CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 08/28/03

Researchers to use $1 million grant for biosensing study

By Alan Flurry
University of Georgia

A research team at the University of Georgia will use a $1 million National Science Foundation grant to study and develop three-dimensional nanoscale structures (measured in billionths of a meter) to address problems in biosensing.

The rising interest in using implantable glucose sensors in treating diabetes has led to notable progress in the field. The UGA team plans to refine key issues of long-term calibration and other aging effects on the sensors.

Science and engineering

The team's work is the result of the creative approach of new initiatives by UGA Faculty of Engineering and the Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center. These entities are designed to anticipate research and funding developments. They allow faculty to combine their talents in important ways.

"This mechanism says you've got to incorporate science and engineering working together. Both nanotechnology and bioengineering are critical elements to our success," said physics and astronomy professor Yiping Zhao.

William Kisaalita and Guigen Zhang, both professors in biological and agricultural engineering, complete the team. All three will serve as principal investigators.

"The research conducted by the Faculty of Engineering at UGA is important to the state of Georgia," said President Michael F. Adams. "In particular, this award from the NSF demonstrates that our approach to engineering is well suited for developing new technologies and meeting future needs."

Meeting biosensing needs

The researchers will expand on their newly developed nanofabrication technique, called glancing angle deposition, to fabricate nanoscale 3-D pillars. This will provide some unique features to suit biosensing needs.

"With such a joint effort, we ... get the opportunity to help people by developing biosensors to solve health-related problems," Zhang said.

The project aims to make biosensors more sensitive and stable. It's part of the NSF Nanoscale Interdisciplinary Research Team, a program that encourages interdisciplinary research and cooperation to solve pressing problems in this emerging field.

The UGA team relies on expertise from physics, engineering and nanotechnology. The four-year award became effective Aug. 15.

Alan Flurry is a computer services specialist with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.

Experts/Sources:
Guigen Zhang
Yiping Zhao
William S. Kisaalita
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time to spend more of the holiday with guests, taking time ahead of the day to set expectations can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. CAES News
Manage holiday stress with kindness, boundaries 11/21/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The holiday season can be a time of anticipation and joy, but balancing multiple commitments and personalities across families and friends can be a source of stress for hosts and visitors alike. Much like preparing parts of the meal ahead of time allows you to spend more of the holiday with guests, setting expectations ahead of the celebration can go a long way to ensuring enjoyable gatherings, said Ted Futris, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of human development and family science.
Conner Hall CAES News
CAES welcomes 2024 cohort of Rural Scholars 11/20/24 Maria M. Lameiras
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences welcomed its fourth cohort of students chosen for the CAES Rural Scholars Program this fall just weeks after celebrating the program's first graduation. Georgia Orman, one of four inaugural Rural Scholars in CAES, graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education. The new scholars for 2024, all from Georgia, are Ela Ash of Ocilla, Lauren E. Coley of Cochran, Amelia Housley of Canon, and London O’Steen of Ambrose.
Women play a vital role in rural American farming, but much of that work is "invisible," like raising children or household chores, according to a new UGA study. (Getty Images) CAES News
The women and stress behind rural farming in America 11/19/24 Leigh Hataway
Recent research from the University of Georgia suggests the unique stresses from farm life may be taking a toll on one of the pillars of the families that make your dinners possible: the women who keep farming families running. “If we don’t control our food sources, we don’t control our health and safety,” said Anna Scheyett, lead author of the study and a professor in UGA’s School of Social Work. “It’s a matter of national security that farmers survive in the United States. And one of the big factors in helping farms survive is women.”
Mergoum at Creature Comforts CAES News
That's the spirit! 11/18/24 Maria M. Lameiras, Claire Sanders Kinnard
Wheat breeders spend years meticulously crossing varieties to coax the best traits out of each species, carefully propagating plant varieties that are healthier, heartier and better suited for the environments where they are grown. Professional brewmasters are equally painstaking when choosing the components that will give their beers a specific flavor profile.
Contest-winning concept becomes viable business for alumnus who developed solar-powered, self-propelled chicken coop as a student. CAES News
Poultry in motion 11/14/24 Sean Montgomery
Chris Ayers emerged from his orange and black rough-terrain vehicle with an ear-to-ear grin. “This is Chiktopia,” he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the back half of a 3,600-square-foot warehouse on his family’s farm in Ball Ground, Georgia. “This is where I manufacture and assemble the chicken coops. Everything is done entirely from over here.”
UGA Grand Farm Site Plan web CAES News
UGA Grand Farm wins stage two of 2024 Growth Accelerator Fund competition 11/13/24 Jordan Powers
Startups in the agricultural technology sector face significant barriers on the path to establishment, including access to training and capital. These barriers are heightened for underrepresented entrepreneurs seeking to start new companies. The University of Georgia Grand Farm, part of a historic partnership between the University of Georgia and Fargo, North Dakota-based Grand Farm, aims to change that.