Xiaogang Ma Awarded NSF Grant Supplement
University of Idaho Associate Professor of Computer Science Xiaogang (Marshall) Ma has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant supplement of $140,091 to integrate large language models (LLMs) into the Mindat open data interface to create a more interactive and responsive data platform for the world's largest open database of minerals, rocks, meteorites and the localities they come from (Mindat.org).
PrinTimber featured on Idaho Today
Mallory Bermensolo (Master of Architecture student) was interviewed on Idaho Today regarding the PrinTimber project. The Boise-based show brings statewide recognition to PrinTimber and the team's research into developing technology to produce sustainable building products made from wood waste. Congratulations to PI Michael Maughn and all the PrinTimber researchers for this well deserved recognition.
BCB Spotlight - Kristen Martinet
Kristen Martinet completed her Ph.D. this spring with University of Idaho’s Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BCB) program. Kristen came to U of I in the fall of 2019 after speaking with U of I researcher Luke Harmon (Biological Sciences). The research focus in his lab sold Martinet on attending U of I.
Evan Eskew Publishes in Nature Communications
University of Idaho researcher Evan Eskew (Idaho Initiative for Computational One Health) recently published in Nature Communications. Fellow U of I researchers Scott Nuismer (Biological Sciences) and Andrew Basinski (formerly with the Institute of Interdisciplinary Data Sciences) co-authored "Reservoir displacement by an invasive rodent reduces Lassa virus zoonotic spillover risk". This publication developed from a series of research projects on Lassa virus at University of Idaho involving Scott Nuismer and numerous other experts, including Elisabeth Fichet-Calvet at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine and researchers with the One Health Institute at the University of California, Davis.
IIDS Now Hiring Genomics Research Associate
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences’ (IIDS) Genomics and Bioinformatics Resources Core (GBRC) is currently hiring a full-time Genomics Research Associate (GRA). The GRA will assist in the operation and maintenance of sophisticated research equipment to produce cutting edge genome-scale data.
U of I Transmissible Vaccine Research Published in SCIENCE
University of Idaho researcher Scott Nuismer (Biological Sciences) published in the leading peer-reviewed research journal, SCIENCE. "Developing Transmissible Vaccines for Animal Infectious Diseases" was co-authored by fellow U of I researchers James Bull (Biological Sciences), Chris Remien (Mathematics and Statistical Sciences) and Courtney Schreiner (M.S. ’22, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology). This paper emerged from a collaborative workshop organized by Nuismer and his collaborator Daniel Streicker from the University of Glasgow. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) Core (Grant No. 2216790), this workshop convened virologists, immunologists, mathematicians, ecologists, evolutionary biologists and sociologists to develop recommendations for the safe and effective development of transmissible vaccines.
Graduate Student Internships in AI and Data Science
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Data Sciences (IIDS) at the University of Idaho is offering an exciting opportunity for up to two graduate students to participate in internships during the 2024-2025 academic year. These internships are supported by the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) and aim to engage students in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science to enhance the university’s strategic planning and administrative operations.
Genomic Surveillance Provides Key Evidence Regarding COVID-19 Transmission Dynamics
Retrospective genomic surveillance of covid-positive patient samples taken early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic provides evidence that University of Idaho's covid-testing program, along with other mitigation measures, were effective at reducing viral spread across the university’s Moscow campus. Understanding transmission dynamics of viruses like SARS-CoV-2 at universities is crucial because these settings have potential for rapid viral spread due to a young adult population predisposed to low disease severity.