Clemson Researcher
Building Scaffold for Tissue Regeneration
Individuals who suffer devastating spinal cord injuries frequently
require intensive help in adapting to a new way of life. Often times,
these injuries can lead to either permanent or paralyzing conditions.
Assistant Professor Xuejen Wen of Clemson University plans to change
these odds. Dr. Wen was recently awarded a $1.6 million grant by the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National
Institutes of Health to repair spinal cord nerve damage — a disability
that plagues over 200,000 Americans.
Dr. Wen will use the five-year grant, entitled “Tissue Engineering in
Spinal Cord Regeneration”, to create a scaffold that will mimick the
spinal cord, which will promote nerve bundle growth without the risk of
significant scar tissue formation. The long-term goal of the project is
to develop a “clinically applicable tissue-engineered device to repair
damaged central nervous system nerve tracts.” Once developed, it is
anticipated that this device will be used in the treatment and
management of multiple central nervous system disorders.
Dr. Wen is a faculty
member in the Clemson University Department of Bioengineering who lives
and works in Charleston under a joint research initiative between
Clemson and the Medical University of South Carolina. This
research initiative was established in part by the 2001 National Science
Foundation EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Award to South
Carolina (EPS-0132573). Dr. Wen's research also has received grant
funding from the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
Statewide Summit to Advance Multi-Disciplinary Research in
Bioengineering
The South Carolina Bioengineering Summit, to be held June 14-15, 2007 at
the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston, will
unite the academic, medical, business, government, and research funding
communities to identify opportunities for multi-disciplinary and
multi-organizational biomedical research and development.
The summit will offer presentations on cutting-edge science as well as
networking opportunities for faculty, students, and administrators with
interests in biomedical research and education. Additional sessions
will feature technology transfer coordinators, funding agency officials
and scientific program staff.
Summit topics include:
National and state
perspectives on bioengineering
Critical healthcare
issues that can be addressed by bioengineering
Novel bioengineering
research approaches
Research and education
funding opportunities and programs
Commercialization and
technology transfer
Next steps for
bioengineering research in South Carolina
The summit is coordinated by the South Carolina Bioengineering Alliance
(SCBA), which was formed in 1985 through a collaborative effort between
Clemson University, the Medical University of South Carolina, and the
University of South Carolina. The Alliance’s mission is to promote and
strengthen bioengineering research, education, and technology transfer
throughout the state. South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA provides funding and
evaluation support for selected SCBA activities and programs.
For more information on submission of posters and abstracts,
registration, program sessions and other event details, please visit
the summit website at
http://scba.musc.edu/summit.
Innegrity,
LLC, is the creator and producer of the
Innegra
fiber — a high modulus thermoplastic fiber to replace fiberglass
in aerospace, marine, and electrical applications. Two of our
recent projects are indicative of the multiple uses of our fiber
across defense-related applications.
With the
advent of unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), the communications needs
of our defense air fleet are growing rapidly. For this
application, the United States Air Force needs to send three
different signals through a single dielectric portal, or radome.
While design for a single frequency is relatively simple, making
a radome for three different frequencies is demanding on the
dielectric properties of the materials used. With dielectric
properties among the best of any solid material and a high
modulus, our fiber allows unprecedented performance. This
project continues to evolve as we are working on hybrid fabrics
that allow for improved adhesion between our fibers and the
resin materials used for bonding the fibers and fabrics. Over
time, this will allow the Air Force to make smaller UAVs with
longer range and allow manned aircraft the ability to detect
threats from greater distances. This project was supported by a
SBIR Phase-0 seed grant from South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA, which
garnered Air Force SBIR Phase I and Phase II awards totaling
approximately $850,000.
Due to
modern threats, additional steps must be taken to protect the
lives and safety of our nation’s warfighters. However, the cost
of Kevlar and other high performance fibers precludes using them
in portable structures, such as tents, as well as in large
vehicles. By strengthening the
Innegra
fiber, the polymer would have performance sufficient to allow
armored panels to be placed inside of hospital tents, protecting
the doctors and patients from shrapnel and small arms fire.
This project was also supported by a SBIR Phase-0 seed grant
from South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA, which resulted in a United
States Army SBIR Phase I award of $69,971.
Brian Morin, Ph.D. is the Chief Executive Officer of Innegrity,
LLC in Greer, South Carolina. Prior to founding Innegrity, LLC,
Dr. Morin earned his Ph.D. in physics from The Ohio State
University, and spent nine years at Milliken Research
Corporation. He serves on the External Advisory Board of
Clemson’s Materials Science and Engineering Department, is a
member of the Greenville Rotary Club, and has written a novel,
“A Matter of Faith” (www.amatteroffaith.org).
In March 2007, a
group of Dutch Fork High School students had the opportunity to conduct
mitochondrial DNA research. These students, along with more than 1,500
other students from more than 24 schools across the state, have been
exposed to academic research methods as a result of the South Carolina
DNA Learning Center at Clemson University.
Azka Nakar (not
pictured), a 17 year-old senior, was one of many students to swish a
small amount of saline solution in her mouth that would capture skin
cells which contain DNA. Later in the day, Ms.
Nakar and other Dutch Fork students learned about the technical
procedures necessary to extract and display DNA. Dr. John Cummings, one
of the center’s instructors, praised the preparation of the students by
their teachers in advance of classes at the SC DNA Learning Center.
“[The students] really know the background of this science. Their
teachers have done a good job of getting them ready” (The State, March
15, 2007).
As a result of
National Science Foundation EPSCoR and Howard Hughes Foundation support,
the center has so far been able to offer programs to public school
classes at no cost. Available facilities include two laboratories, each
within 32 work stations, a computer classroom and lunchroom.
Faculty collaboration on common research ventures is paying off in South
Carolina. Dr. Timothy Hanks of Furman University is the recent
recipient of a $270,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to
support a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) sited focused on
the “Grand Challenges in Chemistry.” The REU award is an outcome of Dr.
Hanks’ participation in a 2006 Collaborative Research Program (CRP)
project funded by South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA, with faculty from nearby
Clemson University and Anderson University. Dr. Hanks’ CRP research
dealt with halogen and hydrogen bonding in nanostructured materials.
Undergraduate students and faculty from Claflin University, Greenville
Technical College, the University of North Carolina Asheville and
Erskine College will have the opportunity to conduct and observe
project-related research each summer. In addition to research, each
summer program will feature a structured educational component as well
as a professional outreach project. Through these activities, students
will develop skills in research methods and communication that will
provide advantages for matriculation to graduate school or the
knowledge-based workforce.
The students will be mentored by Furman faculty members and visiting
faculty from the regional partner institutions. Additionally, Furman
faculty mentors will work closely with other participating REU faculty
to strengthen the research infrastructure at their institutions.
Student development will be monitored through several evaluation-based
tools, including electronic portfolios. The student portfolios will
also will be used to assess the effectiveness of overall REU program
components.
The South Carolina
EPSCoR/IDeA Program was featured as a “Catalyst for Change” in the March
2007 issue of
State News
magazine, published by the Council of State Governments (CSG). CSG is
“the premier multibranch organization forecasting policy trends for the
community of states, commonwealths and territories on a national and
regional basis.”
The article cites specific examples of the return on
EPSCoR and IDeA investment in academic research infrastructure in the
Palmetto State. Through support of new faculty hires, collaborative
research activities, industry-university partnerships and outreach
programs that expand research experiences to undergraduate students,
South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA is developing a statewide academic research
enterprise that is complementary, not duplicative.
Any written or presented material that results directly or indirectly
from South Carolina NSF EPSCoR or INBRE funding should include proper
acknowledgements for the supporting grant (NSF/EPSCoR EPS-0447660; NIH/INBRE
P20RR016461). A link with language recommendations can be found at
http://www.scepscor.org.
For
additional EPSCoR agency award numbers and other information, please
contact the SC EPSCoR/IDeA State Office at 803.733.9060.
SC EPSCoR/IDeA Upcoming Events
Vector NTI
Software Workshop
(Sponsored by SC INBRE Bioinformatics Core)
June 5-6, 2007; College of Charleston
Basic Confocal
Microscopy Workshop
June 18-21, 2007; USC
School of Medicine
Clemson INBRE
Summer Workshop Series
Various Dates - June & July 2007; Clemson University
For more information on these and other events, visit the
South Carolina EPSCoR and IDeA Program websites:
Faculty profiles from the 2007 NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure
Improvement (RII) Proposal
from South Carolina
South Carolina EPSCoR/IDeA Partnerships with Savannah River National
Laboratory
Cutting Edge Pediatric Cardiovascular Device Research at MUSC
This publication was made possible by the
following awards:
NSF/EPSCoR Award EPS - 0447660; NIH/INBRE Award P20RR016461.
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