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Research, scholarship, and creative activity at Oklahoma State University

Help for First Responders

INAUGRAL ISSUE

Research at Oklahoma State University

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Dear Friends:

I hope you enjoy this new format for communicating the research and creative activity at Oklahoma State University. Vanguard replaces the annual Research Report, which focused solely on sponsored research. Our goal is to have a readable and informative publication that highlights the multi-faceted endeavors of a talented faculty.

Quality faculty is the most important part of any research program. OSU is fortunate to have dedicated, highly productive scholars who collaborate in teams that transcend the boundaries of discipline, college, and university. They also conduct research jointly with personnel from government agencies and private companies. You will note a thread of col-laboration weaving through these pages.

As we continue our quest to be more competitive for federal funds, we must concentrate our resources in selected research areas, and we must have a critical mass of faculty, excel-lent facilities, state-of-the-art equipment, and a supportive infrastructure. One such area of focus is homeland security. Long before the tragic events of September 11, 2001, OSU faculty were engaged in sensor-related research to help ensure the safety of food, the environment, and first responders. Work in this area not only has continued, but has expanded. We feature a few of those research projects in this issue.

The 2002 Oklahoma Legislature passed legislation that will bring $19 million to OSU over the next four years for homeland security research. These funds will be used to renovate laboratories and purchase additional equipment necessary to enable our faculty to make significant contributions to homeland security, attract outside funding, and create high-technology companies and jobs for Oklahomans.

As a result of the passage of State Questions 680 and 681, OSU faculty are better positioned than ever before to share in the financial rewards of their inventions. During the past two years we have seen a significant increase in patents and licensing agreements with private-sector companies. We celebrate the entrepreneurship of the faculty and the long-term contributions they make to the vitality of OSU, the state, and the nation.

I feel most fortunate to be associated with this wonderful institution and believe our most productive days are yet to come.

J. W. AlexanderInterim Vice President for Research

David J. Schmidly President and CEO

Joseph W. Alexander Interim Vice President for Research

Natalea B. Watkins Assistant Vice President for Communica-tions

Member, University Research Magazine Association

Vanguard is published annually by Oklahoma State Uni-versity. It is produced by the cooperative work of the Office of Vice President for Research and the Office of Assistant Vice President for Communications.

Editor/Writer Shari Dunn

Art Director/Designer Mark Pennie

Photographer Paul McEntire, Entirely Creative (unless otherwise noted)

Contributing writers Tom Johnston, Marla Schaefer, Dottie Witter, Adam Huffer, Carolyn Gonzales, Jim Mitchell

Editorial consultant Eileen Mustain

For details about research work highlighted in this maga-zine or reproduction permission, contact the editor.

Shari DunnEditor, Vanguard221 PIOStillwater, OK 74078-6604405.744.5827 | [email protected]

1Research at Oklahoma State University

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VANGUARDResearch, scholarship, and creative activity at Oklahoma State University Inaugural issue

2 High Tech in the ParkPartners in the Oklahoma Technology and Research Park expect it to attract existing firms, grow new ones, and add 3,000 new jobs.

4 A New Look at an Old SocietyAn anthropologist challenges a long-held view of the socioeconomic organization of Aztec society.

6 Unlocking the Brain’s Mysteries

Regulating glutamate receptors may hold the key to new treatments for degenerative brain diseases.

7 Ethics and Designer BabiesThe Ethics Center provides a forum for discussion of contemporary issues from a moral and ethical perspective.

8 Sci-Fi on the FarmA revolutionary approach to fertilizer ap-plication increases producers’ profits and decreases environmental pollution.

10 Exercise and the ImmuneSystem

An exercise physiologist is investigating the relationship of cytokines, the optimum amount of exercise, and the role mouthpieces may play in increased illness of athletes during the competitive season.

11 Starting EarlyFreshmen learn the fundamentals of research from faculty mentors.

Long before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, OSU faculty were conducting research on sen-sors to detect explosives as well as

biological and chemical warfare agents. Since then, our efforts in homeland security research have expanded. We feature a few in this issue.

12 Star Trek on the High SeasA futuristic, multifunction communications badge for sailors will revolutionize shipboard communication and has potential for many commercial uses.

14 Help for First RespondersOSU researchers are developing a cooling vest that will help emergency workers stay cool—and on the job—longer.

16 Bacteria as SensorsBacteria engineered to glow when they encounter specific organisms can help identify biological warfare agents such as anthrax.

18 Collaborating for the Homeland

OSU veterinary scientists are teaming with an advanced technology company to produce fast and extremely sensitive detection sys-tems for chemical and biological warfare agents.

20 Protecting PrivacyMathematical transformations protect in-dividual privacy yet fend off hackers and enable law enforcement officials to use data sets that have been off-limits in the past.

21 Vanquishing Terrorists’ BombsOSU chemists are perfecting a spray-on solu-tion to neutralize terrorist bombs, making disposal safer for emergency personnel.

Back Reese’s Pieces

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About the Cover Huantian Cao wears a hazmat suit while testing a cooling vest that keeps first responders cooler and more comfortable.

Oklahoma State University in com-pliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabili -ties Act of 1990, and other feder-al laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, re -ligion, disability, or status as a vet-eran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employ-ment, financial aid, and educational services. This publication, issued by Oklahoma State University as autho-rized by the Vice President for Re-search, was printed by the Audio Vi -sual Center, University Printing Ser-vices at a cost of $$7,042.4M/April 2003/ 5442


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Oklahoma State University and its consortium partners are betting that their economic development efforts will pay off handsomely in the coming decade.

OSU, Meridian Technology Center, and the City of Stillwater are partners in the Oklahoma Technology and Research Park. They expect the Park to be the catalyst for the creation of about 3,000 high-tech jobs in Stillwater during the next 10 years.

Joe Alexander, interim vice president for research at OSU, says, “It is difficult to attach a price tag to the value of the research and public service aspects of the University’s mission, but this project has a distinct possi-bility for a high payoff to Stillwater, the state, and the world.”

Located about two miles west of the main OSU campus and adjacent to Meridian, the Park comprises 160 acres in a campus-like setting, with small lakes, trees, pathways, and benches adding to the ambiance. When fully developed, the Park will accommodate about 25 buildings.

The first—and anchor—tenant, Nomadics, Inc., moved into its new facility in 2000 and is now expanding its quarters. The firm specializes in turning emerging technologies into practical applications, some of which include land-mine and explosives detection, chemical and biological agent detection, and medical. Nomadics and OSU scientists and engineers cooperate on a number of projects.

Two additional buildings are in the offing. Ground will be broken in April for a 36,000-square-foot building, which will be built by Idea Partnerships, LLC, developers of the Park. Eva Klein, a higher education consultant, and Bill Morlock, an architect and real estate developer, are the principals. They developed Penn State’s research park and have worked with numerous such parks.

OSU will occupy the entire second floor of the build-ing, leasing both research and administrative space. The first floor will be available to multiple tenants and will be configured to suit specific requirements.

Construction is also planned for a 12,000-square-foot building expected to house the Park’s teleconference center and tenant offices. The facility is to be named for state senator Mike Morgan, who shepherded acquisition of state bond monies for the building. It also will be available to multiple tenants.

Companies that base their business on advanced tech-nologies are attracted to research parks because of the opportunity to collaborate with university scientists and to share facilities and costly, sophisticated equipment. Not only is this available here, but OSU is the home of the only patent library in the state. All of this engenders a fertile milieu for research and development of new technologies

and spinoff companies.Klein says, “I have over 30 years experience in higher education, and I am familiar with

research parks around the world. The Oklahoma Technology and Research Park is a very unusual resource.”

She says it is the only one of which she is aware that has a partner such as Meridian.

Meridian, through its Center for Business

Development, assists businesses during the early, vulnerable stages of the entrepreneurial process. The Center helps the fledgling firms with business and technology development and provides access to shared office equipment, cleri-cal assistance, and meeting facilities. A start-up company can begin operation in the incubator, stay as long as three years, and then expand into its own facility in the Park.

Meridian also provides workforce train-ing tailored to the specific needs of a company. Through the state-funded Training for Industry Programs, Meridian works with executives to determine needs and then ensures that a pool of trained workers is in place when the business is ready to open.

Community leaders expect the Oklahoma Technology and Research Park to add 3,000 high-tech jobs in 10 years.

High Tech in the Park


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Grants for $2.9 million for infrastructure from the federal Economic Development Administration, along with matching funds and services from the partners, made the Park possible. The City handled installation of utilities and streets, creation of the lakes, and landscaping.

The Park is designed to foster collaboration. The build-ings will be confi gured in clusters to facilitate interac-tion, discussion, and generation of ideas. Walking paths, benches, and other amenities were added specifi cally for this purpose.

Jim Mason, vice president for technology of the Oklahoma Chamber of Commerce and former CEO of the Stillwater Chamber, was an integral part of the planning for the Park. He says, “Growing high-tech companies is a high-contact sport. It requires opportunities to confer, to collaborate, to bounce ideas off one another—whether it’s during lunch, over a cup of coffee, in the parking lot, or on the volleyball court.”

Collaboration in the Park is a goal, but collaboration about the Park is a reality. A joint board of directors, with representatives from each of the entities, oversees the Park. Fred Shultz, superintendent of Meridian and chairman of joint board, says of the consortium, “We have an excellent working relationship. This is truly a partnership; there never has been any competition. Each partner steps up and shoulders a fair share.”

Klein speaks in glowing terms of the cooperative work-ing relationship of the partners. She says, “It’s a strong plus in the marketing of the Park.” Chuck Thomas, a city commissioner and member of the board, notes that the working relationship is “as natural as a hand in a glove.”

Shari Dunn

OSU has entered into a collaborative

arrangement with Nomadics, Inc. of Stillwater

that is expected to result in a spinoff company

in which OSU will hold an equity interest. This

is the kind of partnership Oklahoma citizens

authorized by passage of State Questions 680

and 681.

The agreement is based on

the work of Nicholas Kotov of

the Department of Chemistry.

Kotov is involved in the bur-

geoning fi eld of nanotechnology, which is the

science of working with building blocks at the

molecular level. A nanometer is one/billionth

of a meter, about a thousand times smaller

than the diameter of a human hair.

Kotov uses electrostatic attraction to cause the

miniscule particles to assemble themselves into

the structure he wants by alternately dipping

a substrate chosen for desired properties into

negatively- and positively-charged solutions.

Particles with complementary shapes and

charge patterns combine, forming layers.

Kotov creates nanolayer after nanolayer, in the

fashion of a sandwich, until he reaches the

desired outcome. Starting with the uni versal,

he then incorporates the specifi c, whether it’s

biological, magnetic, or electronic. This enables

him to work with wide-ranging applications

such as implantable sensors for continuous

health monitoring, electronic devices, coat-

ings, and fi lms.

He says, “I want to convert these scientifi c

ideas into concrete products that serve people.

Someday, I might need the results of these

endeavors myself.”

“Growing high-tech companies is a high-contact sport.” — Jim Mason

Kotov

▲ An Oklahoma winter sunset and one of the Park’s lakes frame the building of the fi rst tenant, Nomadics.


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A New View of An Old Society

Some cherished theories endure. Others need revision.An OSU anthropologist is challenging a long-held view

of the socioeconomic structure of society in Mesoamerica (the region of advanced civilizations such as the Aztecs and Maya in Mexico and Central America) following the Spanish Conquest. Stephen Perkins compares the organi-zation of the pre- and post-Conquest cultures during the period 1521-1821 and proposes a model different from Eric Wolf’s theory of the closed corporate peasant community. Wolf’s theory has been one of the most influential in Meso-american anthropological research since its introduction in the 1950s.

Perkins, assistant professor of sociology, notes that prior to the Spanish Conquest, Aztec society was very complex. “In some ways, it was comparable to medieval Europe, with a formal government, bureaucracy, and a social structure within which nobles dominated landholdings and exacted tribute (taxes) from commoners,” he says. “The economy was highly developed, with money and markets for raw materials and finished goods such as food, clothing, house-

hold items, and exotic goods such as jade, gold, obsidian, and brilliantly-colored feathers from the quetzal bird.”

Wolf’s theory asserts that with the Spanish Conquest, colonization compressed indigenous society into a single impoverished social and economic stratum. Following decimation of the native population by European-borne diseases, the economy contracted, and people competed for labor, land, and other resources. Previously, indigenous nobles had ruled commoners, but now all became simply poor peasants.

Wolf theorized that rural Mesoamerican society then coalesced into two sectors: the Spanish haciendas (large Spanish landholding estates) and native peasant communi-ties. He thought that in an attempt to protect themselves from haciendas, indigenous people developed a closed social system with “corporate controls.” Land could not be sold or passed to outsiders, although members of the community could use their land as they saw fit.

Based on research originally funded by a Fulbright Fellowship, Perkins departs from this long-standing theory.

An anthropologist challenges one of the most influential theories in Mesoamerican anthropological research since the 1950s.


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Based on archival data, he reconstructed post-Conquest na-tive society using Spanish colonial documents from Mexico’s national archive (the Archivo General de la Nacion) and the notarial archive of the state of Puebla (the Archivo General de Notarias del Estado de Puebla).

These archives house records of court cases, land titles, wills, papers written by Catholic priests, and complaints registered by natives for such matters as loss of land. Per-kins found indigenous wills to be particularly useful, since they discuss the passing of landholdings and other property from one generation to the next. The earliest available documents date from the 1540s.

Perkins investigated communities within the Puebla region of central Mexico. Studying life in several small pueblos (Spanish-imposed, self-governing communities), he discovered that the social classes that had structured life in pre-Conquest Mexico persisted within these colonial indigenous communities much longer than previous researchers, such as Wolf, had assumed.

Although communities were reorganized to conform to Spanish notions of municipal government, Perkins says indigenous nobles took firm control of new municipal offices and monopolized community landholdings. “Indian commoners paid tribute to nobles much as before, but they also paid taxes to the Spanish Crown.”

Wolf believed that modern Mexican village organiza-tion originated with these pueblos in the 16th century, but Perkins says his data point to a quite different conclusion. “What we see—in certain pueblos especially—is that the social organization of the Aztecs endured the Conquest and remained a major force in organizing the social lives of community inhabitants during the colonial period.”

Coming as they did from Spain, where similar noble-commoner classes existed, colonial officials actually upheld indigenous noble privileges through a series of rulings in the 16th and 17th centuries. Perkins also points out that early officials sought to prevent the collapse of the social “pyramid.” This would have greatly disrupted the flow of indigenous tribute to the Spanish Crown.

Perkins says that over time, Spanish support for indigenous nobles began to wane. “By the 1700s the nobles had become so powerful at the local level that Spanish officials attempted to undo the privileges that their own predecessors had granted.”

Part of the impetus for these changes came from Indian commoners, who frequently alerted colonial officials to the abuses they suffered at the hands of their own nobility. Commoners also petitioned colonial courts for greater par-ticipation in municipal government and ownership of land. In response, colonial government in the 18th and early 19th centuries began to break up the municipal organization imposed in the 16th century.

One means was to establish new pueblos. Perkins points out that new pueblos in his study area seemed to be more open to participation by all members of the community.

“They also had lands that were more truly communal than those of the past.”

Perkins concludes that Wolf’s model remains valid but better fits rural Pueblan society in the late 18th and 19th centuries. “In contrast to the earlier model, the population of Puebla grew—rather than declined—during this period, and the countryside experienced tremendous economic adjustments, which suggests that different factors were at work in the creation of these communities than was previously thought.” He says it was out of the triangulated struggle for land and local power between nobles, com-moners, and Spanish entrepreneurs that Mexico’s modern indigenous communities originated during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Perkins is publishing the results of his archival investiga-tions in several journals and is planning a book manuscript that will treat more extensively Puebla’s colonial Indian society. He says that since joining the faculty in August of 2002, he feels very much at home in a land-grant institu-tion such as OSU.

“In industrial society we often forget the importance of landholding and agriculture,” he says. “If the indigenous people of Mexico have taught me anything, it’s that we should never take for granted where our food comes from or who controls access to the land.”

Shari Dunn

"If the indigenous people of Mexico have taught me anything, it’s that we should never take for granted where our food comes from or who controls access to the land.” — Stephen Perkins

Anthropologist Stephen Perkins with a page from a 16th-century Mexican codex in the background.▲


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Photo: Terry Drenne

▲ Doris Patneau focuses on the role of gluta-mate receptors in brain function and how dif-ferent drugs can regulate their activity.

An OSU neuroscientist’s research findings could help develop new treatments for an array of degenerative brain diseases, epilepsy, and brain damage caused by stroke. Doris Pat-neau, assistant professor of anatomy and cell biology at the OSU Center for Health Sciences, is investigating glutamate receptors in the brain and how various drugs can regu-late their activity. Funded by a grant from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, she delves into their function like a scientific super-sleuth, gathering clues to help solve the brain’s mysteries.

Glutamate receptors are the brain’s workhorses in the communication pro-cess between its nerve cells. This process—fast excitatory synaptic transmission—is mediated by receptors that open in response to binding of the neurotransmitter glu-tamate. (A neurotransmit-ter is a chemical messenger released by nerve cells.) The receptors are critical for nor-mal development and func-tion of the nervous system as well as processes underlying learning and memory.

When glutamate receptors are over-stimulated, nerve cells can be damaged by a process termed “excitotoxicity.” Research-ers associate this damage with a variety of brain conditions and diseases. For example, excitotoxicity mediated by glutamate recep-tors may play a role in several neurodegenerative disor-ders including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as well as brain damage after a stroke.

The development of therapies for these disorders is complicated by the essential role glutamate receptors play in normal brain function. Drugs that either directly block or directly activate these receptors are likely to have unwanted side effects. The most promising targets for potential drug therapies are allosteric sites (distinct from the glutamate site), where the binding of other drugs can subtly modu-

late receptor activation by glutamate. Glutamate receptors have multiple allosteric sites at which drugs can bind—either up or down—regulating activation of the receptor by glutamate.

A unique property of some glutamate recep-tors is that they rapidly desensitize and no longer open in response to glutamate. Patneau’s previous research has shown that many of the positive allosteric modulators—those that increase the response to glutamate—do so by reducing receptor desensitization. Ongoing research is examining whether the negative modulators (those that reduce the response to glutamate) do so by promoting receptor desensitization.

Patneau says she and her colleagues have looked at whether the two classes of modulators (positive and negative) can actually affect the binding of the other class. They know positive modulators block desensitization and also slow the binding of the inhibitory modulators, which suggests that negative modulators preferentially bind to desensitized receptors. “Since we can’t block receptors, we have to subtly regulate them.

We are trying to understand how receptor sites interact. The information we gain can guide development of new therapies—medications, gene therapy, and transplants.”

Marla Schaefer

Understanding how to properly regulate glutamate receptors could lead to develop-ment of therapies for degenerative brain diseases.

Unlocking the Brain’s Mysteries

“The information we gain can guide development of new therapies—medications, gene therapy, and transplants.” — Doris Patneau


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the new technology is a novelty used only by a wealthy few. But, soon, lab-grown babies become more affordable and commonplace. Employers begin demanding that women use child-growing labs instead of missing work because of pregnancy and childbirth. Insurance companies quickly realize the financial advantages of “unnatural” childbirth and refuse coverage to pregnant women.

The perennial abortion conundrum takes on a whole new aspect. Aborted fetuses can now be brought to term in artificial wombs. Even if you don’t have an egg or a sperm, you don’t have to worry. Just drop by the cloning lab and replicate yourself.

These seemingly bizarre scenarios may never become reality, but with probable future technological devel-opments, their possibility exists. In fact, scientists are already experimenting with artificial wombs. For every advance in medical technology that solves one problem, other problems and questions seem to arise.

“If we start changing the gene pool, we might make changes that we don’t really understand,” Gelfand says. “With enhancement (Jane Doe-Two’s situation), we don’t know what the human species would or should be like. Once everyone is enhanced, then the norm changes, and we’re back to the original situation of people wanting additional enhancement to make them above average. Where would

it stop?”It’s easy to think of endless

questions about what may result from the many different types of possible human “enhancement,”

but clear-cut answers about the consequences are much more difficult, if not impossible, to formulate. Although good answers may be scarce, Gelfand says it’s imperative that people talk about the issues and understand the complexity of the problems we may face.

“If nothing else, we can work for a societal consensus,” he said. “When people on the extreme opposite sides of an issue come together to discuss some of these volatile is-sues, they often find that they are in agreement on more components of the arguments than they would have ever realized.”

Carolyn Gonzales

▲ Scott Gelfand ponders the ethics of interference with fetal devel-opment.

Just because we have certain technological knowledge, should we use it? And, if we do, how far should we go with it? These are the types of moral and ethical issues that OSU’s Ethics Center wants people to think about and discuss. To help get the dialogue going, the center sponsors an annual conference that brings internationally known scholars and speakers to Oklahoma. Last year’s conference was called “The End of Natural Motherhood? The Artificial Womb and Designer Babies,” says center director and assistant professor of philosophy Scott Gelfand.

Consider the following: Two pregnant women visit their doctors. Both are shocked and dismayed by what they learn. Genetic tests on Jane Doe-One’s fetus show her unborn child will suffer from multiple sclerosis. Jane Doe-Two learns her fetus has a genetic configuration that will make her daughter short, dark, and introverted.

Both expectant mothers are distraught. Jane Doe-One certainly doesn’t want her child to suffer from a chronic, debilitating disease. Jane Doe-Two really wants a boy, and she knows statistics show tall, light-skinned, extroverted males are more successful and socially accepted. Of course, she wants the best for her child.

Both women’s minds soon are set at ease by their doc-tors. With a few adjustments to their unborn children’s genetic makeup, all unwanted problems can be avoided. In fact, both children can be “designed” with exactly the physical, mental, and emotional characteristics their par-ents desire.

Science fiction, you say? Maybe. But maybe not. In the near future, scientists could develop the technology for this type of human genetic manipulation. Parents may be able to design the exact child they want.

By this time, the artificial womb has been perfected, so why should women be burdened with nine

months of pregnancy and the pain of childbirth? Why not design “per-

fect” children in test tubes and grow them to term in artificial wombs? Mom and Pop could swing by the lab on their way

home from work to pick up their new baby. No

muss, no fuss, and no down-time for

Mom. At first,

The possibility of custom-designed fetuses and artificial wombs raises questions about how much we should interfere with our children-to-be.

Ethics and Designer Babies

“If we start changing the gene pool, we might make changes that we don’t really understand.” — Scott Gelfand


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▲ Aerial view of GreenSeeker™ with 30' booms extended.

A team of OSU researchers in collaboration with a commer-cial firm has developed a revolutionary product that seems more like something from science fiction than traditional agriculture. GreenSeeker™ is an integrated optical sensor and fertilizer sprayer that senses the nutrient needs of each 2-foot by 2-foot area of a field and automatically applies exactly the right amount of nitrogen as it moves across the field, all in one seamless operation. The sensors and nozzles are mounted on booms and can be configured to accommodate various sizes and types of sprayer vehicles. A handheld version is now available.

The advantages of such a product are both numerous and substantial: It increases yields and reduces fertilizer costs because the optimal amount—and only the optimal amount—is applied, resulting in an average additional profit of $18 per acre. Because there is little wasted fertilizer, runoff is significantly reduced, and the result is cleaner surface and groundwater. It can operate in a wide range of light conditions—from bright sunlight to complete darkness. It operates in real time, with no waiting for results of a soil sample or data from a satellite or airplane.

The optical sensor measures the green material (stems and leaves, called “forage biomass”) of the plants in the 2' x 2' segment of the field, compares that to an index, com-putes the amount of nitrogen required for optimal growth, chooses from one of eight application rates, and sends a signal to the applicator. The nozzle immediately sprays the designated amount of nitrogen.

Nitrogen needs can vary widely throughout a field, so using the historical practice of applying an average amount of fertilizer per acre is wasteful and does not produce maxi-mum yields. At present, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in cereal (wheat, corn, maize, rice, etc.) production is about

33 percent. The remainder of the applied nitrogen is lost to air and runoff.

Each one percent increase in NUE is worth $400 mil-lion globally. GreenSeeker™ can increase NUE a minimum of 20 percent, although there is evidence to suggest a more substantial increase. The implications of this are staggering when one considers the ramifications of inadequate food worldwide. Each day, 33,000 people die from starvation or the effects of malnutrition. Bill Raun, a member of the

Sci-Fi on the Farm

NATIONAL AWARD The GreenSeeker ™ team received the prestigious Secretary’s Honor Award for 2002 from the US Department of Agriculture for expanding economic and trade opportunities for US agricultural producers.

P rogressing from a con- cept to a commercial product (GreenSeeker™) was not easy. Melding into a team a group of professors who by nature are very independent and who have different per-spectives took time. Add to these inherent differences the various personalities: John Solie, the contemplative engineer/attorney familiar with intellectual property issues; Marvin Stone, the practical, internationally-recognized electronic com-munications engineer; Bill Raun, the intense, passion-

ate soil fertility expert with a world view stemming from his six years experience in Mexico and Guatemala; Gor-don Johnson, the deliberate, layperson-oriented extension specialist; and Greg Bell, the turf specialist with a business perspective (a former owner of a golf-club manufacturing and repair firm), who joined the team about mid-point.

The team members candidly admit there were periodic intense arguments arising from different assumptions and from a commitment “not to take anything at face value,

Team Building


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electronic communications technology.” NTech is manufac-turing the sensor/sprayer at its facility in Stillwater and expects to establish a larger plant elsewhere in the state as volume grows.

The algorithm (step-by-step instructions to the com-puter) for wheat is complete. Development is underway for algorithms for corn, barley, and turf, to be followed by cotton, peanuts, and soybeans.

The GreenSeeker™ project has brought many benefits to OSU. D.C. Coston, associ-ate director of the Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, says it has engendered funding for continued research and devel-opment for the other crops and will bring royalties to the University.

The project incorporates all aspects of the land-grant university mission: teaching, research, and extension. In addition to research and technology trans-fer, it resulted in the development of a course in precision agriculture, taught by members of the GreenSeeker™ team. It also broadened the understanding of 33 students who studied at the International Maize and Wheat Improve-ment Center in Mexico and who spoke with awe of the opportunity to associate with Borlaug.

It has provided a learning experience for over 100 stu-dents, 40 of them graduate students. It has led directly to employment for some, as NTech hired some of the stu-dents who worked on the project. Coston says the students’ team experience is a definite advantage when they apply for jobs.

Shari Dunn

GreenSeeker™ development team, says, “Having to squeeze by 33,000 skeletons every day when you come to work can keep you motivated.”

In 2001 OSU and NTech Industries Incorporated, of Ukiah, California, signed a license agreement as well as an agreement for continuing research. Norman Borlaug, the only Nobel Peace Prize recipient in agriculture and “Father of the Green Revolution,” delivered the keynote address at the licensing ceremony.

Research leading to GreenSeeker™ began at OSU nine years before it was licensed to NTech. John M. Mayfield, Jr., NTech’s CEO, owned an agricultural services firm in Cali-fornia and was aware that OSU researchers were working on technology similar to his firm’s herbicide sensor/sprayer marketed as Weed Seeker™ . He realized that a cooperative venture would be in the best interests of both.

Beginning in 1999, OSU researchers and Patchen personnel collaborated on integration of technologies. John Solie, the biosystems and agricultural engineering professor responsible for overall coordination of the project says, “They brought certain patents they developed for lighting technologies and the knowledge and experience to manufacture and market sensors. We brought the science to make the determination of how much fertilizer and other materials to apply as well as improvements in sensor and

Sensors detect the fertilizer needs of small areas of a field and automatically apply the required amount, resulting in increased profits and decreased environmental contamination.

but to question,” to which Raun attributes the suc-cesses of the project. He says that in academia, it’s easy to avoid conflict by working in a solitary situation. “But I’m will -ing to deal with a lack of har-mony because I am interested in delivering a better product. Forced communication leads to improvements.”

Despite technical differences, the team members always had immense respect for each other personally and professionally. Johnson says,

“The team members respect each others’ discipline; the ag engineer doesn’t try to make a soil scientist into an engineer, and vice versa.

There is a synergy in the group.” Stone says a clear sense of mission guided the interaction and there were no issues of department or territory. Raun says the team members merged into a unit that became much like a fam-ily and that this extended to the graduate and undergradu-ate students and the support staff involved with the project.

D. C. Coston, associate di-rector of the Oklahoma Agri-cultural Experiment Station, has been a champion of the cross-disciplinary approach to research throughout his tenure at OSU. When the GreenSeeker™ team won the USDA award, the team

members thought John Solie, the unofficial team leader, should be the one to travel to Washington, DC, to accept the award. Coston had other ideas. He was determined that all members of the team should be present to accept

the award. He found fund-ing so all could attend, then presented the plaque to the team at a special ceremony hosted by the Division of Agri -cultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

▲ Gree nSeeker™ team members, from left, Greg Bell, Gordon Johnson, John Solie, Marvin Stone, and Bill Raun.


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▲ Melody Phillips collects a mouthpiece for culturing to determine the immune response of athletes.

Photo | Jerem

y Cook

Cytokines help us heal and fend off invading organisms, but long-term production can cause cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

Melody Phillips wonders why athletes get sick so often. It seems counter-intuitive that the most physically fit people would become ill more frequently than the less fit.

Phillips is an exercise physiologist in the Health and Human Performance Program in the College of Education. “This is what got me interested in immunology,” she says. “Why do athletes get sick more often?”

Her major research interest is the influence of exercise on the immune system and how it affects health. She is attempting to determine both the positive and negative influences of exercise, and is especially interested in dis-covering how to maximize the positive and minimize the negative effects.

She says that although exercise improves health, over-training is harmful. “Research results have shown that as weekly training volume increases above an optimal point, the risk of infection increases.”

Phillips says researchers have developed “the open win-dow hypothesis,” which describes a period of time after a bout of hard or very long exercise during which the body may be more susceptible to infection. She says, “Prolonged and intense exercise may suppress the immune system.”

To learn more about the relationship of exercise and the immune system, Phillips and her colleagues are studying cytokines, regulatory immune proteins in the blood and saliva. There are about 80 cytokines, with various functions, such as healing wounds and killing invading organisms. Fever is regulated partially by cytokines.

Cytokines are necessary for normal functioning of the body, but sustained production of cytokines is associated with age- and inactivity-related diseases such as cardio-vascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes.

When artery walls are damaged because of high blood pressure or cholesterol, the cell lining attempts to heal itself. This response is initiated by the immune system and the inflammatory cytokines and, over time, can lead to atherosclerosis (cardiovascular disease).

Phillips says bone cells also produce cytokines. When certain conditions exist, such as menopause, the bone-degrading cells become more active. “Bone degrading cells are naturally active in our body, but if they are over-stimulated, then people will experience bone loss (osteoporosis).”

Phillips says that in previous research, she found that just 10 weeks of resistance training by elderly women decreased production of the cytokines associated with cardiovascular disease and bone degradation.

Understanding the influence of exercise, specifically exercise training, on cytokines in elderly and at-risk popu-lations may be beneficial to another growing segment of

the population. “Oklahoma has a large population at risk for adult-onset diabetes,” Phillips says, citing the large American Indian population. “The cytokine most associated with insulin resistance in diabetes decreased significantly after 10 weeks of moderate-to-intense resistance training by elderly women.”

Knowing of Phillips’ interest in exercise and immune response, Robert Conrad, professor of microbiology, and Tom Glass, professor of pathology and dental medicine, both at OSU’s Center for Health Sciences, invited Phillips to collaborate in an investigation of the microscopic organ-isms that grow on athletes’ mouthpieces. They collected mouthpieces from OSU football players and are running cultures to determine the types of organisms growing on them.

Phillips and her research team are measuring immune markers in saliva in order to quantify the body’s immune response to the mouthpieces. “We hope to identify any potential immune response that may result from wearing the mouthpieces during a single game as well as all season. Changing or disinfecting mouthpieces daily may be very important to the health of athletes, but we aren’t certain of this yet,” she says.

Dottie Witter

Exercise and the Immune System

Prolonged and intense exercise may suppress the immune system.


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Freshmen work with faculty mentors to learn the fundamentals of research.

Derrick Herron is an OSU senior in chemistry, yet he has six publications in refereed journals and has made four poster presentations at professional meetings. His participation in OSU’s Freshman Research Scholars program has jump-started his career.

The program has been in operation about a dozen years. Joe Alexander, vice president for research, says the primary objective of the program is to develop and foster interest in scholarly research early in the career of a college student. “Students work with faculty researchers—who function as mentors—to learn research ethics, fundamental procedures of research, and laboratory safety in those disciplines in which laboratory work is involved.”

Sixty freshmen are selected each year to participate in the program, based on their high-school grade point average and ACT or SAT scores. The program encompasses the social sciences, humanities, engineering, and the biological and physical sci-

ences. The Scholars work with their mentors four to six hours each week.

Richard Bunce, professor of chemistry, served as Herron’s mentor during his participation in the program, then hired him to work in his lab during summers as well as the academic year. Herron actively participates in Bunce’s research projects and publications. Herron says Bunce is

very generous. “He rewards participation.”

As a result of his experi-ence in the program, Herron is clear about his future direction.

“I want to teach—to get students interested in chemistry and have the same kind of great experience I had in high school chemistry.”

Eldon C. Nelson has been a mentor in the program since its inception. A professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, he says the program is a tool for recruiting very bright students who might go elsewhere. He provides a litany of students who had offers from other universities, including some who have had full scholarship offers, but came to OSU because they could work in the laboratory as a freshman. He points out that veterans of the program are admitted to graduate programs at some of the most prestigious institutions in the country, including Duke, Johns Hopkins, and the Mayo Clinic.

Nelson has over 200 advisees. When asked how he can handle such a heavy advisement load in addition to conduct-ing research and fulfilling his teaching responsibilities, he responded emphatically, “When I’ve worked with students over four years to get them to come here and they ask me to be their adviser, there is no way I’m going to say ‘no.’”

Justin Cordill is a sophomore, mentored by Nelson last year. He sums up his experience with Nelson as his mentor: “He sends a message that students are valued. He has helped me to know what I really want to do, and he taught me that research is a process of discovery—making mistakes and fixing them.”

Shari Dunn▲ E.C. Nelson instructs Justin Cordill in laboratory procedures.

“He taught me that research is a process of discovery —making mistakes and fixing them.” — Justin Cordill

Starting Early

▲ Freshman research scholar Derrick Herron


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Soon, communication technology aboard Navy ships will rival that of the Starship Enterprise.

Researchers at Oklahoma State University and Stillwater-based Nomadics, Inc. are developing a wire-less communications badge for sailors that is expected to revolutionize shipboard communication. Referred to as “Star Trek,” the futuristic, multipurpose device is so adaptable and expandable that, in its final form, the commercial ap-plications should be virtually boundless.

Jong-Moon Chung, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Nomadics engineers were awarded a Phase I contract by the U.S. Office of Naval Research in 2000 to explore the feasibility of a communications device as part of the Navy’s Information Technology Initiative for the 21st Century. The Initiative involves implementing optical networks on ships and submarines and providing every sailor with a versatile communications device that works over local area network (LAN) ports throughout the vessel.

Chung says the backbone (core) networks and devices will replace wireless phones and cumbersome and expensive hand-held radios the Navy wants to scrap. “Below deck, cell phones and walkie-talkies do not work well and require wiring throughout the vessel because the steel walls do not allow radio waves to propagate. They are also expensive, bulky, almost impossible to repair, and have limited func-tions,” Chung says.

The wireless device is worn rather than carried and resembles the badges depicted on the television series, but will include many more features. It will be touch-activated and submersible in water and will include conveniences such as voice-dialing, health-monitoring and, possibly, data interface ports to link up to other devices such as an imaging device or bar code reader.

“Because of the expense, not everyone can be given a walkie-talkie, so in order to do head counts, the crew must assemble on deck

several times a day,” Chung says. “The badge will enable officers to know the exact location of every sailor, and the appropriate frequency code will allow commanders to call a particular group of sailors and issue orders when the need arises. The health monitoring capability will enable officers to know if a sailor is well because the badge delivers health-related readings, such as heart rate.”

Such capabilities are particularly advantageous when the badges are worn by a hazardous-materials response team, for example. Any type of sensor—moisture, chemi-cal or airborne particulates, or explosive residues—could be attached to the badge to alert both the user and the backbone network as to their presence. The network then can tell others where the user is and whether there is a problem.

The Navy contract for Phase I was simply to demon-strate feasibility of the device, but the Nomadics research-ers and Chung overachieved on the study and built an actual prototype. As a result, in 2001 the Department of Defense, through the Small Business Technology Transfer program, awarded a Phase II contract to the researchers to fabricate the multipurpose device. Chung says, “Phase II funding for a project like this is very difficult to get, but we demonstrated our capability by building an alpha pro-totype and testing it over an ATM (asynchronous transfer mode) optical network, when we had been asked only to explore feasibility.”

During the final stage of development, the researchers will collect parts of the circuit board, and using chip sets (system-on-chip technology), will integrate multiple mod-ules onto one chip and thus create a miniaturized version of the prototype.

The badge exceeds conventional wireless communications devices in its adaptability.

Art Crotzer, Chung’s collaborator and manager of software engineer-

ing at Nomadics, says that because the architecture can grow and be adapted for a wide variety of ap-plications, the device has many advantages

over a cellular phone. “The technology is more analogous to

Star Trek on the High Seas

A futuristic, multifunction communications badge for sailors will revolutionize ship-board communication and has potential for many commercial uses.

Sequential versions of the badge prototypes (from left in the fore-ground) reflect the ongoing miniaturization of the technology. The final version will be slightly larger than a playing card.

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a telephone system that provides connections between one person and another person or group, but without the restrictions of a channelized radio system,” Crotzer says.

The range of commercial applications for the badge is limited only by imagination, he says. The designers could provide intelligent intercom systems so an employee doesn’t have to be restricted to an office. Because the device is a digital system tied into a network, a user could wear a badge, headset, or other configuration and move around the building, remaining in contact with other people as well as non-human components. Voice interaction would allow a maintenance technician on the job to call a trouble-shooting database or a supervisor.

“Another aspect we’ve considered is the badge’s use as a portable data collection system,” Crotzer says. “While moving through a building, ship, campus, hospital, prison, etc., the

user would be able to dictate in an intelligent way, perhaps responding to prompts or filling in a medical form.”

Although the Office of Naval Research provided the initial incentive and funding for development of the device, interest from the private sector ultimately will lead to its fruition. “We are now constructing a backbone network to see how well the badge works within a large-scale environment and how well it works when it is connected to the network,” Chung says. “For Phase III and completion of the product, including miniaturization and additional backbone network design, we need to identify a company that wants to sell this technology. OSU and Nomadics will retain the intellectual property, but Phase III is about tak-ing the technology to the industrial sector.”

Adam Huffer

The voice-dialing badge will replace wireless phones and walkie-talkies and will enable communication and health monitoring throughout the ship.

▼ Jong-Moon Chung discusses potential future applications of the high-tech communications system, such as data collection and interoffice communication.


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Imagine trying to do your job, but you’re perspiring profuse-ly. Your bodily processes are in turbo. Your heart rate is accelerated. Your breathing is labored. You can’t see. Your vision is obscured by a fine vapor in front of your face.

These and other problems are faced regularly by emer-gency response personnel, frequently referred to as “first responders,” when they must wear hazardous materials (hazmat) suits to protect themselves from chemical and biological dangers. But help is on the way.

Donna Branson, head of the Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising, is leading a team that is developing a system to keep emergency workers cooler for longer periods of time while they are ensconced in the hazmat suits. The project is funded by a three-year grant from the National Institute of Justice, administered by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism.

Heat stress is a potential danger, even in moderate temperatures, for workers who must wear the airtight suits. The team is designing a prototype for a personal cooling system that first responders can wear under a hazmat suit that will allow them to work comfortably for 30 min-utes to an hour. Fifteen minutes is about the maximum at present.

Branson says the system is composed of a cooling unit, a vest cooled by liquid that circulates via small plastic tubes, and interface systems between both units and the hazmat suit.

The OSU team, which includes faculty members Branson, Cheryl Farr, and Huantian Cao (all of the Department of Design, Housing, and Merchandising) and both graduate and undergraduate students, is responsible for the develop-ment of the vest. One of the undergraduate students is a fire protection major, and he frequently tests the system. Branson calls him her “resident first responder.”

Collaborators in the project include Clemson University and three private companies. Sciperio, Inc., a local company, is developing tubing with better thermal conductivity than is presently available. Nanopore, Inc. and MesoSystems Technology, Inc., both of Albuquerque, are developing the cooling technology.

The OSU team is using presently available textiles to develop the prototype vest. Clemson is conducting research on textiles and is developing fabric for use in a next-generation vest.

Branson says the group faces daunting technical challenges:

• Present cooling systems require large amounts of battery power.

• The body produces substantial heat that must be dissipated: The coolant must extract heat from the body while it provides cooling and while it is being recirculated through the cooling system.

• Tubing presently available for the chilled liquid does not conduct well.

• Pressure drops at curves in the tubing (the tubing is sewn into channels in the vest).

• Fabric presently available has considerable thermal resistance; it insulates more than it conducts.

Undeterred, the group is moving forward with its design for a prototype.

In designing the vest, Branson says the team must deal with properties such as abrasion resistance, thermal qualities, washability, durability, comfort, and fit. Fit is no small matter: the vest must conform well to the body, with no buckling, so that the cooling features are close to

Heat stress is a potential danger, even in moderate temperatures.

A team of researchers is developing a complete personal cooling system for emergency workers that will protect their health and enable them to work longer shifts in hazmat suits.

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▲ Donna Branson helps Huantian Cao don a hazmat suit to test the capa-bility of the cooling vest developed by OSU researchers to prevent heat stress while wearing the suit.

Help for First Responders


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the body. The design team must create garments that will fit physiques ranging from that of a petite female to that of an NFL linebacker.

Last fall the OSU team conducted focus-group discussions with emergency workers from Kansas and Oklahoma who actually wear the hazmat suits. Branson says the individuals in the focus groups are eager to get relief from the heat, and they help the team by describing prob-lems they encounter while performing their duties in the suits. She said one of the problems mentioned is that workers often must withdraw their arms from the sleeves of the hazmat suit so they can remove condensation from the interior of the face piece—much like a driver removes vapor from a windshield—because it obscures their vision.

The emergency workers also offered suggestions about the cooling unit: Could it be longer and thinner? Could it be positioned nearer the respirator?

Branson says, “Their input has been absolutely critical in helping us develop a system that will really help first responders.”

The partners are in the second year of the project. “In late spring, we expect to have an alpha prototype that we will test on a thermal (heat-tracking) man-nequin,” Branson says. “This will include a fully-functioning vest and an integrated cooling system.

“In year three, we will improve and refine the system components, then we will test the system on human subjects in OSU’s controlled-environment labora-tory. We will measure both physiological and perceptual responses.”

Jim Mitchell

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Ph.D. student Semra Peksoz tests the effectiveness of a prototype of an OSU-developed cooling vest as she works out on a treadmill.

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Rathindra Sarathy has never been caught playing cards on the job, but he freely admits to “shuffling the deck” in his position as associate professor of management science and information systems.

Sarathy and a colleague from the University of Kentucky, Krish Muralidhar, have developed a process that enables organizations to share digital data without endangering personal privacy, while also fending off hackers. He says this capability refutes the argu-ment that Americans must give up more of their privacy so agen-cies can share data necessary for homeland security.

The process does not rely on encryption, for a couple of reasons. Sarathy says that although encryption allows only authorized people to view individual pieces of data, the encryption can be reversed, which means the informa-tion can be retrieved, and thus privacy could be violated. “Besides,” he says, “you can’t perform any analysis on encrypted data.”

Instead, Sarathy and Muralidhar use mathematical transformations to randomly “perturb” or “shuffle” the original data. This ensures that the specific details of an

original data set do not appear on a computer screen, yet the data still can be used for analysis.

The procedure is similar to shuffling cards in a deck, Sarathy says. “Let’s say each card in the deck contains a certain number and if you add them up, you get a certain sum. By shuffling the cards, the numbers in a particular pile of cards don’t change; they are just shuffled to the point that no one knows what their original order was.”

He says, “Even though the cards are now out of order, you can still add them up and get the same sum. That’s the end result of the process: data you still can use.”

Actually, the shuffling process is much more complex. It is similar to shuffling multiple decks of cards while maintaining certain relationships among the individual decks. For instance, the program can ensure that no one can match names or salary figures of individuals in a particular data set, yet it is possible to provide average income figures for the group as a whole. The data is still usable without these specifics.

Sarathy says that in the past, law enforcement organi-zations have been unable to use some data sets because they contain information that could cause privacy concerns. “These procedures allow those concerns to be addressed up front,” he adds, “before the information is ever handed over to security authorities.” He says these procedures will be useful not only to personnel focusing on security but to others who routinely perform data mining, such as social scientists, government officials, and business analysts.

Sarathy and Muralidhar have applied for a patent and are working with officials of the US Census Bureau, who have shown a strong interest in the procedure. Their work has also evoked interest among data confidentiality researchers in Europe. They will be talking with industry leaders as well.

“The message we want to send with these processes is that they do not require any tradeoff. We can use them to protect individual privacy while giving agencies the data they need to make better decisions, including security decisions.”

Jim M itchell

“The message we want to send with these processes is that they do not require any tradeoff.” — Rathindra Sarathy

Protecting Privacy

“Shuffling” data thwarts hackers, keeps data secure, and protects individual privacy while providing information useful for homeland security.

▲ Rathinda Sarathy explains the mathematical processes he and a col-league have developed that transform data to allow its use among government agencies without sacrificing the privacy of individuals.


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The ultimate survival of our planet may depend on what scientists such as Robert Miller learn from their research and whether or not world governments take action to stem impending problems. Miller, OSU regents professor of mi-crobiology and molecular genetics, studies how bacteria react to various stimuli such as antibiotics, ultraviolet light, and potential weapons of bioterrorism.

While Miller’s overall research efforts contribute information that may help solve global environmental and health issues, he pres-ently is devoting a portion of his research to the war on terrorism. When the ter-rorist attacks occurred on September 11, 2001, Miller already was working with a colleague on a sensor that uses bacte-ria to detect environmental pollutants in the soil. Miller and Gary Sayler, an environmental molecular microbiologist at the University of Tennessee, realized they could use the same technology to

detect biohazards—such as anthrax or the plague—that might be spread by terrorists. They soon began adapting the sensor for this purpose.

Their sensor uses bacteria and an en-zyme called luciferase, the substance that gives a firefly its glow. A luciferase gene is linked to a bacterium commonly found in all environments. It is called a “reporter gene” because when the bacterium encounters an intruder or environmental stress, it makes the enzyme, which causes the bacterium to luminesce (light up), thus reporting an unwanted presence. Each molecule of the enzyme glows with a blue light—the stronger the glow, the more foreign material present.

Miller and Sayler have developed two tests that use the sensor, one for specific biohazards and another for a “presumptive” test, or a first warning. The presumptive test doesn’t report exactly which biohazard is present; it

is simply a warning that something harmful is present. It can be used easily in the field to test the safety of food and water supplies.

The other test is designed to identify specific pathogens, or biological warfare agents. Miller and Sayler discovered they could modify the bacterium to light up in the presence of specific organisms, such as tularemia or anthrax. They accomplished this by inserting a gene that luminesces when it is exposed to the particular agent, thus becoming a reporter. In addition to its use for bioremediation, it may have an unearthly use: NASA is interested in using a ver-sion of the sensor to monitor its water supplies in space.

This sensor is only one application of the knowledge that Miller has gained in his research on the genetics of bacteria.

Although many people don’t realize the importance of bacteria, they affect the lives of the average person in countless ways. In fact, bacteria are necessary for life to exist on Earth. While we often think of bacteria only as pathogens that cause illness, they provide many positive benefits, one of which is creating the oxygen we breathe. Bacteria also recycle matter and help clean up environmental

pollution. Decay processes driven by bacteria create the soil needed for plant growth and help plants use nutrients in the soil, thus enabling plants to produce much of our food and oxygen.

Part of Miller’s previous work involved the development of a sensor that is used to determine the effect of ultraviolet light on marine bacteria. Using bacteria found in the Antarctic Ocean, Miller looks at genetic changes that might prevent bacteria from performing their life-sustaining functions. When the DNA of bacteria is damaged by ultraviolet light or other causes, their cells may mutate and die.

NASA is interested in using a version of the sensor to monitor its water supplies in space.

Bacteria as Sensors

Engineered bacteria glow in the presence of biological warfare agents such as anthrax or tularemia.

▲ The blue glow of the enzyme lucif-erase reports the presence of an invader.


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Foundation for Microbiology. He lectures at regional meet-ings of the ASM upon invitation and is the author of several books.

The American Academy of Microbiology (a select group of about 300 microbiologists elected from the 50,000 members of ASM) asked Miller to chair a colloquium of approximately 35 international scientists who are leaders in their various fields. The group will meet later this year in Charleston, South Carolina, to discuss such matters as the effect of ozone thinning and greenhouse gases on bacterial survival and nutrient cycling.

The group will develop a white paper setting forth its position on these issues. The scientists will send the position paper to Congress to help lawmakers make environmental decisions that could well affect our survival.

Carolyn Gonzales

The Earth’s ozone layer is thinnest over Antarctica, which means that bacteria in the region receive more expo-sure to ultraviolet light. Major changes to marine bacteria could have drastic consequences because they produce 50 percent of the world’s oxygen.

Miller’s research has a wide range of applications. In addition to its value in regard to environmental problems, it also can be applied to health issues. He recently studied the growing problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. He says that if antibiotic resistance in humans continues to increase, we will lose much of our ability to cure infec-tious diseases with antibiotics. He and his colleagues hope to uncover information that will help solve this potentially catastrophic problem.

Miller’s work is internationally recognized in the scien-tific community. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and was elected to the Waksman Founda-tion for Microbiology Lecture Program, a joint venture of the American Society of Microbiology and the Waksman

▲ Robert Miller calculates the intensity of bioluminescence of engi-neered bacteria, which indicates the levels of concentration of the invading organism.


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OSU veterinary scientists are collaborating with private industry specialists to develop faster, more accurate sensors of chemical and biological warfare agents.

What does veterinary science have to do with homeland security? “Very little,” you might say. But you’d be wrong.

Eighty years of studying animal diseases has put researchers in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine in a unique position to help with the current homeland security effort. The knowledge they’ve gained, coupled with sensor technology developed by Nomadics, Inc., a local firm that specializes in transforming emerging technologies into useful tools, will help first responders detect chemical and biological agents.

As early as the 1920s, well before the veterinary college was established in 1947, scientists and researchers were studying naturally occurring, disease-causing organisms. The researchers were fulfilling their land-grant mission by helping to protect animal and human health, as well as Oklahoma’s agricultural economy. Their work led to the development of new vaccines and to new ways to prevent and treat many diseases.

Today, the state and nation face additional challenges. The issue of providing protection from infectious diseases has taken on new meaning because of the threat of bioter-rorism.

Nomadics was aware of the expertise of the research scientists in the veterinary college. They approached the OSU researchers about conducting cooperative research to develop more accurate and faster sensors to detect chemical and biological agents. The OSU scientists took the challenge, and a rich collaborative relationship was born.

“A marriage of strengths” is the way one OSU researcher describes the relationship between the partners. OSU brings experience in working with disease-causing organisms, and Nomadics provides experience in sensor-technology development.

Nomadics has a strong track record of research and development. It has designed a number of sensors, including a land-mine detection system for the Department of Defense. This sensor provides a sensitivity of approximately 100 parts per quadrillion (a thousand multiplied by a trillion).

Collaborating for the HomelandAs impressive as that accomplishment may be, Nomadics researchers are improving the sensitivity of the sensor, moving toward a goal of one part or less per quadrillion.

The OSU/Nomadics cooperative venture gained momen-tum when the Department of Justice awarded a sizeable grant to the team through the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. This grant was quickly followed by grants from the Department of Defense, the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. Each agency and each grant supports different applications of sensor technology.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the research took on even greater urgency.

“We’re actually working on several related projects,” says Jerry Malayer, director of research and associate dean for graduate studies for the College of Veterinary Medicine. “You have different working needs for different sensor targets and environments.”

Malayer, a molecular biologist, says that if the goal is to detect anthrax in a building, a rapid, sensitive, and portable

▲ Jerry Malayer prepares samples for analysis, using fluorescence-based, real-time technlogy under development at OSU.


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system is needed. “If you’re trying to detect a pathogen in a food source in a processing plant, you’ll most likely take samples to the sensor. So it doesn’t have to be portable, but it still needs to be fast and extremely sensitive,” he adds. “If you’re trying to detect pathogens in water, then you have a different set of needs. We’re looking at, and working in, all these environments.”

In order to develop applications for the different needs and environments, a team with a wide range of disciplines is needed. Specialties of the OSU team members include pathobiology, immunology, pharmacology, toxicology, molecular biology, and genomics.

The OSU researchers’ experience in working with DNA sequence information enables them to help design the DNA or RNA probes that detect sequences unique to various organisms. Once unique stretches of the target organism’s DNA sequence have been identified, the probe is designed to complement that sequence. When the probe encounters the target bacteria, it binds with the unique part of the DNA sequence it matches, and the structural change causes the molecules tagged onto the probes to

fluoresce (emit light at a specific wavelength), indicating the presence of the target organism.

“We work as a team, and everyone brings a different piece of the puzzle to the table,” Malayer says. “We know the probes work. We know they are specific. Now we’re into the more technical engineering aspects of

design in coupling the probes to the polymer platforms and getting them to communicate.”

In addition to the potential it holds for national protec-tion and health, Malayer says the sensor research also has opened up new opportunities for graduate students. “We are developing expertise among the students in our lab in how to make these probes work, and how to develop the fluors and chemistries that are necessary to bring that about. We all work with the students in that respect.

“We believe we’re not just helping to develop new tech-nologies. We are also helping to develop people who will develop new technologies.”

Tom Johnston

“We work as a team and everyone brings a different piece of the puzzle to the table.” — Jerry Malayer

▲ Team members at a weekly planning and progress meeting. Clockwise from top: Jerry Malayer, Alain Stinzi, Ken Clinkenbeard, Tim Snider, faculty members in the OSU College of Veterinary Medicine ; Akhilesh Ramachandran and Nagaraja Thirumalapura, OSU graduate students; Jean Clarke and Brian Strecker, staff members at Nomadics.


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▲ Alan Apblett tests the power of a reagent to neutralize an explo-sive compound.

Homemade bombs—a distinguishing mark of terrorist activity—are contained in boxes, backpacks, and shoes. They are stashed in waste containers. They are loaded into cars and trucks.

They are not encased in protective shells, as are mili-tary bombs and landmines. It is this accessibility of the components that makes them vulnerable to a new approach to incapacitating such bombs.

OSU chemists Allen Apblett and Nick Materer are developing a process that neutralizes bombs by convert-ing the explosive materials into non-explosive compounds. They have created a number of chemical solutions, which they will test to determine the most effective.

They then will pressurize the solution for application. A spray device much like a fire extinguisher will be used to neutralize small bombs. To neutralize large bombs such as vehicle bombs, the solution will be pumped, the way water is dispensed from a fire truck.

Usually after a bomb is located, first responders must disarm it, remove it, or explode it in a controlled manner. It’s a dangerous operation under the best of circumstances, especially when bombs are booby-trapped to explode when they are moved or if they are handled incorrectly.

Neutralizing bombs will enable emergency response personnel to transport the device safely to an appropriate place for disposal. Apblett, the principal investigator, says, “ Rather than risk injury by moving a bomb that might be booby-trapped or by attempting to detonate it on-site, you can neutralize it right there and then transport it.”

The project is funded by the National Institute of Justice, through the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism. Apblett and Materer are collaborating with researchers from the University of Okla-homa and the University of Tulsa. The final product will be tested at Sandia National Laboratories.

Apblett says the research project grew out of his earlier work on groundwater decontamination. He developed reagents that could replace chlorine atoms in toxic chlorocarbons with hydrogen atoms, which made the pollutants relatively harmless. “Since most explosives have reactive groups that contain nitrogen and oxygen,” he says, “I speculated that the same reagents could be used to replace oxygen with hydrogen in explosive compounds, which would convert them into materials that could not be detonated.”

The chemists have developed two processes that work at high temperatures. They are now testing catalysts they developed to determine which ones best generate the re-quired reactions at ambient temperatures.

One process uses hydrogen-containing materials and catalysts to neutralize nitrogen- and oxygen-containing explosives such as TNT, dynamite, plastic explosive, and fertilizer bombs. The second decomposes military explosives by reacting them with organic amines (unpleasant-smell-ing derivatives of ammonia) and converts them to non-explosive materials that can be used in the manufacture of plastics.

The final version of the product will be scalable—the size will vary according to need. It can be contained in a small, portable kit that could become a standard part of an emergency team’s equipment. But when necessary, it can be used on a larger scale to render harmless a car or truck bomb.

Maurer and Apblett know their job will not be finished when they deliver their final report to the Institute. In fact, it has only begun. They must obtain funding to enable them to further develop the product to the commercial stage and then find a manufacturer so it can become a part of the first responder’s bag of tools.

Apblett says, “We think the first step for our process is for use in counter-terrorism, but we also see a use for this in the military and for environmental decontamination. The Department of Defense must destroy very large quantities of old explosives and detonate badly corroded missiles and bombs that cannot be opened. Our process could provide a safer and more environmentally friendly alternative.”

Shari Dunn

Vanquishing Terrorists’ Bombs

Since childhood, Brandon Reese has been fascinated by grid-like structures, and the present focus of his large-scale ceramic art refl ects that fascination. His work is truly large scale: A single sculpture may encompass as many as 20 pieces, reach 9 feet in height, and weigh 1,500 pounds.

While not limited to grids, his sculptures—dubbed “Reese’s Pieces” by his students—are impressive not only because of their mass and visual appeal, but because of the intangibles they express. An assistant professor of art, Reese says they are a study in relationship, depict-ing the interactions that play important roles in the development of an individual.

He says the combina-tion of parts in his sculptures reveals his intrigue with the elements of a relationship that connect people and enable them to function as a unit yet maintain their own individuality. His complex structures portray the dynamics of the interaction of his twin children as well as that of his wife and himself.

“My work represents my belief that the best part of life is the process and that true success comes when you can wear with beauty and grace all the marks left by life, allowing them to become a part of you and to serve as a memento of where you came from and how you got to where you are,” Reese says. “The pieces I make wear the fi ngerprints, cuts, dents, and other texturing as a

roadmap and documenta-tion of their creation.”

Shari Dunn

“… true success comes when you can wear with beauty and grace all the marks left by life…” — Brandon Reese

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Reese’s Pieces

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