HIV, DIAGNOSTIC HEALTH CARE TOOLS TOP
OF LIST FOR UH RESEARCHERS
Two UH Professors Invited to National Nanotechnology Conference
HOUSTON, Nov. 15, 2004 – Designing devices to combat HIV
and biosensors to aid in diagnostic health care will be among the
presentations of two University of Houston professors at a gathering
of the top nanotechnologists in the nation Nov. 19-21.
The National Academies Keck Futures Initiative conference –
“Designing Nanostructures at the Interface Between Biomedical
and Physical Systems” – will bring together approximately
100 of the nation’s top researchers to discuss the emerging
science of nanotechnology Nov. 19-21 at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman
Center in Irvine, Calif. Kurt Krause, associate professor of biology
and biochemistry at UH, and Rigoberto Advincula, associate professor
of chemistry at UH, are two of only 12 researchers from the Gulf
Coast area invited to attend the conference.
“The organizers of the Futures Initiative were particularly
interested in my background on modifying surfaces with polyelectrolytes
and dendrimers for the controlled adsorption and capture of DNA
and proteins,” Advincula said. “We are looking at applying
these methods for microfluidic devices and biosensors.”
Coming a long way from applications in such mundane gadgets as ink-jet
printers, microfluidic devices – one of Advincula’s
specialties – now hold potential for pharmaceuticals, biotechnology,
defense, public health and agriculture. This next generation of
applications shows the flexibility of these devices that will be
crucial to their commercial viability. Another of Advincula’s
research projects involves biosensors that can detect toxins and
bacteria in an environment, ultimately leading to uses in diagnostic
health care and biological/chemical detection.
Presenting some of his latest breakthroughs in the fight against
HIV, Krause will present research on the design of proteins that
can split DNA made by pathogenic organisms, which will produce nanomachines
that could be used to combat latent infections caused by viruses
like HIV. He also will join a focus group exploring energy production
from biological nanosystems that could eventually lead to cleaner,
more efficient energy supplies, reducing both costs and environmental
consequences. Full details of these focus groups and research presentations
will be available online, following the conclusion of the conference.
Funded by a $40 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation, the
National Academies Keck Futures Initiatives is a 15-year effort
to catalyze interdisciplinary inquiry and to enhance communication
among researchers, funding agencies, universities and the general
public. Representing science, engineering and medical disciplines,
conference attendees convene with the common mission to explore
questions related to nanotechnology and nanoscience. Working on
matter that is 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair,
the practice of nanotechnology manipulates individual molecules
and atoms. Seed grants will be awarded to selected researchers who
attend. For more information, visit www7.nationalacademies.org/keck/keck_futures_conferences.html.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research
and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers
and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,
civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university
in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and
service with more than 35,000 students.
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