News

Using Big Data in the Pandemic
MSI PI Ted Pedersen (professor, Computer Science, U of M Duluth) is an expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition. He recently spoke to the UMD News team about developments in AI related to COVID-19 tracking, reporting, and research. Professor Pedersen uses MSI for a project to develop a method for computers to accurately determine the exact meaning of a word based on its usage.
Studying Trumpeter Swans
Trumpeter swans were nearly extinct in the lower 48 U.S. state during the last century.  Thanks to the efforts of wildlife conservationists, the species has made a comeback with thousands of birds living in Minnesota. MSI PI David Andersen (Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology) is among the researchers who are studying the swans to learn more about them.
U-Spatial 2020 Mapping Prizes
U-Spatial has named the winners for their 2020 Mapping Prizes. This annual event, which is open to students at the University of Minnesota, honors provocative and innovative map-making. See the winners on the U-Spatial website: Mapping Prize - 2020 Best Maps.
Designing a Mask
A story on the College of Science and Engineering website describes the work of MSI PI Rhonda Franklin (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Institute for Engineering in Medicine) in creating the MNmask Style 3. This face mask is designed for use by the general public, rather than medical teams.
MSI PI Marie Culhane Provides Insights Into Swine Flu
A strain of swine flu has recently been receiving media attention as a possible new pandemic that cold appear while the world is still fighting COVID-19.
Team Creates Working Heart Pump with 3D Printing and Human Cells
A multidisciplinary team that included three MSI PIs has successfully used 3D printing to create a centimeter-scale working heart pump. The structure, which is hollow and allows fluid to enter and exit, will allow researchers to better study heart function and test medicines and therapeutics. This research was the cover story of a recent issue of the journal Circulation Research, which is published by the American Heart Association.
Fungi at the Bell Museum
MSI PI Peter Kennedy (associate professor, Plant and Microbial Biology) was featured recently on the Bell Museum’s blog. Professor Kennedy is curator of fungi at the Bell. You can read the story about the collection and Professor Kennedy’s research on the Bell Museum’s website: Putting Mushrooms on the Map.
MSI PIs Studying COVID-19 Transmission and Indoor Ventilation Systems
Two MSI PIs from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Associate Professor Jiarong Hong and assistant professor Suo Yang, are studying how indoor ventilation systems affect the transmission of COVID-19. Their early research, which is being prepared for publication, modeled virus spread in elevators, classrooms, supermarkets. Future research will include other common indoor settings, such as restaurants.
MSI PIs Awarded Inaugural Abbott Professorships
MSI PIs Rhonda Franklin (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) and Chris Pennell (associate professor, Laboratory Medicine and Pathology; Masonic Cancer Center) have been named the inaugural Abbott Professors in Innovative Education from the Institute for Engineering in Medicine (IEM).
Studying Plants at the Bell Museum
MSI PI Ya Yang (assistant professor, Plant and Microbial Biology)
MSI PI Named Research Director of the Horticultural Research Center
MSI PI Matthew Clark (assistant professor, Horticultural Science) has been named Research Director of the Horticultural Research Center (HRC) at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Professor Clark is an expert in breeding cold-hardy grapes and he uses software available through MSI for genetics and genomics studies that are part of this research.
July 2020 Maintenance
On Wednesday, July 1, 2020, MSI staff will perform scheduled maintenance and upgrade to various MSI systems. Primary Storage, Mesabi, and Mangi will be unavailable throughout much of the day. A global system reservation will start at 5:00 a.m. on July 1. Jobs that cannot be completed before 5:00 a.m. on July 1 will be held until after maintenance and then started once the system returns to production status. July maintenance will include:
MSI PIs Receive Awards From 2020 Research Infrastructure Investment Program
Four MSI PIs have received awards from the 2020 Research Infrastructure Investment Program. This Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) program is designed to support transdisciplinary research and collaboration across the U of M. OVPR made 12 awards this year. Below are the MSI PIs who received awards:
3D Printing a Deformable Sensor
New research by MSI PIs Hyun Soo Park (professor, Computer Science and Engineering) and Michael McAlpine (professor, Mechanical Engineering) and PhD student Zhijie Zhu (McAlpine research group) describes a way of 3D printing a sensor on an organ that is expanding and contracting. The method uses motion-capture technology and may eventually allow for monitoring of the lungs of COVID-19 patients.
Futures Grant to Fund Chronic Wasting Disease Research
A grant from the U of M’s Minnesota Futures program is funding research into chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal prion disease that affects thousands of deer in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The disease is a serious threat to Minnesota’s hunting industry. MSI PI Eric Seabloom (professor, Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior) is leading the research.
Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain Includes MSI Researchers
Thanks to a $35M donation from Minnesota Masonic Charities, the University of Minnesota is assembling a large group of brain researchers and clinicians to form the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain. The focus of this Institute will be on the sensitive periods for brain development, the first 1,000 days and adolescence.
Studying Fishes at the Bell Museum
MSI PI Andrew Simons (professor, Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology) was featured recently on the Bell Museum’s blog. Professor Simons is the curator of the fishes collection at the Bell, and the interim curator of the mollusk and crustacean collection. The fishes collection contains specimens collected since the late 19th century.
New Report on Data Privacy and Security in Agroinformatics
The CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future, has published a new report, "Dealing with data privacy and security to support agricultural R&D." The report was written by James Wilgenbusch (Director, Research Computing), Ben Lynch (MSI Associate Director for Scientific Computing), Naomi Hospodarsky (MSI Research Security and Compliance Analyst), and Phil Pardey (MSI PI and professor, Applied Economics).
Grant for Center to Study Causes of Psychosis
Two MSI PIs are co-investigators on a new $15 million grant from the National Institutes of Mental Health to study psychosis. David Redish (professor, Neuroscience) and Sophia Vinogradov (professor and head, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences) will lead a new Silvio O. Conte Center called NeuroPRSMH (NeuroPlasticity Research in Support of Mental Health) with an interdisciplinary research team.
Studying How Omega-3 Fatty Acids Help the Heart
MSI PI Timothy O’Connell (associate professor, Integrative Biology and Physiology) and his collaborator at Penn State have received a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health. The grant will fund research into the mechanistic basis for omega-3 fatty acids’ protection of the heart in coronary heart disease. This could lead to more effective treatments using omega-3 fatty acids.

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