Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry in Toxicology and Environmental Sciences Research and Education Programs
Abstract
The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 and the Department of Defense (DoD) Appropriations Act for 2016 allocated $28M to assist Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI). The program aims to (a) enhance research programs and capabilities in scientific and engineering disciplines critical to the national security functions of DoD; (b) enhance the capacity of HBCU/MI to participate in defense research programs and activities; and (c) increase the number of graduates, including underrepresented minorities, in fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) that are important to the defense mission. The FY 2016 DoD HBCU/MI Research and Education Program Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) solicited proposals from single investigators at HBCUs and MIs for the acquisition equipment and instrumentation in scientific areas important to one or more the three defense research offices, namely: Army Research Office (ARO); Office of Naval Research (ONR); and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). All equipment/instrument grant awards made under this program will have a 12-month performance period. The purpose of this proposal is to seek a matching fund to acquire a liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSMS) instrument for John Jay College, a senior college within the City University of New York and a Minority-Serving Institution, to enhance its research capabilities and improve its educational program. LC-MSMS is an analytical technique of increasing interest in the fields of clinical, forensic and environmental chemistry/toxicology as reflected by the fast growing number of applications and publications. A LC-MSMS instrument is critical to achieve the two main objectives proposed by this work: (1) performing cutting-edge research in human performance toxicology and environmental chemistry, and (2) enhancing John JayÕs science program with student-centered research and through teaching and training of students with this state-of-art technology. Research projects in human performance toxicology will focus on studying new biomarkers and alternative samples to detect human performance impairment, which is directly relevant to AFSOR research interests. Environmental chemistry projects will develop and validate screening and determination methods for different types of pollutants, which include warfare agents and illicit drugs in aqueous and soil media, as reflected in ARO research goals. The LC-MSMS instrument will be used for master thesis projects and undergraduate research, which includes John Jay PRISM (Program for Research Initiatives in Science and Math) and research internships. This instrument will also be used in teaching undergraduate and graduate lab courses in analytical toxicology and chemistry. Students will perform experiments where drugs of abuse or explosives will be extracted from biological or environmental samples, and subsequently analyzed by LC-MSMS. Students will learn how LC-MSMS instrument works, how to perform analysis, and how to interpret the obtained data. Students will be engaged in learning science through hands-on experience, critical thinking and problem-solving practices. As faculty members in the largest 4-year Hispanic-Serving institution in the Northeast, we are committed to increase the number of minority graduates and educating and preparing a highly competent and diverse workforce for careers in STEM fields. This is an exceptional opportunity to leverage resources to enable leading-edge chemical and toxicological research and science education in fields of interests to national security and the defense mission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 18, 2017
- Source ID
- W911NF1610430
Entities
People
- Marta Concheiro-guisan
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- Research Foundation of The City University of New York