Hector Sanchez-Moran holding a very large check for $250, showing he won the poster prize.

Sanchez-Moran's enzyme immobilization research takes top prize at biologics summit

May 26, 2023

Surpassing more than 300 participants, chemical engineering PhD student Hector Sanchez-Moran took home first prize at the PEGS Essential Protein and Antibody Engineering Summit poster presentation competition.

Albert Velasco Abadia wearing a lab coat in the lab

PhD student honored for shape-changing “smart” materials research

April 13, 2023

PhD Student Albert Velasco Abadia was awarded the prestigious Materials Research Society Graduate Student Gold Award for his research in using biological catalysts — also known as enzymes — for triggering shape reconfigurations in "smart" materials known as liquid crystal networks.

Joel Kaar

Kaar joins team using NSF grant to develop "on-demand, on-site" mRNA creation

Sept. 21, 2021

COVID-19 vaccines are just the beginning for mRNA-based therapies; enabling a patient’s body to make almost any given protein could revolutionize care for other viruses, like HIV, as well as various cancers and genetic disorders. However, because mRNA molecules are very fragile, they require extremely low temperatures for storage and transportation. The logistical challenges and expense of maintaining these temperatures must be overcome before mRNA therapies can become truly widespread.