12:47 p.m., Dec. 22, 2008----Six UD research teams are the recipients of the University of Delaware Research Foundation's new Strategic Initiative grants.

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The University of Delaware Research Foundation (UDRF) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that was chartered in 1955 primarily to support the University's research mission.

Earlier this year, the foundation's board decided to create a new program aimed specifically at supporting research in the life and health sciences, energy and the environment -- three areas emphasized in the University's Path to Prominence^TM strategic plan, according to Mark Barteau, UD's senior vice provost for research and strategic initiatives and the Robert L. Pigford Professor of Chemical Engineering. His office is administering the new grants program.

“In addition to supporting UD's strategic plan, a major goal of the program is to increase opportunities for mentoring early-career faculty,” Barteau noted.

Barteau called the first-ever program “tremendously successful,” drawing 16 proposal submissions from five colleges across the University.

Of the six proposals selected for funding, three proposals pair faculty early in their careers with a senior faculty mentor, and three of the proposals include faculty from more than one department.

Each grant award of $45,000 will support a one-year research project. The funding includes $35,000 provided by UDRF, which is matched by $5,000 from the provost and $5,000 from the researcher's college dean.

The next UDRF Strategic Initiatives grant competition is planned for fall 2009.

2008-2009 UDRF Strategic Initiative Grant Award Winners

Regulation of Cortical Microtubules by Phosphorylation -- Jung-Youn Lee, assistant professor of plant and soil sciences, and Kelvin Lee, Gore Professor of Chemical Engineering and director of the Delaware Biotechnology Institute, will research the formation of microtubules inside plant cells. The assembly and disassembly of these tiny protein tubes plays a critical role in cell division and growth regulation. The researchers will explore phosphorylation -- the chemical addition of a phosphate group -- as a mechanism by which cells create, maintain and reorganize specific microtubule arrays in Arabidopsis (mouse-ear cress), a much-studied laboratory plant.

Effects of Bisphosphonate Treatment on Osteoarthritic Knees -- Liyun Wang, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Anette Karlsson, associate professor and interim chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will test the efficacy and mechanism of FDA-approved anti-resorption drugs (bisphosphonates) in delaying the progress of osteoarthritis. This degenerative joint disease affects millions and is the leading cause of disability in adults over 45 years old.

Quantifying Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions with Airship-Based Measurements -- Michael O'Neal, assistant professor in the Department of Geography, and assistant professors Christopher Meehan and Jack Puleo, and professors Steven Dentel and Paul Imhoff, all in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will explore an innovative remote sensing technology -- a 60-foot remote-controlled “blimp” that will come online in 2009 -- to measure greenhouse gas emissions from large-area sources. The researchers will test the new technology by quantifying methane emissions from the Delaware Solid Waste Authority's Sandtown Landfill.

Does Adult Neurogenesis Play a Role in Memory Impairment in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders? -- Anna Klintsova, assistant professor, and Mark Stanton, professor, both in the Department of Psychology, will examine the impact of developmental alcohol exposure on forms of neuroplasticity (neurogenesis) and memory that may suggest practical therapeutic interventions for fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). FASD is diagnosed in 1 percent of all live births in the United States. In an animal model of FASD, alcohol exposure during the brain growth spurt, which occurs in the third trimester in humans, produces persistent brain damage and impairs behavior, including performance on learning and memory tasks. The research will explore therapeutic interventions.

Synthesis and Structural Characterization of New Materials for Application as Negative Electrodes in Rechargeable Lithium Batteries -- Despite the high specific charge and charge density of lithium-ion batteries, the poor long-term performance of these devices, along with some safety concerns, limit their applications. Svilen Bobev, assistant professor, and Tatyana Polenova, associate professor, both in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will develop the fundamental chemistry and physical properties of new intermetallic materials that can have better cycleability as negative electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. Their joint efforts will help derive structure-property relationships which can be then be used as a rationale for “tuning“ potentially interesting properties of the newly synthesized materials.

Motor Neuronal Discharge Behavior Following Stroke -- Christopher Knight, assistant professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences, and Stuart Binder-Macleod, professor of physical therapy, will describe the discharge behavior of single motor neurons in patients who had a stroke and see how these discharge patterns change over 12 weeks of intense rehabilitation. The experiments will examine motor neuron firing rates before and after intervention to determine the plasticity of the central nervous system of stroke patients and the specific mechanisms for improvements. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and causes more long-term disability than any other disease.

Article by Tracey Bryant