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Research at Nebraska: January 2025 highlights

News for Researchers

Posted January 31, 2025 by Tiffany Lee

In case you missed these stories highlighting research and creative activity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the Office of Research and Innovation’s communications team has compiled a roundup of some top research stories from research.unl.edu and other sources. 

Ozan Ciftci in lab
Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing

Nebraska-based global center to drive bioeconomy solutions for future of food 

Who: Ozan Ciftci, Kenneth E. Morrison Distinguished Professor of food engineering, and associate professor of food science and technology and biological systems engineering 

What: Nebraska is leading an international research project aimed at transforming the future of food through sustainable, resilient solutions that diversify the food system. With funding from the National Science Foundation and international sources, Ciftci and collaborators from Southeast Community College, North Carolina A&T and international partners are forming the Global Center for Food Innovation and Diversification to Advance the Bioeconomy – FoodID for short – which will focus on developing alternative protein and lipid sources from purposefully designed plants and microorganisms. The project will also tackle the technological, environmental, nutritional and social challenges of incorporating more renewable resources in food systems, agricultural production and more. 

“The goal is to diversify our food system, which currently relies on a limited number of raw materials or resources,” Ciftci said. “The question is, how will we feed a growing global population in the face of climate change?”  

Writer: Dan Moser, Office of Research and Innovation  

Jiantao Guo and Janos Zempleni
Jiantao Guo (left) and Janos Zempleni. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing

Nebraska-based startup aims to improve human health through targeted drug delivery  

Who: Janos Zempleni, Willa Cather Professor of nutrition and health sciences; Jiantao Guo, professor of chemistry 

What: Zempleni and Guo have launched a startup company, Minovacca, aimed at commercializing the use of universal milk exosomes – natural nanoparticles contained in milk – to transport therapeutics, gene editing tools, plasmids and more to targeted locations in the human body. The researchers achieve this target-specific delivery by chemically and genetically engineering the exosomes, creating a flexible platform that could be used to treat common and rare diseases alike. The company’s launch culminates years of research at UNL and opens the door to job opportunities for Husker students in the pharmaceutical space. Minovacca is working to license the technology through NUtech Ventures, the university’s nonprofit commercialization affiliate. 

“Because our technology is so versatile, we are not limited to one particular rare disease. We can actually use this same technology to tailor to a large number of rare diseases,” Zempleni said. “Rare disease groups are so thankful that there is maybe a light at the end of the tunnel.”    

Writer: Tiffany Lee, Office of Research and Innovation 

Xiangmin Sun

Researcher striving to better measure greenhouse gases      

Who: Xiangmin Sun, research assistant professor and micrometeorologist in the School of Natural Resources 

What: Sun is conducting research at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center aimed at accurately measuring levels of methane and nitrous oxide in the environment. These two gases, along with carbon dioxide, are the primary greenhouse gases driving climate change. Agricultural operations produce both: cattle burps and manure produce methane, and nitrous oxide is a byproduct of nitrogen fertilizers. Sun is refining closed-path gas analyzers to enable accurate measurement of these gases, with the larger goal of developing farming practices that lower greenhouse gas emissions. 

“How to accurately measure the methane and the nitrous oxide is really important for us to develop a sustainable agricultural practice to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and also keep the yield of the food we can produce from the farmland,” Sun said.  

Writer: Ronica Stromberg, School of Natural Resources   

Adam Erickson adjusts the nitrogen-vacancy scanning probe in Abdelghani Laraoui's lab.
Adam Erickson, graduate student in engineering, works with his laser experiment in the Laraoui lab. Abdelghani Laraoui is working to find materials that would improve the performance of quantum computing. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing

Discovery could expand number of materials used in next-gen computing 

Who: Abdelghani Laraoui, assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering, and international collaborators 

What: Laraoui is part of an international research team that has demonstrated, for the first time, the imaging of magnetic skyrmions at room temperature in composition engineered magnetic materials. The team observed these tiny particles using a nitrogen-vacancy scanning probe in Laraoui’s lab at Nebraska. Previously, scientists could only observe these skyrmions in bulk chiral magnetic materials at very low temperatures. The ability to see them using less expensive materials and at room temperature opens the door to expansion of the materials used in next-generation, energy-efficient memory and logic devices. The research is summarized in the Oct. 28, 2024, edition of ACS Nano

“Being able to study them (skyrmions) at room temperature opens up a whole new world of applications and possibilities,” Laraoui said.    

Writer: Karl Vogel, College of Engineering 

Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing

Innovation Studio announces inaugural Robotics Fellows 

Who: Amlan Balabantaray, Brooke Bode, Teresa Monsees and Riley Reynolds, first class of fellows in the NIS Robotics Fellowship Program  

What: Nebraska Innovation Studio, the university’s makerspace, announced the program’s inaugural fellows, who will develop cutting-edge products in sustainable agriculture, language development and surgical robotics. The 20-week initiative, part of the Heartland Robotics Cluster, is designed to empower the next generation of innovators, builders and problem-solvers in Nebraska. Fellows receive free membership to the studio during their fellowship, expanded access to NIS tools and expertise, and a $2,500 stipend for supplies to build out their prototype. 

“I’ve been blown away by the response to this program — I think that’s emblematic of the progress Nebraska has made in becoming a hub for innovators, creators and builders,” said John Strope, program coordinator for NIS robotics. “This inaugural cohort showcases the incredible potential within Nebraska — a future where big ideas take root right here and have room to thrive.” 

Writer: Deann Gayman, University Communication and Marketing

Researcher working with students in classroom
Former Husker student Monica Meyer works with children at the Malone Center in Lincoln. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication and Marketing

Researchers building science confidence, capacity among rural early childhood educators 

Who: Soo-Young Hong, associate professor of child, youth and family studies and research affiliate at the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools 

What: Hong leads a three-year National Science Foundation-funded project aimed at giving early childhood educators in rural areas the tools and training necessary to teach science and engineering concepts to young children. Despite kindergarten-aged children knowing less about science than reading or math, research has shown that science is usually the smallest part of the preschool day. The science opportunity gap is more pronounced in rural areas because of limited educational resources and less emphasis on science education. Hong’s team will develop a practice-based professional development model that allows rural educators to communicate with each other and with researchers, and to use reflective practice to enrich science education. The model will be tested by 20 rural educators across Nebraska. 

“Early childhood educators know children love to ask questions and have all kinds of interests and curiosity about what they see and experience,” Hong said. “Educators want to support that learning, but they sometimes don’t believe they have the capacity to do that.” 

Writer: Chuck Green, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools  


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