Congratulations to Cabell Lamie for successfully defending his dissertation titled “Synthesis, Supercritical Fractionation, And Kinetic Modeling of Pyrene Pitch Oligomers” on November 24th.
Cabell’s research during his studies here at Clemson focused on developing and utilizing supercritical extraction techniques for furthering the fundamental knowledge in the field of pitch research, with a focus on modeling the reaction kinetics of pitch formation and determining how the oligomeric composition effects the bulk properties of the pitch.
Cabell is continuing his career at Clemson as a Post-doctoral Researcher for Mark C. Thies, his graduate advisor. Here, he will continue his research in pitch fractionation and pass on the reins to the next pitch researcher in the Thies Research Group.
Cabell had this to say about his time here at Clemson; “I am grateful for the opportunity to do my PhD studies here at Clemson, and though it has been difficult and stressful, has made me feel ready for any challenge I may encounter in my career. I am excited to see what the future holds for me”
Allison Yaguchi successfully defended her dissertation titled “Development of Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus to Convert Lignin-Derived Phenolics to Oleochemicals” on November 18th.
Her research identified a novel yeast able to robustly convert an aromatic-rich waste stream, called lignin, into lipids. These microbially-derived fats can be converted into value-added oleochemicals, such as biodiesel or omega-3 fatty acids. Her findings regarding the metabolism and genetics utilized by Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus will enhance the body of knowledge regarding aromatic catabolism in yeast systems – an area that remains largely unexplored. She is an author on 8 publications, presented at over 20 conferences, and mentored over 15 undergraduates during her time at Clemson.
Yaguchi says she will look back fondly on her time at Clemson, though it was a long, hard road. She reflects, “I joke that if I redid my whole PhD knowing what I know now, I could probably do the whole thing in at least half the time. There will be a lot of missteps, failures, and unfortunate surprises. It might feel like you take three steps back for every one step forward. My advice is to surround yourself with people who will support you through those rough waters. Remember that you are here at Clemson because someone saw potential in you. Find good mentors who can help you turn that potential into success and a positive group of friends to keep you going when you feel discouraged.”
After graduating, Yaguchi will take a position at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, CO as a post-doctoral researcher before returning to academia as a faculty member.
A paper from Dr. Scott Husson’s group was selected as a July 2020 Editor’s Choice Article for the Journal of Membrane Science.
The article title is “Effect of mechanical strain on the transport properties of thin-film composite membranes used in osmotic processes”.
Authors include Jaime Idarraga-Mora (recent PhD graduate), Alton O’Neal (ChBE undergraduate), Morgan Pfeiler (ChBE undergraduate), David Lander (Assoc. Prof. EEES), and Scott Husson (corresponding author).
Christopher Pierce, a junior undergraduate student in Chemical Engineering, was recently awarded funding through SC INBRE along with his mentor Dr. Jessica Larsen. Through the Student-Initiated Research Program (SIRP), Christopher will receive $3,000 to pursue his project which has a basis in drug delivery, biomedicine, and neuroscience.
His project, entitled “Modulation of Polymersome Shape to Enhance Blood-Brain Barrier Uptake”, will explore the effect of hydrophobicity on changing the shape of vesicular nanoparticles called polymersomes. Polymersomes have the benefits of simultaneously encapsulating hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, evading the immune system, and circulating for extended periods of time. Thermodynamically, polymersomes form into spherical shapes. However, materials natively internalized in cells are not generally spherical. By altering the polymersome shape into various structures, including more elongated rods and more blood-cell like stomatocytes, he aims to increase endothelial uptake to aid in transport of payloads through the blood-brain barrier.
He will develop design rules to create each shape by exploring biodegradable polymers with varying hydrophobicities and altering osmotic pressure gradients. Of the awards given, only two were given to undergraduate students and only one award was given to a student majoring in an engineering field. Congratulations to Christopher Pierce and Dr. Jessica Larsen!
CU-CIA Funded project “Towards the Creation of Biomimetic Complement Protein: Understanding Self-Assembly in Whole Blood” led Dr. Jessica Larsen and Honors College Undergraduate (’20) Lauren Maghak to an accidental discovery.
Maghak and Larsen were working to drive self-assembly of polymers around blood borne pathogens. Their electron microscopy experiments were leading to very unexpected images. Upon further examination and with the addition of lysed controls, Maghak and Larsen began to realize that these clinically-approved polymers were causing dramatic morphological changes to blood cells. These polymers are commonly used in pre-clinical nanomedicine that then fails upon entering clinical trials.
Their project morphed into an exploration of the effect of varying hydrophobicities of polyesters on each major blood component, summarized in their paper entitled “Intact or in Pieces? A Look at How Clinically Approved, Biodegradable Block Co-Polymers Affect Blood Components” published in ACS Biomaterials Science and Engineering in July of 2020, which is also present on the cover. This letter can be thought of as a as a call for more thorough testing of polymeric materials in blood prior to clinical trials. This research culminated in an Honors Thesis in Chemical Engineering for recent Biochemistry graduate, Lauren Maghak. Maghak is now pursuing her PhD at Indiana University.
Gov. Henry McMaster is honoring a Clemson University associate professor who has won international acclaim for engineering yeast in research that could help humankind reach Mars, develop new drugs and search for nuclear weapons production.
Mark Blenner, the McQueen Quattlebaum Associate Professor, has received a 2020 Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. The award recognizes his contributions to research and teaching.
Blenner, a member of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, is the eighth Clemson faculty member in 10 years to win a Governor’s Award.
All but one were in the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences at the time of their awards.
“This is an award I’ve seen a lot of outstanding Clemson faculty win, and I’m honored to be on that level,” Blenner said.
Blenner, who joined Clemson in 2012, has raised $10 million from a variety of federal and industry sources to fund his research.
His work in engineering yeast has a wide range of potential.
It could, for example, help astronauts make omega-3 nutritional supplements they could take to stay healthy during the long trip to Mars. Yeast could also be engineered to create biopolymer PHA, a type of polyester that astronauts could feed into a 3D printer to make tools.
Blenner is also using the single-celled fungi to explore new ways of developing drugs and creating sensors that would help search for radiation from nuclear weapons production.
Much of his work has focused on a species of yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica. But his team has begun to explore another species, Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosus, that remains largely unexplored and shows promise for turning lignin, a byproduct of wood-processing, into omega-3 fatty acids, biofuel or biopolymers.
Blenner has published 28 peer-reviewed papers and three other papers, including one that was the most read article in ACS Synthetic Biology in 2016-17. Two of his articles are classified by the Institute for Scientific Information as “highly cited,” a designation reserved for the top 1% of articles in each journal.
Blenner’s work has been extensively covered in the popular press, including stories in The Washington Post, The Guardian and BBC World News. He wrote a blog post for Scientific American, and an episode of “SciShow Space” featuring his work has been viewed more than 100,000 times.
It’s the latest in a string of accolades for Blenner, capped in summer 2019 with the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the nation’s highest honor for researchers early in their careers.
Blenner has excelled at involving his students in prestigious programs, including the Beckman Scholars Program, the U.S. Education Department’s Graduate Assistance for Areas of National Need and the U.S. Energy Department’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program.
“The most meaningful part of this award is that it recognizes that I’ve educated a lot of undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers,” Blenner said. “Some stay in South Carolina, and some have gone elsewhere and are representing the state well. They show the high-quality of human capital the state has to offer.”
Previous Governor’s Award winners from Clemson over the past 10 years include John Ballato and Apparao Rao (both 2014), who received the Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. Laine Mears (2011), Brian Powell (2014) and Srikanth Pilla (2018) have received the Young Scientist Award for Excellence in Scientific Research. Joshua Summers (2012) and Barbara Speziale (2010) have won the Award for Excellence in Scientific Awareness.
Governor’s Awards are jointly sponsored by the Governor’s Office and the South Carolina Academy of Sciences.
Our department is proud to officially welcome Dr. Suzanne Roat and Dr. Ming Yang to Clemson University.
Dr. Suzanne Roat is joining our Department as a Professor of Practice. Dr. Roat enjoyed an exciting and rewarding 28-year career working in the oil and gas sector primarily for Chevron Corporation before returning to her alma mater to teach Process Design and Unit Operations Laboratory classes.
Throughout her career, Dr. Roat leveraged her undergraduate Chemical Engineering degree from Clemson (1985) and Master of Science (1987) and PhD (1991) work focused on nonlinear optimal control (both in Chemical Engineering at University of Tennessee, Knoxville) into a full career of supply chain optimization.
When she’s out of the office, Dr. Roat is enjoying more time scuba diving, including becoming a PADI-certified scuba diving instructor. She has been as deep as 114 meters and dives with a closed-loop rebreather system.
Our department is also very excited to welcome Dr. Ming Yang to Clemson University. Dr. Yang is joining us from General Motors, where he worked as a Senior Researcher for several years. He now serves our department as an Assistant Professor.
His research interests include Catalysis, Advanced Materials, Reaction Engineering for Energy and Environmental Applications.
Dr. Yang holds two Bachelor’s degrees from Tianjin University and Nankai University. He received his Master’s from Tianjin University and holds a doctoral degree from Tufts University.
Outside of work, Dr. Yang loves soccer, sport cars, and traveling. He’s traveled to 45 of the lower 48 states in the past 5 years!
That was three years ago. Now Getman is first through the door for another honor, one that reflects her national prominence in research, scholarship and teaching.
Getman is the first recipient of the Murdoch Family Endowed Professorship in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.
The professorship comes with funding that Getman said she expects to put into hiring a graduate student to help further her lab’s research.
“Every person that you have doing research is an opportunity to work on and explore another problem,” Getman said. “It’s very helpful. I thank all those who have mentored and supported me, those who nominated me for the professorship, and the Murdoch family for their support of Clemson University faculty.”
Larry Murdoch provided the endowment that made the professorship possible. Murdoch received his Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Clemson in 1963 before going on to graduate school at Iowa State University and a successful career, first in chemical plant operations and then the engineering and construction industry.
He has traveled the world and once lived in Europe for five years, but he hasn’t forgotten what Clemson has meant to him. Murdoch said the quality and dedication of the faculty, led by then-Department Chair Charles Edward Littlejohn, Jr., inspired him and helped lead him to success.
“That’s why I wanted to dedicate the endowment to recognize faculty,” he said. “The quality of an educational institution really boils down to the quality of the faculty, and I know it’s difficult to attract and retain good faculty. There is a lot of competition, and I just want to do a small part to help in that area.”
Murdoch also said that since he began supporting the department in 2011, he has been impressed and inspired by the commitment and improvements implemented by former Department Chair Douglas E. Hirt and the current department chair, David A. Bruce.
Getman’s research is helping lay the groundwork to create more efficient, more effective and less expensive catalysts. Catalysts accelerate the rate of chemical reactions and are crucial to mass-producing a vast range of products from gasoline and diesel fuel to fertilizer and plastic.
“Everything that you’re touching right now has probably seen a catalyst,” Getman said.
Getman’s main contribution has been to develop a multiscale modeling method for quantifying thermodynamics and kinetics of aqueous phase reactions at solid interfaces.
“It’s something that isn’t well established in my field but needs to be to understand a large class of catalytic chemistry,” she said. “To perform simulations at the molecular level is pretty challenging. You have to predict ahead of time all of the correct features that you would want to incorporate into your model. Because no one has a microscope that can look at that level and tell you what’s going on, you have to use your own intuition. Usually, you’re learning as you’re going.”
Getman’s lab includes two post-doctoral researchers, five Ph.D. scholars, one master’s student and one honors undergraduate. Her lab took in 11 interns over the summer when other research opportunities were cancelled because of COVID-19.
Much of her lab’s work involves creating models of chemical reactions on computers and can be done virtually.
“We offered a lot of positions to give people experience doing research they wouldn’t have had otherwise because of the pandemic,” Getman said.
Bruce said Getman is well deserving of the professorship.
“Dr. Getman receives funding from multiple agencies, publishes research in high-quality journals and has an excellent record of mentoring undergraduates,” he said. “Clemson is better off for having her here, and I offer her my deepest congratulations for this professorship.”
Getman’s lab is also collaborating with O. Thompson Mefford, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Clemson. Their work to design magnetic materials could have applications in biomedicine and electronic devices, Getman said.
“We use our methods (created in the Getman lab) to calculate magnetic properties at the molecular level and learn how we can tune those properties to optimize the material for a particular function,” she said.
Getman said what she likes best about her work is helping people reach their potential and achieve their career and personal goals, a value that she sees reflected in her colleagues at Clemson.
All of the students and post-doctoral researchers who have worked in Getman’s lab have been placed in positions that have closely aligned with their goals, she said.
“One of my best accomplishments is that the people who come through my group create a career goal and then they achieve it– and I can’t see how there can be anything better than that as a professor,” she said.
About the Murdoch Family:
Three consecutive generations of Murdochs have graduated from Clemson University. Larry Murdoch, whose donation funded the Murdoch Family Endowed Professorship, was the second generation. He arrived at Clemson after growing up in Abbeville County and received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1963, a degree that he credits with preparing him for graduate school and a successful career. His father, Earle Murdoch, was the first in the family to graduate from Clemson, receiving an agronomy degree in 1929. Three of Larry Murdoch’s children also went to Clemson. Jeffrey Murdoch received a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 1994 and then a Master of Science in computer science in 2000. Brian Murdoch received a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry in 1997. Lindsay Murdoch White received a Bachelor of Science in health science in 2000. A fourth generation is represented by a grandson who is a freshman starting this year. Larry Murdoch retired from full-time work in 2014 but at 79 years old continues to work as a consultant. He and his wife, Pat, live on Greenville’s Eastside.
Earlier this month, Dr. Jessica Larsen was selected as the recipient for the 2020 Bradley Faculty Award for Mentoring in Creative Inquiry. She is the first receipt in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering in the 13 years of the award. When asked to describe her mentoring style, Larsen described it as “radical vulnerability”.
“I am open and honest with my students about my expectations of them and will admit when I fall short of their expectations of me. Because of this, students feel safe to be open and honest with me, calling themselves out when they fall short of expectations and letting me know when I may not be the best version of myself. On day one, I let my students know that I am also capable of making mistakes, and it is our job to work together as a team where members all have equal value. We have created a mutual, safe space for our team.”
Larsen understands that mistakes happen and believes that they should be treated as learning opportunities, not as identifying characteristics of the students. As a team, Larsen and her students focus on the value of the mistake in their meetings and take steps to move forward together.
Currently, Larsen and her CI students are working on several different projects, such as the identification of potential noninvasive biomarkers for GM1 gangliosidosis and using Polymersomes to Deliver Gold Nanoparticles to Enhance CT Imaging Applications in the brain. In general, their lab works to understand, treat, and diagnose brain diseases, using polymeric materials to respond to pathological stimuli that occur in each disease. The team’s end goal is to bring next-generation nanomedicine to the clinic, developing treatments for currently untreatable disease.
Larsen believes that her students are driven to make progress because they can see that the work they are doing is extremely important and could have a positive impact on society. There is a clear goal that her team is working towards together.
One of the most important impacts that Larsen has been able to deliver is the strong and constant belief that her researchers are capable of “so much greatness,” especially when her team works together and are able to identify the talents of each individual. Larsen ensures to tailor projects towards the individual passion of her students. She believes that this improves the synergy of their lab and the evidence is shown in the confidence that she extends to her students.
“I cannot thank you enough for the positivity you have in our meetings,” a student shared with her. “It genuinely makes my day and has really helped me build my confidence when it comes to looking into graduate programs. Having your vote of confidence has given me such a boost of energy and has made me more confident in my ability to do research”.
It is obvious that Dr. Jessica Larsen is a well-deserved recipient of 2020 Bradley Faculty Award for Mentoring. We are proud to have her as a member of our department and extend our congratulations!
Article written by Paul Alongi, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences
The team developing tests includes (from left): Mark Blenner, Sarah Harcum, Terri Bruce, Delphine Dean and R. Kenneth Marcus.
Clemson University researchers are volunteering their time and resources as part of a statewide effort to develop serologic tests that could play a key role in reigniting South Carolina’s economy and protecting healthcare professionals on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A test on track to be ready this week would be aimed at detecting antibodies that form in the bloodstream when someone has been exposed to the novel coronavirus and is therefore thought to have a lowered chance of re-infection.
Clemson researchers are developing the South Carolina tests with colleagues from the University of South Carolina, Prisma Health and the Medical University of South Carolina. Commercial labs are also developing the tests, but some South Carolinians are concerned that the tests will be in short supply and that the lion’s share will go to larger states with more purchasing power and more cases of COVID-19.
Delphine Dean is overseeing the Clemson portion of the work as the Clemson lead for the state’s Serological Testing and Diagnostic Working Group.
“We’re all working on it together,” said Dean, who is the Ron and Jane Lindsay Family Innovation Professor of bioengineering. “Many of the barriers between institutions that sometimes slow down collaboration have been removed. Everyone has been working around the clock to make these things go much faster than typically happens.”
Before any test is deployed, it would need to be validated for effectiveness to meet Food and Drug Administration regulations.
The test that will be available this week is aimed at checking healthcare professionals for antibodies. The idea is that those who test positive for the antibodies could be cleared to re-enter public life, allowing them to work with minimal concern they could come down with COVID-19 or infect others.
About 500-1,000 tests could be ready as early as this week, less than a month since the project started, researchers said.
The two Clemson researchers working on the test are Mark Blenner, the McQueen Quattlebaum Associate Professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Sarah Harcum, professor of bioengineering.
Blood samples would need to be tested in a lab, which limits how many can be done. In a parallel effort, Clemson researchers are working to create tests that could take saliva, urine or blood and show results with a color change in as little as 15 minutes, similar to a home pregnancy test.
Researchers involved in developing those tests are: Blenner, Terri Bruce, research assistant professor of bioengineering and director of the Clemson Light Imaging Facility; Dean; Harcum; and R. Kenneth Marcus, University Professor of chemistry.
The tests would be an improvement on current methods. Antibody tests that check for immunity require a blood draw and are inaccurate and scarce, Blenner said. Testing directly for the virus itself requires an uncomfortable nasal swab and puts healthcare workers at a heightened risk of catching the virus, he said.
Martine LaBerge, the chair of Clemson’s bioengineering department, said all the researchers are volunteering their time, efforts and resources to help the state, as it faces the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They are working tirelessly to protect the health and safety of South Carolina’s healthcare professionals and the general public,” said LaBerge, who is playing a central role in coordinating Clemson’s research response to the pandemic. “Institutional barriers are coming down so that we can work together as one South Carolina. I offer all those sacrificing sleep and time with family my deepest gratitude.”
The process to develop the tests starts with Blenner, who is making spike proteins, which give the novel coronavirus its distinguishing feature and is believed to be how the viral infection is mediated.
In his lab, Blenner puts the DNA for the spike proteins inside of human or hamster cells. When the cells grow, they produce the spike proteins, which will ultimately serve as the key reagent in the antibody tests.
“Our group is going to make a stable cell line that we can scale up,” Blenner said. “Right now the procedure is not meant to make a lot of protein. It’s meant for quick protein production. I’m going to make a productive cell line and work with Sarah Harcum to get that in larger bioreactors.”
Harcum said she will put the cells in computer-controlled bioreactors that can sense oxygen and pH levels. Pumps carefully control the nutrients that feed the cells.
“I grow cells to make them happier so they make more protein,” Harcum said. “Normally, I look at how to make pharmaceuticals, but the pharmaceuticals I make are proteins, which makes this COVID-19 work a good fit for what I do.”
Once she has the protein grown, Harcum will then purify it so that it can be used in the diagnostic tests.
Meanwhile, Bruce, Marcus and Dean are starting to lay the groundwork for simple tests that could reach large numbers of people.
“What we really need is something simple that’s a colorimetric test that can be done in under 15 minutes at the point of care,” Bruce said.
The team is working to improve upon a commercially-developed enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay, or ELISA, that checks blood samples for antibodies.
Antibodies are plentiful in blood but less so in saliva. One of the challenges in developing a saliva-based test is isolating the antibodies.
To do so, Marcus and Bruce are turning to capillary-channeled polymer fiber-based films, a technology they have been researching for years.
“Antibodies exist in this tremendously complex soup, and what you would like to be able to do is pull them out of the soup selectively in a fairly high-throughput fashion,” Marcus said. “We can modify our fibers so that the only things that stick are the antibodies.”
Clemson researchers are working to make a prototype, but a manufacturer would be needed to produce large quantities of the test, Bruce said.
Dean, who is helping develop the optical portion of the test, said it could also be possible to use the fibers to capture the virus itself from urine. There is evidence that the virus comes out in urine after it is no longer detectable in blood, she said.
“Patients could maybe test themselves at home,” Dean said. “The same principle could be used to test waste streams. If you wanted to do population monitoring, you might be able to get a sense for what percent of the population has the virus.”
Researchers said they are finding ways to pay for the development of the tests with existing funds but that eventually they will need financial support, particularly when the semester ends next month.
“We are going to need lab supplies and graduate student salaries, and we could accelerate development by outsourcing some of the work,” Dean said. “Typically, when we launch big projects, we apply for federal funding, a process that normally takes months, if not a year or more. But time is of the essence, and we are finding ways to quickly ramp up work. What we need most now is the funds to help keep the work going.”
