EcoTrast-GI: a food-based oral contrast agent for radiographic imaging of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract
The team is developing an oral contrast agent (EcoTrast-GI) to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of radiographic swallowing assessments. This food-based, hypoallergenic, and generally recognized as safe (GRAS) contrast agent is purpose-designed to overcome major limitations of existing products (barium and iohexol) initially developed for other purposes (e.g., GI series, CT imaging, etc.) with different […]
Building Resilient Rural Communities
Community resilience is the capacity of individuals, communities, institutions, businesses, and systems to thrive no matter what kinds of chronic stresses and acute shocks they experience. However, rural communities often lack capacity and expertise to build collaborative resilience strategies, and existing resilience assessment frameworks fail to holistically assess rural contexts. To address these challenges, we […]
Data-Driven Battery Prognostics with Advanced Sensing Towards Second Life Applications
The increasing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is straining the battery supply chain. Upon retirement, used batteries are often discarded even though they are still suitable for repurposing in various other applications. To precise know the accurate remaining useful life of used batteries, we will develop and demonstrate a two-step screening pipeline to rapidly identify […]
Using Artificial Intelligence Driven Biostructures to Engineer Pain Therapeutics from Scorpion Venom
Chronic pain and opioid misuse demand alternative pain therapeutics. Sodium channel NaV1.8 regulates pain signal transmission. The Rowe lab discovered that scorpion venom peptides inactivate NaV1.8 to block pain in mice. The goal of this project is to use computational structural modeling of scorpion venom peptides bound to the human pain receptor NaV1.8 to engineer […]
A User-Friendly Software for De-Risking Hydrocarbon Pipelines
Pipeline integrity is crucial in the energy sector, as solid plugs from wax deposition pose significant risks. Existing prediction methods are hindered by a limited understanding of molecular mechanisms and interactions with flow assurance chemicals. To address this, we are developing software that combines mesoscale computational modeling and machine learning to simulate wax deposition. This […]
From Seed to Seeds Promoting Novel Bioeconomy to Support Restoration of Threatened Plants
The project’s goal is to contribute to helping mitigate the biodiversity crisis by co-developing methods to produce seeds for ecological restoration in partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Idaho Army National Guard. We focus on federally threatened plants (50% of threatened organisms) and use slick spot peppergrass (Lepidium […]
Liposomes for radiation-controlled release of anticancer drugs and immunotherapy agents
This research project is focused on the development of radiation-sensitive liposomes to be used for concomitant and localized radio- and chemotherapy treatment of solid tumors. Our patented technology is anticipated to mitigate the sequels associated with systemic therapy and substantially improve the clinical outcome for cancer patients.
A Vaccine to Prevent Udder Infections in Dairy Cows
Infections of the udder are one of the most economically significant diseases affecting dairy cattle and are estimated to impact the dairy industry by over $1 billion/yr. We have developed a vaccine that can be easily administered and is designed to prevent infection at the site of infection. This project will support the technology transfer […]
Safe and intelligent chatbots for effective and accessible health communication
This study aims to address the challenge of delivering effective and accessible health communication by developing intelligent chatbots for use in cancer prevention, substance use, and mental health interventions. Traditional methods, such as in-person counseling and mass media campaigns, are limited by issues of scalability, accessibility, and personalization. To overcome these limitations, we propose leveraging […]
Low Energy, No Chemical, Sustainable Wastewater Recovery and Reuse
This project uses CO2 to efficiently remove total dissolved solids (TDS) from water and wastewater with limited external input.
