Federal funding was recently provided to the University of Michigan in an effort to understand and prevent the occurrence of harmful algal blooms that fatefully impact freshwater globally. The $5.2 million federal grant supporting this algal bloom research project is part of the $1.5 billion in total annual research and development funding received by the university.
While the major effects of these destructive algal blooms are not well understood they came under greater investigation when in 2014, the town of Toldeo, Michigan’s local water supply was contaminated as a result of an algal bloom in Lake Erie. The intention of project researchers is to increase and expand understanding of the toxins and chemical compounds associated with algal blooms and how they effect public health.
Along with the threat of devastating the water supply, these blooms can kill fish and animals, as well as make humans sick. Researchers hope to gain a better understanding of these microbial toxins by identifying the genes responsible for the production of them, along with bioactive compounds that can be studied for the development of new medicines.
The greater collaborative effort of this study is between nine universities and is backed by more than $30 million in funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Science Foundation. The University of Michigan’s partners on this project include Bowling Green State University, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ohio Sea Grant, Ohio State University, SUNY-College of Environmental Science and Forestry, University of North Carolina, University of Tennessee, University of Toledo and Michigan State University.
The University of Michigan has a long history of prioritizing the life sciences and is bustling with researchers working hard to protect public health. The University of Michigan ranks second in the nation for overall research and development expenditures, with over half of its funding going directly into the life sciences.
University of Michigan's Impressive Funding Facts:
- 2017 Total R&D Expenditures: $1,530,139,000
- Ranked 2nd in Total R&D Expenditures
- 2017 Life Science R&D Expenditures: $826,506,000
- 2018 NIH Funding: $552,433,990
Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. hosts an annual BioResearch Product FaireTM event at the University of Michigan, Ann Harbor. In the past, the event has drawn nearly 550 life science professionals annually. Of these attendees, many are professors, post docs, purchasing agents, lab managers, and researchers.
This year's event at the University of Michigan will take place on August 8, 2019.
If you sell laboratory supplies, or services call Biotechnology Calendar, Inc. today or click here to take advantage of early registration, discounted pricing. If you are a life science professional, click here to find more information and register for the event online.