Dr. Chang-Soo Kim

"The interaction between the plant roots and the surrounding media is the least understood and most challenging aspect of plant research," says Dr. Chang-Soo Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMR.Kim will receive a projected $400,000 for his research during the next five years, as part of NSF's program to support promising scientists early in their careers.The CAREER program recognizes and supports the early career development of teacher-scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the 21st century.The funding will support Kim's development of "horticulture-on-a-chip," a microsystem that integrates 3-D sensor arrays with a miniature plant growth system.The device will monitor root zone oxygen distribution and could be used in nearly all aspects of root research, including metabolic engineering, plant stress physiology and plant pathology.If successful, the new microsystem would be a major technological breakthrough for root research efforts.The CAREER Award is given to faculty members at the beginning of their academic careers and is one of NSF's most competitive awards, placing emphasis on high-quality research and novel education initiatives.Kim joined UMR in 2002 after serving as a research associate in the Biomedical Microsensors Laboratory at North Carolina State University in Raleigh.He earned his bachelor of engineering, master of engineering and Ph.D. from Kyungpook National University, South Korea, in 1989, 1991 and 1997, respectively.

"The interaction between the plant roots and the surrounding media is the least understood and most challenging aspect of plant research," says Dr. Chang-Soo Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at UMR.Write comment (0 Comments)

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Organizer: Chang-Soo Kim (Univ. of Missouri-Rolla, USA)

That's a way of life for thousands of diabetics, and it's something Dr. Chang-Soo Kim, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, is trying to change.

Funded by the National Science Foundation, Dr. Kim is developing a "smart" sensor that can provide continuous blood sugar monitoring for those living with diabetes, one of the most common and serious chronic diseases in the United States.Diabetics would wear the sensor and monitor like a watch, providing a more accurate and less painful method for checking levels than the intermittent monitoring capable through disposable testing strips."The one-time disposable devices are primitive," Dr. Kim says.
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"The sensitivity of most sensors tends to degrade after a matter of time," Dr. Kim explains."My microsensor will provide in situ self-calibration, meaning it will periodically calibrate and correct itself autonomously."

The ability to continuously monitor glucose levels could help physicians treat the disease by allowing them to evaluate trends in glucose levels during the course of normal daily activities.

According to statistics from the National Institutes of Health, more than 80,000 people are being diagnosed with diabetes each year, so there's no shortage of people who will need help managing the disease.Yet there's still a long road ahead to get the new sensor on store shelves, Dr. Kim says.