UWM’s Discovery and Innovation Grant (DIG) program provides seed funding to supports high-quality, innovative research and invests in projects selected through an independent and objective process.

This year’s awardee’s included:

Xiaohua Peng
Associate Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Novel ROS-Activated Prodrugs for Targeting Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Jarett Wilcoxen
Assistant Professor, Chemistry & Biochemistry
Development of an Artificial Molybdenum Enzyme

Molybdenum enzymes are found in all kingdoms of life, they important in the global nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon cycles. When non-functional in humans these enzymes can cause disease, such as gout, or death in infants. Unfortunately, studies of the cofactor responsible for catalysis are limited by the techniques and technologies available to researchers. This award will fund a graduate student and postdoc to develop an artificial metalloenzyme to use as a model to test important questions about role the molybdenum cofactor plays in modulating catalysis, providing a new avenue to explore this important class of enzymes.