Our Progress

An ISU primatologist is reserving five research slots in the Kenyan outback for students every summer for five years. There, they conduct paid field research on baboons, which could open doors to graduate school and research careers.

A mechanical engineering team’s “placenta on a chip” concept has drawn NSF funding support. The three-year Mid-Career Advancement grant moves forward their research into how medicines and nutrients cross the placental barrier between mother and fetus.

This plant pathology duo’s popular podcast uses humor to answer serious questions about the weeds, insects and diseases that threaten Iowa’s crops. “We want to catch their attention, and then we hope they will learn something on subjects they may not otherwise be all that interested in,” said extension specialist Adam Sisson, who transforms into know-it-all professor Sebastian Eugene Bartholomew for the YouTube series.

Researchers from Iowa State and the University of California, Santa Barbara, will work together to fundamentally change the capabilities of light-based 3D printing. They’ll study single resins that can create different properties — such as stiffness — when exposed to different light wavelengths. The project is one of 37 funded by the National Science Foundation as part of a $72.5 million investment to “create novel materials to address grand societal challenges and develop the scientific and engineering workforce of tomorrow.”

Salmonella bacteria cause an estimated 1.35 million infections and 420 deaths in the U.S. every year. Biochemistry major Braden Lewis has been researching a solution to lower those numbers since his first year at Iowa State. One approach, cold plasma, preserves food quality and doesn’t fuel microbial resistance, but takes time. He’s figured out how to cut the process nearly in half.

Animal nutritionist Garland Dahlke writes software used every day in every state by farmers and ranchers looking to raise healthy production animals and improve their bottom line. It’s a unique skill set.

No one would have blamed Maia Farber had she taken a leave of absence from her veterinary coursework after she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2021, but she was determined to pursue her dream of becoming a small-animal surgeon. Now that dream has come true. The demands of vet school proved challenging, but Farber said she made it through the first few semesters with help from faculty, clinicians and fellow students. Faculty worked with her on scheduling classwork and exams, and her classmates helped her study and kept her spirits up with care packages.

A weekend job for environmental engineering grad student Daria Dilparic turned into a spot on the team that tests the safety of Ames drinking water — the provider of water to campus.

More than 3 million Americans suffer from inflammatory bowel diseases such as Chron’s disease and ulcerative colitis. While there are treatments available, they tend to be short-term, with patients developing resistance to the drugs. To improve treatments, Iowa State researchers are designing self-assembling nanoparticles that carry drugs and naturally target inflamed colons. The nanoparticles could deliver relief to those who suffer from the diseases.

Last summer, to jump-start the new nine-year strategic plan, priority projects received investments totaling $10.5 million to make an almost immediate impact. Seven months in, project leaders reported to the campus community on their progress, including outcomes and timelines.