Chemistry & Biochemistry
Research
Research Interests of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Investigative research lies at the heart of all of the experimental sciences. In chemistry, research can take many forms, from synthesizing compounds to building computational models or gathering and analyzing data using a wide variety of instruments and techniques. If you are interested in learning more about what chemists really do, joining a research group and taking on an independent research project is an excellent place to start!
| Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|
| Environmental/Analytical | Machado | Opdahl | Rolfhus |
| Biochemistry | Grilley | Gorres | May | Weaver |
| Inorganic | Kirsch | McGaff | |
| Medicinal | Monte |
| Nuclear | Bryan |
| Organic | Czerwinski | Schenck |
| Physical | Beyer | Kirsch |
| Polymer | Sen |
| Pedagogy | Schenck |
| Photochemistry | Hurley | Villabona |
Analytical Chemistry
Dr. Ressano DeSouza-Machado
I am seeking to develop capabilities to measure absolute molecular weights and "sizes" of macromolecules in solution. The macromolecules could be biological in nature such as proteins, or man-made as polymers. To elucidate the information, we will employ multiangle light scattering (MALS). I would also like to extend an invitation to those students who would like to tinker with instrumentation, to work with me in improving our current offerings as experiments in upper level chemistry courses. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Aric Opdahl
Chemistry at surfaces and interfaces; surface spectroscopy and microscopy; biosensor design; mechanical behavior of thin films; molecular assembly at interfaces. For additional information e-mail Dr. Opdahl.
Dr. Kris Rolfhus
My research interests are in environmental chemistry, particularly the geochemical cycling and reactivity of toxic heavy metals with significant human health effects such as mercury and lead. Currently, I am working on projects using soil metals as tracers of past human activity, as well as the evaluation of school/park play spaces as routes of metal exposure to children. For additional information, email me, or visit my website.
Biochemistry
Dr. Dan Grilley
The goal of my research is to understand in mechanistic detail how the chemical properties of DNA affect its structure and thus its function inside of living cells. Specifically, my research focuses on two related problems, how do the chemical properties of DNA affect its stiffness, and how does that stiffness affect how DNA is compacted to fit inside a cell. Students interested in doing research at the interface of chemistry, biology, and physics are encouraged to contact me.
Dr. Kelly Gorres
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first virus discovered to cause a human cancer. During infection EBV switches between two phases of its life cycle. We are interested in molecules that reactivate the virus and how the process is inhibited. Our research investigates the interplay between the virus, the infected cell, and small molecules in the environment or drugs with the goal of developing strategies for treating virus-associated cancers. My lab spans virology, cell biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. John May
Bacteria cover their cell surface with a sugar coating that is critical for their ability to cause infectious disease. My lab investigates how bacteria regulate the chemical composition of their protective sugar coating, with a focus on Salmonella enteric, a major bacterial cause of food-borne illness. Students in my group have the opportunity to learn techniques in biochemistry, enzyme kinetics, molecular biology, and bacterial genetics. This research can inform strategies to block key surface determinants of bacterial virulence.
E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Todd Weaver
Research in my laboratory is focused in two main areas. The first area of research uses the hemolysin system from Proteus mirabilis to characterize the activation of bacterial toxins during pore formation. The overall goal of this project aims to characterize the structural differences between the secreted (active) and non-secreted (inactive) forms of hemolysin A. The second area of research aims to characterize the recruitment of low-barrier hydrogen bonds during enzyme catalysis. We have numerous mutant forms of fumarase C and in the process of collecting steady-state kinetic and X-ray diffraction data on each form. E-mail me for additional information.
Inorganic Chemistry
Dr. Janet Kirsch
My research uses different computational techniques to answer fundamental questions about the bonding in solids and on surfaces. I am particularly interested in developing explanations, based on bonding theories, for the ways in which different surfaces reconstruct. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Rob McGaff
Research in my group is focused on finding rational synthetic routes to extended solid-state compounds in response to technological demands for such materials. We concentrate on the synthesis of transition metal compounds that are constructed by linking metal atoms with multifunctional ligands, which are chemical entities that can attach to two different metals at the same time, thus connecting them. We are particularly interested in nitriles and borate fragments as potential ligands for linking transition metals, concentrating especially on rhenium, nickel, copper, platinum, vanadium, and chromium.
E-mail me for additional information.
Medicinal Chemistry
Dr. Aaron Monte
Researchers in my labs apply synthetic organic chemistry methods to the discovery, preparation, and development of new drug molecules. In one area, we have identified new anti-infectives present in wild fungi and green plants and have synthesized several analogs of a natural product found in the leaves of the "Sweet Fern" plant, Comptonia peregrina, which grows around Lake Superior and has been used in traditional medicine by Wisconsin Indigenous peoples (Ojibwe) for thousands of years. That work has led to the discovery of some exciting new synthetic drug targets for treating severe infection (anti-MRSA/anti-VRE), parasitic disease (anthelmintic), cancer (anti-melanoma), and a range of hyper-pigmentation skin conditions (such as vitiligo, etc.). Students working in this area are currently focused on synthesizing a promising new anti-melanoma drug, “A-11.” In another area, we are attempting to better understand the general mechanisms of action of psychedelic drugs and how they influence the function of serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and other neurotransmitter central nervous system (CNS) neurons and their role in human consciousness. Here, we prepare rigid analogs of classic hallucinogenic phenethylamines using standard organic synthetic methods. Please feel free to drop by my office at any time, or to E-mail me for additional information.
Nuclear Chemistry
Dr. Jeff C. Bryan
My research interests involve finding new and exciting ways to bring nuclear chemistry to the the masses. Current projects include a new edition of my textbook , and writing a nuclear chemistry chapter for a general chemistry textbook. Future work could involve the making of nuclear chemistry podcasts and development of a web-based interactive 3-D chart of the the nuclides for the web. I'm also working with Dr. Lesher in the Physics Department to analyze radioactive nuclides in environmental samples and with Dr. Kirsch (Chemistry) on the design and synthesis of new inorganic compounds that may also serve as radiopharmaceutical. For additional information, e-mail me or drop by my office in 441 Cowley Hall.
Organic Chemistry
Dr. Curt Czerwinski
My research interests are in the area of organometallic chemistry, specifically as related to the synthesis of molecules that mimic industrial catalysts and the discovery of new organometallic reactions. Organometallic chemistry targets the interface between organic chemistry, the study of carbon-based molecules, and inorganic chemistry, the study of metals like chromium, tungsten, and iron. Combining these two areas involves synthesizing new molecules that have metal-carbon bonds and exploring reactions otherwise unavailable in traditional organic or inorganic chemistry. My research group synthesizes air-sensitive organometallic molecules using equipment that allows for manipulation of chemicals without exposing them to air, and studies the structure and rearrangement mechanisms of these molecules using infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Heather Schenck
Current research focuses on two areas:
- Development of effective pedagogies for organic chemistry, including optimization of instruction for multi-step organic transformations and organic reaction mechanisms (Haindfield, C., Cerbin, W., Baumann, D., Schenck, H., Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2024, 25, 1311-1325), and
- Characterization of textile dyes obtained from plants and lichens. Recent research efforts include synthesis of small hydroxamic acids and characterization of thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the molecules by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR; Sippl, S. P., White, P. B., Fry, C. G., Volk, S. E., Ye, L., Schenck, H. Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 2016, 54(1), 46-50) and study of complex mixtures of dissolved organic carbon by NMR.Please contact me by e-mail to learn more about this research. Please contact me by e-mail to learn more about this research.
Physical Chemistry
Dr. Keith Beyer
My research interests involve the formation of atmospheric aerosols and clouds as governed by phase diagram thermodynamics. The conditions under which dry particles take up water (deliquescence) to become aqueous aerosols and eventually cloud droplets are my current interest. I am also interested in the conditions where water aerosols undergo the reverse process (efflorescence) to become dry particles. I am interested in these processes because the water content and phase of atmospheric particles has a significant impact on rates of reactions at the particle surface. Thus my research has focused on the main soluble components of atmospheric aerosols: ammonium sulfate, dicarboxylic acids and their salts. Experiments include modern instrumentation such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), humidity controlled thermogravimetric analysis (H-TGA), and FTIR spectroscopy. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Janet Kirsch
My research uses different computational techniques to answer fundamental questions about the bonding in solids and on surfaces. I am particularly interested in developing explanations, based on bonding theories, for the ways in which different surfaces reconstruct. E-mail me for additional information.
Polymer Chemistry
Dr. Sujat Sen
Rapidly decreasing cost of wind and solar electricity across the world has motivated the use of electrons as clean reactants to perform industrially relevant chemical reactions. The increasing use of these renewable energy sources has also necessitated the development of energy storage technologies. My research program explores these challenging problems using ideas and techniques across different disciplines such as polymer/organic synthesis, inorganic/nano-science, analytical methods, and electrochemistry. Students in my group will have an opportunity to synthesize organic/inorganic nano-materials, and use them for various electrochemical applications such as energy storage (batteries, fuel cells) or energy conversion (electrolyzers). Access to cheap and clean energy is of critical importance to society and the world economy – The development of renewable energy technology is bringing exciting new possibilities! Please contact me by e-mail to learn more.
Photochemistry
Dr. Joe Hurley
My research interests lie at the intersection of physical organic chemistry, photochemistry, and materials science. The overarching goal of this research is to design, synthesize, and analyze organic compounds that are capable of emitting visible light in some useful way. If these fluorophores can emit light that is bright enough and of a certain color, they would then be tested for their use in lighting applications, such as the screen of a smartphone. All projects in my lab involve running multi-step syntheses to assemble a target compound, and once the molecule has been made, various spectroscopic measurements will be taken of it. Email me for additional information.
Dr. Juan Villabona-Monsalve
My research activities focus on studying the photophysics and photochemistry of molecular systems, looking for particular applications in sensors and new optical spectroscopy techniques. These activities involve the use of optical spectroscopy (UV-vis absorption and fluorescence), laser spectroscopy, and computational quantum chemistry tools. More recently, I have been interested in using quantum light (exploiting quantum entanglement of photons) for spectroscopy.
Classical steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques have provided significant insights into the photophysics and photochemistry of organic, inorganic, and biomolecular systems that have turned into technological applications or a better understanding of light-induced phenomena. Quantum light -such with statistical properties that require quantum mechanics to be described- has emerged as an additional tool for spectroscopic techniques, offering enhanced sensitivity, low photon fluxes (ideal for the study of delicate samples), and the possibility of a different way to do control of photophysical phenomena of molecular and biological systems. I want to establish a laboratory for the optical and spectroscopic properties characterization of different types of materials, organic, inorganic, biological, synthetic, etc., using classical (laser) and quantum light. The obtained knowledge on the photophysics of organic and biomolecules can help characterize these materials' potential for sensing, solar cells, information storage, and more.
If you are interested or want to learn more, please send me an e-mail at jvillabona-monsalve@uwlax.edu
"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science." - Albert Einstein
Research Interests of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Investigative research lies at the heart of all of the experimental sciences. In chemistry, research can take many forms, from synthesizing compounds to building computational models or gathering and analyzing data using a wide variety of instruments and techniques. If you are interested in learning more about what chemists really do, joining a research group and taking on an independent research project is an excellent place to start!
| Topic | Instructor |
|---|---|
| Environmental/Analytical | Machado | Opdahl | Rolfhus |
| Biochemistry | Grilley | Gorres | May | Weaver |
| Inorganic | Kirsch | McGaff | |
| Medicinal | Monte |
| Nuclear | Bryan |
| Organic | Czerwinski | Schenck |
| Physical | Beyer | Kirsch |
| Polymer | Sen |
| Pedagogy | Schenck |
| Photochemistry | Hurley | Villabona |
Analytical Chemistry
Dr. Ressano DeSouza-Machado
I am seeking to develop capabilities to measure absolute molecular weights and "sizes" of macromolecules in solution. The macromolecules could be biological in nature such as proteins, or man-made as polymers. To elucidate the information, we will employ multiangle light scattering (MALS). I would also like to extend an invitation to those students who would like to tinker with instrumentation, to work with me in improving our current offerings as experiments in upper level chemistry courses. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Aric Opdahl
Chemistry at surfaces and interfaces; surface spectroscopy and microscopy; biosensor design; mechanical behavior of thin films; molecular assembly at interfaces. For additional information e-mail Dr. Opdahl.
Dr. Kris Rolfhus
My research interests are in environmental chemistry, particularly the geochemical cycling and reactivity of toxic heavy metals with significant human health effects such as mercury and lead. Currently, I am working on projects using soil metals as tracers of past human activity, as well as the evaluation of school/park play spaces as routes of metal exposure to children. For additional information, email me, or visit my website.
Biochemistry
Dr. Dan Grilley
The goal of my research is to understand in mechanistic detail how the chemical properties of DNA affect its structure and thus its function inside of living cells. Specifically, my research focuses on two related problems, how do the chemical properties of DNA affect its stiffness, and how does that stiffness affect how DNA is compacted to fit inside a cell. Students interested in doing research at the interface of chemistry, biology, and physics are encouraged to contact me.
Dr. Kelly Gorres
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was the first virus discovered to cause a human cancer. During infection EBV switches between two phases of its life cycle. We are interested in molecules that reactivate the virus and how the process is inhibited. Our research investigates the interplay between the virus, the infected cell, and small molecules in the environment or drugs with the goal of developing strategies for treating virus-associated cancers. My lab spans virology, cell biology, biochemistry, and organic chemistry. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. John May
Bacteria cover their cell surface with a sugar coating that is critical for their ability to cause infectious disease. My lab investigates how bacteria regulate the chemical composition of their protective sugar coating, with a focus on Salmonella enteric, a major bacterial cause of food-borne illness. Students in my group have the opportunity to learn techniques in biochemistry, enzyme kinetics, molecular biology, and bacterial genetics. This research can inform strategies to block key surface determinants of bacterial virulence.
E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Todd Weaver
Research in my laboratory is focused in two main areas. The first area of research uses the hemolysin system from Proteus mirabilis to characterize the activation of bacterial toxins during pore formation. The overall goal of this project aims to characterize the structural differences between the secreted (active) and non-secreted (inactive) forms of hemolysin A. The second area of research aims to characterize the recruitment of low-barrier hydrogen bonds during enzyme catalysis. We have numerous mutant forms of fumarase C and in the process of collecting steady-state kinetic and X-ray diffraction data on each form. E-mail me for additional information.
Inorganic Chemistry
Dr. Janet Kirsch
My research uses different computational techniques to answer fundamental questions about the bonding in solids and on surfaces. I am particularly interested in developing explanations, based on bonding theories, for the ways in which different surfaces reconstruct. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Rob McGaff
Research in my group is focused on finding rational synthetic routes to extended solid-state compounds in response to technological demands for such materials. We concentrate on the synthesis of transition metal compounds that are constructed by linking metal atoms with multifunctional ligands, which are chemical entities that can attach to two different metals at the same time, thus connecting them. We are particularly interested in nitriles and borate fragments as potential ligands for linking transition metals, concentrating especially on rhenium, nickel, copper, platinum, vanadium, and chromium.
E-mail me for additional information.
Medicinal Chemistry
Dr. Aaron Monte
Researchers in my labs apply synthetic organic chemistry methods to the discovery, preparation, and development of new drug molecules. In one area, we have identified new anti-infectives present in wild fungi and green plants and have synthesized several analogs of a natural product found in the leaves of the "Sweet Fern" plant, Comptonia peregrina, which grows around Lake Superior and has been used in traditional medicine by Wisconsin Indigenous peoples (Ojibwe) for thousands of years. That work has led to the discovery of some exciting new synthetic drug targets for treating severe infection (anti-MRSA/anti-VRE), parasitic disease (anthelmintic), cancer (anti-melanoma), and a range of hyper-pigmentation skin conditions (such as vitiligo, etc.). Students working in this area are currently focused on synthesizing a promising new anti-melanoma drug, “A-11.” In another area, we are attempting to better understand the general mechanisms of action of psychedelic drugs and how they influence the function of serotonin, dopamine, epinephrine, and other neurotransmitter central nervous system (CNS) neurons and their role in human consciousness. Here, we prepare rigid analogs of classic hallucinogenic phenethylamines using standard organic synthetic methods. Please feel free to drop by my office at any time, or to E-mail me for additional information.
Nuclear Chemistry
Dr. Jeff C. Bryan
My research interests involve finding new and exciting ways to bring nuclear chemistry to the the masses. Current projects include a new edition of my textbook , and writing a nuclear chemistry chapter for a general chemistry textbook. Future work could involve the making of nuclear chemistry podcasts and development of a web-based interactive 3-D chart of the the nuclides for the web. I'm also working with Dr. Lesher in the Physics Department to analyze radioactive nuclides in environmental samples and with Dr. Kirsch (Chemistry) on the design and synthesis of new inorganic compounds that may also serve as radiopharmaceutical. For additional information, e-mail me or drop by my office in 441 Cowley Hall.
Organic Chemistry
Dr. Curt Czerwinski
My research interests are in the area of organometallic chemistry, specifically as related to the synthesis of molecules that mimic industrial catalysts and the discovery of new organometallic reactions. Organometallic chemistry targets the interface between organic chemistry, the study of carbon-based molecules, and inorganic chemistry, the study of metals like chromium, tungsten, and iron. Combining these two areas involves synthesizing new molecules that have metal-carbon bonds and exploring reactions otherwise unavailable in traditional organic or inorganic chemistry. My research group synthesizes air-sensitive organometallic molecules using equipment that allows for manipulation of chemicals without exposing them to air, and studies the structure and rearrangement mechanisms of these molecules using infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Heather Schenck
Current research focuses on two areas:
- Development of effective pedagogies for organic chemistry, including optimization of instruction for multi-step organic transformations and organic reaction mechanisms (Haindfield, C., Cerbin, W., Baumann, D., Schenck, H., Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2024, 25, 1311-1325), and
- Characterization of textile dyes obtained from plants and lichens. Recent research efforts include synthesis of small hydroxamic acids and characterization of thermodynamic and kinetic properties of the molecules by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR; Sippl, S. P., White, P. B., Fry, C. G., Volk, S. E., Ye, L., Schenck, H. Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 2016, 54(1), 46-50) and study of complex mixtures of dissolved organic carbon by NMR.Please contact me by e-mail to learn more about this research. Please contact me by e-mail to learn more about this research.
Physical Chemistry
Dr. Keith Beyer
My research interests involve the formation of atmospheric aerosols and clouds as governed by phase diagram thermodynamics. The conditions under which dry particles take up water (deliquescence) to become aqueous aerosols and eventually cloud droplets are my current interest. I am also interested in the conditions where water aerosols undergo the reverse process (efflorescence) to become dry particles. I am interested in these processes because the water content and phase of atmospheric particles has a significant impact on rates of reactions at the particle surface. Thus my research has focused on the main soluble components of atmospheric aerosols: ammonium sulfate, dicarboxylic acids and their salts. Experiments include modern instrumentation such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), humidity controlled thermogravimetric analysis (H-TGA), and FTIR spectroscopy. E-mail me for additional information.
Dr. Janet Kirsch
My research uses different computational techniques to answer fundamental questions about the bonding in solids and on surfaces. I am particularly interested in developing explanations, based on bonding theories, for the ways in which different surfaces reconstruct. E-mail me for additional information.
Polymer Chemistry
Dr. Sujat Sen
Rapidly decreasing cost of wind and solar electricity across the world has motivated the use of electrons as clean reactants to perform industrially relevant chemical reactions. The increasing use of these renewable energy sources has also necessitated the development of energy storage technologies. My research program explores these challenging problems using ideas and techniques across different disciplines such as polymer/organic synthesis, inorganic/nano-science, analytical methods, and electrochemistry. Students in my group will have an opportunity to synthesize organic/inorganic nano-materials, and use them for various electrochemical applications such as energy storage (batteries, fuel cells) or energy conversion (electrolyzers). Access to cheap and clean energy is of critical importance to society and the world economy – The development of renewable energy technology is bringing exciting new possibilities! Please contact me by e-mail to learn more.
Photochemistry
Dr. Joe Hurley
My research interests lie at the intersection of physical organic chemistry, photochemistry, and materials science. The overarching goal of this research is to design, synthesize, and analyze organic compounds that are capable of emitting visible light in some useful way. If these fluorophores can emit light that is bright enough and of a certain color, they would then be tested for their use in lighting applications, such as the screen of a smartphone. All projects in my lab involve running multi-step syntheses to assemble a target compound, and once the molecule has been made, various spectroscopic measurements will be taken of it. Email me for additional information.
Dr. Juan Villabona-Monsalve
My research activities focus on studying the photophysics and photochemistry of molecular systems, looking for particular applications in sensors and new optical spectroscopy techniques. These activities involve the use of optical spectroscopy (UV-vis absorption and fluorescence), laser spectroscopy, and computational quantum chemistry tools. More recently, I have been interested in using quantum light (exploiting quantum entanglement of photons) for spectroscopy.
Classical steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic techniques have provided significant insights into the photophysics and photochemistry of organic, inorganic, and biomolecular systems that have turned into technological applications or a better understanding of light-induced phenomena. Quantum light -such with statistical properties that require quantum mechanics to be described- has emerged as an additional tool for spectroscopic techniques, offering enhanced sensitivity, low photon fluxes (ideal for the study of delicate samples), and the possibility of a different way to do control of photophysical phenomena of molecular and biological systems. I want to establish a laboratory for the optical and spectroscopic properties characterization of different types of materials, organic, inorganic, biological, synthetic, etc., using classical (laser) and quantum light. The obtained knowledge on the photophysics of organic and biomolecules can help characterize these materials' potential for sensing, solar cells, information storage, and more.
If you are interested or want to learn more, please send me an e-mail at jvillabona-monsalve@uwlax.edu
"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science." - Albert Einstein