IUPUI Physicist Lands Two Major Grants

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An assistant professor of physics at IUPUI has received two large grants in support of his cellular and molecular research. The National Science Foundation has awarded Steve Pressé a $1 million CAREER award and the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative has awarded a $360,000 grant.

The five-year CAREER award, the NSF’s most prestigious award given to junior faculty, will allow Pressé to continue to research how communication occurs within living cells. He will also use the funds to develop an interactive summer camp program for elementary school students and a new IUPUI biophysics course.

IUPUI says the summer camp program, known as Bacteria Serengeti, will take place at the Indianapolis Zoo. "K-6 students will learn about predators and prey moving rapidly from the macro (lions and gazelles) to the microscopic with a focus on how bacterial predators and prey communicate," the university says.

With the funding from the DOD initiative, Pressé will continue his research focusing on how molecular motors work.