News

New Device for Treating Parkinson’s Disease
MSI PI Jerrold Vitek (Head, Department of Neurology) recently led a surgical team that implanted a newly approved treatment device that fights the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. The device is an improved version of a treatment called Deep Brain Stimulation. The University of Minnesota was also involved in the clinical trial for the device, called Vercise. Articles describing the new device and the medical procedure can be found at the following media outlets:
Studying Wolves at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
In Fall 2017, a group of researchers began a project to understand how the reintroduction of large predators will affect an ecosystem. Wolves have been found at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve, a biological field station of the College of Biological Sciences.
Engineered Enzymes Neutralize Harmful Compounds
MSI PI Mikael Elias (assistant professor, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics) has recently published research that describes using engineered enzymes to break down organophosphorous (OP) compounds, which are used as fertilizers. Although they are excellent at helping farmers improve crop yields, they are also implicated in forms of cancer and some neurological problems. Professor Elias’s enzyme can break down OPs into harmless substances.
MSI PI Apostolos Georgopoulos Receives Service Award
MSI MSI PI Apostolos Georgopoulos, a professor in the Department of Neuroscience and Director of the Brain Sciences Center at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, has been honored by the American Legion with their Distinguished Service Medal. The award recognizes Professor Georgopoulos’s research into Gulf War Illness and traumatic brain injuries in veterans.
3D Printing of Artificial Organs
MSI PI Michael McAlpine (associate professor, Mechanical Engineering) is the lead researcher on a recent project to use 3D printing technology to create artificial models of organs. These models can be used by surgeons to plan and practice for surgery. The paper can be read on the website of the journal Advanced Materials Technologies: 3D Printed Organ Models With Physical Properties of Tissue and Integrated Sensors.
Three MSI PIs Named IEEE Fellows
Three MSI PIs from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering have been named Fellows of the IEEE. They are:
Mapping Plants by Trait
Several MSI users are participating in a multidisciplinary project to create maps that show key traits in plants, such as leaf nitrogen concentration, leaf phosphorus concentration, and specific leaf area. The high-resolution maps show a great deal of local variability in plant traits. This information will be extremely useful as input to algorithms that are used to model carbon cycles.
In Memoriam - Barney Klamecki
MSI is sorry to note that MSI Principal Investigator Barney Klamecki, a professor in the mechanical engineering department, passed away on December 5 at the age of 74. Professor Klamecki, an expert in manufacturing processes, has been using MSI resources for computer modeling of arteries as part of a study to determine how arterial tissue structure and properties change during angioplasty and atherectomy. This research provides insight into better designs for medical devices and improved treatments.
Antibiotics Accumulating in Minnesota Lakes
MSI PI Bill Arnold (Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering) was interviewed on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) recently about a study that discovered that antibiotics can be found in the sediment in Minnesota lakes. Researchers tested sediment in Lake Pepin, Lake Winona, and Duluth harbor, and found that the sediment contained several different antibiotics. All of the test sites receive water from wastewater treatment plants. These results have implications for researchers fighting antibiotic resistance in microbes.
December 2017 Maintenance
On Wednesday, December 6, 2017, MSI staff will perform scheduled maintenance and upgrades to various MSI systems. Primary Storage, Mesabi, and Itasca will be unavailable throughout much of the day. December maintenance will include: Mesabi OS upgrade Itasca OS upgrade Upgrade to job scheduler on Itasca Windows updates Systems status is always available on our Status page. If you have any questions, please email help@msi.umn.edu.
Carbon Emissions From Plant Respiration
In a paper published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers have found that plant respiration causes more carbon emissions than was previously thought. As the climate warms, this could reduce the ability of the earth’s surface to absorb carbon emissions from fossil fuels.

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