An immortalized smile at chemistry

An Immortalized Smile at Chemistry


April 15, 2025
Above: President Henry B. Eyring (seated in wheelchair), son of U chemist Henry Eyring, responds to the unveiling of a bronze statue of his father in the lobby of the University of Utah's chemistry building. The statue was a gift from a former student of Eyring's, Khosrow B. Semnani, far left. All photos by Kirstin Roper Photography.

In 1946 when celebrated chemist Henry Eyring told his Princeton University colleagues that he had taken a position at the University of Utah he was told “but Henry, there’s no culture out there.” He responded, “culture is where I hang my hat.”


A lifelong ethic

Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Valeria Molinero admires the detail of the molecule model held in the statue's left hand.

It was an anecdote ably recounted by the scientist’s son, President Henry B. Eyring, on the occasion of the installment of a new statue to honor Eyring senior in the chemistry building at the U on April 12. The chemist’s response was not only to his friends embedded at the post-WWII Ivy League institution that had attracted (or would soon attract) a whole host of famous scientists that included Albert EinsteinJ. Robert OppenheimerJohn von Neumann and Eugene Wigner; it was confirmation of Eyring’s own character of intellectual acumen and his lifelong ethic of seamlessly integrating both academics and faith.

Surrounded by Henry Eyring’s proliferating descendants, the event with 120+ onlookers crowded into the lobby-in-the round of the chemistry building, named after Eyring, for the unveiling. Interim chair of the Department of Chemistry Peter Armentrout talked about Eyring’s contributions to theoretical chemistry that have fundamentally shaped our understanding of chemical kinetics. "I know that for a fact,” he said, “because I do chemical kinetics, and I use some of his principles all the time.” Eyring developed the absolute rate theory, known as the Eyring equation, and he is known for his seminal research on the theory of liquids, optical rotation, rate processes in biology and medicine, aging and cancer, and anesthesiology. He was presented with the National Medal of Science in 1966 by Lyndon B. Johnson and received the Wolf Prize in Chemistry in 1980.

 

Inaugural dean

U President Randall Taylor also reminded the gathering that Eyring arrived at the U as the inaugural dean of the graduate school which was the first university to receive a grant from the National Institutes of Health. “The United States was in the process of trying to define how it would do research in the Cold War era,” Randall recounted, invoking the inflection points in the U’s history. “In fact, today, even the announcements that have been made all week about national science funding … that is questioning the fundamental agreement that was made when Henry Eyring arrived at the University of Utah.”

From the moment of his arrival in Utah, Eyring’s passion for discovery and education became evident in parallel play with his skill at bridging the findings of science with profound philosophical thought. A beneficiary of this legacy during the 60s was Khosrow Semnani who arrived in Utah in 1968 and was a graduate student for a time in Eyring’s lab. Next to two family members, Semnani said, Eyring was the third “guiding light” in his life. It was the good professor's letter of recommendation that helped the new arrival from Iran land his first job at Kennecott Copper Mine. To “pay it forward," Semnani, now  generous philanthropist, funded the design, casting and installation of the statue — sculpted by Mark Degraffenried and cast under the direction of Brett Wright at the Metal Arts Foundry in Lehi.

Also on hand for remarks was Hamid Ghandehari professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Pharmaceutics at the U and brother to Hossein Ghandehari who was Eyring’s Ph.D. student and later research associate in the late 60s/early 70s. Hossein’s remembrances were read by his brother who regaled the appreciative crowd with memories of not only Eyring’s academic mentorship but his athleticism. “I am sure some of you have heard of him jumping up on his desk from the floor,” read Hamid, “when he was much younger than at the time I met him.” Eyring famously held an annual foot race with his students and other in the office. “He worked very hard to beat us in the race and we did take the difference in age into account . . . but not by much."

Science and faith

Taylor Randall, sculptor Mark Degraffenried, and Peter Armetrout.

A third-generation member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Eyring never saw any conflict between his scientific studies and his Mormon faith. "Is there any conflict between science and religion?,” he was quoted as saying in a 1983 biography. “There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men." Son President Eyring, an academic in his own right and now a senior member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, recalled his father giving a talk as president of the American Chemical Society, “and he said, in the middle of ... explaining one of these theories. … ‘Oh, I heard God saying… Henry, you got it wrong again.’ He really saw deity as a person.”

It was his father’s firm belief that he was a child of God, “and that God was the great creator, and really understood chemistry, really understood everything” that in turn benefited his students and colleagues, all of whom, Henry Eyring felt, were loved by not only a higher power, but a deified father figure. Continued President Eyring: “I sometimes said, Dad, why don't you pray and ask God to tell you something. And he said, ‘It wouldn't help. I wouldn't understand it.’”

Many individuals, not only his colleagues at the U, believed that Henry Eyring should have been awarded the Nobel prize for his research and stellar contributions, connecting the fields of chemistry and physics through atomic theory, quantum theory, and statistical mechanics. (Eyring was in fact nominated for the honor more than once.) Apparently, so also thought the president of the Swedish Academy which grants the prize and who was himself a chemist and a friend of Eyring’s. Once while the academy president and, coincidentally, the King of Sweden, were talking, Eyring — known to be a jokester — was sitting on a nearby sofa when the academy president asked him, “Are you offended that we never gave you the prize?” Reportedly, Eyring said, “Oh, no, I gave it to myself years ago.”

At the beginning of his remarks at the unveiling, the younger Eyring, at 92 and seated in a wheelchair, said he was glad he had his back to the effigy of his father, the left hand of the statue cast in bronze and fingering, almost lovingly, the model of a molecule. “When I look at this,” the younger Eyring said, gesturing over his shoulder, ”I cry. I'm glad I can't see it, because that smile is the smile he always had when he taught about chemistry, and he was trying to lift people. That's what he did.”

You can read more about the legacy of Henry Eyring here. 

By David Pace


Other dignitaries attending the ceremony included former Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the LDS church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Peter Trapa Senior Dean and Associate Provost, and Pearl Sandick, interim dean of the College of Science.

Student Stories: Angelina Skedros (biology)

Student Stories: Angelina Skedros, biology

 

When I was 11-years-old, I attended a comparative anatomy summer camp at the University of Utah. One day we toured the Olivera Lab where I saw venomous cone snails for the first time. That moment ignited my passion for science — I knew I wanted to pursue a career in research.

Skedros presenting her research in the Gagnon lab at the annual School of Biological Sciences retreat (2024)

With a family history of U graduates, spanning disciplines from English to medicine, I was eager to follow in their footsteps. Being part of the College of Science has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my academic journey. I began research in my freshman year through the Science Research Initiative (SRI) and later joined the Gagnon Lab through a more traditional route: approaching Professor Jamie Gagnon after a lecture to request an interview. As a researcher in this lab, I discovered my passion for cell, molecular and developmental biology. My research focuses on DNA, leveraging next generation sequencing technologies to investigate fundamental biological questions. Inspired by my work, I later enrolled in Genes, Development, and Evolution (BIOL 5510) with Professor Mike Shapiro, a course that strengthened my ability to critically analyze scientific literature and apply these skills across disciplines.

Oil, unnamed, 2022 – Angelina Skedros

Beyond research, my role as a College of Science Ambassador has allowed me to engage in science communication and outreach, making my research accessible to a broad audience. Through these experiences, I have developed a deep appreciation for the complexity of cellular processes — how a single cell gives rise to intricate biological systems remains one of the most fascinating questions in science.

After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to enroll in a post-baccalaureate research program to further develop my skills and refine my research focus. This experience will support my long-term goal of pursuing a Ph.D. and contributing to the scientific community as a research scientist.

My advice to incoming freshmen: go after opportunities, take that interesting class, apply for scholarships, ask for that position. Do it! But also make time for fun. As a STEM student, I learned how to hip-hop, do reformer pilates and made time for backpacking in the desert and oil painting!

by Angelina “Gigi” Skedros


Gigi is a senior honors student from Salt Lake City majoring in biology, with minors in mathematics and chemistry. Do you have questions, ideas or suggestions for other U biology student stories? Contact Tanya Vickers, Communications Editor, School of Biological Sciences, at sbs-media@biology.utah.edu

 

25th Research on Capitol Hill

College of Science Student Research on Capitol Hill

 

Last week, a select group of students from the University of Utah and Utah State University showcased their research to Utah state legislators and community members at the 25th annual Research on Capitol Hill (ROCH). This event offers a glimpse into the groundbreaking work happening in labs across the state and on the University of Utah campus.

By translating classroom knowledge into experimental design and data analysis, these students gain invaluable experience that can inspire future careers in research, medicine, and policy — equipping them to collaborate with policymakers and use science to address complex challenges. 

This year, College of Science student research was represented in 12 of the 25 projects from the University of Utah. Their diverse research covered topics on synthesis of organic molecules, monitoring groundwater storage in the Salt Lake Valley, fungi, breast cancer, spider venom, birds, cardiac imaging, bacteria, and more. While the event provides a tremendous learning opportunity for undergraduates, the relationship between students and researchers is equally impactful—undergraduates make meaningful contributions to ongoing academic research, advancing scientific discovery.

 

Below are College of Science majors who presented at this year’s Research on Capitol Hill

 

Parker Guzman, graduating spring 2025, majoring in biology, with an emphasis in ecology and evolution and a minor in integrative human biology

Poster: Birds Groom More During Molt

Mentor: Sara Bush, Professor, School of Biological Sciences

 

In the Clayton/Bush lab Guzman is focused on studying the relationship between molt and preening/grooming behavior in captive pigeons. “Molt is a huge but necessary energy investment for pigeons,” explains Parker. Research has played a central role in Parker’s undergraduate experience and future plans.  “After I leave the U,” Parker says, “I want to work in the field and then apply for a PhD program in ecology and evolution. I could see myself staying in academia, I enjoy teaching or doing research.”

You can read more about Parker Guzman’s research journey in SRI Stories: Of Bees & Pigeons

 

 

 


 

Marlon Lopez, graduating spring 2025 majoring in biology and a minor in chemistry

Poster: Exploring Short-form RON as a Therapeutic Target for Breast Cancer

Mentor: Alana Welm, Professor of Oncological Sciences and Senior Director of Basic Science at the Huntsman Comprehensive Cancer Center

 

“My curiosity started when I was in elementary school. There was a lesson about the cell that really caught my interest. The complexity and all of its functions and capabilities fascinated me. Coming to college I knew I wanted to study biology and learn about the intricacies of the cell and its components,” Marlon says, but “as a first-generation college student, my college experience has had its challenges.

"Initially, I didn't know how to get involved in research, but by looking for programs I stumbled upon a summer research program named SPUR. I applied and got accepted to do research at the Huntsman. "Working in a lab that studies breast cancer and knowing I have contributed to novel and impactful research has been exciting."

 


Kisha Thambu, graduating spring 2025 with a double major in computer science (honors) and biology with a minor in chemistry

Poster: Enhancing Myocardial T1 Mapping with a Deep Learning Framework for Deformable Motion Compensation using Utah Patient Data

Mentor: Ganesh Adluru, Associate Professor, Radiology & Imaging Sciences, School of Medicine

 

Kishan’s research leveraged artificial intelligence to improve MRI imaging for cardiac mapping. Figuring out ways to clean up the images in a patient that is actively breathing, offers the promise to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes for patients with heart disease. 

More about Kishan Thambu 

 

 

 

 


 

Isaac Graham, graduating spring 2026, double majoring in biology and chemistry

Poster: Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles on Mesoporous Silica Supports

Mentor: Ilya Zharov, Professor, Chemistry Department

 

“Research at the University of Utah has helped show me that I want to continue onto graduate school in organic chemistry and eventually work in industry on drug synthesis.

"I found my lab by surveying the chemistry department website and then cold emailing Professor Zharov to see if I could get involved in research in the lab.” 

 

 

 

 


 

Alisson Nopper, graduating spring 2025, with a double major in biology and chemistry

PosterDeaminative contraction chemistry for the synthesis of [2.2]paracyclophane and asymmetric derivatives 

Mentor: Andrew Roberts, Professor, Chemistry Department

 

“My undergraduate research experiences started with the SRI program doing cancer biology research. After I took organic chemistry 1 and 2 — the synthesis courses — I decided to apply to work in a chemistry lab. I’ve been working on organic synthesis for two years now, in the Roberts lab, and will be pursuing a PhD in organic chemistry beginning this fall.” 

 

 

 

 


 

Colton Williamson, graduating summer 2025, majoring in geoscience with an emphasis in geology

Poster: Quantifying Submarine Discharge in Farmington Bay and the Great Salt Lake using Radon-222

Mentor: Douglas Kip Solomon, Professor, Geology & Geophysics, Mines and Earth Sciences

 

After graduating, Colton will be continuing his education and research in groundwater and hydrology as a master’s student in geoscience, mentored by Kip Solomon.

“Undergraduate research has been crucial to my development at the U," sys Colton. "I was able to see science in real time, which helped me better understand concepts related to geology and groundwater. After my master’s degree, I want to work in industry, specifically in hydrology and groundwater management, so that I can help people make informed decisions on water budgets.”

 

 


 

Kyle Pope, graduating fall 2025, majoring in geology with an emphasis in geophysics

Poster: Monitoring Groundwater Storage Change in the Salt Lake Valley Using Repeat Microgravity and GPS

Mentor:  Tonie van Dam, Professor, Geology and Geophysics

 

Kyle is from California and has a bachelor’s in history, which he completed in 2013. His pivot to science was inspired by the outdoors.

“After spending a decade as a Grand Canyon river guide I got a lot of perspective on the time and scale of things and the sure mass of this place," he says. "I fell in love with rocks and that’s when I decided I wanted to go back to school and learn more about them. When I started at the U, I found out I loved processes that explain how this place came together."

"I quickly realized that [this area of science] involves a lot of math, something I did not have a lot of confidence in. I met Professor Tonie Van Dam who gave me the confidence to pursue the things I’m interested in. After graduating I want to get into geothermal exploration and anything involving natural sources of power.”

 

 

 


 

Ella Bleak, graduating 2026, double majoring in Chemistry (honors) and Mathematics

Poster: Understanding Weapons of Bacterial Warfare

Mentor: Talia Karasov, Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences

 

“My research is focused on finding a solution to the antibiotic crisis that healthcare is facing. It is a massive problem because we are finding that there are more and more bacteria resistant to antibiotic medicines so we are no longer able to fight bacterial infections the way we once did. Our proposed solution is to actually use tailocins, which are proteins produced by bacteria. The proteins show promise as an alternative to current antibiotic types. We have been able to successfully extract and use tailocins to kill bacteria [in lab experiments]. Research has been integral in helping me decide I want to pursue a PhD.” Learn more about Ella bleak here article

 

 


 

America Cox, graduating 2026, double majoring in biology (honors, with an emphasis in ecology, evolution, and environment) and philosophy of science, with minors in chemistry, media studies and honors integrated ecology on the East Africa track.

Poster: Cryptic Coevolution of Ant-Farmed Fungi: Linking Genomic and Metabolic Profiles

Mentor: Bryn Dentinger, Associate Professor, School of Biological Sciences 

 

“Mycology is such an emerging field because about 70 years ago, people still thought fungi were plants,” she explains. “So when I went to Mexico, we were out there just seeing what there is. Being able to see that at the ground level and seeing the field [of mycology] start to move in new ways is really cool.”

Learn more about America Cox 

 

 


 

Allie Perkins, graduating spring 2026, majoring in biology and Spanish

PosterQuaking Aspen Pathogen Defenses Change in Response to Drought Events

MentorTalia Karasov, Assistant Professor, School of Biological Sciences

 

“My freshman year, I participated in the Science Research Initiative, SRI. Being part of that program gave me a supportive environment where I gained foundational research skills and learned more about the research process. I am looking forward to this event [Research on the Capitol] and the opportunity to share my research with lawmakers who can impact the issues I am studying."

"Right now feels like a scary time for research because of the executive orders from the new presidential administration, and I feel like my whole undergraduate research experience has prepared me to talk about science with people from a variety of backgrounds. I feel ready to meet people where they are and able to help build their foundation of scientific knowledge.” 

Learn more about Allie Perkins: Humans of the U, February 19, 2025 and on Wilkes Center: Research Minutes (video) 

 


 

Logan Reeves, graduating spring 2026, majoring in biology (honors), minoring in chemistry, pediatric clinical research, and ecology and legacy

Poster
: Testing of an Indoor Climbing Program to Promote Physical, Mental, and Social Well-Being for College Students

MentorAkiko Kamimura, Associate Professor, Sociology, Social and Behavioral Science

 

Logan took a different approach to getting involved in research, by merging his passion for climbing with a desire to address mental health challenges in college students that followed COVID.

“My project involved working with three other students [all non-STEM majors] and was hosted by the department of sociology. Honestly, as a biology major, this research was very, very fun. Most biological research has a lot of pipetting. I am so grateful to have been able to do this, to do the sport that I love and be able to interact and get to know the participants.” 

 

 

 


 

Alexander Rich, graduating spring 2026, majoring in biology with a chemistry minor

Poster: Decoding Species Identities: A Spider Venom RNA Analysis

Mentor: Rodolfo Probst, SRI Fellow and PhD alum of the School of Biological Sciences

 

“I study spider venoms. Spiders are very diverse and most produce venoms, Alexander says. "Venoms have very specific cellular and molecular targets that have the potential to be developed into pharmaceuticals. We are using a very old collection of spider venoms and then working backward to identify the species source."

"This research has been really impactful, both for teaching me about the biological processes that venom has and how they might apply to my future in medicine. It has also been a great avenue for me to connect to different people in science and get their perspectives on my research. It’s been a great opportunity for me to grow in science, research, and as a future medical professional.” 

Assembled by Tanya Vickers, School of Biological Sciences

Read more about Research Day on the Hill in @theU.

Exploring the frontiers of frozen water

Exploring the frontiers of frozen water


February 6, 2025
Above: credit Christophe Salzmann

Water is ubiquitous and seemingly ordinary, possessing no distinct color or odor. Though we often take water for granted, it is by no means a simple substance.

 

As a consequence of its chemical properties, H₂O is one of the most incredible substances, able to form into 20 known separate crystalline ice phases. Now researchers are seeking to expand that number even further.

Ingrid de Almeida Ribeiro

Ingrid de Almeida Ribeiro, a postdoctoral researcher in chemistry, and her lab partners in the Molinero Research Group at the University of Utah’s department of chemistry have published a study detailing their work advancing the science of amorphous ice using computer simulations. Often characterized as glass, amorphous ice had long been known to appear in either a low-density amorphous (LDA) or high-density amorphous (HDA) state. A recent study demonstrated the existence of medium-density amorphous (MDA) ice through the application of ball milling. Ribeiro’s work expanded upon this by examining the consequences of shear in addition to other variables, including temperature and pressure.

Amorphous ice is distinguished from typical crystalline ice by its non-periodic atomic arrangement. It is still classified as a solid material, which can be alternatively described as “a liquid that has lost its ability to flow.”

“Think about walking into a movie theater. All the seats are lined up in perfect rows and columns. That’s like crystalline ice—atoms arranged in a structured, repeating pattern. Now, picture a music festival, people are just scattered everywhere—some packed closely together, others with more space between them, no clear arrangement. That’s like amorphous ice.” Ribeiro said. “Now, picture a liquid, where atoms move freely. If you were to freeze that disordered structure without allowing the atoms to rearrange into a crystal, you’d get a glass. It’s like a frozen snapshot of a liquid.”

 

 

Read the full story by Ethan Hood in @ The U.

Why mobile farm technology won the 2024 Wilkes Climate Launch Prize

How mobile farm technology won the 2024 Wilkes Prize


January 7, 2025
Above: Applied Carbon’s pyrolyzer. PHOTO CREDIT: Applied Carbon

A Texas company, winner of the 2024 Wilkes Climate Prize, aims to develop technology to create 'biochar' as a soil additive that could benefit farmers.

This story is jointly published by nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune to elevate diverse perspectives in local media through student journalism.

A "pyrolizer," a machine that can apply high heat without oxygen to crop waste and create a soil additive called biochar, dumps loads of the substance into bags. Applied Carbon, a Texas startup, has received a $500,000 prize from the U's Wilkes Center to develop the technology as a way to store carbon. Credit: Applied Carbon

The stalks and husks of corn plants — the waste product left by combine harvesters — could be a key tool in the fight against climate change, and the University of Utah is putting up $500,000 to test the idea.

The U.’s Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy recently awarded its half-million-dollar Wilkes Climate Launch Prize to Applied Carbon, a Texas-based startup.

Applied Carbon won the prize for its mobile farm technology, which turns crop waste into a soil additive that decreases the need for fertilizer and stores the remaining carbon in the earth’s soil.

William Anderegg, director of the Wilkes Center, said one of the main selling points of Applied Carbon’s technology is its potential to be made for scale.

“The scalability is very exciting, and you can see a path for them to really scale up across many different agricultural fields in the next couple of years,” he said.

The crop waste is produced when combine harvesters sail through tall corn fields, their rotating blades slicing through the stalks, filtering them into the machine’s mouth, where its spinning cylinders rip the corn kernels from the husk and stems. The combine saves the kernels of corn in its body and spits out the stalk and husk remnants, leaving it to waste on the flattened field.

The prize, one of the largest university-run climate prizes in the world, was created in 2023 to help jump-start promising climate solution ideas. At a September reception in partnership with the Southwest Sustainability Innovation Engine, Anderegg awarded the prize money to Jason Aramburu, Applied Carbon’s CEO and co-founder.

At the reception, Aramburu said that “as a startup company … there’s often a funding gap, particularly in this sector, to get your technology to market.” He later added that the prize money will help the company produce more of their biochar machines and get them into the field.

Applied Carbon now has four mobile pyrolizers, a machine that can reach high temperatures without oxygen, and the company will apply the prize money to its field operations in Texas, Aramburu said. These operations, he said, work in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

“We’ve got about 4,000 acres of corn that we’re working with. We will test our equipment [in Texas] and also test how effective the biochar is on the soil,” he said.

The yield and soil chemistry testing, Aramburu said, will determine if the process works and to measure the impact of the technology. The project, in its first multi-season trial run, is expected to remove 100,000 tons of carbon from the atmosphere by 2026, he said.

Biochar, a charcoal-like substance derived from biomass waste, is made through pyrolysis, a heat-driven process that uses virtually no oxygen and stores carbon in the waste product, according to Utah State University. Biochar, Anderegg added, is promising as a nature-based tool for fighting climate change because its carbon storage is stable and lasts hundreds of years.

“By contrast, a huge number of companies and governments are interested in tree planting, … but forests are at increasing risk from fire and drought and climate change,” he said. “We really worry about planting trees in one area that may be dead in 10 to 20 years.”

By Giovanni Radtke

 

You can read the full story for free at Amplify or with a subscription in the Salt Lake Tribune.

 

 

Two 2 Tango

TWO 2 Tango


October 25, 2024

​​Chemistry faculty & graduate student duos prove that two minds are better than one.

 

Unraveling Bacterial Genomes

At the University of Utah's Department of Chemistry, faculty member Aaron Puri and graduate student Delaney Beals are pioneering research to decode bacterial genomes by understanding their natural environments. Their project, which began with Puri's pilot experiments during his postdoctoral fellowship, focuses on linking methanotroph phenotypes to genotypes using a spatially resolved model ecosystem.

Graduate student Delaney Beals and faculty member Aaron Puri

Puri, who started his research group in 2019, brings a diverse and impressive background to the project. With triple bachelor's degrees from the University of Chicago, a PhD in chemical and systems biology from Stanford University, and postdoctoral research at the University of Washington, Puri's expertise spans chemical tools for host-pathogen interactions and genetic tools for methane-oxidizing bacteria. Now a faculty member in the Henry Eyring Center for Cell & Genome Science, his work centers on the biological chemistry of bacteria that grow on one-carbon compounds like methane and methanol.

Beals, a fifth-year PhD candidate, contributes vital expertise in the chemical ecology of methane-oxidizing bacterial communities. Originally from North Carolina with a bachelor's from UNC Asheville, Beals was drawn to Puri's lab due to its focus on bacterially derived natural products. "By studying how a particular microbe behaves in the natural environment versus in the lab,” she explains, “we can better understand the ecological context in which various compounds are produced, and thus improve efforts to capitalize on a naturally occurring process."

Their research aims to uncover how bacteria use natural products to interact with each other and the environment. Puri elucidates the challenge: "We live in a time where we have virtually unlimited access to bacterial DNA (genome) sequences. But we have a hard time making sense of the vast majority of this information in the lab." To address this, the team grows bacteria in conditions closer to their natural environment, which has revealed exciting insights. Puri notes, "We can use relatively simple materials to uncover new bacterial behaviors in the lab in a reproducible manner."

The Puri-Beals collaboration has yielded significant findings, showing that bacterial behavior varies depending on their location within the model ecosystem. This research has potential applications in alternative energy, agriculture, and health by optimizing the use of microbes for various purposes. Their work not only advances our understanding of bacterial genetics but also paves the way for practical applications with far-reaching societal impacts.

As Puri emphasizes, "This work underscores that it is critical to think about the environment the bacterium of interest came from to understand what the genes in bacterial DNA are doing, since that is where they evolved." This approach promises to enhance our ability to harness microbes as sources for new natural products and to optimize their use in diverse applications.

Decoding Human Milk Oligosaccharides

In the aftermath of the 2022-2023 infant formula shortage, the research of Professor Gabe Nagy and graduate student Sanaz Habibi (they/their) has taken on newfound significance. Their project, focused on characterizing human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), addresses crucial sugars in human milk that play a vital role in infant development.

Gabe Nagy and graduate student Sanaz Habibi

The complexity of HMOs presents a significant challenge, with potentially over 200 different compounds, yet authentic references are currently available for only about 30 of them. Nagy and Habibi are at the forefront of developing new analytical techniques to enhance HMO characterization, which could have profound implications for improving infant formula and understanding infant nutrition.

Habibi, who joined Nagy's lab in 2021, brings expertise in analytical chemistry and instrumentation from their undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. Their research utilizes high-resolution cyclic ion mobility spectrometry-mass spectrometry (cIMS-MS) to analyze HMOs. Habibi explains their journey: "I became very interested in the cIMS-MS instrument that was being used in his lab, despite having little to no background in IMS or MS. I realized that Gabe's lab was the best fit for me to learn a different type of separation technique and increase my knowledge of mass spectrometry for studying an important class of carbohydrates."

Further elaborating on their innovative approach Nagy says, "We aim to develop advanced methods using ion mobility separations and mass spectrometry. These methods aim to decipher the structures of all possible HMOs, addressing the gap in understanding caused by the lack of comprehensive reference materials." This work involves constructing collision cross section databases, which provide numerical descriptions of the size, shape, and charge of ions—crucial for accurately identifying both known and unknown HMOs in real human milk samples.

The team's work is particularly timely, as Nagy points out: "The world of sugar analysis has lagged behind other fields by 10-20 years, and we believe that our lab could develop new tools in order to bridge this gap." The duo’s research not only contributes to solving immediate challenges in infant nutrition but also has broader implications for analytical chemistry.

Nagy and Habibi are optimistic about the wider applicability of their tools and methods. They envision their advancements being adopted by laboratories worldwide across various molecule classes. Habibi emphasizes the potential of their work "to enhance the comprehensive profiling of human milk using our developed methods."

This pioneering research has the potential to empower other disciplines such as biology and medicine by providing access to advanced analytical tools. As infant nutrition continues to be a critical area of study, the work of Nagy and Habibi stands at the forefront of efforts to improve our understanding and application of human milk components in infant formula and beyond.

By Julia McNulty and David Pace

The intersection of science and aesthetics

The intersection of science and aesthetics


Dec 04, 2024

The work of recent chemistry graduate Uziel Gonzalez BS ‘24 was featured in the September 24 publication of C & E News feature “Chemistry in Pictures.” 

 

Uziel Gonzalez (BS ‘24)

Tom Richmond said for the C & E News “While purifying tert-butylmalononitrile, a useful starting material for the synthesis of organic electronic materials, University of Utah chemistry undergraduate Uziel Gonzalez discovered the molecule had made beautiful, fernlike crystals via room temperature sublimation. Though not suitable for structure determination by X-ray diffraction, which was the original goal, the crystals in the resulting 6 x 4 mm microscope image were suitable for framing. The acidic C–H bond of the malononitrile provides a useful handle to make new carbon-carbon bonds with highly fluorinated aromatics. 

Uziel Gonzalez is one of the 2024 Laya F. Kesner Award recipient. When he received the award, Professor Thomas Richmond noted, “Uziel was an outstanding student in Inorganic Chemistry, has been involved with the ACS student affiliate's group and even managed to make some new fluorocarbon molecules in my lab. Ultimately, he would like a career as an FBI Agent."  

The feature “showcases the beauty of chemistry, chemical engineering and related sciences” to the 150,000 readers of C&E News and beyond.  As noted in the article, an elegant leaf-like structure was formed upon sublimation of a volatile organic compound.  Although not suitable for crystallography, it was suitable for framing. 

This story was originally posted on @chem.utah.edu  where you can see other stunning images from Uziel Gonzalez 's collection.

The surprising role of CO₂ in cellular health

The surprising role of CO₂ in cellular health


Dec 02, 2024

The cells in our bodies are like bustling cities, running on an iron-powered system that uses hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) not just for cleaning up messes but also for sending critical signals.

Normally, this works fine, but under stress, such as inflammation or a burst of energy use, oxidative stress damages cells at the genetic level.

This is because iron and H₂O₂ react in what’s known as the Fenton reaction, producing hydroxyl radicals, destructive molecules that attack DNA and RNA indiscriminately. But there’s a catch. In the presence of carbon dioxide — that pesky gas disrupting global climate systems — our cells gain a secret weapon in the form of bicarbonate which helps keep pH levels balanced.

A team of University of Utah chemists has discovered that bicarbonate doesn’t just act as a pH buffer but also alters the Fenton reaction itself in cells. Instead of producing chaotic hydroxyl radicals, the reaction instead makes carbonate radicals, which affect DNA in a far less harmful way, according to Cynthia Burrows, a distinguished professor of chemistry and senior author of a study published this week in PNAS.

“So many diseases, so many conditions have oxidative stress as a component of disease. That would include many cancers, effectively all age-related diseases, a lot of neurological diseases,” Burrows said. “We’re trying to understand cells’ fundamental chemistry under oxidative stress. We have learned something about the protective effect of CO₂ that I think is really profound.”

Co-authors include Aaron Fleming, a research associate professor, and doctoral candidate Justin Dingman, both members of the Burrows Laboratory.

“Just like opening up a can of beer. You release the CO₂ when you take your cells out of the incubator. It’s like doing experiments with a day-old glass of beer. It’s pretty flat. It has lost the CO₂, its bicarbonate buffer,” Burrows said. “You no longer have the protection of CO₂ to modulate the iron-hydrogen peroxide reaction.”

She believes bicarbonate needs to be added to ensure reliable results from such experiments.

Read the full article by Brian Maffly in @TheU.

Teaching Thousands

Teaching Thousands


October 25, 2024

At the University of Utah, six chemistry professors are the face of their discipline to thousands of students. 

At the Department of Chemistry, excellence and innovation converge in an extraordinary educational endeavor: moving over 2,000 students each semester through foundational chemistry classes.

This remarkable feat is achieved through a cutting-edge curriculum delivered by six passionate educators known as the "teachers of thousands": Jeff Statler, Elizabeth Greenhalgh, Ryan DeLuca, Kaci Kuntz, Holly Sebahar, and Greg Owens. These instructors, all six of whom are featured here, possess a rare skill set that allows them to present fundamental chemistry with competence, patience, and an uncanny ability to inspire. In their classrooms and labs, aspiring chemists and future medical professionals alike find themselves immersed in an unparalleled learning environment. These six are supported by other faculty dedicated to curriculum development and fostering a robust space for scientific curiosity.

Greg Owens

Greg Owens

When Greg Owens walks into the classroom, he’s in paying-it-forward mode. He attended college in rural Georgia where two of his chemistry professors had just arrived from the U and inspired him to transfer there. They facilitated a spot for Owens in the REU program where he spent his summer after his junior year working in Tom Richmod’s lab, learning valuable skills and techniques. “That experience solidified my interest in academics and in going to graduate school,” he says.

Owens attended UCLA for graduate school where he focused on teaching and used his Utah connection to sneak a toe back in the door after finishing his dissertation. Since 2002, he has instructed classes ranging from 115 to 230 students, totaling over 19,000 students taught throughout his career so far. Owens' graduate work in inorganic chemistry provided him with comprehensive knowledge of the field, making general chemistry a natural choice for his teaching career. Even as a TA in graduate school, he enjoyed opening students’ eyes not only to the world of atoms and molecules but also to the satisfaction of problem-solving.

General chemistry represents for many students their first opportunity to apply mathematics and fundamental principles to understand how things work and how seemingly unrelated phenomena are connected. The course allows them to move beyond memorization and learn to navigate through a series of logical steps to solve complex problems.

In recent years, Owens’s teaching style has evolved from traditional lecturing of hundreds of students in a classroom setting to asynchronous instruction. In these “online courses,” students engage with course materials independently through Canvas, which includes textbooks, instructional videos, problem sets, practice quizzes, and discussion boards. There are no set class meetings, allowing students to study at their own pace and convenience. This approach offers flexibility and freedom while also placing significant responsibility on the student.

One of his favorite classes to teach is the first semester of chemistry for students aiming to enter nursing school. He often finds that many students in these classes initially believe they lack aptitude for math and science, leading to a lack of confidence at the start of the course. However, their strong motivation to succeed in nursing school drives them forward. “It’s rewarding to witness these students’ growing confidence as they recognize the subject’s relevance to their career path and discover their capability in science and math, far exceeding what they had previously believed possible.”

Reflecting on fond memories from these types of classes, he recalls a humorous incident involving Halloween and students’ cell-phones to which, in the early days, he had a particular aversion to especially when they rang ringing loudly during class, including during exams. One Halloween, a student surprised everyone by running down the lecture hall dressed in a homemade cell-phone costume, distributing candy to the audience amidst laughter.

Throughout Owens’s teaching career, he has managed to help his students see their world in very different ways and comprehend complex ideas they initially thought were beyond their abilities. “Every semester,” he says, “I’m in awe of the students who refuse to give up, overcoming enormous hardship and personal tragedy to excel in their studies. He believes in giving students space as wide as rural Georgia and opportunity to learn how to learn and make mistakes, advising incoming students interested in chemistry to get involved with a research lab as soon as possible. This is where students’ knowledge, skills, and interests can grow exponentially.

Jeff Statler

Jeff Statler

Originally from Iowa, Jeff Statler taught physics and chemistry in public high schools for about 22 years and worked with professors Ron Ragsdale, Jerry Driscoll, and Tom Bebee for many of those years. He has always had an innate drive to live around the mountains and the desert and moved to Utah about 35 years ago. In 2010, professors Ragsdale, along with Henry White and Greg Owens, recruited Statler to transition into the Department of Chemistry full-time where he’s been since 2011. Even with an early and abiding passion for the physical sciences and mathematics, chemistry was not his first choice, but he saw the need for chemistry teachers. It helps that he gets to do really cool demonstrations.

Statler has also taught analytical chemistry, physics, and mathematics, but general chemistry may be his favorite. On a Wednesday before Labor Day weekend, he opens a classroom jam-packed with about 350 students with careful, deliberative class procedurals. He is quick to reiterate what the learning objectives are of chapters, distinguishing between what students will be tested on and what content is strictly for their enrichment. He is aware of how big his subject is and how distracting some lines of inquiry can become. “Don’t worry about chapter two until this weekend,” he says. “There’s a lot physics and a lot of quantum mechanics, mostly enrichment stuff, not part of the learning objectives.” He talks strategy, as if he’s enrolled himself. “I won’t test you on that,” he says answering a question about prioritizing.”Pretty much all the rest of this it’s all chapter one and essentials.” The rest of it? “Be mesmerized, bewildered, by it, but, no you don’t have to memorize anything. I’ll give you all the equations you will need.  I’ll emphasize the equations you’ll need and we’ll practice them.” The way he scans the bank of students above him in class is intimate, improbably giving eye contact, it seems, to everyone.

Clearly, he’s skilled at reassuring students that there’s a sequence of things. “I’m big not on memorization but on patterns… We’re almost anti-memorization,” around here.

As he introduces the subject matter for the class—why white light is made of the colors of the rainbow and electromagnetic fields–prisms and spectrums—he projects five statements on the multiple screens throughout the lecture hall: some of the statements are true, others are false and others are just made up. “Mingle, chat, ask your neighbor what they think,” he says and suddenly, his TAs are trailing up the stairs, scanning the clusters of chatting students, listening in on the conversations, making themselves available for questions, making comments . . . being present.

This interactive, “inverted classroom” approach meets students where they are. In these large classes of between 250 to 350 students, getting students to interact with each other is crucial. His favorite aspect about teaching students who are not necessarily studying chemistry is simply sharing his fascination with science and nature with all STEM students. “Teaching and learning are always so individual in many ways,” he admits, and he can only hope that whatever impact he might have is overall positive and motivating. How he has been impacted is not so variable. “Students always inspire and motivate me and keep me ‘thinking young’ with their fresh questions, perspectives, and unique needs and backgrounds.”

Just the herculean endeavor of teaching 12,000 students over his 35-year career to thrive and flourish in chemistry brings Jeff Statler all the rewards he could ever hope for. And his embodied wonder as he conducts the light experiments his face down close and itself awash in light, the detail of it, in turn, projected above, is chemistry in action, pedagogy in the flesh.

HOLLY L SEBAHAR

Holly Sebahar

It all started with frogs. “I had a strong interest in frog ecology so I had declared a biology major which meant I was required to take organic chemistry,” says Holly Sebahar, a first-generation college student from Minnesota. “I fell in love with the subject and could not get enough of it.” In particular, she says, it was the mechanistic side of organic chemistry. “The fact that a small set of rules can be used to predict and explain a wide range of reactions was fascinating to me. I also love applying our knowledge of organic chemistry to understand biochemical pathways and how drugs work.”

After earning her PhD, she interviewed for both industrial and academic jobs. “Eventually it was my love of interacting with students that helped me to decide to become a professor.”

At the U, with class sizes that range from 200 to 340, Sebahar aspires to challenge her students and to provide a supportive and encouraging environment with lots of resources to help them find success. “I believe that having a large team of teaching and learning assistants and supplemental instructors is the key to supporting so many unique students,” she says. “We try offer a wide variety of office hours and review sessions, a diverse set of communication styles, lots of chances to talk about the chemistry and ask questions . . . and learn from their mistakes.”

Learning from mistakes is embedded in Sebahar’s course culture, “where mistakes are embraced and utilized instead of feared.” Tapping not only TAs but learning assistants through the College of Science’s Center for Science and Mathematics Education, she claims that because these leaders have recently taken the class “they remember how challenging it was and are able to provide excellent advice about how to study and how to approach each of the challenging topics.” Instructional staff also serve as mentors and provide important major/career advice.

The diversity in Sebahar’s large lectures is staggering: older students with different levels of family and job responsibilities; those with little or no preparation in chemistry and few if any established study skills and test-taking abilities; gender; preferences for working independently and those who prefer group work; race, gender . . . differing goals. It requires that the instructor be nimble, flexible and innovative.

As an HHMI UPSTEM Faculty Fellow, an instructor in Being Human in STEM, a member of the Chemistry Articulation Team and an inaugural member of the Department of Chemistry’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, all inform her attempt to create an inclusive classroom setting. “I try to constantly ask myself ‘who will be left out if I design my course this way?’ she writes in her teaching philosophy statement, an ambitious, comprehensive and detailed plan for reaching and succeeding with students across multiple spectra. “I strive to create a highly structured class with clear expectations, several lines of communication, and as much flexibility as possible to try to reach the many learning styles and accommodate the busy schedules inherent in a class of 300 students.”

An example of this penchant for innovation, Sehabar held Zoom lectures for students that thrive having a set schedule and who wish to interact with the instructor, other students, and the TAs during lecture. The recorded lectures are also posted for those students that work the night shift prior to the lecture or wish to watch the lecture at their own pace with the ability to pause and rewind as desired.

Sebahar maintains a 6:1 ratio between students and TAs who are aware when a student is going through a difficult time. “This has become increasingly important to me as I have witnessed more and more students struggling with mental health issues each year,” she says.  “Adding the pandemic, recession, and protests on top of the normal stressors has been extremely difficult this year. [2023-24]...  By identifying issues early, we have been able to refer several students to the counseling center, the student emergency fund and the Dean of Students.”

To countervail attrition in student enrollment and graduation, attention must be paid not only to securing resources but recognizing varied signals of student distress. It’s a high-touch approach to student success that over the past 22 years—700 students per year—has grandly totaled over 15,000 students. Her mantras? “Don’t focus on the negatives. Take time to get to know your students and enjoy their energy, enthusiasm and unique gifts and talents. Keep learning so your passion for the subject doesn’t fizzle.”

With that navigation set, it’s little wonder that Holly Sebahar found her bliss in teaching not in spite of a frog pond but because of it.

Kaci Kuntz

Kaci Kuntz

For Kaci Kuntz, the louder the groan, the happier she is. This may take some explaining.

Known for her expressive personality and love of glitter, this associate professor (lecturer) decorates her office and coordinates her wardrobe with sequins and bright colors. Students appreciate her exuberant teaching style, and her tradition of sharing daily jokes helps engage them in the learning process.

And so it goes that when her “joke of the day” elicits a massive groan from over 300 students Kuntz knows that though they disdain her jokes, they comprehend the chemistry behind them. Mission accomplished.

As with her Teaching Thousands colleagues, whose teaching style is interactive and inclusive, Kuntz is also keen on historical context. In General Chem 1, state -the-art science starts at 460 BCE when philosophers hypothesized that matter was made of fire, water, air, and earth. Over the course, she advances all the way to the current “state-of-the-art” science. It is truly unique to cover 680+ years of science and its advancement in a single course.

Then, in General Chemistry II, she dives more deeply and applies chemical concepts to experimental conditions with all of the complexities encountered. In Kuntz’s opinion, General Chemistry II is the most useful course in chemistry because it teaches how to design a proof-of-concept experiment for investigating a hypothesis. She loves teaching this course knowing that students can walk out of it with the skills needed to become scientists. Since starting at the U she has taught lectures with as few as 30 students and as many as 360 for a career total of around 4,000 students so far.

“The student mind is compassionate and has much to learn,” she states. “I cannot speak on behalf of the students, but I hope I’ve empowered them to be confident in their knowledge and their ability to succeed in chemistry, their education, and their career pursuits.”

In class, Kuntz follows brief lectures with interactive problem-solving sessions, allowing students to apply concepts and address common misconceptions. When students hesitate, she sits beside them to offer guidance—a practice she acknowledges with a glittering laugh that might seem 'annoyingly' interactive, though students appreciate her approach and authenticity. Her commitment to student advocacy includes revamping General Chemistry labs to reduce fees and enhancing laboratory safety procedures.

Ryan DeLuca

Ryan DeLuca

If the classroom is a molecule writ large, Ryan Deluca is the bonding agent of its constituent atoms, his students. Standing at the front of a class of 250-plus he is the glue that, in chemistry, defines the smallest identifiable unit into which a pure substance can be divided and still retain the composition and chemical properties of that substance.

A Utah native and U alumnus who returned to the U to teach after a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University, DeLuca is captivated by the intricacies of molecular mechanisms, the art of synthesizing compounds, and the analytical challenge of elucidating reaction pathways. But this hydrogen bond-of-a teacher of thousands is also captivating to his acolytes who the first week of class may find such subjects baffling.

DeLuca loves introducing students from various disciplines to the marvels of organic chemistry or “o-chem.” “It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see students, who may not have a primary interest in chemistry, develop an appreciation for the subject,” he says.

O-chem is relevant to many fields, and DeLuca enjoys helping students understand its applications and significance in their respective areas of study. He facilitates this by by employing a problem-based teaching approach, believing that students learn best through active engagement and practical application of concepts. While o-chem, a requirement for pre-med/pre-nursing students and other majors, can be daunting, DeLuca finds that tackling challenging problems helps students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. He emphasizes the importance of perseverance and provides ample resources to support students’ learning journeys.

To ensure effective learning in diverse class settings (from 25 students to 350), DeLuca utilizes peer-directed learning and provides strong support from teaching assistants. Overall, DeLuca has recorded 29 chemistry courses over the past seven years, reaching a total of approximately 3,600 students best served, he believes, by doing problem-solving in real time. In this way he believes students can better understand the thought process behind tackling difficult questions. “I emphasize the importance of engaging actively with the material and understanding that chemistry is a cumulative subject,” he says, “where each concept builds on the previous one.”

These active learning strategies for students take place not only in lectures but in those micro- even atomic-sized interactions with DeLuca out of class, with TAs, and, critically, with one another. Ever the chemical bonder, DeLuca engineers each semester, and in each course, a dynamic, intricate-as-a-clock (or a galaxy) molecular structure where student atoms move, interact, vibrate, rotate and translate with success within differing materials and environments.

Elizabeth Greenhalgh

Elizabeth Greenhalgh

Unlike her Teaching Thousands compatriots, Elizabeth Greenhalgh is emerging on the scene, but she plays to the strengths of being the new kid on the quad. What she’s brought to her gig in the Department of Chemistry is solid and broad-thinking:  connecting general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology in a way that highlights the significance and relevance of these subjects.

This integrated approach allows students to explore the “why we care” aspect that often unappreciated until the subjects are brought together. From this foundation, she is currently in the process of discovering what teaching methods work best for her.

A strong advocate for a mixed approach that combines traditional lecturing with sample problems and an active learning discussion session, Greenhalgh believes her methods might evolve over time, noting, “ask me again in five years and we’ll see how this has changed!” Right now a traditional lecture component, she believes, is crucial for demonstrating the thinking, logic, and problem-solving behind the science.

At present, she teaches a fall lecture course with just over 300 students and a spring biochemistry lab with nearly 100 students, with plans to increase lab capacity in the coming years. In addition to her general chemistry lab in the spring and biochemistry courses in the summer, she interacts with nearly 1,000 students each year and has taught over 2,500 students during her career.

One of Greenhalgh’s favorite aspects of teaching biochemistry is working with students who are not necessarily studying chemistry as a major. She finds it particularly rewarding that, of the approximately 300 students in this class, only about a third are chemistry or biochemistry majors. The diversity of perspectives in the classroom leads to engaging connections and conversations that she might not otherwise experience.

How does she manage that diversity? First, she encourages new students to use the initial classes to explore what genuinely interests them. General chemistry and organic chemistry lay the groundwork for many exciting topics that students won’t encounter until later. Second, she encourages students to actively engage with all available resources beyond instructors and TAs. This includes attending office hours, participating in supplemental instruction (SI) sessions, tackling bonus practice problems from textbooks, and studying with classmates.

Being new on the scene is an asset for Greenhalgh in that the student diversity she’s experiencing in class is an opportunity for rich feedback. So far, her approach has, she’s been told by students, significantly influenced how they tackle topics outside of her class. She finds this kind of feedback incredibly gratifying, again, underscoring her belief that she’s here not just to teach chemistry, but how to learn and how to figure out the “why I care” which is a student’s motivation to succeed in higher education and in life more generally. This belief gives real oxygen to the mantra of “meeting the student where they are.”

Elizabeth Greenhalgh’s teaching journey has already been marked by a deep appreciation for the interconnectedness of scientific disciplines and the vibrant community of students.

By Julia McNulty and David Pace

A microscopic view of global challenges in chemical separations

Separation Issues


November 15, 2023
Above: Aurora Clark

In 'People vs. the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics' chemist Aurora Clark addresses a microscopic view of global challenges in chemical separations.

An illustration from Aurora Clark's Science at Breakfast lecture on the microscopic view of global challenges in chemical separations.

Our environment is filled with mixtures, whether it is the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the earth we walk on. Often, separating mixtures is key to human health - for example, creating clean water supplies or recycling materials. Understanding how mixtures are separated, and optimizing this process, is a challenging task - and this is exactly what University of Utah Chemistry Professor Aurora Clark is doing.

Clark was the featured presenter November 7th at the College of Science’s Science at Breakfast event staged at the Natural History Museum of Utah. 

“A major issue is that separating materials currently consumes a massive amount of energy,“ Clark explains, citing distillation as an easy example. “As such, chemists try to develop low-energy separation methods to create an environment where such isolation will happen spontaneously.” Achieving spontaneity means that chemists have to leverage the laws of thermodynamics, which include the energy stored in matter (called enthalpy) and entropy (which represents how energy is distributed in matter). Likening the reaction to a rock atop a hill, spontaneity means that that rock will begin rolling without the need of an extra push. 

Such a breakthrough would have monumental effects on the recycling of rare materials. For example, the palladium in mobile phone capacitors is sourced to just a handful of areas, with Russia producing roughly 40% of the world's supply. As geopolitical tensions rise, the incentive to recycle this palladium grows in turn, but such isolation is tricky. It is difficult to develop a separation system that selectively grabs palladium in the complex mixture found in cell phones while ignoring other metals. The question of how to remedy this, by using changes in entropy, is the focus of Clark’s research, which uses the power of the U’s supercomputer to simulate the separations process. Computational geometry and data science play a key role in this pursuit.

By studying the patterns of interactions in complex mixtures, Clark seeks to control the amount of entropy change, which in turn makes it favorable for molecules and metals to selectively move across a separating barrier. Although in its early stages, the idea of using entropy to improve the efficiency of separating mixtures is moving at a rapid pace because of the technological advances of supercomputers and data science. If mastered, the recycling of critical materials like palladium would be significantly simplified, massively reducing energy consumption and optimizing our own self-sufficiency. 

Aurora Clark is a relatively new addition to the U’s faculty, having joined in 2022. She completed a PhD at Indiana University, postdoctoral work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and spent almost two decades as a professor of Washington State University’s Department of Chemistry.

By Michael Jacobsen

Science @ Breakfast is a lecture series that features U faculty sharing their latest, cutting-edge research — while enjoying a meal. If you would like to be invited to our next Science @ Breakfast, please consider a donation to the College of Science at https://science.utah.edu/giving.