Bone Marrow

Artificial bone marrow that can continuously make red and white blood cells has been created in Nicholas Kotov's lab. This development could lead to simpler pharmaceutical drug testing, closer study of immune system defects, and a continuous supply of blood for transfusions. The marrow is not made to be implanted in the body, like most 3-D biomedical scaffolds. It is designed to function in a test tube.

A paper about these research findings was published in the February 2009 issue of Biomaterials.

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Glotzer recives NSS grant

Sharon Glotzer received a $4.3 million, five-year grant through a National Security Science and Engineering Faculty Fellowship. This fellowship will allow Sharon and her students to use modeling and simulation to discover how to create shape-shifting materials from nanoparticles.
In the national security realm, such materials could be used for protective uniforms and gear, chemical detection, and stealth, for example. An aircraft conceivably could be painted with a material that changes its appearance as a chameleon does.
Also, see Physics Today article (PDF)

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Nature and Nanotechnology Fuse in Electric Yarn

Researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering have been working on a carbon nanotube-coated "smart yarn" that conducts electricity that could be woven into soft fabrics that detect blood and monitor health. Nick Kotov and Bongsup Shim, a doctoral student in the department, are among the co-authors of a paper on this material currently published online in Nano Letters.

"Currently, smart textiles are made primarily of metallic or optical fibers. They're fragile. They're not comfortable," says Kotov. "We have found a much simpler way [of creating smart textiles]-an elegant way-by combining two fibers, one natural and one created by nanotechnology."

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Shtein recieves PECASE

Max Shtein received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). The award from the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy is the federal government's highest honor to early-career scientists and engineers.

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Podsiadlo wins Collegiate Inventors Competition

Paul Podsiadlo, recent PhD graduate, was the winner of the 2008 Collegiate Inventors Competition in the graduate category. His invention "Ultra-Strong and Stiff, Optically Transparent Plastic Nanocomposites" was based on his doctoral research with Professor Nick Kotov on ultra-strong nanostructured composites.

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Michigan professor's lab-on-a-chip kit a top innovation of 2008

Mark Burns' lab's make-your-own-microfluidic-device kit has been named one of The Scientist magazine's top 10 innovations of 2008. Minsoug Rhee, a graduate student in the Burns' group, developed the 16-piece set of microfluidic building blocks

The device, also known as a "lab-on-a-chip," integrates multiple laboratory functions onto one chip just millimeters or centimeters in size. The kit in essence brings the lab on a chip to the scientific masses. It cuts the costs and the time involved in making one from days to minutes. (Illustration above by Hanna Bae)(2008)

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Faculty Recognition Award, Michael J. Solomon

Researcher and scholar Michael Solomon, associate professor of chemical engineering and macromolecular science and engineering, is known as a passionate teacher and mentor and a cherished colleague. He has established a world-recognized laboratory for the study of complex fluids and is one of the leaders of a new generation of chemical engineering faculty who are using advances on confocal microscopy, as well as other state-of-the-art methods in scattering, to reveal the microstructure and dynamics of colloidal materials in real space.(2008)

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Versatile coating for biomedical devices lets them interact with live cells

A new type of plastic coating made from vapor developed by Joerg Lahann and his research group (left) could lead to better biomedical devices such as stents and catheters that are "bioactive," meaning they can interact with the living cells around them in unique ways.The coating binds to a broad range of materials including glass, stainless steel, Teflon and silicon. More like a paint than a blanket, it is able to preserve the precise shape of the device it covers. The outer surface of the coating can be made to attract or repel certain molecules such as platelets or proteins. "We recognized that the biomedical devices have to be bioactive. You need to have biological signatures that can actively mitigate the response of the body to the implant," said Lahann, the Dow Corning Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering. (2008)

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Yang recieves DOE award

Ralph Yang has received the Department of Energy's (DOE) 2008 DOE Hydrogen Program R & D Award at the Annual Hydrogen Review Conference in Washington DC in June. This award was given to him for his "pioneering work on hydrogen storage by spillover."

The hydrogen spillover phenomenon that occurs in many catalytic reactions has been known to exist for over 40 years. About 7 years ago, Dr. Yang started using this phenomenon to develop sorbents for hydrogen storage at ambient temperature, which could be used in future fuel cell cars. Few thought this approach would work, but Yang and his research group were able to show promising results under the DOE sponsorship and now over 30 research groups around the world are following their approach in the search for new materials for hydrogen storage. (2008)

Fogler named one of top 30 Authors of Groundbreaking ChE Books

Scott Fogler was named by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) as one of the "Thirty Authors of Groundbreaking Chemical Engineering Books" for his widely used textbook Elements of Chemical Reaction Engineering. (2008)

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Weber chosen as an "Engineer of the Modern Era"

Walt Weber was chosen as one of the American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AIChE) "One Hundred Engineers of the Modern Era" in honor of his many accomplishments in the area of environmental process dynamics & system sustainability. (2008)

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Kotov wins NASA Nanotech Brief award

Nick Kotov and his group have won a NASA Nanotech Briefs Nano 50 Award for their work on Ultrastrong Layered Polymer Nanocomposites. Nanotech Briefs is a digital newsletter on nanotechnology. Nick received the award for the group at a ceremony in November. (2008)

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Linic recieves DuPont award

Suljo Linic is a recipient of the 2008 DuPont Young Professor award. Initiated in 1968, the DuPont award provides research support for three years. The award is awarded annually to 10-15 investigators worldwide, across multiple scientific disciplines. (2008)

Glotzer recieves Stine Award

Sharon Glotzer will receive the 2008 Charles M. A. Stine Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers for her work in pioneering simulations of glass-forming liquids and self-assembled nanomaterials, and for her leadership and service to the materials community.(2008)

Levi Thompson: Building clean energy from the atom up

Dr. Levi Thompson is engrossed in one of the most socially important realms of engineering: finding ways to generate clean energy and reduce polluting emissions from autos and other products. He's a leader in the development of hydrogen fuel cell technology. And his work in catalysis could lead to solutions for our most pressing problems-energy, health care, and water. (2008)

Read the full story in Michigan Today.
Image: Chemical Engineering professor Levi Thompson pictured with a microfuel cell.)

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Computer simulation shows how solids form

A computer simulation performed by Aaron Keys and Dr. Sharon Glotzer has given new insights into how this unique class of solids forms. Quasicrystals incorporate clusters of atoms as they are, without rearranging them as regular crystals do. Crystals form when liquids freeze into solids. (2007)

The research findings were published in the December 6, 2007 of Physical Review Letters.

Nanoparticle-based carrier for 6-mercaptopurine discovered

6-Mercaptopurine and its riboside derivatives are some of the most widely utilized anti-leukemic and anti-inflammatory drugs however their short biological half-life and severe side effects limit their use. Nicholas Kotov and two researchers from his group, Paul Podsiadlo and Vladimir Sinani, have developed a small, metallic gold-nanoparticle-based carrier for 6-mercaptopurine-9-β-D-ribofuranoside, a prodrug of 6-mercaptopurine with a goal of improving the drug's effectiveness. (2007)

Their research is featured in the January 15 issue of Langmuir

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New plastic is strong as steel, transparent

Nick Kotov , graduate student Paul Podsiadlo, and other U-M researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent. It's made of layers of clay nanosheets and a water-soluble polymer that shares chemistry with white glue. Kotov and his collaborators are authors of a paper on this composite material published in the October 5, 2007 edition of Science . (2007)

Read full story from U-M News Service

UPDATE: This discovery made the list of Wired magazine's Top 10 Scientific Breakthroughs for 2007

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Fogler elected president of AIChE

The Department of Chemical Engineering is proud to announce that Professor H. Scott Fogler was elected the national president of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). Scott will serve as president-elect from January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008, and as president, January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009. We know he will continue to be proactive to move AIChE forward. (2007)

Work on AFM published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications

Results of work done by chemical engineering graduate student Weixian Shi and his advisor, Ron Larson were published in the June 2007 issue of Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. Mr. Shi and Dr. Larson found that using atomic force microscopy (AFM), allowed them to discover RecA-single-stranded DNA (RecA-ssDNA) filaments, in the presence of single-stranded DNA-binding (SSB) protein, mostly organized into left-handed bundles. This finding differs from the previously reported disordered aggregates formed when SSB is excluded from the reaction. In addition, they observed both left-and right-handedness on bundles of two filaments." (2007)

Linic recieves Departmental Excellence Award

Suljo Linic has been selected to receive this year's departmental excellence award for outstanding research, service, and teaching. He will be honored at the 2008 College Dinner Dance. Congratulations Professor Linic! (2007)

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Lahann designs new nano-biotechnology probes

Recent advances in nano-biotechnology are leading to the design of functional probes that are able to self-orient relative to a cell surface, thereby encoding-and ultimately revealing-useful biological information. Many methods have been reported on the fabrication of anisotropic particles, such as Janus particles--two-sided particles with different material compositions in each side. Jeorg Lahann and two researchers from his group, Mutsumi Yoshida and Kyung-Ho Roh, have pursued an alternative route toward the design and synthesis of polymer-based nanoparticles with two or multiple distinct phases, using electrified co-jetting. (2007)

The team's findings are the cover article the the May 8 issue of Langmuir.

Yang recieves Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award

Ralph T. Yang has been selected to receive a 2006-2007 University of Michigan Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. The award honors senior faculty who have consistently demonstrated outstanding achievements in the areas of scholarly research and/or creative endeavors, teaching and mentoring of students and junior faculty, service and a variety of other activities which have brought distinction to themselves and to the University. (2007)

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Glotzer receives Faculty Recognition Award

Sharon C. Glotzer has been selected to receive a 2006-2007 Faculty Recognition Award from the University of Michigan. The award is intended for faculty in the earlier phase of their careers who have demonstrated sub-stantive contributions to the University through significant achievements in scholarly research and/or creative endeavors; excellence as a teacher, advisor and mentor; and distinguished participation in the service activities of the University. (2007)

Scientists discover rules for some common virus shapes

A surprising discovery at the University of Michigan about how nanoparticles self-assemble into structures that resemble viruses gives scientists key insight into how common disease producing viruses might form in our bodies. This new understanding brings researchers closer to making synthetic virus-like particles in the lab that could be used to help stop viruses from replicating, or could be used as stealth viruses to deliver drugs.

Using computer simulations, chemical engineering PhD student Ting Chen, research associate Zhenli Zhang, and Professor Sharon Glotzer self-assembled tiny particles into precise, convex shapes. (2007)

The team's findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.
("A precise packing sequence for self-assembled convex structures," Chen, et al, PNAS, January 16, 2007, 104, 3, pp. 717-722.)

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Savage receives CoE Excellence Award

Professor Phillip Savage received a College of Engineering Education Excellence Award in recognition of his outstanding classroom teaching, his work with undergraduate students in research, his excellent graduate mentoring, his integration of research into classroom teaching, and his service related to education.(2007)

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Scientists find new way to manipulate polymers, including DNA

Polymers, large molecules comprised of chains of repeating structures, are used in everything from the coatings on walls of ships and pipes to reduce flow drag to gene therapy. (Image courtesy of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) But long polymer chains are subject to breakage, called scission, and a new study conducted by Michael Solomon, Steven Ceccio, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and former ChE doctoral student, Siva Vanapalli, shows that as it turns out, much of what scientists previously thought about why polymers break when subjected to strong flows, such as waves crashing against a ship's bow, was wrong. (2006)

Their research results appeared in a recent issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (From U-M News Service)

"Universal scaling for polymer chain scission in turbulence," Vanapalli, S. A. , S. L. Ceccio, and M. J. Solomon, PNAS 2006 103: 16617-16618.

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Researchers make nanosheets that mimic protein formation

How to direct and control the self-assembly of nanoparticles is a fundamental question in nanotechnology. Sharon Glotzer and Nicholas Kotov have discovered a way to make nanocrystals in a fluid spontaneously assemble into free-floating sheets the same way some protein structures form in living organisms.

A paper on the findings co-authored by Kotov, Glotzer, and their students and postdoctoral researchers, will appear in the journal Science, on Oct. 13. (2006)

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Researchers win money to develop breath test to detect breast cancer

Joerg Lahann and his graduate student, David Peng, are developing a device to test breath for the presence of metabolites associated with breast cancer. The cornerstone of the device, and what makes it possible, is the switchable surface technology first developed in Lahann's lab while a post doctoral student at MIT. (2006)

Also, see the Lahann Group web page for up-to-date information about their research

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Perfecta3D May Help Cut Costs of New Drugs

Nick Kotov and two of his graduate students, Meghan Cuddihy (chemical engineering) and Jungwoo Lee (biomedical engineering), have designed a solution aimed at accelerating the discovery and development of new medicines, improving the quality of human life and saving pharmaceutical and biotech companies millions of dollars in development costs. Their solution, Perfecta3D, is a novel, highly ordered and consistent 3D substrate combined with a standard well-plate. This is a significant improvement over current testing technology, which grows cells in only two dimensions, because Perfecta3D can more accurately reflect how drugs react in the body. (2006)

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Gularie develops lower cost Biochips

Biochips or microarrays have revolutionized medical research by making it possible to analyze the expression levels of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously with a small sample containing no more than 10 micrograms of DNA or RNA. For the past six years Erdogan Gulari and his research group have focused on developing new and radically lower cost technologies for making microarrays and other massively parallel diagnostic tools. This effort has resulted in two new methods of making microarrays using off-the-shelf reagents, modified digital projectors, and two start-up companies to commercialize the technologies. (2006)

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Savage recieves Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award

Phillip Savage received a Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award. This award, in its inaugural year, seeks to honor tenured faculty who guide students throughout their professional training in a continuing, multifaceted partnership sustained by mutual respect and concern.
Phil's mentoring skills and ability to attract top students to his group have been consistently displayed throughout his 20 years at Michigan. As one of his colleagues wrote, "Professor Savage recognizes that his graduate students are individuals and that they have different interests and aspirations. He gives them both liberty and opportunities to pursue their interests and develop their professional and personal skills." (2006)

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