MACERAC
MOLECULAR, ANALYTICAL, & COMPUTATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT CONSORTIUM (MACERAC)

Introduction

There is a growing need to train under-represented minorities in the area of toxicology and risk assessment of environmental chemicals and pathogen exposure routes. No single scientific discipline alone is sufficient to address the current concerns of potential carcinogens that may exist in the environment as a result of industrial and governmental technology waste streams. MACERAC represents a consortium of institutions of universities/research laboratories pooling resources and expertise to address these current problems through collaborative partnering as a way to provide technological solutions to these environmental health concerns, and to train the future workforce in this area. Each member of the consortium including Jackson State University – College of Science, Engineering & Technology,  the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore,  the University of Southern Mississippi - Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and the Engineering Research & Development Center – Division of Environmental Processes and Effect has distinct core capabilities and synergistic resources that will be integrated into the education and research program.

Interdisciplinary Research Programs/Centers

Goal

To maintain a collaborative, multi-disciplined and integrated research and education program focusing on bio-molecular, computational and analytical chemistry of toxicology, and risk assessment of DoA-priority chemical compounds.

Program objectives

Attract, educate and mentor underrepresented students and faculty to address problem solving and develop methods/technology in risk assessment
Detect and monitor exposure routes of dinitrotoluenes, and selected metals (cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, etc.)  employing an integrated multidisciplinary approach
Identify and elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms affected by exposure to dinitrotoluenes and toxic metals
Develop biologically based computational models that integrate risk assessment studies relative to chemical, kinetics, and biological information on dinitrotoluenes, and toxic metals.
Implement strategies to prevent, control and remediate health risks associated with dinitrotoluenes, and toxic metals exposure.

Project  Focus
The primary focus of this effort is to align academic resources and expertise at the  participating institutions with DoA research and training needs in the areas of toxicology, computational sciences, and risk assessment of chemical compounds that are of interest to the U.S. Department of Army.   The areas of focus are:

Toxicology and Risk Assessment
Computational modeling
Analytical Chemistry

Partner Institutions

Jackson State University : College of Science, Engineering & Technology
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of Southern Mississippi, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory
Engineering Research & Development Center – Division of Environmental Processes and Effect

Related Links

Jackson State University http://www.jsums.edu
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute http://www.umbi.umd.edu
University of Maryland Eastern Shore http://www.umes.edu/sciences
University of Southern Mississippi-GCRL http://www.coms.usm.edu/gindex.htm
U.S. Department of the Army http://www.army.mil/
Army Waterways Experiment Station http://www.wes.army.mil/el/
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology http://www.afip.org/Departments/environmental/index.html
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency http://www.epa.gov/
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry http://atsdr.cdc.gov/
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences http://niehs.nih.gov/

Dr. Joseph L. Bryant
Ph. (410)385-6305
Ph. (410)385-6305
E-mail:  jchunter-cevera@umbi.umd.edu
E-mail:  Bryant@umbi.umd.edu

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Dr. Carolyn Brooks
Ph. (410)651-6013
E-mail: ebbrooks@mail.umes.edu
Dr. Joseph Okoh
Ph. (410)651-6013
E-mail:jmokoh@mail.umes.edu

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI – GULF COAST RESEARCH LAB  

Dr. Marius Brower
Ph. (228)872-4268
E-mail:marius.brouwer@usm.edu

ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CENTER - DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES AND EFFECT
 D r. Richard Price
Ph. (601)634-2667
E-mail: richard.e.price@erdc.usace.army.mil