Idaho State University pharmacy department gets $393,000 federal grant

Idaho State University’s Pharmacy Department has received a $393,426 grant for equipment to help researchers study cancer and diabetes among other projects, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced.

By Steven Friederich – Journal Writer

Christopher Daniels, chair of the Pharmaceuticals Sciences Department, administers the grant for the university. Daniels applied for the funds more than a year ago and learned about winning the grant last week, but has yet to receive the money.

He said the funding would be used to purchase high speed centrifuges, which use centrifugal force to separate sub-cellular components and an inverted deconvolution fluorescent microscope, which allows researchers to take 3-D images of tissues, cells and cultures.

Two faculty members are studying the body’s reaction to drug addiction and alcohol and would use the 3-D microscope to study the complexities of certain cellular structures, Daniels said.

He added that another researcher would use the 3-D microscope to study diabetes and glucose metabolism. The microscope helps the university create a human culture model demonstrating the body’s muscle structure.

"We would then be able to tell what’s going on inside the body’s cells during diabetic reactions," Daniels said. "The sort of model we’re looking at creating, frankly, just doesn’t exist yet and would be the first of its kind."

Daniels said scientists would use the new equipment to increase ISU’s cancer research and, possibly, create new drugs.

Research will also be done on the central nervous system and how it functions. Specifically, scientists will examine what drugs function best in certain nerve diseases, Daniels said.

Steven Friederich is a county, state and federal political reporter for the Journal. He can be reached at (208) 239-6001 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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