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

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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

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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

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Justin Webster receives NSF grant to study mathematical models behind oscillation of plane wings, bridges, energy harvesters

Sep 6, 2023 / 2 minutes of reading

Although objects like bridges, buildings, and airplane wings may seem quite rigid, by design they are capable of a surprising deal of bending. This elasticity allows them to deform safely and temporarily in windy conditions. However, very rarely, “Elastic systems like bridges, buildings, and planes can become oscillatory or unstable in the presence of everyday wind, with potential for the oscillations to become damaging,” Justin Webster says. “Understanding this has big implications for fields like civil engineering or alternative energy.” Continue Reading Justin Webster receives NSF grant to study mathematical models behind oscillation of plane wings, bridges, energy harvesters

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Deepak Koirala to explore how RNA viruses hijack cellular machinery, with eye to future drug treatments

Aug 30, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

RNA viruses cause many human diseases, but understanding of how they do it is poorly understood. Deepak Koirala is pursuing new research to figure out how they trick their host cells into making viral proteins. “It could be a new biological mechanism we’ve never seen before,” Koirala says. Continue Reading Deepak Koirala to explore how RNA viruses hijack cellular machinery, with eye to future drug treatments

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UMBC’s Steve Freeland co-leads $1.8 million research grant to predict the biochemical foundations of life beyond Earth

Aug 25, 2023 / 7 minutes of reading

Every living thing on Earth uses the same set of 20 amino acids to build all of its proteins. But why that particular set of 20? And how might we recognize life beyond Earth based on different molecules? Now Stephen Freeland and colleagues are taking this work from theory to the laboratory for the first time. “Nobody knows what will happen,” Freeland says. “This is a first.” Continue Reading UMBC’s Steve Freeland co-leads $1.8 million research grant to predict the biochemical foundations of life beyond Earth

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STEM BUILD interns shine at UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest

Aug 24, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

Summer Undergraduate Research Fest gives students early in their research careers a chance to feel like part of a scholarly community. In mentoring students completing summer research, “Our main goal is to help them see and feel that they belong in science and that they can be future leaders in this field,” Maria Cambraia says. Continue Reading STEM BUILD interns shine at UMBC’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fest

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NEXUS Institute for Quantitative Biology celebrates student success, community college partnerships

Aug 17, 2023 / 7 minutes of reading

In 2018, faculty at UMBC and four of its top-sending community colleges embarked on a project to improve students’ quantitative biology skills and eliminate the achievement gap between transfer and direct-entry students in courses requiring these skills. This summer, they reported significant positive outcomes and committed to continue the work. Continue Reading NEXUS Institute for Quantitative Biology celebrates student success, community college partnerships

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Harnessing AI to improve healthcare: Sanjay Purushotham wins $590,000+ NSF CAREER award

Aug 4, 2023 / 4 minutes of reading

Sanjay Purushotham recently received a prestigious NSF CAREER award to support his team’s efforts to develop new ways to train healthcare-focused machine learning models. Continue Reading Harnessing AI to improve healthcare: Sanjay Purushotham wins $590,000+ NSF CAREER award

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UMBC’s Achuth Padmanabhan to pursue promising ovarian cancer research with $1.5 million in grants

Jul 26, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

Achuth Padmanabhan’s research group, which includes graduate, undergraduate, and high school students, is revealing new potential treatment options by expanding understanding of the basic biology of ovarian cancer. Overall, “our goal is to eliminate ovarian cancer mortality,” he says. Continue Reading UMBC’s Achuth Padmanabhan to pursue promising ovarian cancer research with $1.5 million in grants

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UMBC alum leads successful pilot of method for monitoring biodiversity on farms

Jul 26, 2023 / 5 minutes of reading

Study author Adam Dixon, Ph.D. ’21, understands that protected areas alone are not enough to solve the biodiversity, food, and health challenges the world is facing—so his work seeks to help “integrate conservation solutions into our most intensive places.” Continue Reading UMBC alum leads successful pilot of method for monitoring biodiversity on farms