Harnessing Genome Editing for COVID-19 Drug Discovery
A University of Florida research team is harnessing the power of genomic editing to illuminate druggable targets in human cells for the fight against COVID-19. By taking advantage of high-containment labs in UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute—especially designed for studying highly contagious and virulent pathogens—the team is using CRISPR genome editing techniques to screen human cell […]
Adapting Neurological Care Amid COVID-19
As the ongoing battle against the spread of COVID-19 continues, the medical community is learning more about the disease and at-risk populations by the day. Many symptoms and comorbidities associated with neurologic disorders place patients, especially those in the neuromuscular disease community, within those high-risk categories established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]
Príncipe Receives NSF Grant for Unique Multi-Patient Ventilator Technique
José Príncipe, Ph.D., distinguished professor in the department of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida, was recently awarded an NSF grant in support of the development of a low-cost smart multi-patient ventilator system. The proposal, “RAPID: Inexpensive, rapidly manufacturable respiratory monitor to provide safe emergency ventilation during COVID19 pandemic,” provides a portable respiratory monitoring […]
How Deforestation Helps Deadly Viruses Jump From Animals to Humans
Dr. Amy Y. Vittor, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Florida, co-authored a study on how deforestation helps deadly viruses jump from animals to humans. The coronavirus pandemic, suspected of originating in bats and pangolins, has brought the risk of viruses that jump from wildlife to humans into stark focus. These leaps often happen […]
UF Health Researchers in Jacksonville Are Studying the Effects of Hydroxychloroquine
University of Florida Health researchers in Jacksonville are part of a national effort to determine if the drug hydroxychloroquine, or HCQ, can help prevent health care workers from contracting the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the virus that causes COVID-19. Nizar Maraqa, MD, an associate professor at the University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville who specializes in pediatric infectious […]
UF Health Awarded $1 Million Grant to Provide Pediatric Telehealth Services to Underserved Patients
The University of Florida College of Medicine’s department of pediatrics has been awarded a nearly $1 million federal grant to expand telemedicine services and equipment among underserved and vulnerable populations. The $967,957 award from the Federal Communications Commission’s COVID-19 Telehealth Program will be used to acquire an array of monitoring and diagnostic equipment, including tablet […]
How to Create a COVID-19 Vaccine
Alan Joslyn Ph.D. president and CEO of UF startup and UF Innovate | Sid Martin Biotech graduate company Oragenics, Inc., a leader in the development of new antibiotics against infectious diseases and effective treatments for oral mucositis, speaks with James Di Virgilio, Radio Cade podcast co-host, about COVID-19 vaccine challenges and explore Oragenics journey from idea generation to COVID-19 […]
Museums Preserve Clues That Can Help Scientists Predict and Analyze Future Pandemics
Florida Museum of Natural History curator and distinguished professor Pamela Soltis, Ph.D., explains in The Conversation how she, along with colleagues from across the U.S. and in six other countries, identified a largely untapped resource for predicting future pandemics: natural history collections in museums around the world. These collections preserve specimens of animals, plants and […]
New COVID-19 Research Initiative: Ultra-Low Cost Social Distancing Band
My T. Thai, Ph.D., Yier Jin, Ph.D., and Ahmed Helmy, Ph.D. of UF’s Warren B. Nelms Institute for the Connected World, Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering, and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are developing an affordable wearable device that indicates appropriate social distancing. The researchers’ approach utilizes Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) […]
UF Health Project Seeks to Measure Impact of Coronavirus Isolation on Older Adults
A University of Florida Health researcher has launched a study using an online survey to determine the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the lives of older adults. The results could eventually help scientists target educational, policy and behavioral interventions designed to regain or modify the life activities of older adults after the health crisis […]