Award Data

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Underage alcohol consumption is a public health concern with numerous negative sequelae, including adoption of other risky behaviors (smoking, other drug use, at-risk sexual behavior, drinking and driving), increased rates of depression or suicidal ideation, poor academic achievement, and behavioral problems (delinquency, violence, crime). Adolescents who drink ...

PROJECT SUMMARY This project aims to fill the urgent need for a safe and engaging intervention that promotes physical activity in a population of patients with chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes, asthma, osteoarthritis, and chronic heart failure). Compelling evidence suggests that physical activity is an effective therapeutic intervention for numerous chronic diseases. However, in spite of the wide ...

Aging, the progressive degeneration of body and mind, is a universal problem marked by a decline in tissue organization and function, and an increase in the likelihood of death. Progress in understanding the cellular and molecular basis of aging is rapidlyaccelerating, following the discovery that several well-known model organisms age in many of the same ways as humans. In addition to their contr ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate the technical feasibility of an in vitro excystation-based automated cartridge assay for rapid detection of viable Cryptosporidium oocysts in water. Briefly, viable oocysts will be subjected to an in vitro excystation step to release sporozoites and the antigens for detection on a patent-p ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to develop a commercially viable point of care Rapid HIV-1 Incidence Assay and establish its suitability for determination of recency of HIV-1 infection in whole blood, plasma, serum specimens for epidemiological, research and surveillance purposes. It is further intended to determine the feasibility of the application of the as ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): AuraSense Therapeutics (AST), along with Northwestern University, is applying a recently developed technology using oligonucleotide-functionalized nanoparticles (called spherical nucleic acids or SNAs) to control protein expression. These easily synthesized nanoparticles can have either DNA or RNA shells, and are less than 50 nm in hydrodynamic diameter. SNA co ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-term goal of this project is to develop an effective protein replacement therapeutic (PRT) for patients affected with rare forms of Osteogenesis imperfecta, OI-VIII (deficiency in prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1; P3H1)and OI-VII (deficiency in cartilage associated protein CRTAP). These PRTs will integrate the safety and cost advantages of plant-based bioproduct ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The longterm goal of this project is to utilize cytomegalovirus (CMV) vectors carrying oncogenes of high risk human papillomaviruses (HPV) as novel therapeutic vaccines against cervical cancer. Although recently launched prophylactic vaccines protect against HPV infection, these VLP-based vaccines have not demonstrated significant benefit for individuals who a ...

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There are approximately 4 million Americans with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPIs) who must rely on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems to express themselves. People with SSPI are at asignificant disadvantage when communicating. AAC systems place heavy cognitive and physical demands on users, resulting in very slow communicatio ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Depression and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are common chronic conditions that are debilitating to individuals and costly to employers and public and private payors.1-3 Unfortunately, they are often comorbid, each making the other more severe, more difficult to manage, and more costly.4-7 This project will create MoodJaunt, a mobile app designed to fill a well-known gap8-14 in the po ...