Three UNCG doctors receive funding

With all of the exciting advances in technology, UNCG is proud to be involved in the race. According to a recent press release, $850,000 was awarded to Dr. Yousef Haik, Dr. Parke Rublee, and Dr. Nadja Cech for use in their research projects. In total, the university system awarded over $3.8 million to 18 projects at 13 universities.

Haik is the Director of the Center of Research Excellence in Nanoscience, which started in 2007. As stated by the UNCG website, the goals of the Center are: 1. To develop novel classes of nanomaterials with superior physical and biological properties that can be functionalized for innovative biotechnologies. 2. To recruit, mentor and educate a diverse population of outstanding students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in nano-biotechnology. 3. To secure patents and transfer technologies that has commercial potential.

Haik was awarded $200,000 for Rapid Assessment of Food Allergens and Allergy biomarkers and plans to develop a medical device to detect human allergens using saliva samples and identify allergens in consumable food products.

"Allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the world," explains Dr. Haik of the importance of this project. "Newsweek reported an estimate of 11 million Americans suffer from food allergies. Experts estimate food allergies occurs in six to eight percent of children of ages four and under, and in four percent of adults. Peanut allergies doubled between 1997 and 2002 in children under five."

Parents with children who have allergies are worried about introducing new food to their children that might trigger a reaction.

Dr. M. Ahmedna from N.C. A&T, Dr. C. Young from LaBauer Health Care, Dr. H. Malkawi from UNCG, and Dr. Haik are developing a device that will allow users, with minimum training on how to use the device, to insert a small food sample and the device will perform an analysis to see if the food contains allergens.

According to Haik, the great thing about this device is that the test can be performed almost anywhere, such as in a restaurant outside of the home. It is also believed to help schools monitor food items before they are given to kids.

Haik hopes that the proof of the concept will be finished in about a year. After that, the first generation device will be completed, and then marketed by NanoMed Inc., a startup company located at the North Carolina Nano Accelerator in Greensboro.

The second doctor to receive grant money, Rublee, is a professor of biology and an aquatic ecologist by training. He received $292,010 for Integration of Novel Technology for Safeguarding Potable water.

"The project will use molecular biology approaches to develop gene probes to water quality bioindicator microorganisms, and to adapt that to work on real-time remote monitoring stations that have been developed by our partners at NCSU," says Rublee.

According to Rublee, it is important to develop bio-indicators to microorganisms because they respond rapidly to environment change and they may be pathogenic.

Ultimately, the project will develop a suite of probes that can be used to assess water quality, and monitor water for harmful changes. While there is no acute problem with water quality at the moment, the device in development is a better, more cost-effective way to monitor drinking water quality.

"If successful," explains Rublee, "the development will produce a product that can be used to prevent degradation of water quality and prevent the exposure of individuals to pollutants and pathogens, thus improving both environmental and human health."

Rublee anticipates having a prototype in about six months, with proper funding, and a device would be possible within about a year. He believes the development of a truly comprehensive and automated system will likely occur in steps and take two to five years, depending on the level of investment.

The final doctor to receive funding is Nadja Cech, principal investigator of her project, as well as an associate professor of Analytical Chemistry.

Cech was awarded $363,846 for "Production of Echinacea with optimal Bioactivity, Improving market value of a N.C. crop."

As stated in a proposal to the UNC Research Competitiveness Fund, Echinacea is the most used natural remedy for curing colds and the flu. The reason prescriptions have not been being written in the U.S. is results from clinical trials have varied. Some show a positive result while others show no effect at all.

Cech and her team, including Dr. Noah W. Allen from UNCA, Dr. Jeanine M. Davis of NCSU, Dr. Scott M. Laster from NCSU, and Dr. Gregory M. Raner of UNCG, have discovered there needs to be more careful quality control in order to get more accurate results.

The project summary outlines the long term goal of the group's research as developing "effective therapeutic preparations based on Echinacea grown in North Carolina."

"The major goal of the project is to benefit farmers in the state of North Carolina by showing with growing conditions produce Echinacea with particularly high efficacy," explains Cech.

Cech also believes what they learn should help farmers in the area so they can produce crops with higher market value. Echinacea, she believes, could also be good for treating illnesses such as a cold.

When asked the time period until this project will be completed, Cech says the six-month grant was only the beginning. She expects the project to be worked on for years to come.