Four genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB) students received Sui-Tong Chan Fung Fund Travel awards in fall 2020 and spring 2021. The recipients are Mark Bouska, Emmanuel Nsamba, Pallavi Sinha-Roy and Vaishali Todi.

The Fung award recognizes excellence in the pursuit of genetics research and study. It is made possible because of the generosity of Mr. Hon Pon Fung, who in 1981 established an endowment at Iowa State University in memory of his wife, Dr. Sui-Tong Chan Fung. Mrs. Fung loved genetics and worked for many years in the laboratory of Dr. William Welshons of the Department of Genetics.

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.”

Like other faculty at Iowa State University, Jelena Kraft and Carly Manz from genetics, development and cell biology (GDCB) originally thought they would be converting two weeks’ worth of lessons after spring break 2020 to online classes. Things were constantly changing with COVID-19, however, and two weeks quickly became the rest of the spring 2020 semester and then more.

Kraft and Manz reflect on those early days of switching in-person classes to online ones in the July 2021 issue of BioCY News.