SEED Grants 2000
Regulation of Tumor Angiogenesis by Membrane Proteases
Wen-Tien Chen
Department of Medicine, SBU
Subramanyam Swaminathan
Department of Biology, BNL
The long-term goal of this collaborative project is to understand the molecular mechanisms that control extracellular matrix degradation on the surface of endothelial cells during tumor angiogenesis. The specific aim of this seed grant project is to obtain primary data on x-ray crystallography of recombinant seprase at atomic resolution, which may lead to new approaches toward identifying potential inhibitor and substrate-binding molecules for cell surface seprase and its complexes as therapeutic agents in controlling angiogenesis of human cancer.
Blood Brain Barrier Permeability and the Menstrual Cycle
Patricia Coyle
Department of Neurology, SBU
William Rooney
Department of Chemistry, BNL
The goal of this pilot study is to examine blood brain barrier permeability during the menstrual cycle. This study will involve control as well as women suffering from Multiple Sclerosis in order to attempt to document blood brain barrier impairment related to the menstrual cycle, and possible links to relapses of MS disease activity.
Science Studies at Stony Brook - a Plan for Interdisciplinary Program
Robert Crease
Department of Philosophy, SBU; Historian, BNL
The continuation of a project begun last year, the funding will be used on various activities designed to bolster the interest in the Science Study Forum. These include a faculty reading seminar in science studies, a visiting lecture series in science and ethics, a workshop of science studies, and the continuation of the technoscience research seminar series.
Measurement of Low Mass Electron Pairs Using the PHENIX Detector at RHIC
Axel Drees
Department of Physics, SBU
The focus of this project is the investigation of extending the scope of physics accessible at Brookhaven National Lab's RHIC by the measurement of low mass electron pairs. This could possibly lead to future upgrade possibilities of the PHENIX equipment.
A Pre-Service 7-12 Science Teacher Development Program: Summer Research Institute
David Ferguson
Director of CELT, SBU
Thomas Liao
Director of PEP, SBU
Karl Swyler
Science Education Center, BNL
This project seeks to enhance the training of pre-service teachers by building on the academic priorities at Stony Brook and to improve the preparedness of future college students. Summer institute activities hope to achieve these goals by providing pre-service teachers with an inquiry-based research experience that they can take back to the classroom with them.
Parallel Volume Terrain Modeling and Rendering with Applications to Long Island Beach Geomorphology
Arie Kaufman
Department of Computer Science, SBU
Hong Ma
Department of Environmental Sciences, BNL
The purpose of this project is to apply advanced parallel computing, terrain modeling, and rendering techniques to gain a spatiotemporal understanding of the geomorphic development of the Long Island coastline. This study will have important applications in protecting our regional socioeconomic activities and natural habitats from coastline erosion caused by storms and possible global warning.
Recent Advances in Proteomics - Joint SB/BNL Symposium on Molecular Biology
William Lennarz
Department of Biochemistry, SBU
Paul Freimuth
Department of Biology, BNL
This grant will support the combined two-day symposium on Recent Advances in Proteomics. Topics covered include: DNA and protein chip technologies, protein-protein interactions and protein modifications, and structural and computational aspects of proteomics.
Metal-Carbon Multiple Bonds as Building Blocks for Molecular Materials
Andreas Mayr
Department of Chemistry, SBU
Bruce Brunschwig
Department of Chemistry, BNL
This is a continuation of a project begun last year on the use of metal-carbon multiple bonds as functional and structural components in molecular materials. The development of molecular materials has become an active area of research, especially with regard to the potential to modify or even control the materials properties via the nature of molecular building blocks.
Use of NSLS X-Ray Microprobe and FTIR Beam Lines to Evaluate the Distribution of Trace Elements and Organic Materials in Caliche Paleosols
E. Troy Rasbury
Department of Geosciences, SBU
Antonio Lanzirotti
Department of Applied Science, BNL
This project is a microbeam/trace element study of calcite from soils at micron resolution. This has implications for the determination of how areas contaminated with radioactive waste should be cleaned up and how where such waste should be stored.
Role of Lipid Membranes in the Initiation and Formation of Protein Synuclein Fibrils
Suzanne Scarlata
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, SBU
John Sutherland
Department of Biology, BNL
This project will study the processes involved in the binding of alpha-synucleins to membranes. Alpha-Synuclein is of particular interest as it has been found to be associated with Parkinson and Alzheimer Disease.
Investigating the X-Ray Response of Photoconductors for Real-Time Flat-Panel Detectors in Medical Imaging
Wei Zhao
Department of Radiology, SBU
Barbara Jacak
Department of Physics and Astronomy, SBU
Paul O'Connor
Instrumental Division, BNL
Bo Yu
Instrumental Division, BNL
This project will investigate the properties of liquid xenon and thick-deposition amorphous selenium in order to make improvements in photoconduction materials. This could result in minimizing the exposure to radiation during x-rays.