UB CBE 2017 Catalyst

CATALYST FALL 2017

BREAKTHROUGH COLLABORATIONS IN HEALTH, ENERGY, & THE ENVIRONMENT Multidisciplinary research and entrepreneurship creates lasting impact for science, business, and people’s lives.

1 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

CHAIR’S WELCOME It is a great pleasure to present our annual newsletter,

This is indeed an exciting time to be part of the UB CBE family!

The Catalyst, and share with you the exciting developments

The enthusiastic and collaborative spirit that imbues our

that have been taking place at UB CBE. For several years

research culture is also infusing the approach of our students,

now, our department has been on a trajectory of remarkable

who are full of energy and intellectual curiosity. Please read

growth, optimism, and achievement as we implement our vision of excellence through collaboration that places us at the forefront of chemical and biological engineering research, education, and socioeconomic impact in the region and the world.

Along this path, three new stellar faculty members joined us this fall and are featured in the following pages (Professors Thundat, Courtmanche, and Lupion). Overall, we added ten faculty members to our roster in the past four years, expanding our collective expertise in the areas of energy and the environment, big data, and biomedical science and engineering. In the coming year, we will add additional

on as we share their achievements and awards in the pages that follow.

Our alumni contribute greatly to our progress and enthusiasm as they continue to engage with us, sharing their time and resources to ensure that our culture of excellence through collaboration endures for years to come.

On behalf of the UB CBE family, I thank all of you, colleagues, alumni and friends, for your continued support. As always, we love to hear from you, whether it be through social media, during one of our visits to your area, or one of your visits to UB. Please stay in touch!

faculty that complement our strengths in the areas of systems biology and computational bioengineering, further expanding our research and educational scope and impact.

As we invest in human capital, we are also building shared

Stelios T. Andreadis

instrumentation facilities for promoting interdisciplinary

Chair, Chemical and Biological Engineering

research. We recently launched our new BioDesign Core facility, enabling acquisition of high-throughput experimental data. The core hosts state-of-the-art flow cytometry and mass spectrometry facilities, among others, that complement existing Genomics, Proteomics, and Materials Characterization core labs already in place.

This investment has fueled an unprecedented level of collaborative research activities among our students and faculty that has resulted in a number of high impact publications, significant entrepreneurial activity (four startup companies founded by our faculty and students), and a more than 50% increase in research expenditures in one year. Most notably, we saw a 2.5 fold boost in funding from new awards this year, which will no doubt have a positive impact on scholarly activity.

2 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS PROFESSOR ED FURLANI AWARDED $1 MILLION NSF AWARD of UB researchers, Ed Furlani has

PROFESSOR SRIRAM NEELAMEGHAM RECEIVED $2.2 MILLION FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

received $1 million from the National

Sriram Neelamegham received grants

Working with an interdisciplinary team

Science Foundation to develop smart wearable technology to advance health monitoring and disease diagnosis. He also received a UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Teacher of the Year Award.

to fund research focused on developing a systems level understanding of cellular glycosylation processes, using a combination of mathematical modeling methods and experiments. Such work is important since glycans, or carbohydrates expressed on cells, either

2.5x

more new research funding over 2015/16

absolutely control or finely tune a number of biological processes in humans during health and disease. The studies being pursued are thus important for biotechnology and medical research. Collaborators on the awards include Profs. Jun Qu (Pharmaceutical Sciences), Michael Buck (Biochemistry), G. Ekin Atilla-Gokcumen (Chemistry) and

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR GANG WU AWARDED OVER $2 MILLION FROM DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Gang Wu received three grants from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Advanced Research Projects AgencyEnergy (ARPA-e) Office is funding his development of highperformance catalysts to decompose NH3 at an economically favorable low temperature (<450oC) and the catalysts for electrochemically reducing N2 to synthesize NH3 using renewable energy-generated electricity. The Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) Fuel Cell Technologies Office provided two additional awards, the first of which is for work on advanced fuel cell catalyst supports. Dr. Wu is developing

Lara Mahal (Chemistry, New York University).

PROFESSOR STELIOS ANDREADIS AWARDED $3.7 MILLION IN TWO GRANTS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH The first award was from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) to study reprogramming of skin cells into neural crest stem cells and their derivatives including neurons, and Schwann cells. Dr. Fraser Sim (UB, Pharmacology and Toxicology) and Dr. Marianne Bonner (Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Caltech) are co-investigators.

a new type of high-surface-area and large size nitrogen-

The second was a multi-PI R01 with Dr. Olga Baker

doped graphene tubes (NGTs), which will be used as an

(University of Utah) from the National Institute of Dental

advanced carbon support to boost Pt cathode performance

and Craniofacial Research. The work aims to develop

for proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The second EERE

functionalized biomaterials to promote salivary gland

award is for fuel cell catalyst research, for which Dr. Wu is one

regeneration for treatment of debilitating diseases

of the leading researchers in the field. He and his group will be

that cause salivary gland dysfunction, such as SjĂśgrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

responsible for developing high-performance platinum group

syndrome, ectodermal dysplasia, and y-irradiation

metal (PGM)-free catalysts by using earth abundant elements

therapies for head and neck cancers.

(Fe, Co, or Mn) to replace expensive and scarce Pt in future fuel cells. These new catalyst technologies hold great promise to realize large-scale fuel cell commercialization for transportation and stationary applications with an affordable price.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 3

FACULTY ACHIEVEMENTS ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CHONG CHENG RECEIVED A NEW $420,000 GRANT FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR JOHANNES HACHMANN ORGANIZED AND RAN NSF WORKSHOP ON FRAMING THE ROLE OF BIG DATA AND MODERN DATA SCIENCE IN CHEMISTRY

In collaboration with Yun Wu from UB Biomedical Engineering, Chong Cheng has received an award from the Biomaterials program of NSF to develop a novel drug-gene co-delivery system with potential applications in cancer treatment.

Johannes Hachmann organized and ran the workshop in Arlington, VA, this April (together with colleagues from Iowa State and Vanderbilt University). It was sponsored through

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR NATESH PARASHURAMA IS A CSTEP AWARDEE

an NSF grant and was based on the notion that there is

The University at Buffalo Collegiate

has been recognized by the NSF in its recent Dear Colleagues

Science and Technology Entry Program

Letter on Data-Driven Discovery Science in Chemistry (D3SC)

(CSTEP) Distinguished Research Mentor

as well as other high-profile programs such as the White

Award recognizes faculty research

House Materials Genome Initiative (MGI). Despite some

now a growing agreement in the community on the value of incorporating modern data science—the 4th pillar of science— into chemical research. The importance of this development

mentors who embody the qualities found in an outstanding

impressive pioneering work, there is still a distinct disconnect

research mentor. CSTEP research interns nominated faculty

between the promise of this approach and the realities

who embody the essence of a mentor-mentee relationship

of everyday research in the community, where data-driven

that trains and provides support to students in STEM and

work does not yet play a significant role. The purpose of

the licensed professions.

Dr. Hachmann’s workshop was to chart a path that will allow

BLAINE PFEIFER PROMOTED TO THE RANK OF PROFESSOR According to Stelios Andreadis, department chair and professor,

the community to bridge this disconnect, to support and guide the activities of researchers, to offer these insights to funding agencies, and to ultimately advance and shape this emerging field as a focus area. Its long-term objective is to help pioneer a fundamental transformation of the chemical research process.

“Blaine has done an outstanding job as a researcher, scholar, mentor (and more recently also entrepreneur), and his promotion reflects his outstanding record of scholarship and contributions to teaching and service in our department and UB. In addition to his academic credentials, those of us who have worked with him on scientific projects and various department committees know

375

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

that Blaine is a wonderful colleague with an enthusiastic, can-do attitude who has contributed and enhanced the collegial environment that we are fortunate to enjoy in CBE”.

172 4 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

GRADUATE STUDENTS

UB CBE ADDING THREE NEW FACULTY Welcome to Dr. Thomas Thundat,

In addition, UB CBE has added

who is joining the department

two teaching faculty to enhance

as a member of the distinguished

undergraduate education,

research faculty in the UB RENEW

experiential learning,

program. He was formerly

and career development.

Canada Excellence Research

Dr. Monica Lupion received her

Chair professor at the University of

PhD in Chemical Engineering

Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and is

from the University of Seville,

a Distinguished Professor (hon.) at Dr. Thomas Thundat

Spain, and since then, has

the Indian Institute of Technology,

had a diverse and rich working

Madras, and Centenary Professor

at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He is the author of over 380 publications in refereed journals, 45 book chapters, and 40 patents. Dr. Thundat is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the Electrochemical Society (ECS), the American Association for Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the SPIE, and the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Dr. Thundatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research is currently focused on novel physical, chemical, and biological detection using micro and nano mechanical sensors and electrical power delivery using single wire concept.

experience in academia Dr. Monica Lupion

(Associate Professor & Senior researcher, University of

Seville, Spain), government (European Commission Expert Evaluator), and industry. Most recently, Dr. Lupion worked at the MIT Energy Initiative, where she led multi-disciplinary sponsored research efforts into energy systems and low carbon technologies. In addition to teaching, she will also be developing a new co-op program as part of our longterm plan to offer students more opportunities for industrial experience, and to enhance their connections.

Dr. David Courtemanche obtained his PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana

2017

Champaign and he has since

2016

where his work focused on

had a long and successful career in industry (DuPont), Process Safety Management and Process Hazard Analysis.

For the past seven years

2015

Dr. Courtemanche has brought Dr. David Courtemanche

2014

his significant knowledge of manufacturing and process

safety at DuPont to students in CE 408 Plant Design as an adjunct lecturer. Now full time, he will focus on teaching more of this course and others, including CE 407 Separations,

10 NEW FACULTY

as well as accreditation.

IN 4 YEARS Catalyst Fall 2017 | 5

CONTINUING ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS FROM OUR RECENT GRADUATES PIONEERING AN ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

Figure 1

Angiograft, LLC aims to provide innovative solutions in regenerative medicine approaches for treatment of cardiovascular disease. Its product is a self-cellularizing artificial blood vessel, available off the shelf, and capable of regenerating with the

Figure 2

Figure 3

patient’s own cells and tissue once implanted. The acellular Sindhu Row (PhD 2016) and Angiograft, LLC

technology employs covalent chemistry to fortify collagenous

grafts with anti-clotting factors, as well as growth factors, which attract the patient’s own cells to the graft site. This enables manufacture of A-TEV (acellular tissue engineered vessel) within

Figure 1. Schematic showing self-endothelialization.

Figure 2. Angiogram showing patency of implanted grafts in ovine carotid.

Figure 3. Endothelial marker e-NOS (red) stained in lumen, counterstained with DAPI (blue).

just one day, whereas other competitors apply cell-based technologies, which depend on a bioreactor culture resulting in a time-consuming (7–10 weeks) and expensive fabrication process. The principal advantage of the product is the unique

SMARTER VACCINES FOR MORE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES

cell-free technology that imparts biological function,

Abcombi Biosciences, piloted by

while still being cost-effective and available off the shelf.

Charles Jones, is entering a new

Sindhu Row is one of the founders of Angiograft, LLC, and she

growth phase as it refines its

has worked together for eight years researching cell-based

offerings and relocates business

and acellular technologies for vascular tissue engineering

exclusively to Buffalo. In the past

with Daniel Swartz, who has years of experience in vascular

year, the company graduated

biology with a focus on translational applications, and Stelios

from the Johnson & Johnson

Andreadis, who brings extensive experience in stem cell

Incubator (JLABs) after executing

technology and tissue engineering with a focus on vascular

a partnership with a Fortune

applications. Dr. Row brings the skills required for the

Charles Jones (PhD 2016) and Abcombi Biosciences

manufacture, testing, and optimization of the grafts.

will consist of treatment strategies against familiar suspects,

Angiograft, LLC was a semifinalist in the Onestart competition in 2016 and the final round of the UB Panasci technology

100 company. Its new pipeline

such as influenza and Staphylococcus aureus, along with new entries in water treatment using biological agents.

competition in 2016. Angiograft has also been awarded two

Since its foundation, Abcombi Sciences has participated in

SBIR Phase I grants from the NHLBI (National Heart, Lung

a fruitful relationship with the University at Buffalo, resulting

and Blood Institute), and NIH (National Institutes of Health).

in publications in leading journals and funding surpassing

The pre-clinical studies will enable several applications

$1 million. In particular, Blaine Pfeifer’s research group has

of the artificial blood vessel or A-TEV, including its utility

been instrumental in the support of current and emerging

as replacement grafts in the young (congenital defects)

research. In the coming year, the company intends to further

and cardiovascular ailments in the elderly.

strengthen this relationship as it bridges the gap from ideation to commercialization.

6 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

DESIGNING MATERIALS TO ENABLE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS CBE researchers are taking an integrative, team-based approach to address multiple facets of sustainable energy systems, including energy harvesting, conversion, and storage technologies. Advances in all of these areas hinge on the development of new materials that enable improved performance or the development of entirely new devices.

For example, new precious-metal-free electrocatalysts

The Wu group leads collaborative efforts in development

enable lower-cost higher-performance fuel cells, batteries,

of new electrocatalysts that reduce or eliminate the use

and water electrolyzers. New nanocomposite membrane

of precious metals to significantly reduce the cost of clean

materials allow energy-efficient separation of CO from

energy technologies. Energy conversion and storage via

other gases to limit CO2 emissions. New semiconductor

the direct electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)

nanostructures for use in thin-film solar cells can decrease

and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are among the most

2

the cost and energy input required for production of photovoltaics. In each of these cases, the new materials must be integrated into devices, which requires a coordinated

Solar Cells

experimental and modeling approach that addresses

Water Splitting

molecular to device scales. The Gang Wu group leads efforts

H2

in electrocatalysis and electrochemical energy storage, while the Haiqing Lin group focuses on membrane-based processes with energy applications. The Mark Swihart group synthesizes

Green Energy

Fuel Cells

new nanomaterials used in collaborative projects with these groups and others. The Johannes Hachmann group contributes to these and other collaborative efforts through computational and data-driven studies that provide guidance and additional insights

Fossil Fuels

CO2 Capture

Batteries

e-

to the experimental efforts. The Ed Furlani group is collaborating on several of these projects to provide continuum-scale multi-physics simulations, particularly at the device and process scales.

Schematic illustration of the relationships among sustainable energy technologies being advanced in UB CBE. Blue and red lines indicate flows of electricity and hydrogen, respectively.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 7

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

[DESIGNING MATERIALS TO ENABLE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS]

important emerging energy technologies. Their applications

from the Department of Energy, a team led by Lin and

include proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs),

Swihart is investigating mixed matrix materials (MMMs)

metal (Li or Zn)-air batteries, and water electrolyzers. These

containing palladium (Pd) nanoparticles in polymers, which

technologies offer many advantages over traditional fossil

have strong affinity toward H2 and thus exhibit extremely

fuel combustion, such as improved overall efficiency, high

high H2/CO2 solubility selectivity. This approach differs

energy density, and significant reduction of CO2 and other

dramatically from conventional approaches, which are

emissions. In particular, PEMFCs are highly efficient chemical-

focused on designing rigid polymers with strong size sieving

to-electrical energy conversion devices that can be used

ability achieving high H2/CO2 diffusivity selectivity. Loading

as power sources in electric vehicles, and portable and

of the polymer membrane with Pd nanoparticles (<10 nm

stationary applications. Several new catalyst approaches

diameter) dramatically increases H2 solubility and H2/

have been developed to finely tune catalyst nanostructures,

CO2 solubility selectivity in the membrane, resulting in a

morphologies, and heteroatom doping to achieve maximum

significant increase in H2 permeability and H2/CO2 selectivity.

catalyst performance. These include novel template methods,

The team is also computationally modeling gas transport

transition metal or heteroatom doping, and innovative

in these nanocomposites to elucidate the mechanisms of

solution reaction and high temperature strategies. This

facilitated H2 transport in the membranes and identify

research thrust includes collaborations with the Swihart group

the most important parameters governing it. This project

on nanomaterial synthesis and the Furlani group on device-

also employs sophisticated electron microscopy and

scale modeling.

3D-reconstruction methods to visualize the microstructure

The Lin group leads efforts in clean energy projects related to energy-efficient membrane-based separation processes.

For example, polymeric membranes have been widely

of the nanocomposites and provide a unified view of H2 and CO2 transport in the nanocomposites through an integrated experimental and simulation approach.

explored for energy-efficient and low-cost H2 purification

The Swihart group has developed nanomaterials for

and CO2 capture in integrated gasification combined

generation of hydrogen from water. These address a key

cycle (IGCC) power generation processes. With support

challenge to utilization of hydrogen for PEMFCs: the storage

Hydrogen Oxidation Reaction (HOR)

Fuel Cell

H2

-2

e-

+

2H +

O2

Electro Catalysis ~$1000/oz Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER)

-

+

2H

e +2

H2

H +4

2H

2

e

+4

O-

-

4e -

2O 2H

$520/oz

O

2

Water Electrolyzer

Figure 2. Sustainable electrochemical energy technologies relying on high-performance platinum-group metal (PGM)-free catalysts

8 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Metal-Air Battery

Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR)

~$1000/oz

+4

H+ Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER)

Membrane H2/CO2 separation facilitated by Palladium nanoparticles

[DESIGNING MATERIALS TO ENABLE SUSTAINABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS]

and efficient transportation of hydrogen. These materials, including boron and silicon nanoparticles, react with water

CO2

to form oxides and release hydrogen, which can be directly used in a fuel cell like those being developed in the Wu group.

The combination of water-reactive materials with a fuel cell can provide a very high energy density source of electricity for portable applications such as unmanned aerial, ground, or underwater vehicles.

Other efforts in the Swihart group include the production of multicomponent semiconductor nanoparticle inks for solution-phase processing of thin-film photovoltaics, particularly copper-zinc-tin-sulfide/selenide materials.

H2

New semiconductor nanostructures are opening up exciting possibilities in thin-film solar cells. Such devices can be much lighter and lower cost than conventional silicon photovoltaics, and require much less energy input for production. In collaboration with Qiaoqiang Gan in UBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Electrical Engineering department, they are investigating combinations of novel light-trapping strategies with lead-free perovskites and other emerging light-absorbing materials.

Figure 3. Membrane H2 /CO2 separation facilitated

by Palladium nanoparticles

Ultimately, as illustrated in the schematic at the beginning of this article, these technological advances will be integrated with many others to help shape the sustainable energy systems of the future. In the projects described above, and others, our UB CBE students and faculty will continue to make important research contributions that help to ensure the sustainable future of global energy supplies.

Figure 4. Prototype solar cell testing: Cross-sectional electron micrograph of a perovskite solar cell and photographs of the solar simulator and test fixtures

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 9

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

CATALYTIC TRANSFORMATION OF NATURAL GAS Natural gas has been widely used

For that purpose, nanofiber structured strontium (Sr)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

in homes, power plants, factories,

lanthanum oxide (La2O3) catalysts, are precisely synthesized

and transportation due to its low cost

by Yuhan Mei, a MSc student in the group, by varying the

and large domestic reserves.

temperature and acidity during the synthesis. These catalysts

A 50% rise in global natural gas consumption is

are capable of transforming methane to Nitrous Oxide

6%

Fluorinated gases

2%

expected between

innovative catalysts are needed for enhancing the transformation of methane, the dominant component of natural gas as well as a greenhouse gas (see figure) directly into more useful chemicals. The Eleni Kyriakidou research

plastics, surfactants, and pharmaceuticals).

Making useful chemicals directly from

Methane

16%

Carbon Dioxide forestry and other land use

11%

methane in an energy efficient manner will Carbon Dioxide fossil fuel and industrial use

65%

present a distinct economic advantage with long-term potential impact.

The project has been successfully funded through a sub-award from Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Yuhan Mei has been recently awarded with the Mark

group investigates the synthesis of novel

Diamond Research Fund (MDRF) grant for

catalysts with controlled shapes that actively

research expenses related to her thesis.

convert methane. They seek to establish the catalystâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s structure/activity relationship.

that can be further utilized as intermediates for industrial products formation (e.g.,

2010 and 2035 according to the U. S. Energy Information Administration. Therefore,

useful products such as ethylene and ethane

Global greenhouse gas emissions (US Environmental Protection Agency).

10 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

HIGH PERFORMANCE SENSORS

information. These sensors with wireless data transfer will be powered by the single wire, single contact electricity delivery method. High selectivity detection is critical in many areas such as processing plants, manufacturing factories, environmental stewardship, treatment plants, mining, and long-term medical implants, as well as in emerging areas such as Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Smart Cars, Smart Houses, Smart Factories, and Wearables. These high performance sensor arrays will primarily employ a nano and

Sensors play a critical role in a

micro-electro-mechanical systems platform,

modern society, touching every aspect

and will rely on molecularly engineered interfaces as well as

of our daily lives with applications

the interaction of interfaces with electromagnetics

ranging from manufacturing and

for achieving high sensitivity and selectivity. In addition,

health care to personal and consumer

Dr. Thundatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research will include fundamental studies to

electronics. At present, most sensors

gain basic understanding of molecular interactions at

are designed to provide single

solid-fluid interfaces. His research program with UB Chemical

information and are not suitable

and Biological Engineering and the RENEW program will

for providing a complete, coherent,

involve collaboration with the University at Buffaloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

and collective map of the target information. Dr. Thomas

leading-edge researchers in nanotechnology, biomedical

Thundatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research will focus on developing integrated

engineering, information and communications technologies,

sensor systems that are capable of providing multi target

and energy resource management.

High performance nanomechanical sensor arrays for physical, chemical, and biological detection

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 11

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

GREEN PROCESSING OF A RENEWABLE AND SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE TOWARD USEFUL PRODUCTS Organic solvents, potentially harmful to the environment, are

The concerted experimental and modeling efforts by

often used in the pretreatment and processing of cellulosic

the UB team improve our understanding of the solvent

biomass. A rational selection of solvents and processing

characteristics affecting cellulose dissolution, and inform

conditions would be beneficial to the environment, both from

the selection of environment-friendly solvents and

the point of efficient solvent utilization and that of renewable

the design of efficient pretreatment processes for a global

resource valorization, cellulose being an abundant and

optimization of biorefinery operations.

carbon-neutral feedstock for the production of valuable products such as fuels, chemicals, and polymers. However, fundamental information is lacking on the interplay between nano-scale solvent-cellulose interactions and large-scale biomass solvent processing.

Recent PhD graduate Mohammad Ghasemi working together with Associate Professor Marina Tsianou and UB Distinguished Professor Paschalis Alexandridis have been addressing this problem with support from the National Science Foundation.

Marina Tsianou

In a series of recent publications (AIChE Journal 2017, 63, 1368-1383, DOI: 10.1002/aic.15615; Cellulose 2017, 24, 571-590, DOI: 10.1007/s10570016-1145-1; Bioresource Technol.

0.4–1.0 mm

1–3mm

3–6mm

2017, 228, 330-338; DOI: 10.1016/j. biortech.2016.12.049) the UB team has predicted the dissolution kinetics of cellulose for various solvent Paschalis Alexandridis

and particle properties, using a new phenomenological model that

captures the relevant molecular and transport phenomena.

The relative ability of solvents toward decrystallization and disentanglement has been quantified on the basis of the aforementioned model and experimental data collected by master’s student Luz V. Vargas-Aponte. In ongoing work, the dissolution of polydisperse biomass particles is investigated with a population ensemble model at conditions that emulate large-scale processing.

12 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Processing for efficient biomass valorization

> 6 mm

BRINGING DATA-DRIVEN DISCOVERY AND RATIONAL DESIGN TO CHEMICAL RESEARCH

Chemical and materials research is currently undergoing a significant transformation that promises to open new paths to complex discovery and design problems. Modeling and simulation are now at a stage where they can make accurate predictions for systems that are both realistic and relevant. The guidance that computational studies provides can significantly boost the efficiency of research projects and uncover promising targets for the more time- and resourceintensive investigations in the lab. They can also provide unique insights beyond the scope of empirical observation and thus contribute a solid foundation that underpins new findings. More recently, data-driven approaches have arisen that combine modeling with virtual high-throughput screening and informatics. The computational screening allows for the rapid assessment of massive candidate libraries, and machine learning is employed on the resulting data sets to develop an understanding of the hidden structure-property relationships that determine the behavior of chemical and materials systems. Such an understanding is a prerequisite for rational design and inverse engineering capability. The Johannes Hachmann group develops the methods and tools for this emerging approach and applies them as part of several collaborative research efforts.

Ongoing projects include searches for new high-refractive index polymers with the Chong Cheng group, deep eutectic solvents for supercapacitors with Technology Holding LLC (sponsored by an Army SBIR grant), graphene-based anode materials for lithium ion batteries with the Gang Wu and Cheng groups (sponsored by an NSF grant), catalysts for solar water splitting or fuel cells, and biodegradable polymers for medical applications with the Cheng group and Healthcare Hub (sponsored by a CMI grantâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;CMI is the Center for Materials Informatics, a New York State funded center that leverages UBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cutting edge materials science, big data analytics, and advanced manufacturing expertise to drive critical R&D activities that directly impact private sector growth).

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 13

HEALTH

DEVELOPMENT OF THERAPEUTIC ELECTRICAL STIMULATION TECHNOLOGY Professor Edward Furlani is collaborating with Garwood

mobility while simultaneously decreasing the need

Medical Devices LLC (GMD), a local medical device startup

for clinician intervention. Dr. Furlani and his team will leverage

company, to develop electrical stimulation technology for

UB’s comprehensive expertise in modeling and design (see

biomedical applications. A total $1.48 million in funding has

figure), prototype fabrication and characterization, software

been awarded to support this collaboration from the Buffalo

communications, and high performance computing and

Institute for Genomics and Data Analytics (BIG). BIG is a

bioinformatics to guide and accelerate the commercialization

UB program and key component of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s

of GMD’s ES device.

$100-million initiative to transform New York State into a national center for genomic medicine research. Professor Furlani is leading an interdisciplinary team of UB faculty and students to develop GMD’s technology. This includes fundamental studies of electrode-induced electromagnetic and electrochemical interactions in tissue and development of next-generation programmable electrical stimulation devices with integrated sensor and communications technologies to enable unprecedented treatment for chronic wounds, bone regeneration, and peri-prosthetic (implant) infections. This new smart ES device technology will greatly enhance a patient’s quality of life by accelerating healing and increasing patient

FUNCTIONAL POLYLACTIDES FOR DRUG/GENE DELIVERY

3D computational model showing electrical stimulation and induced current in tissue for healing an incision on anatomical forearm

and biomedical assessment showed that these PDCs can be employed as nano-therapeutics for cancer treatment.

Third, novel cationic PLAs (CPLAs) and PEGylated CPLAs (i.e., PEG-b-CPLAs) were prepared, and exhibited low cytotoxicity and high efficiency as carriers of plasma DNA (pDNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) via nanoplex formation. Finally, unique CPLA-based nano-systems enabling

Polylactides (PLAs) are important

both drug and gene delivery have also been formulated. These

biodegradable polymers that have

studies laid a solid foundation for the further development of

been approved by the FDA for in vivo

functional PLA-based therapeutics for comprehensive in vivo

applications. However, the applications

investigations and potential clinical applications. With recent

of conventional PLAs are significantly

funding from the National Science Foundation and the National

limited because of their lack of

Institutes of Health, the Cheng group is in collaboration with

functionalities. To this end, the Chong

the Yun Wu group

Cheng laboratory has made substantial efforts to synthesize

(UB Department

functional PLAs and to study their applications in therapeutic

of Biomedical

delivery. Based on interdisciplinary collaborations, a series

Engineering) to

of research accomplishments have been achieved. First, the

develop novel

approaches for the preparation of a variety of functional PLAs

functional PLA-

carrying alkene, alkyne, aldehyde, amine, and other groups

based drug-

were developed based on polymer synthesis using functional

gene co-delivery

monomers and click functionalization of polymers. Second,

systems and

novel brush-like polymer-drug conjugates (PDCs) and PDC-

zwitterionic

based nanoparticles with PLA-based backbone carrying

PLA-based drug

anti-cancer drug moieties via labile linkages were synthesized,

delivery systems.

14 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Schematic illustration of drug/gene delivery using functional PLAs

FROM SKIN TO BRAIN: STEM CELLS WITHOUT GENETIC MODIFICATION The Stelios Andreadis laboratory

The work was recently published in the journal Stem Cells

discovered that epidermal cells from

(35:1402-1415) and received a R01 grant from the National

the skin (keratinocytes, KC) can be

Institutes of Health to delve into the mechanisms driving

reprogrammed into a special type

KC-to-NC reprogramming and to employ KC-NC for treating

of stem cell, neural crest (NC) stem

the Parkinson’s-like symptoms in a mouse model of a

cell, using a defined chemical cocktail

hypomyelinating disease (in collaboration with Dr. Fraser

and without genetic modification.

Sim (UB) and Dr. Marianne Bronner (Caltech)).

Genome-wide transcriptome analyses and lineage tracing experiments—where the reprogrammed cells (KC-NC) were implanted in chicken embryos—showed that KC-NC acted just as native neural crest cells. What is more, these cells could be coaxed to differentiate into smooth muscle cells, melanocytes, Schwann cells, and neurons.

These findings have significant implications for cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. Unlike the brain or spinal cord, it is easy to obtain a skin biopsy, isolate KC, grow them to large numbers and reprogram them into KC-NC, providing an unlimited source of autologous (from the patient) cells for the treatment of devastating neurogenic diseases.

The process can also be used to study disease mechanisms.

KC-NC derived from a person with a genetic disease of the nervous system can be coaxed to differentiate into the appropriate cell type e.g. neuron or Schwann cell, thereby enabling researchers to study the disease in a dish, with no need for genetic manipulation or reprogramming to the pluripotent state.

The top four images, from left to right, show Keratinocyte-derived neural crest stem cells turning into neurons as shown by typical neuronal morphology. The larger image, directly above, is a close-up of the far right image.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 15

HEALTH

TARGETING CELLULAR THERAPEUTICS IN A PRE-CLINICAL MODEL OF MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION The blockage of the arteries that feed blood to the heart results in heart attacks, also known as myocardial infarctions. This injury causes heart tissue death, and it negatively impacts patient survival and long-term quality of life. Stem cell therapy is a promising approach to restore heart function since these cells promote tissue repair and may reduce heart muscle damage. The major challenge here lies in the targeting of the stem cell therapy specifically to the compromised area of the heart that can benefit from regenerative medicine. This is complex, since the infarcted region itself is poorly perfused, and direct stem cell injection into this region would simply result in cell death. Thus, we need to target the large compromised region surrounding the infarct. In this project, supported by the American Heart Association, the Neelamegham laboratory works on glycoengineering stem cells with a unique carbohydrate recognition motif called “sialyl Lewis-X” in the context of specific glycoproteins. Decorating the stem cells with this sugar structure enhances the homing of mesenchymal and cardiosphere-derived stem cells to the blood vessels of the injured heart, which express adhesion molecules called “selectins” at the sites of inflammation. Testing cell homing in large animal swine models is part of this project, and these are conducted in collaboration with Professor John M. Canty Jr., Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Successful completion of this work will result in new technologies to improve stem cell therapy for an array of cardiovascular diseases.

Fluorescent image showing slex on the stem cell surface

16 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

UB ENGINEERING BIODESIGN CORE FACILITY The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is opening a new BioDesign Core facility that will host various resources for Systems Bioengineering research. The focus of the facility is on enabling the collection of high-throughput experimental data that can be used for the the analysis of entire biological systems at the cell, tissue, and/or whole organism level. Such large scale data collection will also enable computational modeling and provide an inroad to Big Data research endeavors at UB CBE. In addition to technical expertise, the BioDesign core also hosts a high resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer for the analysis of complex protein and metabolomics samples, and a 14-color flow cytometer for the spectral analysis of complex mixtures of cells.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 17

UB CBE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM INCREASES BREADTH AND DEPTH The past year has seen exciting developments in

Capping this off, UB CBEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique Spiral Learning Initiative has

undergraduate affairs. We successfully transitioned to the new

truly transformed the undergraduate experience. Students are

SUNY Seamless Transfer curriculum, which introduced small

introduced to and subsequently revisit the scientific themes

but substantive changes to required courses, with the broad

that will support their senior plant

benefit that students from other campuses now have an easier

design project throughout their

time transferring here. A significant component is the new

undergraduate experience.

course CE 220 Biotechnology Principles taught by Dr. Natesh

By the time they start the project,

Parashurama, which is tailored for our students and was first

they are well-versed in these

offered this past spring.

necessary tools for a successful

We are also particularly happy to introduce new Teaching

project outcome.

Assistant Professors Dr. David Courtemanche and

Johannes Nitsche, Director

Dr. Monica Lupion starting this coming fall. (see pg 5)

of Undergraduate Studies

CONGRATULATIONS to four UB CBE Undergraduate students who presented posters at the 2017 UB Celebration of Academic Excellence, sponsored by CURCA (Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities)

ABDUL-MALIK DAVIES

BARITUZIGA BANUNA

JINGYUN WANG AND HANGUANG ZHANG

Synthesis of Yolk-Shell

Applications Towards Kidney

Atomic Iron-Dispersed Electrocatalysts

Structured Silicon-

Stone Growth Prevention:

Germanium Anode Materials

An Investigation of Additive

for Lithium-ion Batteries

Effects on Calcium Oxalate

Crystal Morphology

18 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Derived from Metal-Organic Framework for Oxygen Reduction in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells J. Wang left, H. Zhang, right

UB INTERDISCIPLINARY ENGINEERING: UB CBE STUDENTS TEAM UP WITH MECHANICAL AND CIVIL STUDENT ENGINEERS The outcome of a distillation column design (from our

by the shell of the distillation column. The group then gave

separations class) is a specification of height and width. The

a formal presentation to the UB CBE Plant Design students late

actual mechanical design is done by mechanical and civil

in the semester, for which they received a long ovation from

engineers, who figure out how thick the wall of the column

all the chemical engineering students.

needs to be. They return this parameter to the chemical engineers, who can then estimate the capital cost, because this cost is based on the thickness.

On the whole, this interdisciplinary project gave all the CBE, MAE and CSEE students involved direct experience with a crucial aspect of real world practice—the back-and-forth

UB CBE Plant Design students received a great introduction

between various branches of engineering needed to achieve

to this real-world interplay between engineering disciplines

a design goal.

this past spring, thanks to Dr. Andrew Olewnik, Director of Experiential Learning Programs in the School of Engineering.

He organized an interdisciplinary design project for four Mechanical and Civil Engineering sophomores (Gavin Amos, Shivron Sugrim, Anthony Tintera, and Gaurav Zawar), to determine the required shell thickness for the distillation column designed by one of the UB CBE Plant Design class groups (group members: Alexander Bacher, Cody Chatterton, Anna Clements, and Matthew Smith) as part of their bioethanol production project.

The MAE/CSEE group was advised on a day-to-day basis by CBE graduate student Aditya Sonpal, introduced to distillation

by CE 408 instructor Johannes Nitsche and—most important— mentored by Robert G. Harrison, P.E., Vice President of Engineering and Construction, Transmission Developers, Inc., and member of the School of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council. With his guidance, they learned the necessary ASME code, and wrote a Matlab program that estimates the

Robert G. Harrison (center) and Andrew Olewnik (leftmost) discuss distillation column design with students working on an interdisciplinary design project.

thickness needed to withstand all the mechanical loads borne

MAKE A CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTION

Your support is vital to UB CBE’s success, providing the difference between funding what is necessary and what is possible. Donors to our annual fund allow bright, hardworking students to fulfill their dreams and complete their degrees through scholarships and fellowships. They advance the profession by funding groundbreaking research, and they provide resources to furnish facilities and purchase the latest technologies for faculty and students. A gift from you in any amount helps UB CBE make critical investments and recruit and retain the best students and faculty.

To make a gift, simply go online to www.cbe.buffalo.edu/donate or call us at 716.645.1174.

THANK YOU! Catalyst Fall 2017 | 19

UB CBE GRADUATE PROGRAM UPDATE The graduate program at UB CBE continues to grow with the

of new fellowships, including the UB Presidential fellowship,

expansion of the department and its significant breakthroughs

that allow us to provide the most competitive and financially

in chemical and biological engineering research. Currently

rewarding packages to qualified students. Together, CBE offers

there are 172 students in our PhD and master programs, who

a forward-looking vision and environment to train the next

tackle and solve the most pressing challenges of our time

generation of leaders in the field.

in renewable energy, smart materials, and nanomedicine.

The students can choose from a large number of graduate courses available (19 for the year 2016â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2017) designed to support and reinforce their experiential learning in the lab.

In addition to interacting with the core CBE faculty in the classrooms and labs, the students also benefit from synergy with other related graduate programs at UB on materials, big data, and genomics. Our students are dedicated and driven, as evidenced by their frequent publications in high ranking journals, and they find excellent careers in their respective fields upon graduation. Recent years have also seen students apply their ingenuity to launch private ventures based on their studies. To sustain our continued growth, the university, the engineering school, and the department are making concerted efforts to recruit the best available talent, through a number

Sheldon, Park, Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies

EMMANUEL NSENGIYUMVA IS A 2017-18 WNY PROSPERITY FELLOWSHIP WINNER

As an undergraduate student, he analyzed household products

The Prosperity fellowships, made

in the presence of high salinity water in order to reduce

possible through support from the Prentice Family Foundation, are awarded to college and graduate students with an entrepreneurial drive who want to make a difference in Western New York, and who are actively preparing for careers that further economic development and growth in the region.

Emmanuel came to Buffalo from a Congolese refugee camp in Rwanda in 2010. He is a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree candidate in the UB Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, having earned his BS in chemical engineering in 2016.

20 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

and examined their mechanical properties. He also reviewed the applications of surfactants and polymers in personal care products and drug delivery. Currently, Emmanuel is conducting research in the Paschalis Alexandridis Lab for Interfaces and Self-Assembly, where his work focuses on the water-soluble polymers that are involved in the extraction of unconventional oil and gas. He is interested in polymers that can be utilized the use of fresh water. This research will prove beneficial to the environment and energy resources. He is interested in protecting the Western New York environment with a strong focus on water quality. His future plans include completing his PhD in chemical engineering and starting his own chemical company that focuses on designing and manufacturing formulated products in the Western New York area.

UB CBE GRADUATE STUDENT PROFILE

MOHAMMAD ATIF FAIZ AFZAL BRIGHT BUFFALO AWARD WINNER AND ENTREPRENEUR

for Students in the Computational Sciences, an event aimed at providing UB graduate students with first-hand insights into research outside of academia. The symposium comprises a series of lectures by industry leaders who discuss their experiences in finding jobs in the industry, their transition from university into the job market, and their insights into the R&D landscape. For his contributions to various organizations and initiatives at UB, he was awarded the prestigious Professor Emeritus Howard Strauss Memorial Scholarship for Leaders in Excellence, as part of the UB Engineering Alumni Association.

Mohammad Atif Faiz Afzal is a PhD candidate in the Johannes Hachmann computational research group. His research interests include the discovery and design of nextgeneration molecular materials using first-principles quantum Atif at the alumni awards ceremony fall 2016

chemistry, molecular modeling, virtual high-throughput screening,

and machine learning. Atif’s thesis project focuses on applying these techniques to the search for new organic polymers with advanced optical properties that could outperform materials that are currently used in optical devices. This project is in collaboration with the group of Professor Chong Cheng.

He has presented his work at numerous conferences and his achievements have been recognized on many occasions.

Atif, Frans Johansson (keynote speaker at the event), Tamera Knight (team member), Norma J. Nowak, Executive Director—UB Center Of Excellence In Bioinformatics & Sciences and Professor, Biochemistry and Biomedical Informatics, and Scott Friedman, Chairman and CEO of Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP at Bright Buffalo awards

In 2016 alone, he received the 1st Poster Prize of the Midwest Theoretical Chemistry Conference, the American Physical Society Distinguished Student Travel Award, and an Honorable Mention for the Ovshinsky Student Travel Award of the APS Division of Materials Physics, and he was selected as the UB CBE Graduate Student Seminar Speaker. He also won the UB Hackathon and received a Graduate Student Grant from the Mark Diamond Research Fund. Atif also secured travel grants from the National Science Foundation Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics and the Telluride School for Theoretical Chemistry. Atif’s academic performance at UB has been outstanding as well, and he has received a Dean’s Fellowship.

Atif founded the Computational Sciences Club in 2015

During the 2016 UB Hackathon, Atif led a team that developed software that uses machine learning to track parking availability and display real-time parking stats to app users.

His team won the first prize and has since formed a company called SweetSpot. The team was a finalist in the WNY Student2-Biz and New York State Business Plan competitions. On June 28, SweetSpot received the People’s Choice Award of the Bright Buffalo Niagara Entrepreneur Expo. Atif is currently participating in UB’s Student Sandbox Business Incubator Program where he is coached by distinguished entrepreneurs from the Western New York region. The team is also seeking venture capital funding to launch the SweetSpot app.

and currently serves as its president. The Club brings together

Most recently, Atif has

students from diverse research backgrounds who perform

won the UB Blackstone

computational work at UB. It is a platform for graduate

Launchpad’s Student

students to share their research perspectives, organize

Sandbox Competition

seminars/workshops, and promote collaborations in an

for Business

effort to maximize the resources and tools available at UB.

and Entrepreneur

Atif also served as the President of the CBE graduate student association in 2014-2015.

Atif at the Sandbox competition with Tamera Knight

partnerships.

Since 2015, Atif has spearheaded the organization of the Annual Symposium on Job and Career Perspectives

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 21

PARHAM ROHANI WON TWO BUSINESS COMPETITIONS IN 2017 Parham led a team

MILAD YAVARI RECEIVED AIR & WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION (A&WMA) STUDENT AWARD (2017)

that took first place on

The (A&WMA) recognizes outstanding students who are

April 12 in UB’s Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship Competition (Panasci Parham Rohani in the lab

TEC) for a technology that

pursuing courses of study and research leading to careers in air quality, waste management, environmental management/ policy/law, and sustainability with respect to air quality and waste management.

Milad Yavari presenting his research at the 2016 UB CBE Graduate Research Symposium

generates hydrogen gas

from water. He and S. Bruce Kohrn, business strategist, will receive $25,000 in startup capital and in-kind services valued at $27,000 for their company, NanoHydroChem. NanoHydro also won $10,000 at the seventh annual New York Business Plan Competition. The company is developing technology that induces a chemical reaction between inorganic nanomaterials and water to liberate hydrogen as a fuel source to be used in unmanned vehicles and other products that typically run on batteries.

UB CBE GRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

KRISTI ANSETH, 2017 RUCKENSTEIN LECTURER UB CBE was proud to welcome Dr. Kristi Anseth, Distinguished

The UB CBE 20th annual Graduate Research Symposium took

Professor, Tisone Professor, and

place on Friday, September 22. The symposium is a showcase

Howard Hughes Medical Institute

for the excellence that we strive for in our scholarship and

Investigator at the University

graduate education, and we look forward to many more years of this celebration of our research accomplishments.

at Colorado, Boulder, to the

This year’s event featured 87 research posters from our graduate students.

April. Dr. Anseth’s talk was entitled

Dr. Samir Mitragotri, Harvard School of Engineering, was the keynote speaker. His talk was titled “Understanding

UB Center for the Arts this past

Stelios Andreadis and Kristi Anseth

“Hydrogels as synthetic ECM analogs through bio-click reactions”.

The Ruckenstein Lecture Series

and Overcoming Biological Barriers for Drug Delivery.”

honors Eli Ruckenstein, a prolific researcher who has made

He was preceded by presentations by two PhD candidate

(and continues to make) contributions in almost every subfield

student speakers.

of chemical engineering. The series is supported by the Akshara Goyal, PhD student in the David Kofke lab, presents her research to visiting Professor Richard Wheatley from the University of Nottingham.

The afternoon included a poster contest, along with drinks and hors d’oeuvres for guests and judges. The posters were evaluated based on student presenter communications skills, and showcased the high quality, multidisciplinary research that is conducted in our department, and spanned diverse areas such as molecular engineering of novel materials, nanotechnology, bioengineering, and molecular modeling.

22 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Ruckenstein Endowment Fund. Each year the Series brings to our campus a distinguished scholar in chemical engineering, to speak about research activities in his or her laboratory, trends in the field, and larger problems in society that chemical engineers can address.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PIONEER

and SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus ELI RUCKENSTEIN Celebrates a Milestone Congratulations to Chemical Engineering pioneer

with the Creativity Award from the National Science

Eli Ruckenstein, who turned 90 last year. Eli joined

Foundation. He has presented two Berkeley Lectures

the faculty of the University at Buffalo in 1973. He

in Chemical Engineering and is a winner of the

spent his formative years behind the Iron Curtain,

Chancellor Charles P. Norton Medal from SUNY

in Romania, where—with a combination of native

Buffalo. He is a fellow of the AIChE and the American

intellect, genuine scientific curiosity, and sheer

Nano Society.

strength of will—he began what would become a professional lifetime of achievement in engineering and science, receiving the George Spacu Award for Research in Surface Phenomena from the Romanian Academy of Science, as well as awards from the Romanian Department of Education for teaching, for research in turbulent heat and mass transfer, and for research in distillation.

In 1969, he escaped to the West, where his prolific and imaginative research has advanced almost every area of interest to chemical engineering. He has received the Alpha Chi Sigma Award for his work in transport phenomena, the Walker Award for his work in catalysis, the Founders Award for his overall contributions to science from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Kendall Award for his research in colloids and interfaces, the Langmuir Lecture Award for his contributions to macromolecules, the Schoellkopf Medal for his work in supported metal catalysts, and the Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry from the American Chemical Society. His work in biomolecules was recognized

“Eli Ruckenstein is the closest to being a genius in our profession.”

John Prausnitz, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley

Eli Ruckenstein was elected to the U. S. National Academy of Engineering in 1990, and in 2004, he was chosen to receive the Academy’s Founders Award. He has also been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has received the Humboldt Award from Germany for his work in surfactants. The Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute named him one of their inaugural Pioneers of Science awardees.

His seminal contributions across such a broad range of disciplines were further recognized when the President of the United States awarded him the National Medal of Science in a White House ceremony in 1999. His impact upon the development of the chemical engineering profession resulted in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers designating him as one of 50 Eminent Chemical Engineers of the Foundation age. Several of Dr. Ruckenstein’s papers have been republished in four volumes, two on thermodynamics of multicomponent solutions and nanodispersion by Springer, one on catalysis by Wiley, and the most recent on nucleation by CRC-Press.

”What I have seen in Ruckenstein’s research from the first time I knew him is an amazing ability to make subtle, unobvious leaps and connections that others don’t think of. His insights about physical phenomena spring from a rock-solid foundation

”He is my intellectual father and I consider myself a very lucky

of understanding and insight. His recall of the literature is

man because I met, worked and learned from him.”

beyond belief. He sees things in ways others don’t. He jumps

Peter Smirniotis, Professor, University of Cincinnati Chemical Engineering

to new interpretations by quantum-mechanical tunneling.

His mind flies past the conventional interpretations—he always knows them—to grapple with new ones. He is a tiger in a cage;

“There is virtually no aspect of modern chemical engineering that has not been profoundly influenced by Eli Ruckenstein.

The depth and breadth of his contributions in catalysis, transport phenomena, nucleation theory, interfacial science and polymer science are unparalleled.”

Pablo Debenedetti, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Dean for Research, Princeton University

his imagination won’t turn off, and before he has gotten the newest story together he is working on countless others.”

Bruce C. Gates, Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of California Davis

FROM ONE ERA TO THE NEXT, STUDENT FAVORITE TOM WEBER CHECKS IN Many alumni we talk to remember classes with UB CBE Professor Emeritus Tom Weber—his name comes up in conversation often. Tom stopped in to Furnas Hall recently, shared some memories, and gave us an update on what he’s been up to since retirement.

“When I retired from teaching in the spring of 2000,

interested in Process Control, taking all of my courses in

department chair Carl Lund reported that it was an end of

that area. Near the end of his program, he helped me with

an era. I was the last of the founding fathers to retire.

the completion of the book I was writing, An Introduction

And now, seventeen years later, I am one of the few still here.

to Process Dynamics and Control. He was also involved in

We graduated our first class in 1965, a little more than a year

the GEMS-Net program.

after I arrived. All of the original classes were housed in the old

What am I doing in my retirement since 2000? My son and

Parker Engineering Building on the South Campus. The dean,

daughter provided my wife and me with golf clubs. I spent

Art Trabant, and his assistants were housed in two or three

about five hard years trying to learn the sport, but in spite of

small offices at the north end of the building.

spending a substantial amount of time and money on this,

In 1966, we finally got our own building, a pre-fabricated, metal-walled “Butler” that was set up between Acheson and Parker. It housed our departmental offices and a huge

I concluded that for me, golf was not going to work. However, I enjoy reading, playing the piano, and being involved in the governance in my retirement community.

open-bay area in the center for the Unit Operations Lab.

I began swimming at UB in 1981 and have continued to

Along with this building, we added four new faculty, namely

be active in this sport ever since. I joined the U. S. Masters

Ken Kiser, Harry Cullinan, Bob Good, and shortly thereafter,

Swimming Team. For many years, I continued swimming five

Sol Weller. Together, I believe that our work in control,

days a week, but now it’s more like two or three days.

hydraulics, paper chemistry, colloids, and catalysis not

I’m spending the other days working out with other retirees.”

only helped the department move forward by establishing the curriculum, but truly shaped the chemical engineering

Tom Weber

profession for the next generation. Professor Good’s innovations in the areas of interfacial wetting adhesion and contact angle were recognized by the ACS Kendall Award, and similarly, Sol Weller’s advancements of catalysis led to the ACS Murphee Award.

In the fall of 1970, the GEMS-Net began transmitting engineering courses from Parker Engineering to remote

We graduated our first class in

1965

locations within a 25-mile radius. I presented my course in Process Control to students at Hooker Chemical Corporation on Grand Island. We had two-way audio and one-way video

In the fall of 1970,

so we never could attach a face to a voice coming from Hooker.

the GEMS-Net began transmitting engineering courses from Parker Engineering to remote locations within a 25-mile radius

We always wondered what those people looked like! At the end of the semester, the Grand Island people invited us to visit their facility.

I was fortunate to serve as Research Advisor to Mohan Bhalodia in the early 1970s. He came from India and became

24 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

ALUMNI CONNECTION Keeping in touch with your friends at UB CBE is simple, and we always love to hear from you. There’s a special place in our hearts for graduates who’ve made their way in the world, and we hope you’ll be willing to give back with advice and input. Here are a few of the ways our students can use your help:

”The best years of my student life were the years between 1971 and 1973 as a graduate student at UB. I was young and ambitious but also very lucky to have met Dr. Thomas Weber. He became not only my process control teacher and thesis adviser,

GIVE SOME ADVICE. Our new website (look for it in the next few weeks!) contains a section for students to turn for advice from alums. Share what you wish you knew when you were a student.

but also my classmate and best friend. I always

T ell students what a typical day in your career as a cheme is like.

remember him as a witty man with a smile. I owe

U pdate your listing in our alumni directory

him a lot for his contribution to my professional life.

I am proud to have been his student at UB, and

Send us your faces of CBE profile

I wish him happiness and health.”

G ive a lecture to the AIChE student chapter

Mehmet Bedii Okyay, MS 1973

Connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook

“Beyond what Dr. Weber taught in class, the way he interacted with his students—with an open mind, kindness, and a willingness to listen and help— left a lasting impression on me.”

Mohan Bhalodia, PhD 1973

CONTACT US ANYTIME: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering 303 Furnas Hall, University at Buffalo, North Campus Buffalo, NY 14260-4300 Phone: 716-645-2909 | Email: cbe@buffalo.edu

FOR MORE INFORMATION on how to make any of these connections, go to www.cbe.buffalo.edu, and thanks.

Tom Weber teaching a class at the GEMS-Net studio in Parker Hall.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 25

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS Ken Tye Yong (BS 2001, PhD 2006), who studied at UB CBE in the Mark Swihart lab, is the winner of the Beilby Medal and Prize 2017. Yong is an associate professor of electrical and electronic engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and is also the director in the Centre for Bio Devices and Signal Analysis (VALENS). He has led research in nanomaterials and biophotonics to improve state-of-art Professor Neal (Tai-Shung) Chung (PhD 1981), an alumnus from Emeritus Professor Michael Ryan’s research group and currently Provost’s Chair professor at the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore, is a world-renowned membrane scientist. This past fall, he was named Outstanding Professional in Water Reuse and Conservation Distinction by The International Desalination Association. He is also one of the

healthcare and medical diagnostics applications.

The Beilby Medal and Prize is awarded annually by SCI’s Materials Chemistry Group, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and carries a prize of £1,000. The award recognizes work of exceptional practical significance in chemical engineering, applied materials science, energy efficiency, or a related field.

Most Cited Researchers as developed for Shanghai Ranking’s

Associate Professor Yong’s work has led to the engineering

Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2016. Professor Chung

of various types of bioconjugated quantum dots and metal

had worked for U.S. industries for 15 years before joining NUS in

nanoparticles to specifically target, image, and treat cancer cells

1995. He is a subject editor of Chemical Engineering Research

and the HIV virus. He has made significant advances related

and Design and an editorial board member of 15 different

to the integration of nanotechnology with medical imaging

scientific journals. He was an inventor of Hyflux Kristal™ 600

and gene therapy. He has also undertaken pioneering work

ultrafiltration membranes. He received the IES (Institution

regarding quantum dot toxicity and pharmacokinetics in non-

of Engineers, Singapore) Prestigious Engineering Achievement

human primates, a study that served to dampen some of the

Award, the Hyflux-SNIC (Singapore National Institute of

fears over the toxicity of quantum dots intended for applications

Chemistry) Award in Environmental Chemistry in 2010, and

in humans. It indicated that the acute toxicity of quantum dots

the Research Leadership Award at NUS in 2011. He became

in vivo can be minimal, for appropriate formulations and doses.

a Fellow in the Academy of Engineering Singapore in 2012 and received the 2014 Underwood Medal for Exceptional Research in Separations from IChemE (Institute of Chemical Engineers, U.K.). ”Professor Neal Chung is a very dedicated and conscientious researcher. He is a scientist of the highest integrity and has utmost concern for his large family of graduate students.

His many accomplishments and international recognition are testimony to his productivity and expertise. I am very proud to have been associated with Neal as one of my early PhD students at the University at Buffalo.”

Over the years, he has prepared alternative quantum dots for theranostics applications, including sentinel lymph node mapping, in vitro targeted cancer imaging, targeted gene delivery therapy, therapy of HIV-associated encephalopathy, and multimodal imaging of tumors in vivo. Numerous evaluations of these low- or non-toxic quantum dots on in vitro and in vivo models will facilitate the adoption of these nanocrystals by mainstream biomedical researchers and, ultimately, the clinicians.

“Ken-Tye is one of the hardest-working, most determined students I have encountered, and I am delighted to see his ambition and perseverance being rewarded with this prize,

Michael Ryan, Emeritus Professor, Associate Dean

his promotion to Associate Professor with tenure, and other

for Undergraduate Education, and Director of University

well-deserved recognitions.”

Accreditation

Mark Swihart, UB Distinguished Professor and Director of the NYS Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics

26 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS Zhiyong Gu (PhD 2004),

Andrew Bodratti

was advised by UB

(BS 2010, MS 2012, PhD

Distinguished Professor

candidate 2018), and

Paschalis Alexandridis, and is

Master Technician Mark

currently an Associate Professor

Stahlman won the Product

in the Department of Chemical

Innovation Award for 2016

Engineering at the University

from Unifrax, where

of Massachusetts Lowell

he is currently employed

(UMass Lowell), and has been

as a Senior Development

promoted to Full Professor,

Engineer. He is currently

starting from September 1, 2017.

working in the Paschalis

He also serves as the associate

Alexandridis lab group.

chair for Graduate Studies in the department. His research

His team developed and commercialized a new composite

involves the synthesis of nanoparticles and nanowires and

that provides mechanical, high temperature insulating (up to

their applications for nanoscale electronics assembly and

850 °C), and gas barrier properties for catalytic converters

packaging, sensors/biosensors, and nanocatalysts for energy

in automotive exhaust systems. In addition to protecting the

and environment. He received the 3M Non-Tenured Faculty

fragile converter, the material’s insulating properties allow

Award, Department Teaching Excellence Award, and the EPA

the device to heat up faster and stay hot, thereby promoting

P3 Award (PI of the winning team). He currently serves as

catalysis during engine warm-up where catalytic efficiency is

an Associate Editor for the Journal of Nanoparticle Research

typically lower. A key feature is the product’s use of engineered

and Journal of Electronic Materials.

“Zhiyong Gu was a self-motivated, dedicated, and hard-working PhD student. He addressed fundamental research problems methodically and with great scientific rigor. It’s been very rewarding for me to see Zhiyong rise up the ranks of academia.”

low bio-persistence (LBP) ceramic fibers, which have enhanced in vitro solubility compared with typical man-made insulating fibers, thus providing a green solution to the industry which meets new, more stringent regulations and harsher operating conditions.

Paschalis Alexandridis, UB Distinguished Professor

Dr. Guojian Zhang, a postdoctoral associate in the Blaine Pfeifer group, has been appointed as an associate professor at Ocean University of China School of Medicine and Pharmacy, effective 2018. His work will be focused on natural product discovery and biosynthesis of therapeutic compounds. This appointment is also supported by Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, which is China’s first national-level lab for marine science and technology. He is pictured here at the 9th Annual UB Postdoctoral Scholars Research Symposium held in June at the Center for the Arts. He took third place out of 100 posters.

Catalyst Fall 2017 | 27

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UB CBE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

RANJIT CHAKRAVORTI, PHD 1973 Since graduation, Ranjit Chakravorti has worked on environmental projects for internationally known engineering and construction firms including Bechtel and Dravo Corporations. He evaluated processes for water and wastewater (desalination), air pollution (removal of hydrogen sulfide from geothermal fluids for power generation), and municipal solid waste-to-energy projects. He found his work interesting and challenging, and served in several industrial sectors as an engineer, project manager, business development manager, and ultimately entrepreneur, establishing TRS Consultants, Inc. in 1987 and serving as CEO for the next 23 years. The company provided engineering and construction management services, and was sold in 2013 upon Dr. Chakravorti’s retirement.

In his spare time as a philanthropist and Rotarian, Ranjit has developed, arranged funds for, and implemented worldwide humanitarian projects for water and wastewater, sanitation, health, hunger, and education.

“I am indebted to Professor Harry Cullinan, Jr., then Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department (1968) for offering me an assistantship, and to Professor Thomas Weber, my mentor, who guided my research work at UB. The current research program at UB CBE offers a vast array of challenging scientific engineering projects in health, energy, and the environment, and I am proud to support the UB CBE annual fund.

To students at UB CBE—work to get the best education possible and serve humankind after your graduation. The world needs you.”

–Ranjit