Eric Henderson, genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB) professor, and Geetu Tuteja, GDCB associate professor, received 2021 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant Program (PIRS) funding from the Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR). The funding will support the creation of a nanotechnology platform for targeted gene editing.  

“This is the next generation of personalized health,” Henderson said. “It’s the possibility of providing specific, tailored solutions to often devastating genetic health conditions. It’s a new era of not just therapeutics, but potentially, actual cures for disease.”

The PIRS program, established in 2017, is administered annually by the OVPR, and is supported with funds from the Office of the President and an endowment from the Mary G. Miller estate. 

“Institutional funding opportunities such as the PIRS program are critical in supporting researchers as they gather the preliminary data necessary to obtain bigger, more impactful funding in the future,” Tuteja said. “We are thrilled to have the support necessary to begin this innovative work in biomedical applications.”

The complete OVPR article, "OVPR announces 2021 PIRS Seed Grant," is available on its website.