Fuller Lab 2018
The Fuller lab has been full of activity this past year. I was really honored to have received the Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar award for past work from our group, my work in the organic chemistry curriculum, and for our plans to use peptoids to create new sensors for toxic molecules in water. I’m excited to implement these new projects, and even more excited to work with future researchers supported by this grant in the next five years.
The Fuller lab was well-represented at The National Meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco. I gave a talk with my colleague Bill Scott (Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis) on introducing research-based experiments in the organic chemistry lab curriculum. Research Assistant Aanchal Mohan (’16) also gave an excellent talk on her work in San Francisco. Lastly, we had three student posters representing different projects ongoing in the lab: Caroline Bosmajian (’17) and Kristiana Tenorio (’17) each presented, and Daniel Tiano (’17) and Janelle Tobias (’18) teamed up to present the third poster.
Over the summer of 2017, the lab was bustling. Aanchal continued to work in the lab through the end of July 2017 when she left for dental school. Janelle stayed on as well after receiving a Clare Boothe Luce undergraduate research award, and we welcomed four new students to the lab: Sam Hough (’18), Andre Payman (’18), Tara Karanik (’19), and Kalli Dowell (’20). Despite the usual instrument woes that took us a bit off track, we had an exciting and productive summer. The group took a road trip to Berkeley for two days to the Peptoid Summit.
We got to hear talks and meet with some of our favorite peptoid practitioners. Before the start of the 17-18 academic year, we welcomed Anna Calkins (’17) to the lab as our new research assistant. Anna was the lead author on a paper from Prof. Stokes’s lab detailing studies of peptoids with silica surfaces. In our lab, Anna’s learning more synthesis and purification to complement her excellent spectroscopy skills; she’s a great scientist and we’re excited that she’s joined our team.
Our paper in Supramolecular Chemistry was accepted! It details interactions of peptoids with benzo[a]pyrene, a highly toxic molecule that’s a byproduct of incomplete carbon combustion. Jack Huber (’17), Kristiana Tenorio, Sam Hough, and Kalli Dowell were all co-authors, and all deserve a high-five for their hard work.
Since we last reported, four excellent seniors graduated and went off into the “real world,” and Aanchal Mohan also left to start dental school. It’s always hard to see them go—especially when it’s such a fun group! I miss their leadership in the lab and hard work, but I’m so happy for their future successes. Caroline Bosmajian and Jack Huber both landed jobs nearby using their science and engineering skills. Daniel Tiano headed off to a graduate program in physical therapy, and Kristiana Tenorio has started dental school. We wish them all the best!