Summer Research Program in Biological Sciences and Chemistry

Faculty Name

Research Areas

Adam Avery

The research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that control morphogenesis and maintenance of intricate neuronal structures, and how these mechanisms are disrupted to cause neurological disease.  The lab employs protein biochemical, and genetic and live imaging approaches using the model organism Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly).   Students in the lab have the unique opportunity to explore questions in neurobiology at both the single molecule and whole organism level.

Thomas Bianchette

Dr. Bianchette’s research interests include natural hazards, sedimentology, Quaternary paleoenvironments, paleoclimatology, and coastal dynamics.  Field work consists of sediment coring and extracting surface samples from lacustrine, beach, and marsh environments.  Laboratory techniques include geological (e.g., loss-on-ignition), biological (e.g., pollen, charcoal), and chemical (e.g., x-ray fluorescence) proxies.  

Kodiah Beyeh

It is very challenging to develop new materials with well-defined properties based on specially designed properties of the molecular constituents for the translation of the intrinsic properties of molecules into material properties. It is therefore essential to have control over the molecular interactions and orientation to create function in the material. In our group, we work on designing supramolecular materials through high-affinity and selective binding of several bioanalytes with synthetic supramolecular receptors possessing defined cavities. As a Summer Student in our group, you would perform cutting-edge experiments in a dynamic research environment. You would learn how to prepare different receptor-substrate assemblies and investigate their chemical and physical properties with the use of novel experimental techniques such as Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, Mass spectrometry, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) etc).

Ferman Chavez

In animals, carotenoids yield essential precursors for vision, embryonic development, cellular homeostasis, and immunity (Vitamin A). Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenases (CCDs) are enzymes capable of producing carotenoid derivatives. They generally catalyze the cleavage of carotenoid carbon-carbon double bonds. The ferrous ion is coordinated to 4 histidine nitrogens. In this work, we aim to probe the structure-reactivity relationship for the CCD active sites using small molecule model compounds. 

Roman Dembinski

• Novel Synthetic Methods
• Nucleoside (DNA/RNA) Analogs
• Bioorganic and Organometallic Chemistry
• Fluorous Chemistry

Zachary Kinney

Our primary research theme is to blend traditional and modern synthetic techniques to develop functional materials for a variety of applications. Three different scaffolds: naphthodithiophenes, ditopic carbenes, and macrocycles containing main group heterocycles are of interest. Depending on the scaffold chosen, applications in organic electronics, molecular receptors/sensors, and catalysis are feasible. Student researchers will be exposed to traditional synthetic and inert atmosphere (Schlenk line and glovebox) techniques, as well as standard purification (column chromatography, crystallization) and characterization (1D/2D nuclear magnetic resonance, NMR).

Alexander Rusakov

Dr. Rusakov's research is in the area of chemical theory and computation with an emphasis on heavy elements. Combining bespoke approaches of relativistic quantum chemistry and condensed-matter physics with efficient algorithms and massively parallel computations, his group focuses on predictive modeling of complex and experimentally challenging heavy-element systems. Of particular interest are heavy radionuclide compounds for targeted alpha-particle cancer therapy and theoretical insights into cutting-edge experiments on the identification of superheavy elements. The Summer Research Program in Rusakov's group will introduce students to the development of modern computational chemistry methods and their application to modeling complex heavy-element systems of fundamental and practical interest. Ideally, students would pursue publishing their results in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Michael Sevilla

• Mechanisms of Radiation Damage to DNA
• Electron Spin Resonance Analysis for Free Radicals
• Quantum Chemistry Calculations of Free Radical Properties and Structure

David Szlag

Specific problems that we are investigating utilize qPCR to quantify and identify changes in aquatic microbial communities.  These methods can be applied to recreational water quality, invasive species, and the problems experienced by Toledo and other Lake Erie Water Treatment Plants.  We are also developing new mass spec methods for endocrine disrupting chemicals and cyanobacterial toxins.

Evan Trivedi

• Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry
• Tetrapyrrole and lanthanide coordination chemistry; synthetic methods
• Luminescence spectroscopy; solid state and near-infrared
• Therapeutic development in vitro; tissue culture and fluorescence microscopy
• Drug development in vivo; molecular imaging in small animal models

Zhe Wang

We are focusing on the interfacial material and phenomena study, particularly on the molecular reactions at the electrode/liquid/gas interface, using electrochemistry and spectroscopy method.

1. Fundamental study of small molecules electrochemical synthesis and conversion derived in the green chemistry systems.
2. Using the predictable and tunable bio-interface to design a highly specified small molecule and biomarker quantification for in vivo and in vitro testing.

Colin Wu

The primary research focus is to dissect the molecular mechanisms by which DNA repair enzymes function and to investigate how their defects contribute to the early onset of genetic disorders. In particular, how the FANCJ DNA helicase and the BRCA1 tumor suppressor carry out their DNA repair activities. Mutations in FANCJ and BRCA1 are strongly linked to the onset of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and Fanconi anemia. A combination of biochemistry, single-molecule biophysics, and structural approaches to use to gain a detailed understanding of the macromolecular interactions involved in this DNA repair network.  Work in the lab involves:

• Protein-DNA interactions
• Enzyme mechanisms
• DNA repair
• Cancer metabolism

Ziming Yang

• Biogeochemical transformation of organic carbon in soils, rivers, and lakes
• Organic-mineral/metal interactions in the environment
• Kinetics, mechanisms, and thermodynamics of organic reactions in hydrothermal systems
• Mineral-catalyzed reactions in green chemistry

Xiangqun Zeng

The research focus is the study of fundamental and applied interfacial phenomena, particularly the design and control of molecular characters and characterizations of the dynamic reactions at electrode interfaces. Current projects in my lab are: (1) Understanding the interfacial composition, structure and properties of ionic liquids and conductive polymers for sensor, electrocatalysis and energy storage applications; (2) Applying principles from chemistry and biology for directed assembly or synthesis of thin films of conductive polymers, biological molecules (peptides, proteins and carbohydrates), cells and inorganics on electrode surfaces; (3) Developing miniaturized analysis platforms that combines high performance, miniaturized electrodes and instrumentation electronics with multi-transduction-mode sensor array devices by collaboration with engineers. All these projects are interdisciplinary in nature that involves the use of multiple electrochemical, spectroscopic and microscopic techniques in order to determine the composition, structure and dynamic interfacial reactions and/or properties at electrode interfaces