Two students working with Dr. Lee Blaney, professor in chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, participated in the student poster competition at the 2024 Chesapeake American Water Work Association and Chesapeake Water Environment Association (CSAWWA/CWEA) Joint Spring Meeting in Perryville, MD in May. 

The students received the top two awards in the poster presentation competition. 

First Place -- Sahar Souizi, environmental engineering doctoral student

Second Place -- Margaret Siao,’23 chemical engineering biotechnology and bioengineering track, chemical and biochemical engineering master’s student and an ICARE fellow. 

Sahar Souizi 

Poster Title: Sustainable and rapid nutrient recovery by advanced Donnan dialysis reactors.

Authors: Sahar Souizi, An Hong Dang, Hui Chen, Lee Blaney

Abstract: Donnan dialysis leverages electrochemical potential gradients across ion-exchange membranes to selectively separate nutrients from wastewater. This project aimed to improve the rate of nutrient recovery and scale-up potential through development of novel Donnan dialysis reactors.

A batch-recycle system was used to evaluate the impacts of mixing, flow rate, and waste-to-draw solution volume ratio. With the optimal conditions, 90% orthophosphate recovery was achieved, and nutrient flux was increased by 30%. These results informed development of modular, tube- in-tube Donnan dialysis reactors, which enabled rapid nutrient recovery as struvite. These results support the role of Donnan dialysis systems to achieve circular nutrient economies.

Margaret Siao

Poster title: Influence of water quality on PFAS uptake by ion-exchange membrane-based passive samplers.

Authors: Margaret Siao, Donya Hamidi, Alvin Bett, Ke He, Lee Blaney

Abstract: Recently, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were regulated in drinking water. Many monitoring studies have reported variable PFAS concentrations in water resources. To inform the long-term, average PFAS levels, we developed and validated the performance of a novel passive sampling device comprised of anion-exchange membranes. Impacts of solution pH, salinity, and dissolved organic matter were evaluated for over 20 PFAS. Equilibrium PFAS and chloride concentrations were measured in the water and membrane phases and used to calculate selectivity coefficients. Trends between selectivity coefficients and PFAS properties enabled generation of a universal calibration for passive sampler deployment in different water sources.

Congratulations are extended to all participants for their exceptional contributions and remarkable achievements of CBEE faculty and graduate students  during the 2023 ACS Conference in San Francisco, CA.

ACS BIOT TANK COMPETITION

Vikash Kumar, chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D., who emerged victorious at the 2023 BIOT Tank competition, organized by ACS BIOT (Division of Biochemical Technology of the American Chemical Society)  at the 2023 ACS conference in San Francisco, CA. 

Kumar's company, Breathable Bioprocessing, showcased their groundbreaking solution: a breathable flask paired with a non-invasive sensor system designed for shake flask, t-flask, and G-Rex applications. His innovative solutions in bioprocessing captured the attention of both industry experts and peers, highlighting his commitment to advancing the field.

Watch Vikash’s video here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vikashk-as4711_bio-works-x-breathable-bioprocessing-at-acs-biot-activity-7097479059839811584-0t17/

POSTER & ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Hasib Hasan is an Electrical Engineering PhD student advised by Dr. Gary Carter with a research interest in biosensor development and prototyping. Hasib works in CAST under the guidance of Dr. Govind Rao.  He did a poster presentation at ACS Conference 2023 on "Machine Learning Techniques in Online Glucose Monitoring Using Glucose Binding Protein-Based Sensor: Application in Bioprocesses". 

Poster title: “Machine learning techniques in online glucose monitoring using glucose binding protein-based sensor: Application in bioprocesses”

Read here

Vida Rahmatnejad is a chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D. student advised by Dr. Govind Rao with a research interest in noninvasive process monitoring for cell therapy applications. She presented a talk  at ACS Conference on her research titled “Noninvasive Bioprocess Monitoring for Cell Therapy Applications”

Talk Title: Noninvasive Bioprocess Monitoring for Cell Therapy Applications 

Watch Vida’s talk here

Tyler R. Josephson, an assistant professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, captivated the audience with his talk at the ACS Conference.

Talk Title: AI tools for discovering molecular interaction equations

Read here

Upal Ghosh,  professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, paid tribute to his former mentor Richard Luthy by organizing a special session at the conference. As a mark of respect and gratitude, Ghosh orchestrated an event that celebrated Luthy's invaluable contributions to the field. 

Dr. Blaney, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, Dr. He, post doctoral research, '17 chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D and Sahar Souizi, environmental engineering phd student gave oral presentations at  ACS Fall 2023 

Blaney, L.; Mangalgiri, K. Photodegradation of antibiotics in the presence of agriculturally-derived organic matter. Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

Souizi, S.; Chen, H.; Stewart, K.; Blaney, L. Sustainable nutrient recovery with novel tube-in-tube Donnan dialysis reactors. Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

He, K.; Liang, J.; Siao, M.; Ellington, M.; Chen, H.; Stewart, K.; Blaney, L. Development of anion-exchange membranes as passive samplers for diverse per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.   Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

A big congratulations to Vikash Kumar, chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D., who emerged victorious at the 2023 BIOT Tank competition, organized by ACS BIOT (Division of Biochemical Technology of the American Chemical Society) at the 2023 ACS conference in San Francisco, CA. 

BIOT Tank is ACS BIOT’s version of “Shark Tank”, where cutting edge start-ups in the fields of bioprocessing compete for the finale with their product and their business plan. There were more than twenty submissions for the 2023 competition, and four were selected to give their final pitch during ACS Fall 2023 in San Francisco. Unlike the other “Shark Tank”, ACS BIOT has two awards instead of investors investing, a judge’s choice award and an audience choice award. It provides a great platform for Vikash Kumar and team to reach a wider and like-minded audience which is an investment of its own kind. We won the audience choice awards. We were the only student team at the competition. The other teams giving their pitch, were established start-ups with millions in funding and an experienced team.

Kumar's company, Breathable Bioprocessing, showcased their groundbreaking solution: a breathable flask paired with a non-invasive sensor system designed for shake flask, t-flask, and G-Rex applications. His innovative solutions in bioprocessing captured the attention of both industry experts and peers, highlighting his commitment to advancing the field. 

Watch Vikash’s video here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vikashk-as4711_bio-works-x-breathable-bioprocessing-at-acs-biot-activity-7097479059839811584-0t17/

Abstract:

Small-scale bioreactors like shake flasks, t-flasks, and G-rex are extensively used in upstream bioprocessing at academic labs and biopharma companies. However, their inability to support process monitoring due to design constraints and sterile requirements has made them function as black boxes during cell culture, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistent product quality.

To address these issues, a novel breathable membrane-based technology has been developed. This breakthrough allows for non-invasive monitoring of critical process parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and dissolved carbon dioxide, from the external environment of the vessels. For shake flasks, a breathable shake flask has been introduced, enabling measurements of dissolved O2 and CO2 through externally attached sensors. As for T-flasks and G-Rex, a sensor manifold placed at the bottom of the flask facilitates non-invasive monitoring of O2 and CO2 through gas diffusion processes without compromising the integrity of the ongoing processes.

This technological breakthrough promises to revolutionize bioprocessing by providing vital process knowledge and control. As a recent startup with three employees, the company is in early discussions with potential customers and collaborators to expand the technology's implementation globally. This innovation is expected to significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of bioprocessing studies, leading to better therapeutic product outcomes.

Celebrating our CBEE students at the GEARS (Graduate Experience, Achievements & Research Symposium) 2024. Sahar Souizi, Environmental Engineering PhD student in Dr. Blaney’s Lab, clinched the runner-up title, and Revati Kadolkar, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering PhD, under Dr. Frey & CAST, seized the People's Choice Award. 

Congratulations Sahar and Revati, for your outstanding achievements!

GEARS provides a platform for students to showcase their creative achievements, present research accomplishments, and share their experiences with peers. GEARS aims to provide a friendly atmosphere to promote collaboration, improve communication skills, and celebrate the hard work of UMBC graduate students.

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University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Applying a Novel Symbolic Regression To Speed Up Surface Chemistry Simulations

As summer wildfire smoke choked Baltimore, UMBC air pollution researchers leapt into action

Starting this May, a series of wildfires in Eastern Canada sent enormous smoke clouds wafting into the U.S., triggering air quality warnings in cities from the Midwest to the Northeast. For days, orange skies backdropped landscapes clouded by acrid air. People who could hunkered inside with the doors and windows shut. Those who had to go out faced itchy eyes, burning throats, and worse.

As a resident of the Baltimore area—which was blanketed with particularly bad smoke in both early and late June—UMBC Professor Chris Hennigan looked at the haze with dismay. But as an environmental engineer who studies air pollution, he had an additional thought: “We were looking at the air quality forecasts, and we thought ‘We have to gather data,’” he says.

The public found many colorful words to describe the summer’s unwanted smoke: brutal, eerie, dystopian.

Hennigan and his team have been working to put numbers to the adjectives. On the roof of the engineering building, the researchers installed a squat, white sensor that monitors the levels of tiny particles in the air, particularly those measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter or less—smaller than most bacteria. Called PM_2.5, these particles are released in large numbers during fires. They are dangerous to human health because they can work their way into the deepest parts of the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

The sensor showed huge spikes in PM_2.5 when the smoke blew through, on some days reaching levels considered unhealthy for anyone to breathe.

The researchers also set up equipment to filter particles out of the air. After 24 hours, they collected the filters, which they are storing, neatly labeled, in a refrigerator in Hennigan’s lab.

The filtered samples will advance at least two ongoing investigations, Hennigan says. In one avenue of inquiry, Joel Tyson, Ph.D. ’23, biochemical engineering, is studying how tiny particles can harm human lung cells. Before this year’s smoky summer, Tyson had been studying the toxic effects of particulate matter normally found in the Baltimore air. With the new smoke samples, he will start to investigate whether wildfire smoke particles, per unit, are more toxic than regular urban particulate matter, which comes from sources such as cars and power plants. Some studies have indicated that wildfire particulate matter is indeed more toxic, but more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be reached.

In another line of research, Hennigan is also studying how particles in the air, including from smoke, may affect the climate. Undergraduate chemical engineering students Danielle Larios ’25 and Luis Rodriguez ’25 are assisting in the investigations.

The researchers study how particles of brown-colored carbon-containing material absorb light. Burning vegetation sends large amounts of this brown carbon into the atmosphere. It’s possible that the particles are trapping significant heat from the sun, accelerating the pace of planetary warming. Such effects are not normally included in global climate models, and better understanding of the process could improve humanity’s ability to predict, and manage, the coming years of climate upheaval.

Climate change and wildfires are intimately linked. This summer was not only smoky, but also scorching. July marked the hottest month ever recorded, and scientists predict that as the world continues to warm, wildfires will continue to increase in quantity and intensity. “Smokeageddon,” as headlines put it, may become the new normal.

Hennigan says recent research illuminates how much wildfire smoke has contributed to air pollution trends. He points to a paper published in September in the scientific journal Nature that estimated that since 2016, wildfire smoke in the contiguous United States has undone around 25% of the progress in air quality made between 2000 and 2016.

For the researchers in Hennigan’s lab, those effects have been felt personally. 

Rodriguez recalled how in June he had to go out to buy a fresh pack of N95 masks. “The smoke was just awful,” he says. Larios says she felt a burning at the back of her throat in just 15 minutes walking to her car.

For Tyson, the effects of the smoke were so bad that at one point he struggled to breathe and had to visit the doctor. The episode, he says, drove home the importance of his toxicology research.

All three note both the complexity of the systems they are studying and the importance of discovering new knowledge that might help society handle the environmental challenges it faces.

“Our work can have real-world impact, and that’s exciting,” says Larios.

Meet a CBEE-er! Kelsey Gray is a Ph.D. Student in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at UMBC. Hear about why he chose UMBC, what research he's working on, and what he loves about the chemical and biochemical engineering program at UMBC!

“When I visited this place it felt like home. The support, the way I was welcomed, I knew I had to be here.” -- Kelsey Gray, Ph.D. student, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 

To learn more about Graduate Programs in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/grad/

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