February 2025 Inside the Institute Newsletter
A Message from Rob McCarley
Executive Director, The Fralin Life Sciences Institute
While many, including myself, have the impression that February has been “the longest year ever”, one’s perception of a body of work and its impact on society and its discipline is often based on qualitative assessments, whose origins are built on outcomes from use of quantitative metrics.
It is important to realize that application of such “measuring sticks” to many of the scholarly and research accomplishments of the Fralin Life Sciences Institute (FLSI) affiliates places our research reputation squarely among our inspirational peers. This is especially true for affiliate publications in highly cited journals, with over 83% of the 988 affiliate publications in 2024 being in the topmost-cited journals. This characteristic quality of affiliate research and scholarship is on equal footing with life sciences colleagues at Purdue University, Texas A&M University, and the University of Minnesota!
Furthermore, this and many other traits of FLSI affiliate research and scholarship are on the upswing, as evidenced here and in upcoming newsletters.
For example, affiliates working independently and in teams have learned how particulate matter and other sub-microscopic objects are generated by applying new measurement routes and modeling capabilities so that mitigation strategies can be developed. Such craftiness is also prevalent in recent affiliate work on reprogramming bacteria via a Trojan horse route, so that the digestive tract can fight infections without the use of external antibiotics.
Sometimes, the simplest approach is the best when it comes to preventing the spread of bacterial infections in birds, as found by FLSI affiliate studies about bird feeders. Finally, celebrations are in order regarding student affiliate successes with obtaining funding for transdisciplinary research endeavors targeting invasive species, winning prizes at the FLSI research facilities open house, as well as headline events at an FLSI center symposium last week.
Of course, the news stories below resulted from the inherent properties of the FLSI community. These are facts that are based on the creativity, talent, high energy level, and commitment of faculty, students, and personnel — traits that cannot be taken from us by the storms we have experienced in February 2025 and those we currently envision on the horizon. The reputation of the FLSI community is strong, and like you, I and other Virginia Tech leadership are committed to being purposeful and proactive about adapting to the forecasts, so that we can work together to have an environment conducive to maintaining our positive trajectory.
Let’s go Hokies, and let’s go FLSI!
