Off the Top...

Research & Innovation Seed Grants Total Nearly $2 Million

The Office of Research and Innovation at Duke University has awarded nearly $2 million in seed grants to two programs: the Duke Science & Technology SPARK and LAUNCH funds. SPARK grants, totaling $1.17 million, support early- and mid-career faculty on innovative research projects, while LAUNCH grants, totaling $800,000, encourage interdisciplinary collaborations across departments. The funded research spans diverse fields, from artificial intelligence to antibiotic resistance, showcasing Duke faculty's creativity and potential for high-impact discoveries. Notable projects include AI-driven health interventions, advancements in gene therapy, and new approaches to combat environmental and public health challenges.

Seed Grants

Celebrating the Centennial...

Celebrating a Century of Theater at Duke:

Duke University’s Theater Studies department marked its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Concert at Reynolds Industries Theater, showcasing performances by distinguished alumni and current students. The event celebrated Duke’s rich theater history, which began in 1924, with a lobby exhibit tracing its evolution from the first faculty hire in 1930 to the establishment of the department in 2003. The concert featured performances from Duke’s student theater groups, including Hoof 'n' Horn and Duke Players, and alumni such as Broadway stars Kerry O'Malley, Heidi Blickenstaff, and Martavius Parrish.

Century of Duke Theater

Federally Funded Research at Duke...

To Build Better Fiber Optic Cables, Ask a Clam

New research led by scientists at Duke University, in collaboration with Stanford University, reveals that natural systems in the shells of heart cockles, a type of marine mollusk, mimic fiber optic cables. The study, spearheaded by Duke biologist Sönke Johnsen and former NSF PRFB Fellow Dakota McCoy, uncovered how translucent areas in the clams' shells channel specific wavelengths of light to nourish symbiotic algae. This unique adaptation allows the algae to photosynthesize without exposing the clams to predators, functioning as natural skylights that filter and focus light. Duke's cutting-edge use of advanced microscopy and computer simulations has not only unveiled this fascinating natural phenomenon but also opened up exciting possibilities for future innovations in fiber optic technology, particularly in enhancing light transmission over long distances and around curves.

This research was supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Clam Cables

How Nerve Stimulation Could Ease Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have found that tapping into the nervous system could help reduce the gut inflammation that drives inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The new study explores how electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve may help reduce stress-related inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It shows that stimulating the vagus nerve in stressed mice with colitis significantly decreased inflammation and improved survival rates by modulating a cellular process called SUMOylation. This approach, which may lead to new IBD therapies, targets inflammation directly rather than merely alleviating symptoms. The findings could offer hope for improving treatments for IBD, a condition affecting nearly 7 million people worldwide.

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Nerve Stimulation

More from Duke...

Artificial Intelligence and Climate Change: A Crucial Dialogue for the Future

This week, Duke University, in partnership with the Brookings Institution, hosted a discussion on how AI can help address climate change while also examining the unintended energy demands of AI technologies. The event highlighted AI's potential in improving climate science, predicting extreme weather, optimizing energy systems, and enhancing mitigation strategies, but also discussed concerns about the technology's growing energy consumption. Universities were emphasized as key players in researching AI's ethical and environmental implications and fostering collaboration across sectors to tackle these challenges.

AI and Climate Change

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