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November 2022

Archives for November 2022

Undergraduate Student Co-Authors Publication

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Earlier this year Macy Hudson, undergraduate student in the Department of Chemistry, co-authored a publication with a team of University of Tennessee, Knoxville faculty, researchers, and students. The paper “Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Activated Liposomal Cell Delivery Using a Boronate-Caged Guanidine Lipid” was published in Chemistry: A European Journal in late May.

Hudson, a senior, began her time at the university with a plan; she wanted to study organic chemistry, get some experience in a lab, then continue to graduate school. Despite challenges presented by the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020, which sent students home for virtual learning and paused work in labs across campus, she continued to pursue these goals.

“During my sophomore year I really started looking at how to get involved in undergraduate research,” said Hudson. “I asked around the department and was advised to look at what our individual faculty members are researching, reach out to them directly and see if they had any projects that suited my area of study.”

This active pursuit of her research interests eventually led Hudson to the research group of Michael Best, professor of chemistry. Best’s group works with the design and creation of organic molecules for uses relevant to biological systems. The publication Hudson co-authored describes the results of one such project with applications in the pharmaceutical industry.

“The goal of this project was to create a lipid and then use a disease-associated trigger to cleave off the head group of the lipid. When that happens, it creates a positive charge, and if we can create enough positive charge, nanocarriers called liposomes composed of this lipid can be absorbed into cells. This method can be used for drug delivery by putting drug molecules inside the liposome which the cell then absorbs,” said Hudson. Her work on the project was very hands-on, synthesizing and testing the lipid repeatedly, the results of which were included in the publication. 

Hudson plans to continue working in organic chemistry, and specifically in drug design and delivery, by pursuing a PhD after graduation. She hopes to eventually work in development in the pharmaceutical industry. Hudson credits her time in the Department of Chemistry with preparing her to pursue these goals. 

“I’ve had a really great experience. Getting involved beyond research and classes has really helped. I joined our undergraduate chemistry club and worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant, which allowed me to build relationships with faculty members and teach the material that I love,” said Hudson.

Limbach Wins Student Poster Award

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Miranda Limbach, third year PhD student, recently earned an Outstanding Student Poster award at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Limbach’s poster, entitled “Atomic View of Aqueous Cyclosporine A: Unpacking a Decades-Old Mystery,” was one of eight student posters in the division of physical chemistry to be honored at the meeting. 

“This was my first time at the ACS Conference,” said Limbach. “Presenting the poster was lots of fun. Everyone who stopped seemed really interested and the judges were anonymous so you didn’t know who was or wasn’t a judge.”

Limbach’s presentation and poster were based on a collaborative effort between the department, the neutron scattering division at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Vanderbilt. 

Limbach’s work investigates cyclosporine A, a macrocyclic immunosuppressant. Macrocycles are a class of molecules with the ability to permeate the cell membrane and bind to a number of target proteins. Macrocycles have important applications in the pharmaceutical industry and can contribute to both the development of new drugs, including antibiotics, and the successful delivery of those drugs in the human body.

Earlier in 2022, this work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, with a number of UT Chemistry co-authors, including graduate students Aleksandra Antevska, Damilola Oluwatob, and Amber Gray, Assistant Professor Thanh Do, and Director of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Core Facilities Carlos Steren.

Limbach credits her experience in the Department of Chemistry and time in Thanh Do’s research group with preparing her for a successful presentation.

“The nice thing about Dr. Do’s lab is we use a lot of techniques so we get to learn a little bit of everything,” said Limbach. “I’ve been learning a little bit of mass spectrometry and x-ray diffraction and I learned a lot about 2D NMR. The department has been great. Everyone’s really open to making sure you learn everything you need.”

Limbach plans to continue exploring the significance of cyclosporine analogues during her academic career and, after graduation, is considering a future working with NMR facilities or industry.

Sheng Dai Named 2022 Clarivite Highly Cited Researcher

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Sheng Dai

Each year, Clarivate identifies the world’s most influential researchers ─ the select few who have been most frequently cited by their peers over the last decade. In 2022, fewer than 7,000, or about 0.1%, of the world’s researchers, in 21 research fields and across multiple fields, have earned this exclusive distinction.Dai is among this elite group recognized for your exceptional research influence, demonstrated by the production of multiple highly-cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and year in the Web of Science. Dai was also included in the prestigious ranking in 2021 and 2020, making this his third consecutive year on Clarivite’s Highly Cited Researchers list.

Sheng Dai Named DOE Distinguished Scientist Fellow

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Sheng Dai

Sheng Dai, professor of chemistry and UT-ORNL joint faculty has been named a 2022 Distinguished Scientist Fellow by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. This competitive award recognizes exceptional scientists with a history of bridging the gap between academic institutions and national laboratories.

Awardees receive $1 million in funding to be spent over three years with the intention of developing, sustaining, and promoting scientific and academic excellence through collaborations between universities and national laboratories. Only two scientists were awarded this year.

Dai was selected for his pioneering work in the development of functional materials for a variety of uses, including separation science, energy storage, catalysis, and other energy-related applications. It was also noted that Dai has a history of engaging in productive collaborations and serving as a mentor for future generations of researchers.

Dai received his PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and joined the faculty of the chemistry department in 2009. His current research interests include ionic liquids, porous materials, and their applications for separation sciences and energy storage as well as catalysis by nanomaterials. His research has led to the 2020 Max Bredig Award for Ionic Liquids and Molten Salts, the 2019 ACS Award in Separation Science and Technology, and 2018 IMMA Award given by International Mesostructured Materials Association. He is a Fellow of Material Research Society and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The DOE Office of Science will host a lecture series featuring the 2022 awarded scientists. Dai will discuss his research accomplishments, career trajectory, and experiences November 9 at 1:30pm. The events are open to the public virtually on Zoom. Attendees can register to receive Zoom information.