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Funding awarded for science curriculum and biomedical research

By July 17, 2015Uncategorized

Over the past year, Delta State has been awarded three grants to support biomedical research and the development of science curriculum through Mississippi INBRE (IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence), a project of the University of Southern Mississippi. These one-year grant awards are the result of proposals written and developed by faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Chemistry and Physics.

In June, Dr. Sharon Hamilton, assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded a $50,994 biomedical research grant to support her research project, “Investigation of drug release capabilities of novel oxidized alginate nanofibers.” Hamilton seeks to create a new degradable nanofiber that can be used in biomedical applications such as drug delivery and wound healing.

The grant funds will be used to purchase laboratory equipment and supplies. This research project will provide undergraduate research experience in conducting experiments and analyzing the products of the experiments for an undergraduate student during the 2015-16 academic year.

Department of Biological Sciences associate professor, Dr. Jira Katembe, recently received a grant in the amount of $25,000 for his project, “Replacement of Core Instrumentation for Enhancement of Biotechnology Program.” Laboratory equipment and supplies will be purchased to support DNA science/biotechnology and cell biology courses and perform experiments, which include DNA analysis, cell transformation and culturing. As molecular technologies change rapidly, the heavily used biotechnology equipment will be updated, enabling students to gain valuable research experiences using modern, cutting-edge scientific equipment.

Dr. Severine Groh, assistant professor of biology, was awarded a $25,000 Mississippi INBRE grant in 2014 for her project “Creation of an Upper Level Cell Physiology Laboratory Course,” for students in a pre-health program of study preparing for admission into a professional advanced health degree program and careers in biomedical related fields. Each year, an average of 30 Delta State graduates aim for admission in a health professional school and/or graduate programs in biological sciences.

It is anticipated that the design and implementation of a new cell physiology laboratory course will better prepare students for the competitiveness of entry requirements into professional and graduate schools and increase the admissions rates for Delta State students. The grant funds have been used to purchase necessary laboratory equipment and supplies for the course.

“These three grants are timely. We have been able to leverage the renovation of the science facility as well as two federal awards — the U. S. Department of Education’s Title III grant which has provided new laboratory equipment for lower level science courses, and the National Science Foundation’s Major Research Instrumentation grant enabling the purchase of an Scanning Electron Microscope, to successfully apply for these grants and others,” said Robin Boyles, director of the Office of Institutional Grants. “We continue to seek funding opportunities that will strengthen our STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming and lead to the recruitment of students into STEM majors and careers.”

Dr. Joe Bentley, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics, commended Hamilton for her efforts.

“Dr. Hamilton is an outstanding young scientist and teacher,” said Bentley. “In her short time at Delta State, she has made major strides to improving the chemistry program, and her ability is proven once again by attracting a research grant in only her first year here. Her work in developing degradable biopolymer nanofibers provides a great opportunity for DSU science majors to work in her lab towards creating novel polymer-based therapeutics.”

Dr. Ellen Green, department chair for biological sciences also praised her faculty.

“Biology professors Dr. Severine Groh and Dr. Jira Katembe are to be commended for their efforts,” said Green. “It takes great dedication and commitment to do this type of work. These awards will keep our students up to date with technologies that they will use as they pursue careers in health-related fields. The funds will also provide faculty members with the resources to build collaborations regionally and nationally. I couldn’t be more pleased for our faculty members and their students.”

Delta State’s Department of Chemistry and Physics offers programs of study leading to a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry, with four areas of concentration: (1) The American Chemical Society (ACS) certification (2) general chemistry (3) premedical chemistry and (4) chemistry education.

The premedical chemistry concentration prepares students for health related professional programs, including medicine, dentistry, medical laboratory sciences, dental hygiene, health informatics and information management, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, radiological sciences and veterinary medicine.

The Department of Biological Sciences offers the following degree programs: Bachelor of Science with a major in biology or environmental science, Master of Science in Natural Sciences, and Master of Applied Science in Geospatial Information Technologies.

Within the Bachelor of Science programs, students may pursue concentrations such as general biology, pre-medical science, science education and wildlife management. The Department also offers pre-professional preparation for various health related programs, such as medicine, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, veterinary, pharmacy, radiological science and others.

Visit https://www.deltastate.edu/academics/ for more information on all of Delta State’s academic programs.

Mississippi INBRE is funded by an Institutional Development Award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under grant number P20GM103476. The core mission of the Mississippi INBRE is to enhance biomedical-related research and training in the state of Mississippi. Visit http://msinbre.org/ for more information on Mississippi INBRE.