St. Cloud State University Department of Chemistry

Faculty-Student Research

Student-faculty collaborative research is a strength of the department. Research projects are ongoing in the areas of analytical, physical, organic, inorganic, and biochemistry. The research experience may be as short as a single semester or it may last for a year and even culminate to a published paper. All students who are pursuing an American Chemical Society approved major must complete one year of undergraduate research. Please take a few minutes to check out the exciting research opportunities available.

Dr. Michael Dvorak – Analytical Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/madvorak

My research interests are based on the practical application of fluorescence and luminescence techniques for the detection and quantification of select species in mixtures. This can take on either a theoretical or experimental application. On the theoretical side, our goal is to develop simple, matrix based algorithms that can model the spectroscopic response from the components of a mixture. The results of these models are compared with experimental results to determine the validity of the model. On the experimental side, we are interested in using pulsed (laser based) and non-pulsed (traditional lamp) techniques aimed at generating either fluorescence lifetimes (pulsed mode) or fluorescence signatures (lamp) from species on surfaces, species separated via chromatographic techniques, or species intrinsic to a mixture.

Other projects include establishing a Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI) workstation for ultratrace detection of aromatic species in the gas phase. I am also involved in understanding the nature of dative bonding via several techniques including IR grazing angle and possibly Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) on self assembled monolayers, gas phase IR in a supersonic slit expansion (in collaboration with the U of MN), and fluorescence signatures of select B-N species in solution phase.

The interested student should note that my work requires a “hands-on” aptitude to work with chemical instrumentation and to trouble-shoot experimental methodology. Although programming skills are not necessary, students desiring to develop programming skills are especially welcome. I believe that students ultimately interested in graduate or post- SCSU activities in a physical/analytical laboratory are a good fit for my lab.

Dr. Daniel Gregory – Organic Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/ddgregory

As a physical organic chemist, I am interested in the physical aspect of organic chemistry. In particular, I am interested in the mechanistic elucidation of photo-organic reactions. Currently, I have four different projects that I am working on. The first involves investigating the photochemistry of aromatic compounds that contain the isothiocyanate functional group.

Isothiocyanates of interest

This functional group plays a very important role in industrial chemistry as it is used to make a very wide range of compounds. The second project is using computational chemistry to investigate the excited states of these isothiocyanates. We use a wide range of computer techniques to gain valuable information about how these molecules look when they absorb light. The third project is a collaborative study with Dr. Mahroof-Tahir pertaining to the computational investigation of vanadium complexes. It has been shown that these complexes can serve as insulin mimics for the treatment of diabetes. Again we use a wide range of computational techniques to establish the geometries and energetics of these complexes. Photochemistry is not a topic that is discussed in great detail in your classes. Therefore, we also spend a lot of time talking about photochemistry and discussing the research project. Students are not required to have a strong understanding of the subject to begin research in my lab.

Dr. Michael Jeannot – Analytical Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/majeannot

We are investigating simple microextraction techniques capable of performing trace analysis on environmental or biological samples. In particular, we are developing and applying a technique called solvent microextraction in which a microliter of extracting solvent is suspended from the tip of a syringe needle in the headspace above (or directly immersed in) an aqueous sample. Volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds (pollutants such as chloroform and benzene) are preconcentrated in the microdrop, which is then analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry or other techniques. Current and future research in this area includes: application of the technique to new analytical problems of interest, and investigation of the mass transfer kinetics of the headspace (3-phase) system.

Dr. Rebecca Krystyniak - Chemistry Education

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/rakrystyniak

Areas of interest include investigating student’s conceptual understanding of ionic compounds at the particulate level, the effects of the order of chemistry content instruction on student understanding, and student understanding of the language of chemistry and how that understanding relates to symbolic representations of molecules and compounds. I have also been working on a project to investigate student understanding and ability to draw Lewis Dot Structures.

Many of my research interests revolve around inquiry and it’s implementation into the classroom and the laboratory. I am interested in reforming the undergraduate laboratory experience to include both guided- and open-inquiry activities. Part of this process would include developing instruments to measure learning outcomes of these inquiry activities. I am also interested in incorporating research-based inquiry-focused pedagogy into the Preparatory Chemistry course.

Dr. Tamara Leenay – Organic Chemistry

Research interests are in synthetic organic chemistry and outreach development.

Dr. Mohammad Mahroof-Tahir – Inorganic Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/mmahroof

My group is involved in synthesis and characterization of vanadium complexes with promising antidiabetic properties. These complexes are characterized by using instrumental techniques like NMR, IR, UV-vis, and GC-MS. We characterize these complexes in a solution state to get an insight into the active species with antidiabetic properties. We are also working on understanding the mechanistic and structure activity relationship (SAR) studies in which complexes are synthesized with systematic variations in their structures. These complexes are tested for their enzyme inhibition properties with three key enzymes, protein tyrosine phosphatase, alpha glucosidase and phosphodiasterase, which play an important role in diabetes.

My research group is also involved in synthesis and characterization of anticancer complexes of titanium and germanium. The studies of the interaction of these complexes with DNA are carried out by using NMR spectroscopy and other instrumental techniques to understand the mechanism and action of these complexes. The anticancer properties and enzyme inhibition studies of these complexes are carried out in my collaborators’ laboratories.

Dr. Jack McKenna – Physical Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/jfmckenna

Current research topics include:

Analysis of codeine in poppy seed muffins by GC-MS.
Photochemically induced reactions using laser pointers.
Growth of "large" crystals for a macro-crystalography demonstration.
Development of a technique for the recovery of silver for a CHEM 210 experiment.
Analysis of the fire hazard in the copper-to-silver-to-gold demonstration.
A modification of the "glowing pickle" demonstration.
Development of an NMR equilibrium/kinetics laboratory for pchem.
Development of an NMR experiment on the hydration of aspirin.
Modification of general chemistry experiments to be more "discovery-based."
Development of novel chemical demonstrations.

Dr. Mark Mechelke – Organic Chemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/mmechelke

A major goal in cancer research has been the development of chemotherapeutic agents that are more specific and less toxic than those in current use. While traditional approaches to cancer management have involved cytotoxic compounds of limited selectivity, new ideas are focusing more on the primary disease mechanisms that underlie the development and maintenance of human cancer. One such target is a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein known as RAS that plays an essential role in the signal transduction pathways which regulate cell proliferation. Mutations in RAS proteins are associated with approximately 50% of all human cancers. The demonstration that RAS farnesylation is essential for RAS-induced cellular transformations has aroused an intense interest in farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues as potential chemotherapeutic agents.

Farnesyl pyrophosphate, the natural substrate for RAS farnesylation, is composed of two structural units, a hydrophobic farnesyl “tail” and a polar diphosphate “head.” My research focuses on incorporating modified farnesyl “tails” on natural product “heads”. The initial objective of my research group will be to synthesize farnesyl “tails” which incorporate aromatic rings in the terpenoid chain. It is anticipated that these modified “tails” will bind tighter to the enzyme active site due to intermolecular interactions with the aromatic amino acid residues that have been shown to line the hydrophobic cleft that accepts the farnesyl chain. Initially, the polar “head” of a natural product, chaetomellic acid A, will be placed on these modified “tails”. It is anticipated that compounds modified in this manner will illustrate for the first time the importance of nonbonding interactions in the binding of farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues to the enzyme active site.

Dr. Sarah Petitto – Physical Surface Chemistry

Physical surface chemistry of metal oxides, with interdisciplinary research with physics and materials science, focusing primarily the composition and speciation of aquatic systems influenced by chemical processes occurring at the solid-solution interface to develop a detailed understanding of the influence of bulk composition and structure, surface orientation, and interaction of water and other surface modifying solutes on the structure and reactivity at the mineral-fluid interface

Dr. Latha Ramakrishnan – Biochemistry

Neurotransmitter-gated receptor proteins mediate communication between ~ 100 billion neurons in the brain. These membrane-bound proteins are critical for the fundamental brain functions, such as memory and learning, and play key roles in the regulation of cell excitability. Many neurological and neuromuscular diseases affect the functions of the neurotransmitter-gated receptor proteins. My primary research interest is to understand the basic molecular mechanisms by which these ion channel proteins work in health and disease states.

The specific question that I would like to address in my research projects is “How gene mutations in neurotransmitter-gated ion channel cause particular types of neurological or neuromuscular diseases?” For example: gene mutations in the gamma-aminobutyirc acid type A (GABAA) receptor are associated with epilepsy, mutations in the glycine receptor are associated with startle disease, and defects in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) give rise to forms of myasthenic syndromes, and epilepsy. I plan to use a combination of biophysical, molecular biological and protein biochemical methods to study the structure-function relationships and regulation of receptor protein function by small molecules.

I am also interested (i) in the design and synthesis of new photolabile caged neurotransmitters as biophysical tools in transient kinetic investigations of membrane-bound proteins, and (ii) in the design and synthesis of novel polymer-linked neurotransmitters as ligands and modulators of these proteins.

Dr. Ed. Stewart

Research projects include physical organic chemistry, polymers, and nanocomposites.

Dr. Lakshmaiah Sreerama - Biochemistry

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/lsreerama

We are conducting research in the areas of cancer chemotherapy (drug resistance and drug metabolism), toxicology of ethylene glycol ethers and forensic toxicology. Our research is divided into three areas.

Area 1: Understanding the role of aldehyde dehydrogenases in toxification of ethylene glycol ether aldehydes (toxicological and forensic interest) and detoxification of aldehyde intermediates of anticancer drugs, e.g., cyclophosphamide and its analogues.

Area 2: Identifying the molecular basis for the resistance to selective anticancer drugs, e.g., cyclophosphamide, mafosfamide, flavopiridol, UCN-01 and Otteliones via proteomic [matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry-based analysis] and genomic analysis.

Area 3: Genetic polymorphisms in aldehyde dehydrogenases and their relevance to cancer chemotherapy, carcinogenesis and cancer chemoprevention.

Research Model Systems: We utilize cell-free systems (purified enzymes), cultured human cell (normal and tumor) models, animal-tumor models and human tissues for our research.

EGE metabolic graphic

Dr. Nathan Winter - Biochemistry

I am interested in protein structure. More specifically, determining the three dimensional structures of proteins through X-ray crystallography. The proteins that I am studying are aldehyde dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. I am also interested in designing, synthesizing and evaluating a cross-linking reagent which could potentially increase the ease of crystallization of proteins containing a histidine leader sequence.

	A-Z Index \| News \| Library \| Technology \| Support St. Cloud State \| St. Cloud State University Home Admissions Academics Student Life About SCSU Athletics Alumni & Friends Academic Programs Faculty and Staff Student Information Facilities Newsletters Alumni Contact Us Home Faculty-Student Research Student-faculty collaborative research is a strength of the department. Research projects are ongoing in the areas of analytical, physical, organic, inorganic, and biochemistry. The research experience may be as short as a single semester or it may last for a year and even culminate to a published paper. All students who are pursuing an American Chemical Society approved major must complete one year of undergraduate research. Please take a few minutes to check out the exciting research opportunities available. Dr. Michael Dvorak – Analytical Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/madvorak My research interests are based on the practical application of fluorescence and luminescence techniques for the detection and quantification of select species in mixtures. This can take on either a theoretical or experimental application. On the theoretical side, our goal is to develop simple, matrix based algorithms that can model the spectroscopic response from the components of a mixture. The results of these models are compared with experimental results to determine the validity of the model. On the experimental side, we are interested in using pulsed (laser based) and non-pulsed (traditional lamp) techniques aimed at generating either fluorescence lifetimes (pulsed mode) or fluorescence signatures (lamp) from species on surfaces, species separated via chromatographic techniques, or species intrinsic to a mixture. Other projects include establishing a Resonance Enhanced Multiphoton Ionization (REMPI) workstation for ultratrace detection of aromatic species in the gas phase. I am also involved in understanding the nature of dative bonding via several techniques including IR grazing angle and possibly Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) on self assembled monolayers, gas phase IR in a supersonic slit expansion (in collaboration with the U of MN), and fluorescence signatures of select B-N species in solution phase. The interested student should note that my work requires a “hands-on” aptitude to work with chemical instrumentation and to trouble-shoot experimental methodology. Although programming skills are not necessary, students desiring to develop programming skills are especially welcome. I believe that students ultimately interested in graduate or post- SCSU activities in a physical/analytical laboratory are a good fit for my lab. Dr. Daniel Gregory – Organic Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/ddgregory As a physical organic chemist, I am interested in the physical aspect of organic chemistry. In particular, I am interested in the mechanistic elucidation of photo-organic reactions. Currently, I have four different projects that I am working on. The first involves investigating the photochemistry of aromatic compounds that contain the isothiocyanate functional group. Isothiocyanates of interest This functional group plays a very important role in industrial chemistry as it is used to make a very wide range of compounds. The second project is using computational chemistry to investigate the excited states of these isothiocyanates. We use a wide range of computer techniques to gain valuable information about how these molecules look when they absorb light. The third project is a collaborative study with Dr. Mahroof-Tahir pertaining to the computational investigation of vanadium complexes. It has been shown that these complexes can serve as insulin mimics for the treatment of diabetes. Again we use a wide range of computational techniques to establish the geometries and energetics of these complexes. Photochemistry is not a topic that is discussed in great detail in your classes. Therefore, we also spend a lot of time talking about photochemistry and discussing the research project. Students are not required to have a strong understanding of the subject to begin research in my lab. Dr. Michael Jeannot – Analytical Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/majeannot We are investigating simple microextraction techniques capable of performing trace analysis on environmental or biological samples. In particular, we are developing and applying a technique called solvent microextraction in which a microliter of extracting solvent is suspended from the tip of a syringe needle in the headspace above (or directly immersed in) an aqueous sample. Volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds (pollutants such as chloroform and benzene) are preconcentrated in the microdrop, which is then analyzed by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry or other techniques. Current and future research in this area includes: application of the technique to new analytical problems of interest, and investigation of the mass transfer kinetics of the headspace (3-phase) system. Dr. Rebecca Krystyniak - Chemistry Education http://web.stcloudstate.edu/rakrystyniak Areas of interest include investigating student’s conceptual understanding of ionic compounds at the particulate level, the effects of the order of chemistry content instruction on student understanding, and student understanding of the language of chemistry and how that understanding relates to symbolic representations of molecules and compounds. I have also been working on a project to investigate student understanding and ability to draw Lewis Dot Structures. Many of my research interests revolve around inquiry and it’s implementation into the classroom and the laboratory. I am interested in reforming the undergraduate laboratory experience to include both guided- and open-inquiry activities. Part of this process would include developing instruments to measure learning outcomes of these inquiry activities. I am also interested in incorporating research-based inquiry-focused pedagogy into the Preparatory Chemistry course. Dr. Tamara Leenay – Organic Chemistry Research interests are in synthetic organic chemistry and outreach development. Dr. Mohammad Mahroof-Tahir – Inorganic Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/mmahroof My group is involved in synthesis and characterization of vanadium complexes with promising antidiabetic properties. These complexes are characterized by using instrumental techniques like NMR, IR, UV-vis, and GC-MS. We characterize these complexes in a solution state to get an insight into the active species with antidiabetic properties. We are also working on understanding the mechanistic and structure activity relationship (SAR) studies in which complexes are synthesized with systematic variations in their structures. These complexes are tested for their enzyme inhibition properties with three key enzymes, protein tyrosine phosphatase, alpha glucosidase and phosphodiasterase, which play an important role in diabetes. My research group is also involved in synthesis and characterization of anticancer complexes of titanium and germanium. The studies of the interaction of these complexes with DNA are carried out by using NMR spectroscopy and other instrumental techniques to understand the mechanism and action of these complexes. The anticancer properties and enzyme inhibition studies of these complexes are carried out in my collaborators’ laboratories. Dr. Jack McKenna – Physical Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/jfmckenna Current research topics include: Analysis of codeine in poppy seed muffins by GC-MS. Photochemically induced reactions using laser pointers. Growth of "large" crystals for a macro-crystalography demonstration. Development of a technique for the recovery of silver for a CHEM 210 experiment. Analysis of the fire hazard in the copper-to-silver-to-gold demonstration. A modification of the "glowing pickle" demonstration. Development of an NMR equilibrium/kinetics laboratory for pchem. Development of an NMR experiment on the hydration of aspirin. Modification of general chemistry experiments to be more "discovery-based." Development of novel chemical demonstrations. Dr. Mark Mechelke – Organic Chemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/mmechelke A major goal in cancer research has been the development of chemotherapeutic agents that are more specific and less toxic than those in current use. While traditional approaches to cancer management have involved cytotoxic compounds of limited selectivity, new ideas are focusing more on the primary disease mechanisms that underlie the development and maintenance of human cancer. One such target is a guanosine triphosphate-binding protein known as RAS that plays an essential role in the signal transduction pathways which regulate cell proliferation. Mutations in RAS proteins are associated with approximately 50% of all human cancers. The demonstration that RAS farnesylation is essential for RAS-induced cellular transformations has aroused an intense interest in farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues as potential chemotherapeutic agents. Farnesyl pyrophosphate, the natural substrate for RAS farnesylation, is composed of two structural units, a hydrophobic farnesyl “tail” and a polar diphosphate “head.” My research focuses on incorporating modified farnesyl “tails” on natural product “heads”. The initial objective of my research group will be to synthesize farnesyl “tails” which incorporate aromatic rings in the terpenoid chain. It is anticipated that these modified “tails” will bind tighter to the enzyme active site due to intermolecular interactions with the aromatic amino acid residues that have been shown to line the hydrophobic cleft that accepts the farnesyl chain. Initially, the polar “head” of a natural product, chaetomellic acid A, will be placed on these modified “tails”. It is anticipated that compounds modified in this manner will illustrate for the first time the importance of nonbonding interactions in the binding of farnesyl pyrophosphate analogues to the enzyme active site. Dr. Sarah Petitto – Physical Surface Chemistry Physical surface chemistry of metal oxides, with interdisciplinary research with physics and materials science, focusing primarily the composition and speciation of aquatic systems influenced by chemical processes occurring at the solid-solution interface to develop a detailed understanding of the influence of bulk composition and structure, surface orientation, and interaction of water and other surface modifying solutes on the structure and reactivity at the mineral-fluid interface Dr. Latha Ramakrishnan – Biochemistry Neurotransmitter-gated receptor proteins mediate communication between ~ 100 billion neurons in the brain. These membrane-bound proteins are critical for the fundamental brain functions, such as memory and learning, and play key roles in the regulation of cell excitability. Many neurological and neuromuscular diseases affect the functions of the neurotransmitter-gated receptor proteins. My primary research interest is to understand the basic molecular mechanisms by which these ion channel proteins work in health and disease states. The specific question that I would like to address in my research projects is “How gene mutations in neurotransmitter-gated ion channel cause particular types of neurological or neuromuscular diseases?” For example: gene mutations in the gamma-aminobutyirc acid type A (GABAA) receptor are associated with epilepsy, mutations in the glycine receptor are associated with startle disease, and defects in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) give rise to forms of myasthenic syndromes, and epilepsy. I plan to use a combination of biophysical, molecular biological and protein biochemical methods to study the structure-function relationships and regulation of receptor protein function by small molecules. I am also interested (i) in the design and synthesis of new photolabile caged neurotransmitters as biophysical tools in transient kinetic investigations of membrane-bound proteins, and (ii) in the design and synthesis of novel polymer-linked neurotransmitters as ligands and modulators of these proteins. Dr. Ed. Stewart Research projects include physical organic chemistry, polymers, and nanocomposites. Dr. Lakshmaiah Sreerama - Biochemistry http://web.stcloudstate.edu/lsreerama We are conducting research in the areas of cancer chemotherapy (drug resistance and drug metabolism), toxicology of ethylene glycol ethers and forensic toxicology. Our research is divided into three areas. Area 1: Understanding the role of aldehyde dehydrogenases in toxification of ethylene glycol ether aldehydes (toxicological and forensic interest) and detoxification of aldehyde intermediates of anticancer drugs, e.g., cyclophosphamide and its analogues. Area 2: Identifying the molecular basis for the resistance to selective anticancer drugs, e.g., cyclophosphamide, mafosfamide, flavopiridol, UCN-01 and Otteliones via proteomic [matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry-based analysis] and genomic analysis. Area 3: Genetic polymorphisms in aldehyde dehydrogenases and their relevance to cancer chemotherapy, carcinogenesis and cancer chemoprevention. Research Model Systems: We utilize cell-free systems (purified enzymes), cultured human cell (normal and tumor) models, animal-tumor models and human tissues for our research. Dr. Nathan Winter - Biochemistry I am interested in protein structure. More specifically, determining the three dimensional structures of proteins through X-ray crystallography. The proteins that I am studying are aldehyde dehydrogenase and creatine kinase. I am also interested in designing, synthesizing and evaluating a cross-linking reagent which could potentially increase the ease of crystallization of proteins containing a histidine leader sequence. Chemistry (contact information) 720 4th Avenue South - St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301-4498 Page Revised: 09/30/2009 Phone: (320) 308-3031 © 2009 St. Cloud State University Site Map \| Map & Directions \| Contact SCSU \| Accreditations St. Cloud State University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educator and employer. St. Cloud State University is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

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