York Achieves Milestone: Secures $680,700 in Federal Funding for Research in Mitochondria Bioenergetics

Faculty in the Department of Biology, specifically Dr. Margaret MacNeil, Dr. Alexander Birk and Dr. Virginia Garcia-Marin, recently wrote the grant proposal titled Their efforts were rewarded with a $680,700 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) program, a significant boost for York’s research and educational initiatives.

^{From left, Dr. Virginia Garcia-Marin, Dr. Margaret MacNeil and Dr. Alexander Birk wrote the grant proposal titled “Acquisition of a Transmission Electron Microscope for Research and Education of Students on Mitochondrial Bioenergetic,” which won a significant grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) program.}

This grant will enable students to research and learn about mitochondria bioenergetics using a Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), a cutting-edge technique that allows for the observation of the features of small specimens. The Biology team was notified in July of this year that they had won the grant and are now working with the manufacturer and York staff to proceed with the installation of the new TEM.

"The recently awarded Hitachi HT7800 Premium Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), funded by the Department of Defense (HBCU/MI), will greatly enhance research and educational activities at York College,” said Dr. Garcia-Marin. “This powerful instrument is designed for high-resolution imaging and analysis at the nanoscale, significantly advancing our research in the Biology department, particularly in studying mitochondrial bioenergetics and neuroprotection following traumatic injuries.”

Dr. Garcia-Marin elaborated, “The advanced technology of the TEM will not only be utilized by faculty in the Chemistry Department and the Department of Earth and Physical Sciences for their research projects, but it will also significantly enrich our teaching resources. This will provide students with invaluable hands-on learning experiences, deepening their understanding of biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences.”

On Monday, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05) announced the federal funding for York College. In a news release, he stated, “York College is an instrumental educational institution in the Southeast Queens community. As a college that serves a largely minority student population, it is important that students have the funding and tools they need for success and to be competitive in the workforce. Supporting minority participation in STEM fields leads to diverse perspectives that can drive innovation and develop solutions that resonate with various backgrounds. I am dedicated to continuing the effort to develop York College into a world-class STEM institution.”

Dr. Claudia Schrader, York College Interim President, said the research and grant aligns with York College's mission to provide a high-quality education and its vision to be a leader in STEM education. “We are excited that York students will have research experience using state-of-the-art technology under the mentorship of our outstanding faculty. This federal funding will further support our efforts to increase minority representation in STEM fields. We are grateful to Congressman Meeks for his unwavering support of the College and our mission.”