Mechthild Tegeder, a professor of Plant Molecular Physiology at Washington State University, has designed a way to dramatically increase the yield and quality of soybeans. Tegeder accomplished this by developing a novel way to double the amount of nitrogen fixed by the plants. The agricultural research study indicates a breakthrough that could help meet society's need to feed an increasing population while also protecting the environment.
Read MoreTags: Washington, WSU Pullman, WA, Washington State University Pullman, agriculture, WSU, Washington State University, agricultural, Northwest Region, research news, vegetable crops, agricultural business, agribusiness
The Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California recently received a $21.7 million research grant from the National Institutes of Health to study epilepsy. Epilepsy is currently incurable, and the research team supported by the recent NIH grant will work toward finding a cure and developing treatments to prevent the condition.
Read MoreTags: CA, University of Southern California, Epilepsy, California, USC, Research Funding, research grant, NIH grant, NIH award, Southwest Region
(Article posted 2015 and updated in 2016)
Patients with a condition known as lung nodules may soon be breathing a bit more easily, thanks to research funding granted to the University of California, Davis and a new diagnostic technology tested in a 2016 study at the Morehouse School of Medicine and Emory University. Lung nodules are usually benign, small lesions often found in CT chest scans. While only 2% of these nodules end up being cancerous, they still require examination and monitoring to ensure the safety of the patient.
Read MoreTags: CA, Emory University, University of California Davis, cancer research, California, Cancer, UCDMC, BioResearch Product Faire Event, Research Funding, Sacramento, Davis, UC Davis - Medical Center, research grants, lung cancer
UC Davis Professor Kit Lam has been awarded two separate federal grants to further his cancer research. The first grant is from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. This 4-year, $2 million grant will fund research on the use of targeted nanotheraputics against oral cancer. The second grant is from the National Cancer Institute. This 3-year, $1.2 million research grant will be used to explore new technology for functional imaging in living cells.
Read MoreTags: cancer research, California, Cancer, UCDMC, Research Funding, UC Davis - Medical Center, Southwest Region, research grants, UC Davis, UCD, cancer research grant
Seven UC San Francisco researchers have been awarded grants from the National Institutes of Health to fund innovative endeavors in biomedical research. The highly competitive awards include the Pioneer Award, the New Innovator Award and the Early Independence Award.

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Tags: CA, University of California San Francisco, new research funding, California, Research Funding, UCSF, NIH award, Southwest Region, research grants, NIH grants
According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 8 American women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, and each year over 40,000 women die from it. However, thanks to research conducted at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the number of deaths due to breast cancer may soon be significantly reduced.
Read MoreTags: breast cancer research, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, cancer research, Cancer Treatment, Cancer, UI Urbana, Midwest Region, UIUC, cancer therapy
Dr. Stefan Sarafianos, a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Missouri, was recently awarded a research grant of $3 million from the National Institutes of Health to develop new drugs to treat Hepatitis B (HBV).
Read MoreTags: Missouri, University of Missouri, Drug Development, MO, NIH award, Midwest Region, MU, Hepatitis B, University of Missouri, Columbia
A study by University of Arizona ecologists explored how global warming could jeopardize our food supply. In their report, Alice Cang and John Wiens, professor at UA’s Department of Evolutionary Biology, conclude that grasses across the globe may be unable to keep pace with climate change. This will put some of the world's most critical food sources such as wheat, corn, and rice in danger.
Read MoreTags: University of Arizona, Arizona, Biotechnology Vendor Fair, Ecology, biotech vendor show, Southwest Region, UA, Global Warming, Climate Change
The National Science Foundation has awarded $24 million to create the Center for Cellular Construction; a new bioengineering center based at UC San Francisco. The cutting edge interdisciplinary center will transform the field of cell biology by bringing together cell biologists, engineers, physicists, and computer scientists to create machines made out of living cells.
Read MoreTags: University of California San Francisco, California, University of California, Research Funding, UCSF, Southwest Region, UCSF Mission Bay, NSF award, New research center
Dr. Gürol Süel, a Molecular Biology professor at the University of California San Diego, has been named a HHMI-Simons Faculty Scholar by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Simons Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This prestigious distinction includes a $1.5 million award to support Süel's research study on how bacterial cells use electrical signals to communicate with each other.
Read MoreTags: CA, University of California San Diego, California, UCSD, Research Funding, UC San Diego, research grant, Southwest Region, biofilms

