Mississippi State University Enhances State’s Healthcare with Nanobiotechnology Consortium

STARKVILLE, Miss. – A state-wide team comprised of Mississippi State University’s faculty and staff is set to upgrade the state’s healthcare through advancements in nanobiotechnology.

About the Consortium

The group, known as the Mississippi Nano-bio and Immuno-Engineering Consortium, comprises researchers from six state universities. Funded by a $7 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the Consortium sets out to diversify healthcare solutions using nanotechnology.

MSU’s Role

MSU is set to receive $1.53 million of the said grant to fund its portion of the project. The study focuses on nano-level materials and their application in making healthcare treatments more effective and efficient.

Nicholas Fitzkee On MSU’s Research

Professor of Chemistry Nicholas Fitzkee, the MSU’s research funding’s principal investigator, explains that the project’s ultimate goal is to create “next-generation materials” capable of providing innovative healthcare solutions. He added that the NIEC is focused on developing new materials, evaluating their influences on biological systems, and assessing their efficacy in treating diseases to address Mississippi’s health disparities.

Issues for Address

Though nanotechnologies are incrementally used to treat cancers and for detection, Fitzkee notes that trouble occurs in delivering these materials to their intended targets. His team is keen on optimizing biomaterial coatings and minimizing interactions with the body’s immune system that reduce nanoparticles’ efficacy.

Primary Goals

The MSU researchers have set three main objectives: significantly understanding protein interactions with nanoparticles to direct medication to specific body parts, optimising nucleic acid delivery to reduce certain vaccines and medications’ side effects, and promoting healing and reducing infections risks in tissue regeneration.

The MSU Team

It is a collaborative effort from Katherine Echols, the Office of Research and Economic Development’s executive director of research initiatives and innovation; Professor Steven Gwaltney from MSU’s Department of Chemistry; and Associate Professor Lauren Priddy from MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

Collaboration across Mississippi

The University of Mississippi leads the Consortium, which includes MSU, Jackson State University, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Alcorn State University, and Tougaloo College. The Consortium encourages additional researchers to join in expanding the state’s research landscape.

Providing Research Opportunities

The Consortium also offers an extensive platform for graduate and undergraduate students to gain real-world experience in cutting-edge nanobiotechnology research.

Notice on Financial Support

The financial resources for the project come from the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research’s Research Incubators for STEM Excellence Research Infrastructure Improvement (EPSCoR RISE RII) grant No. 2414442.

MSU’s Vision

Mississippi State University is committed to setting the standard in healthcare advancements and taking care of what matters to its community. Future updates on the project will be shared on their official website.