Trustees Of The Hamline University Of Minnesota

HAMLINE UNIVERSITY CARES ACT INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, HIGHER EDUCATION EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDS - IHES

STUDENT PATHWAYS TO BELONGING AND SUCCESS

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ACQUISITION: NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

TRANSITION TO TEACHING PROGRAM (LOCAL)

PIPERS TO PROFESSIONALS - UNDERSERVED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT PAID INTERNSHIPS PROGRAM

LITTLE EARTH UNITED TRIBE: CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION

PROFESSIONAL EXCHANGES - OPEN COMPETITION

MASS SHOOTER DATABASE

HAMLINE UNIVERSITY, REGULAR STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES PROJECT

RACE IN A BOTTLE: LAW COMMERCE AND THE PRODUCTION OF RACIAL CATEGORIES IN BIOME

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: INTERFACING STUDENTS AT THREE UNIVERSITIES TO ELUCIDATE ENZYMATIC TRANSFORMATIONS OF GUANIDE COMPOUNDS THAT IMPACT HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT -WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE CHEMISTRY OF LIFE PROCESSES (CLP) PROGRAM IN THE DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY, DRS. MARTIN ST. MAURICE FROM MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, LAWRENCE WACKETT FROM UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES, AND BETSY MARTINEZ-VAZ FROM HAMLINE UNIVERSITY ARE STUDYING THE ENZYMES AND METABOLIC PATHWAYS THAT MICROBES USE TO DEGRADE GUANIDE AND BIGUANIDE COMPOUNDS THAT ARE COMMONLY FOUND IN FERTILIZERS, FUEL PROPELLANTS AND PHARMACEUTICALS. THE MOST NOTABLE EXAMPLE IS THE BIGUANIDE DRUG METFORMIN, WHICH REPRESENTS THE FOURTH MOST PRESCRIBED PHARMACEUTICAL ON THE PLANET. METFORMIN IS ENTERING WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS AT AN ALARMING RATE, WITH NO CLEAR SENSE OF HOW IT IS BEING DEGRADED BY MICROORGANISMS. USING DETAILED STUDIES OF ENZYME STRUCTURE/FUNCTION, CHEMICAL BIOLOGY, COMPARATIVE GENOMICS AND MICROBIOLOGY, THIS PROJECT AIMS TO IDENTIFY THE METABOLIC PATHWAY(S) AND CHARACTERIZE THE BACTERIAL ENZYMES RESPONSIBLE FOR BIODEGRADING METFORMIN AND RELATED GUANIDE AND BIGUANIDE COMPOUNDS. THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE USEFUL DATA TO ASSIST SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER BIOREMEDIATION PRACTICES IN MUNICIPAL WATER TREATMENT PLANTS WHERE METFORMIN IS A MAJOR ENTERING CHEMICAL. FURTHER, THIS PROJECT INTEGRATES TEACHING, MENTORSHIP AND TRAINING ACROSS THREE UNIVERSITIES BY INCORPORATING THE PROPOSED RESEARCH DIRECTLY INTO GRADUATE TRAINING, MULTI-INSTITUTIONAL UNDERGRADUATE COURSES, CAREER MENTORSHIP AND SUMMER INTERNSHIPS, SIGNIFICANTLY BROADENING THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT. THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO GENERATE A COMPREHENSIVE DESCRIPTION OF THE METABOLIC PATHWAYS THAT ARE AVAILABLE NATURALLY FOR THE DEGRADATION OF GUANIDINIUM COMPOUNDS BY MICROBIAL SPECIES AND THEIR RELEVANT ENZYMES IN WASTEWATER AND ALSO IN THE HUMAN GUT ENVIRONMENT. THE CENTRAL METABOLIC ARTERY INCLUDES THE COMBINED ACTIVITIES OF GUANYLUREA HYDROLASE, GUANIDINE CARBOXYLASE, CARBOXYGUANIDINE DEIMINASE AND ALLOPHANATE HYDROLASE. THE MOLECULAR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SUBSTRATE SELECTIVITY OF GUANIDINE CARBOXYLASE WILL BE CHARACTERIZED BY X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND ENZYME KINETIC ANALYSIS. THE STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE CARBOXYGUANIDINE DEIMINASE ENZYME WILL BE EXAMINED BY INVESTIGATING THE MECHANISM OF CATALYSIS, THE FUNCTIONAL ROLE OF THE SUBUNITS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SUBSTRATE CHANNELING. THE PATHWAY AND ENZYME(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR BACTERIAL METFORMIN DEGRADATION WILL BE IDENTIFIED BY A COMBINATION OF ENZYME ISOLATION, PURIFICATION, AND COMPARATIVE GENOMICS, ACROSS POTENTIALLY RELEVANT BACTERIAL SPECIES, FOLLOWED BY DETAILED STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE METFORMIN-DEGRADING ENZYME(S). THIS PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE NEW INFORMATION ON HOW BIGUANIDE COMPOUNDS ARE FUNNELED INTO BIODEGRADATION PATHWAYS, PROVIDING A GATEWAY TO BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW ONE IMPORTANT CLASS OF NITROGEN-RICH MAN-MADE COMPOUNDS, PRODUCED ACROSS A VARIETY OF INDUSTRIAL SECTORS, IS ENVIRONMENTALLY DEGRADED. 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.

FY15 NAGPRA CONSULTATION AWARD

THE PLACE OF RACE IN GENE PATENTING AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT

IN COLLABORATION WITH KAUA I NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX STAFF, THE HAMLINE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION WILL CREATE A POCKET GALLERY SMARTPHONE APP FOR BOTH APPLE IOS AND ANDROID ABOUT THE KAUA I NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE COMPLEX PHASE III AND CREATE NEW CONTENT FOR THE APP AND THE MULTIMEDIA GALLERY EXHIBIT KIOSKS AT THE REFUGE PHASE IV CGEE WILL LEASE TWO MULTIMEDIA GALLERY EXHIBIT KIOSKS CG 27 MULTI TOUCH KIOSK AND CG 42 MULTI TOUCH KIOSK TO THE REFUGE COMPLEX AND MANAGE AND MAINTAIN THE KIOSK HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE OVER THE COURSE OF THE PROJECT

MRI-R2: ACQUISITION OF A GENE EXPRESSION MONITORING SYSTEM TO ENHANCE FACULTY-STUDENT COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH

MRI: ACQUISITION OF A PORTABLE X-RAY FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETER AT HAMLINE UNIVERSITY

KILAUEA POINT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MULTIMEDIA GALLERY

THE IMPACT OF JUVENILE CORRECTIONAL CONFINEMENT ON THE TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD AND DESISTANCE FROM CRIME

COLLABORATIVE PROJECT: WORKSHOPS AND LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY FACULTY

DESCRIPTION:THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT IS TO USE BISMUTH NANOPARTICLES TO DETECT LEAD THROUGH COLOR CHANGE. THIS PROCESS CAN BE APPLIED TO TAP WATER DRINKING SYSTEMS AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES.ACTIVITIES:THE STUDENT TEAM WILL RESEARCH, ANALYZE AND CHARACTERIZE THE ABILITY OF BISMUTH NANOPARTICLES TO DETECT LEAD IONS IN AN APPLICATION THAT TYPICALLY USES GOLD NANOPARTICLES. BISMUTH, LIKE GOLD, IS CONSIDERED ENVIRONMENTALLY NONTOXIC TO HUMANS, BUT IS A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN GOLD AND CAN OXIDIZE IN ITS NANOPARTICLE FORM TO MAKE VISUAL COLOR CHANGE DETECTION A LOT SIMPLER. A CONTROL TEST USING GOLD NANOPARTICLES WILL BE USED TO DETERMINE THE VIABILITY OF BISMUTH NANOPARTICLES TO DETECT LEAD.SUBRECIPIENT:NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.OUTCOMES:POTENTIAL RESULTS INCLUDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF BISMUTH NANOPARTICLES IN LEAD DETECTION AND WHETHER ADDITIONAL TRIALS OF THIS PROCEDURE ARE NECESSARY. IF BISMUTH IS FOUND TO NOT PERFORM IN THIS PROCEDURE, IT PROVIDES RESEARCHERS WITH A NEW UNDERSTANDING, AND THEY ARE ABLE TO MOVE IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION IN REPLACING EXPENSIVE GOLD NANOPARTICLES. ON THE OTHER HAND, SUCCESS WOULD DEMONSTRATE THAT BISMUTH CAN BE USED IN PLACE OF GOLD IN THE GIVEN LEAD DETECTION PROCEDURE. THE ABILITY TO USE BISMUTH MAKES THE PROCEDURE MORE AFFORDABLE AND THEREFORE POTENTIALLY MORE ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE INDIGENOUS AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN NEED OF SAFE DRINKING WATER IN MINNESOTA AND OTHER U.S. COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS WATER QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH MANAGERS AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.

THE OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A HIGHLY SENSITIVE MEANS OF DETECTING LEAD CONTAMINATION IN DRINKING WATER USING SURFACE ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY (SERS). THE PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A LEAD DETECTOR NEARLY 800X MORE SENSITIVE THAN CURRENT OUTLINES. THIS DETECTION METHOD WILL IDENTIFY LOW LEVELS OF LEAD IN HOUSEHOLD POTABLE WATER TO PREVENT EXPOSURE TO THE HOMEOWNER.

IMPROVE SOLAR PANEL EFFICIENCY IN SNOWY REGIONS BY DEVELOPING A PRODUCT THAT AUTOMATICALLY REMOVES SNOW FROM SOLAR PANEL SURFACES.

RUI: MONTE CARLO SIMULATIONS IN EXPLORING NON-EQUILIBRIUM SYSTEMS