FALL 2015

CHEMICAL & BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

BREAKTHROUGH
COLLABORATIONS
IN HEALTH,
ENERGY AND
THE ENVIRONMENT

Multidisciplinary research creates

lasting impact for science, business
and people’s lives.
 A YEAR OF GROWTH AND
BREAKTHROUGH COLLABORATIONS
Dear friends,

On behalf of the students and faculty at UB Chemical The enrollment and qualifications of our graduate and
and Biological Engineering, it is a great pleasure to share undergraduate students increased significantly this past year,
our news and accomplishments through the 2015 Catalyst. as did our students’ accomplishments! Two of our students,
There have been many exciting developments this year, Stephanie Kong and Sharon Lin, made us particularly proud
placing UB CBE in a position to play a leadership role in when they received the highly competitive Barry Goldwater
advancing our discipline by addressing big challenges Scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 in honor
in health, energy, and the environment in the years ahead. of Senator Barry Goldwater. It is a point of pride for us that
five CBE undergraduate students have won this prestigious
As you will see, we have added three more outstanding
award in the past three years.
new faculty members to our ranks. They are Professors Goyal
and Dupuis (two very accomplished senior investigators), Among many of the accolades that our alumni received this
and Professor Parashurama (a very talented junior faculty). year, we are proud of the accomplishments of our distinguished
Collectively, their research addresses important problems alumnus Dr. Ashutosh Sharma. On January 9, 2015, Dr. Sharma
in the emerging areas of materials informatics, nanomaterials became the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology,
for health, energy and the environment, and stem cell Government of India. You can read more about Ashu and other
bioengineering. In total, we have added six new faculty distinguished alumni in this newsletter, and participate by going
members since 2013, a 30% increase in our faculty size in online at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/alumni.
only two years. This remarkable growth will continue
Thank you for your continued support and financial
as we look to add strength in areas that complement broad
contributions. I hope to see you on campus soon at one
university initiatives, all of which are led by CBE faculty.
of our future events.
As you read the pages in this newsletter you will first notice the
leadership efforts undertaken by CBE in addressing complex
Please stay in touch,
scientific, technological and societal challenges through broad
collaborative initiatives. Here at the University at Buffalo,
we are uniquely positioned to leverage expertise from a variety
of colleagues and resources. Between the RENEW university-
wide interdisciplinary effort led by Amit Goyal, the New York
Stelios T. Andreadis
State Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI) directed
by Mark Swihart, and our new NYSTEM funded
Stem Cell Training Program led by myself
and Sriram Neelamegham, UB CBE
will call on over 100 investigators
within UB and the local scientific,
health and entrepreneurial STELIOS T. ANDREADIS
communities to work with us Chair, Department of Chemical
to forge breakthrough, and Biological Engineering,
collaborative initiatives. University at Buffalo
THE UNDENIABLE RESULTS
OF MULTI DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

RENEW SCiRM CMI

GRAND INITIATIVE TRAINING LEADING IN
TO ADDRESS MATERIALS
GLOBAL PROGRAM INFORMATICS
CHALLENGES ADVANCING STEM BY INTEGRATING
PAGES 6–7 CELL SCIENCE; RESEARCH
ACCELERATING AND ECONOMIC
DRUG DISCOVERY DEVELOPMENT
AND CELL-BASED PAGES 12–13

THERAPIES
PAGES 8–9

RESEARCH
EXPENDITURES GRADUATE
UP 20% ENROLLMENT 47%
OVER FACULTY INCREASED BY A THIRD

100
DR. HAIQING LIN DR. AMIT GOYAL
2015
2014

DR. JOHANNES HACHMANN DR. NATESH PARASHURAMA

DR. GANG WU DR. MICHAEL DUPUIS

FACULTY
PUBLICATIONS
ADDING MORE GREAT MINDS TO OUR
WORLD-RENOWNED FACULTY
DR. AMIT GOYAL
Dr. Amit Goyal joined UB in January 2015
as Director of RENEW (see pg 6–7).
Goyal has developed clean energy
technologies for over two decades,
authored more than 350 publications
and has more than 80 issued patents,
with 20+ pending. He was the most
cited author worldwide in the field
of high-temperature superconductivity
from 1999–2009, and has received
numerous accolades including the
presidential level DOE’s E.O. Lawrence
Award in the inaugural category of
Energy Science & Innovation. The award
is bestowed by the Energy Secretary
on behalf of the United States President.
He has been elected fellow of nine
professional societies, and he
concurrently holds the title of Empire
Innovation Professor at UB in four
departments while remaining as
Emeritus Corporate Fellow and
Distinguished Scientist at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory. In addition, he is the
Founder, President & CEO of TapeSolar
Inc., a private-equity funded company
and also the Founder, President & CEO
of TexMat LLC, an IP holding and
consulting company.
FOCUS IN RENEW: RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION ON ISSUES
REGARDING ENERGY,
ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
4 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
DR. MICHEL DUPUIS
Dr. Michel Dupuis joined our
department in January 2015. His
research is in the area of computation-
enabled chemical and materials
science and engineering, in particular
for new energy technologies
relevant to sun-to-fuels and fuels-to-
electricity conversions.
Dupuis obtained a Diplome d’Ingenieur
from the Ecole Polytechnique, Paris,
in 1972 and a PhD in Theoretical
Chemistry in 1976 in the Department
of Chemistry at UB under the
supervision of Professor H. F. King.
He worked at the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, at IBM, and
more recently at the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory as a Laboratory
Fellow. He is a Fellow of the APS,
a Fellow of the AAAS, and a Member
of the International Academy of
Quantum Molecular Science IAQMS.
Over the years he has contributed
to the development and application
of quantum chemical methods
and codes (HONDO, GAMESS, and
NWChem) for electronic structure
studies of molecules and materials.
FOCUS IN CHEMICAL AND
MATERIALS SCIENCE
AND ENGINEERING FOR NEW
ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
DR. NATESH PARASHURAMA
Dr. Natesh Parashurama will be
joining UB CBE in January 2016. His
research program will focus on using
principles of chemical engineering,
molecular imaging, and stem cell/
developmental biology to develop
functioning liver cells/ tissue,
and to develop new molecular
diagnostics and therapeutics for
liver diseases. Following training
in chemical engineering (MIT) and
Medicine (University at Buffalo,
Boston University), Dr. Parashurama
completed his doctoral research in
the area of liver stem cell and tissue
engineering (Rutgers University
and Harvard Medical School). Most
recently, Dr. Parashurama completed
postdoctoral training in the area
of molecular imaging, focusing on
noninvasive imaging of stem cells
(Stanford University), and a California
Institute of Regenerative Medicine
fellowship focusing on human stem
cells, human tissue biology and
human liver development (University
of California, San Francisco (UCSF).
FOCUS IN DEVELOPING
NEW MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS
AND THERAPEUTICS FOR
LIVER DISEASES
FACULTY AWARDS
DAVE KOFKE NAMED AN AAAS FELLOW
Congratulations to David Kofke for his recent election as a Fellow of the AAAS. The American
Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization dedicated
to advancing science for the benefit of all people. Dr. Kofke is well recognized in the field of
Statistical Thermodynamics and Molecular Simulation. His election as an AAAS fellow is another
testament to his academic achievements and the respect he has earned among our peers.
Learn more: www.cbe.buffalo.edu/kofke

SRIRAM NEELAMEGHAM RECEIVES CHANCELLOR’S AWARD

Sriram Neelamegham was recognized by SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher with the State University
of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities. The award
recognizes his many significant contributions to the field of bioengineering, and in particular his
work in the area of Systems Glycobiology in the context of the interactions of white blood cells with
the vasculature. It also recognizes sustained contributions in integrating engineering and medicine
and his dedication to our profession. Learn more: www.cbe.buffalo.edu /neelamegham

AMIT GOYAL ELECTED FELLOW BY NATIONAL ACADEMY OF INVENTORS

The National Academy of Inventors elected Amit Goyal as a fellow, for “having demonstrated
a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made
a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society.”
Learn more: www.cbe.buffalo.edu/goyal

PASCHALIS ALEXANDRIDIS HONORED BY UB STOR

Paschalis Alexandridis, UB Distinguished Professor and CBE Director of Graduate Studies, was
honored in March at the Annual Inventors and Entrepreneurs Reception given by the University
at the Buffalo Office of Science, Technology Transfer and Economic Outreach (STOR) for his
U.S. Patent 8,859,000 “Synthesis of Nanoparticles by an Emulsion-Gas Contacting Process”.
These materials are primarily used in optical sensors, bio-tracers and markers and in semiconductor
electronics. The patent is licensed to Quantum Technology Group headquartered at Kennebunk,
Maine. Learn more: www.cbe.buffalo.edu /alexandridis

MARK SWIHART RECOGNIZED WITH MEYERSON AWARD

FOR TEACHING AND MENTORING
Congratulations to Mark Swihart, recipient of The Meyerson Award, in recognition of his exceptional
teaching and mentoring at the University at Buffalo. The award also recognizes faculty who
provide guidance and support to undergraduate students to help them develop the skills necessary
for research, as well as creative thinking and innovative research activities. Mark has done an
exceptional job in this regard. In addition to maintaining an active and productive research group
with a large number of graduate students, Mark has trained 92 undergraduate students to date,
including Phil Tucciarone, who received the prestigious Marshall Scholarship. Learn more:
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/swihart

VIEW MORE OF THIS YEAR’S FACULTY AWARDS ON P. 15

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 5

ENERGY &
ENVIRONMENT

UB RENEW

CREATING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGE THROUGH

RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
UB has recently RENEW’s research seed
launched the RENEW projects will address
Institute, which stands a variety of prominent
for Research and issues including energy
Education in eNergy, diversification (“Offshore
Environment and Wind Energy in the
Water. Directed by UB Great Lakes”), freshwater
CBE faculty member photo by: Ken JP Stuczynski protection and
Dr. Amit Goyal, the restoration (“Tracking
institute develops innovative research, education and outreach Emerging Contaminants in the Great Lakes”), environmental
programs. Societies across the world are grappling with urgent management and governance (“Energy Efficient Seawater
challenges such as climate change, pollution, and pressing Desalination and Food Processing”), societal adaptation
needs for energy, fresh water and other resources. As a leading to changing environments and the green economy
public research university, UB is committed to addressing (“the New Agriculture From Food Farms to Solar Farms”),
regional and global energy and environmental challenges ecosystem science, engineering and policy, and public health.
through enduring scholarship and intellectual innovation.

6 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

The institute’s interdisciplinary focus (involving several faculty
from UB CBE), will engage over 100 faculty from six UB schools
and colleges. Over 20 additional faculty will be added.
Among its several potential focus areas, one of the
first is Rational Design of Next-Generation,
Renewable Energy Materials. Six of UB CBE’s
faculty will participate, including Michel
Dupuis, Edward Furlani, Mark Swihart, David
Kofke, Gang Wu, and Johannes Hachmann.
The rational design focus area is aligned
with the White House’s Office of Science &
Technology Policy’s (OSTP) Materials Genome Initiative, whose
overall motivation is to enable discovery-to-market of materials
in half the time and at half the cost by leveraging advances
in computation and modeling. It does so by using theory,
rational design and modeling to guide experimental
and synthesis efforts. RENEW looks forward to very
significant participation by the CBE Department
in its other focus areas as they develop. n
Additional information about RENEW
can be found at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/goyal
or www.buffalo.edu/RENEW.

MULTI-SCALE ADVANCED MATERIALS FOR ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY

MODELING— GUIDING
Recently, a new type of high-performance, low-cost, and
THE DEVELOPMENT
robust graphene-tube (up to 500 nm) catalyst was developed
OF ALTERNATIVE FUEL
jointly by Professors Gang Wu and Mark Swihart, holding great
TECHNOLOGIES
promise to replace expensive and scarce precious metals (e.g.,
Michel Dupuis’ research Pt) for fuel cell oxygen cathodes. This work was highlighted by
program deals with Materials Views on Wiley websites: http://www.materialsviews.
Michel Dupuis and Nina Tyminska
fundamental scientific com/graphene-tubes-electrocatalysis/. In addition, supported
problems which limit renewable energy technologies by the U.S. Department of Energy, Wu’s group is dedicated to
such as solar energy conversion and electrical energy developing a new type of oxygen-deficient perovskite oxide
storage technologies. catalyst for an innovative reversible alkaline fuel cell technology
that can convert renewable energy-generated electricity
A current project in collaboration with UB CBE postdoctoral
into hydrogen as storable fuel via water splitting, and then
research associate Nina Tyminska and CBE Professor
use the hydrogen in the fuel cell to provide electricity when
Gang Wu involves fundamental aspects of
and where needed. Also, a new NSF project is underway to
photoelectrochemical cell chemistry to split water and
develop a novel three-dimensional nanographene anode with
generate hydrogen as a fuel. The group is using large scale
well controlled electronic and geometric structures for next
first principles simulations to study the oxygen evolution
generation lithium-ion batteries with much improved capacity
reaction (OER) and the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)
and cycle stability. Wu’s group also has substantial expertise
catalyzed by reducible oxide perovskites, in particular
in developing high-surface-area and highly graphitized carbon
the role of oxygen vacancy defects on these reactions.
materials for high-energy and high-power electrodes in
Controlling synthesis design through theory-driven
supercapacitors, which is supported by The New York State
understanding could lead to breakthroughs in the use of
Center of Excellence in Materials Informatics (CMI)
alternate fuel sources. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/dupuis
and SUNY Materials & Advanced Manufacturing (MAM)
Network Funding. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/wu

Charge transfer
processes
in solar energy
conversion

Graphene Tubes
Catalyst Fall 2015 | 7
HEALTH

NEW TRAINING PROGRAM

WILL EDUCATE FUTURE LEADERS
FOR STEM CELL RESEARCH AND
THERAPY BREAKTHROUGHS

Successful translation of stem cell

breakthroughs into cell therapies
requires interdisciplinary approaches
that draw from biology, medicine
and bioengineering, but few
scientists or engineers are prepared
to meet this challenge. With
$1.85M in funding from NYSTEM
(New York State Stem Cell Science),
the University at Buffalo Schools
of Engineering and Medicine
and the Roswell Park Cancer
Institute (RPCI) Graduate Division
will join forces to do just that. >>

Project leaders Drs. Stelios Andreadis (UB CBE),

Sriram Neelamegham (UB CBE), and
Richard Gronostajski (UB Biochemistry) will
bring together 18 faculty from UB and RPCI
and support 8 graduate students per year
for five years to advance the basic science
of stem cells. Their collective goal: to develop
innovative technologies to accelerate clinical
translation of stem cell research.

8 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

Each student will be co-mentored by two faculty to promote
interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations. Excellent
facilities are available for cutting-edge research including the
Western New
York Stem Cell
Culture and
Analysis Center
(also funded by
NYSTEM).
The new training
program will be
greatly facilitated
and enriched by numerous additional health care, life sciences
research, and medical education institutions in the newly built
Buffalo-Niagara Medical Campus. These include the new
Medical School scheduled to open in 2016, the new John R.
Oishei Children’s Hospital, the new Clinical and Translational
Research Center, the Center of Bioinformatics and Life Sciences,
and the new RPCI Clinical Research Center, among others.
This rich, interdisciplinary environment will foster development
of stem cell approaches for treatment of diseases including
cardiovascular, neurodegenerative disorders, and cancer.
The combination of a highly-trained science and engineering
workforce, and the potential for clinical translation and
commercialization of research findings, are expected
to have significant economic impact in Western New York,
as well as throughout NY State. n
STELIOS ANDREADIS DELIVERS KEYNOTE AT
BIOENGINEERING AND STEM CELL RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Stelios Andreadis, Professor and CBE
Chair, delivered a keynote presentation
at the Bioengineering and Stem Cell
Research Symposium that was held
at the Center for Biotechnology and
Interdisciplinary Studies of Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute on June 8–9,
2015. The symposium focused on stem
cell science and the prospective use of stem cells in regenerative
medicine and clinical therapies, which have been enhanced
by the application of a wide range of bioengineering strategies
and materials. In his presentation, Dr. Andreadis discussed the
latest findings of his laboratory in the development of strategies
to reverse stem cell senescence and their implications for
cardiovascular tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. n
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/andreadis
BREAKTHROUGH IMPROVEMENTS
FROM THE PFEIFER GROUP
The Pfeifer Group
has several recent
exciting developments.
Work led by Mahmoud
Kamal Ahmadi and
Samar Fawaz resulted
in a first place finish
Charles Jones and Blaine Pfeifer
at the New York State
Pollution Prevention 2015 Earth Day Competition (see
pg 17), and the work was recently published in Applied
and Environmental Microbiology. Research by Charles
Jones, Yi Li, Mingfu Chen, Akhila Golakota, and Tai Chun
Chung on non-viral gene delivery has been published
in several recent papers.
Mr. Kamal Ahmadi and Mr. Jones have also been active
in seeking commercial opportunities for their work
in wastewater remediation and genetic vaccine design,
respectively. Both have participated and advanced in local
(Henry A. Panasci Jr. Technology Entrepreneurship) and
national (43North and NSF I-Corps) competitions focused
on start-up business opportunities.
Finally, Lei Fang and Guojian Zhang have been working
on discovery projects for new antibiotics with Dr. Zhang
using an engineering strategy to generate new
erythromycin analogs capable of overcoming antibiotic
resistance. His work was recently published in Science
Advances (see figure below) and received local and national
media attention. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/pfeifer
White filter disks holding antibiotics sit on petri dishes housing
erythromycin-resistant Bacillus subtilis. The filter disks circled in red
hold new forms of erythromycin created by University at Buffalo
researchers, and the dark halo around them indicates that the
drug has seeped out of the disk to kill the surrounding bacteria.
Credit: Guojian Zhang. Learn more: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/
releases/2015/05/049.html
Catalyst Fall 2015 | 9
 HELPING TO TREAT INFLAMMATORY AND THROMBOTIC AILMENTS—
DISCOVERING ENZYMES REGULATING BLOOD CELL ADHESION

The Neelamegham laboratory applies genome editing, a recently developed

method that allows both the functional ablation of genes at predefined sites
in the chromosome and also the specific insertion of novel DNA segments
at this site. In a recent publication in the journal Blood (the official journal of
the American Society of Hematology), the Neelamegham laboratory showed
that such ablation of a single enzyme called ST3Gal-4 in human white blood
cells (leukocytes) abolishes leukocyte adhesion to activated endothelial cells
under physiological fluid flow conditions1. These results show that while
there are several dozen enzymes that can participate in fine tuning the
leukocyte cell adhesion process during disease, one enzyme (ST3Gal-4) is
apparently more important than others and likely represents a novel target
for anti-inflammatory drug development. Blocking this enzyme activity could
potentially ameliorate a wide swath of inflammatory and thrombotic ailments
where white blood cells play a major role such as asthma, inflammatory
bowel disease, reperfusion injury, crisis during sickle cell anemia and deep vein
thrombosis. The enzyme is thus analogous to the ‘One Ring’ in J.R.R. Tolkien’s
Lord of the Rings that “rules the rest and in the darkness binds them.” n
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/neelamegham
1
Mondal et al. Blood: 125(4):687-96, 2015.

‘VELCROED’ NANOPARTICLES TARGET HIV AND CANCER

CBE researchers in the Jon Lovell Lab have discovered a way to easily and
effectively fasten proteins to nanoparticles— essentially an arranged marriage —
by simply mixing them together. The biotechnology is described in the journal
Nature Chemistry (doi:10.1038/nchem.2236).

To create the biotechnology, the researchers engineered nanoparticles made

of chlorophyll (a natural pigment), phospholipid (a fat similar to vegetable oil)
and cobalt (a metal often used to prepare magnetic, water-resistant
and high-strength alloys). The proteins, meanwhile, are modified with a chain
of amino acids called a polyhistidine-tag.

Polyhistidine-tags are used extensively

in protein research. Next, the researchers
mixed the modified proteins and nanoparticles
in water. There, one end of the protein
embeds into the nanoparticle’s outer layer.
Novel liposomes
that bind his-tagged polypeptides
Nanoparticles formed in this way using specific
peptides showed promise for targeting
cancer cells and for developing an HIV vaccine. n
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/lovell

10 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

 RATIONAL DESIGN OF PLASMONIC
PHOTOTHERMAL NANOTRANSDUCERS
FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS
THROUGH MULTIPHYSICS MODELING
Research in the Furlani group involves multiphysics modeling for the
development of innovative materials and devices with design features and
functionality that are engineered at the nanoscale. One thrust area involves
the study of plasmon-enhanced photothermal transduction using metallic
nanostructures for applications that range from nanofabrication to theranostics.
In such applications, a pulsed laser is used to excite the nanostructures at their
plasmon resonance frequency in order to optimize photon absorption. Professor
Ed Furlani and PhD candidate Ioannis Karampelas have studied fundamental
aspects of this phenomenon for select nanostructures (e.g. Au nanocages) using
a combination of computational electromagnetic and thermo-fluidic modeling.
This research enables the rational design of the photothermal process including
laser pulsing strategies and optimized particle geometries for controlled heat
3D simulation of laser- transfer and nanobubble nucleation. Professor Furlani has collaborated with
induced heating Professors Mark Swihart (CBE) and Paras Prasad (Chemistry) for the synthesis
of a 50 nm gold
and characterization of plasmonic transducers for various bioapplications
nanocage (cutaway
view) showing including imaging, hyperthermia and nanobubble-based cancer therapy
nucleated nanobubble. [Lab Chip 12.19 (2012), J. Phy. Chem. C 117.39 (2013), Nanomed.-Nanotech.
Biol. Med. 9, (2013)]. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/furlani

NOVEL NANOCAGES ENGINEERED VIA CRYSTAL-FORMING TEMPLATES

FOR SIMULTANEOUS DRUG AND GENE DELIVERY
Professor Chong Cheng was awarded a collaborative grant from the Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN)
program of the National Science Foundation for the development of a novel miniemulsion-based nanocage technology that can
be used for drug and gene delivery applications. Crosslinking of surfactant monolayer at the water-oil interface of miniemulsion
nanodroplets typically can only yield ill-defined products because of insufficient dynamic stability of surfactant molecules in
such systems. In collaboration with Professor Honggang Cui from John Hopkins University, Dr. Cheng’s research will focus on
precise template synthesis of nanocages by converting liquid cores of miniemulsion nanodroplets to crystallized solid cores, leading
to greater dynamic stability of the interfacial surfactant monolayer. Proof-of-concept studies using this innovative method have
already produced well-controlled nanocages, and systematic studies are currently under way to synthesize a broad variety of well-
defined structures and to develop molecular level understanding of the surfactant stabilization mechanism in these crystal-forming
miniemulsion systems. With their
inner core enabling encapsulation of
small molecules and their charged
shell promoting adsorption of genetic
material, these nanocages provide unique
advantages as therapeutic carriers for
simultaneous drug and gene delivery
(Chen et al., Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 1567-
1572). n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/cheng Schematic illustration of nanocage synthesis

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 11

RESEARCH & ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT

CBE PLAYS LEADING ROLE IN NYS CENTER

OF EXCELLENCE IN MATERIALS INFORMATICS
In February 2015 Mark CMI research efforts are directed primarily at three high
Swihart, UB Distinguished growth industry sectors: Clean Energy, Life Sciences,
Professor of Chemical and and Advanced Manufacturing. A key component of CMI
Biological Engineering, was activities is matchmaking between regional companies and
named executive director UB expertise and resources, helping companies to navigate
of the University at Buffalo’s the university to find the people and tools that can solve
New York State Center their problems. In some cases, the CMI is able to directly
of Excellence in Materials support UB research activities carried out in collaboration
Informatics (CMI). He succeeded Alexander N. Cartwright, with these companies.
who had served as interim executive director since the launch
CBE researchers have been among the most active
of CMI in 2012.
in engaging with local companies through the CMI,
in many cases solving energy related problems.
The central mission of CMI, funded by the state
Professor Edward Furlani has
through NYSTAR/Empire State Development, worked with Xerox,
is to leverage UB’s cutting edge materials science, S. Howes, and
Vader Systems to
big data analytics, and advanced manufacturing
develop new
expertise to drive critical R&D activities that process modeling
directly impact private sector growth. State capabilities that
can generate
funding for CMI has ramped up from a seed
both cost- and
grant of $200k in 2012–13 to $1M in state energy savings
funding for 2015-16, matched by $1M in UB as well as new
process capabilities.
resources. University-wide, more than 70 faculty
are engaged in CMI-related research activities.

12 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

 DEVELOPING A
MACHINE LEARNING
AND INFORMATICS
TOOLBOX FOR CHEMICAL
AND MATERIALS
RESEARCH

Assistant Professor Haiqing Lin has worked with Perry’s
Ice Cream and Helios Technologies on membrane-based
technologies for energy-efficient wastewater recycling
and gas separations, respectively. Research Professor Keith
Kahen has received CMI support for research related to his
startup company, Lumisyn, LLC, which is developing novel
quantum dot phosphors for displays and solid-state lighting.
Widespread adoption of LED-based solid-state lighting
is poised to produce enormous energy savings worldwide.
Assistant Professor Gang Wu is advancing graphene-based
materials for supercapacitors, a key component of energy
systems from electric cars to large-scale transmission
networks, in collaboration with Graphenix Development.
Assistant Professor Johannes Hachmann is interacting
with Kitware, Inc. on creation of open source software for
materials informatics. Professor Swihart has worked with
Praxair, on nanomaterials synthesis; Avox Systems on sorbent
testing and gas purification; and New Era on testing
of solar-absorbing materials for cold-weather headgear.
CMI also operates a collection of shared facilities that includes
electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, FIB, and e-beam lithography)
and other materials synthesis and characterization equipment.
These facilities are accessible to both UB researchers
and external clients. n
To accelerate the
discovery process
and overcome
the limitations
of conventional
modeling efforts,
Professor Johannes
Hachmann and his
team have been
pioneering virtual high-throughput screening
techniques. Data-driven research of this nature
has gained considerable attention in recent years,
and so has the need to adequately analyze, mine,
and model the resulting large-scale data sets.
Hachmann’s group is developing a software suite
called CheML that stages cutting-edge techniques
from machine learning and informatics,
and adapts them to chemical and materials
questions. CheML can be employed to gain an
understanding of hidden structure-property
relationships from Big Data, which is a prerequisite
for the rational design and inverse engineering
capability advocated by the White House
Materials Genome Initiative. n www.cbe.buffalo.
edu/hachmann

For more information on the CMI, contact

Mark Swihart at swihart@buffalo.edu or visit
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/swihart.

A rationally designed candidate compound for

optoelectronic applications

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 13

 ROBERT LANGER On April 23, 2015, UB CBE graduate students, faculty, and colleagues
were honored to host a lecture from Robert S. Langer, the David

DELIVERS H. Koch Institute Professor at MIT. His appearance was in conjunction

with CBE’s annual lecture honoring SUNY Distinguished Professor

7TH ANNUAL Dr. Eli Ruckenstein, whose work has had profound impact on
the chemical engineering profession. Professor Ruckenstein received
RUCKENSTEIN the National Medal of Science from President Clinton and was
designated as one of 50 Eminent Chemical Engineers of the Foundation
LECTURE Age. Professor Ruckenstein is also a member of the National Academy
of Engineers.

Professors Langer and Ruckenstein
Dr. Langer has written over 1,280 articles. He also has nearly 1,050
patents worldwide. Dr. Langer’s patents have been licensed or
sublicensed to over 250 pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology and
medical device companies. He is the most cited engineer in history.
His presentation was titled “Biomaterials and biotechnology: From
the discovery of the first angiogenesis inhibitors to the development
of controlled drug delivery systems and the foundation of tissue
engineering.” The standing-room-only lecture drew over 250 attendees.
A reception was held immediately following the lecture. n
www.cbe.buffalo.edu/news

14 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

EDUCATION & OUR
STUDENTS

INNOVATIVE METHODS FOR

BREAKING THROUGH TO STUDENTS
Here’s a puzzle: how can one help students remember
the concepts and skills they learn in one course for use
in future courses, appreciate the concrete usefulness
of what they learn, and see connections between
different topics? >>

Toward this end, since fall 2013 UB CBE has been implementing its
new Spiral Learning Initiative, which uses the project in CE 408 (senior
plant design, taught by Johannes Nitsche) as a pedagogical focal point
for each incoming class of students. “Spiral problems” are devised and
distributed over multiple courses they will take during their sophomore,
junior and senior years. Through these problems students revisit scientific JOHANNES NITSCHE
themes and knowledge areas underlying the design project they will
NAMED SUNY
ultimately complete in CE 408. The project is decided (and waiting for
DISTINGUISHED
them) before they even take their first CE course. Thus, for example,
students who entered UB as freshmen in fall 2011 had homework,
TEACHING PROFESSOR
exam and recitation problems on mechanics of falling lactic acid films in Congratulations to Dr. Johannes
Transport Phenomenon I CE 317 (fall 2013), and distillation of lactic acid Nitsche, who was recently named
+ lactide mixtures in Separation Processes CE 407 (spring 2014), among SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor.
others. In this way, the students were prepared to design a plant this He was cited by the University at Buffalo
past spring producing enough lactide to make 300 million lb/year of as “A leading example to his students
polylactic acid, an environmentally friendly polymer finding increasing use as a superb scholar and dedicated
in water bottles, biomedical products and many other areas. A humorous researcher.” Dr. Nitsche is internationally
ceremony and giveaways for students accompany each instance renowned for his theoretical research
of a spiral problem. These ceremonial elements aim to make students in biological transport processes and
remember and mentally catalog the spiral moments (and content) dermal absorption. He is also a recipient
in their undergraduate education. n of the 1995 Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching. He has recently
received a book contract from Springer
to write a problem-based textbook
on transport phenomena with
the potential to be used by a growing
number of bioengineering programs.

Read more about the spiral learning

initiative at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/
spirallearning.

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 15

 CELEBRATING STUDENT
BREAKTHROUGHS

AICHE STUDENT CLUB SEEKS TO CREATE REAL WORLD

CONTEXT FOR FUTURE ENGINEERS

The student chapter of UB CBE’s AIChE has a mission to assist

undergraduate students in preparing for the real world by
fostering connections with future employers. They do so
by presenting a speaker series where students can visit with
and learn from UB CBE alums. Each month they can attend
tours of local plants. The AIChE student chapter also attends
national and regional AIChE conferences, competes in the
Cheme-E car competition, and hosts social events to connect
students and colleagues. n

Stephanie Kong (L), Sharon Lin (R)

TWO UB CBE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

WIN THE PRESTIGIOUS GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP Cheme Car competition, photo courtesy of AIChE

Congratulations to UB CBE undergraduate students

Stephanie Kong and Sharon Lin, who have both won the CONGRATULATIONS TO
highly competitive Barry Goldwater Scholarship, established PROFESSORS TAMARA KOFKE
AND CARL LUND
by Congress in 1986 in honor of Senator Barry Goldwater.
The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year to cover the Each were honored recently with
educational expenses of outstanding students pursuing careers Professor of the Year awards
in math, the natural sciences, and engineering. This year’s at this year’s AIChE student
award winners are a point of pride for UB’s engineering school. banquet. The student AIChE
Since 2012, six undergraduate engineering students— Club is committed to encouraging academic and professional
including five from the Department of Chemical and progress for undergraduate students through a speaker series,
Biological Engineering — have won this prestigious award. n plant tours, national and regional conference attendance,
Read more about the Goldwater Scholarship winners competitions, and outreach programs. n Learn more about the
at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/goldwater AIChE Club at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/aichestudents

16 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

 GRADUATE
SYMPOSIUM

Over the years the UB

CBE Graduate Student
Research Symposium
has evolved into an
exciting, comprehensive
event that showcases
the high quality,
multidisciplinary
research that
Mohsen Ghafari (CSEE), Mahmoud Kamal Ahmadi (CBE),
is conducted
Samar Fawaz (CBE), Alanna Olear (CSEE)
in our department, and spans such diverse areas as
molecular engineering of novel materials, nanotechnology, UB CBE GRADUATE STUDENTS SAMAR FAWAZ AND
bioengineering, and molecular modeling. Every year our faculty MAHMOUD AHMADI WIN RIT EARTH DAY COMPETITION
and graduate students welcome the opportunity to present
Mahmoud Kamal Ahmadi (related story on p.9) and Samar
their work to their peers from CBE, other UB departments,
Fawaz won first place at the Earth Day NYWP2I research
our alumni, and representatives from local business. The
conference 2015. The New York State Pollution Prevention
Symposium has grown in ambition and scale, featuring over
Institute at Rochester Institute of Technology presented
60 posters, two lectures from senior graduate students, and
the annual Research and Development student competition,
a keynote lecture from an accomplished colleague. Last fall,
open to colleges and universities throughout the state,
CBE welcomed Dr. Daniel K. Schwartz, University of Colorado
to recognize both graduate and undergraduate level
Boulder, whose presentation Single Molecule Tracking at
sustainability projects. UB CBE’s team captured first place
Wet Interfaces, was attended by over 200 faculty, students,
for retrieving precious metals from waste effluent at Precious
and alumni. A reception featuring a poster judging contest
Plate Inc. in Niagara Falls. Samar Fawaz, UB CBE graduate
immediately followed the symposium. n
student in the Blaine Pfeifer lab, was interviewed by
ANDREADIS LAB PHD STUDENT the local news station. The work was also recently published
SINDHU ROW WINS AICHE in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
BEST PAPER AWARD
Mahmoud Kamal Ahmadi was also awarded seed funding from
Congratulations to UB CBE PhD UB’s Entrepreneurship Lab (eLab). “The eLab encouraged me
candidate Sindhu Row, whose to dream big and taught me what it takes to start a company”
.
presentation at the Annual AIChE Ahmadi was one of four students who received funding.
Meeting in November 2014 garnered her the Best Paper award. His startup is PreMeR X, a company developing a precious
Row received two Best Paper awards last year from AIChE metal retrieval process. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/news
and BMES as well, a new record. Hard work pays off! n

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 17

 CELEBRATING STUDENT
BREAKTHROUGHS
YUMIAO ZHANG WINS FIRST PLACE IN N.E.
BIOENGINEERING CONFERENCE POSTER COMPETITION
Yumiao Zhang, a PhD student in the UB CBE and Biomedical
Engineering programs won the first place prize from a field
of 150 entrants for his poster presentation at the 41st Northeast
Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC 2015). His poster, entitled
“Frozen Naphthalocyanine Micelles for Intestinal Imaging”
presents a new non-invasive method to image intestine
function. By engineering nanoparticles with extremely high
color content, their motion could be traced non-invasively
in the intestine using an imaging technique called
photoacoustic tomography. Eventually, this could lead to
better diagnosis of conditions like Crohn’s disease, or used
for colonoscopy screening procedures. Yumiao led the research
in the Jon Lovell laboratory and involved a multidisciplinary
team with collaborating researchers including Dr. Paschalis
Alexandridis, and groups from University of Madison-
Wisconsin, POSTECH University in Korea and McMaster
University in Canada. n www.cbe.buffalo.edu/news
18 | University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
CBE PHD STUDENT IOANNIS KARAMPELAS
WINS SEAS POSTER COMPETITION
Congratulations to CBE PhD student Ioannis Karampelas
from the Ed Furlani research group, who won first place
in the University at Buffalo School of Engineering
and Applied Sciences poster competition held in May
in Davis Hall. Ioannis’ project, “Numerical Analysis
of Laser Induced Photothermal Effects using Colloidal
Plasmonic Nanostructures”, was the top pick among
fourteen entrants. n
SUPPORT EXCELLENCE
When you make a financial contribution to UB CBE,
you allow bright, hard-working students to fulfill
their dreams and complete their degrees through
scholarships, special lectures, and learning environment
improvements. You also enable groundbreaking
research at all levels of the department. To make a
gift, simply send your donation in the return envelope
enclosed, or go online to www.cbe.buffalo.edu/
donate. Thank you!
 AND INNOVATIVE ALUMNI

STEPHANIE LAM, BS 2009 VASSILIOS SIKAVITSAS, ABDULLAH BALKHYOOR, BS 2001

Postdoctoral Fellow, National Institute
of Standards and Technology
“My favorite in-class memory was
Prof. David Kofke telling the class
during recitation for Fluid Mechanics
that he figured out how the flushing
mechanism for a toilet worked in
a dream. My favorite out of class
memory was how there was so much
snow in Buffalo during the winter,
one year my friends and I decided
to build an igloo. We did and it was
super warm inside!”
MS 1995, PHD 2000 Deputy Project Manager,
Professor, School of Chemical, Hidada Contracting
Biological, and Materials Engineering
at the University of Oklahoma “While at UB, I had the most wonderful
time of my life, and learned lots of new
“The exciting collaborative environment things from living in a different culture.
between faculty and students formed The U.S.A. and Buffalo especially, are
the foundation of my success. I still my second home. I will never, ever
remember the intense discussions forget the wonderful people of Buffalo,
between students from different bio the delicious BUFFALO WINGS and the
groups on the ninth floor of Furnas Hall greatest Buffalo Bills football team!”
extending way beyond midnight.
Life at CBE at UB was full of amazing
classes from outstanding teachers
and stimulating research interactions
with top notch scientists (faculty and
students). It was during this time that
I made the transition from student
to researcher, and I’ll always keep UB
as a special place in my memories.”

RECONNECT WITH UB CBE PARTICIPATE IN OUR STUDENT INTERN PROGRAM:

Each year, the majority of UB CBE undergraduate students
COME TO AN EVENT: Join us for the Fall UB CBE engage in internship experiences in Western New York and across
Graduate Research Symposium or the Spring annual the United States. There’s a bright and eager student ready
Ruckenstein lecture. We would love to see you! to work on real-world engineering problems at your firm too.

GIVE A LECTURE TO CBE STUDENT CLUBS: Students For more information on the UB CBE alumni program and
are always interested in the potential careers that await to reconnect, like us on Facebook and LinkedIn, and sign up
them after graduation. See more information on our for the CBE e-bulletin at www.cbe.buffalo.edu/connect. You can
AIChE Student Club on page 16. also write us at cbe-chair@buffalo.edu, or call 716.645.1174.

Catalyst Fall 2015 | 19

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences NON-PROFIT ORG.
US POSTAGE

PAID
BUFFALO, NY
PERMIT #311
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
303 Furnas Hall, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Buffalo, NY 14260-4200

UB CBE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

ASHUTOSH 1988 PhD graduate Dr. Ashutosh Sharma was named Secretary, Department
of Science and Technology, Government of India. Dr. Sharma credits, in large part,
SHARMA, his time at UB and his mentor (Dr. Eli Ruckenstein), for his post-UB success. “I certainly owe

ENERGY UB and Eli a great deal in shaping my story. The strong research ethos there encouraged
me to think independently and take multidisciplinary approaches. His advocacy and
MINISTER personal example of hard work, creativity and overall excitement about the research were
my inspiration. UB CBE also offered me strong graduate courses and splendid learning
OF INDIA opportunities in the form of weekly seminars presented by outstanding researchers.”

Dr. Sharma was an Institute Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Chemical
Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where he also established
a Nanoscience Center. He is best known for his pioneering research in the areas of colloids,
soft thin films, interfaces, adhesion, patterning, and in the fabrication and application
of self-assembled nano-structures. His current interests are in nanofabrication and
nanomaterials for energy, environment and health.

UB CBE is proud to announce that Dr. Sharma will be joining us in Buffalo on Friday,
April 15, as the eighth annual Ruckenstein Lecturer. For more information about Dr. Sharma
and UB CBE Seminars and Lectures, visit us online at www.cbe.buffalo.edu.