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| INITIATIVES |
- Genetic Sequencing in Under an Hour.
Biochemist Susan Hardin and four UH colleagues are developing
a new technology for direct molecular sensing that could
be used to sequence an individual’s entire genome
– the gathering of all the genetic information contained
in a person’s DNA – in less than 24 hours rather
than 2-3 days. When fully developed, the technology could
offer doctors a more rapid and more thorough way to determine
who is at risk for certain genetic diseases, or which people
might react adversely to a particular drug.
- Smallest Lithograph in the World. The
UH Cullen College of Engineering is leading nanolithography
by producing the smallest lithograph in the world—less
than five nanometers. This tiny lithograph is critical to
producing the next generation of microelectronic devices
such as computer chips, air quality sensors for air purifiers
and HVAC systems, and controllers for wireless devices.
- Pioneering DNA/AIDS Research. Jim Briggs,
assistant professor of biology, biochemistry and chemical
engineering, and co-workers developed the first detailed
computer-generated model consistent with experimental data
that predicts exactly how the HIV integrase molecule binds
with viral DNA. Since HIV integrase is an enzyme essential
to the viral life cycle, Briggs’ research is an important
breakthrough that paves the way to develop effective drugs
to combat AIDS.
- Patient-Specific Medicine. Xiaolian Gao,
professor of chemistry, has developed a chemical process
for building a device that could help doctors predict a
patient’s response to drugs or screen patients for
thousands of genetic mutations and diseases, all with one
simple lab test – on a DNA chip. The DNA chip –
similar to a computer chip but imbedded with DNA molecules
instead of electronic circuitry – is designed to probe
a biological sample for genetic information that indicates
whether the person has a genetic predisposition for certain
diseases or conditions. Patient-specific medicine is the
ultimate goal of this research.
- Reducing Diesel Emissions by the Ton.
Today the Cullen College of Engineering is a leader in designing
improvements in groundwater protection and soil contaminant
remediation. One example is Chemical Engineering Professor
and Chair Michael Harold’s contract with the City
of Houston to test new technologies that may reduce emissions
from the city’s fleet of 2,800 diesel-powered vehicles.
- Breakthrough in NanoTechnology. A simple
procedure using low-energy ion beams to form nanometer-sized
metallic structures in an insulated medium has been discovered
by J. Wayne Rabalais, Cullen Professor of Chemistry, and
coworkers. The discovery provides an important breakthrough
in nanotechnology, expanding the set of tools available
for nanoresearchers, increasing the detail and sophistication
of nanoresearch, and permitting the work to be done at room
temperature instead of in special environments. The discovery
may be at the cusp of creating similar structures in other
materials and may be combined with existing nanofabrication
strategies.
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