Shiladitya DasSarma, Ph.D. has won a grant from Grand Challenges Explorations, an initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He will pursue an innovative global health and development research project titled “Vaccine in a Salt Shaker: A New, Safe, Low-Cost Approach,” with the $100,000 grant.

Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE) funds individuals worldwide to explore ideas that can break the mold in how we solve persistent global health and development challenges. Dr. DasSarma’s project is one of more than 100 Grand Challenges Explorations Round 8 grants announced today by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Grand Challenges Explorations encourages individuals worldwide to expand the pipeline of ideas where creative, unorthodox thinking is most urgently needed,” said Chris Wilson, director of Global Health Discovery and Translational Sciences at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We’re excited to provide additional funding for select grantees so that they can continue to advance their idea towards global impact.”

To receive funding, Dr. DasSarma and other Grand Challenges Explorations Round 8 winners demonstrated in a two-page online application a bold idea in one of five critical global heath and development topic areas that included agriculture development, immunization and nutrition. Applications for the current open round, Grand Challenges Explorations Round 9, will be accepted through May 15, 2012.

Dr. DasSarma’s project utilizes novel microbes known as Haloarchaea, which can be packaged in salt crystals, as a system for delivery of antigens of pathogenic microorganisms. The approach has certain advantages, such as the ability to produce large quantities of vaccine inexpensively, simple oral administration, no need for refrigeration, and ease of distribution in remote locations worldwide.

He will lead a team of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, along with international collaborators, to develop an inexpensive, safe and effective oral vaccine against invasive Salmonella disease. Dr. DasSarma’s laboratory is located at the University System of Maryland’s Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology in the Columbus Center in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

Prasun Guha, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Hafiz Ahmed received the Best Poster Award in the category "Glycoscience and Understanding Cancer" at the NIH Glyco Meeting on June 12th, 2012.

The title of their poster is: "Gene Regulation in Autophagy and Apoptosis Juncture: Increased Expression of eNOS Negatively Regulates autophagy Resulting p62 Accumulation and ROS Sensitized Apoptosis of Cancer Cells Having Stem Like Property".

Jan Vicente, an IMET and LMRCSC graduate student, was awarded a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship. This Program recognizes outstanding scholarship and encourages independent graduate level research. Jan is working towards his Ph.D. in the lab of Dr. Russell Hill.

There were 254 applications for this prestigious award and only a very few granted, so it is a major accomplishment by Jan in being selected for this scholarship. The scholarship provides substantial support for Jan's graduate studies over the next three years.