Dr. Ben Bahr: "The Amazing Brain and How it Strives to Fight Off Dementia and Injuries"

The >500,000 gigabyte hard drive floating in your skull is a huge challenge to study, the brain being the most complicated memory-encoding machine known. In the Bahr Lab, researchers maintain brain explants in culture for months to investigate vulnerable neuronal connections that are responsible for learning, memory, and creativity. Bahr’s team focuses on synaptic vulnerability that contributes to dementia risk factors, thereby improving our understanding of the synaptopathy initiated by seizure- and stroke-type excitotoxicity, TBI, military blast exposures, and brain aging – all linked to elevated risks of dementia. The research integrates explant models with transgenic animal models to study different dementias, using cell signaling, bioinformatics, and drug design methods to determine pathogenic cascades involved and to identify repair mechanisms and therapeutic strategies against the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia continuum.

Dr . William Brandon: “Experimental Physics – (a) Magneto-optics and (b) Laser spark”

 A) Magneto-Optics: The ongoing evolution and increasing sensitivity of magneto-optical polarimetric measurement techniques continue to attract attention.  Applications include optical modulators, isolators, and circulators, along with field sensors, spectroscopy, and astrophysical probes.  In exploring various high precision measurement schemes to measure Faraday rotation in air, we developed a balanced dual laser beam phase sensitive photodetection apparatus to measure laser modulation induced by an alternating current magnetic field.  With its very small Verdet constant, air simply serves as a convenient test case.  The ultimate goal is to measure vacuum birefringence (i.e. Voigt Effect in vacuum), an area of interest in the realm of quantum electrodynamics.  A similar, although significantly more sophisticated technique might qualify as a probe for one of the proposed candidate particles of dark matter - the axion.

B) Laser Spark: Some undergraduate student research topics are provided by the humble “laser spark”.  Laser sparking can be achieved by simply focusing a high-powered laser pulse in air.  The spark (plasma) ensues due to the fact that many photons can act together in small regions of space and therefore create an electric field whose energy exceeds the binding energy of the atmospheric molecular constituents.  However, a rigorous solution of the laser spark characterization, and some particular aspects involving plasma evolution, remain elusive.  Some of the difficulties can be traced to the lack of precise knowledge concerning the threshold parameters concerning the onset of plasma ignition due to the probabilistic nature of this process.  Direct applications include laser-induced ignition to improve the efficiency for combustion engines, aerodynamic drag reduction via the mitigation of sharp boundary layer transitions for aircraft at supersonic speeds, and plasma stealth - a proposed process exploiting ionized gas to reduce radar cross sections.

Dr. Paul Flowers: "New Devices and Methods for Microscale Analysis"

Spectroelectrochemistry (SEC) involves simultaneous application of spectral and electrochemical techniques, most commonly involving the measurement of a sample's spectral properties while it is being electrolyzed. SEC methods have long been used to investigate fundamental aspects of electrolysis and related chemical processes. More recently, these techniques have been increasingly used as analytical tools to quantify chemical substances in various sample matrices.  Such analytical applications of SEC are appealing since they can provide several advantages compared to existing methodologies, including shorter analysis times, reduced chemical waste, and decreased cost.

Microscale methods for chemical analysis are those capable of accommodating very small volumes sample, typically on the order of microliters or less. These methods are useful when samples are expensive, hazardous, or only available in small amounts, and they can also benefit the analysis of scarce biological fluids drawn from small organisms.

I work with undergraduate student research assistants to

• design, fabricate, and characterize novel devices enabling SEC measurements in microscale samples; 
  and
• develop SEC-based assays for small molecules of biomedical relevance (drugs, metabolites, etc.).

Students engaged in this research will develop their skills in basic lab techniques, literature research, and oral and written communication, in addition to gaining hands-on experience with various modern instruments including electrochemical analyzers and ultraviolet/visible, Raman, and infrared spectrometers. 

Dr. Marcus Hunt:  "Forensic Trace Evidence Analysis and Natural Materials Development"

Porous carbon materials have far-reaching potential in battery, fuel cell and supercapacitor technologies.  Thus far, expensive precursor materials and processes hinder their adoption in high-volume applications.  Lignin, a low-cost renewable source of carbon, has great potential to supplant more expensive carbon nanoparticles such as nanotubes and graphene.  However, the interaction of heteroatom dopants common in state-of-the-art nanoparticles with lignin is unknown.  These interactions will be investigated toward the goal of producing porous carbon from lignin with properties comparable to carbon nanoparticles.

Textile materials such as clothing are commonplace evidentiary items at crime scenes.  Oftentimes these materials are colored using either pigment or dyes that can provide unique characteristics to trace back to a victim or suspect in an alleged crime.  In many cases textile materials are exposed to environmental conditions such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, microbes in soil and water and moisture that can readily degrade their colorants.  In addition to the identification of the neat dye structures, the degradation products of colorant compounds upon exposure to environmental conditions will be identified.
 

Dr. Benjamin Killian: "Chemistry with Computers"

Many chemical and biochemical processes are very difficult or expensive to study in the laboratory.  The ability to simulate chemical processes on the computer provides scientists in all fields with insight at considerably reduced cost and environmental impact.  In the Killian Group, we are looking at two important questions.

Solvation of Plastics: The need to recycle plastics to eliminate waste material is evident.  Recycling requires dissolving those plastics in a suitable solvent.  Many of these solvents are themselves environmentally hazardous.  We are looking at ways to predict the effectiveness of new, greener liquids as solvents for polymers based on the combined intermolecular forces of these compounds.  This requires quantum mechanical and molecular dynamics simulations of the liquid and gas phases of these solvents.   

Entropy Changes in Biochemical Processes: The functionality of many biochemical compounds depends strongly on how their shape changes when they interact with smaller molecules such as drug molecules.  These changes in shape have two effects.  The energy changes are quite well understood and fairly easy to calculate.  The entropy changes are not.  We use molecular dynamics simulations and statistical analysis of the large dimensional data to calculate the changes in entropy for these biologically interesting processes.

Dr. Moira Lauer:  "Generation of Sustainable Plastics"

The development of modern plastics has irreparably changed society in innumerable ways. We rely on plastics. They are essential in every sector imaginable including transportation, electronics, medicine, and food—so much so that imagining a world without plastics is nearly impossible. Their most uniquely beneficial property—resistance to degradation under environmental stressors (thermal, chemical, biological)—is also one of their most significant issues. Microplastics pollution is an increasingly pervasive issue. Microplastics are abundant in our environment, reaching the most remote places in the world. Even more concerningly, they have also been found extensively throughout humans in just about every bodily tissue and fluid: skeletal muscle, placental tissue, breast milk, blood, and in alarmingly high concentrations in the brain. There is no disputing that this is a significant issue that will continue to plague society for the foreseeable future. It remains as important now as ever to continue to reduce and reuse but the realities of modern recycling strategies are grim.

To address this issue, the Lauer lab is interested in the generation of sustainable plastics which fall into several overlapping categories: 1) those prepared from biomass, 2) those prepared from industrial waste streams, and 3) those that are “designed to degrade”.

Plastics from Biomass
The advantages of making “green” plastics from biomass are many. Biomass is a renewable resource unlike the petroleum-derived monomers used in commercially relevant plastics. These polymer building blocks are also more recognizable to biological systems allowing for more effective enzymatic- or bio-degradation at the end of its operational lifetime. The Lauer group is focused on the synthesis of aromatic furanic building blocks and their subsequent polymerization to generate plastics. Aromatic furans are a special type of furan that provides a polymer with good mechanical properties (high strength, high stiffness) and can be readily produced from the triple dehydration (-3 H2O) of fructose (fruit sugar).  

Plastics from Industrial Waste
The Clean Air Act of 1990 was passed by Congress to limit the dangerous emissions of acid-rain-causing chemicals including sulfur dioxide (SO2). The ultimate result of this legislation was the development of critical petroleum refining strategies that allowed for the removal of sulfur-containing molecules, which combust to produce SO2, from our fuel streams. The product of these refining strategies is elemental sulfur (S8), which has since been accumulating in massive above-ground storage sites due to its production significantly outpacing its usage. For scale, the largest of these storage sites has a base measuring larger than the Pyramid of Giza. Recent developments in radical sulfur chemistry to produce polymers and composites, a process coined “inverse vulcanization”, have grown this field of research since 2013. The Lauer group is interested in studying this complicated polymerization process and making new sulfur-based materials that could find applications in environmental remediation and as structural materials.

Plastics that are “Designed to Degrade”
It has become quite evident that we must consider what will happen to plastic at the end of its operational life during the early stages of polymer development. By purposely installing weaker areas throughout a long polymer chain, we can utilize “chemical scissors” to “cut” the polymer back down to its building blocks. The Lauer group is interested in the potential to make imine-based polymer systems that can be “cut” in dilute acidic solutions. This work will optimally invoke building blocks that are prepared from biomass or from industrial waste streams. 
 

Dr. Siva Mandjiny: "Bioprocessing and Bioseparations"

As the Director of the Biotechnology Research and Training Center at COMTECH in Pembroke, I am deeply committed to advancing the field of Bioprocessing and Bioseparations. My current research focuses on biomanufacturing, particularly the bioprocessing of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a model protein. This research encompasses both upstream and downstream processing. In upstream processing, we identify cell lines, cell stocking, and fermentation to produce proteins. In downstream processing, we train on various unit operations such as centrifugation, homogenization, filtration, and chromatographic methods.
My research also extends to the fermentation of other proteins and enzymes, with a keen interest in the characterization of tangential flow filtration and chromatography techniques. Ion exchange chromatography is a primary focus, as it has become the preferred method for purifying proteins and other macromolecules from complex biological fluids. Our research uses various solid matrices, such as membranes (including nylon and PVA) and gel beads (such as Sepharose and silica). We evaluate these matrices for their protein binding capacities, comparing membranes in filtration mode and gel beads in chromatographic columns. This comparative analysis provides valuable data on binding constants and adsorption capacities, which are crucial for optimizing downstream processing in the pharmaceutical industry.
Students working with me gain comprehensive training in basic lab techniques, literature research, and oral and written communication. They also develop practical skills in the use of the Cytiva Chromatographic system. This hands-on approach ensures that students are well-prepared for careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries. By blending hands-on training with cutting-edge research, we aim to foster a deep understanding of bioprocessing and bioseparations. This prepares students for successful careers in the industry and contributes to the long-term development of new and efficient biomanufacturing processes. My commitment to student development is reflected in our ongoing efforts to train individuals with no prior background in biomanufacturing, helping them secure employment in the pharmaceutical industry.

Dr. Mark McClure: “NMR Spectroscopy of Cobalt Complexes ”

My research interests focus on the application of NMR spectroscopy to the study cobalt(III) coordination compounds containing multidentate ligands. These types of systems represent an interesting challenge from an NMR standpoint. For ligands that contain carbon atoms, C-13 NMR can sometimes be used to determine the overall geometry of the complex ion. However, the H-1 NMR of these systems is often complex. This complexity arises from the fact that coordination restricts rotation about the carbon-carbon bonds of the ligand and therefore introduces nonequivalence in hydrogen atoms attached to the same carbon. As a result, even a simple ethylene linkage joining two donor atoms can contain up to four nonequivalent protons. This often results in very complex splitting patterns, and the interpretation of such spectra requires two-dimensional NMR techniques such as COSY and NOESY.

Dr. Tikaram Neupane: "Optical Properties of Atomic Layers"

My research focuses on fundamental studies and the technological application of photonic devices based on novel quantum materials through the characterization of linear and nonlinear optical properties. The transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC, MX₂; M = W, Mo; X = Te, Se, S) atomic layers and their heterostructures are promising quantum materials because they have unique nonlinear optical characteristics of both parametric and nonparametric intermediate transitions. Also, they have enormous scientific merits which include layer-dependent direct/indirect transitions with strong-orbit coupling and band nesting, large exciton binding energy between electronic and optical band gaps, inversion symmetry and asymmetry, strong covalent bonding within intralayer and weak van der Waals force between interlayers, etc. The investigation of third-order optical nonlinearity especially on the polarity and magnitude of nonlinear absorption (NLA) and nonlinear refraction (NLR) of these atomic layers is crucial for the Q-switch, optical power limiter, and all-optical switching & modulators. These atomic layers will be tested for the optical application of saturable Q-switching and power limiting via the Z-scan and I-scan technique. In addition, All-optical switching is based on phase modulation which could be studied through cross-phase modulation and spatial self-phase modulation (SSPM). However, cross-phase modulation tends to have an optical time delay. A novel all-optical switching device could be proposed using TMDC atomic layer with the monochromatic light via SSPM, which eliminates the time delay. Therefore, TMDC atomic layers are considered the best nonlinear optical components for technical applications which have the lightest payload for any space mission. Furthermore, my research explores other quantum materials (such as topological superconductors, 2D magnetic materials, topological materials, etc) for new device applications in nanoelectronics spintronics, future computing, and energy harvesting.

Dr. Uma Poudyal: "Light Interaction in Nano- and Atomic-Scale Materials"

My research interest involves the study of light interaction in nano- and atomic-scale materials. 

• Nanoscale: When a semiconductor material is reduced to a small (nanometer) size scale, its optical and electronic properties differ greatly from the bulk. Nanostructured materials, such as quantum dots and nanowires, allow the tailoring of energy bandgaps and the enhancement of charge carrier mobility, contributing to the development of high-performance photovoltaic devices. My research aims to understand how the size of nanocrystals affects the amount of light absorbed and how fast electrons are transported. This study will enable us to determine their usability in solar cells and optical/electronic devices. 
   
• Atomic-scale: The emergence of two-dimensional (2-D) atomic-scale materials has opened exciting possibilities. These materials hold the potential to pave the way for the development of advanced miniaturized electronics and optoelectronics devices in the next generation. With the study of nonlinear optical properties of 2-D materials, their usability in optoelectronics can be unfolded. Investigating the nonlinear optical properties of 2-D Graphene Oxide reveals it as a promising candidate for use in optical limiters which will enhance the safety of laser sensors. Several other atomic-scale materials will be investigated unraveling their role in modern optoelectronic and photonic devices. 
   

Dr. Cornelia Tirla: “Development and Implementation of Technologies for Plastic Recycling”

Because of the widespread use of plastic in our everyday life, microplastics have reached dangerous levels in soil, water, and air pollution. My research seeks to address the issues generated by plastic pollution.  It will decompose the polluting resins using bio renewable solvents such as detergents and chemical molecules that can be reused in chemical synthesis.

Today, recycling technologies address mainly single component plastics, in which plastic waste needs to be separated first and recycling cannot be applied on multicomponent mixtures. Many recycling approaches are based on mechanical or chemically assisted methods, however the solvents currently in use are derived from oil and contribute to environmental pollution. Recycling technologies encounter additional economic challenges since the cost of the recycled polymers would need to be lower than that of the pure resin to achieve sustainability. My research aims to develop cost affordable recycling methods that can be used to treat complex plastic mixtures that cannot be separated, making the process not only more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but easier to be adopted by communities in NC.