Biological Sciences Researchers Get Instrumentation Grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded a quartet of biological sciences faculty members a $262,639 instrumentation grant that will give DSU students greater research opportunities.

The NSF grant will fund the purchase of an Agilent Technologies Seahorse, which measures the energy and metabolism of a cell.

In addition to enhancing research at DSU, this equipment will also be a critical component of the redesigned core curriculum in biology in the development of a Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) that will provide an opportunity for students to participate in authentic research. 

Dr. Michael Gitcho, associate professor, is the principal investigator of the grant; the co-PIs include Dr. Hakeem Lawal, associate professor; Dr. Y. Hwan Kim, associate professor; and Dr. Karl Milleti, associate professor. All of these faculty members are in the Department of Biological Sciences. 

The Seahorse will serve four distinct projects:

• A project that investigates the connection between mitochondrial function and TDP-43, a nuclear ribonucleoprotein that has been implicated in many forms of neurodegeneration.
• A project that is researching the role of dopamine in metabolic dysfunction related to neurodegeneration, focusing specifically on rotenone toxicity in a drosophila model.
• A project that is also researching the role of dopamine in metabolic dysfunction related to neurodegeneration; however, this research investigates the role of SUMOylation in preventing mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death.
• A project investigating the role of CD44, a cell-surface glycoprotein important in the metabolic reprogramming of cells to glycolysis under hypoxic conditions.