Grant List
Represents Grant table in the DB
GET /v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1392&sort=-awardee_organization
{ "links": { "first": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1&sort=-awardee_organization", "last": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1424&sort=-awardee_organization", "next": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1393&sort=-awardee_organization", "prev": "https://cic-apps.datascience.columbia.edu/v1/grants?page%5Bnumber%5D=1391&sort=-awardee_organization" }, "data": [ { "type": "Grant", "id": "1293", "attributes": { "award_id": "2034794", "title": "RAPID--Physical principles of self-assembly of SARS-CoV-2: Theory with input from experiment", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)" ], "program_reference_codes": [ "096Z", "7569", "7573", "7914", "8084" ], "program_officials": [ { "id": 3320, "first_name": "Daryl", "last_name": "Hess", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2020-07-01", "end_date": "2022-06-30", "award_amount": 200000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 3324, "first_name": "Roya", "last_name": "Zandi", "orcid": null, "emails": "[email protected]", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 3321, "first_name": "Umar", "last_name": "Mohideen", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, { "id": 3322, "first_name": "Thomas E", "last_name": "Kuhlman", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, { "id": 3323, "first_name": "Marcus", "last_name": "Kaul", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "NONTECHNICAL SUMMARYThis award is made on a RAPID proposal in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Dear Colleague Letter. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family of coronaviruses and is responsible for the current pandemic. Untangling the steps and stages of how the components of the virus assemble themselves to make it is challenging. In contrast to icosahedral viruses which are shaped like a geodesic dome with 20 triangular sides, coronaviruses are heterogeneous both in size and morphology complicating their statistical reconstruction. While a fair amount of theory has been done for the assembly of icosahedral viruses, such an analysis has not been attempted for coronaviruses with their attendant complexities. Since viruses have no independent energy source, assembly and budding strategies rely mainly on a combination of equilibrium statistical physics and the exploitation of active cellular processes hijacked for the formation of the virus. This project is focused on the investigating the assembly of SARS-CoV-2 both theoretically and through computer simulations. Due to the lack of data necessary for the theory, this project also contains an experimental component. The project is focused on advancing understanding of the role of SARS-CoV2 structural proteins in its self-assembly using experiments. In particular, the PIs will use microscopy to study viral assembly within human cells and in vitro models, and to characterize particles collected from cells. The goal of experiments is to provide the basic necessary parameters for the theoretical investigation. By carrying out theory and experiment in concert, the PIs will obtain a deeper and more mechanistic understanding of the formation and assembly of SARS-CoV-2, which can contribute to the rapid design of effective drug therapies and thus will have a crucial role in combating the threat of the present and future global pandemic outbreaks of such coronaviruses.TECHNICAL SUMMARYThe research supported through this award made on RAPID proposal will enable the development of coarse-grained simulations to study the role of several proteins involved in the formation of SARS-CoV-2 responsible for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is spreading rapidly across the world, with tremendous adverse impact on health and the economy. Due to the urgency of the issue, numerous complementary strategies should be employed to tackle the problem and to improve the knowledge and information base. SARS-CoV-2 forms at the membrane of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Golgi Intermediate Compartment (ERGIC). The assembly of SARS-CoV-2 is unique compared to many other viruses as both the assembly and budding occur simultaneously at the ERGIC membrane. Despite some investigation, very little is known of the assembly pathway or mechanism. This project is aimed to advance understanding of how SARS-CoV-2 assembles and provides a platform for other fundamental investigations to develop drugs and other strategies for treatment. A better understanding of physical principles involved in the formation of SARS-CoV-2 will advance the means of defeating the virus. The research team will employ the methods of soft condensed matter and statistical mechanics of virus assembly, using both equilibrium and nonequilibrium approaches. Since virus assembly is akin to a thermodynamic phase transition, nucleation and growth theory will be used for the kinetics. Using the law of mass action and classical nucleation theory the PIs explore how the protein concentration, solution condition, that is, pH and salt concentration, influence the degree of assembly and budding. The analytical theory will be augmented by Monte Carlo simulations in grand canonical ensembles. This award also has an experimental component guided by the needs of the theory and simulation effort.The particular intellectual merit of this proposal is the development of a dynamical theory of the coupled shape fluctuations of the membrane and the diffusion of proteins bound to it, and the testing of these results by the analysis of the experiments proposed.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "2003", "attributes": { "award_id": "2029575", "title": "RAPID: Older adults’ learning and adaptation as resilience processes to counter social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE)" ], "program_reference_codes": [ "059Z", "096Z", "7914" ], "program_officials": [ { "id": 5350, "first_name": "Soo-Siang", "last_name": "Lim", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2020-06-01", "end_date": "2023-05-31", "award_amount": 132474, "principal_investigator": { "id": 5352, "first_name": "Rachel", "last_name": "Wu", "orcid": null, "emails": "[email protected]", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": "['http://callalab.com', 'https://osf.io']", "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 5351, "first_name": "Carla M", "last_name": "Strickland-Hughes", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, { "id": 31236, "first_name": "Lilian", "last_name": "Azer", "orcid": null, "emails": "[email protected]", "private_emails": null, "keywords": "[]", "approved": true, "websites": "[]", "desired_collaboration": "", "comments": "", "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "The mental health and well-being of older adults are being threatened by the COVID-19 social distancing requirements that have limited social connectivity. For older adults, long-term social isolation predicts cognitive decline trajectories, reduced subjective well-being, and increased mortality. Thus, the COVID-19 global pandemic could intensify negative aging trajectories, even for healthy older adults. The proposed research will investigate factors that lead to or mitigate against social isolation and loneliness amid the current physical distancing restrictions. The primary hypothesis is that resilience across adulthood is dependent on two theoretically-derived factors: engagement in novel skill learning and positive personal beliefs. The results of these studies could guide the design of future interventions, such as supportive learning opportunities through technology. The unknown duration of the physical distancing restrictions, and the potential for future waves of infection drive the urgency of this research to develop enhanced resilience pathways. This RAPID proposal seeks to examine social distancing in older adults and other potentially vulnerable populations through three aims: 1) Investigate how and to what extent different demographic groups (e.g. age, SES) are staying socially connected despite physical distancing; 2) Evaluate how learning and adaptive behaviors, and personal beliefs about age/abilities, predict successful social connectivity, higher subjective well-being, and lower levels of isolation and loneliness during the pandemic; and 3) Conduct match pair-comparisons with older adults who previously participated in a learning intervention promoting adaptation and positive beliefs. Integrating beliefs and behaviors to predict outcomes is central to Social Cognitive Theory. The current research will collect data before and after restrictions are revised to assess an extended conceptual model of this theory that focuses specifically on novel skill learning for adaptation. Findings from this project will inform development of infrastructures to better support older adults under social distancing practices of COVID-19 and other future crises.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "2054", "attributes": { "award_id": "2029411", "title": "RAPID: Collaborative Research: Electrospun Nanofibrous Air Filters for Coronavirus Control", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Engineering (ENG)" ], "program_reference_codes": [ "096Z", "7237", "7914" ], "program_officials": [ { "id": 5517, "first_name": "Nora", "last_name": "Savage", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2020-05-01", "end_date": "2023-04-30", "award_amount": 130000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 5518, "first_name": "Yun", "last_name": "Shen", "orcid": null, "emails": "[email protected]", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "A collaborative team consisting of researchers from The George Washington University and the University of California, Riverside is developing electrospun nanofibrous air filters for controlling the transmission of coronavirus, including SARS-CoV-2. The pandemic of COVID-19 has raised a significant public health concern in 2020. The spread of COVID-19 is difficult to control, because SARS-CoV-2 is environmentally persistent and it can potentially be suspended in aerosols for long-range, airborne transmission and infection. Air filtration is crucial to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission, however most air filters used in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are not effective for retaining viruses. As personal protective equipment for healthcare personnel or even the general public, respirators and masks that can effectively capture the virus are also urgently needed for this pandemic. Electrospinning has emerged as a novel technology to synthesize non-woven nanofibrous mats, and it is both industrially viable for large-scale manufacturing and deployable onsite for small-scale applications by a portable device. The fabricated nanofibrous mats are ideal for air filtration, because they have a reduced pore size to efficiently capture the virus, a large porosity to reduce air pressure drop in filtration, well-controlled properties, and mechanical robustness and flexibility. This RAPID research project will rationally design and fabricate novel nanomaterial-based air filters for coronavirus control, understand the interplay between viral pathogens and nanomaterials in complex environmental matrices, and initiate a fast response for protecting the public health with engineering tools. The project will provide training to students in science and engineering areas and offer them hands-on research experience, and introduce students from diverse backgrounds and educational levels, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to cutting-edge research in STEM. In addition, the project will disseminate the acquired knowledge through education modules, scientific journals and conferences, and science fairs, which will help increase the scientific literacy of the general public. The research team aims to rationally design and fabricate electrospun nanofibrous air filters that are effective, low-cost, scalable, and easy for implementation for coronavirus control, including SARS-CoV-2, and to understand the mechanism of coronavirus removal in air filtration. The researchers will first develop electrospun nanofibrous air filters with diverse morphologies, retained charges, and selective binding sites to enhance the capture of bioaerosols containing coronavirus. Coronavirus removal efficiency under different environmental conditions will next be evaluated to understand the performance and robustness of the air filters. Key virus-nanomaterial interactions will be identified with the aid of both simulation and experimental tools, which can guide future air filter design and optimization. For this RAPID project, the researchers will also test the performance of air filters for removing SARS-CoV-2 in a healthcare facility that houses COVID-19 patients. The proposed research will contribute significantly to nanotechnology, microbiology, and environmental engineering, and it can be potentially transformative in the field of materials at large in terms of multiscale, rational, functional design. It will not only provide a rapid response to COVID-19 outbreaks and public health protection, but also be translated into controlling other virulent pathogens. The project will provide training to students in STEM, particularly introduce students from underrepresented groups and students from diverse backgrounds and educational levels to cutting-edge research. Moreover, the project will disseminate the acquired knowledge to help increase the scientific literacy of the general public.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "2094", "attributes": { "award_id": "2029516", "title": "RAPID: How Do Small Businesses Cope with the Impacts of COVID-19? From A Community Perspective", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Engineering (ENG)" ], "program_reference_codes": [ "036E", "041E", "042E", "096Z", "7914", "9102" ], "program_officials": [ { "id": 5631, "first_name": "Daan", "last_name": "Liang", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2020-06-01", "end_date": "2021-05-31", "award_amount": 53196, "principal_investigator": { "id": 5633, "first_name": "Qingfang", "last_name": "Wang", "orcid": null, "emails": "[email protected]", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [ { "id": 5632, "first_name": "Huili", "last_name": "Hao", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) project examines the impacts of COVID-19 on small businesses, and how they and their communities react to and cope with associated challenges. Small businesses currently account for 99.9 percent of US firms and employ 47.5 percent of all US workers. Yet, small businesses are more likely to be economically vulnerable, be under-insured, and less likely to have contingency plans. In particular, small businesses in underrepresented communities and peripheral areas face formidable barriers and challenges in preparing for and responding to emergencies and social or natural disasters. This study’s interdisciplinary approach and analytical results will help public policy address disparity and inequality issues, in particular the opportunities and challenges facing small business owners. In addition, it unpacks one facet of community recovery – the importance of businesses’ ability to continue operating and employing people. Therefore, the study will enhance knowledge about how empowering local businesses, increasing diverse employment opportunities, and enhancing private sector enterprises' adaptive capacity contribute to broader community-level resilience.This project examines small business vulnerability and resilience through small businesses’ responses to COVID-19 and their adaptation practices within communities, drawing upon data gathered from business surveys and in-depth interviews. It also explores different approaches to risk mitigation and business preparedness intended to enhance their future resilience. This study goes beyond the traditional lens of physical and financial resources, emphasizing the strength of community-based networks in helping small businesses promptly respond to disasters, and how these networks influence the links between economic and social, and between individual and community resilience. It examines a broad spectrum of businesses under the impacts of social and public health crisis, and particularly highlights the role of social inequalities, unemployment, and low income as a critical source of vulnerability and lack of resilience.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "2940", "attributes": { "award_id": "1849971", "title": "CRII: III: Scalable Noise-filtering and Community Queries on User-generated Data", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)", "Info Integration & Informatics" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 8906, "first_name": "Sylvia", "last_name": "Spengler", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2019-08-15", "end_date": "2022-07-31", "award_amount": 174854, "principal_investigator": { "id": 8907, "first_name": "Amr", "last_name": "Magdy", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "This project investigates novel indexing and querying techniques that enable scientists to analyze and extract meaningful data from large repositories of user-generated data. The need for such techniques is significant, especially for user-generated social media data, which is the major repository of user-generated data and the largest archived and real-time source of human behavior and information. Thus, scientists are widely using this data in disciplines as disparate as sociology, behavioral sciences, education, spatial sciences, food sciences, medical studies, and political sciences. This project focuses on innovative indexing and querying techniques to enable scientists to effectively exploit user-generated data at a large scale.\n\nThe planned research adds new data management infrastructure modules to support: (1) Scalable noise filtering queries, a subset of selection queries that are needed repeatedly and are expressed in SQL-based systems as multiple nested queries, which is not efficient for large datasets. To support this, the project investigates techniques for: (a) Advanced query conjunctions, e.g., BUT-NOT and EITHER-XOR, to scale up complex-predicate queries beyond basic search queries that are currently supported in data management systems. (b) Scalable contextual scoring of data records, e.g., based on sentiment or semantics, so irrelevant records are pruned early and the search space is downsized significantly. (2) Scalable community-centric queries that enables scientists to ask queries about communities with large numbers of users while having real-time query response beyond what is currently supported by graph data management technology. The project investigates indexing, query processing, and storage optimization techniques that scale up such queries at a system-level.\n\nThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "2964", "attributes": { "award_id": "1905374", "title": "Mechanistic investigation of DNA cleavage and specificity in CRISPR-Cas9", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)", "Chemistry of Life Processes" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 9021, "first_name": "Catalina", "last_name": "Achim", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2019-09-01", "end_date": "2022-08-31", "award_amount": 450000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 9022, "first_name": "Giulia", "last_name": "Palermo", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "With this award, the Chemistry of Life Processes Program in the Chemistry Division is funding Dr. Giulia Palermo from the University of California, Riverside, to investigate the molecular basis of DNA cleavage and specificity in the CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat)-Cas9 system through computational methods. The CRISPR-Cas9 technology is a method that makes precise modification of the genome of an organism (including that of humans) possible. The technology is based on the use of a nuclease, an enzyme capable of cutting the double stranded DNA, and an RNA molecule that is bound to the enzyme and guides the enzyme to the site in the DNA where the cut is to take place. This research seeks to understand the mechanism by which the enzyme functions using computational methods developed by Dr. Palermo and her collaborators. The results of this study may aid in the development of more efficient genome editing technologies and their applications in biological research, biofuels production, and the development of drought-resistant crops with enhanced nutritional value. The project involves an outreach and mentoring program, which includes hands-on sessions for high school students from underrepresented minority groups and teachers.\n\nCRISPR-Cas9 is a bacterial adaptive immune system that is revolutionizing basic and applied life sciences by enabling a facile genome editing technology. This project provides detailed understanding of how this system edits and manipulates nucleic acids, which is of importance for improving the genome editing capability. This research project seeks to characterize the mechanism of DNA cleavage and specificity of the Streptococcus Pyogenes (Sp) CRISPR-Cas9 system by using state-of-the-art computational methods. The project employs a mixed quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach and ab-initio Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations (using the Born-Oppenheimer and Car-Parrinello approaches) in combination with free energy methods to investigate the catalytic mechanism of DNA cleavage in CRISPR-Cas9. These methodologies may elucidate the catalytic role of metal ions, which are critical for the enzymatic processing of DNA. Classical MD and enhanced sampling techniques are employed to investigate the mechanism of DNA specificity, characterizing the conformational changes arising from the binding of altered DNA sequences and how they affect the catalysis. Theoretical investigations are performed in collaboration with experimentalists. The new theory assists in the interpretation of experimental data and makes possible predictions that can be tested in the laboratory.\n\nThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "3443", "attributes": { "award_id": "1842718", "title": "EAGER: 2D Nanomaterials-Bioreceptor Hybrid Optoelectronic Biosensors", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Engineering (ENG)", "BIOSENS-Biosensing" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 11034, "first_name": "Aleksandr", "last_name": "Simonian", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2018-08-15", "end_date": "2021-07-31", "award_amount": 149999, "principal_investigator": { "id": 11035, "first_name": "Ashok", "last_name": "Mulchandani", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Sensitive, selective, rapid, cost-effective detection of chemicals and biological molecules is critical in many sectors of society. The goal of this project is to develop a novel biosensor consisting of optoelectronic transducer (a device that converts light to an electronic signal) composed of two layers of nanomaterials graphene and molybdenum disulfide coupled with biological sensing molecules. When molecular targets are present in liquid samples, the biological molecules will sense them and the transducer will provide a readout signaled by a change the optoelectronic properties of the device. The proposed device will find a broad spectrum of applications critical for society, such as diagnosing diseases, monitoring food, water and environment quality and safety and personal/homeland security. \n\n\nAffinity-based biosensors are analytical platforms that detect analytes through specific interactions between analyte targets and recognition molecules. Current affinity-based biosensor require a label for quantification. The lack of an ideal label and tedious/time consuming protocol are major limitations of the current affinity-based biosensors. Field-effect transistors (FET)-based biosensors are an alternative for alleviating these limitations. The proposed research will develop a novel all two-dimensional layered van der Waals (LVDW) nanomaterial-bioreceptor hybrid optoelectronic biosensor for detecting chemical/biological molecules with ultrahigh sensitivity, exquisite selectivity and label-free analysis. The proposed optoelectronic device will be a photogated FET transducer made from single-layer of 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) semiconductor as channel/gate, single-layer graphene as source and drain electrodes and a red LED as photons supplier. The MoS2 channel will be functionalized by bioreceptor specific for the target analyte. The analytical figures of merits, i.e. sensitivity, limit of detection, selectivity, speed, reproducibility, stability, etc., will be established. The sensing of avidin as target with biotin as receptor will be used as a model system for this EAGER project. Intellectual merits of the research program include a novel biosensor consisting of optoelectronic transducer composed of a heterostructure of two-dimensional nanomaterials graphene and molybdenum disulfide coupled with a red light LED and interfaced to biological sensing molecules that is expected to revolutionize the designs and performances of FET-based label-free affinity biosensors platforms. Broader Impacts of the project would be a new paradigm in label-free affinity-based biosensors for highly sensitive, selective, rapid, cost-effective, facile and in-field multiplexed detection of chemical and biological molecules. The proposed sensing platform is expected to find applications in medical diagnostics, food safety and quality, environmental monitoring, homeland/personal security, etc. This research will help increase (i) US technological competitiveness; (ii) develop a globally competitive STEM workforce; (iii) increase participation of women and underrepresented minorities; and (iv) contribute to undergraduate and graduate STEM education.\n\nThis award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "4003", "attributes": { "award_id": "1719550", "title": "Physics Virus of Assembly and Maturation: energetics and dynamics", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS)", "CONDENSED MATTER & MAT THEORY" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 13416, "first_name": "Daryl", "last_name": "Hess", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2017-12-15", "end_date": "2021-11-30", "award_amount": 330000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 13417, "first_name": "Roya", "last_name": "Zandi", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Nontechnical Summary\n\nThis award supports theoretical and computational research, and education at the interface of materials research and biology and is aimed to advance understanding of how RNA viruses assemble. They infect bacteria, plants, and animals among many other hosts, and with all degrees of severity. All viruses, from the simplest to the most complicated, are built from a protein shell called the capsid which protects the genetic materials (RNA or DNA) they contain. The focus of this project is on single stranded RNA viruses that under many circumstances readily assemble from solutions containing capsid proteins and genome molecules. Due to advances in experimental techniques that probe living and inanimate matter at the nanoscale, the number of experiments investigating the physical basis of self-assembly and maturation of viral particles are soaring. This research project involves applying the methods of elasticity theory, and statistical and polymer physics to develop a physical model to explain experiments related to the formation of different viruses. The PI will engage three related projects. The first is to understand the factors that contribute to the efficient assembly and stability of spherical viral particles. The PI will study how the shape of RNA or to be mathematically precise, RNA topology, affects the size, shape and stability of viral shells and how the capsid structure and charge density in turn influences the structure of the encapsulated RNA. The second project involves analyzing the structure of immature human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) shell built from protein subunits, packed with local hexagonal shape and surrounded by a lipid bilayer. An intriguing feature of the immature HIV-1 is the presence of small and large gaps, covering about 30% of the surface of the enclosing membrane. The origin of the gaps is not well understood. The PI will explore what physical properties of protein subunits give rise to the structures similar to the immature HIV shell. Finally, the last project is devoted to the process of maturation of the spherical immature HIV particles, which involves cleavage of HIV immature building blocks by a set of chemical reactions leading to the assembly of the intriguing HIV conical capsid. Through the understanding of the interplay of RNA shape and the way viral capsid structure emerges, this project will advance understanding of the process of self-assembly which shapes much of the biomolecular world as well as biomaterials and polymer-based materials.\n\nUnderstanding the physical factors that influence the formation of virus particles is currently finding applications in nanotechnology, actuators, drug delivery and gene therapy and can play a vital role in the development of new anti-viral therapies. Furthermore, this project will contribute to the education of undergraduate and graduate students, and particularly to the training of the next generation of soft condensed matter, polymer, and biological physicists in a multidisciplinary environment. The PI will also organize an outreach program for young women middle school students.\n\n\nTechnical Summary \n\nThis award supports theoretical and computational research and education at the interface of material science, soft condensed matter physics and biology. This project involves the extension of recent progress in the statistical theory of soft matter to the physics of viruses, which corresponds to the long-standing charge over-compensation problem in the physics of polyelectrolytes, the controversies about the impact of annealing and pseudoknots on the adsorption of RNA to the oppositely charged wall, and the structure of macromolecules under confinement. The research is focused on the statistical mechanics of viral self-assembly, both in equilibrium and far from equilibrium. The self-assembly and maturation of virus particles will be studied through developing new computational and theoretical models. The self-consistent field theory of polyelectrolytes needs to be extended to consider self-interaction of RNA while confined in a viral shell. Of particular interest is how the free energy of viral particles is influenced by the topology of RNA while interacting with the positively charged N-terminal domain of capsid proteins. The PI and her group will investigate the impact of the thermodynamic parameters on the size and geometry of the assembly products with the aim to explain the phenomena of co-existence and polymorphism observed in many virus assembly experiments. The PI combines the equilibrium statistical theory and classical nucleation theory to study how kinetic barriers influence the final structure of capsids. In view of complexity of the physics, in additional to analytical calculations, the PI will perform a series of both Monte Carlo and Brownian dynamics computer simulations to explore both the equilibrium and kinetic aspects of viral self-assembly and maturation. The important questions to be addressed are: What physical considerations govern the maturation of HIV particles? and What determines the ratio of different assembled structures from a solution of capsid proteins and genome molecules? The PI and her team will invetigate the impact of changes in the mechanical properties of coat proteins after protease cleavage, resulting in the transformation of the immature HIV to the mature conical capsid.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "4120", "attributes": { "award_id": "1617424", "title": "TWC: Small: Collaborative: Improving Android Security with Dynamic Slicing", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE)", "Secure &Trustworthy Cyberspace" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 13847, "first_name": "Sol", "last_name": "Greenspan", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2016-09-01", "end_date": "2020-08-31", "award_amount": 250000, "principal_investigator": { "id": 13848, "first_name": "Rajiv", "last_name": "Gupta", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "Mobile devices have been very successful and continue to expand their user base. However, the very features that have made these devices successful, e.g., rich sensor inputs (GPS, camera, microphone) and continuous Internet connectivity, have also made the devices a favorite target for attackers. Attacks can have many negative consequences, from stealing users' secrets to spying on the users or installing viruses that render devices inoperable. This project will develop dynamic slicing techniques so that developers and researchers will be able to gain effective insights into device and app behavior, including malicious apps; this will make it easier to construct secure apps and to find/eliminate malicious behavior, which in turn will benefit mobile device users. Undergraduate and graduate students will be introduced to new approaches to smartphone security, which will make students better equipped for tackling emerging software research and development challenges.\n\nDynamic slicing (analyzing an execution to identify relevant code and data dependences) is a particularly effective technique for addressing a wide range of security problems. This project will develop a dynamic slicer for Android and then use the slicer, as well as its integration with other existing tools, for three main security applications. First, improving dynamic taint analysis via efficient, effective, integrated control/data slicing. Second, finding relevant parts in the input to identity which sensor stream and part thereof are responsible for security-relevant behavior, e.g., attack, crash, botnet operation, or use of anti-detection techniques. Third, Undo Computing, in particular combining slicing with record-and-replay to support undo computing on Android. These lines of work are expected to lead to advances in: security, e.g., precise and effective dynamic taint tracking, finding leaks due to control dependences, understanding botnet behavior, principled discovery of anti-detection techniques, separating benign from malicious state changes; and program analysis, e.g., slicing programs that are event-oriented or rely heavily on inter-process communication; computing input/data/code interdependences in the presence of high-throughput event streams.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } }, { "type": "Grant", "id": "4432", "attributes": { "award_id": "1512764", "title": "UNS: Engineering Infection-Free Implants for Skeletal Reconstruction", "funder": { "id": 3, "ror": "https://ror.org/021nxhr62", "name": "National Science Foundation", "approved": true }, "funder_divisions": [ "Engineering (ENG)", "Disability & Rehab Engineering" ], "program_reference_codes": [], "program_officials": [ { "id": 15144, "first_name": "Grace", "last_name": "Hwang", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [] } ], "start_date": "2015-10-01", "end_date": "2021-09-30", "award_amount": 315569, "principal_investigator": { "id": 15145, "first_name": "Huinan", "last_name": "Liu", "orcid": null, "emails": "", "private_emails": "", "keywords": null, "approved": true, "websites": null, "desired_collaboration": null, "comments": null, "affiliations": [ { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true } ] }, "other_investigators": [], "awardee_organization": { "id": 153, "ror": "", "name": "University of California-Riverside", "address": "", "city": "", "state": "CA", "zip": "", "country": "United States", "approved": true }, "abstract": "More than 50 million people per year worldwide need synthetic implants to help recover from bone loss or injury resulting from trauma or disease. This project seeks to develop a new class of materials that, for the first time, has all of the properties of an ideal implant: it should support body weight and mechanical stress, suppress infection, enhance bone healing, and ultimately dissolve harmlessly as bone tissue grows back. While more than 100 synthetic bone grafts are approved for clinical use, none of them has all of these properties. This research not only addresses the challenges in treating critical-sized large bone defects to restore mobility and independent life of patients, but also significantly reduces the clinical dependence on antibiotics and expensive growth factors, thus reducing associated side effects (e.g., antibiotic resistance) and health care costs. The outcome of this research will lead to the next-generation implants that have the combined advantages of current metallic and polymeric implants while eliminating their problems. More broadly, this project will open up new avenues of research in smart resorbable materials, build the foundation for practical design guidelines, benefit millions of patients with skeletal injuries or diseases, and attract significant interests of implant industry for technology transfer. These, in turn, will increase the competitiveness of U.S. companies in the global medical device market. The integrated research and education plans will also have broader impacts on graduate, undergraduate, and pre-college education as well as public awareness about engineering solutions that benefit health care. In collaboration with the existing programs at the University of California, Riverside, the Principal Investigator will attract underrepresented minority students and students with disabilities, motivate pre-college students through fun biomaterial modules with ALPHA center and MESA Schools Programs, and educate the public through collaborative events with Bourns Science and Engineering Day. \n\nThe overall objective of this project is to engineer a novel resorbable antibacterial osteoinductive implant (RAOI) that will bear weight and resist bending and torsion. Specifically, the RAOI consists of bioresorbable, biocompatible and mechanically strong magnesium alloys as the bulk substrate and engineered nanostructures on the surface to prevent infection and enhance bone regeneration. The novelty of RAOI design lies in its integrated multifunctionality that can potentially meet ALL criteria for an ideal implant for the first time. To unlock the full potential of magnesium alloys, we must address the critical scientific and engineering challenge of controlling their degradation rate. Our novel approach is to create engineered nanostructures on the surface of magnesium alloys to achieve the three key functions simultaneously: (1) modulate degradation rate of bulk magnesium substrates, (2) reduce adhesion and viability of pathogenic bacteria, and (3) enhance adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells for faster bone healing.", "keywords": [], "approved": true } } ], "meta": { "pagination": { "page": 1392, "pages": 1424, "count": 14236 } } }