Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

These ‘Exploding’ Capsules Could Deliver Insulin Without a Needle

admin — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 13:22:30 +0000

These ‘Exploding’ Capsules Could Deliver Insulin Without a Needle admin Tue, 07/08/2025 - 09:22

Georgia Tech engineers have created a pill that could effectively deliver insulin and other injectable drugs, making medicines for chronic illnesses easier for patients to take, less invasive, and potentially less expensive.

Along with insulin, it also could be used for semaglutide — the popular GLP-1 medication sold as Ozempic and Wegovy — and a host of other top-selling protein-based medications like antibodies and growth hormone that are part of a $400 billion market.

These drugs usually have to be injected because they can’t overcome the protective barriers of the gastrointestinal tract. Georgia Tech’s new capsule uses a small pressurized “explosion” to shoot medicine past those barriers in the small intestine and into the bloodstream. Unlike other designs, it has no complicated moving parts and requires no battery or stored energy.

“This study introduces a new way of drug delivery that is as easy as swallowing a pill and replaces the need for painful injections,” said Mark Prausnitz, who created the pill in his lab with former Ph.D. student Joshua Palacios and other student researchers.

In animal lab tests, they showed their capsule lowered blood sugar levels just like traditional insulin injections. The researchers reported their pill design and study results DATE in the Journal of Controlled Release.

Read about the technology on the College of Engineering website.

Summary sentence

Engineers use sodium bicarb to “self-pressurize” a pill able to deliver drugs that usually require injection directly to the small intestine.

Summary

Engineers use sodium bicarb to “self-pressurize” a pill able to deliver drugs that usually require injection directly to the small intestine.

Dateline

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 12:00

jstewart@gatech.edu

Contact

Joshua Stewart
College of Engineering

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Mark Prausnitz

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News room topics

Health and Medicine

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Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Research

Mercury ID

682959

Source updated

Tue, 07/08/2025 - 09:21

Georgia Tech Researchers Make an Elemental Discovery

admin — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 14:12:41 +0000

Georgia Tech Researchers Make an Elemental Discovery admin Tue, 06/24/2025 - 10:12

A longstanding mystery of the periodic table involves a group of unique elements called lanthanides. Also known as rare earth elements, or REEs, these silvery-white metals are challenging to isolate, given their very similar chemical and physical properties. This similarity makes it difficult to distinguish REEs from one other during extraction and purification processes.

The world has come to depend on lanthanides’ magnetic and optical properties to drive much of modern technology — from medical imaging to missiles to smart phones. These metals also are in short supply, and because they’re found in minerals, lanthanides are difficult to mine and separate. But that may change — thanks to a Georgia Tech-led discovery of a new oxidation state for a lanthanide element known as praseodymium.

For the first time ever, praseodymium achieved a 5+ oxidation state. Oxidation occurs when a substance meets oxygen or another oxidizing substance. (The browning on the flesh of a cut apple, as well as rust on metal, are examples of oxidation.)

As far back as the 1890s, scientists suspected lanthanides might have a 5+ oxidation state, but lanthanides in that state were too unstable to see, said Henry ”Pete“ La Pierre, an associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Discovering an element’s new oxidation state is like discovering a new element. As an example, La Pierre noted how plutonium’s discovery opened up a whole new area of the periodic table.

“A new oxidation state tells us what we don’t know and gives us ideas for where to go,” he explained. “Each oxidation state of an element has distinct chemical and physical properties — so the first glimpse of a novel oxidation presents a roadmap for new possibilities.”

La Pierre and colleagues at University of Iowa and Washington State University recently discovered the 5+ oxidation state for lanthanides.

“It was predicted but never seen until we found it,” said La Pierre, corresponding author of the study, “Praseodymium in the Formal +5 Oxidation State,” which was recently published in Nature Chemistry. “Lanthanides’ properties are really fantastic. We only use them commercially in one oxidation state — the 3+ oxidation state — which defines a set of magnetic and optical properties. If you can stabilize a higher oxidation state, it could lead to entirely new magnetic and optical properties.”

The researchers’ breakthrough will broaden the lanthanides’ technical applications in fields such as rare-earth mining and quantum technology and could lead to new electronic device architectures and applications.

“Research in lanthanides has already yielded significant dividends for society in terms of technological development,” La Pierre added.

The researchers hope to discover new tools for mining critical REEs, including improving lanthanide separation and recycling processes. When mining these elements, lanthanide elements are frequently mixed together. The separation process is painstaking and inefficient, generating a significant amount of waste. But with increasing global demand for REEs, the U.S. faces a supply issue. Figuring out how to improve lanthanides separation, potentially through oxidation chemistry, will ultimately enhance the supply of these critical elements.

— Anne Wainscott-Sargent

Funding: This research was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Summary sentence

New Oxidation State for a Rare Earth Element Could Advance Quantum and Electronic Devices

Summary

New Oxidation State for a Rare Earth Element Could Advance Quantum and Electronic Devices

Dateline

Tue, 06/24/2025 - 12:00

swundersmith3@gatech.edu

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Shelley Wunder-Smith
Director of Research Communications

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Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

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682867

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Tue, 06/24/2025 - 10:12

From Poetry to Polymers: How the Pursuit of a Creative Path Led to Electrochromic Materials

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:54:59 +0000

From Poetry to Polymers: How the Pursuit of a Creative Path Led to Electrochromic Materials admin Fri, 06/06/2025 - 10:54

Eric Shen, a research engineer in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, loves art and science in equal measure — and believes it’s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy. In the latest installment of the “Unexpected Paths” series, Shen discusses his work with color-changing windows and why he continues to be at Georgia Tech after over a decade.

Read the article here »

Summary sentence

Eric Shen loves art and science in equal measure — and believes it’s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy.

Summary

Eric Shen loves art and science in equal measure — and believes it’s possible for creatives to build STEM careers that foster joy. Learn about his unexpected path to becoming a research engineer in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Dateline

Wed, 05/28/2025 - 12:00

Keywords

cos-community

College of Sciences

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

News room topics

Campus and Community

Categories

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Research

Student and Faculty

Mercury ID

682584

Source updated

Fri, 06/06/2025 - 10:54

CoS Graduate Researchers Earn Travel Grants

dgivens8 — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 21:20:37 +0000

CoS Graduate Researchers Earn Travel Grants dgivens8 Thu, 03/20/2025 - 17:20

Six College of Sciences graduate students were awarded $1,000 in research travel grants after presenting their research at the 16th annual Career, Research, Innovation, and Development Conference (CRIDC) poster competition. The grants will cover expenses related to research trips or travel to other conferences (domestic or international).

Eighty-four graduate students from across the Institute participated in the poster competition, presenting their research to faculty and staff judges.

Congratulations to the poster competition winners from the College of Sciences:

Isabel Berry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

A second-year Ph.D. student in computational chemistry, Berry works in the Sherrill Group.

“My research focuses on advancing computational quantum mechanical (QM) methods to feasibly model biological systems,” says Berry. “A specialized QM method developed in our group, F-SAPT, has the potential to reveal why certain drug molecules are favored over others, advancing the field of rational drug design. If we can accurately model protein-ligand interactions using quantum mechanics, it could ultimately pave the way for integrating these methods into computer-aided drug discovery workflows.”

Gretchen Johnson, School of Biological Sciences

Johnson is working on a Ph.D. in ocean science, studying how corals respond to environmental stressors as part of the Kubanek Group.

“Corals can't move,” says Johnson. “Instead of hiding when it is hot or bright out, they must respond physiologically. I use a technique called metabolomics to study the cellular physiology of corals and look for metabolic changes over time. Understanding what makes a coral more resistant to stress is useful for protecting and restoring coral reefs."

Shreya Kothari, School of Biological Sciences

Kothari conducts research for the Kubanek Group and is pursuing a Ph.D. in biology. She attempts to discover natural dispersant-like biomolecules helpful for oil spill remediation.

“While some microbes can degrade and clean up oil from the contaminated sites, the process is often slow,” says Kothari. “However, dispersant-like biomolecules can speed up oil degradation by breaking oil into smaller droplets and increasing its availability to oil-degrading microbes. I aim to determine the chemical structure and function of such biomolecules and test their effectiveness in treating real-world environmental spills by applying them in small-scale experiments that mimic oil spill conditions. These biomolecules may offer an eco-friendly alternative to toxic chemical dispersants and improve existing bioremediation strategies to mitigate environmental damage caused by oil pollution."

Monica Monge, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

As part of her Ph.D. studies, Monge works in the Garg Lab and focuses on understanding marine bacteria community dynamics.

“I am specifically trying to decipher how disease-causing bacteria (pathogenic) and bacteria that doesn’t harm its host (commensal) communicate with one another via chemical signals and the metabolic changes resulting from those interactions,” says Monge. “My ultimate goal is to identify beneficial traits from commensal bacteria that we can leverage to alleviate coral diseases.”

Sidney Scott-Sharoni, School of Psychology

Scott-Sharoni is earning a Ph.D. in engineering psychology and works in the Sonification Lab.

“My research focuses on human interaction with AI technologies,” says Scott-Sharoni. “Specifically, I examine how different features of AI agents, such as anthropomorphism and social intelligence, impact how people psychologically perceive and behave in collaboration with these agents. This work helps improve the effectiveness of AI systems by aligning them to human social and cognitive expectations, leading to better joint performance and proper trust.”

Maggie Straight, School of Biological Sciences

A third-year Ph.D. student studying ocean science and engineering, Straight conducts research in the Kubanek Group.

“Sometimes I consider myself a microbial spy as I listen in to the chemical conversation between microbes and analyze how each microbe is affected by the interaction,” says Straight. “My current work is focused on the interaction between two types of marine microbes, bacteria and microscopic algae. By understanding how bacteria can be good or bad for algal growth, I hope to shed light on the mechanisms by which bacteria can help algae form algal blooms, including harmful algal blooms. This understanding could help scientists predict the beginning and ending of harmful algal blooms and keep beachgoers and shellfish farms safe from harmful algae.”

Subtitle

CoS Graduate Researchers Earn Travel Grants

Summary sentence

The College of Sciences proudly recognizes the six graduate scholars awarded $1,000 in research travel grants during the Career, Research, Innovation, and Development Conference (CRIDC) poster competition.

Summary

Dateline

Thu, 03/20/2025 - 12:00

laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu

Contact

Laura Segraves Smith, writer

Keywords

cos-community

student honors

graduate student research

College of Sciences

Categories

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Education

Life Sciences and Biology

Research

Student Competition WInners (academic, innovation, and research)

Student Honors and Achievements

Student Research

Mercury ID

681260

Source updated

Thu, 03/20/2025 - 17:19

How Earth's Early Cycles Shaped the Chemistry of Life

admin — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 19:02:37 +0000

How Earth's Early Cycles Shaped the Chemistry of Life admin Tue, 03/04/2025 - 14:02

A new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth.

Led by Loren Williams (Georgia Institute of Technology) and Moran Frenkel-Pinter (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and published in Nature Chemistry, the team’s paper investigates how chemical mixtures evolve over time, offering new insights into the origins of biological complexity.

“Our research applies concepts from evolutionary biology to chemistry,” explains Williams, a professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “We know that everything in biology can be reduced to chemistry, but the idea of this paper is that in the right conditions, chemistry can evolve, too. We call this chemical evolution.”

While much research has focused on individual chemical reactions that could lead to biological molecules, this study establishes an experimental model to explore how entire chemical systems evolve when exposed to environmental changes.

“Chemical evolution is chemistry that keeps changing and doing new things,” Williams explains. “It’s unending chemical change, but with exploration of new chemical spaces. We wondered if we could set up a system that does that without introducing new molecules ourselves — instead we had the system oscillate between wet and dry conditions.”

In nature, these systems might look like a landscape where water condenses, and then dries out, over and over again — conditions that arise naturally from the day-night cycles of our planet.

From simple molecules to complex systems

The study identified three key findings — chemical systems can continuously evolve without reaching equilibrium, avoid uncontrolled complexity through selective chemical pathways, and exhibit synchronized population dynamics among different molecular species. This suggests that environmental factors played a key role in shaping the molecular complexity needed for life to emerge.

“This research offers a new perspective on how molecular evolution might have unfolded on early Earth,” says Frenkel-Pinter, assistant professor in the Institute of Chemistry at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “By demonstrating that chemical systems can self-organize and evolve in structured ways, we provide experimental evidence that may help bridge the gap between prebiotic chemistry and the emergence of biological molecules.”

Beyond its relevance to origins-of-life research, the study’s findings may have broader applications in synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Controlled chemical evolution could be harnessed to design new molecular systems with specific properties, potentially leading to innovations in materials science, drug development, and biotechnology.

This research is shared jointly with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem newsroom.

Summary sentence

A new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth.

Summary

A new study explores how complex chemical mixtures change under shifting environmental conditions, shedding light on the prebiotic processes that may have led to life on Earth.

Dateline

Tue, 02/25/2025 - 12:00

Contact

Contact: Jess Hunt-Ralston

Keywords

cos-microbial

go-researchnews

News room topics

Earth and Environment

Categories

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Environment

Life Sciences and Biology

Research

Student and Faculty

Mercury ID

680724

Source updated

Tue, 03/04/2025 - 14:02

LA Fires Trigger Temporary Spike in Airborne Lead Levels

admin — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:51:37 +0000

LA Fires Trigger Temporary Spike in Airborne Lead Levels admin Thu, 02/20/2025 - 21:51

As the Los Angeles fires quickly spread starting Jan. 7, with wind gusts approaching 100 mph, scientists observed a 110-fold rise in airborne lead levels. This spike had receded by Jan. 11.

The fires enabled the first real-time data on airborne lead, thanks to a pioneering air quality measurement network known as Atmospheric Science and Chemistry (ASCENT), a nationwide initiative funded by the National Science Foundation, operating in 12 sites across the U.S.

ASCENT measured tiny particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) — small enough to enter the lungs and bloodstream. Unlike typical wildfires that burn natural materials such as grass and trees, the Eaton Canyon and Palisades fires burned through infrastructures like homes, including painted surfaces, pipes, vehicles, plastics, and electronic equipment. This raised concerns about the toxicity of these particles in the air, especially since many of the buildings were constructed before 1978, when lead paint was still commonly used.

Lead is a toxic air contaminant that poses significant health risks, particularly for children, who are more vulnerable to its neurodevelopmental effects. While chronic lead exposure is well-documented, the effects of short-term spikes, like those recorded during these fires, are less understood.

“Our work through ASCENT,” said Sally Ng, Georgia Tech’s Love Family Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and the network’s principal investigator, “has provided us with new insights into the air we breathe, with unprecedented levels of detail and time resolution. Beyond the mass concentration of PM2.5 that is typically measured, we are now able to detect a wide range of chemical components in the aerosols in real time, to better understand and evaluate to what extent one is exposed to harmful pollutants.”

Investigators used several instruments to obtain hourly measurements at the ASCENT monitoring site in Pico Rivera, approximately 14 miles south of the Eaton Canyon fire, to assess atmospheric lead during the wildfires.

“Our findings showcased the importance of having real-time measurements of the chemical species that comprise particulate matter,” said California Institute of Technology Ph.D. candidate in atmospheric chemistry and ASPIRE researcher Haroula Baliaka. “During the LA fires, we provided the public with timely information about what they were breathing and how air quality evolved in the days that followed.”

This research has been published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Summary sentence

The fires enabled the first real-time data on airborne lead, thanks to a pioneering air quality measurement network.

Summary

As the Los Angeles fires quickly spread starting Jan. 7 and wind gusts approached 100 mph, scientists observed a 110-fold rise in airborne lead levels. This spike had receded by Jan. 11.

Dateline

Thu, 02/20/2025 - 12:00

Contact

Angela Barajas Prendiville
Director, Media Relations

Associated importer

News room topics

Earth and Environment

Categories

Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth

Engineering

Environment

Mercury ID

680641

Source updated

Thu, 02/20/2025 - 21:51

College of Sciences Students Earn Walk-on Stamps President’s Scholarships

dgivens8 — Tue, 19 Nov 2024 16:44:41 +0000

College of Sciences Students Earn Walk-on Stamps President’s Scholarships dgivens8 Tue, 11/19/2024 - 11:44

Three College of Sciences students with aspirations of making a difference in medicine were selected as recipients of the prestigious Stamps President’s Scholarship. Though this scholarship is typically given to 40 exceptional incoming first-year students, a select few second- and third-year students are chosen to receive the honor for exemplifying the program’s pillars of scholarship, leadership, progress, and service.

The new Scholars include School of Biological Sciences/School of Modern Languages student Sonali Kaluri, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry student Seth Kinoshita, and School of Biological Sciences student Medina McCowin.

As part of the program, the selected students will receive a full-ride scholarship, special mentoring, and travel opportunities.

About the Scholars

Sonali Kaluri is a third-year student double majoring in biology and applied languages and intercultural studies (with a concentration in Spanish). Deeply passionate about women's health, she has researched clinical considerations of treating liver disease in pregnant women and the impact of a virtual lactation program on maternal and infant health outcomes at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. In her spare time, she volunteers at the Winship Cancer Institute and the March of Dimes and is a member of the Yellow Jacket Fencing Club.

“I hope to attend medical school and pursue a career in academic medicine after graduation from Georgia Tech,” says Kaluri. “My research experience has made me acutely aware of the gaps in medical knowledge regarding the different ways disease processes affect women, and I hope to become an advocate for change through research and clinical practice!”

Seth Kinoshita is a third-year biochemistry major with a minor in health and medical sciences. As an undergraduate research assistant with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, he focuses on a novel drug delivery structure that can be surgically inserted to decrease recovery time and minimize invasiveness for tendon injuries. His work has been published in several academic journals. He serves as an undergraduate research ambassador and a pre-health mentor — and spends his free time with Sympathetic Vibrations, Georgia Tech's male a cappella group. Kinoshita also works as the medical coordinator for Aurora Day Camp, a camp for children with cancer and their siblings.

"After graduation, I want to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. in regenerative orthopedic medicine to bridge my tendon repair research with direct implementation into patients,” says Kinoshita. “I aim to develop innovative treatments that can restore mobility in the extremities and improve the quality of life for patients with musculoskeletal disorders."

Medina McCowin is a third-year biology major researching cancer treatment methods in the Sulchek BioMEMS and Biomechanics Lab. She also worked for Lachance Laboratories as an undergraduate researcher, investigating cancer genetics. Active on campus, she is the biology representative for the Georgia Tech Undergraduate House of Representatives and president of the Georgia Tech Public Health Student Association. McCowin has also held several leadership roles with the Georgia Tech American Medical Student Association.

“In the future, I hope to pursue an M.D./Ph.D. and become a pediatric oncologist and cancer treatment researcher, focusing on improving pediatric cancer treatments,” says McCowin. “Working in the healthcare field and experiencing personal loss has taught me that empathy and compassion are the most important factors in becoming a doctor. As a doctor, I want to contribute to the advancements of pediatric medicine, but also be dedicated to improving the emotional and mental well-being of my patients and their families.”

Subtitle

Summary sentence

Sonali Kaluri, Seth Kinoshita, and Medina McCowin have been selected as walk-on recipients of the prestigious Stamps President's Scholarship, recognizing their exceptional academic accomplishments, leadership, and dedication to service.

Summary

Sonali Kaluri, Seth Kinoshita, and Medina McCowin have been selected as walk-on recipients of the prestigious Stamps President's Scholarship. Chosen for their academic achievements, leadership, and commitment to service, they will receive full scholarships, mentoring, and unique growth opportunities.

Dateline

Tue, 11/19/2024 - 12:00

laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu

Contact

Writer: Laura S. Smith
College of Sciences

laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu

Keywords

student honors

cos-students

go-bio

College of Sciences

Categories

Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Life Sciences and Biology

Student Honors and Achievements

Student Research

Mercury ID

678523

Source updated

Tue, 11/19/2024 - 11:42

Georgia Tech Chemistry Students Place Second in Competitive VIP Poster Contest

dgivens8 — Wed, 14 Aug 2024 14:38:41 +0000

Georgia Tech Chemistry Students Place Second in Competitive VIP Poster Contest dgivens8 Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:38

Students from the College of Sciences competed in the statewide Vertical Integrated Project (VIP) Innovation competition, hosted by the VIP Consortium this spring. The team, made up of two undergraduate students, Diya Godavarti and Waynell Simbafo, and one chemistry graduate student who served as a mentor, John Pederson, placed second overall in the poster category. Their poster on modeling chemical exposure in the workplace focused on socioeconomic disparities in potentially toxic environments.

“Placing second speaks volumes for Georgia Tech and the capabilities and abilities of these students,” says Pamela Pollet, faculty with the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Pollet served as the team’s faculty advisor along with Jenny Houlroyd, manager of Occupational Health Services at Georgia Tech.

Each year, the VIP poster competition challenges undergraduate students from throughout Georgia to use their different majors, mindsets, and abilities to solve a real, universal problem. The goal is to give students experience in a field of study and in working together to solve a seemingly complex problem. Georgia Tech’s team, which was pre-selected by faculty and jury members, was one of approximately 70 teams eligible to participate at the statewide competition held in March.

Pollet says the student’s poster, which combined chemistry, chemical safety, and social justice, was born from their interest in examining chemical exposure dangers for those who are not equipped to recognize such hazards.

“There is some social injustice in this context because the people who are most exposed to chemical dangers are often the people who don’t have the education to recognize the hazards and often are the most socioeconomically vulnerable,” Pollet explains.

Godavarti, a second-year student in the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, says the team was proud of the bigger goal of the project — and its alignment with Georgia Tech’s mission. “We wanted to bring awareness about the impact of chemical exposure and what can be done to prevent dangerous levels of exposure. It was interesting to think about this from a business perspective in the idea of how we can apply these models to help people.”

The VIP chemical equity initiative received a Center for Teaching and Learning Undergraduate Sustainability Education Innovation Grant to continue the research this upcoming academic year, and will welcome both new and returning students.

Subtitle

Summary sentence

A Georgia Tech team placed second in the statewide Vertical Integrated Project Innovation competition for a poster modeling chemical exposure and socioeconomic disparities.

Summary

A Georgia Tech team placed second in the statewide Vertical Integrated Project Innovation competition for a poster modeling chemical exposure and socioeconomic disparities.

Dateline

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 12:00

acook304@gatech.edu

Contact

Writer: Amanda Cook
Communications Specialist II
College of Sciences

Keywords

College of Sciences

Georgia Tech Vertically Integrated Projects

3D chemical mapping

computer modeling

cos-community

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Categories

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Education

Institute and Campus

Research

Student and Faculty

Student Competition WInners (academic, innovation, and research)

Student Research

Mercury ID

675799

Source updated

Wed, 08/14/2024 - 10:36

Isabel Berry Earns Prestigious Department of Energy Fellowship

dgivens8 — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 17:07:41 +0000

Isabel Berry Earns Prestigious Department of Energy Fellowship dgivens8 Thu, 07/18/2024 - 13:07

Chemistry Ph.D. student Isabel Berry has been named a U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellow (DOE CSGF).

The program trains emerging leaders in computational science, providing opportunities and funding to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems.

“I am honored to receive this fellowship,” says Berry. “In addition to the support for my Georgia Tech studies, I’m especially excited to participate in the three-month practicum where I’ll collaborate with leading DOE scientists.”

According to the DOE, the practicum takes place at one of 21 DOE laboratories or sites across the country, offering the fellows insights into how their scientific interests can translate to research areas important to the nation.

At Georgia Tech, Berry is a graduate research assistant for the Sherrill Group, spearheading research on using quantum mechanics and high-performance computing to understand how drug molecules bind to proteins.

“Computational chemists are always trying to balance speed and accuracy. My current research focuses on accuracy–modeling proteins with thousands of atoms to understand why some drugs work better than others,” explains Berry. “One of the practicum benefits will be access to the DOE’s supercomputers. I’m looking forward to learning how these incredible computers can help us further implement data-driven approaches to screen potential drug candidates (small molecules) even more rapidly.”

The fellowship is renewable for up to four years. As of September 1, 2024, the DOE CSGF will have onboarded more than 675 students across 34 cohorts representing 84 Ph.D. institutions. There are a record 40 incoming fellows for 2024-2025, with Berry the sole recipient from Georgia Tech.

"Izzy is an amazing student. She came to Georgia Tech with a B.S. in Chemistry and minors in computer science, applied math, and physics—as well as research experience in computational biophysics,” says David Sherrill, Regents’ Professor in the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the School of Computational Science and Engineering who oversees Berry’s work. “She is exactly the kind of interdisciplinary student the DOE wants to recognize with their Computational Science Graduate Fellowship. I'm thrilled she's received this prestigious recognition."

Summary sentence

Berry, a Chemistry Ph.D. student, is one of 40 students in the U.S. to receive the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship awarded to emerging leaders in computational science.

Summary

Berry, a Chemistry Ph.D. student, is one of 40 students in the U.S. to receive the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship awarded to emerging leaders in computational science. She is the sole student from Georgia Tech to earn the distinction this year.

Dateline

Wed, 07/17/2024 - 12:00

laura.smith@cos.gatech.edu

Contact

Laura S. Smith
Communications Officer II
College of Sciences

Associated importer

Keywords

computational science

computational chemistry

super computer

College of Sciences

School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

cos-students

Categories

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Education

Research

Student Honors and Achievements

Student Research

Mercury ID

675499

Source updated

Thu, 07/18/2024 - 13:06

Cellular Study Uncovers 'Whole-Body' Impacts of Endurance Exercise

admin — Thu, 02 May 2024 20:45:41 +0000

Cellular Study Uncovers 'Whole-Body' Impacts of Endurance Exercise admin Thu, 05/02/2024 - 16:45

In a group of papers released May 1 in the journal Nature, scientists are one step closer to a whole-body map of the body’s cellular responses to endurance exercise — identifying striking “all tissue effects” of training, even in tissues from organs not normally associated with movement.

The findings are the latest product of the Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity Consortium (MoTrPAC), a ten-year effort launched in 2016 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to uncover how exercise improves and maintains our health at the molecular level.

Georgia Institute of Technology bioanalytical chemist Facundo Fernández and Emory University biochemist Eric Ortlund lead one of the Consortium’s Chemical Analysis Sites, joining researchers across the country to collect and translate data from animals and more than 2,000 volunteers into comprehensive maps of the cellular changes throughout the body in response to exercise.

The $226 million MoTrPAC NIH Common Fund investment also hopes to help people with chronic illnesses identify specific physical activities to improve individual health, and to potentially unearth therapeutic targets — medicines that might mimic the positive effects of exercise.

MoTrPAC’s latest group of papers details data from studies in rats, uncovering how endurance exercise affects biological molecules and “all tissues of the body,” as well as tissues and gene expression, along with striking tissue differences between male and female organisms.

Read more:

Facundo M. Fernandez, is Regents’ Professor and Vasser Woolley Foundation Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry at Georgia Tech. He also serves as associate editor of the Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry (JASMS).

Eric Ortlund is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry at Emory University and a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.

Study co-authors from Georgia Tech also include David A. Gaul (School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, along with Samuel G. Moore (Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences). Emory University co-authors also include Tiantian Zhang and Zhenxin Hou (Department of Biochemistry).

Funding: The MoTrPAC Study is supported by multiple NIH grants and institutes, as well as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, and NORC at the University of Chicago.

NIH grants include: U24OD026629 (Bioinformatics Center), U24DK112349, U24DK112342, U24DK112340, U24DK112341, U24DK112326, U24DK112331, U24DK112348 (Chemical Analysis Sites), U01AR071133, U01AR071130, U01AR071124, U01AR071128, U01AR071150, U01AR071160, U01AR071158 (Clinical Centers), U24AR071113 (Consortium Coordinating Center), U01AG055133, U01AG055137 and U01AG055135 (PASS/Animal Sites); as well as NHGRI Institutional Training Grant in Genome Science 5T32HG000044; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institute of Health F32 postdoctoral fellowship award F32HL154711; National Institute on Aging P30AG044271 and P30AG003319.

Subtitle

MoTrPAC scientists are creating a whole-body map of molecular responses to endurance training — finding striking “all tissue effects” in a new set of studies

Summary sentence

Exercise is good for you. To understand why, MoTrPAC scientists are creating a whole-body map of molecular responses to endurance training — finding striking “all tissue effects” in a new set of studies, featured on the May cover of the journal Nature.

Summary

Dateline

Thu, 05/02/2024 - 12:00

jess@cos.gatech.edu

Contact

Press Contacts:

Jess Hunt-Ralston
Director of Communications
College of Sciences
Georgia Tech

Anthony (Tony) Van Witsen
Health Sciences Writer
Woodruff Health Sciences Center
Emory University

Andréa Harris, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., S.C.P.M.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Office of Strategic Coordination – The Common Fund
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Office of the Director, NIH

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cos-research

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Health and Medicine

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Biotechnology, Health, Bioengineering, Genetics

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Life Sciences and Biology

Mercury ID

674494

Source updated

Thu, 05/02/2024 - 16:44

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

These ‘Exploding’ Capsules Could Deliver Insulin Without a Needle

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Georgia Tech Researchers Make an Elemental Discovery

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From Poetry to Polymers: How the Pursuit of a Creative Path Led to Electrochromic Materials

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CoS Graduate Researchers Earn Travel Grants

Isabel Berry, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Gretchen Johnson, School of Biological Sciences

Shreya Kothari, School of Biological Sciences

Monica Monge, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Sidney Scott-Sharoni, School of Psychology

Maggie Straight, School of Biological Sciences

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How Earth's Early Cycles Shaped the Chemistry of Life

From simple molecules to complex systems

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LA Fires Trigger Temporary Spike in Airborne Lead Levels

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College of Sciences Students Earn Walk-on Stamps President’s Scholarships

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Georgia Tech Chemistry Students Place Second in Competitive VIP Poster Contest

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Isabel Berry Earns Prestigious Department of Energy Fellowship

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Cellular Study Uncovers 'Whole-Body' Impacts of Endurance Exercise

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