Digital Commons Network^™

Challenges Associated With Pfas Detection Method In Africa, Abdullahi Tunde Aborode, Ridwan Olamilekan Adesola, Ibrahim Idris, Waheed Sakariyau Adio, Segun Olapade, Gladys Oluwafisayo, Israel Ayobami Onifade, Sodiq Fakorede, Taiwo Bakare-Abidola, Jelil Olaoye, Adedeji Daniel Ogunyemi, Oluwaseun Adeolu Ogundijo, Olamilekan Gabriel Banwo, Adetolase Azizat Bakre, Peter Oladoye, Grace Adegoye, Noimat Abeni Jinadu

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of man-made chemicals that are widely present in many industries. Monitoring and analyzing PFAS in Africa is challenging due to the limited availability of mass spectrometry (MS), which is an essential technique for detecting PFAS. This review assesses the scope and impact of the shortage of mass spectrometry instruments in Africa, emphasizing the resulting limitations in monitoring environmental and public health threats. The review analyzes the existing PFAS monitoring, the accessibility of MS instruments, and the technical capabilities within the continent. This study suggests that fewer African countries have sufficient MS instruments, …

Nucleotide-Derived Bacterial Alarmones Attenuate The Induction Of Type-I Interferon Responses In A Murine Macrophage Reporter Cell Line, Ryan P. Kilduff, Erin B. Purcell, Lisa M. Shollenberger

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The stringent response is a well-studied phenomenon in many bacterial systems and regulates resource-consuming activities such as transcription, translation, and replication. The stringent response is a well-conserved signaling framework, as are the nucleotide-derived signaling mediators, collectively referred to as (p)ppGpp or as alarmones. There is a wealth of research evaluating nucleotide-derived alarmone signaling in bacterial models, however, their potential to modulate innate immune signaling has not yet been evaluated. Several common pathogen-synthesized molecules, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and cyclic-di-AMP (c-di-AMP), act as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), which are common patterns that alert the innate immune system of bacterial infection. The …

Synthesis And Luminescence Studies Of Europium Doped Zinc Lead Germanate Phosphors, Anika Nawar Chowdhury

Dissertations and Theses

Phosphors are luminescent materials that emit light upon excitation, which have significant uses in optoelectronics, bioimaging, sensors, security, and other fields. Inorganic luminescent materials are well known for their stability and broad applications. Among these, germanate based phosphors have recently caught attention because of their inertness, excellent chemical and thermal stability, structural flexibility, and unique properties. For optimizing the properties of the materials, impurities are added to the host intentionally, which are known as dopants. Rare earth elements are often applied as dopants because of their unique f-f transitions. Eu3+ is one of the broadly studied rare-earth dopants among these, …

Demystifying Misconceptions In Introductory Undergraduate Chemistry Education With 3d Printed Molecular Orbitals, Hiwot Endeshaw, Daniel J. O'Leary

Pomona Senior Theses

Spatial abilities are invaluable skills for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, women, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic minorities are more likely to have less developed spatial abilities, which is one of the many contributing factors for the lack of diversity in STEM subjects like chemistry. Teaching spatial skills to undergraduate chemistry students may address this issue and help increase the diversity of students who go on to continue their education in the subject. 3D printing technology in higher education has exploded in recent years, presenting a unique opportunity to teach “hard to grasp” concepts …

Modified N-Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts For Polyurethane Synthesis, Charise D. Young

Pomona Senior Theses

Polyurethanes are widely used polymers synthesized from diisocyanate and diol molecules. They are ubiquitous polymeric materials with important industrial applications. Their increasing market value prompts the need for selective and efficient production which can be achieved through N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. N-heterocyclic carbenes are heterocyclic molecules containing a carbene atom and at least one nitrogen adjacent to the carbene center. The nitrogen substituents on the adjacent nitrogen play an important role in influencing their steric and electronic properties and resultant reactivity.^1,2 There is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the steric and electronic properties of NHCs and how …

Optimizing And Scaling Up Tcfh–Nmi Pyrrole Acylation For Organic Syntheses, Grant H. Miller

Pomona Senior Theses

Traditional ketone synthesis often depends on toxic reagents and hazardous solvents, which limits its scalability and environmental compatibility. The TCFH–NMI method has shown strong potential for amide, ester, and thioester formation, but its use in ketone synthesis has only been recently described, and only on small scales. This thesis addresses that gap by optimizing a scalable synthesis of 2-(monomethyl succinyl)-3,5-dimethylpyrrole using monomethyl succinate and 2,4-dimethylpyrrole as model substrates. Key reaction parameters were systematically refined to improve yield, reproducibility, and sustainability. The final protocol avoids chromatography, operates at room temperature, and consistently delivers high yields. These features position it as a …

Rwanda's Natural Remedies: A Fresh Look At The Fight Against Malaria, Leandre Nsabimana Ndisanze

Pomona Senior Theses

Malaria remains one of the most devastating parasitic diseases globally, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan Africa, where Rwanda continues to face high transmission rates and rising resistance to conventional interventions. Despite decades of control efforts, the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and insecticide-resistant Anopheles mosquitoes threatens to reverse recent gains. This research responds to the urgent need for sustainable and culturally relevant alternatives by exploring the therapeutic potential of Rwandan traditional medicinal plants. These indigenous remedies, long used by local healers, offer an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds that may provide the basis for novel antimalarial drugs.

The central hypothesis of this …

Moderate Heating Renders 7.8-Million-Year-Old Sedimentary Organic Matter Bioavailable, Shuchai Gan, Verena B. Heuer, Frauke Schmidt, Lars Wormer, Faming Wang, Rishi R. Adhikari, Patrick Hatcher, Ann Pearson, Kai-Uwe Hinrichs

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Marine sediments are a large reservoir of recalcitrant organic matter and host microbes at subsurface depths exceeding 2.4 kilometers and temperatures up to 120°C, yet the mechanisms supplying bioavailable substrates remain unclear. Here, we investigated 7.8-million-year-old sediment from IODP Site C0012 off the Nankai Trough, Japan, through incubations at 20°, 35°, 55°, and 85°C to simulate burial temperatures. Using 3D fluorescence spectroscopy and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry, we tracked changes in dissolved organic matter (DOM). At 35°C, humic-like DOM was released alongside metal ions, exhibiting low bioavailability. At 55°C, abiotic decomposition of humic compounds generated smaller, more bioavailable DOM, promoting fermentation. …

Amorphous Quininium Aspirinate From Neat Mechanochemistry: Diffracting Nanocrystalline Domains And Quick Recrystallization Upon Exposure To Solvent Vapours, Silvina Pagola, James Howard, Johannes Merkelbach, Danny Stam

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Quininium aspirinate is mechanochemically prepared as a crystalline solid by liquid-assisted grinding, or as an amorphous phase (as determined by X-ray powder diffraction), by neat grinding or neat ball milling. Our previous work demonstrated using FT-IR spectroscopy that a mechanochemical reaction had occurred in the mechanically treated neat mixtures. Herein is reported that microcrystal electron diffraction (microED) afforded the discovery of two diffracting micron-size particles in the amorphous powder synthesized by manual grinding, among a majority of non-diffracting particles. Remarkably, microED data of one of them led to the known lattice parameters of quininium aspirinate. Furthermore, this so-called 'X-ray amorphous' …

Calculation Of Proton Transmembrane-Electrostatic Interaction Force And Elucidation Of The Water Droplet Experiment With A Transient Protonic Front, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The “transmembrane-electrostatically localized proton(s)/cation(s) charge(s) (TELC(s), also known as TELP(s)) model” may serve as a theoretical framework to explain protonic cell energetics including both delocalized and localized protonic couplings. TELCs are held by their corresponding transmembrane-electrostatically localized hydroxides anions (TELAs) across the membrane through mutual transmembrane-electrostatic attractive force, which is now calculated to be in the range from 1.96 × 10⁻¹¹ to 2.28 × 10⁻¹¹ newtons (N) across a 2.5 nm thick membrane in a range of transmembrane potential from 10 to 200 mV. At a moderate transmembrane potential (100 mV), the protonic transmembrane attractive force is now calculated to …

A Comparison Of Microcrystal Electron Diffraction And X-Ray Powder Diffraction For The Structural Analysis Of Metal-Organic Frameworks, Erik Biehler, Silvana Pagola, Daniel Stam, Johannes Merkelbach, Christian Jandl, Tarek M. Abdel-Fattah

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

This study successfully implemented microcrystal electron diffraction (microED) and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) for the crystal structure determination of a new phase, TAF-CNU-1, Ni(C₈H₄O₄)·3H₂O, solved by microED from single microcrystals in the powder and refined at the kinematic and dynamic electron diffraction theory levels. This nickel metal–organic framework (MOF), together with its cobalt and manganese analogues with formula M (C₈H₄O₄)·2H₂O with M = Mn ^II or Co^II, were synthesized in aqueous media as one-pot preparations from the corresponding hydrated metal chlorides and sodium terephthalate, as a promising `green' synthetic route to moisture-stable MOFs. The crystal structures of the …

Extended Inter-Laboratory Characterization Of The New Coastal Seawater Dissolved Organic Matter Reference Material Trm-0522, Alexander J. Craig, Lydia Babcock-Adams, Maxime C. Bridoux, Charlotte Brun, Juliana D'Andrilli, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Patrick G. Hatcher, Oliver Lechtenfeld, Hang Li, Rebecca Matos, Garrett Mckay, Amy M. Mckenna, Madelyn Miller, Sasha Wagner, Margot E. White, Alexander Zherebker, Jeffrey A. Hawkes

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) reference materials are critical to ensuring reliable comparability of measurements across experiments and between labs. TRM-0522, isolated in 2022 from 45 m deep seawater off of Sweden’s west coast, fills the niche of a previously unavailable coastal marine DOM reference material. After its isolation, we detailed a limited number of metrics for TRM-0522, initially disclosing Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, carbon proportion, absorbance, and fluorescence data. With TRM-0522 becoming more widely used, a variety of labs have generated different metrics that help to characterize and define the chemical properties of this coastal reference material. …

Co₂ Isotopologues From The Ace Satellite, D. English, P. Bernath, C. Boone

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Carbon dioxide isotopologues have been studied thoroughly in the troposphere. In the stratosphere, the minor oxygen CO₂ isotopologues have anomalous abundances due to their exchange reactions with isotopically fractionated ozone, differentiating them from tropospheric CO₂. Previously a model predicted that this anomalous isotopic abundance continues into the mesosphere but lacked verification from experimental observations. Here we use the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer which records infrared transmittance spectra of the Earth's limb from low Earth orbit using solar occultation. These infrared spectra provide measurements of global CO₂ isotopologue volume mixing ratios (VMRs) from the upper troposphere to the lower …

Analysis Of Aerosols In The Asian Monsoon Anticyclone As Observed By The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment, M. Lecours, R. Dodangodage, C. D. Boone, P. F. Bernath

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

During the Asian summer monsoon season, pollutants from the lower troposphere are transported through deep convection to the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. Surface pollutants such as CO are transported upward and trapped in the anticyclone during this unique atmospheric phenomenon. Associated with the anticyclone is a layer of enhanced aerosols located near the tropopause often referred to as the Asian tropopause aerosol layer (ATAL). The chemical and physical properties of aerosols in the ATAL are not yet fully understood as direct observations of the aerosols are limited. The Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) is a satellite mission that provides high-resolution …

From Biophysics To Cellular Function: Neural Telcs-Membrane-Anions Capacitor Transmembrane Potential, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Based on the transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons/cations charges (TELCs) theory, neural transmembrane potential including both resting and action potential is now well elucidated as the voltage contributed by the TELCs-membrane-anions capacitor biophysics in a neuron. Accordingly, neural transmembrane potential has an inverse relationship with TELCs surface density, which may represent a substantial progress in bettering the fundamental understanding of neuroscience. In this article, I will present a review on the latest development of the TELCs neural transmembrane potential theory and address Silverstein’s interesting arguments regarding the TELCs model that may constitute a complementary development to both the Hodgkin-Huxley classic cable theory …

Metathesis Or Isomerization: Counteranion Directed Reactivity Of Grubbs I, Paul D. Miller, Joe B. Calkins, Craig A. Bayse, Trandon A. Bender

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Catalytic isomerization of alkenes has garnered interest for many years, but there are remaining challenges when it comes to thermodynamic selectivity and uncontrolled isomerization. Nonbiased substrates, be it sterically or thermodynamically, remain challenging for many catalysts, with a few examples available in the more modern literature. Herein, we present the controlled isomerization of linear alkenes with a cocatalytic mixture of commercially available catalyst and reagents: Grubbs I, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane, and triethylsilane. DFT calculations indicate that an observed alkylidyne hydride intermediate is in rapid equilibrium with an alkylidene that binds the alkene substrate. This combination results in a pi-acidic metal and a …

Stack Bonding In Pentacene And Its Derivatives, Craig A. Bayse

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Understanding the nature of π-stacking interactions is important to molecular recognition, self-assembly, and organic semiconductors. The stack bonding order (SBO) model of π-stacking has shown that the conformations of dimers occur when the combinations of monomer MOs are overall stack bonding in character. DFT calculations show that minima found on the potential energy surface for the π-stacked dimers of pentacene and perfluoropentacene occur when the dimer MOs are constructed from combinations of monomer MOs with an allowed SBO. An ex-amination of the MOs of π-stacked dimers extracted from X-ray structures of alkynyl derivatives like TIPS-pentacene pack at one or more …

Molecular Characterization Of Humic And Fulvic Acids On Watterlogged And Well-Drained Amazonian Podzols, Amanda M. Tadini, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Stéphane Mounier, Débora M.B.P. Milori, Célia R. Montes, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The Amazon rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world. Amazonian Podzol soils, characteristic of this region, are known to store substantial amounts of organic carbon in both their surface and deep horizons. Despite decades of research, the molecular-level composition of these soils remains uncharacterized. This study addresses this knowledge gap by employing ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry, namely, Fourier transform–ion cyclotron resonance–mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), to determine the molecular composition of humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) fractions from two Amazonian Podzol profiles of varying levels of groundwater exposure (waterlogged vs well-drained). In the waterlogged soil compounds containing nitrogen, …

Protonic Capacitor Cell Energetics: Transmembrane-Electrostatically Localized Protons/Cations, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons/cations charges (TELPs/TELCs) theory can serve as a theoretical framework to better explain cell electrophysiology and elucidate bioenergetic systems including both delocalized and localized protonic coupling. According to the TELCs model, the excess positive charges of TELCs at one side of the membrane are balanced by the excess negative charges of transmembrane-electrostatically localized hydroxides anions (TELAs) at the other side of the membrane. Through the TELCs-membrane-TELAs capacitor model, the energetics of oxidative phosphorylation have recently been better elucidated in mitochondria and alkalophilic bacteria, leading to the identification of a novel Type-B energetic process. Both the TELCs model …

Deciphering The Chemistry Of Condensed Aromatic "Black" Carbon And Nitrogen In Amazonian Anthrosols, João Vitor Dos Santos, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Laís G. Fregolente, Marcia C. Bisinoti, Zhenhuan Sun, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Amazonian anthrosols are renowned for their high fertility and dark color, properties primarily attributed to the abundance of condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) in the soil organic matter. ConAC, commonly referred to as black carbon, play a key role in the stability and nutrient retention of these soils. However, the processes governing the formation of ConAC and its transformation into oxygenated derivatives remain poorly understood. In this study, we used multiple analytical platforms to investigate the chemistry of ConAC-rich humic acids (HA) extracted from Terra Mulata de Indio, a type of Amazonian anthrosol. The results reveal that ConAC are predominantly …

Formation Of Pyramidal Palladium Enhanced By B(C₆F₅)₃ Additive Enabling Selective Alkene Monoisomerization, Paul D. Miller, Trandon A. Bender

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The addition of a strong Lewis acid, tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane, facilitates the reduction of Pd(cod)Cl₂ with Et₃SiH to form palladium nanoparticles in organic solvents. It was found that these palladium nanoparticles are capable of selective monoisomerization of linear alkenes. This heterogeneous palladium catalyst is tolerant of a wide variety of functional groups, confirmed by substrate and robustness screenings. It is also possible to utilize poly(methylhydro)siloxane, an industrial waste byproduct, as the reductant to enable similar isomerization chemistry.

Experimental Demonstration And Study Of Transmembrane-Electrostatically Localized Protons Prevail, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

In this review in relation to some interesting arguments from Silverstein, it is now reaffirmed that the experimental demonstration of transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons (TELPs) was successfully accomplished through 1) using an aluminum film as a TELPs sensor in a biomimetic anode water-membrane-water cathode system, 2) analyzing the water-electrolysis current curve, and 3) measuring bulk liquid phase pH. Formation of induced TELPs was subsequently discovered in an anode water-membrane-water-membrane-water cathode system. The discovery of induced TELPs enabled clean experimental tests on the cation-TELPs exchange process by using sodium bicarbonate or potassium bicarbonate solution in the central liquid chamber. The sodium/TELPs exchange …

Application Of Telc Model To Better Elucidate Neural Stimulation By Touch, James Weifu Lee

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Aim: This study is to better understand how the transient ion transport activity of touch receptors could change the graded potential to stimulate an action potential firing.

Methods: The latest transmembrane-electrostatically localized protons/cations charges (TELC) theory is employed for numerical analysis to calculate the neural touch signal transduction responding time required to fire an action potential spike.

Results: A neural action potential spike was constructed successfully using newly developed time-dependent TELC-based neural transmembrane potential integral equations (Equations 5, 6, and 7). The results explicated that the TELC curve has an inverse relationship with neural transmembrane potential since its curve appears …

The B³Π–A³Δ And B³Π–X¹Σ+ Band Systems Of Zro, Manish Bhusal, Peter F. Bernath, Jacques Liévin, Léo Lavy

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The zirconium oxide (ZrO) b³Π–a³Δ system is a prominent source of opacity in the atmospheres of S-type stars in the near-infrared region. The emission spectra of ZrO, obtained at the National Solar Observatory located at Kitt Peak in Arizona, have been utilized to analyze this band system. A reanalysis of the 0–0 vibrational band of the b³Π–a³Δ transition has been carried out. For the first time, the vibrational bands with 1 ⩽ v ′ ⩽ 3 and v″ ≤ 4 for the same electronic transition have been rotationally analyzed using PGOPHER. Additionally, the 0–0 and 1–1 bands of the spin-forbidden …

Identification Of Π-Stacking Motifs In Naphthalene Diimides Via Solid-State Nmr, Jennifer E. Mejia, Hannah E. Butler-Au, Nalaya E. Thompson, Karcher D. Goodman, Elizabeth R. Zengel, Robert D. Pike, Jingdong Mao, Craig A. Bayse

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Organic electronics, featuring π-conjugated small molecules and polymers, have gained significant attention for their potential in flexible, lightweight devices. However, characterization of the ordered, π-stacking domains within these materials using microscopy or X-ray diffraction (XRD) is challenging with complex systems or when crystallography is impractical. This study applied 1D ¹³C multiple cross-polarization magic angle spinning (multiCP/MAS) and 2D ¹H-¹³C heteronuclear correlation (HetCor) solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) to systematically characterize π-stacking motifs in a series of N,N'-dialkyl naphthalene diimides (NDIs). These techniques were shown to distinguish between the electronic environments attributed to different π-stacking motifs adopted in these NDIs, such …

Oxidation Camouflages Terrestrial Organic Matter To Appear Marine-Like, Aleksandar I. Goranov, Susan J. Carter, Ann Pearson, Patrick G. Hatcher

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

The export of terrestrial organic matter (TOM) to the ocean has been traditionally viewed to be minimal or only of significance in near-coastal continental margins. The broadly accepted explanation for the widespread loss of terrestrial lignin biomarkers and apparent disappearance of the <-25‰ stable carbon isotopic signature (δ¹³C) of TOM is that TOM is almost fully degraded before reaching the open ocean. Oceanic carbon (δ¹³C value ≥ -22‰) is therefore thought to be derived primarily from algae. However, an alternative explanation for the different molecular and δ¹³C signatures in terrestrial and marine environments may be that oxidative processing transforms TOM to appear marine-like. To test this hypothesis, we subjected eight TOM samples to a strong oxidation gradient. At carbon losses typical of TOM degradation during transport and sedimentation (above 60%), the differentiators of provenance disappeared, leaving a residue that was marine-like both chemically (aliphatic- and nitrogen-rich) and isotopically (δ¹³C enrichment of 4 to 9‰). This challenges the validity of conventional two-endmember mixing models, suggesting that a much larger fraction than previously estimated of the organic matter found in the ocean may originate from terrestrial sources, impacting global models of carbon cycling and sequestration.

Amphiphilic Tripodal Metalloligands: Synthesis, Coordination Chemistry And Preliminary Catalysis, Austin W. Medley, Paul D. Miller, Craig A. Bayse, Robert D. Pike, Trandon A. Bender

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

Triscatecholate binding has been widely studied in the context of biological systems, supramolecular chemistry, and weak aggregate interactions. However, the utilization of the triscatecholate binding motif for the preparation of metalloligands remains unexplored. Herein, we report the synthesis, structural characterization, and functional studies of a triscatecholate ligand with an appended pyridyl residue as a candidate for such applications. Our findings reveal that the selective formation of cis-triscatecholate-based metalloligands is influenced by electronic effects on the catecholate anions, enabling the targeted synthesis of Al(III), Ga(III), and In(III) triscatecholate metalloligands capable of binding Zn(II) and Ru(II) at the appended pyridyl moiety for …

Twenty Years Of Global Stratospheric Fluorine Inventories From Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (Ace-Fts) Measurements, N. Raymond, P. Bernath, C. Boone, M. Chipperfield

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Publications

We present fluorine inventories calculated for twenty years (2004–2023) and five latitude bands (82°–60°N, 60°–30°N, 30°N–30°S, 30°–60°S, and 60°–82°S) at altitudes from the surface up to 55 km. The inventories were calculated using the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE‐FTS) version 5.2 retrievals of the volume mixing ratios (VMRs) of 15 fluorine‐containing species. Of these 15 species, 3 are product gases: HF, COF₂, COCIF, and 12 are source gases: SF₆, PFC-14 (CF₄), CFC-11 (CCl₃F), CFC-12 (CCl₂F₂), CFC-113 (CCIF₂CCl₂F), HCFC-22 (CHF₂CL), HCFC-141b(C₂H₃Cl₂F), HCFC-142b ( …

The Road Less Traveled: A Pathway Leading To Research At A Primarily Undergraduate Institution, Timothy D. Lash

Faculty Publications – Chemistry

Scholarly activities in primarily undergraduate institutions involve very different challenges from those in major research universities. In this essay, the author discusses how he initiated a research program involving undergraduates at Illinois State University following a number of missteps and false starts. Although undergraduate researchers have much to learn, and the levels of commitment vary considerably, they can nevertheless often make important contributions.

Purification Of Recombinant His6-Gfp-Preptin Fusion Protiens, Apoorva Kollaram

Theses and Dissertations

Preptin, a 34-amino-acid peptide derived from proinsulin-like growth factor II, has emerged as a promising therapeutic candidate for both Type 2 diabetes mellitus and osteoporosis. Its dual functionality—stimulating insulin secretion without inducing hypoglycemia and promoting osteoblast proliferation—positions it as a unique alternative to traditional sulfonylureas and osteogenic agents. In this study, we developed a purification protocol for green fluorescent-preptin fusion proteins. These fusion proteins will be used to investigate the functional significance of residues Pro17, Val18, Gly19, Trp27, Lys28, and Gln29 in rat preptin, which shares high sequence similarity with the human form. Site-directed mutagenesis was performed using NEB Q5 …