The Iowa State University Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) awarded $100,000 in 2024 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grant program (PIRS) funding to support university scholars exploring novel approaches to genomics studies and metabolic dysfunction.

Established in 2017, the PIRS program is administered by the OVPR and supported with funds from the Office of the President and an endowment from the Mary G. Miller estate. The annual award is given to support university faculty members pursuing initiatives that are innovative, high-risk, and high reward, with an interdisciplinary focus and strong potential for external funding.

Jeffrey Essner, professor of genetics, development and cell biology, and Young-Jin Lee, professor of chemistry, make up one of the teams. They were awarded $50,000 from the institutional funding to investigate the use of mass spectrometry imaging as an innovative tool to study the metabolic activity of zebrafish embryos. 

Discover more in the Office of the Vice President for Research article, "2024 Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grants Awarded," by Caitlin Ware.