The U.S. Congress has appropriated $5.4 million in Department of Defense funds to three University of Nebraska Medical Center projects that support bioterrorism preparedness and biomedical technology. The congressional appropriation is the largest ever to UNMC.
Approved Friday, the Department of Defense appropriations to UNMC included $1.8 million for developing personal protection gear against infectious agents; $1.35 million for rapid identification of biological warfare agents; and $2.25 million for robotic telesurgery research.
“UNMC is on the cutting edge of medical technology research that will help save lives on the battlefields around the world and here at home,” said Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which authorized the funding. “This innovative research will benefit the U.S. military, the general population and enhance our national security and deserves federal support. I am pleased to have the opportunity to work with UNMC’s leadership to advance these projects and continue this groundbreaking research in Nebraska.”
UNMC has received national and international recognition for its bioterrorism preparedness efforts, said UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., who lauded the work of Sen. Nelson, Sen. Chuck Hagel and Rep. Lee Terry. “We attribute our success in getting these congressionally-directed projects to the leadership shown by the Nebraska delegation. These projects will benefit all Nebraskans, here and abroad.”
The $1.8 million appropriation will support a collaborative relationship between UNMC and 3M Corporation to conduct research and development of effective, portable and lightweight personal protection masks, which will protect against infectious diseases. UNMC scientists will provide the infectious disease expertise for the masks and other devices, while 3M provides the microfiltration expertise.
“This project combines the outstanding developmental research capabilities of 3M corporation with our expertise in virology and prevention of human disease,” said Steven Hinrichs, M.D., professor and director, University of Nebraska Center for Biosecurity. Dr. Hinrichs will lead the UNMC research teams in the development of personal protection gear against infectious agents and the rapid identification of biological warfare agents.
The $1.3 million appropriation for rapid identification of biological warfare agents will help UNMC develop essential tools necessary for rapidly identifying such agents as anthrax and neurotoxins. Developing such tools will save lives by reducing exposure and preventing the spread of infectious agents. The Department of Defense has worked closely with UNMC researchers to target certain agents for identification, and UNMC researchers have investigated various methods for developing the tools, which later would be returned to the Department of Defense for implementation.
UNMC also received $2.25 million to further refine the development of miniature, wireless robots for telesurgery in combat environments. The project, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and UNL’s Shane Farritor, Ph.D., associate professor, department of mechanical engineering, is to further define a family of remotely-operated robots that can be placed entirely within the abdominal cavity by a medic at the injury site. Within moments, the device would provide diagnostic, imaging and ultimately, surgical capabilities to a remote surgeon, who would be able to perform basic, but critical care.
“This project is significant for battlefield conditions because advances
with these miniaturized robots may make it possible to deliver expert
medical care from a remote site,” said Dmitry Oleynikov, M.D., director of minimally invasive surgery at UNMC and co-designer of the robots. “Currently, medics are only permitted to give basic life-saving care, but immediate surgical
treatment is often required. Such care currently requires the on-site
physical presence of sophisticated medical teams and infrastructure which
makes surgery in battlefield conditions impractical. We’re optimistic that
this technology can revolutionize the way care is delivered to our
military.”
“These congressionally-directed projects complement our research activity and help us build critical programs at a time of tremendous growth,” said Thomas Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research. “It also further strengthens our work in bioterrorism preparedness, which benefits the entire nation.”
Dr. Rosenquist acknowledged the role Sen. Nelson and the Armed Services Committee had in authorizing the projects, saying their “seal of approval” increased the likelihood of Congressional funding.
The $5.4 million in Department of Defense appropriations is a record for UNMC, said Renee Fry, director of government relations at UNMC, topping the $3 million received in 2003. “One of the major factors of this year’s success was the high quality of proposals submitted by our investigators,” Fry said. “Not only were our proposals of sound science, they also were of great interest to the Department of Defense as they have the potential to truly benefit soldiers in the field.”
Fry also credited the work of the Nebraska delegation staff. “They helped us shape our proposals with valuable suggestions and insight and really went to bat for us throughout the process,” she said.