DARPA awards CAST $8M for new phase of drug delivery project
By Sarah Hansen ’15, M.S., Biological Sciences
 
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently renewed a grant for approximately eight million dollars over two years for a team at UMBC’s Center for Advanced Sensor Technology (CAST). The team is developing a portable device the size of a briefcase that can produce therapeutic proteins, such as insulin, in only a few hours and in small batches. The device would be critical in situations where medical supply lines have been cut, such as in war zones or following natural disasters. The project is known as BioMOD, for “biologically-derived medicines on demand.”
 
The new device, which could eventually replace the current centralized model of pharmaceutical production, is like “going from a mainframe computer to a laptop,” said Govind Rao, CAST director and professor of biochemical, chemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE) at UMBC. “It empowers people in ways that are unimaginable,” he said. The device would first be used in hospitals, but the team’s vision includes eventual home use.
 
UMBC is the lead of a consortium including the Ohio State University (protein purification), Thermo Scientific (cell-free expression system), and Latham BioPharm (system integration), and there are approximately 30 team members across all sites. UMBC teammates come from several departments: CBEE, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, and Biological Sciences.
 
During the first two years of the grant, the team showed that their general approach can work. A bioreactor approximately the size of half of a soda can contains cellular extracts from Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells. CHO cells are “an industry workhorse for producing pharmaceuticals,” said Rao. The beauty of this device is that the cellular extracts are “essentially the cell minus the nucleus,” Rao said. That means the tricky task of keeping cells alive isn’t necessary, but the protein-production machinery is ready to go when one adds DNA coding for the desired protein product. The bioreactor builds the desired protein in two to four hours. The short time scale also reduces contamination risk. The next step is purification, where you “fish the product out” of the cellular slurry in the bioreactor, Rao explained. The third step, polishing, is an even finer process to remove any remaining impurities.
 
The team knows the device works, so “now it’s the real deal to show that it works in a robust enough fashion to produce molecules of the necessary purity to safely administer to a human,” Rao said. The team will be carrying out “an exhaustive amount of validation” to show that the protein product is of similar “purity, potency, and structure to that made by a conventional commercial process,” Rao explained.
 
This next two-year phase will stop short of clinical trials, however. The team is looking for commercial partners to help support extraordinarily expensive clinical trials once they thoroughly validate the prototype and procedures in the lab.
 
Rao appreciates working with DARPA. “They are not afraid of risks, and they have an extraordinary tolerance for failure. That allows us to try bold things that we ordinarily wouldn’t,” he said.
 
That tolerance for failure has certainly been tested. This spring, a key piece of equipment used for validation had consistent problems. It required a major overhaul and new training for CAST team members, plus it was out of operation for several weeks. I experienced the frustrations of the scientific process firsthand in my role as a CAST graduate assistant whose primary responsibility was this particular instrument. Before I left, though, the machine was up and running again. It hadn’t produced any important results yet, but Rao was quick to emphasize that “every little bit is important. It’s all about the team.”
 
It has its challenges, like all worthwhile endeavors, but, “This is going to be making history,” Rao said. “Someday 20 years from now, when you’re injecting yourself with a drug you made yourself, you’ll say, ‘I was there.’” 
]]> By Sarah Hansen ’15, M.S., Biological Sciences   The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently renewed a grant for approximately eight million dollars over two years for a team... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52413/guest@my.umbc.edu/08ef6ef381e24c09c24a29a7fe9eed60/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/xxlarge.jpg?1435177224 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/xlarge.jpg?1435177224 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/large.jpg?1435177224 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/medium.jpg?1435177224 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/small.jpg?1435177224 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/xsmall.jpg?1435177224 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/413/8faf4ffd1552f54dac0ee216c361185d/xxsmall.jpg?1435177224 2 0 true Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:44:59 -0400 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:20:41 -0400 UMBC team's egg development insight in Nature Communications Research demonstrates impact of collaboration across fields.
An interdisciplinary UMBC research team has combined developmental biology and mathematics research methods to reveal dramatic new insights on egg development in the latest issue of Nature Communications.

Michelle Starz-Gaiano, assistant professor of biological sciences, and Bradford Peercy, associate professor of mathematics and statistics, worked with Meyerhoff Graduate FellowLathiena Manning ’15 Ph.D., biological sciences, and Anne Marie Weideman ‘14, mathematics, a current master’s student and alumnus of the NSF-funded interdisciplinary training for Undergraduates in Biological and Mathematical Sciences (UBM) program.

As an animal develops, cells are "fated" to take on different functions, and once fated they go through migration, changes in shape, cell division, and growth to build that organism. Scientists have long sought to fully understand the intricacies of these processes, as errors can have serious consequences for the organism. For example, cell fate malfunctions can play a role in the development of cancers and cleft palate is caused by cells that are fated correctly but don't migrate correctly. 

This new research in Nature Communications explores cell fates due to their spatial arrangements, specifically fruit fly ovarian cells that become motile if they get the right chemical signals. Previous science suggested that the closer a cell is to the secreted signal, the higher concentration of signal it would get, and the more likely it would be to become activated and turn into a motile cell. However, this isn't always the case. 

Why don't all of the nearby cells respond as theory would predict? To find the answer, the researchers zoomed in for a closer look at the cells and found an important factor not previously examined.

This new paper suggests that the three-dimensional arrangement of cells in relation to one another impacts their response to signals. If you look closely, you can see tiny gaps around the cells, which don't fit completely flush against each other. If there is a gap, a cell is not getting as much activation.

A mathematical model outlined in the paper demonstrates that as that gap fills up with the signal, it shifts from acting as a sink that holds the signal into being a source of signal, which will flow from it. This means that there is a dynamic aspect of cell contours. If you change the landscape of underlying cells, you change activation patterns. Strikingly, the model predicted all of the activation patterns observed in the experiments.

This finding — that cell signal uptake and activation aren't uniform, based on cell layout — could potentially lead to significant medical applications, such as improved chemotherapy delivery.
]]> An interdisciplinary UMBC research team has combined developmental biology and mathematics research methods to reveal dramatic new insights on egg development in the latest issue of Nature... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52300/guest@my.umbc.edu/fcaf76ef011e4192ca9830dc334e9e82/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/xxlarge.jpg?1434630362 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/xlarge.jpg?1434630362 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/large.jpg?1434630362 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/medium.jpg?1434630362 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/small.jpg?1434630362 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/xsmall.jpg?1434630362 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/300/e681624575d3091f4fe701f0a107697e/xxsmall.jpg?1434630362 2 0 false Thu, 18 Jun 2015 08:26:26 -0400 Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:57:06 -0400 Animal Sentinel Program The IACUC has recently updated its guidance regarding the use of sentinel animals in rodent housing areas to assure that the colony remains free of specific pathogens. 

UMBC's Attending Veterinarian manages the university-wide rodent sentinel and quarantine program, and consults with all research faculty members prior to IACUC review and approval of their proposed use of animals. Investigators and facility staff should remain in contact with the veterinarian to ensure animals in facilities are tested on a regular basis. Also, the use of the sentinel program will be documented in the current version of the IACUC protocol application submission.

For more information, click on http://research.umbc.edu/special-topics-of-concern-to-the-iacuc/#pathofree or contact Dr. Turhan Coksaygan (TCoksaygan@vetmed.umaryland.edu / (607) 222-2954) or the ORPC at compliance@umbc.edu.
]]> The IACUC has recently updated its guidance regarding the use of sentinel animals in rodent housing areas to assure that the colony remains free of specific pathogens.  UMBC's Attending... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52241/guest@my.umbc.edu/e832f5c3b4927b40ba9634cf500fdbf1/api/pixel Office of Research Protections and Compliance https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/compliance https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/original.jpg?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/large.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/medium.png?1406813901 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/small.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxsmall.png?1406813901 Office of Research Protections and Compliance 0 0 false Thu, 11 Jun 2015 13:32:54 -0400 CSEE PhD student Kavita Krishnaswamy featured on NSF website

[This article is re-posted from UMBC Insights]

Kavita Krishnaswamy ’07, computer science and mathematics, Ph. D. candidate, computer science and electrical engineering, was featured on the National Science Foundation website for her research on adaptive technology. Krishnaswamy’s work focuses on developing robotic prototypes that can assist people with severe disabilities and improving robotic interfaces.

kavitaIn the article, Krishnaswamy discusses how the support of research fellowships and mentors at UMBC has aided her research. She has won several competitive fellowships, receiving a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship, an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship. “These fellowships are instrumental in facilitating my research career in many ways and making it possible for me to be one step closer to achieving my goals to assist people with disabilities. They enable me to focus on my research goals with greater determination to succeed,” she said.

Gisele Muller-Parker, program director of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, praised Krishnaswamy’s research and advocacy for individuals with disabilities, saying “[Kavita] is clearly passionate about helping others through the development of robotics research and is an inspiring leader in this area.”

Click here to read “Graduate student perseveres to increase access for persons with severe disabilities” on the National Science Foundation website.

Krishnaswamy was also recently interviewed by Technical.ly Baltimore about her experience using a telepresence devise and her vision for how robots can help people with disabilities. Click here to read “This UMBC Ph.D. candidate will change your mind about robots.”

]]> [This article is re-posted from UMBC Insights] Kavita Krishnaswamy ’07, computer science and mathematics, Ph. D. candidate, computer science and electrical engineering, was featured on the... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52154/guest@my.umbc.edu/094482bd0a7fa0f6eb1aff97436eba12/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/xxlarge.jpg?1433354066 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/xlarge.jpg?1433354066 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/large.jpg?1433354066 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/medium.jpg?1433354066 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/small.jpg?1433354066 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/xsmall.jpg?1433354066 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/154/bb1c11c1e8ac4193b55320100bab0eb2/xxsmall.jpg?1433354066 2 0 true Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:55:29 -0400 Physicists Meyer & Georganopoulos publish article in Nature Hubble data used to test theory of black hole plasma jets Assistant Professor Eileen Meyer and Associate Professor Markos Georganopoulos, physics, have published a new article in the prestigious journal Nature, describing innovative analysis of Hubble Space Telescope data.

The co-authors found a rare example of black holes behaving in ways that have previously eluded observers. Black holes are often found to be accompanied by powerful jets of high-energy particles streaming away from them. The flow of these jets is uneven, so faster parts of the jet can catch up to slower parts of the jet. These parts then interact, but the interactions are not well-understood.

Meyer, Georganopoulos and their co-authors used images from the Hubble Space Telescope to discover an example of this interaction coming from the black hole at the heart of a nearby galaxy, where the jets (which are both very large and very far away) could be observed. These images were taken over a period of 25 years, during which time the jet had enough changes in its appearance for its behavior to be analyzed.

Meyer is a new UMBC faculty member after previously working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), which manages the Hubble Space Telescope. This paper represents the important collaboration of scientists at STScI, UMBC and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Florida Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, and Italy's Instituto Nazionale Astrofisica. For photos, video, and more information on this work, see HubbleSite.org. ]]> Assistant Professor Eileen Meyer and Associate Professor Markos Georganopoulos, physics, have published a new article in the prestigious journal Nature, describing innovative analysis of Hubble... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52106/guest@my.umbc.edu/fda731a6e6a7a4e0aa51f5654260c25a/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/xxlarge.jpg?1432914742 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/xlarge.jpg?1432914742 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/large.jpg?1432914742 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/medium.jpg?1432914742 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/small.jpg?1432914742 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/xsmall.jpg?1432914742 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/106/97c81649fa58303996aaf556b17043ca/xxsmall.jpg?1432914742 1 0 false Fri, 29 May 2015 11:54:44 -0400 Fri, 29 May 2015 14:10:06 -0400 Michael Summers' lab publishes illuminating Science article
Professor Michael Summers, chemistry and biochemistry, has focused much of his career on advancing the understanding of the structure of HIV. In a new article in Science, his research group presents their work on determining the structure and function of the part of HIV that directs the packaging of copies of the virus as it prepares to infect new cells. Scientists have been struggling to understand this aspect of the virus for 30 years, making this a highly significant advancement in this research area.

All viruses spread from one cell to another by exploiting the normal behaviors of infected cells. Infected cells are used to make copies of a virus, which is then packaged into containers that are sent out to infect other cells. Each type of virus has its own genetic code, stored as long chains. Depending on the sequence, each chain folds onto itself in a predetermined shape. This shape helps to drive the function of the virus. All viruses spread in similar ways, but each virus is unique enough in its approach that treatments or resistance to one virus are rarely useful in avoiding a different virus.

By better understanding how HIV goes about packaging copies of itself, it becomes possible to develop better treatments that target this stage of the infection process and prevent infections from spreading. This latest publication of the Summers research group, coauthored by several current UMBC students and alumni who are now researchers at institutions around the country, is a particularly significant step in this direction. 
]]> Professor Michael Summers, chemistry and biochemistry, has focused much of his career on advancing the understanding of the structure of HIV. In a new article in Science, his research group... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52102/guest@my.umbc.edu/55e0403c61d80fa5a21613b4ae018d29/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/xxlarge.jpg?1432912745 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/xlarge.jpg?1432912745 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/large.jpg?1432912745 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/medium.jpg?1432912745 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/small.jpg?1432912745 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/xsmall.jpg?1432912745 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/102/9229b4855f204052a1ee62f0a06f1cc9/xxsmall.jpg?1432912745 1 0 false Fri, 29 May 2015 11:20:55 -0400 Fri, 29 May 2015 11:57:12 -0400 Updates to ORPC forms and documents To continue our outreach and providing the most up to date templates for our investigators to use, please click on the ORPC Documents and Forms page to download the most current versions. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Updated this week are the Import and Export forms to either bring in or ship out of UMBC's research facilities. 
]]> To continue our outreach and providing the most up to date templates for our investigators to use, please click on the ORPC Documents and Forms page to download the most current versions. Please... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52096/guest@my.umbc.edu/6d38a8d9488f863824023eb0fb36eb77/api/pixel Office of Research Protections and Compliance https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/compliance https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/original.jpg?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/large.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/medium.png?1406813901 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/small.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxsmall.png?1406813901 Office for Research Protections and Compliance 0 0 true Thu, 28 May 2015 16:51:56 -0400 Baker Artist Award Winner Eric Dyer on Maryland Public TV Maryland Public Television profiled Associate Professor of Visual Arts Eric Dyer in an exclusive announcement of the three 2015 Baker Artist Award winners. The Mary Sawyers Baker Award confers a $25,000 sum.

The Special featured artist profiles and interviews, work by the b-grant winners, including IMDA MFA alumna Dominique Zeltzman, recipient of the Nancy Harrigan Award. 

Hosted by Rhea Feikin, the Baker Artist Award Special has become a widely anticipated cultural event in it own right.

Eric Dyers feature may be viewed at the 13:30 mark, and Dominique Zeltzman's spot follows that segment at 19:00.

View the Baker Artist Award Special here: https://vimeo.com/127740831
]]> Maryland Public Television profiled Associate Professor of Visual Arts Eric Dyer in an exclusive announcement of the three 2015 Baker Artist Award winners. The Mary Sawyers Baker Award confers a... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52093/guest@my.umbc.edu/1e124804df40f2df3d4eeaac68882a19/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/xxlarge.jpg?1432838841 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/xlarge.jpg?1432838841 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/large.jpg?1432838841 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/medium.jpg?1432838841 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/small.jpg?1432838841 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/xsmall.jpg?1432838841 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/093/3f1758e2046963d72757bdbedcaa2039/xxsmall.jpg?1432838841 1 0 true Thu, 28 May 2015 14:47:31 -0400 Technology Manager Paola Buitron to Present on Patent Trolls

The Office of the VP for Research is proud to announce that Paola Buitron, Technology Manager for Technology Development was selected to present with her co-author Alaxander Alduncin, M.A. Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison at the Interdisciplinary Graduate Student Conference their paper on “The role of law in the patent landscape: how the current system can tackle ‘patent trolls.’"  The conference was held at Western University in London, Canada May 21-22 2015.   The conference that offers graduates students from around the world “a forum for new and emerging scholars to build networks, and to exchange and develop new ideas, concepts, and approaches to law and other disciplines”,  theme was “Law: Helping Hand or Iron Fist?”. To view a slide presentation about their paper, please go to link: http://www.slideshare.net/pbuitron/patent-trolls-in-todays-economy


]]> The Office of the VP for Research is proud to announce that Paola Buitron, Technology Manager for Technology Development was selected to present with her co-author Alaxander Alduncin, M.A.... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52089/guest@my.umbc.edu/7e050f5c17b321b1b27ef61a93b5ee14/api/pixel ovpr-news-2015 Archived RCA News https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/original.jpg?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xlarge.png?1743706368 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/large.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/medium.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/small.png?1743706368 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xsmall.png?1743706368 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/794/4bca2aa331eb7e472d63d97e0798b600/xxsmall.png?1743706368 Office of the Vice President for Research https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/xxlarge.jpg?1432820601 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/xlarge.jpg?1432820601 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/large.jpg?1432820601 https://assets3-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/medium.jpg?1432820601 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/small.jpg?1432820601 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/xsmall.jpg?1432820601 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/thumbnails/news/000/052/089/6122d783c12c6565360092a3f684fd6d/xxsmall.jpg?1432820601 0 0 false Thu, 28 May 2015 09:43:48 -0400 New staff in ORPC
We are pleased to announce a new member of our compliance group in the Office of Research Protections and Compliance. 

Toye Jenkins joined OPRC on May 19 as a compliance specialist. Toye comes from the University of Maryland, Baltimore and brings skills as a research study coordinator as well as knowledge of research regulations and processes that can be applied to UMMBC's compliance areas. She will work with Mary Lilly and myself in all areas managed by ORPC, including human participant research, animal care and use, bisoafety, conflicts of interest, and export controls. Toye will also have an active role in conducting compliance education and responsible conduct of research training. 

Say hi when you see Toye on campus; she can also be reached at 3-5455 or tjenkins@umbc.edu. 

]]> We are pleased to announce a new member of our compliance group in the Office of Research Protections and Compliance.  Toye Jenkins joined OPRC on May 19 as a compliance specialist. Toye comes... https://beta.my.umbc.edu/api/v0/pixel/news/52019/guest@my.umbc.edu/3e04c43f07838e4ab92604c639da9210/api/pixel Office of Research Protections and Compliance https://beta.my.umbc.edu/groups/compliance https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/original.jpg?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xlarge.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/large.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/medium.png?1406813901 https://assets4-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/small.png?1406813901 https://assets2-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xsmall.png?1406813901 https://assets1-beta.my.umbc.edu/system/shared/avatars/groups/000/000/163/aea9789988c08f28538422f1c3427388/xxsmall.png?1406813901 Office of Research Protections and Compliance 2 0 false Wed, 20 May 2015 17:37:39 -0400