Award Data

The US DoD requires robust ways of neutralizing threats posed by hostile powers and terrorist organizations that may be in possession of dangerous weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Unfortunately, the weapons currently available to the DoD do not offer a way for the WMD to be destroyed without risking the spread of that material throughout the area. The strategy for the defeat of biological weapo ...

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant Although tyrosine phosphorylation is an important controlling element in cell signaling no tRNA suppressor for phosphotyrosine pTyr incorporation has yet been made We propose to use directed molecular evolution of several aminoacyl tRNA synthetases aaRSs to identify mutations that enable binding of pTyr to the aaRS Specifically ATP molecules will be att ...

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant This proposal will assess the quantitative capabilities of surface enhanced Raman scattering SERS detection of cocaine and marijuana metabolites in urine samples Combining low cost instrumentation and novel chemical sensing provides an innovative new approach for diagnosing illicit drug use Current methods use a colorimetric indicator to screen specimens fo ...

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant The EPA maintains a Toxics Release Inventory of over toxic chemicals that are disposed or released from more than industrial sites in the United States The Department of Health and Human Services and USDA maintain a list of over select agents and toxins that pose a severe risk to both human animal and plant health These compounds represent only ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed studies are aimed at developing a new tumor immunotherapy by using isoaspartyl-modified peptides to break immune tolerance to "self" tumor antigens on breast cancer cells. Most tumor antigens have been characterized as normal, non-mutated self-peptides, linking the concepts of autoimmunity with the development of tumor immunity. Previous studies de ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal will take advantage of several unique observations made in understanding the properties of self proteins that regulate the development of autoimmune responses. In attempts to define cryptic self peptides of lupus autoantigens, we found that a particular post-translational modification of a self peptide elicited strong B and T cell autoimmunity. T ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen responsible for a significant proportion of serious hospital acquired infections. The organism has intrinsic resistance to most types of antibiotics and can readily acquire resistance to all clinically available antimicrobials, resulting in infections that are impossible to treat. P. aeruginosa colo ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Thromboembolic disease is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the developed world. Despite the need for effective therapies for treating and preventing pathologic activation of thrombosis, there are relatively few currently available alternatives to intravenous heparin. The total commercial market for antithrombotic agents has been estimated at 2 billio ...