Remarkable research stories from LSU No images? Click here Research Highlights | August 2023Trees Heal All WoundsLSU Biological Engineering Assistant Professor Philip Jung is developing new wound-healing technology for minimal scarring. The key ingredient—lignin—comes from wood pulp. After injecting their lignin composite into a wound and exposing it to ultraviolet light, “we just waited,” Jung said. His team is currently working with LSU’s Office of Innovation & Technology Commercialization to make the technology widely available. LSU-led Energy Innovation Team Is Finalist for Largest NSF Grant in HistoryThe National Science Foundation has chosen LSU as a finalist for one of five $160-million grants to support regional innovation. The LSU-led project to support energy transition and decarbonization across Louisiana’s industrial corridor was recently highlighted in Science. Meanwhile, LSU researchers are going to lengths and depths to educate industry, government and the public on carbon capture, use and storage and why it makes sense in Louisiana, via GreenBiz. LSU Cyber Clinic to Protect Small BusinessesLSU is the first university in the nation to receive a grant from the National Security Agency to pilot a cybersecurity clinic. The $1.5-million award will help the clinic protect small businesses in Louisiana from cybersecurity attacks. Services will be relayed through the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, which is based at LSU. The news was picked up by Business Report, The Advocate and outlets as far as Nigeria. Giving Children the Best Chance at a Healthy LifeAmanda Staiano, associate professor at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and director of the Pediatric Obesity & Health Behavior Laboratory, believes childhood obesity is at the top of the list of public health issues of this century because children with obesity are much more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes and other issues. She suggests combining screen time with physical activity through “exergaming” and wearable technologies. New Patent: Self-powered Lights to Ignite Algae IndustryAlgae has a wide variety of uses, including to produce pigments, health supplements, biofuels and biodegradable plastics. The challenge? Growing algae at scale, which requires light. Maria Teresa Gutierrez-Wing, assistant professor of research at LSU AgCenter, and LSU Adjunct Professor Jin-Woo Choi have been awarded a U.S. patent for self-sustaining lights that are powered by water movement and can be suspended at depth. The Advocate echoed the news. Rising LeaderThe Obesity Society has selected Pennington Biomedical’s Ursula White, an LSU biological sciences alumna, for the Society of Behavioral Medicine Leadership Institute. White studies the biology of obesity to find solutions to prevent and treat the disease, and will now receive training to become a highly effective leader in her field. Sweet 16: LSU Geneticist’s Research Claims Another Magazine Cover SpotLSU Boyd Professor Mark Batzer recently earned his 16th cover story since 2002 with new research on the fluidity of species and the spread of mobile genetic elements. “Everybody believes their genome is perfectly stable, and that’s exactly wrong,” Batzer said. Voyiadjis Awarded 2023 Blaise Pascal MedalBoyd Professor and Chair of the LSU Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering George Voyiadjis has been awarded the 2023 Blaise Pascal Medal for Engineering by the European Academy of Sciences. He’s one of only five scientists worldwide to receive the medal this year. LSU’s $6.1 Billion Economic Impact on Louisiana: So What?LSU Vice President of Research & Economic Development Robert Twilley puts the university’s economic impact numbers into context in Business Report. It’s about educating a skilled workforce, taking risks businesses can’t afford, being an honest broker of the truth and solving big problems. Pennington Biomedical’s Prachi Singh Gets $3.7 Million Grant to Study Combined Effects of Reduced Sleep and Intermittent FastingLimited sleep leaves more time for snacking while both can have negative consequences for cardiovascular health. Now, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, is investing in the research of Pennington Biomedical’s Prachi Singh to see if intermittent fasting can help. DARPA Taps LSU to Solve Cybersecurity Challenges in Virtual and Augmented RealityLSU researchers Ibrahim “Abe” Baggili and Andrew Webb have received $600K from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to study safety aspects of virtual and augmented reality applications for U.S. military missions and training. The project bridges technology and psychology. First LSU Engineering MIRA Award Elevates Cancer ResearchLSU Mechanical Engineering’s Manas Gartia is the first LSU Engineering faculty to receive the National Institutes of Health Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, or MIRA. The nearly $2 million grant will help Gartia develop spatial lipidomic techniques and investigate lipid-driven cell death in drug-resistant cancer. New Patent: Wild Pig BaitResearchers at the LSU AgCenter and College of Science have developed a patented solution to Louisiana’s rapidly growing wild pig problem. It is a gummy ball bait that can put pigs to sleep and tastes fishy, glows under blacklight and shares a key ingredient with bacon. EVENTLSU Science Café: |