THE COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
COLLABORATIVE GRANT INITIATIVE
Fall2025ProjectsSelectedforSupport
MicrofluidicOrganoidPlatform:AdvancingMechanisticInsightsintoOvarianCancerInitiation
PIs:DragosAmarie(Physics,GS)andDwayneStupack(AssociateDirector,USSanDiegoMooresCancer Center(MCC),andDepartmentofObstetrics,GynecologyandReproductiveScience,UCSD)
Abstract:Thisprojectproposestouseamicrofluidicorganoidplatformtoconductpilotstudies investigatingtheaccumulationofgeneticlesionsovertime,aimingtounderstandovariancancerinitiation Thecentralhypothesisisthatchronic,iterativeexposuretoreactiveoxidativestress(generatedviathe Fentonreaction)combinedwithmechanicalinsultslikehydrostaticpressure,canpromotegenetic mutationsintubalepithelialcells,leadingtotumorigenesis ThestudywillreplicatetheFallopiantube microenvironmentusingamicrofluidicchambertoexposeselectFallopiantubeepithelial(FTE)cellsto gradientsofhydrogenperoxideandhemin,alongwithhydrostaticpressure,totrackgeneticalterationsvia single-cellgenesequencing
DevelopmentofLAT1-mediatedcancerdrugswithbrainpermeability
PIs:JannetKocerha(AssociateProfessor,GeorgiaSouthernUniversity),KarelleAiken(AssociateProfessor, GeorgiaSouthernUniversity),andRobertMans(AssociateProfessor,GeorgiaSouthernUniversity)
Abstract:Thiscollaborativeprojectfocusesondevelopingsmall-moleculedrugswithanticancer propertiesthatcanpermeatetheblood-brainbarrier(BBB) LeveragingthefactthattheLargeNeutral AminoAcidTransporter1(LAT1)ishighlyupregulatedinnearlyallcancercellsandpresentintheBBB,the teamaimstodesignLAT1-mediateddrugstotargetmetastaticbraincancers Theproposaloutlinesthree aims:assessingdrugtherapeuticpotentialwithcellviabilityassaysandintracellulartracking,conductingin vitroBBBstudiesusingmodelsliketheParallelArtificialMembranePermeabilityAssay(PAMPA),and performinginvivoBBBstudieswithazebrafishmodeltoinvestigatedrugfluorescenceinthebrainand otherorgans
QuantificationofSoilbornePathogensusingCarbonNanotubeMembranes
PIs:Dr.TiehangWu(Biology)andDr.JiWu(Chemistry)
Abstract:Thisprojectproposesafeasibilitystudytodevelopanovelnanostructuredsoilbornepathogen sensorarrayusingtheionicrectificationpropertyofconductivecarbonnanotube(CNT)membranes.The researchhypothesizesthatCNTmembranesfunctionalizedwithpeptidenucleicacid(PNA)probe moleculeswillexhibitsignificantionicrectificationonlywhenexposedtocomplementaryDNAofsoilborne pathogens,providingaportable,sensitive,selective,andlabel-freedetectionmechanism.Theobjectives includefabricatingpatternedCNTmembranes,functionalizingtheirporeswithPNAprobesforselective bindingtopathogenicDNA,andquantifyingpathogenconcentrations,includingdifferentiatinglivefrom deceasedpathogens,usingtheionicrectificationfactor.
Impactsofoceanalkalinityenhancementoncoastalresources
PIs:JohnCarroll(Biology&ICPS),TylerCyronak(SEESICPS),andHeatherJoesting(Biology&SARC)
Abstract:Thisprojectaimstoexploretheimpactsofoceanalkalinityenhancement(OAE)usingolivine,a commonlyusedOAEsubstrate,onimportantcoastalresources.OAEisamarinecarbondioxideremoval (mCDR)methodthatincreasesseawateralkalinitytoenhanceCO₂storage WhileOAEmayoffercobenefitstomarineecosystems,itspotentialnegativeconsequencesforcoastalfloraandfaunaare underexplored Theprojectwillinvestigatehowolivineapplicationaffectsmarshplantgrowthandsurvival inthefieldbymonitoringstemdensity,plantheight,andchemicalelementsinplanttissues,andhowit affectsoysterrecruitmentandgrowthbyenumeratingrecruits,measuringoysterspatsize,andcalculating oystersurvivalandconditionindex
Microstructure-EngineeredVO2forAdvancedThermochromicSmartWindows
PIs:NaLiu(PI),GangChen(Co-PI),WenjieLi(Co-PI)
Abstract:Thisprojectaddressesthesignificantenergyconsumptioninbuildings,particularlydueto inefficientwindows,byproposingthermochromicsmartwindowsbasedonvanadiumdioxide(VO2) VO2 dynamicallyregulatesindoorsolarirradiationbyundergoingareversiblemetal-insulatortransition(MIT), blockingnear-infrared(NIR)radiationathightemperatureswhilemaintainingvisibletransparencyat coolertemperatures Theprojectaimstoestablishmicrostructure-engineered,metal-dopedVO2thinfilms thatachievesharpandreversibleswitchingnearroomtemperature,improvedsolarmodulationandvisible transparency,andstableperformanceunderthermalcycling Theresearchwillinvolvesynthesizingand microstructurallyengineeringmetal-dopedVO2thinfilmsusingspincoating,systematicallyvarying dopants(eg,W,Mo,Ti)totunetransitiontemperatureandoptimizemicrostructure,characterizingoptical propertiesusingin-situUV–Vis–NIRspectroscopy,andtestingdurabilityunderrepeatedheating/cooling cycles
COUR: RESEARCH AWARDS
Facultyproposalsforthe2025-2026COURResearchAwards
TheCOSMOfficeofUndergraduateResearch(COUR)invitesfacultyproposalsforthe2025-2026COUR Research Awards. Please note that the application instructions have changed for this award and is now a faculty-led application process. The awards are still designed to support undergraduate researchinCOSMbyenhancingexperientiallearningforstudents.Awardsupto$3000willbemadeto thebestsubmittedproposalstocoverthefollowing:
Upto$2000foranundergraduatestudentstipend;and Up to $1000 for supplies/equipment and travel associated with the research project (with the exceptionofconferencetravel)
To qualify, a faculty member must include plans to mentor a student enrolled as an undergraduate majororminorinoneofthedepartmentsunderCOSM. Applicationsmustbesubmittedonlinehere.
Formoreinformation,visithttps://www.georgiasouthern.edu/cosm/cour/ or
EmailDr.HeatherJoesting(hjoesting@georgiasouthern.edu).
ApplicationsaredueSeptember22,2025
INTERIM SEARCH
InterimChairfortheDepartmentofBiomedicalSciences
WearereadytotakethenextstepinformingtheDepartmentofBiomedicalSciencesbyhiringan interimdepartmentchair Theinterimchairwillbetaskedwiththefollowing:
ProvidingoversightoftheBSBiomedicalSciencesprogram
AssistingwithrecruitmenteffortsfortheBSBiomedicalSciencesprogram
CompletingtheworktoestablishthePhDBiomedicalSciencesprogram
InitiatingarecruitmentcampaignforthePhDprogram
WorkingwiththeCenterforBiomedicalResearchandInnovationtoinitiatesearchesforthenew tenuretrackfacultypositions
Inaddition,theinterimchairwillprovidedepartmentleadershipasoutlinedintheCOSMBylawsand Manual(Pages7-9,2025version).
Facultyapplyingforthepositionshouldsendacoverletteroutliningtheirqualificationsfortheposition andanupdatedCVdirectlytoDeanHugginsatmhuggins@georgiasouthernedunolaterthanFriday, September19th
CCRL - INSTRUMENT OF THE WEEK
ThisweekisfocusedontheICP-MSinstruments.
TheICP-MSisaversatileinstrumentcapableofanalyzingawidevarietyofsampletypesfortheir elementalcomposition.
SampleTypes:
Environmentalsamples:Thisisaprimaryapplication,includingthemonitoringofwatersamples.
Foodsamples:Caneffectivelymeasurebothmacro-levelnutritionalelementsandlower-level traceelementsindigestedfoodmaterials,suchasgrainsandmilkpowder.
Pharmaceuticalproducts:It'ssuitableforanalyzingpharmaceuticalsanddeterminingthelevelsof toxicologicallyrelevantelements.
Petrochemicalandspeciationsolvents:Thesystem'srobustdesignwithafree-runningRFplasma generatormakesitidealforthesedemandingsamples.
Solidsamples:Thesystemcanbecoupledwithtechniqueslikelaserablationforanalyzingsolid samples
SamplescontaininghydrofluoricacidorsemiconductorgradechemicalsandSiwafersamples: UsinginertPFAsampleintroductionsystemsallowsfortheanalysisofthesechallengingmatrices
Capabilities:
Highsensitivityandlowdetectionlimits:Theinstrumentcandetectmanyelementsatverylow concentrations,evenbelow1pptforsomeelementslikeBe,Co,andIn.
Widedynamicrange:Itcanmeasureelementsacrossabroadrangeofconcentrations,from ultratracelevelstohigherconcentrations,withouttheneedforextensivesampledilution.
Interferenceremoval:TheinstrumentutilizesaUniversalCellTechnologythat,inCollisionmode, usesasimplenon-reactivegastoremovemanyinterferences,orinReactionmode,usesa reactivegastoeliminateallinterferenceswithminimalanalytesensitivityloss.
Robustandstabledesign:TheTripleConeInterfaceandQuadrupoleIonDeflectorhelpmaintain signalstabilitybyefficientlyremovingun-ionizedmaterialandminimizingdepositiononinternal components,leadingtolessdriftandlonger-termstability,evenwithhigh-matrixsamples.
Flexiblesampleintroduction:Itcanaccommodatevarioussampleintroductionsystems,including thoseforliquidandsolidsamples
Fastanalysis:Thefast-scanningquadrupolecontributestorapidanalysis
Insummary,theICP-MSisapowerfulandflexible instrumentwell-suitedforawidearrayof elementalanalysisapplicationsacross diversesampletypes,escpeciallywhere highsensitivity,interferenceremoval,and matrixtoleranceareimportant.
IfyouhavenotusedtheICP-MS, pleasecontactDarrinMooreforasession.
SMART CENTER FREE TUTORING
Asyoubeginthissemesterofmathand/orscienceclasses,Ijustwantyoutoknowthatthereishelp availableforyourstudents.QualifiedstudentsareworkingaspeertutorsintheGeorgiaSouthern SMARTCenterandwanttohelpstudentssucceedinyourclasses.
TheSMARTCenteriscurrentlyofferingin-persontutoringsessions Studentsdonotneedan appointmenttoreceivethishelp Theycanalsousethecenterasaplacetoworkontheirhomework andaskquestions,asneeded,fromaqualifiedpeertutor
TheSMARTCenteroffersfreetutoringinthefollowing:
AnatomyandPhysiology
Biology
GeneralandOrganicChemistry
Physics
Statistics
Mathematics
Alimitednumberofvirtualtutoringsessionsarealsoavailable.Studentscanfollowthese instructionstoscheduleavirtualappointmentthroughthePenjiapp.
TheSMARTCenterislocatedontheArmstrongcampusinScienceCenterroom132
Ifyoucouldhelppromoteourservicesinyourclassesandincludedetailsinfolio,itcanbeagreat helptogettingstudentstodobetterintheirclasses
Formoreinformation,contactMattBrown:
Email:mbrown@georgiasouthern.edu
Ph 912 344 3165
COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS
VISITUSONLINEATGEORGIASOUTHERN.EDU/COSM