Southern Illinois University Carbondale 2012 Research Report Contents
Why SIU? 2 Proof Point #1 Curing Hearing Loss 20 Proof Point #2 Helping Feed the Planet 40 SIU Now: Ongoing Impact 56
1
RESEARCH IS OUR MANDATE. We pursue it
WHYSIU?
2
because we have the expertise and the passion—we pursue it because it’s our responsibility. We don’t take this lightly. With the talent we’ve attracted, the facilities we’ve built, and the high expectations that our peers and leaders in business and government place on us (and the even higher ones we place on ourselves), we don’t have the luxury of waiting for answers. So we reach out to understand the challenges, enlist the best talent, collaborate across departments and with other universities, tirelessly pursue the answers, and then measure the results. All of this effort ensures that the research we do is relevant and timely. It matters now. We invite you to know.
33
THE ILLINOIS BASIN COAL RESERVES ARE RIGHT BELOW US.THE CONFLUENCE OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND OHIO RIVERS IS JUST
4
SOUTH OF US. WHICH MEANS THAT FOR US, BEING IN CARBONDALE IS NOT JUST A LOCATION, IT’S A RESPONSIBILITY.
55
WHYSIU?
OUR RESEARCH STARTS HERE, IN THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS REGION. We have an obligation to study, understand, and preserve the natural resources that surround us. In this abundance, the answers to the world’s greatest challenges are waiting to be unearthed. Our soil, for example, is right on the front line of climate change, perfectly positioned in a temperate zone between the northern and southern climates. It’s an advantage that has benefitted the research of our College of Agricultural Sciences—work that has been recognized by many agencies and organizations, including the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which awarded SIU a $7M grant to pursue sustainable agriculture. Little more than 50 miles south, in Cairo, Illinois, the Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet. It’s a place where transportation and aquatic wildlife come together. We’re also there with initiatives such as our Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT) program in watershed science and policy, supported by the National Science Foundation. Our goal is to mentor a new 6
generation of leaders to take on the interconnected challenges facing industry and the environment. While our location informs a large swath of our research, it does not limit us to environmental or agricultural issues. We are one of the top universities in creating new business start-ups. We partner with some of the nation’s biggest corporations to perfect embedded system technology. Our world-class hearing research could increase the number of cancer survivors.
Because we have a vantage point unlike that of any other university of our size, it’s our duty to share what we learn with the world. And what starts here changes everything. 77
WHYSIU?
OUR FACULTY.
WE BRING IN THE BEST— TO BRING OUT THE BEST. OUR FACULTY INCLUDES SOME OF THE MOST CITED EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS. THEY COME TO SIU, DRAWN BY OUR REPUTATION FOR RESEARCH, THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WILL HAVE THE FREEDOM TO PURSUE THEIR IDEAS,THE KNOWLEDGE
8
THAT THEY WILL HAVE AN ENTIRE TOP-TIER RESEARCH UNIVERSITY BEHIND THEM,AND THE ASSURANCE THAT THEY WILL ALSO HAVE INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCES TEACHING A NEW GENERATION.WE SELECT THEM FOR THEIR PASSION,THEIR DRIVE.WE INVITE THEM TO STUDY IN A CULTURE THAT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS DISCIPLINES.THEN WE REMOVE ANYTHING THAT STANDS IN THEIR WAY.AND THEY CONSTANTLY IMPRESS US.
99
10
11 11
WHYSIU?
OUR GLOBAL IMPACT.
WHAT WE DO HERE REVERBERATES AROUND THE WORLD. SIU IS IN CARBONDALE, NEW ORLEANS, CHINA, AFGHANISTAN, INDIA. OUR POST-DISASTER RESEARCH IDENTIFIED OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESIDENTS TO BE THE AUTHORS OF A REBUILT NEW ORLEANS AFTER KATRINA DEVASTATED THE CITY. WHEN VILLAGERS IN INDIA NEEDED HELP PREVENTING
12
TIGER ATTACKS, THEY CAME TO SIU AND CONSULTED WITH OUR WILDLIFE EXPERT WHO HAD SUCCESSFULLY PREVENTED SIMILAR PREDATOR/HUMAN CLASHES IN MEXICO AND THE UNITED STATES. OUR PROFESSORS ARE WORKING WITH OFFICIALS IN AFGHANISTAN TO REBUILD THEIR AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY. WE’RE SHARING OUR RESEARCH ON THE MISSISSIPPI/OHIO RIVERS CONFLUENCE WITH THE CHINESE IN THE YANGTZE RIVER BASIN TO PROTECT THE MOST VITAL RESOURCE ON THE PLANET: FRESHWATER. THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES, AND PROOF THAT SIU HAS THE EXPERTS WHO ARE DOING THE RESEARCH THAT THE WORLD IS DEMANDING. WE ARE IN THE WORLD AND CHANGING IT.
13 13
WHYSIU?
STUDENT IMPACT.
WE’RE REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A NATIONALLY RANKED RESEARCH INSTITUTION.
THEY MUST SHARE WHAT THEY KNOW AND MENTOR A NEW GENERATION OF ACTIVE LEARNERS. SIU WAS ONE OF THE FIRST MOVERS WHEN IT CAME TO INVOLVING UNDERGRADUATES IN RESEARCH. THIS COMMITMENT CONTINUES TO DEFINE OUR CULTURE. ON OUR CAMPUS, EDUCATION IS POWERED BY RELATIONSHIPS—ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, WITH BUSINESS PARTNERS, AND BETWEEN FACULTY AND STUDENTS.
RESEARCH SHOULDN’T BE JUST FOR THE LUCKY FEW. WITH ALL THEY HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL—THE FACILITIES, LEADERSHIP SUPPORT, AND AUTONOMY— THERE IS ONE THING WE INSIST UPON FROM OUR FACULTY:
WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO OUR STUDENTS TO OPTIMIZE THEIR POTENTIAL. THEY DO. AND THE RESULTS ARE OFTEN AMAZING:
FACT. SIU Carbondale
FACT. In 2012, three
is in the Top 100 public universities according to US News & World Report.
14
FACT. Our debate
team is frequently first in the nation and has often won the national championship.
of our students were named to USAToday’s All-USA College Teams. We were the only university in the country with two
students on the First Team. And the only university in Illinois with any students on the First Team.
15 15
WHYSIU? OUR RECOGNITION. 2012 research funding:
$75,527,000 FACT. We are classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a Research University: High Research Activity, placing us among the top 4 percent of US higher education institutions for research.
16
17
WHYSIU?
OUR RESEARCH CENTERS. Advanced Energy Institute advancedenergy.siu.edu
Center for Advanced Friction Studies frictioncenter.engr.siu.edu
wildlife.siu.edu
Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center
Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (Springfield)
fisheries.siu.edu
siumed.edu/alz
gmrc.siu.edu
Center for Archaeological Investigations
Illinois Soybean Center
cai.siu.edu
Materials Technology Center
Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders casd.siu.edu
Center for Delta Studies Center for Dewey Studies siuc.edu/~deweyctr
Center for Ecology ecology.siu.edu
Center for Health Law and Policy law.siu.edu/healthlaw
Center for Innovation
Global Media Research Center
isc.siu.edu
Meyers Institute for Interdisciplinary Research in Organic and Medicinal Chemistry chem.siu.edu/meyers-institute/ Homepage.html
Middle Mississippi River Wetland Research Field Station ecology.siu.edu/pages/fieldstation. html
Paul Simon Public Policy Institute
Center for Integrated Research in Cognitive and Neural Sciences
paulsimoninstitute.siu.edu
siumed.edu/circns
Safety Center
Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development crhssd.siu.edu
Center for Workforce Education and Development wed.siu.edu
Pontikes Center for Management of Information web.coehs.siu.edu/public/her/ safetycenter.php
Simmons Cancer Institute (Springfield) siumed.edu/cancer
Coal Research Center
Special Collections Research Center
crc.siu.edu
lib.siu.edu/scrc
Consortium for Embedded Systems engr.siu.edu/ces
18
Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory
SIU NOW: MEASURABLE IMPACT.AS AN INSTITUTION, WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO CREATE A CULTURE THAT THRIVES ON DISCOVERY, WHERE WALLS BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS FALL AND BONDS BETWEEN RESEARCHERS SOLIDIFY. WHAT FOLLOWS ARE JUST TWO EXAMPLES OF HOW OUR CULTURE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. 19 19
FACT. Cisplatin is a
SIU NOW: PROOF POINT #1. CURING HEARING LOSS 20
chemotherapy drug that can result in ototoxicity (hearing loss). It’s one side effect in a long list that can tip the balance in the life-and-death battle facing cancer patients.
FACT.
In a fourperson tank crew, if just one soldier is hearing impaired, the risk of fatality doubles for the whole crew.
21 21
EVERY YEAR, MILLIONS ARE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. Many require chemotherapy. Sadly, not all of these victims successfully complete their treatments. With weight loss, neurotoxicity (nerve damage), deafness, oral mucositis (a painful condition that affects eating and swallowing), and a condition referred to as “chemobrain,” many find that their quality of life is unbearable with treatment. In some cases the side effects of chemotherapy become life threatening. So they stop.
FACT.
Sustained exposure to sounds over 85 dB can produce hearing loss. That’s anything louder than a train whistle.
ON THE BATTLEFIELD, COMMUNICATION IS VITAL TO SURVIVAL. With sustained exposure to weapons fire, hearing is easily compromised and fatalities increase. The problem follows the troops as they return home to civilian life; many find it difficult to adjust, especially if there are physical or emotional injuries. For these combat veterans, connecting to family and finding a new normal are vital to the healing process. And with so many coming home with noise-induced hearing loss, the sense of distance and isolation is worse—they feel cut off, disconnected, hopeless. 22
For both of these populations, those fighting courageous battles in hospital beds and in countries around the world, help has been a long time coming. 23 23
EVEN HEROES NEED A HERO. 24
Dr. Kathleen Campbell’s amazing work has earned her the title SIU Inventor of the Year for 2012. It has also secured funding and great interest from the U.S. Department of Defense as she pursues one incredible breakthrough for both drug- and noise-induced hearing loss. A breakthrough that she feels is long overdue. 25 25
Dr. Campbell has been in the fight for more than two decades. Growing up with her grandmother who once worked at a school for the deaf, she heard her grandmother recount the struggles of the hearing impaired. Those stories were shared as family history and formed the basis of the professional life she would lead. “Every Christmas, my grandmother would bring home seven or eight kids, give them each a homemade present and a lot of warmth and happiness. She taught her own children to communicate and share with them. At 86, my mom can still finger-spell.” Before cochlear implants, there was only frustration. And Dr. Campbell felt every bit of it. Working as an audiologist at a clinic in Canada and then at the University of Iowa, she met with patients, got to know them, treated them, but could do very little to actually help them, other than providing 26
hearing aids. While advances in technology can help, they really are no substitute for normal human hearing—a fact that only motivated Dr. Campbell to work harder to restore natural hearing. As she pursued the solution, her father began his fight with lung cancer. By the time his cancer was detected, he was already too weak to tolerate cisplatin’s side effects (the only chemotherapy treatment that could have helped him). She could only watch as he succumbed to the disease. And years later, tragedy came again as her stepfather developed brain cancer, his therapy making it impossible to eat, and his pride causing him to refuse a feeding tube. These are the milestones that mark the journey from bench to bedside. It’s been a 20-year journey for Dr. Campbell. But for those in need, waiting has been an eternity. 27 27
AT SIU, IT ALL CAME
TOGETHER.
It wasn’t until she came to SIU that she found what she needed to have an impact.
perusing research, and testing the limits of her husband’s patience, before focusing on four agents to pursue.
“I came to SIU because they already had a strong group studying the basic science of pharmacology of the auditory system,” recalls Dr. Campbell. “So when I set up my research program I applied to [the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders] and received the school’s first K08 award [a grant specifically for a clinician to develop a research line], and I began to establish a research career.”
Autonomy is an inventor’s best friend. But so are collaboration and top-tier research facilities. At SIU, Dr. Campbell started the Audiology Program, including clinical care, teaching, and research, focusing full time on her research and teaching for the last 10 years. “I was given the freedom I needed. But it was also the reputation of the school that attracted national funding and the willingness of my colleagues to work with me that really moved my research forward. I think I’ve published with nearly all the departments at the med school. If I need an expert from a different discipline, I know I can find someone who is happy to help.”
Building five years of chemistry coursework into her K08, she began by studying the mechanisms of drug-induced hearing loss, and after that study, began charting every otoprotective agent known, reviewing hundreds of articles, spending countless nights and weekends 28
(FREEDOM (INVENTION (COLLABORATION (IMPACT 29 29
THE RESULT OF YEARS OF WORK, THIS IS THE BIGGEST BREAKTHROUGH FOR DR. CAMPBELL SO FAR. Also known as D-methionine, it is the most promising otoprotective agent of its kind. Derived from fermented proteins found in things like yogurt and cheese, this powerful antioxidant may be the key to preserving the quality of life for both troops and cancer patients. Lives that may be extended as a result.
MEET D-met.
HOW IT WORKS. When people are exposed to loud
noises or certain drugs, the body produces free radicals. Free radicals are molecular thieves, stealing electrons from the outer shells of molecules or atoms (this is called “oxidizing”), destabilizing them, and producing more free radicals. Often this results in a chain reaction that overwhelms the body, damaging proteins, cell membranes, and DNA, and brings about failures such as hearing impairment. To put it simply, D-met (an antioxidant) provides electrons to free radicals thereby stabilizing them and protecting the surrounding healthy cells. So far, D-met has proven effective in protecting against cisplatin- and carboplatininduced hearing loss, as well as other side effects prevalent in that type of chemotherapy. It also protects against noise-induced hearing loss and aminoglycoside antibiotic–induced hearing loss. “I have worked with over 35 different agents and D-met is the only one that seems to be both the safest and the most effective for everything I have studied thus far.”
30
31 31
D-methionine testing protocol:
Phase 1 trials
Small group of people (20–80)
to evaluate safety, determine a safe dosage range, and identify side effects.
Phase 2 trials
Larger group of people (usually 100–300)
to understand efficacy, evaluate safety.
D-met has been approved by the FDA to move into Phase 3 clinical trials. It is the first drug patented at SIU to reach Phase 3.
Phase 3 trials
Large groups of people (600 or more)
to confirm effectiveness, monitor side effects, compare it to other treatments,* and collect data that will allow it to be used safely.
After Phase 3 trials, D-met could be on the market.
Phase 4 trials 32
Post-marketing studies
to delineate additional information, including the treatment’s risks, benefits, and optimal use.
No FDA treatment is currently approved for comparison to D-met. 33 33
“BEFORE D-MET,
THERE WAS
NOTHING.”
FACT. You would have to consume 5.5lbs of cheese to get the same amount of antioxidants in one dose of D-met.
FACT.
In clinical trials, D-met reduced the severity of radiationinduced oral mucositis— a condition that can make swallowing impossible and cause some patients to stop receiving treatment.
FACT. In a Phase 2
34
clinical trial, chemotherapy patients who took D-met did not experience hearing loss.
FACT. TB patients with
drug-resistant strains in Africa frequently suffer hearing loss from their kanamycin treatment. In lab studies, D-met can prevent that type of hearing loss. Dr. Campbell is working toward clinical trials.
35 35
THE IMPACT.
LET’S START WITH That sum is roughly how much the US government spends on disability and hearing aids to vets with impaired hearing and possibly tinnitus every year. And that’s just for the soldiers returning home, without adding in the number of fatalities in which hearing impairment was a contributing factor. By preventing noise-induced hearing loss, D-met could reduce fatalities on the battlefield—an incredible impact that could never be gauged. For cancer patients, the benefits are measured not in money, but years and the quality of those years. By alleviating the side effects of cisplatin and other drugs, the quality of life for those going through chemotherapy is tolerable, allowing them to continue and complete it successfully—possibly at a higher dosage without side effects. In addition to cancer survivors and vets, this invention may spare people working in construction and at airports, emergency crews, hunters, and even fans at concerts or sporting events from suffering irreparable hearing loss.
FACT. So far, Dr. Campbell has secured $4 million in
support of her efforts from the U.S. Department of Defense, and has generated more than $8.2 million for her research in national grants, international grants, and contracts, in addition to patent income for Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. 36
$2 BILLION. FACT. Dr. Campbell
has been awarded five US and 20 international patents for therapeutic uses of D-methionine.
FACT. She is the
editor/author of Pharmacology and Ototoxicity for Audiologists, used in most audiology doctoral programs across the country.
Dr. Campbell joined SIU’s faculty in 1989. Previously, Campbell was in charge of electrophysiologic measures for the Department of Otolaryngology at the University of Iowa (UI) in Iowa City (1982–88), and a clinician in British Columbia, starting the first audiology clinic in the Canadian Rockies for BC Public Health (1977–82). She earned her doctorate degree in auditory science at UI (1989), her master’s in clinical audiology at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion (1977), and her bachelor’s at South Dakota State University in Brookings (1973). 37 37
AUDITORY VISIONARIES.
SIU has an impressive team of researchers combatting hearing loss. They have established a culture defined by a tradition of teamwork that has only grown more impressive over the years. They are some of the most dedicated researchers working on auditory issues, and they are among our top-awarded researchers of the 2011–2012 academic year.
CURRENTLY ACTIVE GRANT FUNDING FOR HEARING LOSS RESEARCH TOTALS OVER $13 MILLION. 38
AMONG OTHER CURRENTLY ACTIVE GRANTS: Len Rybak, MD, PhD Research: Endogenous Modulation of Cochlear Injury External funding:
$1,250,000
Don Caspary, PhD Research: Novel GABAA Receptor Subtype in AuditoryThalamus External funding:
$942,493
Carol Bauer, MD Research: Features of ChronicTinnitus in Animal Model as Indicated by MEMRI and MRS External funding:
$1,828,350
Debbie Mukherjea, PhD Research: Novel Approaches for Prevention and Treatment of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss External funding:
$436,500
Vic Ramkumar, PhD Research: Targeting Inflammation for Amelioration of Cisplatin-Hearing Loss External funding:
$436,500 39 39
LOST
FOUND
OF FARMLAND
GREEN ALLY
23 MILLION ACRES
ONE POWERFUL
SIU NOW: PROOF POINT #2. HELPING FEED THE PLANET 40
41 41
In the 25 years between 1982 and 2007, more than 23 million acres of America’s farmland have been turned into shopping malls, new housing developments, and corporate parks. In Illinois alone, which has some of the most fertile soil in the world, an average of 77,000 acres a year is being lost to new development. Farmers everywhere are under mounting pressure to produce more crops with fewer land resources. At the same time, as the world’s population grows, the need for food is only increasing. Research needs to be conducted that can help farmers maximize their crop yield. 42
This is where SIU shines. We lead the way in doing basic research, which fuels our field-applicable work that is of immediate use to farmers. And one powerful solution in the quest for more productive and judicious land use is the soybean, which, acre for acre, produces more protein than any other crop. The soybean represents an ideal choice because it is a complete protein with significant carbohydrates and essential fatty acids. And the soybean contains a variety of bioactive ingredients that many believe can protect against ailments such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Furthermore, soybeans are a versatile crop that can be used not only as food, but in oil, livestock feed, and biodiesel. 43 43
DR. AHMED FAKHOURY
SOYBEAN WARRIOR 44
Dr. Ahmad Fakhoury and his colleagues are conducting a massive, multiyear study of soybean seedling diseases: 11 states are sending SIU thousands of seedlings to be sampled. The most comprehensive study of its kind, the research will give scientists a clear picture of different fungal pathogens and how plants respond to certain chemicals. It’s all part of our pioneering efforts to produce healthier, more viable soybean crops.
Dr. Fakhoury, associate professor in plant and soil sciences, received his B.Sc. from the American University of Beirut and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from Purdue University. He is a member of the American Phytopathological Society, the American Mycological Society, and the American Society for Microbiology. His research is funded by the Illinois Soybean Association, the North Central Soybean Program, the United Soybean Board, and the USDA. 45 45
which genes in the soybean Beans, corn, sorghum—this fungus isn’t fussy. Macrophomina plant are turned on or off by the fungus when it attacks. This phaseolina causes charcoal rot, information can then be used by a deadly disease that attacks scientists to breed a plant that’s soybean plants at the root. And resistant to the pathogen. when farmers rotate crops, it can cross species, Charcoal rot devastating an Charcoal rot thrives in drought entire field of infects soybeans and heat. As almost any crop. when they are climates change Because scientists seedlings, but can and northern don’t yet know remain latent until climates become much about its maturity, when the more like southern biology, they don’t entire plant will ones, charcoal know how to stop it. wilt and die. rot is poised to spread and become even more Dr. Fakhoury and his colleagues widely problematic. The basic are out to change that by biological research being done looking at the genome of the in SIU’s labs is exactly the fungus itself. Pairing it with the kind of work that is needed to genome of the soybean, they thwart this pernicious foe—so can then study the “cross-talk” that soybeans can fulfill their between the two organisms— dynamic potential. with experiments that show
FACT.
MACROPHOMINA PHASEOLINA IS STUBBORN. IT’S RESILIENT. AND IT’S VORACIOUS.
46
47 47
A QUARTER OF OUR FACULTY ARE ENGAGED IN THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SOYBEAN RESEARCH. THEIR WORK HAS DRAWN NATIONAL ATTENTION AND MORE THAN $20M IN RESEARCH GRANTS OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS. Dr. Amer AbuGhazaleh Dr. Rebecca Atkinson Dr. William Banz Dr. Jason P. Bond Dr. Ruplal Choudhary Dr. Rachel Cook Dr. Jeremy Davis
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER, AND FROM SKY TO SOIL
Dr. Ahmad Fakhoury Dr. Stella Kantartzi Dr. David Lightfoot Dr. Khalid Meksem Dr. Dwight Sanders Dr. Sylvia Smith Dr. Bryan Young
THROUGH COLLABORATION AND ACTION, OUR COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES IS THE ADVANCE GUARD FOR SOYBEAN MANAGEMENT—ANTICIPATING PROBLEMS, MAKING DISCOVERIES, FINDING SOLUTIONS. OUR FACULTY ARE THE PEOPLE MAKING THE BREAKTHROUGHS THAT MAY ULTIMATELY HELP FEED THE WORLD. 48
49 49
DOMINANT-SATELLITE RELATIONSHIPS IN THE
IDENTIFYING
INVESTIGATING NON-THERMAL PROCESSES TO REDUCE
HEPATOPROTECTIVE AND ANTI-DIABETIC
IMPACT OF INDEX TRADERS AND INVESTMENT FUNDS
FOR SOYBEAN AND SOYBEAN PRODUCTS
U.S. AND ILLINOIS SOYBEAN BASIS
NESTED ASSOCIATION MAPPING OF GENES CONTROLLING
SOYBEAN YIELD
WEED MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES IN ILLINOIS SOYBEAN PRODUCTION 50
SOYBEAN HAYLAGE
YIELD THROUGH RESEARCH
AND TECHNOLOGY
OMEGA-3 PUFAS TO PROTECT AGAINST CVD, NAFLD, AND T2DM
DEVELOPMENT OF
INCREASING AND PROTECTING
THE POTENTIAL USE OF NOVEL SOYBEAN OIL ENRICHED WITH
PRODUCERS
HERBICIDE-RESISTANT WEEDS
SOYBEAN
SYSTEMS WITH A FOCUS ON HERBICIDE APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES, WEED BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, AND
FOR ILLINOIS
TO SCN HG TYPE 2.7
RUMINAL DIGESTIBILITY OF FORAGE
SCALE GENES FOR RESISTANCE
AND MAPPING NEW
INVESTIGATING FERMENTATION
OPTIMAL GENETIC DIVERSITY
SYSTEM RESTORATION TO DETERMINE
AND OTHER KEY TRAITS
IN THE MIDWEST THE POTENTIAL PROPERTIES OF
DIETARY
SOY MODELING
WEATHER
ALLERGENICITY OF SOY PROTEINS
ON SOYBEAN
PRICES
AND TECHNOLOGY EFFECTS ON ILLINOIS SOYBEAN YIELDS
CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE OF
GENETICALLY MODIFIED SOYBEANS
THE EFFECTS OF HYBRID, DISEASE- AND INSECT-RESISTANT
CROPS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
BRAIN TRAUMA
RESEARCH
FORECASTING BASIS LEVELS
BENEFICIAL EFFECTS OF THE SOYBEAN’S FATTY ACIDS ON
A SAMPLE OF OUR SOYBEAN
CONSUMER ACCEPTANCE AND MARKETABILITY OF HYBRID STRIPED BASS RAISED ON A SOY-MAXIMIZED DIET VERSUS A TRADITIONAL FISH MEAL DIET
RURAL DEVELOPMENT
BENEFITS
ACCRUING TO
SOYBEAN-
RELATED
RESEARCH 51 51
l Sciences
gricultura A f o e g e ll o C , n a OUR De
MICKEY LAT
FOR OUR FACULTY, THE LINE BETWEEN FIELD RESEARCH AND TEACHING STUDENTS IS BLURRED BECAUSE RESEARCH IS PART AND PARCEL OF OUR TEACHING.
52
53 53
READYING FUTURE AG
S E O HER
FACT. With more than
20 years of concentrating on the possibilities of this powerful little plant, our research has helped continue a higher level of production on less ground— so that shrinking farmland does not translate into a shrinking food supply.
54
SIU students, both undergraduate and graduate, are engaged day in and day out in enriching activities that include strong research opportunities. But even more important, by involving students in their inquiries, our faculty is preparing the next generation of researchers, who will carry the work forward into tomorrow, continuing the momentum of our expertise. 55 55
SIU NOW: ONGOING IMPACT. WE HAVE SO MANY MORE STORIES TO TELL. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF ALL THE WORK WE DO. IN 10 COLLEGES AND MORE THAN 60 DEPARTMENTS, OUR FACULTY AND STUDENTS ARE TAKING ON SOME OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST CHALLENGES AND TIRELESSLY PURSUING THEIR PASSIONS.
KNOW. inin the College and Media MediaArts Arts NOW.Students Students the CollegeofofMass MassCommunication Communication and documented the destruction of the tornado that devastated Harrisburg IL, on documented the devastation caused by a tornado that hit Harrisburg, Illinois.
February 29th was 2012.published Their work to the national and 29, was Their work as contributed a book, 4:56 A.M. The Story ofcoverage the February later2012 published aswhich a book, 4:56 A.M. The Story of the February 29,Award 2012 from Tornado, won an Outstanding NPPA Student Chapter Tornado, that helped thousandsAssociation of dollars to assist in raise rebuilding efforts. The National Pressraise Photographers and helped thousands of dollars to assist in rebuilding efforts.
NOW.
Geology professor Nicholas Pinter is the principal investigator for SIU’s NSF-funded Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT). The SIU program is cultivating the next generation of scientists and leaders trained in issues facing watershed science and policy. Our team includes faculty from departments and programs across four colleges.
NOW. The College of Science, along with the College of Education and
Human Services at SIU, will lead a $3.25 million project funded by the National Science Foundation titled “A Community of Problem Solvers: Teachers Leading Problem-Based Learning in Southern Illinois.” The goal is to train 20 “Master Teacher Fellows,” who will provide a comprehensive science education to boys and girls in rural areas.
HERE ARE JUST A FEW OF THOSE STORIES.
56
57 57
SIU NOW: ONGOING IMPACT
The fact that this form of technology is embedded raises a number of issues. Access is key. Since these computing systems are selfcontained, there is no easy way to update or repair them. Often this is done in a wireless manner—which poses certain security vulnerabilities. “Imagine the embedded system in a missile being hacked. So one area we might focus on is to create software that is essentially hack-proof,” suggests Tragoudas. Some embedded systems are multiprocessor, with processors running on different operating systems. “An airplane is a good example. There may be operating systems that serve general functions and others with real-time tasks where deadlines must
UBIQUITOUS DR. TRAGOUDAS’ WORK IS BECOMING
We are home to the only Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for Embedded Systems recognized by the National Science Foundation. The center has two sites: the one here, at SIU, and one at Arizona State University. In addition to the two universities, the center has 13 member corporations that participate in shaping the projects that the researchers take on. Dr. Spyros Tragoudas, the SIU site director at the center, explains: “We work with some of the biggest names in tech and heavy equipment: Intel, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Caterpillar. We meet with them, understand their needs, and put projects into the pipeline that improve embedded system computing for a wide range of applications from defense to cell phones.”
58
be met. There is a need for one piece of software that can speak to all of the operating systems and align them so the plane can function properly.” Also, some systems use too much energy and create too much heat. By reducing power consumption, making them safer for human implantation, embedded systems can have a greater biomedical application.
In every case, SIU is working to find answers that help our member corporations perfect new technologies and accelerate innovation. It also means a resurgence of US industry and a stronger economy as we maintain the lead in the global marketplace. 59 59
SIU NOW: ONGOING IMPACT
IMMINENT. PROFESSOR GARVEY’S FINDINGS MAY AVERT THE
ASIAN CARP have invaded. They already
represent 60 percent of the biomass in one of Illinois’ main waterways and they’re heading for the Great Lakes.
Once there, they could be harder to contain and may overtake native species in the competition for food and space. Professor James Garvey, director of the Fisheries and Illinois Aquaculture Center at SIU, has been the lead investigator in understanding just how much of a threat this invasive species poses to Illinois aquatic ecosystems. Funded by a grant from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Garvey and the center launched multiple studies and initially discovered three things: Carp may displace native species. The best way to stop the invasion is to fish them out. And they’re high in protein and healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids—making Asian carp one of the healthiest fish for human consumption. More study is needed, but right now the researchers believe it is a processing challenge (the fish are bony, making the meat a little more difficult to harvest) and a marketing challenge (how do we get the word out that the Asian carp is a highprotein, healthy addition to dinner?). 60
PROFESSOR FORD’S RESEARCH CAPTURES THE
ELUSIVE.
ANTHROPOLOGY PROFESSOR SUSAN FORD was part
of an international team (which included alumna Rachel Munds, BA ’07) that identified an entirely new species of slow loris— a small, nocturnal primate found in the jungles of Borneo. The discovery of this species, Nycticebus kayan, opens the door for understanding the vast diversity of these otherwise nearly invisible primates and will assist conservationists as they try to determine which species are most endangered and where the battle to preserve them must be waged.
PROFESSOR GILBERT’S RESEARCH IS
POWERFUL. ADDICTIONS ARE DOMINATING,
disruptive, and often destructive. They can take hold in some people immediately while other people seem to resist them. Psychology professor David Gilbert is interested in how genes, temperament, and psychopathology play a role. He leads the Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory at SIU, which utilizes state-of-the-art technology, including computerized eye-tracking, fMRI, EEG, ERP brain imaging, and emotional stimulus-presentation systems (including three 128-channel EEG systems). His goal is to understand the psychological and biological basis of substance use/abuse (specifically with regard to nicotine, antidepressants, alcohol, marijuana, and caffeine). 61 61
SIU NOW: ONGOING IMPACT
PROFESSOR HALES’ RESULTS ARE
PROFESSOR DALE (BUCK) HALES
believes the best chance at reducing the severity of ovarian cancer might be through diet. Specifically, by eating more flax. The lignan component (a potent antioxidant and phytoestrogen) as well as the omega-3 fatty acids of flaxseed could be the key combination in the fight against ovarian cancer. Partnering with the University of Illinois and the SIU Simmons Cancer Institute, Hales has been studying the ovulation cycles of laying hens. Because hens ovulate much more frequently than women, his team has the opportunity to study what amounts to a lifetime of human ovulation cycles in just two years with hens.
62
What he and his team have discovered is that when older hens are fed flaxseed diets, they tend to live longer. They may still develop ovarian cancer at the same rate as their counterparts that aren’t fed flaxseed, but they were much less likely to die from it. Even more impressive, Hales and his team are about to publish the results of a long-term study that demonstrates that when hens are raised on a flaxseed diet, there is the same reduction in severity, but an added reduction in incidence as well. The hope is that the results will transfer to humans, and with the proper dietary support early enough in a woman’s reproductive life, she will not only survive the disease, but she may never even get it.
63 63
WE COULD FILL VOLUMES. But we wanted you to have this initial primer to gain a sense of the work we do and the values we hold. Our responsibility is to share all we know, to broaden our partnerships, and to create a better world with the work we do every year. We want you to know that this primer is just the beginning. There’s so much more to tell. We invite you to get to know more about SIU and the incredible people who work here.
64
To learn more go to siu.edu/research
OFFICE OF THE CHANCELLOR MAIL CODE 4304 SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY 1265 LINCOLN DRIVE, ANTHONY HALL 116 CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS 62901