MSI PI Bethanie Stadler (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) is the Principal Investigator for a project that has received a 2017 Minnesota Futures Grant from the Office of the Vice President for Research. The project is entitled “Customized Radio-Frequency Identification Nanowire Tags for Exosome Enrichment in Blood Biopsies.” MSI PIs Jaime Modiano (professor, Veterinary Clinical Sciences) and Rhonda Franklin (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) are co-investigators on the project. The ultimate goal of the research is to develop a way to use less-invasive blood biopsies, rather than tissue biopsies, to identify cancer and start individualized treatment.
Professor Stadler uses MSI for investigations into magnetic-photonic materials and devices. Professor Modiano uses next-generation techniques for studies of comparative cancer genetics. Professor Franklin designs and tests microwave circuits and antennas for communications and biomedical applications.
The Minnesota Futures Grant Program, begun in 2008, provides support to interdisciplinary research with the goal of developing projects so that they become competitive for external funding. A story about all the 2017 awardees is on the OVPR’s Inquiry blog: 2017 Minnesota Futures Awards Focus on Science of Prevention.