University Of Nebraska Lincoln

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

The separation of small molecules by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC or LC) and identification of the molecules by mass spectrometry (MS) has aided organic, analytical, and natural products chemists for 40 years (LC-MS). This technique has improved greatly over that time so that a nonexpert can get useful information about a compound with much less effort. The purchase of a low-resolution LC-MS impacts the training of a future generation of chemists, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college. This LC-MS would be incorporated into the undergraduate and graduate curriculum, used by undergraduates participating in the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU – CHE2447813) and the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experiences (UCARE) program. Beyond the undergraduate mission, this LC-MS will aid in training graduate students, who will use it independently for their research. Many will use LC-MS in their first job after leaving UNL. This LC-MS will drive the research of routine users and increase the knowledge of instrumentation for our undergraduates, graduates and postdoctoral fellows. This will be done through a combination of lectures on LC and MS, as given by experts at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in these fields, and a workshop or practicum in which students are given practical experience in working with these methods on the new LC-MS system. 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.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Project Summary This project tackles a crucial public health concern: human exposure to nano- and microplastics (NMPs) released directly from everyday plastic food containers, specifically reusable plastic cups, single-use water and soft drink bottles, and takeaway coffee cups, made from four major polymer types, i.e., Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), Polyethylene (PE), and Polylactic acid (PLA). Growing evidence suggests that microwaving, high-temperature storage, and other common uses of plastic containers can release billions of microplastics and trillions of nanoplastics into beverages. This study aims to quantify these releases and assess their potential health risks. The research design includes three primary aims: • Aim 1 will measure the release of NMPs from plastic containers under a variety of real-life conditions, generating critical data on NMP concentration and particle characteristics in common use scenarios. This aim will reveal how polymer properties and usage conditions influence release quantities. • Aim 2 will use in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate the biological effects of NMP ingestion on human health, specifically looking at impacts such as inflammation, oxidative stress, and toxicity to cells and organs. This aim will clarify how non-uniform particle shapes and sizes impact cellular and organ responses, with potential biodistribution variations across tissues. • Aim 3 will evaluate how everyday behaviors—such as microwaving, storing, and drinking from plastic containers—affect NMP exposure, establish dose-response relationships for different plastic materials, and assess health risks linked to long-term NMP exposure from water and beverage consumption. This project is innovative in its approach to assessing human exposure to NMPs released directly from plastic food containers, a previously underexplored pathway. By using an advanced laser-based technique to generate NMPs that reflect real-world variability in particle size and shape, the study aims to produce more accurate data on NMP release, health impacts on cell toxicity and organ function, and consumer behaviors that increase exposure. The outcomes will guide practical recommendations for manufacturers and consumers to reduce health risks associated with NMP ingestion from everyday plastic use.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

PROJECT SUMMARY Extended periods of inactivity accelerate the progression of age-related loss of muscle mass, clinically known as sarcopenia, and contribute to frailty. While antioxidant administration has been proven to reduce disuse- induced atrophy, prolonged use is correlated with negative outcomes, including reduced mitochondrial biogenesis in skeletal muscle, demonstrating a need for novel approaches to mitigate muscle loss during conditions of disuse. A promising approach in this regard involves investigating the unique strategies that hibernating mammals employ to maintain muscle integrity and function following 4-5 months of inactivity. Seasonal-specific muscle proteomics of naturally hibernating thirteen-lined ground squirrels revealed an increase in mitsugumin 53 (MG53) expression, a protein associated with mitochondrial protection in the presence of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Of note, ROS have been shown to be a key factor associated with disuse-induced atrophy, as they increase muscle protein breakdown (MPB) and depress muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Although evidence clearly demonstrates the importance of inactivity-induced mitochondrial ROS production, the mechanisms involved in its regulation are not well-understood. The exciting possibility that upregulation of MG53 in hibernating mammals can improve mitochondrial health, reduce mitochondrial ROS production, and prevent disuse-induced atrophy warrants investigation in a non-hibernating model system. Informed by these findings, the overall goal of this research is to advance the understanding of MG53’s role in muscle mass regulation during disuse-induced atrophy and lay a foundation for exploring its role in sarcopenia and myopathies. The central hypothesis is that elevated MG53 reduces damaged mitochondria through upregulation of autophagy beclin 1 regulator 1 (AMBRA1) expression, which lowers ROS accumulation, leading to reduced MPB and allowing an increase in MPS during muscle disuse. To test this, two specific aims will be pursued: (1) determine if MG53 is necessary to ameliorate disuse-induced muscle atrophy; and (2) determine if MG53 is required for muscle regrowth following immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. Expected results of the proposed studies will demonstrate that MG53 is a critical protein for skeletal muscle recovery via improved mitochondrial function and AMBRA1 regulation. Ultimately, this work will advance knowledge of the role of MG53 in mitochondrial ROS production and provide new therapeutic opportunities for preventing muscle loss and dysfunction—ultimately improving quality of life among elderly populations in the United States.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

This project supports a research and training program that explores the fundamental building blocks of nature and the forces that govern them. It contributes to one of the most ambitious international scientific collaborations of our time: the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Switzerland. By analyzing data from high-energy collisions between protons, this work helps us better understand the origins of mass, the structure of matter, and the possible existence of new particles or forces. The project trains graduate and undergraduate students, engages high school teachers and students in authentic research through the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project, and fosters public engagement by integrating particle physics with creative media arts. This broad set of activities advances scientific knowledge, strengthens the U.S. research workforce, and promotes science literacy in rural areas and among students with limited access to research opportunities. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln group plays a central role in physics analysis, detector operations, computing infrastructure, and future upgrades of the CMS experiment. This award supports precision measurements of Higgs boson, top quark, and electroweak processes, as well as searches for phenomena beyond the Standard Model. The group manages a Tier-2 computing center, leads development of a machine learning–based data quality monitoring system, and oversees data certification during Run 3. It also contributes to the construction and integration of the Phase 2 CMS Inner Tracker for the High-Luminosity LHC upgrade. These efforts are aligned with the strategic goals of the U.S. high-energy physics community and are critical for maintaining the scientific capabilities of CMS as it enters a new phase of discovery. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Society is entering into a new era of technology that is dominated by artificial intelligence (AI). While conventional AI has been inspired from biology, recent studies suggest that biological cells themselves can be directly connected to computers as AI machines to harness the intelligence inherent in living cells. This project aims to discover natural AI structures in bacterial gene regulatory networks that can be leveraged for computing applications. This project seeks to develop a bio-hybrid computing system, where the gene regulatory networks of bacteria are used to perform AI computing. The team of researchers will establish an electrical - chemical - electrical communication mechanism, where information signals from a computer will stimulate bacterial gene regulatory networks to perform chemical-based computing. The output of this network will produce electrical signals that can be interpreted by a computer. By offloading computing to the bacteria, the impact of this research may transform the design of energy-efficient computing architectures with novel implications for healthcare and environmental sensing. This research will enhance both the PI and Co-PI's curriculums in Molecular and Nanoscale Communications and Environmental Biotechnology. In addition, this work will support multidisciplinary trainee-training to prepare the biotechnology workforce. Using the electroactive bacterium, Shewanella oneidensis, the project seeks to utilize gene regulatory artificial neural networks (GR-ANN) by extracting subnetworks to perform computing applications. The GR-ANN subnetworks will be operated by electrogenetic stimulation of input genes, while the output genes are engineered to produce redox active molecules that can be sensed electrically. As proof-of-concept, the project will demonstrate two forms of mathematical computation that includes multiplication function and prime number classification. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

This award supports a joint effort between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Texas at Austin to study the underlying physics of how a plasma responds to energy inputs. The ultimate goal of the project is to develop techniques to actively control the evolution of the plasma state and energy flow. The control of plasma dynamics is central to a wide range of applications. Knowledge gained in this project is expected to help realize the technological promise of many plasma-based systems, including laser-plasma accelerators with applications ranging from high-energy physics, astrophysics, and nuclear science to medicine, biology, and chemistry. This work will also have an educational component that will serve to help renew the plasma science and engineering workforce at all levels by providing training in both the analytical and numerical treatment of plasma dynamics. Plasma-based systems are the subject of much investigation as energy converters. In these systems, electromagnetic radiation impinges on the plasma, driving a complex internal state which is generally allowed to evolve freely, ultimately forming beams of particle and or radiation. In this project, linear theory will be used to instantaneously predict the short time evolution of the full nonlinear system and this may be used to apply external fields to steer the evolution on a desirable path to obtain a sought after state. Controlling the dynamics in plasma-based systems, beyond simply suppressing instabilities, could open the door to releasing significant amounts of energy on queue. Such control would also allow the plasma to be engineered to enable energy conversion from electromagnetic frequencies that are easily produced to those parts of the spectrum that currently do not have ready sources. 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.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Project summary Compromised function of endothelial cells (ECs) is a root cause of various vascular diseases. While endothelial homeostasis is known to be governed by multiple epigenetic and transcriptional mechanisms, the involvement of post-translational modifications has been largely overlooked. Neddylation is a reversible post-translational modification that attaches one or more ubiquitin-like NEDD8 moieties to substrates via a NEDD8-specific E1- E2-E3 enzymatic cascade. Emerging evidence shows that neddylation plays significant roles in metabolic disorders, cardiomyopathies, immunity, and other pathophysiological events. However, its role in the endothelium and vascular diseases is unclear. The goal of the proposed research is to establish the pathophysiological significance of neddylation in endothelium and to identify key downstream effectors in ECs. The research team uncovered a link between neddylation perturbations and vascular diseases in humans and mouse models. The team further showed that EC-specific inhibition of neddylation by deleting NEDD8 activating enzyme-1 (NAE1) in adult mice causes mortality from pronounced vasculopathy and multi-organ damage characterized by loss of EC integrity, cell death, inflammation, and hemorrhage. The research team hypothesizes that protein neddylation and NAE1 downstream target cullin-3 (CUL3) protect endothelial homeostasis and integrity by maintaining EC identity, promoting mitophagy, constraining EC cell death, and resolving stress response signaling. Aim 1 will test the hypothesis that neddylation protects endothelial integrity by sustaining EC identity and preventing EC cell death. Aim 2 will test the hypothesis that CUL3 functions downstream of neddylation to promote mitophagy and fine-tune the stress response signaling, thereby maintaining EC homeostasis. EC-specific knockout and knockin mouse lines will be used to determine the physiological importance of neddylation and this specific target in several vascular beds. Bulk RNA-sequencing, single-nucleus RNA-sequencing with lineage tracing, and quantitative multiplex proteomics will be performed to probe the role of neddylation and its target in the EC transcriptome, proteome, EC trans-differentiation, and EC-other cell type communications in multiple organs. Sophisticated biochemical and cellular assays will be carried out to elucidate how neddylation and its target control endothelial to mesenchymal transition, mitochondrial function, and integrated stress response in ECs. Rescue experiments in vitro and/or in vivo will be performed to establish the cause-and-effect relationship. Successful completion of this research will provide a comprehensive mechanistic understanding of protein neddylation in safeguarding endothelial function and integrity. This is a key step toward the research team’s long-term goal to establish the clinical relevance of its findings and develop novel therapeutic strategies to precisely modulate protein neddylation for vascular diseases with minimized adverse effects.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

PART 1: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY Electrochemical cells are key components of modern technologies. However, their performance is often limited by how effectively protons move through ultra-thin polymeric layers inside these devices. This project will explore new strategies to enhance proton flow by controlling how polymers sit and interact with underlying surfaces. By selectively positioning the polymers on electrodes, the research aims to influence the magnitude and direction of ionic movement near polymer-electrode interfaces, which can in turn improve the efficiency of devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and batteries. In parallel, the project will support education and workforce development by engaging students from middle school through graduate levels in hands-on STEM activities, training K-12 teachers through virtual workshops, making classroom learning more curiosity-driven and engaging, and strengthening energy education across Nebraska. These efforts will help cultivate a skilled, future-ready energy-STEM workforce. PART 2: TECHNICAL SUMMARY This project will investigate the confinement- and interface-driven limitations of proton conduction in sub-micron ionomer films used in electrochemical cells. The approach will leverage interfacial chemical modifications and new ion-conducting polymer synthesis approaches to enable fundamental understanding, precise control, and enhancement of interfacial ion-conduction processes. Notably, depth-resolved proton conduction mapping, elemental profiling, structural organization, and electrochemical analysis will be integrated to examine how interfacial chemistry, ionomer composition, and chain architecture can influence chain pinning and ion conduction pathways at ionomer-electrode interfaces. The newly designed ionomers, tailored to address interfacial and confinement-related challenges, will introduce novel long-range ion-conduction pathways, and enhance proton conduction under thin film confinement. The outcomes will establish a mechanistic framework for improving ion conduction at buried interfaces and guide the design of next-generation ion-conducting materials for electrodes of energy devices. Educational activities will include strategic efforts to improve energy literacy across Nebraska, including data- and need-driven design of virtual workshops and activities for K-12 teachers and students, as well as enriching, interactive classroom learning experience. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Plant reproduction is highly sensitive to environmental factors such as water and temperature. About seventy percent of human caloric needs are fulfilled directly or indirectly by grains/seed, which are a product of plant reproduction. Hence improving the environmental stress tolerance of staple crops (such as corn, wheat, rice, soybeans) during grain development is important for ensuring food sufficiency and nutritional value. This project will make genetic discoveries to enhance productivity and quality of rice grains during heat stress. The recent development of high-resolution imaging platform by this research team will lead to novel insights on how, when, and where plants respond to stress. Beyond genetic discoveries, this project will enable technological advancement in modeling and imaging techniques that have a broader impact on multiple scientific fields. Findings from rice will be applicable to other cereals such as wheat and corn because of how similar their grains develop. Outreach and training of K-12 students and high school teachers on combining biology with imaging technologies and data analysis will generate interest in science and technology thus advancing the nation’s goals of fostering a technology ready workforce. Even a transient heat stress occurring after fertilization can impact the grain size and quality in rice. Grain development on rice inflorescence (panicle) is asynchronous due to spatial variability in timing of fertilization. Heat stress differentially impacts the grains based on their spatial position. Using recent advancements in spatiotemporal imaging of rice panicles, this project will study the genetic basis of this spatial gradient under stress. Specifically, the project will test the hypothesis that the genetic variants that regulate this transient heat stress response in a developmental context along the panicle length contribute towards heat tolerance. A multidisciplinary research team will combine imaging, statistical modeling, quantitative genetics, and functional genomics for this research. This research will lead to the discovery of novel genes and pathways regulating the spatial variability in grain size and nutritional value. High school students will gain experience in using imaging to study plants through planned activities. Our outreach program for students and broader community will aim to increase awareness about impact of environment on nutritional quality of food. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

This project will identify and characterize spatially coupled biochemical processes in methanogenic archaea, microbes that have the unique capability to grow by synthesizing the high-energy fuel methane. 60-99% of the carbon that methanogenic archaea consume is converted to methane gas that can be used to produce heat, electricity, transportation or rocket fuel with clean water as a byproduct. Molecular, biochemical, and computational techniques will be used to investigate how enzymes used by methanogenic archaea work together to efficiently convert low-energy growth substrates to high-energy methane gas. By identifying and characterizing enzyme interactions within cells, the research will reveal how methanogenic archaea control the flow of carbon and electrons to convert abundant, low-energy substrates such as acetate and methanol into methane gas. This knowledge will lead to a better understanding of how methanogenic archaea function in a variety of natural environments, such as in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial subsurface or in human and animal digestive tracts. This work generates knowledge with translational potential that could be used to increase the supply of renewable methane fuel to meet society’s energy needs. This project also supports recruitment and education of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees in anaerobic microbial physiology, molecular biology, and redox biochemistry in preparation for careers in industry, academia, and government to support US bioindustries. Methanogenic archaea (methanogens) have evolved to thrive near the “thermodynamic limit of life” in that they obtain less than 1 mole ATP per mole substrate consumed. The extreme thermodynamic constraint faced by methanogens requires a high degree of metabolic efficiency compared to heterotrophic organisms such as E. coli that obtain more than 36 ATP per mole of glucose substrate. Because of the ancient evolutionary origin of methanogenesis enzymes (predating the Last Unified Common Ancestor, LUCA), determining if and how Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and Wolfe Cycle methanogenesis enzymes interact could shed light on biochemical strategies that have evolved to optimize metabolic efficiency in methanogens and other microbes. Previous work has shown that enzymes in these two pathways form a multi-enzyme complex in the methanogen Methanosarcina acetivorans. It is proposed that highly conserved enzymes such as those in the Wolfe Cycle and Wood-Ljungdahl pathway may have evolved to form large multienzyme complexes resulting in low spatial, kinetic, and chemical entropy that enables highly efficient growth on low-energy substrates. Specifically, the project will test the hypothesis that methanogenic growth kinetics of M. acetivorans are dependent on substrate-specific composition and stoichiometry of multi-enzyme complexes that physically couple the terminal oxidoreductase with carbon-dioxide-fixation enzymes. Molecular, biochemical, and computational techniques, including cryoEM, will be used to detect, characterize, and model methanogenesis enzyme complexes in M. acetivorans. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-09

Non-technical abstract: This project aims to identify factors that affect magnetic properties of non-crystalline solid-state materials that they can be used for future microelectronics, including neuromorphic computing. The short-range order of disordered atoms of magnetic metals and non-magnetic semiconductors has a profound impact on, e.g., the onset of magnetism and resistivity that govern the functionality of the magnetic films. The arrangement and orientation of atoms is influenced by the synthesis and can be modified afterwards by strain and curvature. This research, exploring the potential of such a new means of manipulation, is integrated with education efforts, which aim to combine mentoring, evidence-based teaching, and outreach with research to stimulate interest in science and science-driven art creation. This includes: (1) an outreach program at the nexus of physics and art that uses visualization to engage high school juniors and seniors in fundamental physics; (2) a new advanced characterization graduate course to address real-world problems; and (3) research and mentorship opportunities for high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students. These efforts revolve around the hypothesis that visualizing science and physical mechanisms fosters curiosity of diverse students (from high school through graduate school) and facilitates knowledge and innovation. Technical abstract: Advancing our limited understanding of amorphous quantum materials–an emerging research field with properties defying traditional physics knowledge–is essential to create structures that become topological because of disorder, rather than despite it. This paradigm shifting approach is critical to finding materials that are only topological in amorphous form, precluding the inference from crystalline structures, and has far-reaching implications for future microelectronics. The goal of this project is to establish a relationship between structural and chemical short-range order and electronic and magnetic properties of amorphous Fe-(Tb,Mn)-Ge films through coordinated experimental studies using evaporation, magnetometry, magneto-transport, spectroscopies, and optical, x-ray, and electron microscopies. Tuning growth conditions (temperature, rate, composition, film thickness, seed layer, capping layer) and post-growth strain and curvature engineering enable the principal investigator to corroborate or refute the following three hypotheses: (1) Magnetic exchange and spin-orbit coupling are larger in amorphous structures than in their crystalline counterparts benefiting topological magnetism in films on membranes; (2) Adding Tb and Mn to iron germanium enhances spin frustration and magneto-resistance and yields smaller topological states at higher and lower temperatures, respectively; and (3) Strain and curvature allow for tailoring exchange, spin frustration, and magnetic order, including the magnetoelasticity-mediated voltage control of topological states. This project is jointly funded by Condensed Matter Physics Program, the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and MPS Office of Strategic Initiatives. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Breakthroughs in materials science consistently drive progress in information technologies and beyond. Recently, there has been growing interest in materials with properties driven by macroscopic quantum phenomena. The University of Kansas partners with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to harness the convergence of two such quantum phenomena: magnetism and the unique physics of two-dimensional (2D) materials. Confined to a 2D "flatland", materials can exhibit novel magnetic and electric properties enabling devices with unprecedented functionalities. Experts from two jurisdictions across physics, chemistry, materials science, and engineering will stack and twist atomically thin 2D layers to form artificial structures not found in nature. Insights gleaned from studying their magnetic and electronic behavior will inform the design of next-generation devices including energy-efficient memory and logic components. A key outcome will be the education of future materials scientists and building of a quantum-ready workforce to boost Kansas and Nebraska’s economy. Education and outreach efforts will raise public awareness and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. The collaboration between the University of Kansas and University of Nebraska–Lincoln will combine complementary expertise in synthesis, nanofabrication, characterization, sensing, and theory to advance both the science and device applications of artificial two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials. 2D magnetic and ferroelectric materials, along with their layered and twisted heterostructures, unlock novel quantum states and enable applications that go beyond traditional silicon-based electronics. Realizing their potential requires understanding of structure including Moiré modulations, electronic and magnetic states, and emergent interfacial effects. The team will employ probes sensitive to structural, electronic, and magnetic properties across multiple length scales to establish an integrated cycle of novel synthesis, characterization, and device fabrication. Existing infrastructure, such as the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, will benefit from the project through increase and broadening of the user base and utilization of unique instrumentation including the first commercial nitrogen vacancy low temperature scanning microscope in the US. The project is essential to educate a quantum-ready workforce, necessary for the economic growth of both jurisdictions, and to attract the next generation of scientists and quantum materials engineers. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations (FEC), which supports interjurisdictional teams of EPSCoR investigators to perform research in topics that align with NSF priorities, with the goals of driving discovery and building sustainable STEM capacity. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The Great Plains region faces an ever-increasing need to conserve dwindling water reserves from the Ogallala aquifer. The same region also annually generates more than 80% of the country’s total livestock wastes (dairy, beef, swine), raising concerns about the impact on water quality and living conditions. About 12– 35% of the water used annually for production-intensive agriculture in Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma combined (8 M acre-ft/yr) can potentially be derived by recovering and treating water contained in livestock waste. A team of interdisciplinary researchers from Kansas State University (KSU), Seward County Community College (SCCC), Oklahoma State University (OSU), and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), representing three contiguous EPSCoR jurisdictions, will synergize their complementary research capacities to enable adoption of circular waste resource recovery and water reuse technology platforms. This research will enhance economic resiliency, environmental sustainability, and quality of life in Great Plains micropolitan communities. The overall project objective is to build regional research capacity and develop an economically viable, socially accepted, and efficient circular resource recovery platform integrated with water reuse from livestock wastes that are copiously generated in the region. The proposed work would build capacity for use-inspired research to be demonstrated for adoption by livestock operations in southwest Kansas first (Liberal, KS), in collaboration with SCCC, and with regionwide adoption potential. The project will integrate a wide array of workforce development activities such as an early-career faculty development program and technical skills training through exchange site visits. Workforce development initiatives will be guided by an industry-government advisory council composed of livestock and agricultural producers, local associations and councils, and government/policy representatives. During this project, critically important and complex concepts such as resource recovery will be introduced to participating students and the public through science cafés, summer research field experiences, and interactions with public utilities to realize the research advances at scale. This will enable a holistic framework and encourage incorporation of the circular resource recovery and reuse systems into the rural communities and workforce. This collaborative research team seeks to achieve optimal circular waste resource recovery and water reuse technology platforms through three interconnected research thrusts. Research Thrust 1 aims to develop the Anaerobic Sequencing Batch Reactor (ASBR), Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR), and Microbial Electrochemical Cell (MxC) platforms for holistic recovery of swine manure co-digested with fats, oils, and grease (FOG) to produce methane or organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, nutrients (N and P) as tunable-release inorganic fertilizers (Octacalcium phosphate and struvite), and treated water for reuse. Such groundbreaking advancements in membrane science will be guided by Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning. Research Thrust 2 focuses on circular water reuse by combining advanced oxidation and membrane-based processes, including using waste-derived hydrogen peroxide to produce high-quality water. Specific focus will be placed on mitigating antimicrobial resistance, a prevalent and understudied issue in rural water supplies. Research Thrust 3 will integrate techno-economic and risk simulation with agribusiness decision node modeling for region-specific adoption of the circular systems. Human dimensions, including cultural perceptions, assessments of safety and security risks, and social-economic impacts of the proposed technologies, will be analyzed from representative communities. Collective research capacity from the contiguous jurisdictions will be synergized and verified through a field demonstration of the AnMBR + advanced oxidation unit at Liberal, KS, in Year 4 of the project. New avenues for cross-convergent research between applied and pure science-based researchers as well as potential manufacturing and industry partners will be achieved throughout this proposal. Synergistic research that co-addresses engineering grand challenges and society-based sustainable development goals, such as responsible consumption and production, clean water and sanitation, will also be demonstrated. This project is supported by the EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Program: Focused EPSCoR Collaborations Program (FEC). FEC supports interjurisdictional teams of EPSCoR investigators to perform research in topics that align with NSF priorities, with the goals of driving discovery and building sustainable STEM capacity. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Plant pathogens threaten global food security. During early infection, oomycetes and fungi, including the fungal rice destroyer Magnaporthe oryzae, often grow in intimate contact with living host plant cells. During this growth stage the pathogen deploys secreted proteins (effectors) to suppress host defenses. In turn, the plant can recognize these effectors via intracellular resistance (R) proteins to trigger immunity. However, pathogens can lose or rapidly alter effectors to enable host jumps and cause new epidemics. Identifying pathogen cytoplasmic effectors and host targets can safeguard agriculture by informing which genomic features to deploy against which pathogen populations. Unfortunately, however, new fungal cytoplasmic effectors are difficult to predict from genomes because they are highly diverse and lack recognizable features. Furthermore, preventing disease beyond effector discovery and blockage requires mechanistic details, which are sparse. This proposal will address these knowledge gaps by leveraging recent key findings related to the role of mRNA translation in effector secretion and infection success, to clarify the rules for effector evolution, discovery and deployment that will be applicable across a broad class of pathogens. The experimental and educational objectives of this project will be integrated to inspire undergraduates to excel in research, enable graduate students to develop as mentors, and provide all students with the tools to succeed in STEM careers. Suppression of host innate immunity by secreted pathogen effector proteins is at the heart of the plant-microbe interaction, but in eukaryotes, mechanistic details regarding their secretion are sparse, thereby slowing progress towards identifying novel sources of host resistance. Effector secretion occurs via two routes: apoplastic effectors are secreted by the conventional ER-Golgi pathway, while cytoplasmic effectors destined for the host plant cell are secreted via the Golgi-bypass unconventional protein secretion (UPS) pathway. How effector proteins are sorted into the Golgi-bypass UPS pathway is not known. The principal investigators recently showed that M. oryzae cytoplasmic effector secretion (but not apoplastic effector secretion) is controlled at the level of AA-ending codon decoding, suggesting a translation-mediated mechanism discriminating apoplastic effectors from cytoplasmic effectors. Building on this finding, they hypothesize that AA-ending codons precisely control cytoplasmic effector mRNA translation speeds to ensure successful host infection. Using live-cell imaging and M. oryzae strains expressing a plethora of codon recoded cytoplasmic effector genes, the researchers seek to show precisely how effector codon usage and mRNA translation rates can i) aid in effector discovery, ii) fine tune effector secretion to maintain host-microbe interfacial integrity, and iii) be exploited as tools to identify the elusive fungal cytoplasmic effector secretion signal. By investigating this novel codon-mediated connection between mRNA translation and unconventional protein secretion, the work will generate new insights into the molecular mechanisms establishing host-microbe interactions. 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.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Project summary Actin assembly by the Arp2/3 complex is an essential component of a large and expanding list of cellular processes that are necessary for life. Therefore, it is not surprising that Arp2/3 complex dynamics are regulated by a complex collection of binding partners that provide core homeostatic functions. The elaborate nature of Arp2/3 complex regulation enables cells to adapt to diverse environmental cues that play key roles in physiology and diseases. Accordingly, dysregulation of Arp2/3-actin assembly disrupts the mechanobiology of tissues while also providing mechanisms for cancer cells to become metastatic. A critical gap lies in the fact that, in most cases, the mechanistic chain of events leading from the deployment of specific biochemical activities to the effects on cellular physiology remain unestablished. Closing this gap requires resolving the discrete cellular spatiotemporal nanodomains in which a protein's distinct biochemical functions are active. Recent advances in live-cell single molecule tracking (SMT), super-resolution microcopy, quantitative analytical pipelines, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing have made it possible to pinpoint the kinetics of protein-protein interactions in their native cellular contexts. The principal investigator has demonstrated expertise in these technologies while uncovering principles of cytoskeletal self-organization and cellular mechanisms of Arp2/3 complex-driven lamellipodial protrusion and cell migration. Therefore, taking advantage of this toolbox of cutting-edge technologies to identify nanodomains of protein activity in mammalian cells, we will combine cellular and genetic methods with SMT to unravel three core themes of Arp2/3-actin network regulation: (A) when, where and how mammalian cells employ the recently discovered noncanonical unbranched Arp2/3-actin assembly pathway, (B) the concurrent cellular mechanisms of Arp2/3-actin junction stabilization and signaling feedback that have previously been unresolvable, and (C) how Arp2/3 networks are locally controlled by competing activating and inhibitory mechanisms. The resulting findings will offer deep molecular insights into diseases associated with disrupted Arp2/3 complex pathways (metastatic cancer, neurological and immune dysfunctions). These discoveries will advance our long-term goal to build a framework describing the integrated landscape of biochemistry controlling Arp2/3-driven cellular processes.

NIH Research Projects · FY 2026 · 2025-08

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT In dual parenting households, a high degree of conflict and discord between parents poses unique and signifi- cant risk for child emotion dysregulation, largely by undermining a child’s sense of emotional security and safety in the family. Most research has linked interparental conflict to child dysregulation during middle child- hood or adolescence. What is less clear is if and how interparental conflict during the first two years of life— when children are heavily dependent on parents and highly sensitive to family dynamics—ultimately alters the development of healthy emotion regulation skills. Interparental conflict during infancy and toddler age is ex- pected to foster a negative emotional family climate and undermine responsive parenting, which is essential for building emotional awareness and adaptive emotion regulation skills in children. However, research demon- strates that deprivation (e.g., the absence of warmth) can be just as detrimental as exposure to threat and ad- versity. Thus, considering the degree to which parents have a warm, affectionate, and intimate bond with one another, and how this contributes to an enriching and secure family environment, has the potential to reveal another vital aspect of the early family system in addition to interparental conflict dynamics. Children also differ in their temperamental sensitivity to context, and attention should be paid to differences in susceptibility to early environments shaped by interparental dynamics. Our objective in the proposed research is to determine if and how qualities of the interparental relationship during the first two years of childhood ultimately impact the development of child emotion regulation. Our central hypothesis is that both maladaptive conflict management and (low) emotional intimacy in the interparental relationship spill over into parent-toddler interactions and un- dermine processes that are critical for healthy emotion socialization of children, setting the stage for child emo- tion dysregulation, particularly for children who are most sensitive to their environments. To achieve our objec- tive, we will collect rich, multimethod data (i.e., interviews, behavioral observations, surveys, responsive eco- logical momentary assessments in the home) across 4 waves spanning infancy (age 1 year) to preschool (age 3 years) in a large sample of 250 families. The expected outcome of this research is an unprecedented under- standing of early familial pathways impeding or promoting child emotion regulation. Given that emotion dysreg- ulation substantially increases risk for psychopathology and related adverse outcomes (e.g., poor physical health, social deficits) throughout the lifespan, it is critical that we understand the optimal early family condi- tions that support emotion regulation development for informing highly efficacious early childhood interven- tions.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The third-grade year marks a significant shift in children's educational experiences, with increased behavioral expectations, more complex math curricula, and the onset of high-stakes standardized testing. Many children demonstrate challenges learning fractions, multiplication, and division, which can be exacerbated in high-poverty schools. At the same time, declines in math attitudes and school engagement emerge in upper elementary school and persist throughout children's schooling. Since elementary school math competencies and attitudes are key predictors of long-term STEM success, there is a pressing need to understand how better to support students during this transition. This CAREER project will examine how classroom experiences and self-regulation skills influence children's math achievement and attitudes as they move from second to third grade. The findings will have important implications for educational policy and practice, particularly in supporting students as they navigate the transition from second grade to third grade. The educational activities include information for teachers and parent education nights about how they can support children's STEM outcomes. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project is funded by the EDU Core Research (ECR) program, which supports work that advances fundamental research on STEM education. This CAREER project integrates research and educational activities to examine the role of self-regulation skills for children's math achievement and attitudes, as well as how classroom experiences shift during math instruction from second grade to third grade in high-poverty schools. This study will employ a multi-method, longitudinal approach to identify whether self-regulation skills are linked to children's growth trajectories in math achievement and attitudes. The study will also document how classroom experiences change across this transition and determine whether classroom experiences moderate the relationship between self-regulation skills and children's math outcomes. They will measure executive functions and collect data using live classroom observation tools, computer-based assessments, and standardized tests. Findings from this research will inform strategies to support children's STEM success during the elementary school years. Integrated with this research, this CAREER will establish the Transitioning to Third (T3) Program, and begin to develop a sustainable university-school partnership designed to support students, teachers, and families during this critical transition. The T3 Program will cultivate early-career trainees' skills in data collection and public dissemination of research findings, provide research briefs for second-grade and third-grade teachers, and implement school-specific outreach programs for the parents of second-grade students. Third grade is widely recognized as a pivotal year for children's academic trajectories, yet little is known about how shifting classroom environments and children's self-regulation skills shape math learning and attitudes. New empirical data will be generated on this critical transition, advancing the fields of developmental science and education while identifying key targets for future intervention programs. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The research in this project investigates the costs of eviction and homelessness. Analysis of several large data sets and experimental methods are combined to study four aspects of eviction and homelessness: (i) the cost of eviction for children; (ii) whether short-term emergency rental assistance leads to long-term housing and economic stability; (iii) whether preventative measures to avoid homelessness are effective in the short- and long-runs; and (iv) whether the eviction court system can be modified to reduce eviction and homelessness. The research results can lead to reduced homelessness and help establish global leadership in reducing homelessness. The integrated education plan includes training in housing economics. Four experimental projects and analysis of linked administrative data sets are used to study the short- and long-term effects of eviction and homelessness on families. The first project examines the costs of eviction on children with particular emphasis on causal evidence on the impact of eviction on children’s housing, academic achievement, and long-run employment and earnings. The second project uses a field experiment to study the effects of short-run housing assistance on long-run benefits for tenants. The third project investigates whether services to reduce homelessness are effective, and whether households experiencing housing crises can be diverted from homeless shelters with financial assistance. The fourth project uses a field experiment to test the hypothesis that the timeline to vacate after eviction is a driver of homelessness. This research advances knowledge of the link between homelessness, neighborhoods, and intergenerational mobility, and inform the design of measures to reduce homelessness. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Nontechnical Description Ferroelectric materials with spontaneous electric polarization have applications in information storage, energy conversion, and novel computing concepts. Among inorganic ferroelectrics, electrically insulating three-dimensional (3D) crystalline oxides are most advanced in terms of understanding the underlying mechanisms and the development of crystal growth techniques. Two-dimensional (2D) materials can yield atomically thin ferroelectrics, but truly 2D crystals carrying a spontaneous polarization have remained rare. This project focuses on a third class of ferroelectric materials consisting of several 2D layers held together by weak van der Waals forces. Such layered crystals can have advantages over both 3D and 2D ferroelectrics. They are often semiconductors capable of conducting electrical currents and interacting with visible or near-infrared light, and their inert surfaces allow combining them with many other materials. Due to their unique structure, van der Waals ferroelectrics present numerous possible symmetry-breaking mechanisms, complicating the identification of the polar structures and creating the need to develop synthesis processes that favor the ferroelectric phase among other competing crystal structures. The goal of the project is to address these challenges for a representative class of layered semiconductors, thereby contributing to the science basis for turning van der Waals ferroelectrics into emerging technologies benefiting society. Through training of the participating students, the project will help build tomorrow’s technology workforce. An integrated outreach program aims at enhancing pre-college science education by developing hands-on learning activities. Through school visits, the project team will build lasting relationships to create excitement for science and engineering among students of different backgrounds. Technical Description Two-dimensional and layered van der Waals ferroelectrics have properties that make them interesting for device applications, e.g., narrow bandgaps, anisotropic current conduction, and facile integration with other materials via high-quality interfaces. Whereas the polarization in 2D ferroelectrics is clearly linked to the structure of the single layer, van der Waals ferroelectrics can have a multitude of underlying mechanisms, making their identification nontrivial and often controversial. This project seeks to find solutions to this challenge by studying the growth, structure, and properties of the polar phase of group IV monochalcogenide van der Waals semiconductors. The research leverages a breakthrough in growing macroscopic layered tin chalcogenide crystals with ubiquitous ferroelectric domains which, combined with transfers to arbitrary supports, opens up unprecedented opportunities for investigating the origin of symmetry breaking and ferroelectricity in layered crystals; identifying key properties such as domain patterns, phase transitions, and Curie temperatures; manipulating domains and probing domain wall functionality; developing rational growth processes informed by fundamental characteristics of the polar phase; and exploring the interplay between interfaces and ferroelectric domains in heterostructures. Powerful experimental methods such as in-situ electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence, and measurements of local and global charge transport, applied to large polar crystals, will enable investigating ferroelectricity and domain structures unaffected by finite-size effects. The successful pursuit of the project goals will establish novel avenues for analyzing ferroelectricity in layered semiconductors and support the utilization of van der Waals ferroics in emerging technologies. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Forecasting complex societally important systems such as weather, ocean currents, and groundwater flow remains a grand challenge, especially when models must account for noisy or incomplete data. Traditional physics-based models offer scientific interpretability but often rely on idealized assumptions that limit accuracy. Conversely, recent advances in machine learning approaches have led to more accurate predictive models, but these are inherently "black boxes," lacking scientific insight into the underlying physical mechanisms. This project will use observable data to systematically adapt and modify existing physically derived models, thus staying true to both the traditional and data-driven approaches. The methodology is adaptable to a wide range of goals, such as optimizing predictions, matching observed statistics, or identifying unknown model parameters. Applications of this work will include problems of great interest to society and industry by identifying more efficient models for turbulence, which has ramifications from weather prediction to the development of engines and design of aircraft. The investigators will also apply this method to develop reliably predictive models for groundwater flow, a key issue for national water and food security. Further, the project will advance education and workforce development by mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and facilitating interactions with National Laboratories and private-sector stakeholders. The project builds on recent combined efforts of the investigators demonstrating an algorithm capable of "on-the-fly" parameter and model discovery. The investigators will mathematically rigorously justify this algorithm (and similar renditions of it), quantify its limitations, and lay the mathematical foundation for further improvement. The investigators will apply this method to identify large eddy simulation (LES) models for turbulent flows, and to correct reduced-dimensional models (e.g., from three dimensions to two dimensions) can be modified to accurately capture important statistics. The data assimilation technique will be extended to the Richards equation for groundwater flow, and the new parameter identification algorithm will be used to identify the precise form of spatially varying diffusion tensors which is critical for porous media and groundwater flows. The project will also develop algorithms for optimal sensor placement (where optimality is defined as accurately representing key characteristics of the system from partial observations available from limited mobile and/or static sensors), enhancing the ability to accurately reconstruct and predict full-system behavior from sparse measurements. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

This project aims to settle various open conjectures in the field of commutative homological algebra. The award will also support graduate students working on affiliated topics. Commutative algebra is the study of formal systems in which the rules for manipulating formulas and equations are the same as one learned in high school algebra, but in a vastly more general setting. The field is thus at the heart of much of pure mathematics and is related to many other areas of study, such as number theory and algebraic geometry. Homological algebra is a branch of algebra related to the field of algebraic topology, which, in turn, is the study of topological spaces, i.e., "shapes". In this project, the principal investigator will carry out research in commutative algebra, broadly defined, with a focus on topics related to so-called "dg categories" and modules of finite projective dimension. More precisely, the principal investigator, in collaboration with Michael Brown, Srikanth Iyengar, Linquan Ma, Keller VandeBogert, and others, will pursue research on the following topics: (1) non-commutative analogues for dg categories of several classical conjectures for smooth varieties; (2) duality in the context of Hochschild homology of commutative rings and schemes; (3) homological properties of modules of finite projective dimension; (4) Ulrich modules and sheaves; and (5) matrix factorization. A central goal of (1) is to study non-commutative versions of the Hodge conjecture and the related Standard Conjectures of Grothendieck. The main goal of (2) is to establish and explore the consequences of what might be thought of as Poincare duality for the Hochschild homology (and the periodic cyclic homology) of commutative rings and schemes. Project (3) will explore, among other things, the length conjecture, which predicts that a module of finite projective dimension must have length at least as large as the multiplicity of the ring. Ulrich modules and sheaves, the topic of (4), have extremely special properties, and the mere existence of a single such module/sheaf for a ring/scheme has dramatic consequences. Although it was recently proven by the investigator and his collaborators that certain local rings do not admit any Ulrich modules, the analogous question for Ulrich sheaves on projective varieties remains open; settling this is a goal of this research. A matrix factorization, the topic of (5), is a pair of square matrices with entries in a commutative ring whose product (in either order) gives a scalar matrix. Under certain assumptions, there is a predicted lower bound on the smallest possible size of such a matrix factorization (known as the Buchweitz-Greuel-Schreyer Conjecture), and this project will aim to settle this conjecture at least in certain cases. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The release of potentially toxic micro- and nano-plastics from polymer products poses significant health and environmental concerns. Substantial levels of exposure to these toxins can occur through the use of plastic containers for food and beverages, and there is particular concern when vulnerable population segments such as young children are exposed these micro- and nano-plastics. Despite these concerns and increasing awareness of the potential harm caused by these materials, the mechanism by which micro- and nano-plastics are released from plastic products is currently unknown. This Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award supports research that aims to uncover the key material and processing factors that control the release of micro- and nano-plastics, so that design of safer polymer materials and manufacturing methods becomes possible. This project will include educational outreach programs at the elementary school level to enable opportunities for young students to connect engineering and science with real-world examples, and to attract and train the future STEM workforce. Graduate and undergraduate researchers will be involved in the educational activities, which will enrich their communication skills and foster a commitment to educating future STEM workers. The goal of this CAREER project is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the relationship between material, processing, structure, and release behavior of micro- and nano-plastics during use of polymer products with potential for human ingestion. Currently, the potential interplay between material characteristics, processing methods, and particle release behavior is unknown, preventing the development of a predictive model. To address this critical gap in knowledge, this research will use well-controlled materials and processing conditions, and will characterize release behavior using state-of-the-art experimental techniques to detect and identify particles. The results will provide new understanding of the basic fragmentation mechanism by which micro- and nano-plastics are generated, and will uncover the key parameters that dictate particle release. This knowledge will open up the path towards a transformational shift to manufacturing where nano- and micro-plastic release is incorporated as a performance criterion. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Making electrochemical materials more stable is a significant challenge. These materials are used in many energy technologies such as batteries and fuel cells. Tiny imperfections in the material — called defects — can cause the material to wear down faster. However, new experiments show that some very small, nanoscale defects might actually help make the materials more stable. It is important to understand which kinds of defects are helpful and which ones are harmful, depending on the material and the conditions it is used in. This knowledge can help scientists design materials that are both more active and longer-lasting. Also, for electrochemical technologies to be used on a larger scale, it's better to use materials that do not rely on rare or expensive elements. This research project will investigate how tiny structural differences in materials can affect how well they work and how long they last. The goal is to use this understanding to improve the performance and stability of electrodes. The project will combine the efforts of two research teams with complementary expertise, where experiments will provide unique insights into interfacial structural dynamics. The project will use liquid-phase transmission electron microscopy with near-atomic spatial resolution and high temporal resolution. By employing transmission electron microscopy, the researchers will be able to observe how different crystallographic facets of metal-oxide nanoparticles dissolve in situ and estimate dissolution rates associated with a variety of structural heterogeneities. The imaging results will be supported by electrochemical measurements and quantum-mechanical DFT simulations of thermodynamic, kinetic, and electronic-structure properties. Results will enable a more systematic design of improved catalysts for emerging electrochemical technologies, leading to reduced utilization of critical materials. The project will involve high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in Nebraska and North Carolina, who will acquire broad education in materials characterization, electrochemistry, data science, electronic-structure, and free-energy calculations. 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

The majority of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (transmitted to humans from animals). Many factors, ranging from the molecular to landscape scale, shape pathogen transmission at the interface of people, animals, and our shared environments. Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed zoonotic parasite that can survive in the environment for long periods of time. This parasite can cause disease in humans, domestic animals, and wildlife. Different genetic types or “genotypes” of T. gondii have varying impacts on human and animal health, with some genotypes causing severe and fatal disease. Understanding where these genotypes emerge and how they spread at the interface of people, animals, and the environment is vital for protecting human and animal health. The international Network-of-Networks (NoN) will bring together researchers and students from different disciplines and backgrounds investigating T. gondii across the world to create shared tools and research approaches that will advance understanding of zoonotic parasite transmission. As T. gondii infection impacts human and animal populations globally, this project will enhance public and animal health and well-being as well as wildlife conservation. By investing in the development of early-career researchers and fostering a culture of knowledge sharing, our approach will also contribute to the development of a STEM workforce trained in international collaboration and prepared to tackle global challenges in zoonotic disease and public and animal health. Parasite characteristics, host ecology, and landscape factors can shape T. gondii diversity as well as the emergence of novel genotypes. However, field methods, diagnostic tools, and genotype characterization approaches vary widely across international research groups and geographic regions, limiting understanding of global patterns and processes in parasite transmission and evolution. By integrating three core existing networks and strengthening emerging partnerships with networks, research groups, and consortia focused on different aspects of T. gondii biology, ecology, and epidemiology, this AccelNet Design project will build readiness to launch an international NoN to advance research on parasite transmission and ecology. Existing core networks include the International Network for Environmental Toxoplasma Studies, the Food and Environmental Parasitology Network of Canada, and the Brazilian Toxoplasmosis Research Network (Rede Toxo). The project aims to increase global collaborative research capacity for complex field, lab, and analytic approaches to understand parasite transmission among environments and hosts through 1) an in-person workshop to identify critical knowledge gaps and research needs and to create shared strategies for communication, collaboration, and partnerships among networks, 2) sharing field and lab methods and protocols among networks to facilitate standardization, 3) postdoctoral researcher and graduate student training and exchanges among network laboratories to share knowledge and strengthen STEM workforce development, and 4) harmonizing network approaches for characterizing and sharing field, diagnostic, and genotype data. Building shared field, molecular, and data management and analysis methods, this NoN will accelerate collaborative T. gondii research to advance understanding of parasite transmission at the human-animal-environment interface. Workforce development and global networking efforts will also include developing collaborative virtual and in-person outreach approaches with audiences ranging from healthcare and animal management professionals to the broader public. This project is jointly funded by the Accelerating Research through International Network-to-Network Collaborations (AccelNet) program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.

NSF Awards · FY 2025 · 2025-08

Lines of thunderstorms, known in the meteorological community as Quasi-Linear Convective Systems (QLCSs), can be responsible for high-impact weather such as tornadoes and extreme straight-line winds. Numerical weather models have improved their ability over the years to forecast thunderstorms, but they still struggle with the timing of when thunderstorms grow into larger systems and whether these systems will produce tornadoes or extreme winds. In this project, the research team will create a climatology of QLCS events over the past 10+ years, including advanced weather radar information about drop sizes and shapes, that will be used alongside idealized numerical modeling to answer questions about the structure and impacts of QLCSs. The primary societal impact from the research will be improved understanding, and potentially forecasting, of a significant weather hazard that affects lives and property. The research team will also train and educate a number of students and provide outreach and educational materials to a variety of groups. This award intends to make transformative gains in the understanding of QLCS structure, responses to environment, radar signatures, and hazards. The research team will create a new database of QLCS events covering the period after the dual-polarization upgrade of the US national weather radar network. Using a combination of Machine Learning techniques and existing software, QLCS events will be classified, their environments will be described, and polarimetric variables will be determined. The database will be analyzed and then combined with idealized numerical simulations from Cloud Model 1 to address the hypotheses that mesovortices will be more numerous and longer-lived in high-shear environmental clusters, and that QLCS updrafts will be deeper and more intense when the QLCS environment promotes more intense cold pools via greater evaporative cooling of precipitation. This project is jointly funded by the Atmosphere Cluster in the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.