The U.S. Military Academy's Center for Molecular Science conducts research into a wide variety of fields.
Everything is made up of molecules, so the areas of research are considerably more vast than the tiny particles being studied in the center.
To Col. John Burpo, the head of the academy's department of chemistry and life science, which CMS is a part of, the many research projects being conducted in the center can all be wrapped up into a single goal. The researchers in the Center for Molecular Science are working to find ways to keep Soldiers safe and then treat those who get injured.
This includes research into lightweight power and energy, wounded warrior care, sensors to detect roadside bombs and more.
"Molecules are really the vehicle by which all of the work is done," Burpo said. "If you're talking about biology and life science, those molecules makeup cells, tissues and the like. Those molecules are the things that make up a 3D porous nanomaterial for a fuel cell. Those molecules are the things that make up a sensor to pick up on explosive compounds."
The center started in the early 1990s as a high-performance computing center to do molecular modeling research. It restructured in the early 2010s and now serves as a coordinating entity to oversee all research being done through the department of chemistry and life science. This includes projects being done in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering and life science.
The research is done by cadets and faculty members. Currently, the center facilitates 10 research courses in which about 100 cadets are getting academic credit for conducting research with 20 faculty advisors.
The cadets typically have the chance to work on projects throughout their full four years at the academy. That distinguishes CMS from many other departments and centers where cadets mostly do research only as capstone projects their last year, Burpo said.
Many of the cadets working on research under the Center for Molecular Science will be applying to attend medical school after graduation and the multiyear research projects and the experience they gain increases their chances of being accepted into top-tier schools, he added.
"One of the most consequential outputs of the department and the center is to create complex problem solvers for the Army in the most general sense," Burpo said. "Their research opportunities really give them some distinguishing aspects on their resumé that gets them into the best medical schools in the country, which ultimately correlates with the best medical care for our Soldiers."
Current projects in the center include mapping the mechanical properties of blood, studying how proteins react in the brain after traumatic incidents, mapping energy use in systems and more. Each project includes research being done at the molecular level and has the potential to be applied to the battlefield.
The project studying the mechanical properties of blood is being led by Lt. Col. Matthew Armstrong, a principal investigator at the center. The research has been ongoing for five years and typically includes one to four cadets a year.
The goal, Armstrong said, is to better understand how blood works, flows and carries oxygen to enable a blood replicant to be developed.
"We think this understanding will contribute to the overall Army mission to develop a blood replicant and simulant to be used on the battlefield for Soldiers," Armstrong said. "Without modeling the mechanical properties of blood, it's going to be impossible to get a perfect simulant for use not just for Soldiers on the battlefield but in any old emergency room."
Ryan Limbocker, an assistant professor of chemistry, is leading a team looking at how proteins react in the brain due to Alzheimer's disease or traumatic brain injuries. The research looks into how misfolded proteins clump together causing damage in the brain and killing brain cells. If they can understand the initial process that triggers the death of the brain cells, they will hopefully then be able to develop small molecule treatments to counteract it, Limbocker said.
The center also conducts research related to energy use by Soldiers and Army bases, both domestic and abroad.
Lt. Col. Corey James is working to map energy use at the molecular level in order to find inefficiencies in systems. The goal, he said, is to try and save Soldiers' lives by keeping them from getting into harm's way in the first place.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, power hungry bases constantly need fuel supplies. Those fuel convoys require Soldiers to be in danger and has led to casualties, James said. He and his team are also looking at how squads use technology as more and more devices are added into the equation.
The first step is to map how the energy is consumed and transferred so they can begin looking at how to make the systems more efficient.
"Every system has those issues," James said. "Every system is made up of molecules and uses energy, so we plan to apply that to everything the Army does."
The Center for Molecular Science is also working on projects related to producing lightweight batteries. The batteries research is being done in conjunction with the Photonics Research Center at the academy.
CMS's research is also performed in partnership with outside entities such as the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command and the Army Research Lab under Army Futures Command.
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