Steve Oh

Our work on "Ultrasensitive Indium Phosphide Nanomembrane Wearable Gas Sensors" led by #ShiyuWei and #TuomasHaggren has just been published in #Energy&EnvironmentalMaterials. We demonstrate a nanomembrane NO2 sensor with parts per trillion (ppt) level sensitivity, and use it to detect NO2 emissions from gas stoves in a residential kitchen. Our measurements indicate that the NO2 concentration in a normal household could exceed the health benchmark, and potentially cause health issues. A recent research (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8680 ) conducted by researchers from The Stanford University found that long-term exposure to the NO2 emitted from gas and propane stoves could be responsible for up to 50,000 pediatric asthma cases in the US. Our ultrasensitive wearable NO2 sensor offers a promising solution for air quality monitoring to prevent NO2 exposure.

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mPROSS: a new web-accessible server for designing membrane proteins to improve expression levels. Membrane proteins, including receptors, channels and transporters, are critical for many cellular processes and are a dominant class of drug targets. Yet, they are incredibly frustrating for experimental analysis due to low expression levels. In recent years, the PROSS design algorithm developed by our lab to stabilise the protein native state has been demonstrated to address difficult stability and expressibility problems in many families of soluble proteins, leading to dozens of publications and patent filings. But the plasma membrane imposes very different physical constraints on proteins, and it is not clear that improving native-state stability would not adversely impact membrane-protein trafficking, quality control, and activity. In this recent paper, Jonathan Weinstein (now at Scala Biodesign) developed a membrane version of the PROSS method using empirical measurements of membrane insertion that we previously generated. In a close and productive collaboration with Izhar Karbat and Chandamita Saikia from Eitan Reuveny's lab, he applied the new method, mPROSS, to a voltage-gated potassium channel. This is a highly dynamic and oligomeric channel that poses significant challenges for design. Yet, the four designs they experimentally tested exhibited improvements of as much as 14-fold in plasma membrane functional expression. Eitan's lab used cutting-edge electrophysiological measurements in oocytes to show that the designed channels showed the same conductivity and voltage dependence as the starting point channel despite having 9-26 mutations. This demonstrates, at the single-channel level, the high reliability and accuracy of the design algorithm. Such large improvements in functional expression of membrane proteins open exciting opportunities for addressing other problems in membrane-protein engineering. I'm especially curious whether mPROSS would work effectively in receptors, such as #GPCRs. This is another class of highly dynamic membrane proteins that pose extreme challenges for characterisation. You can now access mPROSS directly through the web server or contact me if you're uncertain how to apply it to your favourite protein. More broadly, combined with the results from PROSS, this work suggests that optimising native-state stability is key to improving thermal stability and expressibility in all proteins. #proteindesign #proteinengineering #biotechnology #membraneproteins #ionchannel

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Characteristics comparison of ambient Nano-particles in Asian cities

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For those interested in Bio-Nano interfaces, the Lab has a new manuscript out in Langmuir titled: "Aspartic Acid Binding on Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles with Varying Morphologies Investigated by Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and Molecular Dynamics Simulation". The paper illustrates the significant impact nanoscale morphology has on biomolecule surface binding and organization. The study was led by recent lab PhD graduate and now lab post-doc, Yuan Li. Yuan used a bevy of SSNMR methods to structurally characterize aspartic acid adsorbed to HAP surfaces which was combined with MD simulations conducted by Chris Lorenz. Excellent agreement was found between experimental SSNMR distance measurements and MD models providing atomistic-level structural insights of the bio-nano interface. The paper can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g3fsd425

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🔬 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐐𝐛𝐃 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐂𝐄 🔬 Capillary electrophoresis is a cornerstone technique for assessing monoclonal antibody (mAb) purity, crucial for ensuring the quality of biopharmaceuticals. This recent study showcases a robust application of AQbD principles to develop and validate reduced and non-reduced capillary electrophoresis methods. By leveraging Design of Experiments (DoE) and multivariate analysis, these procedures were optimized to meet stringent regulatory standards and enhance accuracy in mAb quality assessment. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: 🧪 Developed CE-SDS methods for mAb purity determination under reduced and non-reduced conditions. 🔍 Implementation of AQbD and DoE frameworks ensured method robustness and reduced execution risk. 📊 The optimized procedures demonstrated high precision and accuracy, meeting regulatory guidelines. 🔗 Full text available here (behind paywall 💰): https://lnkd.in/e9btmEAm #AnalyticalChemistry #Biopharmaceuticals #QualityByDesign #MonoclonalAntibodies #CapillaryElectrophoresis #Pharma Terezie Cernosek, Ph.D., Matthew Dalphin, Ph.D., Joseph Sakowski, Sue Behrens, Peter Wunderli Catalent Pharma Solutions, Keck Graduate Institute

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📣 Calling researchers dedicated to tackling the pressing challenges of plastic waste! Submit your abstract for 'Symposium 21: Recyclable and Recycling Polymers' of the 12th Singapore International Chemistry Conference (SICC-12), happening from 9th - 13th December 2024 in Singapore. Chaired by Xiao (Matthew) Hu (Prof) of NTU School of Materials Science and Engineering, Symposium 21 is a must-attend for anyone invested in polymer chemistry and chemical recycling of plastic waste. Key topics for abstract submission include: ✅ Recycling and recyclability of polymers and composites ✅ Upcycling of plastic waste ✅ Biodegradable and biomass-derived polymers ✅ Emerging challenges (e.g. microplastics, etc.) ✅ Gaps between academic research and industrial reality ✅ Lifecycle and cost analysis ✅ Sorting, processing and characterization needs ✨ Selected papers from the symposium will be published in a special issue of Elsevier's Polymer. ❗️Abstract submission by: 1 October 2024 ❗️Abstract submission guidelines: https://lnkd.in/gaeKQtpe 📧 For enquiries: [email protected] 💡 Join the conversation and be part of the solution! 🌏 🌐 SICC-12 website: https://sicc12.org/ #SICC12 #BeatPlasticWaste #PlasticWaste #PlasticRecycling #Sustainability #GreenChemistry #SustainableMaterials #MaterialsScience #MaterialsResearch #NTUsgMaterialsScience

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Characterization of PM0.1 mass concentrations and elemental and organic carbon in Upper Southeast Asia

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Magnetic chitosan nanoparticles as a potential bio-sorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from wastewater: Synthesis, environmental impact and challenges https://lnkd.in/gm_6xfMS

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Our recent article on the role chiral metal-complexes in construction of chiral molecules is online. Chirality is the fundamental property of nature and is found essential for living organisms. The nature phenomenon can be mimicked in lab by using properly designed chiral metal complexes. Although in mostly utilized chiral complexes the chirality is controlled by the coordination sphere, whereas complexes chiral at the metal, are rarely employed as catalysts in asymmetric C–H functionalization. Utilizing chiral at metal complexes as catalysts can bring about substantial changes in asymmetric C–H functionalization, owing to their intriguing structure and geometry.

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Our research paper entitled "Enhancement in Phytoremediation Efficiency of Tagetus erecta with the Application of Nano‑scale Zero Valent Iron (nZVI) for the Restoration of Lead Contaminated Soil: an Approach Toward Sustainability" has been published in the journal of Water, Air and Soil Pollution. This paper discusses the coupled effect of nano-particles and phytoremediation for the removal of heavy metal Lead from soil. Gratitude to my supervisor and my labmate. Here is link to the paper : https://lnkd.in/gbk7CUNe #environment #heavymetals #soil #soilpollution #lead #phytoremediation #nanoparticles #iron #greensolutions #sustainability #springer #springernature

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The August issue of Nature Chemical Engineering is now live! You can read the issue here: https://lnkd.in/geE9twyK This month, our cover highlights work from Sharon Glotzer, Xingchen Ye & co-workers using liquid-cell TEM to image the self-assembly pathways of gold nanocubes combined with MD simulations and scaling theory to support the idea that electrostatic screening controls the assembly behavior. Also in this issue you'll find: (🔓) An Editorial discussing our take on the benefits of reading a broad discipline-oriented journal in an era where individual papers of interest are often found through direct/indirect searches; Research Highlights covering papers on chemical reservoir computation in a self-organizing reaction network, a holistic approach to assess hydroformylated Fischer-Tropsch fuels consisting of alkane-alcohol blends as possible diesel substitutes, and an electrochemical system with rate-mismatched reaction kinetics capable of adjusting to power supply and demand fluctuations in the power grid; Research Briefings on metal-organic frameworks with topological defects (periodic missing clusters) as membranes with high performance for separation of small molecules in methanol and a fabrication method for dense and defect-free large-scale graphene foil current collectors to minimize battery thermal runaway in high-energy pouch cells; And a By the Numbers from Rob Davis on a mathematical argument for how hiring more teaching faculty can boost both research and teaching. This month, our Research Articles cover: the engineering and direct imaging of nanocube self-assembly pathways (discussed above); large-scale current collectors for regulating heat transfer and enhancing battery safety (discussed above); machine learning-assisted design of flow reactors (🔓, combined MLing, CFD, and additive manufacturing); and a DNA-based spiking chemical neuron that can 'sense cold' (🔓, with bifurcation analyses much like those in reactor design). I hope you enjoy the issue! #chemicalengineering #catalysis #chemistry #sustainability #materialscience #physics #engineering #processengineering

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 https://lnkd.in/g3R82eXx Recent lab publications in collaboration with Hatzakis lab investigated how different food processing parameters influenced beetroot juice metabolites

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#mdpicompounds #openaccess Glad to share excellent work published in Compounds MDPI. 📍 Title: Abraham Solvation Parameter Model: Revised Predictive Expressions for Solute Transfer into Polydimethylsiloxane Based on Much Larger and Chemically Diverse Datasets 💡 Authors: Amy Zhou, Laine Longacre, Ramya Motati and William E. Acree, Jr. University of North Texas 👉 More information about the paper can be found here: https://lnkd.in/g7sWruN2 📢 All publications in the Special Issue "Feature Papers in Compounds (2022–2023)" are at the following link: https://lnkd.in/eTVzDtkn

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Our latest #reviewarticle: Advances in #manufacturing of #carbon-based molecular #nanomaterials based on rice husk/hull waste. https://buff.ly/3No7gnk #BioResJournal #OpenAccess #biomass #nanostructures #nanomanufacturing #carbonquantumdots #energystorage #environmentalremediation #biomedical #sustainable #quantumdots

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Goldene, the Au equivalent of single-atom-thick graphene, has recently been synthesized. Does this discovery announce a new age of 2D nanomaterials? Maybe not, but the potential for this material still is intriguing. https://lnkd.in/eNyFhm84 #nanomaterials #materialssynthesis #sciencenews #scienceisintriguing

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Our consulting team LOVES a challenge! Are you needing to provide biosafety training but don’t know where to start? Maybe you have a study coming up that requires an IBC and you don’t know what that even means, let alone why THIS study needs it when nothing has in the past? We can help :) #biosafetytraining #clinicaltrials #ibc

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