LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Two University of Louisville faculty teams are among Kentucky researchers receiving $13.5 million in funding through the National Science Foundation and the Kentucky Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).
U of L is receiving $4.8 million, the University of Kentucky is receiving $7.2 million and Murray State University is receiving $1.5 million.
At U of L, lead researcher Robert Keynton of the Speed Scientific School will receive almost $2.5 million over the next three years for research equipment and infrastructure to enhance the school’s microfabrication, bio-MEMS and nano-MEMS capabilities. MEMS stands for microelectromechanical systems.
Keynton said these tiny structures are expected to revolutionize diagnosis and delivery of medicine. For instance, he is working with faculty from engineering, chemistry, surgery and biochemistry on projects including a retinal prosthesis and on miniaturized chips and portable devices for point-of-care medical diagnosis. MEMS also have potential to spur economic growth in the automotive and toy industries, he said.
Chemistry professor Richard Wittebort will receive more than $2.3 million for a joint effort between the chemistry department and the James Graham Brown Cancer Center.
About $2.1 million will be used to purchase an 800 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, a device that will allow researchers to study the structures of proteins and DNA. By studying these structures, scientists hope to better understand and develop treatments for diseases.
“This funding will enable our researchers to further their cutting edge research into areas of vital importance to all Kentuckians,” said U of L Provost Carol Garrison. “The potential benefits to the Louisville community and to the commonwealth are tremendous.”
For more information, call Keynton at (502) 852-6356 or Wittebort or chemistry department chairman George Pack at (502) 852-6798.