developing new GCE technology needed by industry and also training students in GCE — then we match them up so they can explore this space together.” As the center continues to expand regular workshops and develop further partnerships with startup biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, Mehl and collaborators are fulfilling their dream of making GCE accessible to all. An ‘immune system’ for cities As the early days of the pandemic demonstrated, cities can struggle to stop the momentum of a spreading disease. Armed with community input and lessons learned over the past four years, a multidisciplinary team of researchers at OSU is designing city-scale feedback loops to act as a kind of immune system for a population as a whole. “We believe future cities will give people access to real-time local data on infection risk,” said ecologist Benjamin Dalziel, project leader. “You’ll be able to use that information in your daily life, like how you use a weather report. The more people do that, the slower the spread will be.” The project is supported by $1M from the NSF through its Predictive Intelligence for Pandemic Prevention Program and began in 2022 with workshops in cities across Oregon. “One key that communities stressed was the importance of sharing timely data between different groups and organizations — much like how different systems in the body communicate to mount an immune response,” said team member Katherine McLaughlin, an applied statistician. The researchers aim to establish a center at OSU that combines mathematical and computational modeling with engineering, public health and public engagement. The Center for Pandemic-Resilient Cities will prototype city-scale feedback loops that link environmental monitoring with epidemic forecasting and communication, so responders won’t have to play catchup after an outbreak. “Human systems, like cities, can be very good at making things ‘go viral,’” Dalziel said. “Using mathematics, engineering and community engagement, we can develop systems that make helpful responses go viral, too.” Unraveling the gut-brain connection Microbiologist Maude David studies the intricate relationship between the gut microbiome and the brain, focusing on decoding the microbiome’s impact on human health. Her research addresses critical gaps in understanding the mechanisms through which gut microbes influence neurological outcomes in brain function and behavior, particularly concerning Autism Spectrum Disorder and anxiety. Her contributions to bioinformatics and microbial ecology include developing new computational tools for handling large-scale sequencing data, which are invaluable in advancing our understanding of microbial communities in health and disease. This work could lead to new therapeutic avenues for mental health conditions with currently limited options. Gut bacteria have known impacts on anxiety — C. jejuni (pink, curvy) increases it, while B. longum (yellow, long) and L. helveticus (blue, pronged) reduce it. Maude David (far right) and her lab investigate the mechanisms between microbes and human anxiety. IMPACT FALL 2024 9
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