A trio of research proposals led by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science faculty members has secured over $1.8 million in external grant and contract awards, marking a successful summer for funding.
Dr. Francesca Leasi (BGE), in collaboration with Florida International University, received $696,680 from the National Science Foundation for the project titled "The Evolution of Salinity Tolerance in Monogonont Rotifers."
Dr. David Giles (BGE), Dr. Bradley Harris (Civil and Chemical Engineering) and Dr. Steven Symes (Chemistry and Physics) received $396,750 from the National Institutes of Health for the project titled "In vitro and in silico investigations of changes in bacterial cell membrane dynamics due to polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) modifications."
Dr. Loren Hayes and Dr. Azad Hossain (BGE), Dr. Krysta Murillo (School of Education) and Dr. Jin Wang (Mathematics) received $749,999 from the National Science Foundation for the project titled "Integrating biological, geospatial and math modeling to understand how a changing climate impacts animal social systems."
"This series of funded grants in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science is yet another indicator of the nationally competitive scholarship that is taking place on UTC's campus," College of Arts and Sciences Dean Pam Riggs-Gelasco said. "These faculty involve undergraduate and graduate students in their work, and this experience working on cutting edge research questions amplifies their employment options after graduation."
BGE Department Head Gretchen Potts said grant funding "empowers faculty to explore new research in their fields and make substantial contributions to scholarship."
"This significant funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health will be used by Drs. Giles, Hayes, Hossain and Leasi to advance their individual projects and elevate the institution's research capacity," Ms. Potts said. "Most importantly, the funding will provide resources that benefit students, fellow researchers and the broader scope of our University's mission. I am extremely excited for these faculty as they move forward with their exciting projects."
Dr. Leasi's four-year NSF-RUI (National Science Foundation Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions) project aims to understand how certain microscopic aquatic organisms, called monogonont rotifers, can survive changes in their environment -- specifically salinity (salt level) fluctuations caused by climate and environmental changes. These tiny animals play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance by recycling organic matter and serving as a food source for larger species.
Dr. Giles was the principal investigator on a three-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant. The research will explore how Vibrio cholerae -- a type of bacteria that can cause serious disease if left untreated -- takes in fatty acids and how the changes to its membrane might make it more or less resistant to treatments. By using laboratory techniques and computer modeling, the study will uncover how these fatty acids alter the bacteria's membrane, potentially revealing new ways to combat infections.
Drs. Hayes and Hossain were co-PIs on a five-year NSF-IRES (International Research Experiences for Students) cross-disciplinary research grant project involving biology, geology and mathematics that aims to explore how environmental conditions influence animal social systems and reproductive success -- focusing on the social behavior of a small rodent species in Chile called Octodon degus. Over the course of five years, 30 undergraduate and graduate students will collaborate with experts from various Chilean universities.