University of Hawaii System

BioMADE, a Biomanufacturing innovation institute initiated and founded by the U.S. Department of Defense, recently announced 17 selected projects with the goal of further promoting the scale development and commercialization of biomanufacturing products in the United States. These projects cover a wide range of areas, including biodegradable bioplastics, bio-aviation fuel, waste upcycling, and innovative technologies such as cell-free systems. The selected projects were submitted by teams from 30 different member organizations across 18 U.S. states, from New York to Texas. Participating member organizations include private enterprises, non-profit organizations, academic research institutions and community colleges, reflecting the breadth of cross-sectoral collaboration. "U.S. leadership in scientific research must be matched by leadership in production processes and scale-up capabilities," emphasized Arati Prabhakar, assistant to the U.S. Department of Science and Technology and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. She believes that through such project support, the United States can ensure overall leadership in the field of biofuturing. It is worth noting that the last batch of selected BioMADE projects was announced in September 2023, when a total of nine projects were selected. The 17 projects announced this time will undoubtedly bring more innovation and business opportunities to the U.S. biofutrition field. To support the development of these projects, the United States government will provide $13.9 million in federal funds, while project participants will also contribute $13 million in non-federal cost-sharing, bringing the total support funding to $26.9 million. This funding will provide strong support for these innovative projects to make breakthroughs in the field of biofabration.   Member Team Project Name Field Involved Lygos Achieving Greener Chemistry through Pilot-Scale Process Integration and Intensification Bio-based Succinic Acid Invizyne Technologies, University of Georgia Protein Production via Cell-Free Biomanufacturing: Applicable for Sustainable Aviation Fuel Cell-Free Methods   Manufacturing Biofuel Isobutanol   Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Technology Holding, CleanJoule Upcycling Waste to Carboxylic Acids through Integrated Fermentation and Separation Organic Waste to Medium-Chain Carboxylic Acids (MCCA) Manus, University of Texas at Austin Engineering Yeast Lysis to Enhance Intracellular Product Recovery Improved Intracellular Product Recovery in Yeast Systems Mango Materials, University of California Davis, Black & Veatch Gas Fermentation for Decentralized Local Biomaterials Manufacturing Producing Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from Methane Bluestem Biosciences, ideaCHEM, Iowa State University, Southeast Community College Achieving Sustainable Bioacrylic and Organic Acid Separation through New Technologies 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid (3-HP) NCERC at SIUE, University of Hawaii at Hilo Establishing a Tropical Sustainability Center through Collaboration Converting Hawaiian Feedstocks to Cellulosic Sugars for Ethanol Production Binghamton University, NCERC at SIUE Biomanufacturing Project Management Certificate Program One Core Course, Two Electives University of Minnesota, Georgia Tech Security and Safety Impacts of Cell-Free Systems on Biomanufacturing Development of Cell-Free Systems Rice University Genetic Toolkit for Non-Model Organisms Developing a Genetic Toolkit for Three Environmental Bacteria Tandem Repeat Technologies, ARCTOS Technology Solutions, University of Georgia Biomanufacturing Methods for Producing Sustainable Textile Fibers from Waste Yeast Converting Waste Yeast Biomass to Textile Feedstock Industrial Microbes, Georgia Tech University, FERMWORX Sustainable Carbon Fiber from Waste Producing Bio-based Carbon Fiber from Ethanol and Carbon Dioxide Capra Biosciences, Virginia Tech Continuous Biomanufacturing of High-Value Products from Food Waste Inhibiting Anaerobic Digestion to Advance Food Waste Recovery Tega Therapeutics, Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) Domestic Supply of Heparin Production of Recombinant Heparin Montana State University Technology Status Study Biomaterials in Arctic Environments Purdue University Enzymes and Cell Transformations Tufts University Bio-preservatives

WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2024 -- Arizona health officials are reporting an increase in hantavirus infections, which are spread by rodents and can cause severe respiratory illness. In a recent health alert , the Arizona Department of Health Services announced there have been seven confirmed cases and three deaths in that state in the past six months. While most hantavirus cases are reported in the Western and Southwestern United States, Arizona has one of highest numbers of reported infections in the country, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From 2016-2022, there have been 11 hantavirus cases in Arizona , according to state health officials. “Hantavirus is a rare but important cause of serious, even fatal respiratory infection,” Dr. Aaron Glatt , chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in New York, told NBC News . “It is transmitted by various rodents, especially the deer mouse, and can cause mild disease, but it does cause fatal illness in a significant percentage of people who acquire this illness," he noted. Between 1993 and 2021, the CDC has reported a total of 850 hantavirus cases, or roughly 30 cases a year. Trish Lees, public information officer at Coconino County Health and Human Services in Arizona, told NBC News that the increase in hantavirus cases may be due to shifts in rodent populations. However, cases do tend to occur more in the summer because of increased rodent activity and people coming into contact with rodents more often, Lees explained. Climate change, such as the extreme heat waves that have been sweeping across the county this summer, may also be partly to blame, experts theorized. Dr. Camilo Mora , a professor in the department of geography and environment at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa, noted that people aren’t the only ones who seek shelter when it gets really wet or hot outside. “Many carrying-disease species get on the move with climate change -- so while for any specific case it is difficult to conclude the role of climate change, climate change has all the attributes to cause outbreaks of vector-borne diseases,” he told NBC News . The hot weather may have also worsened the illnesses after people were infected because of dehydration or other factors, Glatt added. Exactly how does hantavirus spread? Particles containing the virus get into the air when urine, saliva or poop from deer mice are stirred up. Once a person is infected, the virus can trigger hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) . The syndrome was first recognized in 1993 after a mysterious illness infected members of a Navajo tribe who lived on the border of New Mexico and Arizona. Approximately 80% of people who were infected died at the time. Symptoms can appear one to eight weeks after exposure and include: Left untreated, the illness can infect the lungs and cause fluid to “leak” through blood vessels and fill up the respiratory tract. That, in turn, causes shortness of breath, chest tightness and cough, according to the American Lung Association . Approximately 38% of people who develop lung symptoms may die from the disease. What can be done to guard against infection? “The best way to prevent infection with this illness is by carefully disinfecting and cleaning up any waste products from the rodents and by not coming into contact with them,” Glatt said. When entering a place that’s been closed up for a long time, take care to air out the space for 30 minutes, the Wyoming Department of Health warns. If the space is very dirty or full of mice, take extra care by wearing gloves, shoe covers, coveralls and N95 masks before cleaning. Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

In 2019, more than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed and upwards of 4,000 patients died in the U.S. The causal link between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of cervical cancer is well documented. Cervical cancer screening guidelines are currently in the review process for updates. In 2019, more than 12,000 new cases of cervical cancer were diagnosed and upwards of 4,000 patients died in the U.S. The causal link between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the development of cervical cancer is well documented. Cervical cancer screening guidelines are currently in the review process for updates. On May 15, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved patient-collected testing (vaginal self-collection) for HPV. Several countries, including the Netherlands and Australia, have introduced HPV self-collection as a part of their national screening programs. In a new study from Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Nursing, researchers found more than half of healthcare providers would definitely or possibly offer HPV self-collection to their patients if the FDA approved the procedure, indicating substantial acceptance of this technology among the healthcare provider community. "Healthcare providers felt that self-collection would be particularly beneficial for those who did not have access to clinician-collected screening, as well as for patients who may have difficulty with pelvic exams for any reason, such as those with history of trauma, sexual or gender minority patients and those with mobility issues," explained senior author Rebecca B. Perkins, MD, MSc, professor of obstetrics & gynecology at BU and an obstetrician & gynecologist at Boston Medical Center. This study incorporated a mixed methods design including conducting a national survey and interviews of healthcare providers who perform cervical cancer screening. Quantitative measures consisted of provider/practice characteristics, willingness to recommend and preferences related to self-collection. Interviews further elucidated the provider perspectives. The study found that male providers, advanced practice providers, internal and family physicians, and those practicing in an academic medical center, hospital, or community health setting were more likely to support self-collection than female participants, OB-GYN physicians, and those in private practice. "While we found providers considered HPV self-collection to be a way to expand access for patients, they also expressed concerns related to the quality of the sample in generating accurate results," added Holly Fontenot, PhD, RN/NP, FAAN,professor of nursing at University of Hawaii and lead author of the study. According to the researchers, the recent approval of HPV self-collection in the U.S. provides another option for cervical cancer screening, which can help reduce barriers related to access or to personal medical conditions. These findings appear online in the journal Women's Health Issues. Funding for this study was supported in part by a research grant from American Cancer Society Award RSG19-011-01CPHPC.