December 4, 2019 – The National Institute of General Medical Sciences has awarded FIU’s Biomolecular Sciences Institute $1.6 million to develop rapid diagnosis and improved treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
College of Arts, Sciences & Education biochemist Francisco Fernandez-Lima is leading a team of researchers in the development of analytical solutions and instrumentation that could be used in liquid biopsies to detect epigenetic biomarkers for diseases including cancer. Epigenetics is a rapidly growing field of science that explores how living organisms interact and respond to their environment.
“This instrument could bring us one step closer to truly personalized medicine,” Fernandez-Lima said. “With this grant we could build the next generation of technology for the study of protein modification.”
Chromosomal proteins hold the key to DNA, which is the recipe for all living things. Each cell has a DNA molecule enclosed within its nucleus, containing the entirety of an organism’s genetic information. However, like with any recipe, not all that information is required at the same time. Most DNA remains tightly packaged in chromosomes until specific pieces of information are needed to do a job including fighting infections. As proteins are exposed to environmental factors, they can develop markers for disease or immunity.
The instrument Fernandez-Lima and his team are working on can help identify and measure specific information of every individual and disease state.
“This new instrument will help oncologists make rapid diagnosis and personalized treatment decisions for the individual cancer patient,” said Director of the Biomolecular Sciences Institute Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh.
Fernandez-Lima’s research projects involve multiple disciplines, including medicine, chemistry and biology. His laboratory focuses on the development of new diagnostics tools, as well as the evaluation of long-term therapeutic effects.
About FIU:
Florida International University is Miami’s public research university. FIU is focused on student success. According to U.S. News and World Report, FIU has 35 programs in the top 100 in the nation among public universities, including 15 in the top 50. FIU is a top U.S. research university with more than $200 million in annual expenditures and is designated as an “Emerging Preeminent State Research University” by the Florida Board of Governors. FIU ranks 15th in the nation among public universities for patent production, which drives innovation, and is one of the institutions that helps make Florida the top state for higher education. The Next Horizon fundraising campaign is furthering FIU’s commitment to providing students Worlds Ahead opportunities. Today, FIU has two campuses and multiple centers, and supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA, with more than 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. The university has awarded more than 330,000 degrees to many leaders in South Florida and beyond. For more information about FIU, visit www.fiu.edu.
