rESEArCH HIGHLIGHTS - Charlotte Research Institute - University ...

2006-2007rESEARCHHIGHLIGHTS

Charlotte Research Institute: A Millennial Campus29ACBDEDuke Centennial HallGrigg HallCollege of EducationFBurson HallG HIWoodward HallCollege of Health& Human ServicesKJCameron AppliedResearch CenterSmith Hall49C D F G H I J KCampus KeyThe CRI campus is a geographically definedpart of UNC Charlotte known as a MillennialCampus. 2000 State of North Carolinalegislation allows partnership activities withprivate sector partners (including contractsfor space use, equipment use, and commercialdevelopment). The campus encompasses over100 acres of land with 8 existing buildingsand 4 buildings in planning, design, andconstruction. See page 6 for more informationon the Millennial Campus designation.ABCFuture Site of Research and Partner SpaceConstruction underway for Bioinformatics Research Building(opening 2009)Center for Optoelectronics & Optical Communications,Graduate-level Physics, CRI AdministrationD College of Engineering, Center for Biomedical EngineeringSystems, Center for Precision Metrology, Department ofMechanical Engineering & Engineering Science, North CarolinaMotorsports and Automotive Research CenterE Site for the EPIC Research BuildingF Department of Biology, Department of Electrical & ComputerEngineering, College of Computing & InformaticsG College of EducationH College of Health & Human Services, Institute for Social CapitalI Chemistry, Nanoscale ScienceJ Bioinformatics/Bioinformatics Research Center, Civil EngineeringK College of Engineering

Charlotte Research InstituteThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte2 Letter from the Executive Director4 2006-2007 Highlights of the Charlotte Research Institute9 Research and Federal Relations10 Office of Technology Transfer11 Center for Precision Metrology12 Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications14 College of Computing and Informatics16 Bioinformatics Research Center18 Center for Biomedical Engineering Systems20 Life Science Research23 Building a Translational Research Program24 Cancer Research26 UNC Charlotte and Carolinas Medical Center27 Motorsports and Automotive Engineering Research Center28 Nanoscale Science29 Building an Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC)30 Start-Ups32 CRI Board of Directors/UNC Charlotte Board of TrusteesAbout the Cover:An ultrafast laser situated in Dr. Ting-Hua Her’s (Physics & Optical Science) lab in the Center for Optoelectronics &Optical Communications on the CRI campus. This laser can deliver millions of laser pulses per second, each of which lastsfor tens of femtoseconds (a femtosecond is a millionth or a billionth of a second). The laser can be used to study lightmatterinteractions, for writing nanostructures on surfaces, probing biological cells and sensing the presence of chemicals.It is an optical tool that impacts applications important in medicine, manufacturing, defense and homeland security.1Research Highlights 2006-2007

Letter from the Executive Directorthe year in perspectiveThe Charlotte Research Institute is the portal for business-university partnerships at UNCCharlotte. Locally, CRI works in the community to accelerate the growth of small businessesand university start-ups. Globally, CRI develops intellectual capital through collaborationswith industry, government and academia. New business and research ventures, universitypartnerships with regional and national enterprises, and CRI spin-off companies all drawresearch and businesses to the region and spur economic growth.Robert G. Wilhelm, Ph.D.Executive DirectorScience and engineering ventures at CRI are drivenby the internationally known results of its researchcenters in Precision Metrology, eBusiness Technology,and Optoelectronics. CRI’s research vision continuesto grow as emerging research initiatives, includingbioinformatics, biomedical engineering systems, andtranslational research, develop at UNC Charlotte.With facilities housed in custom-designed buildings onthe Charlotte Research Institute Campus, CRI helpscompanies initiate new partnerships at UNC Charlotteand offers a variety of opportunities to engage talentedfaculty and make use of specialized resources availableonly at UNC Charlotte.2With another year of strong growth, CRI continues to track the rapid expansion of UNC Charlotte, theresearch University for the Charlotte region. With a new Ph.D. program in nanoscale sciences, UNCCharlotte now offers 18 different Ph.D. degrees. Among the 61 master’s degree programs, this year aprofessional science master’s degree was added in bioinformatics. The newest bachelor’s degree programin public health is one of 89 degree programs available. A public research university, UNC Charlotte is thefourth largest campus among the 17 institutions of the University of North Carolina system and the largestinstitution of higher education in the Charlotte region. Fall 2007 enrollment exceeded 22,500 students,including almost 4,800 graduate students.The interdisciplinary research centers at UNC Charlotte are the focus of CRI efforts. During the past year,CRI funded five post-doctoral fellows conducting research in bioinformatics and precision metrology.Visiting scholars and conferences accounted for over 20 different events sponsored by CRI. A new researchfunding program was initiated and the first award supported the Center for Precision Metrology’s successfulNational Science Foundation proposal to conduct joint research with Ohio State University. Other awardshave helped develop new research partnerships with regional companies.Of special note, the past year has brought much growth in life science research and collaboration. Underthe leadership of Dr. Mark Clemens, our many efforts with Carolinas Healthcare System have now reacheda critical mass and we look forward to a strong collaboration on translational research. Dr. CatherineHicks continues to develop our partnership with the Brain Tumor Fund for the Carolinas with a goal ofsignificantly increasing support for brain cancer research.

CRI has now taken on the leadership of two entrepreneurial events in Charlotte. Dr. Catherine Hicks led theteam that successfully produced the 2006 Biotechnology Conference. Ken Paulus, joining CRI in 2007,managed the well established Five Ventures ® Business Plan competition and then applied his experience toproduce a larger and more vibrant 2007 Biotechnology Conference. With these events, CRI has workedin strong partnership with the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis and the North CarolinaBiotechnology Center.CRI also leads the “Open for Business” project at UNC Charlotte to develop a model for universities touse in building the nation’s best partnerships with businesses. Project manager Scott Carlberg, a notedpublic affairs entrepreneur, has engaged over 50 companies during the past year and is now hard at workon efforts to integrate and streamline UNC Charlotte’s engagement with the business community.The CRI staff continues to develop in talent and in number. Karen Ford’s masterful management ofevents and communications is matched by Gail Keene’s skillful orchestration of CRI business affairs.Dr. Barry Burks, our newly arrived associate director, brings ten years of experience with his start-upcompany, TPG Applied Technology, and over 14 years background as an investigator at the Oak RidgeNational Laboratory.CRI’s efforts with science and technology start-up companies continue to grow with on-campus companiesstarted by students, faculty, and regional entrepreneurs. This year, A-Metrics located on the CRI campusto pursue research and development on new sensor technologies, and HepatoSys made an agreement tofurther their research on organ preservation for transplantation.The rapid growth and advancement of CRI depends strongly on the research community at UNC Charlotteand our many collaborators and supporters. We are especially thankful to Chairman Kevin Drehmer andthe committed members of the CRI Board. The UNC Charlotte administration has been steadfast in itssupport, and endowments from Duke Energy, Wachovia Corporation and others have allowed the Instituteto invest in a number of new faculty starts, research efforts, and collaborative partnerships. The State ofNorth Carolina continues to be a strong advocate for our growth and research initiatives.Most importantly, we credit the talented faculty, students, and staff that are the fundamental source ofour progress. While we cannot begin to identify all of our many sponsors and supporters, our thanks goout to all who have contributed to our success.3With this talent and support, we look forward to another successful year building the scientific andtechnological partnerships of the future.Sincerely,Robert G. Wilhelm, Ph.D.EXECUTIVE DIRECTORCharlotte Research InstituteResearch Highlights 2006-2007

2006-2007 Highlights of the Charlotte Research InstituteOpen for BusinessUNC Charlotte is increasingly looked upon as an engine for economic development and innovativebusiness applications in the Charlotte region. Through the Charlotte Research Institute, the university isin a unique position to create and implement strong business/university partnerships for researchand economic development. Open for Business is a three-year initiative that will drive that effort. UNCCharlotte has been selected by the UNC System’s General Administration to go beyond “best practice” businessrelationship-building to redefine the wayhigher education can better serve industry.In the project’s first year, a wide crosssectionof organizations (companiesranging in size from five employees tothousands; industries and trade groupsincluding everything from manufacturingto financial services to medicine) havebeen interviewed to crystallize a newform of higher education outreach withbusiness. The second year of the projectwill further refine and implement focusedrelationship-building, streamlined internalprocesses and business enhancementproducts to expand the university’s impacton the region’s business capabilities.Clyde Higgs, Vice President of Business Development for the N.C.Research Campus, shares his parameters for investing in biotechstart-up companies with attendees and participants at the 2007Five Ventures ® Competition hosted by CRI.Case Study: Digital Optics Corporationuniversity technology into commercialized product4Research/Invention/Patent - 1989-1991Start-up Company• Dr. Michael Feldman joins optoelectronicsresearch faculty at UNC Charlotte• Research in computer generated hologramsas optical interconnects at UNC Charlottein Cameron Applied Research Center• First patent filed Feb 1991Start-up Company - 1991-1992• Digital Optics incorporated byDr. Michael Feldman and Hudson Welch(graduate student).• DOC moves to UNC Charlotte Ben CraigCenter Business Incubator with 500sq ft of office space, 1 DARPAcontract, and 1 commercial contractGrowth/Production - 1993-1997• Staff increases to 4 employees• Participates in first trade show• Revenues double• Initial Venture Capital infusion• Second round of VC funding• Staff at 35 employees; Talent nowbrought in from other strategicorganizations

Kevin Drehmer, CEO, Tessera MicroOptics Center of Excellence(formerly Digital Optics) and Chair, CRI Board of Directors; UNCCharlotte alum Dr. Hudson Welch, Director of Engineering atTessera and co-founder of Digital Optics; Dr. Robert Wilhelm,Executive Director, CRI.Convening Academic Researchand IndustryAs a part of its charter to promote universityresearch and facilitate university/industrypartnerships, CRI successfully hosted severalconferences this past year. These conferenceseffectively convene faculty, students, startupcompanies, local industry, venturecapitalists, economic development officials,and healthcare and other service providers toencourage entrepreneurialism and researchpartnerships with the university.In October of 2006 & 2007, the 5th& 6th annual Charlotte Biotechnologyconferences hosted over 300 peopleon campus and focused on biomedicalresearch in the Charlotte community. InNovember 2006, CRI’s first TranslationalResearch Symposium brought together 100 biomedical researchers and local healthcare clinicians to developthe potential for a regional translational medicine program.The Five Ventures ® business plan competition and conference, in its 6th year, hosted keynote speakers JerryNeal and Jerry Bledsoe, entrepreneurs and authors of Fire in the Belly: Building a World-leading, High-Tech CompanyBusiness Attraction/RetentionProfit & Job Generation5Expansion - 1998-2000• Production expanded across opticalcomponent & integration products• Kevin Drehmer appointedpresident of DOC• Continued Venture Capital• DOC positioned as a leadingphotonic chip supplierQuality of LifeBoosting Local Economy - 2001-2005• DOC moves to 100,000 sf facility inUniversity Research Park• Economy rocked by terrorist events andhigh tech bubble. DOC diversifies acrossmultiple product lines: Diffractive diffusers,datacom, telecom, barcode scanners,government and defenseSale of Company - 2006-2007• Staffed by 83 employees;buy-out by Tessera Technologiesfor $59.5 million• Tessera’s Charlotte operationsstaffed by 100 employees providingproducts worldwideResearch Highlights 2006-2007

2006-2007 Highlights of the Charlotte Research InstituteGrigg Hall Research Building (Millennial Campus): New home for the Center for Optoelectronics & OpticalCommunications, graduate-level Physics and CRI administration.from Scratch in Tumultuous Times. The book chronicles the start of RF Micro Devices, a multi-billion dollartechnology start-up company that now supplies power amplifiers to most of the cell phone market. Winnersof the Five Ventures ® competition this year were two healthcare diagnostics companies: Accunetix, a Durhambasedstudent venture, and Kiyatec LLC, based in Greenville, SC.6Industry Partnerships and the Millennial CampusThe CRI campus, also known as the Millennial Campus, is managed by CRI and is a direct reflection ofthe growth of UNC Charlotte’s research programs. The Millennial Campus designation has specialsignificance for the University of North Carolina System and allows UNC Charlotte to efficiently engagewith partner companies by enabling them to contract for use of research capabilities or facilities on theMillennial Campus, contract for sole-use space, and construct and manage privately owned buildings.The Millennial Campus covers 100 acres of land and currently includes eight buildings: Cameron Hall,Burson Hall, College of Health and Human Services, College of Education, Woodward Hall, GriggHall, Duke Centennial Hall and, as of this past year, Smith Hall. Construction has begun on a ninthbuilding for Bioinformatics and planning is underway for an additional building for engineeringresearch and education.c u r r e n t m i l l e n n i a l c a m p u s t e n a n t s a n d pa r t n e r s• Albany Instruments • Calyptix Security• SoyMeds• Dot Metrics Technologies• InsituTec• BioTrackers• OpSource• A-Metrics LLC• Intepoint• HepatoSys, Inc.Two of our new research buildings werededicated in September 2006: DukeCentennial Hall, home to The William StatesLee College of Engineering, The Center forBiomedical Engineering Systems, The Centerfor Precision Metrology, the Department ofMechanical Engineering and EngineeringScience, and the North Carolina Motorsportsand Automotive Research Center; and GriggHall, home to the Center for Optoelectronics

and Optical Communications, and theuniversity’s graduate-level physics program.The two buildings were named in honor ofDuke Energy Corporation and Duke EnergyChairman Emeritus William H. Grigg.In Fall 2007, CRI assumed responsibility formanagement and oversight of the Ben CraigCenter (BCC), UNC Charlotte’s businessincubator facility established in 1990. Thismove is consistent with the CRI mission ofbuilding university-business partnershipsand will result in a renewed emphasis oncollaboration between university researchers,university subject matter experts, and theentrepreneurs that populate the BCC.“Certainly, the base technology is the critical elementfor a new tech business. Other intangibles determinewhether an idea fully emerges as a business, such asan atmosphere for great research, availability of wellregardedprofessors and encouragement to ventureinto new territories. The Charlotte Research Institutehas been designed to foster such a complete package ofconcept to commercialization.”-Hudson welch,Director of engineering at tessera corporationand co-founder of digital opticsPreliminary plans have been made to construct a new building on the CRI campus that would house theBCC and other CRI functions.CRI welcomed two Charlotte start-up companies as partners to the Millennial Campus this past year.HepatoSys, Inc. restores the function of donor livers for use in transplantation and evaluates the integrityof donor livers prior to initiation of the recipient operation. A-Metrics LLC has developed a new sensorGrigg Hall Dedication September 2006, left to right: Mac Everett, former Chair, UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees;Kathy Grigg; Bill Grigg, former Chairman of Duke Power; UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phil Dubois; Ruth Shaw, ExecutiveAdvisor, Duke Energy Corporation; Paul Anderson, Former Chairman of Duke Energy Corporation; Smoky Bissell,Chair, UNC Charlotte Foundation Board.7Research Highlights 2006-2007

2006-2007 Highlights of the Charlotte Research Institute“Around the world and throughout the region,the Charlotte Regional Partnership counts theCRI as a key asset in attracting and retainingindustry. By partnering with the CRI, incomingand existing industries can use the latest researchfor technological innovations that give them acompetitive edge and keep our economy vibrant.”-Ronnie l. bryant,technology that utilizes a patented method totrack slight changes in pressure, temperature,humidity and record vibration frequencies inthe sonar, seismic, and vocal ranges. Currentapplications include a more reliable detectionof breast cancer, increased sensitivity ofsonar devices, the identification of corrosivepipelines and voice recognition. Bothcompanies were finalists in the Five Ventures ®competition this year.president & ceo, charlotte regional partnership An example of a UNC Charlotte start-upcompany come full circle involves an excitingdevelopment this past year with DigitalOptics Corporation, a company borne out ofUNC Charlotte optoelectronics technology and a leader in the development and design of micro-opticalsolutions. In July 2006, San Jose-based Tessera Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:TSRA), a leading providerof miniaturization technologies for the electronics industry, acquired Digital Optics for $59.5 million. Theacquisition provides Tessera with key technologies for the development of low-cost, miniaturized imagingsolutions for high-volume consumer optics applications such as camera phones, next-generation DVDplayers and automotive applications. The Digital Optics facility in Charlotte is now Tessera’s Micro-OpticsCenter of Excellence.8As UNC Charlotte’s life science research capabilities grow, CRI continues to enjoy its partnership withthe Greater Charlotte office of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBC) on its campus. NCBCassists with funding for life science faculty research, recruitment, laboratory equipment and universityconferences. This past year, NCBC helped support UNC Charlotte’s Biotech and Five Ventures ® conferencesand co-hosted a Nanobiotechnology conference in November 2007 with the university and CarolinasMedical Center.UNC Charlotte’s research capabilities represent a vitaleconomic development tool for business attraction.CRI recently assisted in the successful recruitment ofseveral companies to the Charlotte region. Turbomeca,part of the SAFRAN group, a French aerospace andtechnology company, manufactures low- and mediumpowergas turbine turboshaft engines for helicopters,aircraft and missiles, as well as turbines for land,industrial and marine applications. Raleigh-basedRed Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), one of the larger andmore recognized companies dedicated to open sourcesoftware and the largest distributor of the Linuxoperating system, opened a location on the NorthCarolina Research Campus in Kannapolis.UNC Charlotte technology comes full circle: TesseraTechnologies’ $59.5 million purchase of DigitalOptics Corporation added jobs and capital to theCharlotte economy. (Inside Tessera’s MicroOpticsCenter for Excellence in Charlotte).For the latest news on the Charlotte Research Instituteand detailed information about research centers, userfacilities, funding programs and partnerships, visitwww.charlotteresearchinstitute.com.

Research & Federal Relationsstewarding the business and growth of university researchUNC Charlotte continues to enjoy an upward trend in research funding and receipts, particularly fromfederal sources. Total award receipts grew by 25 percent in FY2006, and federal dollars constituted 78percent of external funding. Federal award receipts increased by 42 percent in FY2006. Researchexpenditures, a good barometer of long-term growth, were up 14 percent in FY2007.One of the largest increases in federal funding for FY2006 came from the Department of Defense (DOD)driven by Congressional earmarks for Optoelectronics and Superlattice technology that enabled theinstallation of new optoelectronics research equipment. Another sizable increase came from the Departmentof Energy (DOE) for the Regional Visualization Center, one of only five such centers in the country.UNC Charlotte’s industry research collaborations continue to grow and prosper while gaining recognitionfor top placement in national rankings based on NSF data in this category. The university’s proportionof industry-sponsored research (18 percent in FY2005 and 13 percent in FY2006) is among the highestfor U.S. universities, based on trends in NSF data through 2002 (national data for FY2005 and FY2006is not yet available). This trendis further supported by industryaward and research expenditure r e s e a r c h a w a r d sdata for UNC Charlotte forAWARD AMOUNTSFY2007. Industry awards wereup 65 percent and researchexpenditures up 55 percent.Funding Source FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007r e s e a r c h e x p e n d i t u r e sFederal 23,622,791 16,092,554 18,303,220 25,900,221 24,703,847NC State & Local Gov. 2,829,699 3,384,928 3,788,405 3,559,827 3,029,243Industry 2,461,844 2,677,298 2,667,540 1,561,126 2,783,334Foundation & Other 1,112,838 1,903,690 2,021,244 2,385,349 2,725,564UNIVERSITY TOTAL 30,027,172 24,058,470 26,780,409 33,406,523 33,241,988ACTUAL EXPENDITURESAccounting Category FY 2002 FY 2003 FY 2004 FY 2005 FY 2006 FY 2007The universityFederal 7,699,049 10,892,015 16,675,902 14,730,884 15,420,885 16,240,825 continues toNC State & Local Gov. 3,111,987 3,266,751 3,057,175 3,944,880 4,654,794 4,791,555 make substantialIndustry 4,111,935 2,355,443 3,125,015 4,451,475 4,638,219 7,175,378 investments inFoundation & Other 405,255 1,063,551 1,859,010 1,985,420 899,988 966,843 biomedical andUNIVERSITY TOTAL 15,328,226 17,577,759 24,717,102 25,112,659 25,613,887 29,174,602 health-relatedfields, andoverall externalfunding was up 6 percent in FY2006 (86 percent of which is federal). This past year, UNC Charlottereceived full accreditation from the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory AnimalCare International (AAALAC) for its state-of-the-art Vivarium.Other highlights this year include the delivery of a molecular beam epitaxy instrument that willenable specialized research in superlattice technology in the Center for Optoelectronics and OpticalCommunications. The instrument was funded by a Defense MicroElectronics Activity (DMEA) awardthrough Northrop Grumman Corporation. UNC Charlotte’s Center for Transportation Policy Studieswas honored with a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to study Intelligent TransportationSystems Best Management Practices and Technologies. Also this year, the university implemented newprocedures to comply with U.S. export control policies.9Research Highlights 2006-2007Visit: www.research.uncc.edu

Office of Technology Transferfrom research to commercializationFor the past six years, UNC Charlotte has demonstrated consistent success in technology transfer. From 2002to 2005, in an apples-to-apples comparison (i.e., normalized per $10 million of research expenditures),the university qualified for top placement in national rankings in The Association for UniversityTechnology Managers (AUTM). An upcoming National Science Foundation (NSF) report by InnovationAssociates indicates that UNC Charlotte was number one in the nation for patents issued, number twofor patent applications and number three for start-ups launched relative to research expenditures in FY2005 (based on the latest AUTM Licensing Survey results) 1 . This report also states that, despite relativelymodest research expenditures, UNCCharlotte has launched 19 start-ups in fiveyears (FY 2001-05).u n c c h a r l o t t e’s t e c h n o l o g y t r a n s f e r r a t i n g sAccording to the 2005 AUTM LicensingSurvey Results:• 1st for Patents Issued• 2nd for Patent Applications• 3rd for Start-ups LaunchedThis past year, the Office of TechnologyTransfer worked in partnership with MBAgraduate students from the Belk College ofBusiness to do marketability and feasibilitystudies for three of UNC Charlotte’s startupcompanies.Other highlights this year include the grandopening of InsituTec, Inc., UNC Charlotte’sfirst student-owned spin-off companyowned by Drs. Shane and Bethany Woody, graduates of the Center for Precision Metrology. InsituTeccustom designs and manufactures precision instrumentation tools for high-end ultra-precision industrialand military applications.10This past year has been a year of transition and exciting opportunities for the Office of Technology Transferin terms of leadership. Former Executive Director, Mr. Mark S. Wdowik, accepted a new position in July2006 as Vice President of Technology Transfer at Colorado State University Research Foundation in FortCollins, Colorado. In July of 2007, new Executive Director, Mr. Carl P.B. Mahler II, J.D., joined the stafffrom Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Technology Transfer, where he spent the past five years asDirector of Intellectual Property. Mr. Mahler, who holds degrees in both chemical engineering and law,has served as research and process engineer for several large companies, and for seven years, he served asDirector of Research Commercialization Operations at Case Western Reserve University.Mrs. Ruth Burnett was appointed Associate Director of the Office of Technology Transfer, having served asthe interim Director for 2006-07. Mr. Brad Fach, M.B.A., became the new Technology Transfer Associatethis summer. Brad is a registered patent practitioner with the United States Patent and Trademark Officeand has over seven years of consulting and intellectual property experience with a strong focus in the lifesciences area.Visit: www.ott.uncc.edu1. Diane Palmintera, President, Innovation Associates, 2007. (Note: AUTM results typically lag two years behind present year).

Center for Precision Metrologyatoms to aerospace, sensors to systems, science to standardization,principle to practice, origination to optimizationThe Center for Precision Metrology (CPM) is an interdisciplinary association of UNC Charlotte facultyand student researchers. CPM is allied with industrial partners in the research, development and integrationof metrology (the science of measurement) as it applies to manufacturing. Precision Metrology encompassesmethods of production and inspection in manufacturing; measurement algorithms and tolerancerepresentation; and the integration of metrology into factory quality systems. With five spin-off companies,the Center is pivotal to the Charlotte Research Institute’s mission of economic development.Research outcomes in the above areas have resulted in immediate impacts on the bottom lines of CPMindustry affiliates. These benefits include corporate cost savings of $1 million and shared intellectual capitalvalued at $100,000-$200,000, as well as highly specialized Center graduates ready for hire. Last year,CPM graduated four Ph.D. and eight Master’s degree students, and successfully placed two graduates in newcareers at industry affiliates Mitutoyo and Caterpillar corporations.The National Science Foundation (NSF) is currently funding a jointproject bringing CPM in collaboration with UCLA, UC Berkeleyand HP Labs to build a Multi-Scale Alignment Positioning System(MAPS). MAPS is a nano-precision stage with six degrees of freedomcomprised of a precision positioning stage, control system, andinterchangeable modules; these modules are designed to performnano-scale imprint lithography, plasmonic imaging lithography andnano-assembly on the surface of 50.8 mm substrates. The MAPSmachine is nearing completion and will be used initially to makecross bar memory with densities exceeding current capabilities. Thismachine will enable production of more cost-effective and scalablecomputer chips for faster and smaller computers.This past March, CPM was tapped by the NSF to host the 4th U.S.-Japan Young Researchers Exchange in Nanotechnology at UNCCharlotte. More than 40 young researchers from all over the U.S.and Japan came together to share research interests and information,thereby spurring development of future technologies beneficial toglobal manufacturing.CPM faculty and students continue to represent UNC Charlottethrough international scholarship (34 papers presented) andpublications (18 journal articles) as well as leadership roles in industry research associations. Eighteen faculty/staff members and students, and ten Center alumni, attended the American Society of Precision EngineeringConference this year, presenting two papers (one on affiliate work) and five poster presentations. CenterDirector Dr. Bob Hocken gave an invited talk on Nanotechnology at IMTS (International ManufacturingTechnology Show) and was named President-elect of CIRP (Journal of Manufacturing Science). Dr. Ed Morsegave invited talks at the Manufacturing and Metrology Conference and Workshop and at the Association forCoordinate Metrology in Canada. Professor Morse leads the ISO (International Standards Organization)task force on Articulated Arms and Laser Trackers and holds a position on the NCSL International (NationalConference of Standards Laboratories) panel. Dr. Scott Smith became a CIRP Fellow this year.CPM was again awarded two scholarships by NCSL for students to work in metrology.Engineering doctoral student, OzkanOzturk works with the Multi-Scale AlignmentPositioning System (MAPS) machine that willenable production of more cost effective andmore scalable computer chips for faster andsmaller computers.11Research Highlights 2006-2007Visit: www.cpm.uncc.edu

Center for Optoelectronics & Optical Communicationssupporting the growth of optics in the carolinasDr. Lou Deguzman (Optics) and Dr. Bob Hudgins (Clean Room Manager) work in the Grigg Hall Clean Room with theMolecular Imprints Imprio 100 Step and Flash Nano Imprint Lithography System, one of only two in the world foundin a university research lab. This technology enables rapid replication of nanostructures on a wafer scale that can leadto smaller and faster computers, improvements to HDTV, and highly efficient long lasting light sources.12The Center for Optoelectronics & Optical Communications is in its fifth year of existence and continuesto experience steady growth measured in faculty, students, state-of-the-art lab equipment, and fundedresearch. The Optical Science and Engineering Program averages six to eight new Ph.D. and masters studentseach year; in the last year, three doctoral students graduated and are now employed by Intel Corporation,Mitutoyo Corporation, and ASML. In August 2006, the Center hired its first Associate Director, Dr. EricJohnson, from The Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL) at the University ofCentral Florida.The Center continues to build on its strength in the design and development of new optoelectroniccomponents, devices and sub-assemblies, with applications in telecommunications, sensors, and imaging.One active research project with UNC Chapel Hill funded through the U. S. Department of Energyleverages the Center’s expertise in imaging algorithms and technology for the development of newbiomedical imaging modalities. Center faculty have been working with sensor and imaging technologiesfor use in defense applications through the ongoing five-year collaborative research agreement withthe Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Maryland. This research lends itself to the development ofbiomedical imaging capabilities with higher resolution and functional specificity such as tags/markers. Italso impacts methods for improved interpretation of ultrasound data that would make it easier to detecttumors and plaque.The UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine led initiative entitled Biomedical Research in Imaging Center(BRIC) supports several Center faculty conducting research in single molecule imaging, coherencetomography, X-ray interferometry, and super resolution imaging. These projects support BRIC’s vision tocreate the most comprehensive virtual core laboratory in the Southeast for biomedical imaging.

The Center for Optoelectronics continues to expand its core lab facilities, having invested in 98 capitalequipment purchases over the last four years. These include four new STS etching machines, e-beamlithography capability and a nanoimprint system. A considerable amount of equipment was brought to theCenter by Dr. Johnson, including a GCA stepper. These new capabilities will enable the design, fabricationand testing of complex micro- and nano-optical components and devices, (i.e. integrated photonic devicesthat incorporate both active and passive components and will provide enabling technologies for a widerange of applications). The Center’s lab facilities offer unique research capabilities to industry partners as aresult of the distinct combination of new fabrication and inspection machines all in one location.One of the beneficiary Center partners ofthis equipment is the Carolinas MicroOpticsTriangle (CMOT), a five-year-old multiinstitutionalresearch partnership betweenUNC Charlotte, Clemson University andWestern Carolina University. CMOT holds acollective vision to be a full-service research,educational and business development resourceto the optics industry. CMOT’s businessdevelopment efforts this past year have resultedin a new industry affiliation with US Conec, amanufacturer of fiber optic connectors.r e s e a r c h s t r e n g t h s• Active and Passive Photonic Devices• Integrated Optics and Packaging• Fabrication of Engineered Optical Materials• Optical Metrology• Optical Imaging• Optical Communications NetworksThe Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications has taken an active role in economicdevelopment activities, supporting the development of the optics industry in the Carolinas. UNC Charlotteis part of the Carolinas Photonics Consortium (CPC)—formerly NC Photonics Consortium—an interstatenetwork involving Duke University, NC State, and CMOT to proactively support the development ofthe optics industry in the Carolinas. CPC is designed to support tech transfer initiatives from universitylabs into the marketplace as well as the growth of aphotonics industry cluster in the Carolinas.Dr. Eric Johnson (Assoc Dir) and doctoral studentsZachary Roth, Kaia Buhl, Yigit Yilmaz and AaronCannistra work with the GCA Stepper, an imageprojection lithography tool that enables cost-effectivefabrication of optical components for high volumeapplications of photonics and optics.The Center for Optoelectronics hosted the regionalOptics in the Southeast (OISE) and the internationalHigh Capacity Optical Networks and EnablingTechnologies (HONET) conferences in September2006, as well as a Nanoimprint Technologiessymposium in summer 2006. Associate DirectorDr. Eric Johnson was named to a three-year termon the Board of Directors for SPIE (InternationalSociety advancing an interdisciplinary approach tothe science and application of light). Center facultymember Dr. Tom Suleski was elected a new Fellow ofSPIE and center director Dr. Michael Fiddy continuesto serve on SPIE’s Education, Science and TechnologyPolicy Committee.Visit: http://opticscenter.uncc.edu13Research Highlights 2006-2007

College of Computing and Informaticsebusiness technology institute and charlotte viscenter:excellence in data protection and grid computingDr. Bill Ribarsky, (Bank of America Endowed Chair in Information Technology and Director of the Charlotte VisCenter) and Dr.Jing Yang (Computer Science) work with LensRiver, a visualization tool developed by Dr. Jiangping Fan (Comptuer Science)that represents the real time chronological evolution of major news stories, enabling users to access news topics at any givenpoint in the LensRiver.14In the age of supercomputers, the field of information technology continues to transform itself as computersand software programs make powerful leaps in the ability to process and analyze data. UNC Charlotte’scapabilities are growing and evolving in parallel, creating a place for UNC Charlotte as an emerging forcein this field. In response, UNC Charlotte’s College of Information Technology recently renamed itself theCollege of Computing and Informatics.The College of Computing and Informatics is home to leading research centers and institutes, includingthe Bioinformatics Research Center, the Charlotte Visualization Center (VisCenter), the Diversity inInformation Technology Institute, the Information Security and Assurance Center, the eBusinessTechnology Institute (eBTI), and the Software Solutions Lab.The eBusiness Technology Institute focuses on improving information privacy and security technologyfor web-based banking business, intelligent data systems and visual presentation for Charlotte-basedBank of America and Wachovia. This past year, eBTI welcomed TIAA-CREF as a new business affiliate forsecurity solutions research. eBTI hosted over 300 dignitaries in October 2006 at the 7th annual ComputerSecurity Symposium.The Charlotte Visualization Center, one of the largest visualization and visual analytics programs in thecountry, celebrated its grand opening in May 2006 with a national symposium on the future of visualization.One of five Regional Visualization and Analytics Centers (RVAC) in the country, the VisCenter is developingan extensive 3D Virtual Charlotte for Mecklenburg County. The VisCenter is collaborating with UNCAsheville on an EPA-funded VisualGrid project that uses grid computing to address air quality in Westernand Central North Carolina. The project will examine how decisions, including power plant placement andpopulation growth control, affect economic development and quality of life.

Grid computing is a technology that uses numerous networked computers spread across different locationsto work together on large, complex computational problems. This technology uses interactive visualizationas the “common picture” binding models, economic studies, exploratory analyses, and knowledge creationand involving multiple interacting 3D time-dependent fields.Phase I of the VisualGrid is nearing completion with the grid infrastructure in place, the basic networkcommunity formed, and initial visual analysis and environmental impact tools operating. During PhaseII, the operating environment will be greatly expanded with much more detailed simulations and analyses.When complete, the VisGrid will provide a set of capabilities available nowhere else that will be accessible tolocal, state, and regional governments.Center for Information Security and Assurance: Developing Technologies for a Safer TomorrowAs the world becomes increasingly dependent on cyberspace to accomplish everyday commerce, the threatof identity theft looms accordingly. UNC Charlotte’s Honeynet lab, funded by the financial servicesindustry, is designed to provide students with the opportunity to observe hackers in action so theycan identify and understand hacker behavior patterns. Faculty and students are partnering with the U.S.Secret Service, the local F.B.I. and the global Honeynet Research Alliance in attracting hackers and identitythieves to their “honey pot” so thatthey can learn how to protect financialservices consumers from identity theft.Dr. Gail-Joon Ahn (Software & Information Systems), middle, andPhD students Wenjuan Xu and Napoleon Paxton (NASA Harriet G.Jenkins Fellow) discuss network security and forensics involved infuture home network environments in the Woodward Hall FutureHome Network Testbed.The Center for Information Securityand Assurance continues to successfullyplace its graduates in promising careersin academic institutions and industry.Last year, a Ph.D. graduate won ateaching job at New Mexico Tech, afour-year, Ph.D. granting institution.Other recent graduates have beguncareers at Microsoft, IBM, or their ownstart-up companies.Other highlights for the College ofComputing and Informatics (CCI)include a 2006 Charlotte Business JournalDiversity in Business Award for Dr.Teresa Dahlberg (Computer Science),Director of the Diversity in TechnologyInstitute. Dr. Aidong Lu (Computer Science) received an Early Career Investigator award from the U.S.Department of Energy. Also in 2006, Ph.D. student Napoleon Paxton was one of twenty applicants out of athousand to win a coveted NASA Harriet G. Jenkins Fellowship award for post-graduate study in technologyfor three years. CCI hosted the Southeastern Regional Cyber Defense Competition and the IEEE VirtualReality Conference in March 2007.Visit: www.cci.uncc.edu/coit_new/site/index.cfm.15Research Highlights 2006-2007

Bioinformatics Research Centerrevolutionizing the speed of biomedical discoveryBioinformatics is at the forefront of a new era in biomedical research characterized by unprecedented speedand depth of discovery. Computational technologies involved in bioinformatics research enable processingof massive quantities of biological data that can result in comprehensive and definitive outcomes. UNCCharlotte’s Department of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Research Center (BRC) is developing intoone of the largest Bioinformatics programs in the country with plans to hire 25 faculty. Located in theCameron Applied Research Center, the Bioinformatics department is now comprised of seven facultymembers, eight Ph.D. students and six post-doctoral students doing research in bioinformatics andcomputational biology. The Professional Science Masters degree (PSM) program in bioinformatics, whichlaunched in fall 2007, is designed to prepare life science students with quantitative and computational skillsfor jobs in the biotech sector.The Bioinformatics Research Center (BRC) will soon be located on the North Carolina Research Campus(NCRC) at Kannapolis, where it will operate the super computer cluster and bioinformatics facilities oncampus. BRC will assist biotech companies and academic researchers with design work and intellectualproperty for diagnostics requiring computational approaches in developing new technologies.In April 2007, the BRC hosted NCRC partners and others at an international conference at UNC Charlotte.The conference focused on NCRC research agenda, specifically the role of metabolomics and nutrigenomicsin creating healthier foods and healthier living.During the past year, Dr. Cynthia Gibas was awarded an Institutional Development Award from the NorthCarolina Biotechnology Center to establish a microarray fabrication and analysis core facility that can beDr. Dennis Livesay (Bioinformatics) discusses results of their protein functional site prediction algorithms with doctoralstudent Luis Carlos (seated) and post-doctoral research associate, Dr. Dukka Bahadur.16

L Dr. Jennifer Weller (Bioinformatics), Dr. Zari Bahrani-Mostafavi (Carolinas Medical Center (CMC)-Cannon Research Center)and doctoral student Timothy Tickle in CMC’s molecular core lab study the genomic contribution to colorectal and ovariancancer tumors, using Affymetrix GeneChip equipment provided by funds from the N.C. Biotechnology Center. R This figureof a molecule shows a functional site prediction method used by Dr. Livesay for his protein flexibility research to indicatewhich portions of the protein are flexibly (red) and rigidly (blue) correlated to the residue shown in white. Green indicatesno correlation.used to measure gene expression in an entire human genome. Dr. Gibas, who is in her second year ofNational Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to study microarray design, published a related paper based oninitial results with colleague Dr. Anthony Fodor and a graduate student in the journal, Computational Biology andChemistry. Dr. Fodor is working on developing microarray technology to assess water pollution.This past fall, Dr. Dennis Livesay of the University of California State Polytechnic – Pomona andDr. Zhengchang Su of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory joined the bioinformatics faculty. Dr.Livesay has an NIH grant to study protein backbone flexibility. The Livesay lab, in collaboration withDr. Don Jacobs (Physics and Optical Science), is funded by the NIH to investigate the relationshipsbetween protein mechanical flexibility and thermodynamic stability. This information is criticalin properly understanding protein evolution: particular motions are critically related to function,while thermodynamics dictate whether or not the protein will fold into its proper shape. Whenthis delicate balance between stability and flexibility is lost, proteins cease to function properly and willdenature (unfold). As a result, misfolding can ensue (which is frequently associated with disease states).This year, Dr. Livesay has had two papers published in the journals, Bioinformatics and Nucleic Acids Research,and two papers presented at two IEEE Symposium conferences on bioinformatics. He was also appointededitor for the Biomacromolecules Section of Chemistry Central Journal and was invited to co-author a textbookchapter in Bioinformatics for Systems Biology from Humana Press. Dr. Su is working on developing a computerprogram that scans all known genomic data for bioenzymes – the program could be useful in finding aneconomical, single-step process for producing biofuels.New faculty members hired this spring are Dr. Jun Tao Guo of University of Georgia, whose researchinterests are in the broad area of structural genomics, and Dr. Jennifer Weller of George Mason University,whose research interests include the genomics of individual variation in disease response and integration ofdata across multi-platform microarray experiments.17Research Highlights 2006-2007Visit: www.coit.uncc.edu/bioinformatics/site/

Center for Biomedical Engineering Systemspreparing for the new healthcare economyDr. Robin Coger, Director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering Systems in her lab.18The Center for Biomedical Engineering Systems (CBES) comprises research in four focus areas designedto improve healthcare and lower medical costs: 1) biomedical support systems (e.g., development oftissue equivalents; tissue and organ storage); 2) biomedical modeling, imaging, and processing (e.g.,protein modeling; simulation of living systems); 3) biomechanics and mobility research (e.g., designingorthopaedic materials and clinical instruments); and 4) biomedical instrumentation (e.g., engineeringnovel diagnostic devices).“Advances in these areas are being made at the intersection of traditional fields,” said Dr. Robin Coger,director of the Center. “Part of the CBES mission includes promoting effective interdisciplinary teamsto help our researchers solve biomedical problems too complex for an individual researcher to tackle onhis or her own.”In Biomedical Modeling, Imaging, and Processing, CBES researchers are making advances in a numberof areas, including modeling processes experienced by living systems. An existing challenge in simulatingliving systems involves finding an accurate and efficient way to account for the electrostatic interactions inaqueous solutions. Electrostatic interactions play an indispensable role in molecular and cellular processes.These interactions include signal transmission within the nervous system; transport of electrical chargesacross the various cells of the body; and stability and function of the building blocks of DNA, RNA andproteins. Related to the latter application, and critically important to cell function, is the collectiveelectrostatic behavior of ions, molecules, and macromolecules when crowded together in the H2O-

dominant interior of a living cell. Funded by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) andNational Institutes of Health (NIH), these types of electrostatic interactions are being computationallymodeled by a CBES team consisting of Drs. Wei Cai and Shaozhong Deng (Mathematics and Statistics)and Drs. Andrij Baumketner and Donald Jacobs (Physics and Optical Science). The team’s work willresult in novel numerical methods that quickly and accurately calculate these electrostatic interactionsfor a range of biomolecular simulations. Because electrostatic interactions of this type can directly influencethe performance of the proteins used in drug formulations, this research has the potential to impactbiomedical applications such as pharmaceutical design.An example of the research being done within the Center’s Biomechanics & Mobility area involves CBESresearcher Dr. Mitch Cordova, Chair of the Department of Kinesiology in the College of Health and HumanServices at UNC Charlotte. By partnering with Dr. Rick Peindl, and David Mauerhan of the Department ofOrthopaedic Surgery, and Drs. Flora Hammond and Mark Hirsch, (Director) of Orthopaedic EngineeringResearch in the Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at CMC,this team is seeking to gain a better understanding of how degenerative joint disease of the knee influencesthe three sensory systems (i.e., visual, vestibular and somatosensory) that regulate and maintain posturalcontrol. This work essentially aims to: 1) establish the extent to which osteoarthritis negatively affects theknee joint’s contribution to a person’s ability to stand upright, and 2) establish if visual and vestibularfunction increases to control posture in an attempt to adjust for the knee joint’s reduced ability to do so. Amajor goal of this research is to develop quantitative tests that can be used not only for patient evaluation,but also to assess outcomes for a wide range of medical interventions in the lower extremity of the humanbody. As such, the research – which involves faculty, residents and graduate students — has the potential todirectly impact patient care.CBES is one illustration of UNCCharlotte’s commitment to 1)improving the quality of healthcarethrough biomedical research, and2) preparing a workforce to meetthe future healthcare needs of ournation, and thereby contributing toeconomic development.Drs. Chris Yengo (Biology) and Donald Jacobs (Physics & Optical Science) arecollaborating to examine conformational changes in the motor protein myosinthat drives the process of muscle contraction. Fluorescence spectroscopic measurements(CY) are used to examine structural transitions in myosin, which areintegrated with computational modeling to simulate motions (DJ). This researchwill further understanding of genetic diseases that disrupt myosin function, suchas Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy involving thickening of the heart wallsof the left ventricle.19U.S. Department of Labor statisticsproject massive job growth(31.4 percent through 2010) inbiomedical engineering in responseto an aging U.S. population.Typical career paths for biomedicalengineering graduates include workin medical device corporations,manufacturing, and academia.Visit www.CBES.uncc.edu.Research Highlights 2006-2007

Life Science Researcha world of possibilityDr. Inna Sokolova (Biology), one of UNC Charlotte’s four environmental biology researchers, is an oyster specialistresearching the effects of global warming on the environment using the oyster as a model. Results of her research showpromise in developing measures to preserve East Coast oyster populations as well as improve water quality standards.20The present era simultaneously presents great challenge and great promise for humanity in the arena oflife sciences. Overcoming the harmful effects of humankind on the environment will be one of the greatestchallenges of our lifetime — discovering more effective treatments and cures for diseases such as cancerand multiple sclerosis will be one of the great promises of our age. UNC Charlotte is committed to thegrowth of life science research. In the last five years, the university has invested over $100 million infaculty, lab equipment and new buildings. Research areas include the Department of Biology (College ofArts and Sciences), the Center for Biomedical Engineering (College of Engineering), the Department ofBioinformatics and Bioinformatics Research Center (College of Computing and Informatics), and HealthServices (College of Health and Human Services).The Department of Biology has strengths in environmental and biomedical research. With 1100undergraduate majors, 32 master’s students, 21 Ph.D. students, several post-doctoral students and 32 fulltimefaculty members, the department continues to experience significant growth both in number andresearch funding.Ecotoxicology: Saving the East Coast Oyster PopulationUNC Charlotte’s environmental biologists, Drs. Inna Sokolova, Amy Ringwood, Alexey Sukhotin and MattParrow are working with aquatic creatures to study their welfare in the environment as a measure of theeffects of global warming and pollution on the environment. Dr. Sokolova (an oyster specialist) has NationalScience Foundation (NSF) funding to research the combined impact of temperature and water pollution on

oyster populations. In her recent publication in the Journal of Experimental Biology (Winter 2007), Dr. Sokolovadiscusses how warmer water temperatures (resulting from global warming) have been found to magnify theeffects of toxins such as cadmium on oysters. Early outcomes of this research include nine papers with datathat could be used to predict the effects of global warming on marine life as well as affect tougher standardsfor water pollution levels. In a collaborative project with Dr. Monty Hughes (Cell Biology), Dr. Sokolovais funded by a North Carolina Sea Grant to learn how Dermo (a deadly oyster disease caused by a parasite)gets into East coast oysters and overcomes their immune systems. Specifically, the biologists are studying themechanism of apoptosis (cell death) and the effects of environmental stressors (such as temperature andheavy metals) on oyster immunity. The overall goal of the study is the development of preventive measures.BioTrackers: Bacteria DetectiveIn a different perspective of environmental biology, geneticist Dr. Todd Steck and his start-up company,BioTrackers, are focused on finding more effective ways to keep public water sources free of bacteria andother harmful agents by developing a genetically modified organism (GMO) that will shadow the bacteria.The GMO will behave exactly like the bacteria, allowing Dr. Steck to observe how the bacteria survive andmove. Success in this project will provide information needed to create biocidal agents to kill bacteria aswell as a more effective way to track the bacteria to its source in our water supplies (i.e., leaks in sewer linesinfecting our water sources).Biomedical Research: UnderstandingLiver FibrosisHow do we prevent liver fibrosis (scar tissueforms—recovery is possible) from progressingto cirrhosis (scar tissue replaces healthy tissueand prevents liver from functioning normally—non-recoverable damage)? Drs. Jian Zhang andLaura Schrum are exploring the answer to thisquestion from different angles. Dr. Zhang hasNational Institutes of Health (NIH) funding toexamine the role of the enzyme ThromboxinA2, a vasoconstrictor (blood vessel constrictor),in early stage portal hypertension (potentiallyfatal high blood pressure). The goal is to finda way to reverse the process so that the liver isstill recoverable. Dr. Laura Schrum has NIHfunding to look at hepatic stellate cells (cell typesinvolved in liver fibrosis) to determine how toinhibit the activation of collagen productionthat occurs with liver fibrosis. When the liveris injured due to hepatotoxic factors such asalcohol, hepatic stellate cells synthesize collagenas a repair mechanism; however, excessive anduncontrolled accumulation of collagen can leadto liver dysfunction and ultimately liver cirrhosis,which can be fatal. Discovering how this functionworks could lead to the prevention of cirrhosisand save the lives of liver patients.Dr. Laura Schrum (Biology) and PhD student Cathy Moore lookingat protein expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSC) using immunocytochemistryto understand contractile properties of HSC fortreatment of portal hypertension in liver fibrosis.21Research Highlights 2006-2007

Life Science ResearchcontinuedL Dr. Ian Marriott (Biology) works with students in his lab to research the role of brain immune cells in brain inflammationdiseases. Results of this research could lead to effective new treatments for brain inflammation diseases. R IrwinBelk Endowed Chair for Health Services Research Dr. Jim Studnicki and Dr. John Fisher (Health Services) are evolvingone of the most effective interdisciplinary health services research programs in the country.Exploring the Role of Brain Immune Cells in Brain Inflammation DiseasesMicroglia are the central nervous system’s (CNS) principle immune cells. They play a key role againstinvading pathogens, and unfortunately, may also serve a far more sinister function: amplifying the effects ofinflammation, leading to damage of the CNS (typical of chronic conditions such as cerebral malaria, HIVinfection of the nervous system, and multiple sclerosis). With funding from an NIH grant, immunologistDr. Ian Marriott is investigating the effect of the neuropeptide, substance P, on inflammatory function inmicroglia. Understanding this relationship could effect development of effective new treatments for braininflammation diseases.22College of Health and Human ServicesThe College of Health and Human Services has established active research programs in areas that includekinesiology, exercise genomics and health services research. The college offers the state’s only Ph.D. programin health services research and, in December, moved into its new 161,000-square-foot building.Health Services Research: Ensuring a Healthy PopulationDr. James Studnicki, the new Irwin Belk Endowed Chair in Health Services Research, and Dr. John Fisher(Health Services) are nationally known for their use of data warehousing and mining to: 1) examine healthcare practices, and 2) identify focuses for service modification and improvements in patient and populationoutcomes. Building on the software development, knowledge discovery and visual analytics research strengthsof the College of Computing and Informatics, Drs. Studnick and Fisher are evolving one of the most uniqueinterdisciplinary applied health services and outcomes research programs in the country. The goal of theprograms is to inform future medical care and upgrade public health policy.In a collaborative effort with the Charlotte VisCenter, Drs. Studnicki and Fisher were recently awarded fundingfrom the State of North Carolina and the K.B. Reynolds Foundation to develop a permanent infrastructurethat will serve as the state community health assessment portal for all 100 counties in the State of NorthCarolina. Outcomes from this project will enable State and local officials to: effectively assess health status;manage health resources more effectively; and shape State policy for public health needs based on hard data.Visit: www.bioweb.uncc.edu and www.health.uncc.edu

Building a Translational Research Programconverting research into higher standards of careA new interdisciplinary focus for 2006-2007 is translational research. Plans are underway for the developmentof a Center for Translational Research that will leverage the Charlotte region’s clinical strength in the twomajor healthcare systems and large clinical practices, its substantial patient base, and basic science researchcapabilities at UNC Charlotte. The initiative will facilitate research between Charlotte clinicians and Universityfaculty and focus on the development and commercialization of novel treatments and therapies designed tohelp raise the standard of healthcare in the Charlotte region. The initiative will involve UNC Charlotte facultyfrom the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Computing and Informatics, Engineering and Health andHuman Services. By leveraging the clinical capabilities of Carolinas Medical Center (CMC), and PresbyterianHospital, UNC Charlotte will build the foundation for translational research in the Charlotte community.Staphylococcus aureus and Bone InfectionThe bacterium Staphylococcus aureus causes greater than eighty percent of human bone infections.Biology Department Chair, Dr. Michael Hudson, was the first to establish (1995) that S. aureus entershuman osteoblasts (cells involved in bone formation) and survives inside them for long periods of time asa pathogen. Dr. Hudson is focused on finding effective ways to kill S. aureus in osteoblasts to prevent boneinfection from reoccurring following initial therapy. One approach involves the use of nanomachines fordrug delivery. Funded by the Winkler Foundation in collaboration with Dr. Ken Gonsalves (DistinguishedProfessor of Chemistry), Dr. James Horton (Chief of Infectious Diseases at CMC), Dr. Michael Bosse(Director of Orthopaedic Surgery Research at CMC), and Dr. Kent Ellington (Orthopaedic SurgeryResident at CMC; Adjunct Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte), Dr. Hudson is researching the use ofnanospheres impregnated with antibiotics to deliver the drugs inside S. aureus-infected osteoblasts.Oligonucleotide Therapy and Muscular DystrophyAntisense oligonucleotide therapy is developing as a promising avenue for the treatment of geneticdiseases such as muscular dystrophy. One of the major hurdles in this treatment protocol is delivering thetherapeutic oligonucleotides to cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue. With a grant from the N.C. BiotechnologyCenter, Dr. Chris Yengo (Biology) and Dr. Ken Gonsalves (Chemistry) are collaborating with Dr. QiLu (Dir. of Research, CMC’s Carolinas Neuromuscular/ALS Center) to develop new nanostructuredpolymeric gene delivery vehicles foroligonucleotide therapy. While thegroup has successfully demonstratedenhanced delivery of oligonucleotidesto dystrophic muscle using commerciallyavailable pluronic polymers, they arepresently developing new polymersdesigned to improve the oligonucleotidebinding affinity with DNA to enhancethe efficiency of delivery. Successfulresults of this research could result in asignificant new treatment for musculardystrophy. Results of the research todate have been published as proceedingsfrom a recent MRS Symposium (2007):“Development of Polymeric Micro/Nanostructures for Gene Delivery.”Dr. Michael Hudson (Chair, Biology Dept.) and master’s student JessicaDennis add growth medium to a tube in which Staph aureus will be grownfor research on the role of Staph aureus-induced nitric oxide synthesis in thepathology of human bone disease.23Research Highlights 2006-2007Visit: www.bioweb.uncc.edu

Cancer Researchthe inception of a new ageThe potential has never been greater for finding more effective treatments and even cures for cancerand other diseases. In the last 10 years, thanks to advances in human genome mapping, imaging technologyand the study of proteins at work in the cell, biomedical research has seen historic advances. Becauseof this, biomedical discovery over the next two decades is projected to occur at a revolutionary pace,surpassing the last decade’s rate of progress and moving in a new direction of personalized versus standardcancer treatment.As a young and dynamic research institution, UNC Charlotte is positioned well to grow nimbly andintentionally in this new direction. UNC Charlotte’s research programs have a problem-orientedinterdisciplinary focus. Building on its strengths in bioinformatics and cancer research, the University ispoised to make a significant impact on the development of individual versus population-based cancer care.24L Dr. Christine Richardson (Biology), Research Associate Fatemah Masrorpour, and master’s student Greg Benedetto, aredeveloping genetically engineered cell lines in mice that will be used to screen multiple environmental and dietary toxins inpromoting pre-cancerous genetic alterations associated with leukemia and lymphoma. R Image of brain cancer.UNC Charlotte’s Cancer Biology GroupDrs. Christine Richardson, Iain McKillop, Didier Dreau, Mark Clemens, and Ken Bost are engaged infunded cancer research endeavors focused on cancer genetics, liver cancer and multi-organ metastaticcancer. This past year, Dr. Julie Goodliffe, formerly a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University, joinedthe cancer faculty, bringing research interests in molecular genetics and cancer genomics. Dr. Goodliffe isstudying the complex biology of tumor formation by examining the molecular role of the Myc protein in cellgrowth and cancer initiation. Myc is required for growth through adulthood, but once adulthood is reached,excessive Myc protein induces tumor formation. By examining the genome-wide control of Myc activity, Dr.Goodliffe and her students hope to understand the normal developmental mechanisms that prevent tumorformation in the rapid growth stages of life.

Motorsports and Automotive Research Centerfueling rapid growth and economic developmentThe North Carolina Motorsports and Automotive Research Center (NCMARC) continues to grow in sizeand popularity, feeding the $6 billion NC motorsports industry and surrounding automotive industries.To date, the program has over fifty alumni on NASCAR NEXTEL Cup or Busch Teams, and the numberis growing. To meet the growing demands of both students and the community, the program has added afull-time laboratory manager and an office manager, and is currently interviewing to hire two new facultymembers. The additions last year of Drs. Hongbing Fang and Kingshuk Bose to the list of participating facultybrought extensive experience in modeling and simulation of vehicles, thus enabling research such as tireanalysis and crash simulation. This type of research not only has application in the protection of NASCARdrivers but also in the consumer automotive industry, offering potential new safegaurds for average drivers.While Center activities continue to support the undergraduate program, building the research program alsoremains a high priority. The faculty members involved with the NCMARC have a history of funded researchin areas such as vehicle weight reduction for better fuel economy; optimization of automotive manufacturingtechniques; crash simulation for major automotive manufacturers; and research in automotive metrology forsuppliers. Just this year, the program was recognized by the North Carolina Motorsports Association, whoawarded the NCMARC the North Carolina Motorsports Industry Education Award for a Four Year Program.The Center continues to act as a valued resource for local economic developers — including Duke Energyand Charlotte Regional Partnership — in attracting automotive manufacturers and suppliers to the region.This effort is aided by the Center’s close association with other programs including the Center for PrecisionMetrology, the Center for Optoelectronics and Optical Communications, and the new Sports Marketingand Management program in the Belk College of Business. These and other partnerships demonstrate themulti-disciplinary nature of the industry and confirm the program’s ability to meet a variety of needs.For more information, please visit www.MotorsportsU.com.As part of their training, senior motorsports engineering majors, Dusty Boyd (Team Leader for Baja SAE) and Chris Baldwin(Baja SAE Team Member) are setting the rear ride height of the suspension on a Baja car designed and built by their team forBaja SAE competitions.27Research Highlights 2006-2007

Nanoscale Scienceseeing the world from a molecular perspectiveNanotechnology is a field of applied science and technology that involves work with materials on a scalesmaller than 1 micron (normally 1 to 100 nanometers). As the highest priority-funded science and technologyeffort since the space race, nanoscale science offers great potential for applications in materials, medicine,optics, electronics, data storage, advanced manufacturing, environment, energy, and national security.As an interdisciplinary field that involves chemistry, biology, physics, mechanical engineering, and electricaland computer engineering, nanotechnology can be understood as an extension of existing science andengineering disciplines into the nanoscale area. At UNC Charlotte, nanotechnology interweaves thesedisciplines and includes the Centers for Precision Metrology, Optoelectronics, Biomedical EngineeringSystems, and Bioinformatics. UNC Charlotte’s new Ph.D. program in Nanoscale Science began in fall 2007with ten doctoral students enrolled and over forty faculty members from across campus participating.L Dr. Sherine Obare (Chemistry) assists undergraduate research assistant Kaitlyn Crawford in preparing a sample for analysisusing the scanning tunneling microscope for a nanocatalysis project, in which she is developing new catalysts for biomassconversion. R Luminescent colloidal silica grown in Dr. Tom Schmedake’s (Chemistry) lab (see below for a description).28The nanoscale science program continues to grow in both student enrollment and faculty recruitment. Dr.Sherine Obare joined the chemistry faculty this year, bringing an established research program and graduatestudents with her from Western Michigan University. A National Science Foundation Early CAREER awardrecipient, Dr. Obare focuses her nanoscale science research on the design of materials for solar energyconversion, environmental remediation, catalysts for biomass conversion, and sensors for biological andenvironmental applications. Dr. Obare is developing nanoscale materials that can store solar energy and usethe energy as needed for applications such as the splitting of water into hydrogen, which is considered to beone of the cleanest alternative energy sources. In addition, Obare has been successful in developing materialsthat selectively detect various pesticides in the environment: the aim is to develop straightforward methodsof detecting and destroying such contaminants from the environment.Through its Duke Energy Post-doctoral Research Program, the Charlotte Research Institute is providingsupport for several postdoctoral fellows who work in the area of nanotechnology. Dr. Thomas Schmedake(Chemistry) and students have recently developed a simple, one-step process to generate monodisperseluminescent colloidal silica. The process is significantly cheaper than existing techniques, potentiallyless toxic, and more easily scalable to industrial scales. Colloidal silica is important in chemical sensing,bio-analytical assays, and blood flow monitoring. An early product of this research is a paper, “A NovelApproach to Monodisperse, Luminescent Silica Spheres,” published by Dr. Schmedake and graduate studentAdam Jakob in Chemistry of Materials (2006, 18, 3173), the top materials chemistry journal in the world. Dr.Schmedake’s paper was one of the journal’s most highly accessed publications in 2006.Visit: http://nanoscalescience.uncc.edu

Building an Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC)preparing for the future in energy supplyThere is little doubt that the supply of national and global energy must rise dramatically during the nextdecade to meet the growing needs of an expanding economy. The fact is, energy supply is directly tiedto economic growth: without an adequate supply of energy, there can be no sustained economic growth.Adding to the current energy crisis is our nation’s aging power infrastructure in need of major upgrades.Charlotte sits prominently within oneof the fastest growing energy marketsin the world — the Southeastern U.S.The need for energy engineers in thisregion and the Southeast has neverbeen more critical. UNC Charlotteand the Charlotte region are poised tobe significant R&D leaders in energyproduction and delivery.Engineering education as well asresearch in energy production andinfrastructure are critical componentsin the creation of sustainable supportfor the energy industry.t h e c a s e f o r e p i c:• The U.S. faces energy supply shortfalls and agingpower infrastructures• Energy engineers are in short supply• The Southeast will be one of the fastest growingenergy markets• Charlotte is an energy industry hub (Duke Energy,Areva, EPRI, Shaw Group, Parsons & othersupporting construction industries)• Engineering education and research is one ofUNC Charlotte’s strengthsAn opportunity in energy educationand research is emerging with thepotential to significantly impact future energy production and delivery needs in the Charlotte region andbeyond. UNC Charlotte, in collaboration with some of Charlotte’s major energy industries, is developingan Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC) to help meet these needs.EPIC will leverage UNC Charlotte’s engineering research and education capabilities and Charlotte’s positionas an energy industry hub. Two of the major industrial sectors in the Charlotte region are the power andconstruction industries, both of which play central roles in the energy enterprise. Charlotte is home to DukeEnergy, AREVA, EPRI, Parsons, the Shaw Group and numerous construction companies. UNC Charlotte’sLee College of Engineering, one of the fastest-growing colleges within the university, is the Charlotteregion’s engineering research muscle andthe leading engineering workforce supplier.“Energy production is an issue of criticalnational importance, and UNC Charlotte andthe Charlotte region is poised to be a major leaderin energy production and delivery.”- Dr. Robert Johnson,Dean, William States Lee College of EngineeringEPIC will involve the college’s Departmentsof Electrical and Computer Engineeringand Civil and Environmental Engineering.Planning is underway for the EPIC researchbuilding on the CRI campus, and fundingfor the design work has been received fromthe State of North Carolina.Visit: http://www.coe.uncc.edu/index.php29Research Highlights 2006-2007

UNC Charlotte Start-Ups 2001-2007fostering entrepreneurialismFY 2001:Waveguide SolutionsLight-based devices for telecom and solidstatelightingMindvalveBusiness intelligence company focused onpredictive analyticsOpSourceUlta-high precision machining companyfocused on aerospace, automotive andrelated industriesAlbany InstrumentsGiant magneto-resistive (GMR) contactlessprobes and systems for buried crack detectionFY 2003:Horizon TechnologiesSelf-testing, self-healing semiconductor circuitsCalyptix SecurityAdvanced network security products companyMixSig LabsAdvanced telecom circuitsIntePointAdvanced, multi-platform, integratedintelligence analysis systemBiotrackersAdvanced environmental testing productsand servicesGolgi GroupBiotechnology multi-media education companyNanoresist TechnologiesNext generation photoresists for semiconductorindustry and biomedical applicationsDr. Mirsad Hadzikadic (Dean, College of Computing &Informatics), President and Co-Founder, Aretae Corporation30FY 2002:AnalyticaHealthcare IT services and software productsInsituTecPrecision motion control products and servicesMiller InsightSmall technology licensing firm in precisionmachining processes and methodologiesUS MetrologyPrecision metrology services andinformation firm

L Dr. Mark Clemens (Biology), Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer and Co-Founder, and Dr. Charles Lee(Engineering), Vice President of Research & Development and Co-Founder, HepatoSysR Ben Yarbrough, Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lawrence Teo, Vice President of Development and Co-Founder, andDr. Yuliang Zheng (Software & Information Systems), Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, Calyptix SecurityFY 2004:Dot Metrics TechnologiesQuantum dot-based LED products for militaryand commercial applicationsNoor TechnologiesAdvanced photonic products for thetelecommunications industryFY 2005:HepatoSysAdvanced biomedical products for liver organpreservation and transplantationFlexeleronPortable FPGS-based “supercomputers” forpoint-of-use data miningCivil InfrastructureTechnologiesBlast research, retrofit/hardening services andinfrastructure security-based productsFY 2006:SoyMedsSoy-based edible vaccines and toleragens foranimals and humansEnkidu CrystalAdvanced SiC technology for semiconductorsubstrates, epitaxial layers and relatedelectronic/photonic circuits/componentsAretae corporationSoftware solutions companyFY 2007:Precision WoodTurning ProductsManufactures novel tools for thewoodworking industry31Research Highlights 2006-2007

CRI Board of Directors & UNC Charlotte Board of TrusteesCharlotte Research Institute Board of DirectorsHarry ArnoldGoodrich CorporationRonnie BryantCharlotte Regional PartnershipNorman R. CohenUnitec, Inc.Kevin M. DrehmerCRI Board ChairTessera CorporationDigital OpticsHarvey B. GanttGantt Huberman ArchitectsDhiaa JamilDuke Energy CorporationMichael LebbyOptoelectronics IndustryDevelopment AssociationJoan F. LordenUNC CharlotteStephen R. MosierUNC CharlotteAnna Spangler NelsonThe Wakefield GroupRussell M. Robinson, IIRobinson, Bradshaw & HinsonPeter SidebottomWachovia CorporationG. Kennedy ThompsonWachovia CorporationRobert G. WilhelmUNC CharlotteUNC Charlotte Board of Trustees32James G. BabbBahakel CommunicationsRobert F. Hull, Jr.Lowe’s CompaniesBertram L. ScottTIAA-CREFRanjana B. ClarkWachovia CorporationNorman R. CohenUnitec, Inc.Jeffrey KaneFederal Reserve Bank of CharlotteKaren PoppSidley Austin LLPRuth G. ShawExecutive Advisor forDuke Energy CorporationGraham W. Denton, Jr.Dale F. HaltonEugene B. JohnsonFairpoint CommunicationsJoe L. Price, Jr.Bank of AmericaJustin B. RitchiePresident of the Student Body

charlotte research institute logoFeaturing Doric columns of ancient Greek architecture,the Charlotte Research Institute’s logo is emblematic ofthe strength and stability of an established institutioncommitted to its constituents. Further, the shadow ofthe columns in the image casts its influence forward,suggesting an arrow pointing toward the future.Charlotte Research Institute9201 University City Boulevard,Grigg Hall 258Charlotte, NC 28223-0001(704) 687-8284www.charlotteresearchinstitute.comThe University of North Carolina at Charlotte is committed toequality of educational opportunity and does not discriminate againstapplicants, students or employees based on race, color, national origin,religion, sex, age, sexual orientation or disability.Produced in December 2007 by the Charlotte Research Institute.1,500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of$7,576.95, or $5.06 per copy.

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