Name: Michael Kjelland
Hometown: Valley City
Institution & Department: Mayville State University, Dept. of Science, Math & Agribusiness
Pillar: Materials

What are you researching?
The project is titled, “3D Bioprinting Using Porcine Collagen Matrix Scaffolding for 3D Pancreatic Cancer and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Culture, Treatment/Differentiation, and Cryopreservation.” We are using both 2D and 3D in vitro cell culture environments. Two separate cell types are being tested, i.e., 1) human mesenchymal stem cells (sourced from RoosterBio, Inc) are being differentiated into osteocytes and 2) human pancreatic cancer cells including treatment with a wheat bran derived phytochemical, i.e., ferulic acid, for testing the potential effects on cell viability and proliferation.

Why is it important?
3D bioprinting is now being utilized in several areas of biomedicine, both for research and treatment. The present research proposal involves increasing the efficiency of cancer cell and stem cell cultures using the specially designed hypoxia chamber, i.e., Petakas, combined with the 3D printed in vivo mimicking tissue environment, as opposed to more traditional 2D in vitro cell culturing. Such a model may elucidate how tumor cell populations adapt to that environment with O₂ consumption reduction and compromised cancer treatment penetration effects. This combination of methods stands to offer an in vitro model of tumor dormancy and recurrence more realistic of in vivo conditions.

Name: Lauren Prowse 
Hometown: Paso Robles, California 
Institution & Department: University of North Dakota, Chemistry
Pillar: Materials Design at Biointerfaces

What are you researching? Our research currently focuses on developing diagnostic and therapeutic techniques for different biomedical purposes. While also creating polymer-based nanomaterials that are both biodegradable and biocompatible with predesigned functions. Then employ them to fabricate smart nanosystems loaded with various agents for treating different human diseases, which include cancer and neurological disorders.  

Why is it important? This research will allow the use of smart nanosystems on polymers to carry diagnostic or therapeutic agents to targeted cells and tissues in the body to achieve desired outcomes. Current effort is to produce polymers that degrade into smaller molecules once in the body to decrease buildup and toxicity. These polymers also are biocompatible, in order to decrease a negative response to living tissue.

• Congratulations to ND-ACES Materials Design Pillar UND Lead, Julia Xiaojun Zhao, on receiving UND’s highest academic honor, the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professorship.
• Congratulation to student researcher Di Sun from UND who received a Graduate Student Oral Presentation award at the North Dakota Academy of Science Annual Conference in Fargo!
• Congratulations to student researcher Omolola Eniodunmo on receiving a graduate student council research symposium award at NDSU Student Research Day!
• Congratulations to student researcher Sarah Reagen on recieving UND's Excellence in Teaching Award for 2022.
• Congratulations to student reseracher Yingfen Wu on first place in Natural Sciences at the UND Graduate Research Achievement Day for her presentation: Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Synergistic Photodynamic /Photothermal Therapy!
• Congratulations to CCBSE researchers, Dr. Trung Bao Le and Dr. Kerry Hartman, co-PIs on a recently awarded NSF EPSCoR Track-2 cooperative agreement that will create an artificial intelligence research center focused on sustainable energy. Congratulations Dr. Hartman and Dr. Le!
• The Secondary Student Careers in STEM Panel Science Café was Wednesday, March 30. Science Cafés are open to everyone and are an opportunity for scientists and the public to discuss current work and interesting scientific issues. Learn more on the ND-ACES Science Café Series page.
• The 2022 ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference was Wednesday, April 6, 2022. See our conference information page.
• Deniz Cakir, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astrophysics at UND and ND-ACES Computational Approaches Pillar researcher, is awarded a $600,000 DoD Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) grant.
• Sanku Mallik, Professor and NDSU ND-ACES Materials Design Lead on receives the Teacher of the Year Award in the NDSU School of Pharmacy.
• Cellular Systems at Biointerfaces undergraduate student researcher Carson Herbert (UND; advisor: Archana Dhasarathy) recieves a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, an 8 week program for undergraduate students from underrepresented groups in the Biomedical Sciences from the University of California, San Diego.
• Jingyan Fu (NDSU), ND-ACES Cyberinfrastructure (CI) Assistant, presented at a meeting of Women in High Performance Computing (WHPC) on April 28, 2021.

Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, North Dakota State University. Contact Sanku Mallik.

Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota. Contact Archana Dhasarathy.

Jordan A. Enberg Presidential Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University. Contact Dinesh R. Katti.

UND Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, University of North Dakota. Contact Julia Xiaojun Zhao.

Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University. Contact John C. Wilkinson.

Associate Professor of Physics & Astrophysics, University of North Dakota. Contact Deniz Cakir.

Pre-Engineering Instructor, Turtle Mountain Community College. Contact Austin Allard.

Advanced Cyberinfrastructure Manager, University of North Dakota. Contact Aaron Bergstrom.

Professor of Chemistry, Minot State University. Contact Mikhail Bobylev.

Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the University of North Dakota. Contact Colin K. Combs

Professor of Chemistry, University of North Dakota. Contact Guodong Du.

Chair, Department of Mathematics & Computer Science & Associate Professor of Mathematics, Dickinson State University. Contact Marcus Fries.

Assistant Professor of Science, Valley City State University. Contact Nicholas Galt.

Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota. Contact Amanda Haage.

Academic Dean and Environmental Science Chair, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. Contact Kerry Hartman.

Center for Computationally Assisted Science and Technology (CCAST) Research Scientist, North Dakota State University. Contact Khang Hoang.

Professor of Biology, Mayville State University. Contact Khwaja Hossain.

James A. Meier Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, North Dakota State University. Contact Svetlana Kilina.

Assistant Professor of Biology, North Dakota State University. Contact Jiha Kim.

Assistant Professor of Biology, Mayville State University. Contact Michael Kjelland

Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University. Contact Trung Bao Le.

Associate Professor of Physics & Astrophysics, University of North Dakota. Contact Yen Lee Loh.

Assistant Professor of Computer Science, North Dakota State University. Contact Lu Liu.

Professor of Pre-Engineering and Mathematics, Cankdeska Cikana Community College. Contact Mike Parker.

Associate Professor of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, North Dakota State University. Contact Mohiuddin Quadir.

Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Dakota State University
Contact Prakash Selvakumar

Assistant Professor of Chemistry, University of North Dakota. Contact Binglin Sui.

Professor of Science, Valley City State University. Contact Hilde van Gijssel.

Professor of Science, Cankdeska Cikana Community College. Contact Brent Voels.

Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University. Contact Wenjie Xia.

Broadening Participation supports American Indian students and other underserved groups along the biosciences pathway. The STEM content conveyed in the activities of this element correlate to the CCBSE research areas and align with this team’s objective to increase the participation of underrepresented and underserved groups in STEM across a variety of age groups from elementary school to Ph.D. faculty.

Education and Workforce Development Element strengthens ND’s bioscience/STEM ecosystem by building a diverse pool of competitive researchers, skilled workers, effective educators, and engaged students. Working in close conjunction with the CCBSE, this element supports faculty professional development, student training, and K-12 student bioscience, engineering, and computational exposure.

The Partnerships and Collaborations team builds research infrastructure and strengthens ND’s research competitiveness through industry partnerships and other collaborations. The team works with CCBSE researchers and industry relations personnel to collaborate on research partnerships using established research protocols.

The Communcation and Dissemination team is working toward the goal of developing an elevated public understanding of the economic impact of growing North Dakota’s bioscience sector through strategic research investments as a result of data-sharing, communication, and outreach. Communication and Dissemintaion integrates with CCBSE researcher and PROSPER teams to create engaging content for public dissemination.