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Optical photothermal IR (OPTIR) microscopy for chemical imaging of living cells at sub-micron resolution Project Summary/Abstract Photothermal Spectroscopy Corp (PSC) and Prof. Ji-Xin Cheng of Boston University in collaboration with Prof. Rohith Reddy (University of Houston) propose to develop, validate, and commercialize a novel technical called Optical Photothermal Infrared (OPTIR) spectroscopy. ...

Methamphetamine use disorder is associated with damage to regions of the brain that control cognitive and psychiatric functionOne third to one half of adults with methamphetamine use disorder experience cognitive impairments and other psychiatric symptoms that significantly impact treatment outcomesincreased relapse and lower treatment retention ratesMounting evidence demonstrates how immune facto ...

PROJECT SUMMARYZika virus, an emerging flavivirus, is associated with severe clinical outcomes, including Guillain-Barré syndrome and birth defects. Transmission of Zika virus is primarily mosquito- borne. Mosquito salivary proteins are known to enhance infectivity and pathogenesis in Zika, dengue and West Nile viruses by modulating immune responses. This proposal seeks to develop a novel vaccine ...

ABSTRACTThis proposal seeks to develop a novel vaccine against pathogens transmitted by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, by targeting tick salivary proteins (Salps) critical for tick feeding. I. scapularis Salps provide functions critical for evading host defense responses detrimental to the tick. Further, these salivary functions are also co-opted by tick-transmitted pathogens to ensure t ...

PROJECT SUMMARYMalaria is one of the world’s major public health threats. The disease is transmitted when an infected female Anopheles mosquito, while probing for a blood meal, injects saliva together with Plasmodium sporozoites into the skin of the vertebrate host (1, 2). To date, a highly effective, safe and FDA-approved human vaccine against malaria has not been developed. The most establishe ...

Project Summary While studies support the efficacy of comprehensiveschool wide interventions in reducing bullyingthese types of programs can require significant time and financial resources for implementationresulting in barriers to providing school based bullying preventionespecially in low income and rural communitiesAdditionallyalthough training bystanders to act asdefenderson behalf of targets ...

PROJECT SUMMARY Genomic instabilityinduced by DNA damageand partly mitigated by DNA repair and antioxidantsplays a critical role in the pathogenesis of many major human diseasessuch as neurodegenerationcancer and cardiovascular diseasetogether with agingThere is a critical need for automated assays that can perform these assessmentsand bring them into greater routine usewhich will help advance our ...

Defense Health Agency (DHA) is seeking a multi-functional diagnostic to determine blood coagulopathy in real time at point-of-care (POC). Blood coagulopathy, resulting in uncontrolled bleeding, is implicated in 80% of operating room deaths and 50% of trau

PROJECT SUMMARY The for profit small business concernTricorder Array Technologies LLCwill developin partnership with the University of Alabama at BirminghamSIDECAReSensing and Integrating Data for Environmental Conditions in Animal ResearchThis device will automate collection of relevant data that will enhance consistency in animal models used to study human health treatment researchOur innovative ...

Triple negative breast cancerTNBCis an orphan disease that attacksUS women every yearTNBC cells lack human estrogen receptorprogesterone receptorand epidermal growth factor receptorHerthe targets of existing medicinesTNBC recurs after standard of care chemotherapy and radiationkilling its victims withinyearsNew promising therapies such as poly ADP ribosepolymerasePARPinhibitors only benefit a smal ...