News

Developing Artificial Blood Vessels That Grow With the Patient
A U of M-led research team has received a grant from the Department of Defense totaling $3.7M over four years for a project that is developing bioengineered blood vessels that will grow with the patient. These artificial vessels could eventually be used in children with congenital heart defects, avoiding the need for multiple surgeries.
Getting Ready for Mountain Pine Beetles
The mountain pine beetle (MPB) is destroying pine forests throughout North America. Not only do they kill trees by boring under bark, they spread pathogens from tree to tree. Because of this, although the beetle hasn’t been found yet in Minnesota, the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center (MITPPC) has given research into the pest top priority.
MSI Operations During COVID-19
This information was last updated on July 21, 2022. MSI staff are now working under a hybrid model; not all staff are working on-site full time. All MSI systems are operational and can be accessed remotely. Tutorials are being held via Zoom.  To request technical assistance with your MSI account, contact the Helpdesk:
MSI PI Harry Orr Awarded Kavli Prize
MSI PI Harry Orr (professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; Director, Institute for Translational Neuroscience) is one of four winners of the 2022 Kavli Prize in Neuroscience. This award is presented by the Kavli Foundation and Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research to scientists in astrophysics, nanoscience, and neuroscience.
Studying How Bacteria Swim
A team of researchers including MSI PI Xiang Cheng (associate professor, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science) has published a study that investigated how bacteria swim through different fluids and environments. The study, published recently in the journal Nature, describes how bacteria move through solutions of small solid particles. The research could be used for developing new medical treatments and drug delivery systems.
Zooniverse Project to Study the Atmosphere of Jupiter
In a new citizen-science project called Jovian Vortex Hunter, anyone can help identify atmospheric vortices on Jupiter. The images were taken by Juno, a probe which reached Jupiter in 2016 and has been sending stunning images of the planet back to Earth. Scientists are interested in the physics behind the many atmospheric vortices found in the Jovian atmosphere. The project is hosted on the citizen-science platform Zooniverse, which was co-founded by MSI PI Lucy Fortson (professor, Physics and Astronomy).
Omicron Variant Structure
Research by MSI PI Fang Li (professor, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences) and colleagues has revealed the structure of spike proteins in the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. The differences in this structure from the original coronavirus explain why omicron is so transmissible and why it can get past vaccination protection.
MSI PIs Receive 2022 Research Infrastructure Investment Program Award
Four MSI PIs have received awards from the 2022 Research Infrastructure Investment Program. This Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) program is designed to facilitate interdisciplinary partnerships and strengthen the University’s research infrastructure. OVPR made seven awards this year. Below are the MSI PIs who received awards:
July 2022 Maintenance
On Wednesday, July 6, 2022, MSI staff will perform scheduled maintenance and upgrades to various MSI systems. During this month's scheduled maintenance period, primary storage may be unavailable or in a read-only state throughout much of the day. Mesabi and Mangi front-end nodes will be unavailable some portion of the day. A global system reservation will start at 5:00 a.m. on July 6. Jobs that cannot be completed before 5:00 a.m. on July 6 will be held until after maintenance and then started once the system returns to production status.

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