SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

MAY 18, 2020 11:30 AM

SARAH HANSEN

Damond worked with Jennie Leach, an associate professor of chemical, biochemical, and environmental engineering (CBEE), and a member of UMBC’s 4th ADVANCE cohort.

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Bone as a functional material could experience various stresses that could lead to microdamages. In article number 1904936, Dipanjan Pan and co‐workers show that targeted hafnia nanoparticles and photon counting spectral computed tomography can detect microdamages. This advanced technology could determine signals from hafnia nanoparticles bound to the hard tissue of bone both in the ex vivo model and in vivo.

Seeking self-motivated hard-working undergraduates to work at a translational nanomedicine research group at UMBC.

The Pan group is a diverse, multidisciplinary research team (The Laboratory of Materials in Medicine) with over hundreds of high impact factor highly cited publications in JACS, PNAS, ACS Nano, Advanced Functional Materials etc. and brings long-standing experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. Our group just moved from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign to the University of Maryland Baltimore County and University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine. With a clear focus on translating research ideas from bench to bedside, Pan group uniquely merges ‘molecule making’ with ‘device making’ for areas molecular imaging, drug delivery and biosensing.

The group is looking for motivated undergrads majoring in either Chemical engineering, Chemistry, Biology or Biochemistry to work with us at the ILSB from the Spring Semester. His/her projects would involve synthetic chemistry, analytical techniques for characterization, developing skills in animal cell culture and an introductory experimental lesson in the workings of electrical engineering for biosensor development. The student will develop an understanding of these projects and general lab skills as well as gain an opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary laboratory which would be beneficial for their future in either academics or the industrial domain. Depending on the nature of the work, the undergrad may also receive an opportunity to work in Prof. Pan’s other laboratory at the downtown UMB, Health Sciences Facilities III.

Interested candidates must apply with their CV and a letter of purpose to Prof. Pan (dipanjan@umbc.edu) and Dr. Priyanka Ray (priyanka@umbc.edu) by January 31, 2020.

It’s 3 a.m., and Cindy Chelius rolls out of the pull-out couch in the grad student lounge. Time to check on her fungi. For this experiment, measurements must be taken every four hours for forty hours. Thankfully, the undergraduates she mentors took the day shift. Tonight, as the lead on the project, it’s her turn.

“I think it just makes you feel like you really earned it when those results come back,” Chelius says. She has earned it—on December 18, she’ll walk across the stage to receive her Ph.D. in chemical and biochemical engineering from UMBC. The signaling pathways of fungi might seem like niche research, but fungal species are commonly used in industry as tiny, living factories. They can produce substances found in an array of products, including medications.

Photo: Cindy Chelius, Ph.D. ’19 (third from left) with her advisor Mark Marten (far left) and the rest of their lab group.  Photo Credit: Melissa Penley Cormier 

● No previous research experience required.

● Must be able to work an average of 10 h/wk.

● Students in 1st /2nd year at preferred.

● Very flexible hours.

● Demonstrated leadership experience a plus.

● Learn about an exciting area of cutting-edge science.

● Help solve real and important scientific problems.

● Gain tremendously valuable experience in critical thinking and problem solving.

● Applications in the bioprocess industry to make medicine, enzymes and commodity chemicals.

● Lots of detail on our website. Use the link below and go to the

Research tab to learn more.

Dr. Ghosh has been using new sampling techniques to detect PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in the Anacostia and Back Rivers. He has also developed SediMite (pictured below), a form of activated carbon which captures PCBs that might otherwise dissolve back into waterways. His work may help lessen the levels of toxic chemicals built up in Chesapeake Bay fish.