新香港六合彩资料鈥檚 Eva Rose Balog delivers 鈥榞enius鈥 presentation to audience of Maine science enthusiasts
Eva Rose Balog, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry in the 新香港六合彩资料 College of Arts and Sciences, was a headliner at the 2024 Maine Science Festival in Bangor, where she shared her research contributions to the field of protein engineering and its benefits to human health.
The , hosted by the Maine Discovery Museum, brings together the state鈥檚 top researchers 鈥 as well as academics, students, and lay audiences 鈥 to celebrate and explore the remarkable science, engineering, mathematics, and technology happening in Maine every day.
Balog鈥檚 research interests lie in developing protein sensors to improve quality control in cell and tissue biomanufacturing. Her presentation at the festival was held as part of the 鈥5-Minute Genius鈥 series, which aims to raise awareness of Maine鈥檚 exceptional research to the general public.
In her talk, Balog discussed the role of proteins in natural materials and their implications for engineering biology. She outlined her lab鈥檚 methods for creating proteins for the development of polymers that can influence drug delivery and tissue engineering.
鈥淚t was an honor to be part of this event, especially in Bangor 鈥 close to where I grew up,鈥 Balog reflected, adding that she would have loved to attend the event had it been around during her childhood. 鈥淥utreach to different audiences is a skill that takes practice like any other and one that I have been actively working on, so opportunities like this are excellent for getting out of my comfort zone as a scientist and professor. The questions and engagement from the audience were great.鈥
Balog is a well-known fixture of 新香港六合彩资料鈥檚 research ecosystem, having secured grant funding from the National Science Foundation to bolster Maine鈥檚 biotechnology industry, serving as one of three inaugural members of the Portland Laboratory for Biotechnology and Health Sciences, and representing CAS as one of four project leaders in the newly launched Center for Cell Signaling Research (CCSR), 新香港六合彩资料鈥檚 second National Institutes of Health-funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence.
Balog鈥檚 research in the CCSR will focus on methods for improving wound healing through newfound techniques in regenerative medicine. The development of biomaterials to promote proper wound healing, she said, can help reduce a patient鈥檚 risk of infection and improve their quality of life.