News

Arianna McCarty lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

Susan Glairon — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 20:24:05 +0000

Arianna McCarty lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship Susan Glairon Thu, 04/17/2025 - 14:24

Arianna McCarty, a chemical and biological engineering student, received a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for her research on how Prevotella bacteria may help reduce infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, a major cause of pneumonia.

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Chemical engineering PhD student earns major NSF fellowship

Susan Glairon — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 23:33:07 +0000

Chemical engineering PhD student earns major NSF fellowship Susan Glairon Wed, 04/16/2025 - 17:33

Susan Glairon

Annette Thompson, a chemical engineering PhD student, has received a 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a prestigious award that recognizes and supports outstanding students in a wide variety of science-related disciplines. Thompson is co-advised by Associate Professor Jerome Fox and Professor Michael Shirts.

This year, the National Science Foundation awarded Graduate Research Fellowships to 12 University of ��ֱ�� Boulder students, including five from the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Due to federal budget cuts, the program was reduced by 50 percent, with only 1,000 fellowships awarded nationwide compared to 2,000 last year.

Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend of $37,000 and full coverage of tuition, fees and insurance, along with opportunities for international research and professional development that span five years.

What is your research focused on?

My research focuses on better understanding and redesigning the molecular “assembly lines” that cells use to make chemical building blocks, especially fatty acids. These natural systems rely on helper proteins to guide molecules through a series of enzymatic steps, but how these enzymes selectively interact with their partners is still not well understood.

I use computer-based tools—like simulations that predict how molecules move and interact over time, and models that estimate how changes in enzyme levels and behavior impact final yield—to study these systems and identify engineering targets for controlling product outcomes. By combining computational methods with experimental collaboration, my work aims to help create new biotechnologies that can produce a wider range of useful chemicals more efficiently than nature can on its own.

What are potential applications of your work?

My research could lead to more sustainable ways to make everyday products like medicines and fuels, without relying on petroleum-based processes. By making enzyme systems more precise and efficient, we can lower costs and create cleaner, greener manufacturing processes.

What does receiving this award mean to you?

Receiving this award is a huge honor. The support will allow me the flexibility to expand my research into new biosynthetic pathways and organisms, and to develop faster and better tools for characterizing new systems. I am deeply grateful to my advisors, Dr. Jerome Fox and Dr. Michael Shirts, whose support and expertise have been instrumental in shaping this work and making these collaborations possible.

Annette Thompson, a chemical engineering PhD student, has received a 2025 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, for her research around the molecular “assembly lines” cells used to build chemicals like fatty acids.

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Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department undergraduate award winners!

Susan Glairon — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:56:13 +0000

Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department undergraduate award winners! Susan Glairon Wed, 04/16/2025 - 10:56

The Chemical and Biological Engineering Department awards recognize students in the department who have excelled in one or more areas. Winners are selected by the department’s Undergraduate Awards Committee.

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Chemical engineering graduate program holds no. 11 spot among public universities

Susan Glairon — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 14:45:12 +0000

Chemical engineering graduate program holds no. 11 spot among public universities Susan Glairon Thu, 04/10/2025 - 08:45

Overall, ��ֱ�� Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science ranked No. 11 among public universities.

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ChBE faculty earn Air Force Young Investigator Award

Susan Glairon — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:52:51 +0000

ChBE faculty earn Air Force Young Investigator Award Susan Glairon Thu, 03/27/2025 - 15:52

Susan Glairon

Assistant Professors Kōnane Bay and Ankur Gupta from ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering have been honored with the 2025 Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Program Award.

Each received a $450,000, three-year grant to advance research relevant to the Air Force. The program, offered by the Air Force Research Laboratory, supports early-career scientists and engineers with “exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research,” according to the AFOSR.

“This is among the most prestigious awards given to junior faculty, and to have both Ankur and Kōnane receive it in the same year is a remarkable testimony to their impressive achievements and very high potential for making future advances,” said Professor Ryan Hayward, chair of the department.

Kōnane Bay, self-healing, innovative materials

Bay says the next generation of polymer materials—materials with long chains of molecules like plastics, rubber and proteins—will need advanced features, such as the ability to repair themselves. While engineering synthetic polymers with these properties is challenging, biofilm-forming bacteria are promising as they use internal material factories to produce polymers on demand to survive changes in the surroundings.

“I am grateful to receive this award which will allow our lab to harness nature to create novel engineered living materials,” Bay said.

The award will support Bay and her team at the Huli Materials Lab in using biofilm-forming bacteria to develop new polymeric materials. The project combines 3D printing with bacteria’s natural movement to control the mechanical properties of biofilm-based synthetic polymers. The findings could lead to self-healing materials that can change shape, with applications in aerospace, soft robotics, and protective coatings.

Bay recently also received a prestigious CAREER Award, a $675,000, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation. The funding will advance her work in characterization of polymer thin film.

Ankur Gupta, more precise chemical sensors

Imagine being able to organize tiny particles as small as one-twentieth the thickness of a human hair.

Gupta’s research aims to do just that. He and his team in the Laboratory of Interfaces, Flow and Electrokinetics (LIFE) study how these tiny particles form patterns through chemical reactions and diffusion. The researchers aim to control this process to develop materials that detect microscopic changes in the air, paving the way for advanced chemical sensors that identify subtle chemical shifts and improve safety.

“It’s an honor for us to receive this award, especially given its prestige and selectivity,” Gupta said. “This recognition is a testament to the hard work of my current and past group members, and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with them.”

The $450,000 three-year grant will support a graduate student and cover travel expenses.

In 2024, Gupta was honored with the Johannes Lyklema Early Career Award in electrokinetics. He was also selected for the prestigious “35 Under 35” award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 2023.

That same year Gupta also received a $517,000, five-year National Science Foundation CAREER Award, to study how ions move through porous materials. His research will help design improved porous materials for more efficient desalination and renewable energy storage.

Assistant Professors Kōnane Bay and Ankur Gupta from ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering each received a $450,000, three-year grant to advance research relevant to the Air Force.

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PhD student’s work on engineered adhesives wins national recognition

Susan Glairon — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:46:37 +0000

PhD student’s work on engineered adhesives wins national recognition Susan Glairon Mon, 03/24/2025 - 11:46

Susan Glairon

Paula Pranda, a chemical and biological engineering PhD student, earned the top student honor at the Adhesion Society meeting for her research on aligned Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) adhesives. The society’s annual meeting was held Feb. 16-19 in New Orleans.

Pranda received the Alan Gent Distinguished Student Paper Award, recognizing the most distinguished paper among top students who had previously won the Peebles Award for outstanding graduate research in adhesion science. The Adhesion Society advances adhesion science, promotes education and honors achievements in the field.

“Winning this award is an incredible honor,” said Pranda, who works with ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Hayward Research Group and Responsive and Programmable Materials Group. “It’s validating as a young researcher and exciting because it shows that the scientific community values our work.”

LCEs are soft, stretchy materials with a unique structure formed by liquid crystal monomers, which have a long oval shape. Using specific processing methods, these monomers can be aligned in one direction. When stretched along this alignment, the polymer behaves like a classic elastomer, meaning it can stretch and return to its original shape. However, when stretched perpendicular to the alignment, it becomes much softer and stretchier as energy is dissipated into rotating the monomers.

��ֱ�� Boulder and the 3M Company research team leveraged this property to develop pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs). Their findings showed that the peel strength depends on monomer orientation—adhesives are harder to remove when monomers are perpendicular to the peeling direction. By using a laser to pattern different alignments, the team was able to create adhesives with regions of varying peel force.

“This award is a testament to the community's excitement about Paula’s findings on how adhesion can be tailored using LCEs, and her outstanding presentation,” said Professor Ryan Hayward, the director of the Hayward Research Group and the department chair. "Tim (White) and I are very proud of Paula—it has been a true pleasure collaborating with her on this project.”

Directional control of adhesion offers many potential applications, Pranda said. In diabetic ports, patterned LCE adhesives can ensure strong skin adhesion while allowing painless removal in a specific direction. Similarly, for screen protectors, aligning monomers perpendicular to common failure points can prevent edge peeling, while parallel alignment allows for easy removal when needed.

“This recognition means so much,” Pranda said. “I couldn’t have achieved it without the support of my amazing mentors and collaborators at ��ֱ�� Boulder and the 3M Company—especially Professor Ryan Hayward, Professor Tim White, Hyunki Kim, Aaron Hedegaard, Jason Clapper and Eric Nelson.”

Paula Pranda, a ��ֱ�� Boulder PhD student, won the top student award at the Adhesion Society's annual meeting for her research on Liquid Crystal Elastomer (LCE) adhesives. Her work has potential applications in medical devices and screen protectors among others.

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Research program sparks student’s transfer to ��ֱ�� Boulder

Susan Glairon — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 22:21:52 +0000

Research program sparks student’s transfer to ��ֱ�� Boulder Susan Glairon Thu, 02/13/2025 - 15:21

Susan Glairon

Kate Lamb stands between YSSRP participants Paloma Suárez Davila (left), who attends ��ֱ�� Mesa University and Runa Kersten-Guiler, who attends the University of New Hampshire.

After a summer in ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Young Scholars Summer Research Program (YSSRP), Kate Lamb was inspired to change her path, transferring from community college to ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering as a biological engineering major.

YSSRP’s nine-week program prepares undergraduate students for research careers and graduate study through hands-on experience and professional development. Open to all qualified applicants, the program strongly encourages participation from students underrepresented in engineering and those from schools with limited research opportunities.

You started classes at ��ֱ�� Boulder in January. How’s it going so far?

It’s good! I took chemistry, physics and biology at Arapahoe Community College (ACC), so I am well-prepared for upper-division coursework.

How did you learn about this program?

After reviewing my classes and interests, my career counselor at ACC thought I might like engineering and recommended the YSSRP. I feel really fortunate that I was accepted to the program.

What were your academic plans before participating in the YSSRP?

I was planning to major in math, though I wasn’t sure where I wanted to study. I really love math and biology and have an interest in medicine, but I wasn’t sure how they connected. That’s what drew me to biological engineering at ��ֱ�� Boulder—it brings everything together.

What did you enjoy about your YSSRP research project?

My project introduced me to synthetic biology, a field that combines biology and engineering, which I find fascinating. It involves designing and building new biological systems or modifying cells to give them new traits or to produce useful products.

I worked with two PhD students to optimize a biosensor—a protein that detects biological substances, and converts that detection into a measurable signal. Biosensors have the potential to be used as non-invasive medical diagnostic tools and even as therapeutic devices. Our goal was to improve T7 RNA polymerase biosensors, and after extensive troubleshooting, we finally got results that worked. That moment was incredibly gratifying and showed me how much persistence goes into research. Our results formed the basis of a paper that was accepted for publication.

How did participating in the YSSRP influence you to switch from math to engineering?

It opened a door to a way that I could combine all my different interests. Previously I thought I had to choose one specific discipline like biology or math or chemistry. After I started working in the lab, I began learning about the degrees offered at ��ֱ�� Boulder. Now I'm taking differential equations and organic chemistry—different areas of study that I didn’t know could fit together in one degree program.

Why did you decide to attend ��ֱ�� Boulder?

The graduate students who mentored me, and Dr. (Rob) Davis and Dr. (Tim) Whitehead took the time to discuss what studying at ��ֱ�� Boulder would be like and how the degree programs are structured. The opportunity to continue doing research was a big part of my decision to attend ��ֱ��.

What was your favorite part of participating in the YSSRP?

The research was exciting, but there were other elements of the program that I really enjoyed. We had lunches with professors and weekly talks on different topics such as working in industry, intellectual property and graduate school opportunities. It made me think how cool it would be to be sitting in one of those professor’s classes.

As a group we had regular outings, for example, we went hiking, whitewater rafting and bowling. I made a couple of close friends in the program who worked in labs down the hall from me, and we had a really fun time exploring Boulder together. I only have good things to say about the program and its impact on me.

What are your plans for the future?

I’d like to stay in research, and graduate school seems like a strong possibility. I have ideas that I want to explore, and I hope to contribute meaningfully to developing diagnostics and therapeutics that will improve patient care.

To learn more, visit the YSSRP website.

After participating in ��ֱ�� Boulder’s Young Scholars Summer Research Program (YSSRP), Kate Lamb discovered her passion for biological engineering, leading her to transfer from community college to ��ֱ�� Boulder.

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How the tiger really got his stripes

Susan Glairon — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 15:53:35 +0000

How the tiger really got his stripes Susan Glairon Thu, 02/06/2025 - 08:53

Assistant Professor Ankur Gupta’s research on diffusiophoresis, where smaller particles move through a fluid, dragging larger particles with them, helps explain how this process may create clear biological patterns in nature, such as those seen on fish or a tiger's stripes.

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Jerome Fox receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

Susan Glairon — Mon, 03 Feb 2025 17:58:40 +0000

Jerome Fox receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers Susan Glairon Mon, 02/03/2025 - 10:58

Susan Glairon

Jerome Fox, an associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at ��ֱ�� Boulder, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest honor the U.S. government bestows on early-career scientists and engineers.

President Biden announced nearly 400 recipients of the PECASE on Jan. 14, celebrating their exceptional contributions to advancing science and engineering. Established by President Clinton in 1996, PECASE recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers.

“I am grateful for receiving such expansive support early in my career," Fox said. "This award helped my lab grow in new unexpected directions.”

Fox’s research focuses on understanding how enzymes, nature’s catalysts, work together to control chemical reaction networks. His work aims to develop energy-efficient biocatalytic systems capable of performing complex tasks, such as producing chemicals and medicines, or imbuing both living and non-living systems with novel functions (e.g., adaptation and display).

In 2018, Fox received both the National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career (CAREER) Award and the U.S. Army Research Office Young Investigator Award. His research for the latter demonstrated how enzymes collaborate to execute complex operations efficiently.

Fox has been a faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering since 2016. He earned undergraduate degrees in environmental engineering and natural science from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jerome Fox, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering, has received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for his groundbreaking research on enzyme-driven chemical networks and their applications in biocatalytic systems, including chemical and pharmaceutical production.

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Laurel Hind honored with CAREER Award for advancing immune response research

Susan Glairon — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:42:15 +0000

Laurel Hind honored with CAREER Award for advancing immune response research Susan Glairon Fri, 01/17/2025 - 15:42

Laurel Hind is studying the signals that regulate the immune system and contribute to disease, supported by a major grant awarded to promising early-career faculty.

Hind, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of ��ֱ�� Boulder, has received a prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Award. This highly competitive program supports faculty with potential to become leaders in research and education.

The $646,000, five-year grant will support Hind's research on how the tissue environment directs the innate immune response. It will also fund outreach efforts to improve scientific literacy in immunology through a new program, “Immunology in our Everyday Lives."

“I am grateful for this award because it recognizes and builds on the work my students have done to understand how the tissue environment regulates innate immunity while also opening a completely new research area for my lab, which is very exciting," Hind said. "I am happy that the field recognizes the importance of understanding how physical cues regulate cell function.”

The innate immune response acts as the body's first line of defense against harmful invaders like bacteria or viruses, injuries and disease, and plays a critical role in maintaining health. However, an imbalance in the immune system can lead to inappropriate responses which are increasingly linked to diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic infections and fibrosis, and aging, Hind said. Understanding the signals that control this response and how they become dysregulated in disease could help develop new treatments.

The award will support Hind and her team in exploring how physical changes in tissues affect immune function and contribute to worsened disease outcomes as diseases affected by immune system problems often involve changes in the physical properties of tissues. For example, tissues become stiffer in cancer and fibrotic diseases, but lose structure during the aging process. While the chemical signals that influence the immune system in these processes are well studied, how the physical properties of tissues impact immunity is not yet fully understood.

Using novel biomaterials in an innovative “inflammation-on-a-chip” device, Hind and her team will examine how properties such as stiffness, elasticity and the dynamics of tissue stiffening affect innate immune cell function. Importantly, it will identify the genes and proteins that drive these changes, providing targets for future therapeutic development.

The award will also support the development of a curriculum to improve scientific literacy in immunology to encourage public health initiatives through community-engaged outreach. This curriculum will use games and hands-on activities to explain how antibiotics and antibodies work and demonstrate the importance of herd immunity. It will also help retain and recruit women and historically excluded students in science and engineering by involving them in research and curriculum development.

“Public health initiatives like broad participation in vaccination and reducing the overuse of antibiotics are so important for the health of our communities, yet many people don’t understand why, which can lead to resistance," Hind said. "I am excited to share our knowledge in an accessible way with students and families in our community.”

Assistant Professor Laurel Hind has received a $646,000 NSF CAREER Award to study immune system regulation and disease, while also promoting scientific literacy in immunology through a new outreach program.

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News

Arianna McCarty lands prestigious Goldwater Scholarship

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Chemical engineering PhD student earns major NSF fellowship

What is your research focused on?

What are potential applications of your work?

What does receiving this award mean to you?

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Congratulations to our 2024 ChBE department undergraduate award winners!

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Chemical engineering graduate program holds no. 11 spot among public universities

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ChBE faculty earn Air Force Young Investigator Award

Kōnane Bay, self-healing, innovative materials

Ankur Gupta, more precise chemical sensors

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PhD student’s work on engineered adhesives wins national recognition

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Research program sparks student’s transfer to ����ֱ�� Boulder

You started classes at ����ֱ�� Boulder in January. How’s it going so far?

How did you learn about this program?

What were your academic plans before participating in the YSSRP?

What did you enjoy about your YSSRP research project?

How did participating in the YSSRP influence you to switch from math to engineering?

Why did you decide to attend ����ֱ�� Boulder?

What was your favorite part of participating in the YSSRP?

What are your plans for the future?

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How the tiger really got his stripes

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Jerome Fox receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers

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Laurel Hind honored with CAREER Award for advancing immune response research

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Research program sparks student’s transfer to ��ֱ�� Boulder

You started classes at ��ֱ�� Boulder in January. How’s it going so far?

Why did you decide to attend ��ֱ�� Boulder?