FAU awarded US EPA grant to integrate genetics in Florida bay sponge restoration
Grant and Award Announcement
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 2-Jan-2026 12:11 ET (2-Jan-2026 17:11 GMT/UTC)
The project will transform sponge restoration in Florida Bay using advanced genetic tools to build ecological resilience. By analyzing genetic diversity in four key sponge species, the research aims to strengthen restoration efforts that currently rely on clonal transplants with limited adaptive potential. This marks the first genetic assessment of sponge recovery in the region, with broad implications for ecosystem health and fisheries. Sponges are essential to water quality, habitat structure, and the survival of economically important species like the spiny lobster.
In a groundbreaking new study published in Nature Communications, researchers from the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome (Crnic Institute) at the University of Colorado Anschutz discovered important differences in the physiological changes observed in over 300 individuals with Down syndrome across the lifespan.
Biomedical engineers at Duke University have developed a platform that combines automated wet lab techniques with artificial intelligence (AI) to design nanoparticles for drug delivery. The approach could help researchers deliver difficult-to-encapsulate therapeutics more efficiently and effectively.