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Thanks to three major grants, College of Arts and Science (CAS) faculty are leading groundbreaking research in lake ecosystems, membrane proteins, and tissue regeneration — advancing knowledge that could help shape the future of science.

Since last July, CAS researchers have secured over $8 million in funding to fuel high-impact projects. From tracking how environmental shifts disrupt freshwater systems to unraveling the critical functions of cell membranes and cracking the code on lens tissue regeneration, these studies are among more than 80 funded projects driving scientific innovation at CAS.

“Our faculty consistently earn major grants from top agencies like the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Ohio Department of Mental Health,” said Renee Baernstein, dean of CAS. “It’s thrilling to see them push the boundaries of discovery, strengthening CAS and ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s reputation as research powerhouses worthy of recognition.”

Here’s more about the three major projects that are helping to build momentum this year.

Revealing secrets in thriving lake ecosystems

First off in 2025 was freshwater ecologist and assistant professor of Biology Lesley Knoll ​​01, Ph.D. ’11, who along with professors of Statistics Jing Zhang and Thomas Fisher received a new grant for more than $257,110 from the National Science Foundation to study lakes in Pennsylvania. This grant is part of the NSF’s Long Term Research in Environmental Biology (NSF LTREB) funding.

Knoll and Fisher are also part of a team of researchers led by emeriti professor of Biology Michael Vanni that recently received its fifth NSF LTREB grant in late 2024 — nearly $640,000 — in support of long-term research at Acton Lake, a reservoir in Oxford, Ohio.

Knoll's research focuses on drivers of lake dynamics and aquatic-watershed connections. She was named a 2024 Fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) and is one of 12 ASLO members recently recognized for their contributions to the aquatic sciences during the 2025 Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, on March 27.

Gary Lorigan in his lab with his student research team.

Unlocking potential discoveries within membrane proteins 

Gary Lorigan, chair of Chemistry and Biochemistry and University Distinguished Professor, has received several research grants from the NIH and NSF to study the structural and dynamic properties of integral membrane proteins. His most recent award, continued support from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, amounts to nearly $350,000 for his project entitled "EPR Spectroscopic Studies of Membrane Proteins."

Membrane proteins make up approximately one-third of the total number of proteins. They are responsible for many important properties and functions of biological systems, such as transporting ions and molecules across the membrane, acting as receptors, and playing roles in the assembly, fusion, and structure of cells and viruses. 

“Despite the abundance and clear importance of these membrane proteins and peptides, only a minute amount of information regarding these systems exists,” Lorigan said.

Katia Del-Rio Tsonis with students in her research lab.

Decoding the mysteries of tissue regeneration

Finally, professors of Biology Michael Robinson and Katia Del Rio-Tsonis were awarded more than $214,000 from the National Eye Institute for their project, "Utilizing the Chicken Embryo to Decode the Transcriptional Regulation of FOXE3." 

In their individual labs, both Robinson and Del Rio-Tsonis focus on development and regeneration of ocular tissues. Robinson is investigating the role of a transcription factor called FOXE3, which is essential for lens development in all vertebrate animals. Mutations in FOXE3 are responsible for human ocular conditions ranging from cataracts to microphthalmia (small dysfunctional eyes). Del Rio-Tsonis specializes in using chick embryos as models for vertebrate retina regeneration and eye development. 

“Together, our laboratories will use the strengths of the chick embryo system to understand how the FOXE3 gene is regulated, and in the process, develop gene editing tools to make the chick lens a more genetically manipulable system for wider studies of eye development,” Robinson said.