Bill now heads to President’s desk to be signed into law

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman John Yarmuth’s (KY-3) announced that Congress has approved four of his project requests for Louisville in the final conference report for the FY08 Defense Appropriations bill, totaling $5.28 million.

“This funding is a testament to the tremendous innovation that takes place in Louisville, particularly at UofL and Jewish Hospital/St. Mary’s,” Congressman Yarmuth said.  “They are among the world’s leaders in developing new technologies, and I am proud to be in a position to provide support.”

Having been approved by both houses of Congress, the heads to the President’s desk.  Louisville’s included projects are detailed below: 


$2 million – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation – Composite Tissue Allotransplantation
Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s Foundation along with the University of Louisville and the Kleinert-Kutz Institute has pioneered composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA), a transplant technique that would eliminate the need for immunosuppressants in transplant patients.  The funding will go toward continued research and development of the revolutionary procedure, which utilizes stem cell therapy to prevent the body from rejecting transplanted tissue.  Currently, transplant patients must take medication that weakens their immune system for the rest of their lives in order to prevent tissue rejection, but CTA replaces this practice with one that no longer endangers the overall health of the patient.  Thanks to improved stem cell processing, CTA will be tested to treat amputees, as well as patients with autoimmune disease like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Rheumatoid Arthritis, and lupus.  

$1 million – UofL - Regional NMR Facility
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is used to determine the content and purity of a chemical sample as well as its molecular structure. The study of molecular structure at UofL has made rapid strides over the past several years due in part to its partnerships in this area. The studies are critical to the development of fuel cells and in biological and environmental research.  The funding will upgrade critical equipment and increase trained personnel to create a service center to help expand partnerships between University researchers as well as provide expertise for local industry.


$1.28 million – UofL - Digital Directed Manufacturing
(Joint Project with McConnell)
Direct Digital Manufacturing (DDM) revolutionizes Rapid Prototyping (RP), in which miniature, complex, metal components are constructed in small quantities, using lasers to build the part directly from a design.  The current procedure builds a plastic mold, which is then reproduced as a functional part.  In cases other than mass-production, this technique is high cost and labor intensive.  DDM cuts out the middle step to build the component directly from the design saving money and time.

$1 million – Genscape - Wireless Technology for Electric Transmission Line Monitoring
Genscape will develop a transmission line monitoring network for the US electricity grid that will serve as a first stage, independent, rapid alerting system providing wide-area grid visibility in the event of a system disruption.  The early detection will help prevent power failures and facilitate a swift response to irregularities before they become problematic.