of cosmic ray electrons

GRIT-X 2023 presenters standing on stage

GRIT-X 2023 explores wide range of UMBC’s research and creative achievement around campus and beyond

Nov 7, 2023 / 7 minutes of reading

Spiders, robots, climate change, Vaudevillian history, and more—this year’s GRIT-X event had something for inquiring minds of all kinds, with explorations into elements of the past, our collective present, and possibilities for the future. Continue Reading GRIT-X 2023 explores wide range of UMBC’s research and creative achievement around campus and beyond

A microscope image of the helper virus and satellite virus attached together. The helper is a large blue ball with a long light blue tail. The satellite is a small purple ball with a tiny purple loop wrapped around the light blue tail, right next to the blue ball. Tan background.

UMBC team makes first-ever observation of a virus attaching to another virus

Oct 31, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

Pairs of viruses where one needs the other to reproduce are well documented, but no one has ever see one virus directly attached to another. “I can’t believe this,” Tagide deCarvalho remembers thinking when she first saw it under the microscope. The work opens up the possibility of finding more examples of this kind of interaction. Continue Reading UMBC team makes first-ever observation of a virus attaching to another virus

Lights and cables in a computing facility.

UMBC’s Vandana Janeja aims to boost high-performance computing know-how to tackle environmental science challenges with a $1 million NSF grant

Oct 30, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

UMBC’s Vandana Janeja was recently awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that will leverage high-performance computing to solve real-world problems and make it accessible to students and researchers of all backgrounds,” Continue Reading UMBC’s Vandana Janeja aims to boost high-performance computing know-how to tackle environmental science challenges with a $1 million NSF grant

UMBC mathematician Kathleen Hoffman contributes to research on animal decision-making, with robotics applications

Oct 26, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

A new study finds that species from amoebas to humans demonstrate similar patterns of movement. These results have implications for robotics development, because robots must be programmed to make the same kinds of decisions animals do to move safely and efficiently through unpredictable environments. Continue Reading UMBC mathematician Kathleen Hoffman contributes to research on animal decision-making, with robotics applications

Four men standing on stage in front of a screen that says "INCS-COE C2C CTF 2023, August 1-4, 2023, Keio University, closing ceremony"

Cracking the code: International collaboration fosters cybersecurity

Oct 19, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

This summer, three UMBC students competed in an international “capture the flag”-style cybersecurity competition in Japan, with one Retriever taking home a victory—and all three bringing back a greater range of expertise. This opportunity helped UMBC students build global relationships and attain more practical experience in cyber defense. Continue Reading Cracking the code: International collaboration fosters cybersecurity

Underwater cameras facilitate large-scale study of oyster reef habitat in Chesapeake Bay

Oct 19, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

The research team collected data at about 50 sties in each of 12 tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. With an array of management practices in use and a wide range of salinity and other environmental conditions, “We’re really fortunate that Chesapeake Bay is such a great place to do this research,” says UMBC’s Allison Tracy. Continue Reading Underwater cameras facilitate large-scale study of oyster reef habitat in Chesapeake Bay

Set of modern buildings surrounded by green space, mountains in the background

Ph.D. candidate Jessica Novak to study biofuels at National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Oct 5, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

With a Department of Energy fellowship, Jessica Novak will pursue better understanding of Cellvibrio japonicus, a bacterium with biofuels potential. Novak’s time at NREL “will also train me in some of the biochemical analyses that I’m going to do back at UMBC,” she says. “I think the results we’re going to get from this fellowship will spark new ideas.” Continue Reading Ph.D. candidate Jessica Novak to study biofuels at National Renewable Energy Laboratory

group photo of five scientists in a lab; three wearing tie-dye lab coats, one white and one blue

Erin Green receives $1.2 million NIH grant to study cellular pathways involved in cancer, neurodegeneration

Sep 29, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

Protein misfolding “underlies a lot of diseases and aging,” says Erin Green. Her new line of research hopes to uncover how different cellular pathways contribute to maintaining a healthy balance of proteins in our cells. Continue Reading Erin Green receives $1.2 million NIH grant to study cellular pathways involved in cancer, neurodegeneration

UMBC joins collaboration to create new STEM education, research center at Arecibo Observatory site in Puerto Rico

Sep 29, 2023 / 3 minutes of reading

This week UMBC was named as one of four institutions chosen to work together on a National Science Foundation-funded project to establish a new science educational center at the Arecibo Observatory site in Puerto Rico. NSF will contribute more than $5 million over five years to establish the multidisciplinary center, called the Arecibo Center for Culturally Relevant and Inclusive Science Education, Computational Skills, and Community Engagement (Arecibo C3). Continue Reading UMBC joins collaboration to create new STEM education, research center at Arecibo Observatory site in Puerto Rico