±á±ð°ùÌýresearch, backed by a five-year $813,130 National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases grant, found that an antimicrobial peptide naturally found in cows weakens the biofilm defenses of Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria and destroys it.

Now in their fourth year of research, Fleeman and her lab have discovered exactly how the peptide works in findings published in PLOS Pathogens.

“Our research is very advantageous for healthcare because about 80% of bacterial infections being treated in the clinic are bacteria living in a biofilm state, which makes them resistant to virtually every antibiotic available,� she says.

The results represent a critical step to potentially applying this peptide as a therapy and eventually treating patients, as the findings show they can and kill biofilm-embedded bacteria in animal models.

Parsing out the Peptide

K. pneumoniae is found in the intestines and is usually harmless, however, the bacterium develops resistance over a person’s lifetime as they are exposed to antibiotics. The bacteria also can spread from the intestine to other parts of the body in immunocompromised patients and those who have internal ruptures or exposure to contaminated medical devices. That exposure can lead to pneumonia, urinary tract or wound infections.

“What happens is the bacteria infects the wound, proliferates, and then invades through the bloodstream where it travels to the liver, kidneys and spleen,� Fleeman says. “We found our peptide was able to decrease the bacteria at the source while limiting the bacteria’s ability to move through the blood.�

Fleeman and her lab’s most recent study found that the peptide triggers a dual stress response that tricks the bacteria to break out of their protective biofilm.

They discovered the genetics of a specific protein in the bacterium when turned on in the germ causes it to break from its own protective biofilm. The peptide, in effect, damages the protection and then stresses the bacterium into shedding its protection, making the germ more sensitive to antibiotics and the body’s immune system.

“By hitting the membrane as well as protein synthesis at the same time, it’s a double punch that triggers a genetic change in the cell to make it think it needs to break out of the biofilm as a response to our peptide,â€� Fleeman says.

The team says their sustained research aims to demonstrate that their peptide can work synergistically with existing antibiotics. They envision long-term applications could involve a topical cream that weakens the bacteria’s defenses and allows standard antibiotics to work more effectively.

“We’re moving our research forward and we’re very hopeful,� Fleeman says.

Preparing for the Post-Antibiotic Era

The first author of this new work is Robert Beckman ’23, who graduated from Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½Â with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences, managed Fleeman’s lab and is now on his way to the University of Michigan for his Ph.D.

His previous work as an EMT gave him firsthand exposure to infectious diseases and their impact on patients. He says helping to lead the study and working with Fleeman helped prepare him for a career in medical research.

“I have developed a strong foundation in research and gained insight into the many components that define an effective scientist,� he says. “My long-term goal is to remain in academia and eventually lead my own research lab. I plan to continue focusing on bacteriology, with a particular emphasis on pathogenic bacteria and drug discovery applications.�

Funding and Disclosure:

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R00AI163295. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, researchers working in space and semiconductor reliability, including those affiliated with the university’s Center for Reliability Evaluation of Space and Semiconductor Technologies (CRESST), are helping address the challenge. Through a new collaboration with TAU Systems, they will evaluate and benchmark an emerging approach to radiation testing designed to make the process faster, more accessible and easier to scale.

“Academic partnerships are central to how we move this technology forward,â€� TAU Systems CEO Jerome Paye says. “Universities like Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ bring deep scientific expertise, world-class facilities and a culture of rigorous validation that complements everything we are doing on the commercial side. That is the real value of working closely with academia, it accelerates the path from breakthrough science to deployable technology.â€�

“Universities like Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ bring deep scientific expertise, world-class facilities and a culture of rigorous validation that complements everything we are doing on the commercial side. That is the real value of working closely with academia, it accelerates the path from breakthrough science to deployable technology.â€�—Jerome Paye, CEO of TAU Systems

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s established strengths in microelectronics and radiation effects, combined with its legacy as America’s Space University, make it a natural partner as TAU Systems works to validate and scale accelerator technologies designed to reduce the size and cost of radiation testing systems.

Making Room for Beamtime

When a high-energy particle from space radiation strikes a microchip, it can cause it to malfunction, a phenomenon known as a single-event effect (SEE). These events are a major concern for satellites, spacecraft and defensive systems, where even small disruptions can have significant consequences.

Studying these effects requires access to specialized particle accelerator facilities. This access, known as “beamtime,� is limited and in high demand, often booked months in advance and creating delays that can slow research and development.

“Access to heavy-ion beam facilities is one of the major bottlenecks in radiation effects research today,� says , assistant professor in and lead of the Radiation Effects Exploration Laboratory (REEL). “These facilities are limited in number, heavily oversubscribed and often require long scheduling timelines. That makes it difficult to rapidly evaluate modern microelectronics technologies that are increasingly being deployed in space and defense systems.�

Researchers typically study these effects using heavy-ion accelerators, specialized facilities capable of simulating the radiation conditions electronics experience in space. While effective, these facilities are expensive to operate, limited in number and often booked months in advance creating delays for researchers and industry seeking access to beamtime.

An Alternative to Heavy Ion Testing

A collaboration between Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ and TAU Systems aims to change that by testing a new approach known as electron-based single-event effects, or eSEE. Instead of relying on heavy ions, the method uses laser-driven electron beams to reproduce similar radiation-induced effects observed in space electronics.

“Electron-based SEE approaches could significantly expand access to radiation testing by enabling more flexible and scalable experimental platforms,� Zhang says. “Our role is to rigorously evaluate how these electron-driven methods compare with established heavy-ion testing and determine where they can provide reliable and meaningful insight for real-world applications,� Zhang says.

The approach has the potential to reduce systems that traditionally span kilometers to setups that could fit within a laboratory, lowering barriers to entry and expanding access to radiation testing.

Through the partnership, researchers will work to validate the new method by comparing its results against established heavy-ion testing data to determine when and how reliably it can replicate real-world radiation effects. The collaboration will also support test execution, data analysis and the refinement of validation techniques.

“A key part of this collaboration is establishing confidence in the methodology through direct benchmarking against conventional heavy-ion data,� Zhang says. “If successful, these approaches could help accelerate qualification workflows for advanced semiconductor technologies used in space, aerospace and national security applications.

Forging a Future in Space

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s work in space and semiconductor research, including efforts led through CRESST, positions the university as a contributor to advancing radiation testing capabilities. Located near Florida’s Space Coast and long connected to the nation’s aerospace industry, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ supports research and workforce development tied to emerging space technologies.

If successful, the collaboration could lead to the deployment of a compact testing system at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, expanding access to radiation testing and helping train the next generation of engineers and researchers. By expanding access to radiation testing infrastructure, the effort could help accelerate the development of more resilient electronics for space, defense and commercial applications.

A newly published study in  is taking a broader look at how societies have organized power across history, combining archaeological and historical evidence to better understand governance over time.

Coauthor Sarah “Stacyâ€� Barber, professor and associate chair for Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s , says the project was driven in part by the growing availability of archaeological data and a need to think more expansively about human history.

“Archaeology has been a scientific area of study for about a century, so we now have 100 years of aggregate data about ancient societies,� Barber says.

She explains that many past societies are often excluded from research because they did not leave behind written records the way most European, South Asian and East Asian societies did. Incorporating archaeological evidence ensures that the interpretation of ancient governance is not limited to societies with written history but instead allows for the reflection of an array of human experience.

“When we forget about huge swaths of our past, we are weakening our ability to make decisions in the present, so anything that broadens our knowledge of how people can be people is a good thing,� Barber says. “It opens paths to other options that may be more sustainable or more just in the future.�

Challenging Assumptions About Power

One of the study’s key findings challenges the assumption that population size determines how power is organized.

Although very densely populated societies are more likely to align with an autocracy — one person ruling with absolute power — Barber says the study found there are other options for managing large populations that do not require autocratic governance.

Instead, access to resources and funding play a more critical role in shaping governance structures.

“When the governing entities are relying on funding that comes from taxation and the general population, the population is going to have more influence in governing decisions, and leaders are constrained in how they can decide to use those resources,� she says.

The study also points to a connection between governance and potential for imbalance.

“The less your governing regime has to answer to the populace, the more your governing regime can amass wealth for its own interests as opposed to the interests of everyone,� Barber says.

Expanding the Definition of Governance

The study approaches governance as a spectrum rather than a set of fixed categories, allowing for a more nuanced understanding of how societies function and the wide range of ways that humans organize themselves. To analyze governance across societies, the research team developed an index focused on two key factors: how concentrated power is and how much of the population is involved in decision making.

“We broke it down in terms of how many individuals or entities were involved in making decisions for a general population, and what proportion of the population was involved or had a voice in governing decisions,â€� Barber says.

Looking Ahead

Barber says the team’s plans for future research could expand the number of cases studied to determine whether findings shift as more societies from additional world regions are included.

More broadly, she says the work creates space for scholars to revisit fundamental ideas about governance.

“This research offers opportunities for scholars across the social sciences to reconsider what we mean by ‘democracy’ and to try and refine our understanding of how different aspects of governance affect the well-being of everyday citizens,â€� she says. “We have the choice to reframe the way we live and redirect our futures, if we as a society deem it necessary. The future is not inevitable, and history shows us that.”

The funding for this project was provided to the project leads by The Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis, the Amerind Foundation, and the Field Museum of Natural History provided the funds to hold two workshops at the Amerind Foundation in Dragoon, Arizona. Publication support was provided to co-author David Stasavage by Arts & Science at New York University.

By modifying the material at the atomic level, the researchers at , led by , significantly improved the reaction’s energy efficiency while maintaining industrial production rates.

The findings were recently published in Nature Communications.

Atomically Perfect Imperfections

The new material was created using a method known as defect modification.

At the nanoscale, carbon materials contain atomic-level imperfections, or “defects,� Yang says. Some of these defects help drive chemical reactions, while others reduce efficiency and create instability. Yang and his team focused on stabilizing the harmful defects while preserving the beneficial ones.

“We found that adding a small amount of fluorine — the same element found in toothpaste — can ‘heal’ or stabilize the harmful defects while keeping the helpful ones active,� Yang says.

Hydrogen peroxide (Hâ‚‚Oâ‚‚) plays a critical role across industries, including wastewater treatment, semiconductor manufacturing, and medical sterilization.

“Today, most hydrogen peroxide is produced in large, centralized factories using an energy-intensive process,� Yang says. “It then has to be transported, which adds cost and safety risks. Our work offers a simpler, cleaner, and more efficient way to produce hydrogen peroxide using electricity, potentially, wherever it is needed.�

Engineered Efficiency

After stabilizing the atomic defects, the team observed minimal wasted reactions and high production rates. The material can withstand industrial-level electrical currents of 1 amp per square centimeter and maintain stable performance for more than 100 hours.

When paired with methanol oxidation, the system requires less energy than conventional approaches. The researchers’ economic modeling suggests a commercial version of the system could reduce environmental impact while remaining financially competitive.

Beyond hydrogen peroxide production, the research demonstrates a broader strategy for materials engineering.

“Instead of randomly modifying materials and hoping for improvement, we used computer modeling, statistical screening, and careful experimental validation to design the exact atomic structures that work best,� Yang says.

Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ filed a patent application for this technology to cover its novelty and use, with the intent of commercializing the technology and expanding collaboration with industry partners.

Some of the nation’s most promising scientists can be found in Will Furiosi ’13 ’14MAT’s Oviedo High School classroom.

Spend five minutes talking to Ankan Das, Angela Calvo-Chumbimuni and Moitri Santra about their research innovations in robotics, mental health and agriculture, and one truth becomes quite clear: These teens are the real deal.

Backed by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ associate professors Ellen Kang (physics and NanoScience Technology Center) and Candice Bridge ’07±Ê³ó¶Ù (chemistry) and researcher Max Kuehn ’22 (Exolith Lab), the Oviedo High trio recently earned recognition as the top three projects at Seminole County’s regional science fair.

With Oviedo’s proximity to main campus, the collaboration highlights Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s steadfast commitment to supporting STEM education across Central Florida.

They went on to represent the county admirably at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Phoenix, where they took home several prizes against more than 1,700 high schoolers from around the globe.

Most notably, Santra took home first place and $6,000 in the Plant Sciences category and received the EU Contest for Young Scientists Award. She will represent Regeneron ISEF at the EU Contest for Young Scientists to be held this September in Kiel, Germany.

“Working in Dr. Kang’s lab played pretty big role in choosing materials science and engineering as my major for college because I was exposed to just how many different things someone can do in the area I work with, nanotechnology,� says Santra, a senior bound for Stanford who has worked with Kang since she was a freshman. “The lab provided a lot of resources — not just the instruments, but also mentorship, advice and support.�

A Will to Succeed

The hallway leading to Furiosi’s classroom is decorated with rows of blue, red, white, green, yellow and pink paper accomplishment ribbons. More ribbons, pennants and certificates adorn his walls, along with eight Science and Engineering Fair of Florida best-in-fair grand award senior division trophies — more than any other high school in the state.

During his own primary education, Furiosi attended eight schools over 12 years. As a seventh-grader at Stone Magnet Middle School in Brevard County, he was initially prohibited from participating in science fair because officials couldn’t verify Furiosi was capable of the coursework from his transfer transcripts. He would later go on to earn Order of Pegasus as a Burnett Honors Scholar majoring in biomedical sciences before earning his master’s degree in teacher education.

Every day, he saw a wall of ribbons, much like the ones in his classroom now. And every day he would tell himself, “I want to be one of those kids.�

That experience fundamentally shaped how the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ grad runs his program today.

“What keeps me motivated is knowing that I have the opportunity to get people to be really prepared, informed citizens who are good thinkers, and who, when faced with a problem, smile and tackle it instead of running away,� Furosi says.

Infusing Life into Science

Furiosi began teaching at Oviedo High School in 2013 as he pursued his accelerated master’s degree, made possible by the College of Community Innovation and Education’s Resident Teacher Professional Preparation Program. The program, funded by a U.S. Department of Education grant, was created in response to the growing need for skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Four years later, he took over the school’s science fair program and was determined to breathe new life into it, which at the time involved just four kids.

He cold called students in his AP Biology and Honors Chemistry courses, begging anyone who had shown a glimmer of interest during class to sign up so they wouldn’t have to fold the program.

Today, he’s at 46 students, with some, like Calvo-Chumbimuni, interested in joining the program as soon as they arrive at Oviedo High.

“My seventh grade science fair teacher knew Mr. Furiosi and spoke highly of him,â€� says Calvo-Chumbimuni, who earned fourth place ISEF’s biochemistry category this year. “When I came to Oviedo High and met him, I immediately understood why. The research program stood out to me as a valuable opportunity.â€�

Furiosi fosters a safe space to fail, learn and grow from the research. There are no barriers to entry; no project deemed too insignificant. And he stresses the merits of high-quality mentorship, like the ones Das, Santra, and Calvo-Chumbimuni formed with Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ faculty and STEM labs.

Some of his students have earned thousands of dollars in prizes — one alone pulled in $70,000 and is now studying at the University of Glasgow — at prestigious competitions sponsored by some of the tech industry’s biggest names, including Regeneron and Lockheed Martin, a Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Pegasus Partner.

His alums have gone on to top research institutions including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Stanford, and of course, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½. One of those Knights is aerospace engineering grad Daniel Dyson ’21 ’22MS ’25PhD, who studied in Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Subith Vasu’s lab and now works for Relativity Space at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, America’s largest rocket propulsion test site.

“Mr. Furiosi really pushes you toward excellence,â€� says Das, a sophomore building a tensegrity robot with shape memory alloys that he tested at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s Exolith Lab.

Supporting Excellence

An award-winning researcher who has been supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation, Kang is not easily impressed. Still, Santra made an immediate impression as an eighth grader when she first popped up Kang’s inbox, asking if she could present her idea on a nanoparticle treatment for citrus greening disease in Florida.

“I could clearly see that she had a firm understanding of the material and just thought, ‘Wow, she is really a force.’ I actually wanted to have my undergrad students see her presentation because of how professional she was, even at that young age,� Kang says. “She has this creativity, passion, persistence and resilience — all the key elements that you need as a successful STEM field researcher.�

Similarly, Bridge immediately noticed Calvo-Chumbimuni’s persistence and go-getter attitude when she initially connected with her two years ago. Driven by her interest in the intersection of neuroscience, psychology and analytical chemistry, Calvo-Chumbimuni pitched her idea to develop an electrochemical sensor and biosensor to improve diagnostic methods for mental health disorders.

“I’ve always appreciated her sense of humanity,� Bridge says. “I thought, ‘If you can foster someone who has this sort of compassion already, there are infinite possibilities for what they can do to benefit the community.’ �

The two have been dedicated, active participants in their labs, regularly conducting research multiple days per week during the school year and, at times, daily over the summer.

The faculty and their doctoral students have mentored the high schoolers through instrumentation methods, analyzing data, the literature review process and their presentations.

Both presented continuations of their projects at ISEF — Calvo-Chumbimuni for her second-straight year, Santra for her third — while Das made his first time at the competition memorable with his fourth-place finish in the engineering technology: statics and dynamics category.

Kuehn, who is an engineer at , is accustomed to working with a variety of researchers and scientists who test their experiments and equipment at the Highland Regolith Test Bin. He says he was quickly intrigued by Das’ project, a lightweight and nimble robot that can expand, contract and move through electric current.

Das wanted to test the robot in lunar regolith — simulated moon dirt — because he envisions the tech behind his robot one day being utilized in lunar missions or search and rescue efforts in unstable environments.

“Max noticed that sometimes the motion was a little slow, so he gave some suggestions,� Das says. “Working in the lunar regolith chamber was a very insightful and eye-opening experience. I know I’m still in high school, but I’ve learned I want to do research for as long as I can because I really find this interesting.�

Which, at the end of the day, has been Furiosi’s mission all along.

“Research is not just in science. It is in all disciplines. There’s a lot of cool things that need to be discovered in all fields,â€� he says. “Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s expertise has been so invaluable in preparing my students for the future. A lot of these kids have wonderful ideas, and I really hope we can continue growing more professional support for them in any capacity.â€�

The same curiosity that once led Jeonghyun Song to shape clay with his hands now drives him to engineer materials at an atomic level, combining chemistry and creativity.

He began his college journey in the arts, drawn to pottery. But as he worked with ceramics, his attention shifted beneath the surface — to the chemistry of the materials and the possibilities within them. That shift in perspective pushed him from the art studio into the lab — and now to a national fellowship.

A materials science and engineering major, Song will join the University of Notre Dame this summer as a recipient of its Nanoscience and Technology Undergraduate Research Fellowship, hosted from May 18 through July 24.

“I chose to attend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ because of the opportunities it offers — especially in research — along with its strong engineering program.”

The opportunity marks a turning point in his journey from an arts major to an engineering major, which he began when he transferred to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ in Fall 2025.

“I chose to attend Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ because of the opportunities it offers — especially in research — along with its strong engineering program,â€� Song says. “The MSE (Materials Science and Engineering) Program is relatively new and rapidly growing, which gives students more chances to get involved and grow.â€�

He didn’t waste time getting started.

As a new Knight and burgeoning materials researcher, Song set his sights on working with Assistant Professor Kausik Mukhopadhyay, whose research bridges materials, chemistry, biology and engineering to develop solutions for surfaces, coatings, electrochemistry and more.

Now in Mukhopadhyay’s , Song studies clay-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries.

“As a student who comes from a ceramics background, Dr. Mukhopadhyay’s research was the most interesting to me,� Song says. “Based on his work in chemistry and materials science, I knew his lab would be a place where I could grow and actively engage in research.�

The lab quickly became more than a workspace — it became a launchpad, which Song says he’s grateful for.

“I would like to thank Dr. Mukhopadhyay and the people in our group for their support,â€� he says. “If it wasn’t for them, I would have had a hard time blending into the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ community.â€�

His perspective as a researcher is evolving, too.

“I find it more interesting to study how common … materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties.”

Once drawn to examining rare and expensive materials for their unique characteristics, Song is now focused on factors in materials costs and environmental impact.

“While studying rare materials is interesting due to their distinct properties, I find it more interesting to study how common and inexpensive materials can be engineered to achieve similar or even more useful properties,� he says.

That mindset will guide his work at Notre Dame.

His project, “Prototyping High-speed Synthesis of Gold Microplates,� tackles a key challenge in nanotechnology: efficiently producing ultrathin gold coatings. These coatings are useful in technology like biosensors and electronics, but current synthesis methods are slow, and controlling their size, shape and placement is challenging.

Song will help explore faster synthesis methods using a reaction chamber to study the process through three activation approaches: light, temperature and merging chemical streams.

As he prepares to spend the summer in Indiana, Song acknowledges some anxiety — the kind that comes with stepping into something bigger — as he looks ahead to what could be a pivotal moment in his journey as a researcher.

“I would like to meet new people, learn from them and also expand my vision for research,� Song says. “I think this summer will be the most important for me in terms of deciding my future.�

The study, led by Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ , identifies hydrazinoacetic acid as a key building block in the production of N-nitroglycine, a rare compound that offers new insight into how living systems carry out sophisticated chemical processes.These processes could be used to create safer and more efficient chemical reactions across manufacturing, healthcare and more. The research has been accepted for publication in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology and was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Graham Laboratory at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Zdilla Laboratory at Temple University.

“Enzymes — or bacteria, more broadly — are capable of generating many interesting types of molecules, including ones we would think are explosive,� Caranto says. “We don’t know why they’re making them, but it’s fairly interesting that they do.�

While compounds like nitramines are often associated with industrial and energetic applications, their role in biology remains poorly understood. By identifying hydrazinoacetic acid as a key precursor to N-nitroglycine, the team begins to explain how bacteria construct these unusual nitrogen-rich molecules — and what those pathways may tell scientists about chemistry in living systems.

Why It Matters

Understanding how bacteria produce nitrogen-rich compounds could have implications across multiple fields, from industrial chemistry to medicine. Traditional methods for synthesizing these compounds often require energy-intensive processes or hazardous materials. Biological systems, by contrast, operate under milder conditions and could offer a blueprint for alternative production methods.

“Currently, the way these compounds are made requires a lot of very corrosive, hazardous and environmentally detrimental materials, having a bacterium make it instead would present a lot of advantages in terms of eliminating waste.â€�— Jonathan Caranto, associate professor of chemistry, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Sciences

“Currently, the way these compounds are made requires a lot of very corrosive, hazardous and environmentally detrimental materials,� Caranto says. “Having a bacterium make it instead would present a lot of advantages in terms of eliminating waste.�

At the same time, the discovery opens new avenues for studying how these molecules function in biological systems, including potential applications in drug development and enzyme engineering.

Uncovering Nature’s Hidden Chemistry

At the center of the discovery is hydrazinoacetic acid, a small but highly reactive molecule that functions as a precursor, or starting material, in the bacterial synthesis of N-nitroglycine. By identifying its role, researchers were able to map a previously unknown biosynthetic pathway, showing insight into how bacteria construct these compounds. For postdoctoral scholar Ben Rathman, the discovery highlights how much remains unknown about these molecules.

“The biological role of these compounds is not really well understood,� Rathman says. “We have a lot to learn from nature, and that’s where my interest in the project lies.�

That uncertainty is central to the work. While these compounds have been studied in synthetic contexts for decades, their presence in biology raises new questions about how and why organisms produce them.

A Paradox in Biology

Part of what makes the finding compelling is the tension between how these molecules are typically understood and how they behave in living systems.

“It’s one of those things where, at first, you might say this shouldn’t be a biomolecule,� chemistry doctoral student Gabriel Padilla ’17 says. “These types of functional groups are usually associated with energetics, but here they’re produced by living systems.�

Rather than behaving like traditional energetic materials, the compounds studied do not detonate under normal conditions. Instead, they appear to exist as stable intermediates within biological systems, suggesting they may serve entirely different functions.  In addition, most hydrazines are regarded as highly toxic.

For Caranto, this reflects a broader theme in the research.

“One insight from our work is that life is pretty remarkable in how it can safely and productively use molecules that would otherwise be toxic,� he says.

For the team, the work represents an early step in a much larger effort to understand the role these compounds play in nature.

“We’re really interested in why bacteria make these nitramines,� Caranto says. “This is the first step on a much longer road toward understanding that.�

Work in the Caranto and Graham labs was supported by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) projects WP24-4206 and WP2332, respectively. Work of the Caranto lab was also supported by the National Institutes of Health (R35GM147515).Work from the Zdilla lab was supported by an NSF (CHE-2215854). and the Office of Naval Research (N00014-22-1-2266).

When NASA launches its latest voyage to the International Space Station on May 12, it will carry a blood clotting experiment from the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Medicine’s newest faculty member. The research will include illuminated bone marrow cells floating in space to find better ways to keep astronauts and Earthlings healthier.

Hansjorg Schwertz specializes in occupational health and focuses his research on how microgravity and radiation in space impact the body’s blood-clotting functions. After an extensive career overseas and at the University of Utah, he comes to Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to serve as the associate director for Translational Aerospace Medicine Research at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ Center for Aerospace and Extreme Environments Medicine (CASEEM).

As humans prepare for longer missions to the moon, Mars and beyond, the center is exploring how factors such as microgravity, radiation and isolation impact the human body in space and how that knowledge can drive innovation into diagnostics, treatment and disease prevention for patients on Earth.

“When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½,â€� he says.

NASA Concerned About Blood Clots in Space

Pre- and post-mission medical testing of astronauts on the International Space Station has shown that spaceflight changes their immune system and blood clotting ability. A few astronauts have even developed blood clots during a flight or after returning. For that reason, Schwertz is leading the NASA-funded Megakaryocytes Orbiting in Outer Space and Near Earth (MOON) study, which he began working on at the University of Utah and continues to collaborate with the university’s researchers on.

“When it comes to putting footprints on the moon, there is no better place to be than Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½.â€� — Hansjorg Schwertz

Megakaryocytes are bone marrow cells that create platelets, which circulate in the blood stream and can stop bleeding or form blood clots. Both cells also play a key role in immune responses.

The MOON study is examining how space flight affects the development and function of megakaryocytes as they create platelets. The results could provide important knowledge about the risks of inflammation, immune responses and blood clot formation that will help space travelers and patients on Earth, Schwertz says.

His team is sending human cells to the ISS on board the SpaceX 34 resupply mission. Once they are aboard the space station, astronauts will culture the cells and help to develop megakaryocytes in space.

One part of the experiment is to watch the cells in real time, and how they develop their “daughter cell,â€� the platelets. Because the research will be in microgravity, the cells will float. They’ll be stained with fluorescent dye so Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s researcher can examine them remotely at better accuracy.

Schwertz says mentors taught him, “seeing is believing,� so he is “genuinely excited� to see megakaryocytes float in space.

Advancing Personalized Medicine

One of the challenges of space medicine research is that so few people have gone to space, so the sample pool is small. As space travel and colonization progress, more people will be traveling to and working on the moon and beyond.

Healthwise, many will be different than astronauts who are selected after going through vigorous testing and selection criteria. Thus, space is a new frontier of healthcare.

Schwertz hopes his study will unlock technologies and therapies to keep astronauts’ blood clotting mechanisms controlled, prevent abnormal clotting and bring those discoveries back to Earth.

“We’re examining the impact of space flight on each person’s cells,� he says. “This is personalized medicine, and isn’t that what healthcare is all about?�

Emmanuel Urquieta, vice chair for Aerospace Medicine at the Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Medicine and founding director of CASEEM, Schwertz’s work reflects the program’s broader mission to connect spaceflight research with practical clinical and operational solutions.

“Our aerospace medicine program is intentionally designed to be operational and translational in nature,� Urquieta says. “We are building a program that can support the real medical needs of exploration missions while rapidly translating discoveries from spaceflight and extreme environments into innovations that improve health here on Earth.�

Schwertz received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the School of Medicine at the University of Mainz, Germany. After a residency in Internal Medicine/Cardiology at the University of Halle, Germany, he did a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Utah, where he also served as faculty.

In 2012, he  was awarded a prestigious Lichtenberg-Professorship for Experimental Hemostasis and returned to Germany where he directed a research laboratory. He returned to Utah in 2015, where he completed his residency training in Occupational Medicine and was a faculty member, researcher and community physician.

The material is based upon work supported by NASA under award No. 80NSSC22K0255. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

At Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, researchers are developing a new approach inspired by squids, octopuses and other cephalopods, one that doesn’t wait for targets to arrive, but actively reaches out to capture them. Led by , a professor in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s , the work introduces a DNA-based system designed to capture target molecules more efficiently by extending into the surrounding solution.

“One of the biggest challenges in biosensing is something surprisingly simple: molecules take time to move,� Kolpashchikov says. “Imagine trying to catch fish in a huge lake with a tiny net, most fish will never come close enough to be caught. Traditional sensors work the same way: they passively wait for target molecules (analytes) to randomly bump into them.�

The project, supported by a $272,000 award from the U.S. National Science Foundation, reframes how biosensors operate, shifting from passive detection toward active engagement.

Targeting Molecules Through DNA

Conventional biosensors rely on diffusion, meaning target molecules must randomly move through a solution before encountering a sensing surface. This process, known as mass transport limitation, can slow detection and limit performance in time-sensitive applications.

Kolpashchikov’s approach addresses this constraint by incorporating nanostructures composed of DNA strands that extend outward from the sensor. These flexible extensions function like molecular tentacles, weakly interacting with passing targets and increasing the likelihood that they will be captured.

Rather than waiting for signals to arrive, the system draws them closer.

Speeding Detection

The speed at which a sensor can detect its target is often as important as detection sensitivity and specificity. In contexts such as medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring and food safety, delays can reduce reliability or limit usefulness altogether.

By increasing the rate at which target molecules are gathered and concentrated near the sensing surface, the DNA cephalopod approach may enable faster, more responsive detection systems, particularly in applications that depend on real-time or near-real-time analysis.

“Slow sensors can miss short-lived biological signals, allow samples to degrade, and delay responses to threats,� Kolpashchikov says, “Faster detection reduces costs (less time, fewer reagents), improves accuracy, and enables real-time monitoring — something essential for healthcare, environmental safety, and biosecurity.�

DNA as Structure and Sensor

The system uses DNA not only as a recognition element but also as a structural material. Engineered strands extend from the sensor into the surrounding environment, forming a dynamic interface that interacts with nearby molecules.

These extensions do not bind targets permanently at first. Instead, they weakly capture and release them, effectively increasing the local concentration of target molecules near the sensor’s core detection region. This process improves detection efficiency without requiring additional mechanical or chemical input.

By designing DNA nanostructures that actively interact with nearby molecules, the system creates a sensing environment that is more responsive and efficient.

“DNA is uniquely suited for building nanoscale machines,� Kolpashchikov says. “It’s programmable, predictable and relatively inexpensive.�

In this system, DNA strands self-assemble into a structure resembling a microscopic octopus, what the team calls  a “‘DNA cephalopod.’.� A central sensor is surrounded by long, flexible “‘tentacles�’ that extend into the solution. Each tentacle carries weak binding sites that briefly capture target molecules and pass them along from one site to the next, guiding them toward the center, where the sensor binds them more strongly and triggers detection.

Applications Across Fields

The improved speed and sensitivity of this approach expand the potential use of biosensors across multiple domains.

Possible applications include rapid detection of harmful bacteria in water and food systems, early-stage diagnosis through identification of DNA or RNA biomarkers, and forensic analysis requiring precise detection of biological material

By enabling sensors to detect smaller quantities of target molecules more quickly, the technology may support more timely and accurate decision-making in both clinical and field settings.

“The potential applications are broad: rapid disease diagnostics, including early cancer detection, and real-time monitoring of pathogens in water and food. Perhaps most exciting is that this is a general strategy. The same ‘tentacle’ concept could be applied for detection of proteins and small biological molecules.â€� — Dmitry Kolpashchikov, professor of chemistry, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ College of Sciences

“This approach could dramatically improve how we detect biological molecules,� Kolpashchikov says. “The potential applications are broad: rapid disease diagnostics, including early cancer detection, real-time monitoring of pathogens in water and food. Perhaps most exciting is that this is a general strategy. The same ‘tentacle’ concept could be applied for detection of proteins and small biological molecules.�

A New Method of Rapid Analyte Detection

As with many emerging technologies, translating laboratory advances into real-world systems presents challenges. Performance in complex environments, where multiple substances interact simultaneously, remains an area for further study.

Scaling the technology and integrating it into existing diagnostic platforms will also be critical steps in determining its broader applicability.

Rather than treating biosensing as a passive process governed by chance encounters, Kolpashchikov’s work suggests a different model, one in which sensors actively engage with their environment, reaching into the surrounding space to capture what drifts.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 2555933. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

As drones, air taxis and emergency aircraft begin to fill city skies, the biggest challenge may be invisible: how radio signals move through dense urban environments.

That future depends on reliable communication systems that can function reliably amid buildings, materials and interference, a problem Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ postdoctoral researcher Saumya Gupta is working to solve.

“Collaborating with NASA through the MUREP MPLAN program provides an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research that supports the future of aviation and air mobility.� — Saumya Gupta, postdoctoral researcher

Gupta received a NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN) award to study and model how radio signals behavior in complex urban environments. She is working with co-principal investigator , an associate professor in Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s , on a project titled “A Digital Twin for AAM Communication Channels.â€�

Gupta’s research focuses on urban air mobility, where drones, emergency response aircraft and potential air taxis depend on reliable communication networks to operate safely in dense cities. The work builds on a growing body of AAM research at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½, including prior simulation efforts led by Professor Vela, by focusing specifically on how communication signals move through crowded cities.

“Collaborating with NASA through the MUREP MPLAN program provides an opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research that supports the future of aviation and air mobility,â€� Gupta says. “It allows our team at Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ to work on problems that are directly relevant to NASA’s AAM (advanced air mobility) mission while also benefitting from guidance and collaboration with NASA researchers. This partnership helps ensure that our research addresses real-world challenges in integrating new air vehicles into the national airspace.â€�

Building the Digital Twin

Traditional radio frequency prediction models often rely on simplified formulas that estimate how signals weaken over distance. While useful, these models lack the spatial and material detail needed to represent dense urban environments where glass, steel and concrete significantly affect signal behavior.

More advanced simulation tools can model signal reflection, absorption and diffraction using digital maps. Most maps include building shapes but not detailed material data, a factor that strongly influences how signals are transmitted.

To address this limitation, Dr.Gupta and Professor Vela, along with their research team, are developing a simulation-based digital twin, a virtual model of an urban communication environment that incorporates artificial intelligence to improve prediction accuracy.

“Reliable communication is essential for future systems such as drones, emergency response UAVs and urban air taxis.� — Saumya Gupta, postdoctoral researcher

Rather than relying solely on static maps, the system trains neural networks using signal data collected by uncrewed aerial vehicles. By analyzing how signal strength changes across locations, the system can infer building material properties and refine the model accordingly. Over time, this approach allows the digital twin to become more adaptive and better aligned with real-world conditions.

“Reliable communication is essential for future systems such as drones, emergency response UAVs and urban air taxis,� Gupta says. “By using a digital twin to model how buildings and materials affect radio frequency signals, this research helps identify where signals may weaken, become blocked or experience interference. These insights can guide safer routing, real-time coordination and the scalable airspace management that future urban air mobility will depend on.�

Strengthening Industry-Academic Partnerships

NASA’s MUREP program aims to broaden participation in aerospace research while strengthening partnerships between universities and NASA centers.

Through the MPLAN initiative, faculty researchers work directly with NASA scientists to develop technologies aligned with the agency’s long-term missions while also expanding opportunities for students to engage in aerospace research.

“We plan to expand student involvement as the project progresses,� Gupta says. “We also look forward to engaging with NASA researchers to provide mentorship and collaborative learning opportunities.�

In addition to Gupta’s project, Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½ researcher Justin Urso also received a MUREP MPLAN award supporting research on communication and sensing systems for advanced air mobility, further reflecting Â鶹ӳ»­´«Ã½â€™s role in NASA’s urban initiatives. Urso is a research assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who conducts work in Professor Subith Vasu’s laboratory.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) through the Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Partnership Learning Annual Notification (MPLAN) program. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASA.