Microorganisms become impervious to such treatments when they encounter snippets of DNA called antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and incorporate them into their own genetic material, often receiving them from other bacteria. ARGs are exchanged in environments where bacteria come into close contact with one another: runoff from farms, running water, and sewage. An emerging challenge for public health is tracking and treating ARGs in wastewater.

“Antibiotic resistance is a big issue; it doesn't see borders and it potentially impacts all of us,” said Kyle Bibby, the Keating-Crawford Collegiate Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. “We all benefit from strong monitoring of ARGs.”

Bibby’s research group designs systems for monitoring and quantifying biological materials, including ARGs, in liquid waste. A recent study published by Bibby’s research group—with support from the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (BIPH)—explores the effectiveness of a novel indicator for tracking the presence of common ARGs throughout the treatment process for wastewater.

“In order to keep ARGs from spreading and bestowing antibiotic resistance on their hosts, we can start by making sure they’re being treated properly in wastewater,” said Bibby, who leads the Genomics & Environmental Research in Microbiology (GERM) Lab in the College of Engineering. “Traditional treatment plants don’t target ARGs, and targeting begins with tracking.”

Since ARGs are small pieces of genetic material, they can move through waterways independent of a living host, freewheeling until they are snatched up by passing bacteria. At any given time, thousands of important ARGs could be present in wastewater systems.

“ARGs are incredibly diverse, and there are thousands of potentially important ones,” Bibby said. “How important varies depending on the host class, and it’s not realistic to simultaneously monitor for thousands of genes on the level of a municipal plant.”

The study, published in the journal ACS ES&T Water, examines the efficacy of a new broad-class indicator for tracking the general presence of ARGs wastewater.

The indicator of interest is a plasmid—a little slice of DNA—called pBI143. Recently, pBI143 was flagged by researchers at the University of Chicago as being more plentiful in the human gut than previously realized. Bibby’s group selected it as a promising candidate for its human specificity and abundance.

“Traditional wastewater treatment does reduce ARGs to a certain extent, but using a tracker like pBI143 helps us to really visualize at what stage ARGs are reduced while also estimating how much ARG material is leftover at the end of the whole treatment cycle,” said Bethany Oceguera Johnson, co-lead author and 2026 doctoral graduate from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. “From there, new treatments can be piloted and their effectiveness can be tracked.”

Oceguera Johnson and co-author Marlee Shaffer, who received her doctorate from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences in 2025, worked with a wastewater treatment plant in northern Indiana to collect wastewater samples at various stages in the treatment cycle, screening them for specific ARGs and indicators along the way. They tracked pBI143 levels alongside three widely used indicators for fecal matter, as well as a group of ARGs selected for their clinical and agricultural importance.

The researchers found that the amount of pBI143 in the samples at each collection point most closely correlated with the levels of selected ARGs. This is the first study to explore pBI143 as a dedicated indicator for ARGs.

“If we know that we're reducing pBI143, we can then use that information to say we've reduced our antibiotic resistance by a certain amount,” Shaffer, the co-lead author, explained. “But testing for multiple genes is time consuming and costly, so having just one marker to show how efficient a treatment plant is at removing ARGs is less taxing on the individual municipality.”

Bibby’s research group is now working on a dedicated assay for pBI143 detection, which would be of use in field testing of wastewater and runoff for ARGs as a category. This marks the first phase of research Bibby is undertaking with support from the BIPH-led Notre Dame Biothreat Surveillance, Containment, & Operational Preparedness Engine (ND-BIOSCOPE). Intended to strengthen global health resilience, ND-BIOSCOPE announced its inaugural round of awardees, including Bibby, in early 2026 — advancing Notre Dame’s contributions to next-generation sensor technologies, artificial intelligence-driven analytics, biosurveillance networks, and rapid therapeutic countermeasure development pipelines.

“BIOSCOPE is taking a holistic approach to the globally important challenge of emerging biological threats,” said Matthew Webber, the Keating-Crawford Collegiate Professor of Engineering, ND-BIOSCOPE’s principal investigator, and acting director of BIPH. “By supporting innovative approaches to antibiotic resistance, novel sensors, and enhanced surveillance networks, our researchers can build capacity in the areas of greatest need.”

ND-BIOSCOPE is a cross-disciplinary initiative led by BIPH, in collaboration with the Notre Dame Sensor Initiative, Warren Center for Drug Discovery, Remote Emerging Disease Intelligence Network (REDI-NET), and the Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) initiative. Working with partners from the College of Science and College of Engineering, Bibby intends to develop two integrated, high-throughput analytical platforms based on proprietary nanoparticle technology: the first for environmental disease surveillance via wastewater, and the second to screen and detect immune signatures of infection and latent viruses.

“Instead of needing a fancy lab to run this, an assay would let us detect pBI143—and, therefore, ARGs—in the field,” said Bibby, who is an affiliate of Notre Dame’s Eck Institute for Global Health and Environmental Change Initiative. “It would also enable us to more effectively track ARGs in other countries that are less likely than the United States to have centralized wastewater treatment facilities.”

Overall, having better tools for measuring the presence of ARGs in water systems worldwide will enable the reduction of free-floating genetic material from the environment, and, ultimately, a reduction in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.

“Antibiotic resistance is a public health threat and a growing one,” Shaffer said. “Projections show that by 2050, about 10 million deaths will be either directly attributed to antibiotic resistance or associated with it, which is about a 70 percent increase from what we are currently seeing in the medical field.”

“10 to 15 years ago antibiotic resistance was often considered almost too complicated to tackle, but our work with pBI143 shows that the field is capable of finding actionable solutions,” added Bibby.

At the intersection of public health and environmental engineering, Bibby and his research group have found a supportive partner in BIPH.

“I’m really appreciative that BIPH recognizes the importance of environmental work,” Bibby said. “Some might find it odd that an environmental engineer is involved with BIPH, but diving in, one can appreciate how understanding the spread of antibiotic resistance is critical for the field of precision health.”

Shaffer, now a postdoctoral scholar at Carnegie Mellon University, was supported by a Berry Family Foundation Graduate Fellowship from BIPH. The annual fellowship funds two outstanding graduate students at the University who are investigating issues of high interest to the Institute, and supported Shaffer’s work on the pBI143 study from the formulation of the research question to publication.

“I think we’re just scratching the surface of antibiotic resistance, especially in terms of what we can do now with more advanced molecular detection,” Shaffer said. “There are so many important future research ideas that will change how we manage the impact that antibiotic resistance is having on our clinicians and our health systems.”

Shaffer was also involved as Vice President of the BIPH Graduate Student Group, and helped to plan the Institute’s Annual Symposium.

“The hands-on experience I gained while planning the symposium has proven invaluable in my next phase as a postdoctoral scholar and working towards a career in academia,” Shaffer said. “I’m grateful to BIPH for the support and formation I received during my years as a graduate student.”

Contact

Erin Fennessy Lawlor / Writing Program Manager

Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

erin.lawlor@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183

research.nd.edu / linkedin.com/company/undresearch

About Notre Dame Research

The University of Notre Dame is a leading global Catholic research university located in South Bend, Indiana (USA). Inspired by its Catholic mission and founder Rev. Edward Sorin, C.S.C.’s vision for the University to be “one of the most powerful means for doing good” in the world, Notre Dame’s faculty and students pursue globally significant research, scholarship, and creative endeavor that advances discovery, fosters innovation, and drives lasting positive impact. For more information, please visit NDR's website or NDR's LinkedIn.

Originally published by Erin Fennessy Lawlor at precisionhealth.nd.edu on August 13, 2026.

Six of the fellows will join as part of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, a university-wide initiative that supports highly motivated scholars dedicated to research in service to the common good. One of the seven fellows will work with Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS), a joint initiative of the College of Engineering and College of Science that advances human health and wellness through interdisciplinary biomedical research and training.

“Postdoctoral scholars bring fresh ideas, rigorous training, and a collaborative spirit to the College,” said Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of Engineering and professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences at the University of Notre Dame. “Their research will help us address society’s most urgent challenges with greater effectiveness and fairness.”

These fellowship programs support early-career scientists and engineers who demonstrate exceptional promise and propose bold approaches to solving complex problems in engineering and applied sciences.

Each fellow is paired with a primary research mentor from the College of Engineering and receives a competitive stipend, along with funding for independent research, training and professional development.

Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows

Mingzhe Li

Ph.D., University of Utah
Advisor, Erin Chambers, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

“I will be advancing the development of techniques in topological data analysis (TDA) and combining TDA with optimal transport, interdisciplinary applications, and high-performance computing for visualization and other scientific problems.”

Claire Rubbelke

Ph.D., Syracuse University
Advisor, Melissa Berke, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences

“My work is centered around studying the past in order to prepare for future climate change. I use a combination of organic biogeochemical proxies and climate models to study past hydroclimate change in Southern Africa.”

Vishal Sharma

Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology
Advisor, Karla Badillo-Urquiola, Department of Computer Science and Engineering

“My research guides the responsible—human-centered, ethical, and sustainable—development, deployment, and use of AI-enabled systems in work-related contexts, focusing on their sociopolitical and environmental implications.”

Great Umenweke

Ph.D., University of Kentucky
Advisor, Jason Hicks, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

“My research focuses on the synthesis and design of site-directed multifunctional catalytic materials for biomass and waste valorization, as well as biomass-mediated CO₂ conversion into valuable fuels and chemicals.”

Joey Jiayao Wang

Ph.D., The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Advisor, Ahsan Kareem, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences

“I will take an interdisciplinary approach at the intersection of meteorology and civil engineering to quantify the risk of typhoon-induced hazard to buildings within the context of climate change, and to develop optimized disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.”

Feng Xie

Ph.D., Rutgers University
Advisor, Ruilan Guo, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

“My postdoctoral research will focus on developing advanced porous membranes for efficient gas separations, particularly for hydrogen separation and carbon capture.”

Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) Fellow

Yechan Noh

Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Advisor, Huibin Chang, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering

“I design advanced biomimetic devices for brain-inspired computing as well as bio-inspired sensing and separation. Using state-of-the-art computer simulations, my work translates the molecular-level operating principles of living systems into engineered devices.”

The Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows Program funds up to 18 two-year postdoctoral scholar appointments annually—six each in the colleges of Science, Engineering, and Arts & Letters.
Applications are currently being accepted for next year.
The deadline is December 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm EST.

—Karla Cruise, Notre Dame Engineering

A cross-disciplinary initiative of the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (BIPH), ND Sensor Initiative (NDSI), the Warren Center for Drug Discovery, and Remote Emerging Disease Intelligence Network (REDI-NET), ND-BIOSCOPE aims to build capacity in next-generation sensor technologies, artificial intelligence-driven analytics, biosurveillance networks, and rapid therapeutic countermeasure development pipelines to strengthen global health resilience. Projects supported by the initiative’s Accelerator Fund will enhance Notre Dame’s collaborative research capacity, strengthen translational pipelines, and position the University for sustained leadership and competitiveness in emergent biothreat preparedness.

"ND-BIOSCOPE provides a unifying framework for advancing Notre Dame’s leadership in biothreat surveillance, detection, and response,” said Matthew Webber, ND-BIOSCOPE’s principal investigator and acting director of BIPH. “The Accelerator Fund will not only advance innovative research, but also build durable institutional capacity through collaboration, training, and translation.”

The projects supported in this Accelerator Fund award cycle are described below:

Developing transformative diagnostic systems

Anticipating the next pandemic requires building next-generation platforms for disease monitoring and rapid development of targeted therapeutics. Kyle Bibby, associate chair in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, will lead a project to design and scale large-library virus monitoring and infection screening platforms in conjunction with Hsueh-Chia Chang, the Bayer Corporation Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Brian Baker, the Coleman Professor of Life Sciences in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The team will develop two integrated, high-throughput analytical platforms based on proprietary nanoparticle technology. The first of these two platforms is intended for environmental disease surveillance via wastewater, while the second will provide ultra-sensitive screening and detection of immune signatures of infection and difficult-to-detect latent viruses. Meenal Datta, the Jane Schoelch DeFlorio Collegiate Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, and Yamil Colon, associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, will contribute expertise in immune-cell cultures and artificial intelligence, respectively.

Automating real-time outbreak forecasting

Early identification of disease outbreaks is critical for saving lives. Current disease-monitoring platforms are largely retrospective and static, lacking automated analysis that converts incoming data into actionable insight. To bridge this gap, Jason Rohr, the Galla College Professor and chair of the Department of Biological Sciences, will collaborate with Nitesh Chawla, director of the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society and the Data, AI & Computing Initiative, and Samuel Rund, research assistant professor in the Center for Research Computing (CRC) and affiliate of the Eck Institute for Global Health. Qinghua Zhao, a postdoctoral scholar and disease ecologist within the Department of Biological Sciences and Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society, will support the project.

The team will develop a cloud-based biosurveillance platform aided by AI for real-time pandemic forecasting and health-system alerts. The platform will automatically take in multi-source surveillance and sensor data, generating real-time forecasts of disease trajectories—including outbreak start, peak timing, intensity, and duration. The platform will make outputs visible, while automatically issuing alerts via messaging services once outbreak benchmarks are reached.

Optimizing dual-action antibiotics

As the most common healthcare-associated infection, Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is an urgent public health threat, killing seven times more people than the next four most urgent threats combined. While normal, healthy gut conditions limit the flourishing of C. difficile, broad-spectrum antibiotic treatments disrupt normal gut health and permit the germination of the bacteria.

Mayland Chang, research professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, together with Shahriar Mobashery, Navari Family Professor in Life Sciences in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, will pursue the optimization of dual-action antibiotics to halt the recurrence of CDI. The researchers will synthesize dimers of oxadiazoles, a promising class of antibiotics, and evaluate their effectiveness in both preventing C. difficile germination and killing vegetative bacteria cells.

“Spanning advanced computing, diagnostic surveillance, and early-stage drug development, the inaugural Accelerator Award teams highlight the depth of talent on our campus, the breadth of our emerging expertise, and the momentum needed to scale this effort,” said Webber.

ND-BIOSCOPE is also supported by the Notre Dame Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative, an effort that aims to advance human health and wellness through interdisciplinary biomedical research and training. To learn more about ND-BIOSCOPE, please visit the BIPH website and the University’s Strategic Framework website.

Contact

Erin Fennessy / Writing Program Manager

Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame

efenness@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183

research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch / linkedin.com/company/undresearch

About Notre Dame Research

The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please visit NDR's website or NDR's LinkedIn.

Originally published by Erin Fennessy at research.nd.edu on February 03, 2026.

Fisher is currently chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, where he is Distinguished University Professor, MPower Professor, and Distinguished Scholar-Teacher. At Notre Dame, he will succeed Paul Bohn, who retired in December as inaugural director of BELS and Arthur J. Schmitt Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

The Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative is a joint effort of the College of Engineering and the College of Science and is a key priority in the University’s strategic framework. The initiative advances human health and wellness through interdisciplinary biomedical research and training — from fundamental discoveries through detection, prevention and treatment of disease. Emphasizing accessible health care solutions, BELS brings together researchers from a variety of fields to create transformative solutions for health.

“This appointment reflects both the strength of the foundation already in place — thanks to Paul’s superb leadership — and our aspirations for the future of Bioengineering & Life Sciences at Notre Dame,” said John T. McGreevy, Notre Dame’s Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “John Fisher is a visionary leader and excellent scholar-teacher whose experience aligns perfectly with the initiative’s trajectory and Notre Dame’s ambitions as the leading global Catholic research university.”

Fisher holds bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and biomedical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, a master’s in chemical engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in bioengineering from Rice University. He joined Maryland’s Department of Chemical Engineering in 2003 and three years later became a founding member of the bioengineering department he now chairs. During his two decades at Maryland, Fisher has won a variety of awards for teaching excellence, graduate student mentorship and scholarship, including a National Science Foundation CAREER award and a Fulbright. In 2024, he was appointed Distinguished University Professor, the institution’s highest honor for a tenured faculty member, recognizing excellence, impact and significant contribution to the field both nationally and internationally.

“We are thrilled to have John, who is an extraordinary biomedical engineer, join us in the college and lead the BELS Initiative,” said Patricia Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering. “Advancing research and training in bioengineering is among our highest priorities for the College of Engineering, and I look forward to working with him to elevate collaborations within our college and across science, engineering and other units on campus.”

As director of the Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials Lab, Fisher leads a research team that focuses on computational modeling and tissue engineering, bioprinting, and bioreactors for the regeneration of lost tissues. He also directs the Center for Engineering Complex Tissues, which aims to create a broad community focusing on 3D printing and bioprinting for regenerative medicine applications.

Fisher has served in numerous leadership positions in his field, including as the 2025 chair of the Council of Chairs, a national assembly of bioengineering and biomedical engineering department chairs, and as 2018-20 chair of the Americas Chapter of the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society. Fisher is a fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Society. He is currently a member of the society’s board of directors and co-editor-in-chief of Tissue Engineering. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the Food and Drug Administration, among others.

“What attracted me to Notre Dame is the excellence and rigor of the research,” Fisher said. “The types of questions people in science and engineering are exploring, and the execution of their research programs, is really top-notch. I’m also a big believer that we’re here to educate as well as to do research. I love teaching, and I love Notre Dame’s commitment to teaching.

“What really speaks to me is the mission — the commitment to pursue research and to educate at the highest level, but doing it in a way that positively impacts society. There are some personal things as well. I grew up in the Midwest, our family is Irish Catholic, so it’s wonderful to bring that aspect of who I am together with my work.”

Fisher joins the University at a pivotal moment for the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative, as it accelerates efforts to expand research, training and shared infrastructure.

Since its launch in 2024, the initiative has gained significant momentum. It has identified core research themes and awarded nearly $1.25 million in seed funding to support multidisciplinary teams working in areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, global health and emerging infectious threats. It has also expanded training opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and made major investments in shared research infrastructure — including the acquisition of a Glacios 2 cryo-TEM microscope, the first of its kind at Notre Dame, scheduled for installation in April, along with complementary efforts to restructure flow cytometry resources.

To learn more about the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative, visit go.nd.edu/BELS.

Originally published by Kate Garry at news.nd.edu on February 19, 2026.

The Reisenauer Institute for Rare Diseases will help to bridge the gaps between scientific understanding and the daily experiences of those living with rare conditions, consistent with the University’s Catholic mission and strategic framework. In doing so, it will take a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving, with connections to the University’s strategic framework — specifically, the Bioengineering & Life Sciences Initiative and the Neuroscience and Behavior subsections of the Health and Well-Being Initiative.

In the United States, a rare disease is defined as a medical condition impacting fewer than 200,000 people. However, aggregated across the landscape of the nearly 10,000 known rare diseases, estimates suggest 30 million Americans live with a rare condition; as many as half are children.

“This extraordinary gift from the Reisenauers will enable Notre Dame to more effectively prepare the next generation of educators, patient advocates and researchers in a collaborative effort to prevent, treat and cure rare diseases,” said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost. “Such important work is central to Notre Dame’s commitment to health and well-being as articulated in our strategic framework.”

Notre Dame’s efforts in the rare disease space began more than a decade ago with the establishment of the Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare Diseases, and continued with the creation of the distinctive Minor in Science and Patient Advocacy program and the Patient Advocacy Initiative.

“As Notre Dame parents and as the parents of two children with an ultra-rare disease, our hope is that this transformative gift leads to real breakthroughs in the rare disease space, in terms of research as well as patient and family advocacy, support and care.”

The new institute will build on those efforts but with a fresh approach — one that, consistent with the University’s Catholic mission and values, centers patients and their experiences and aims to make a difference for the rare disease community through intentional integration of research, advocacy and education, guided by a deep commitment to ethical engagement and to honoring the dignity of patients and their families.

To that end, the institute will invest in the people, programs and tools required to achieve positive momentum in the rare disease space, emphasizing scalability, reproducibility, collaboration and cross-functional partnerships.

As a key first step in launching the institute, the College of Science is currently undertaking an international search for its inaugural director with support from the executive search firm Spencer Stuart.

Ultimately, the institute aims to be a beacon of hope for the rare disease community, revolutionizing care by uniting patients and experts to accelerate therapy development, empower organizations and train the next generation of advocates for lasting impact.

“We are deeply grateful to Dave and Cathleen Reisenauer for their extraordinary generosity,” said Steve Corcelli, interim dean of the College of Science. “Their gift will allow us to unite research, education and patient advocacy in a way that reflects our Catholic mission and commitment to serving the most vulnerable, and to pursue this work with integrity and respect for the families who place their trust in us.”

Cathleen Reisenauer is a member of the Notre Dame College of Science Advisory Council. Dave Reisenauer, now retired, is the former director of digital transformation for Nvidia, the world’s leading artificial intelligence chipmaker.

The couple has three children: Peter, Cayla and Andrew. Peter and Andrew are both Notre Dame graduates and are now practicing attorneys. Peter and Cayla both live with Cori disease/GSD type IIIA, a genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of glycogen in the body’s cells, leading to impaired organ and tissue function, particularly affecting the liver and muscles. Cathleen is a full-time caregiver to Cayla, who is severely disabled.

The experience of navigating Peter and Cayla’s diagnoses has shaped and inspired their philanthropy, which includes previous gifts to Notre Dame to establish and strengthen the Reisenauer Excellence Fund for GSD and Related Disease Research; support the Galvin Science and Engineering Scholars Program; endow the director of patient advocacy education and outreach position within the Patient Advocacy Initiative; and support an associate director for external engagement for the Patient Advocacy Initiative.

“Our experience working with the College of Science in support of patient advocacy has only reinforced our belief in Notre Dame’s capacity to improve the lives of those living with rare diseases,” Cathleen Reisenauer said. “As Notre Dame parents and as the parents of two children with an ultra-rare disease, our hope is that this transformative gift leads to real breakthroughs in the rare disease space, in terms of research as well as patient and family advocacy, support and care.”

Proud graduates of Gonzaga University, the Reisenauers have also made gifts to their alma mater, for both learning and athletics. Recently, they have also lent their support to a program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Reisenauer Precision Gene Therapy Fund, aimed at developing therapies for ultra-rare disorders and engaging with the patients and families affected by these diseases.

For more information, visit raredisease.nd.edu/.

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on February 27, 2026.

Douglas and Diana Berthiaume have made a transformational gift to the University of Notre Dame to advance biomedical research through strategic investments in critical infrastructure. The gift, totaling $35 million, establishes the Center for Biomedical Discovery. It includes $5 million in seed funding for multidisciplinary research teams, promoting new collaborations among biomedical researchers in the Colleges of Science and Engineering.

The Center for Biomedical Discovery is a foundational piece of the Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) Initiative, a partnership between science and engineering that emphasizes three strategic research pillars — health foundations, health technologies and health equities.

“Bioengineering & Life Sciences is a key priority in Notre Dame’s strategic framework, bringing together researchers from a variety of fields to create transformative solutions for human health,” said John McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at the University of Notre Dame. “This exceptionally generous gift will ensure that our faculty and students have access to the advanced instrumentation they need to pursue discovery at the highest level, now and for generations to come.”

With support from the Berthiaume family and consistent with the University’s strategic framework, the center will govern strategic investment in biomedical research infrastructure, serving existing faculty while helping to recruit world-leading researchers to join the ranks of Notre Dame faculty.

Specifically, the center will support researchers with centralized access to cutting-edge technologies such as high-resolution cryo-transmission electron microscopy, modern flow cytometry and advanced biofabrication capabilities. It will also recruit staff capable of training researchers, maintaining instrumentation and interpreting data.

“Doug and Diana Berthiaume’s extraordinary generosity will accelerate Notre Dame’s ability to pursue bold, collaborative discovery at the frontiers of biomedical science,” said Steve Corcelli, the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science. “By investing in shared, state-of-the-art research infrastructure, the Center for Biomedical Discovery will empower our faculty and students to work with cutting-edge technologies across disciplines, deepen our understanding of human health and disease and translate fundamental insights into real-world impact in service to the common good.”

“The Berthiaumes’ gift is a catalyst for a new era at Notre Dame, one that enables us to transcend traditional boundaries between engineering and the life sciences,” said Patricia J. Culligan, the Matthew H. McCloskey Dean of the College of Engineering. “By providing the sophisticated instrumentation and specialized expertise necessary for our engineers and scientists to collaborate fully, this investment empowers our researchers to co-create the next generation of life-saving and life-enhancing technologies.”

To date, this is the most significant gift to the BELS initiative, which lays out a vision for an ambitious investment of $165 million and which continues to build momentum toward advancing the frontiers of biomedical research. John Fisher, currently chair of the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, was recently appointed director of the BELS Initiative, effective Aug. 1, and the first instrumentation procurement, a Glacios 2 Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscope, is underway, with installation this spring.

“Diana and I strongly believe the future of disease treatment and prevention is through the precision medicine approach,” Douglas Berthiaume said. “Our recent investment in the Center for Biomedical Discovery will be important in strengthening Notre Dame’s position in precision medicine research.”

Douglas Berthiaume is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts. Until his retirement in 2015, he served as president and chief executive officer of Waters Corp., a global company based in Massachusetts specializing in precision analytical equipment for the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. He currently serves as chairman of the board of trustees of Boston Children’s Hospital.

Diana Berthiaume earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Bentley College (now Bentley University), a private business school in Waltham, Massachusetts. She oversees the operations of the Berthiaume Family Foundation.

The Berthiaumes previously created an endowment at Notre Dame for the Berthiaume Family Professor of Neuroscience and made a gift to the University to establish the Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health. They are members of the University’s President’s Circle and the Provost’s Leadership Group. They also are longtime supporters of the University of Massachusetts and Boston-area health care institutions, including Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.

The Berthiaumes reside in Andover, Massachusetts, and have two daughters, Maggie and Abby, a 2020 graduate of Notre Dame.

Originally published by Erin Blasko at news.nd.edu on May 21, 2026.

Aligned with and partially supported by the University’s Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) Initiative, ND-MBI will serve as a collaborative hub. It brings together expertise from seven campus research centers and academic departments while partnering externally with the multi-university, National Science Foundation-funded, Purdue University-led EMBRIO Biology Integration Institute as well as the Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology (ICQMB) at the University of California, Riverside.

ND-MBI integrates advanced imaging, organoid-based experimental models and predictive machine-learning frameworks to study multiscale biological dynamics in regenerative medicine and cancer biology.

"Despite major progress in molecular biology, the multi-scale dynamics connecting cellular mechanics to actual disease states remain poorly understood," said Jeremiah Zartman, ND-MBI’s lead principal investigator and associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. "ND-MBI bridges this gap. Our ultimate scientific goal is to build computational 'digital twins'—highly accurate, predictive models that interact with their physical counterpart—of these cellular pathways. By simulating how controlled adjustments redirect damaged cells back toward health, we can unlock actionable design principles for tissue regeneration and precision medicine."

While Zartman’s research focuses on decoding the “symphony of signals” regulating cell behavior, ND-MBI co-principal investigator and associate professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Donny Hanjaya-Putra harnesses this nuanced understanding of complex cell behavior to advance molecular therapies, regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug delivery.

ND-MBI relies on complex, 3D tissue models to study how cells heal and grow. The Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine will support developing the specialized expertise in organoid models—lab-grown tissues—which will allow Hanjaya-Putra and other researchers to create reproducible new approach methodologies (NAMs) for drug screening and tissue regeneration.

“By fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, this new initiative will position Notre Dame at the forefront of NAMs research, which is well aligned with the FDA Modernization Act 2.0,” said Hanjaya-Putra.

To accelerate scientific and medical advances, ND-MBI will use a centralized data pipeline that connects several initiatives. Support from Notre Dame’s Harper Cancer Research Institute and the Warren Center for Drug Discovery will enable tests on how cells heal and grow. Leveraging the expertise and computational resources of the EMBRIO Institute and Notre Dame’s Scientific Artificial Intelligence (SAI) Initiative, researchers will use this data to build computer simulations that predict cell behavior and inform new medical treatments.

Training the next generation of researchers in this multidisciplinary field is a fundamental goal of the initiative. ND-MBI’s dual-mentorship program pairs student researchers from the Bioengineering Graduate Program and the EMBRIO institute with both biologists and AI modelers for a fully integrative approach to each discipline's varied tools and skill sets.

Through its partnership with Notre Dame’s Berthiaume Institute for Precision Health (BIPH), ND-MBI will further develop regional industry connections. It and co-hosted a multi-university research symposium with the EMBRIO Institute in June 2026, with plans for a second symposium in 2027.

Originally published by Karla Cruise at strategicframework.nd.edu on June 26, 2026.

For an update on progress and what is ahead, we spoke with Juan Del Valle, W.K. Warren Family Professor at the Warren Family Research Center for Drug Discovery & Development, and BELS Faculty Director of Structural Biology, and Krishna Shivakumar, scientific director of Cryo-TEM.

This is an exciting advance in capabilities here at Notre Dame. How will a cryo-TEM accelerate the pace of research?

Del Valle: The development of cryogenic electron microscopy is one of the most significant advances in biomedical research in recent years, as the technology enables imaging of complex biomolecules and their assemblies at unprecedented resolutions. Key applications include neurodegenerative disease research, vaccine development, structure-based drug discovery, and membrane protein analysis.

Up to this point, Notre Dame faculty and students who wanted to conduct cryo-EM studies have had to use instruments at other universities or national laboratories, which is a costly and time-consuming process. Access to external facilities may require waiting weeks to months for screening and data collection, which can significantly slow research momentum and impact project outcomes.

Having our own cryo-TEM will be a game changer. With optimized samples prepared on campus, data acquisition can be completed within a substantially shorter time frame. And by enabling rapid iteration between sample optimization, screening, and data collection, the in-house cryo-TEM facility enhances efficiency, flexibility, and overall research productivity at Notre Dame.

Where are you in the process of bringing this instrument to campus?

Del Valle: Units from across campus – including Procurement Services, Facilities Design and Operations, Notre Dame Research, and others – have provided crucial support throughout this effort. Right now, we are completing the facility build-out in McCourtney Hall East and coordinating with the Center for Research Computing to procure workstations and IT infrastructure. In parallel, we are working with NDR to establish research protocols and integrate the system into iLab for management. We are also gathering the data needed to set rates for internal and external users.

The current estimate is for the physical space to be finished by the end of March 2026 and for the instrument itself to be delivered from Europe in April. Installation and optimization will last through the end of July, with the aim of opening the facility to campus researchers by mid-August, just in time for the start of the fall semester.

What is involved in installing such an instrument and preparing it for use?

Shivakumar: There are many facets to making a cryo-TEM facility operational. Before the instrument even arrives, the space must meet standards regarding acoustics, vibration, and electromagnetic interference. We have to be able to control heat and humidity and monitor specific gas levels around the instrument and in the sample preparation room. All of these requirements were factored into the planning and construction of the space and continual monitoring will be part of the ongoing operations.

Once the Glacios 2 and its associated components arrive on campus, an engineer from Thermo Fisher will provide the initial installation and optimization for the instrument. This includes not only the physical placement and activation of the unit, but also implementation of several specialized software packages that automate image acquisition and provide real-time image quality assessment. Peripheral instruments vital to the process of cryo-imaging will also be added at this time. A Vitrobot™ vitrification system for plunge-freezing liquid samples onto EM grids will ensure proper sample preparation, while a dedicated workstation capable of running cryoSPARC Live will provide real-time sample quality monitoring during data collection.

Once Thermo Fisher finishes their installation, they will hand off the unit to me for final calibrations. The Glacios 2 will initially be dedicated to single-particle analysis (SPA) workflows; however, we have the software to expand into additional cryo-EM modalities like MicroED and tomography, and we plan to do that in the near future.

Dr. Shivakumar, what is your background?

Shivakumar: I developed cryo-TEM expertise and adapted to SPA workflows during postdoctoral training here at Notre Dame and The Ohio State University. I have hands-on experience with both Glacios and Krios cryo-TEM systems, including screening, optimization, and high-quality data collection for a wide range of samples like proteins and nucleic acids. Part of my job is to develop, implement, and maintain standard operating procedures for the facility that ensure safe instrument operation and high-quality data generation for all users.

Who can use the Glacios 2, and what kind of assistance will be available for users?

Del Valle: Individual researchers and research groups within Notre Dame (as well as approved external users) pursuing structural biology studies using SPA are eligible to use the Glacios 2. Krishna will serve as the primary point of contact for researchers, providing scientific guidance and assessing the suitability of their projects for cryo-EM studies. He will perform and supervise critical and delicate operations, including grid clipping, grid loading and transfer, microscope setup, data acquisition, and troubleshooting. Krishna is also responsible for training users in plunge-freezing samples using the Vitrobot™ system, as well as training in sample screening using automated acquisition software.

Shivakumar: All training and scheduling for both the Vitrobot system and the Glacios 2 cryo-TEM will be managed through iLab, which will serve as our centralized platform for user access, reservations, and billing. Access to the instrument will be granted to users with verified, high-quality samples. Priority access will be given to samples that have undergone negative-stain EM screening to assess homogeneity and suitability prior to cryo-EM grid preparation. On rare occasions, independent operation by expert users may be permitted.

A full SPA workflow includes sample preparation, sample screening, data acquisition, and data processing and analysis. It is important to note that the final step in the process – data processing and analysis – is the responsibility of the user, not the facility. The facility will offer only limited computational support, including temporary data storage and access to processing resources for datasets generated on-site.

How can researchers get more information and schedule training or use of the Glacios 2?

Shivakumar: In addition to receiving updates through BELS email communications, researchers may contact me directly at kshivaku@nd.edu to ask questions and to discuss the suitability of their projects for cryo-EM studies.

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Originally published by Strategic Framework News at strategicframework.nd.edu on March 16, 2026.