Research Spotlights Digest

graphs showing composition of microbial communities during induction and repeat therapy Fighting Side Effects in Treatment for Acute Leukemia

Patients with acute leukemia (AL) undergoing intensive chemotherapy treatment are also treated with multiple antibiotics. This results in the patient’s gut microbiome being severely affected, a condition called “dysbiosis,” which results in unpleasant and possibly dangerous side effects. Since many AL patients must undergo repeat treatment, it is possible that the injury done to the gut during...Read more
diagram of pipeline for identifying fusion genes; photo of yellow lab with a small blue ball A Tool to Identify Cancer Genes

Fusion genes are genes made by joining parts of two different genes. They are implicated in the development of some kinds of cancer because they can produce more abnormal proteins than normal genes. The precursors to these proteins are fusion transcripts, a type of RNA. Certain fusion genes and their associated proteins are connected with specific types of cancer.

MSI PIs...Read more
four panelists sitting at a table 2019 Research Exhibition

Image description: The panel discussion on employment in HPC. At table: Guy Adams, Dell; Jack Malluege, ANSYS; PJ Johnson, Microsoft; Rachel Dreikosen, Intel. Jim Wilgenbusch, MSI Senior Associate Director, who was the panel moderator, stands at left. Photo by Brian Carlton.

MSI held the tenth annual Research...Read more
graph of random forest regression analysis results, with a background of multiple types of landscape Modeling How Diseases Spread

In order to predict and fight animal disease outbreaks, epidemiologists and other researchers need to understand how a given disease spreads through landscapes and populations. Factors contributing to the ability of a pathogen to spread include the features of the environment as well as the movement of the animals through that landscape. Human activity is changing landscapes, with the result...Read more
camera-trap photos; on the right is a deer and fawn and on the left is a red fox Eyes on the Wild

The Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve (CCESR) is a biological field station run by the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. It includes diverse natural habitats that represent the entire state of Minnesota. Researchers use it for studies of different ecosystems and how humans are...Read more
contour map of instantaneous downwind velocity Incorporating Complex Terrain Features in a Model of a Wind Farm

Engineers designing wind farms must consider the terrain features of the farm site in order to optimize its output. A form of computer modeling, large-eddy simulation (LES), shows promise as a way to simulate the complex features of such design.

MSI PI Fotis Sotiropoulos (adjunct professor, Civil, Environmental, and Geo-...Read more