Translational Materials and Biointerfacial Research Laboratory (TMBR)

Welcome

Journal cover art from the Reynolds group - 2015-2021

Our research interests are broadly defined within three distinct areas:

Development and synthesis of new biomedical materials
Applied and fundamental studies of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)
Analytical method development

Biomedical materials development includes the synthesis of prodrugs to simultaneously detect and kill bacteria, glucose biosensing, fabrication of biomass-sourced and biodegradable nitric oxide (NO) releasing polymers, the creation of new pediatric cancer therapeutics, and the creation of new materials to improve extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Applied areas of MOF research include the development of next-generation glucose biosensing, fluorescence-based sensing of heavy metals, incorporation of MOFs into biocompatible medical devices, and MOF-based high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations. Fundamental areas of MOF research include thermal/materials analysis of MOF catalysts, development of flow catalysis systems with MOFs, and kinetic/mechanistic investigations into MOF biocatalysis. Current projects related to analytical method development include generation of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) separation and detection methods to analyze the safety and biocompatibility of biodegradable medical devices, fast and easy LC-MS based detection methods for fungal infection biomarkers, and MOF based HPLC separations.

Nitric oxide MOF image

News and Updates

Group News

Allie, Andrea, Ava, Maddie and Tessa present their research at the Rocky Mountain Regional ACS meeting - Chemistry on the Frontier - in Laramie, WY .
Congrats to former student, Jon Thai, for winning the ARC's TEM image contest!
Congrats to Andrea Selkow (organic) who was this year’s Lawerence Salvati Award winner from the Surfaces in Biomaterials Foundation! She will receive the award at the 33rd annual BioInterface meeting in September.
The Reynolds’ group and the Autonomous Reanimation and Evacuation (AREVA) Research Program Batchinsky, Roberts) presented 4 posters/talks at the prestigious Military Health System Research Symposium in August on their advancements toward antithrombogenic surfaces without the use of systemic coagulation - a vast improvement in health outcomes for our military personnel.
Group alum, Jessica Joslin, Ph.D., discusses career at UPSIDE Foods and bringing lab-grown chicken to kitchen tables.
Congrats to Rob Tuttle on his collaborative paper with the Finke (CSU) and Hammes-Schiffer (Yale) groups which was recently published in the Journal of American Chemical Society.
Congrats to Jamie Cuchiaro on her recently published manuscript in the Journal of Cannabis Research.
Congrats to Tracey Wick and Rob Tuttle on their recently published manuscript in ACS Applied Biomaterials.
Welcome new group members Ava Chard and Tessa Whitaker.
Congratulations to Dr. Jamie Cuchairo for successfully defending her thesis on separation methods for cannabinoids and pesticides.
Congratulations to Dr. Jon Thai for successfully defending his thesis on the synthesis of MOF nanosheets for more efficient catalysis.
Congratulations to our 2021 Grad Showcase winners:
- Great Minds in Research Award, honorable mention - Jon Thai
- Graduate Student Council, New Graduate Student Award - Yaman Peksenar
- Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering Excellence in Research Award - Tracey Wick
First presentations from the Panacea Life Sciences Cannabinoid Research Center – Jamie Cuchiaro presents two posters at the ICR conference in August 2021.
Rob Tuttle, Ryann Daly and Chris Rithner work on MOF reactivity in blood plasma included in a Special Forum - “Emerging Materials for Catalysis and Energy Applications” edition of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces to Dr. Chia-Kuang Tsung who died from COVID complications (https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/bcnews/campus-community/faculty/in-memoriam-frank-tsung.html).
Tracey Wick awarded Outstanding Walter Scott College of Engineering Outstanding Senior Researcher.
Kristin Hinsen and Tracey Wick earn Best in Show for their research posters at CURC 2021.
Yanyi Zang was awarded a prestigious NRC post doctoral fellowship.
Prof. Reynolds named Director of the Panacea Life Sciences Cannabinoid Research Center.
Lab expands instrumentation and MOF synthesis capability with the acquisition of an Agilent 1260 HPLC with diode array and refractive index detectors and an auto sampler chiller to control vial temperature 4-50 C, a Horiba Fluorometer, and Mars6 microwave.
Prof. Reynolds was appointed to chair the Research Continuity Working Group for the Fort Collins campus.
Prof. Reynolds named to the scientific advisory board for the New Hampshire NSF EPSCoR Program grant.
For the third consecutive year, Prof. Reynolds participated as an Experienced Academic Leader in the Cottrell Scholars Collaborative Academic Training Workshop.
Yanyi Zang, Matt Jones, Rob Tuttle, Jessi Vleck and Jenna Gordon manuscripts highlighted as cover art features in ACS Appl. Bio Mater., Langmuir, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, Adv. Healthc. Mater., and Vet. Sci.
In 2020, Yanyi Zang, Hailey Hibbard, Chris Allison, Arnold Paecklar and Jesus Tapia all defended their dissertations. Congratulations to Drs. Zang, Hibbard, Allison, Paecklar and Tapia.
In 2021, Rob Tuttle and Jenna Gordon defended their dissertations. Congratulations to Drs. Tuttle and Gordon.
Group members Kristin Hinsen, Tracey Wick, Jamie Curchario, Jon Thai and Alyssa Melvin present their research virtually at CURC, the Grad Show Case, ACS National Meeting and the Institute for Cannabis Research Conference.

Group Picture: August 2017 (New Chemistry Research Building Lab!)

Funding and Award News

Prof. Reynolds and Dr. Batchinsky of the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research were awarded a $3.4 million DoD award to improve breathing for critically ill patients.
Reynolds lab receives $1.4 million NIH grant to develop MOF-based catheters in collaboration with Prof. Handa from the University of Georgia.
Prof. Reynolds named 2017 Professor Laureate by the College of Natural Sciences for outstanding contributions to research, teaching, mentoring, and outreach.
Prof. Reynolds was awarded a Monfort Professorship. The award includes research support for fundamental and applied studies focused on metal-organic framework materials as anti-platelet and anti-bacterial agents.
Advanced Industries Accelerator has provided funding for biological MOF studies.
Prof. Borlee and Prof. Reynolds were awarded funding to study biofilm dispersion.
Professors Kipper, Krapf, Li and Reynolds were awarded a collaborative NSF-CBET grant to study protein adsorption in polysaccharide brushes.
Prof. Reynolds and her research group are members of two multidiscplinary teams that have received $200,000 in seed funding from the Catalyst for Innovative Partnerships (CIP) program.
Professors Melissa Reynolds and Richard Finke have been awarded a collaborative NIH grant: Catalytic Nitric Oxide Release Coatings for Prolonged Anticlotting Catheters.