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Transformative Research 

$5 million investment in life-changing solutions 

Auburn University research teams are tackling local and global challenges ranging from housing affordability to advanced manufacturing of medical implants, thanks to a new $5 million investment in 11 groundbreaking projects designed to deliver practical, life-changing solutions.

“Auburn research is on the move,” said President Steven Leath. “Our world-renowned faculty are leading Auburn in our drive to solve problems, provide real-world benefits, and serve the social good.”

The announcement is part of an initiative funded through the Presidential Awards for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), that Leath created to propel Auburn to new levels of research and development distinction. The PAIR funding will span three years. Additional research topics include rural health disparities in poverty-stricken areas, treating the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease, neuroscience research and graduate education, reducing carbon dioxide emissions or using them for other means, and other critical areas of human and environmental health.

From 101 proposals received, 11 project teams will receive funding in areas that demonstrate Auburn’s commitment to delivering life-changing research. Projects that include COSAM researchers are:

Project: Reducing and reusing carbon dioxide emissions for useful means

The issue: Researchers seek to combat the dire environmental effects of carbon dioxide emissions through a plan to reduce such emissions and store or utilize them for other useful means.

The Auburn solution: Researchers will work toward the development of an Alabama CO₂ Utilization and Storage Center at Auburn, with a goal of establishing the university as a leader in carbon dioxide utilization and storage research focused on best ways to capture CO₂ emissions and convert them into helpful forms such as green fuels.

Project: Drugs from Dirt: Development and Characterization of Novel Antimicrobial Compounds

The issue: Because many disease-causing organisms are resistant to current drug therapies, Auburn scientists are pursuing new approaches to the development of antibiotics.

The Auburn solution: Researchers will test and develop new therapeutic strategies for treating infectious diseases, through the study of antibiotic-producing bacterial cultures they have discovered in soil. These are potentially life-saving antibiotics that could have application in human medicine, agriculture, and veterinary practice.

Project: Creating a Climate Information System to aid in planning for climate-related disasters

The issue: Researchers will create a climate service model that will help guide decision making in planning for climate-related disasters that can cause great economic and social damage.

The Auburn solution: A cross-disciplinary team of investigators will develop a science-based, Unified Climate Information System to better inform planning, policy, and practices at regional, national, and global scales. In addition to exploring emerging climate data, the research will seek to improve and integrate impact models for water quantity, water quality, crop growth and disease transmission simulations. The project also will include the creation of an interactive website platform, with all work being focused on the southeastern US and being easily adaptable to other locations worldwide.

For a full list of projects, visit auburn.edu/auburninspires.

Last Updated: 10/12/2018