Research Highlights

Dr. Jacob Downs is a new associate professor in computer science at the University of Montana. With a background in machine learning and numerical modeling regarding environmental systems he is excited to engage with SMART FIRES researchers and inspire the next generation of computer scientists.

Geoff Cook is Associate Professor of Biology and Health Science at New England College and serves as chair of NH EPSCoR's Early Career Research Trainee working group. Geoff has been involved in the New Hampshire INBRE program for many years and can attest to the positive impacts of that program on students, colleagues, and NEC. However, his research is more aligned with that of the National Science Foundation (NSF) making NH-LIFT an exciting and natural fit for his research.

Dr. Galina Glazko, associate professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and AR INBRE Bioinformatics Core Co-Director, and colleague have a new publication, “Improving data interpretability with new differential sample variance gene set tests,” in BMC Bioinformatics.

Dr. Eric Enemark, associate professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and AR INBRE Research Technology Core and Voucher Program Director, and colleague have a new publication, “Structure of the Saccharolobus solfataricus GINS tetramer,” in Structural Biology Communications.

SOCKS Postdoctoral Research Associate, Giulio Burgio, PhD co-authored a recent article published in the May 2025 issue of Nature Communications. The article, "Characteristic Scales and Adaptation in Higher-Order Contagions," presented research from Dr. Burgio's work on SOCKS.

What if a dye could help doctors see cancer cells more clearly—without invasive surgery? That’s exactly what Mississippi State University researcher Dr. Colleen Scott is working on. Her team is developing emissive dyes that glow in the presence of cancer cells, offering a powerful new way for surgeons to locate and remove tumors with precision. And her simplified methods make it easier for scientists everywhere to build on this innovation.

Drs. Scoty Hearst and Trent Selby, professors in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at Mississippi College in Clinton, Mississippi, are analyzing fish caught out of the Lower Mississippi River Basin to determine the level of toxic metals that accumulate in their flesh as part of a study funded by the Mississippi IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (Mississippi INBRE). Their results, published in a recent issue of Elsevier, indicated that some fish species, such as gar, contained levels of toxic metals exceeding safe consumption limits outlined by the World Health Organization, including lead and mercury.

Highlight for Iowa Space Grant Consortium and Iowa NASA EPSCoR supported work at University of Northern Iowa! Dr. Joshua Sebree's team is researching how life survives in extreme environments by studying water and mineral formations in South Dakota's Wind Cave National Park.

CLIMBS: The Documentary is now available to watch on the KY NSF EPSCoR YouTube channel!

If you're curious about why and how KY NSF EPSCoR plans to build climate resilience in Kentucky, this documentary will answer all of your questions.

A study published today from the University of Kansas in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis shows most infant formulas on the U.S. market contain primarily added sugars rather than the healthier, naturally occurring lactose found in cow-milk base that would be best for babies because it’s closest to human breast milk.