Department of Chemistry, School of Biomedical Engineering
and Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Principal Investigator: Dr. Melissa Reynolds, Professor and Boettcher Investigator
Group Members
Group Picture: December 2023
Graduate Students
Who am I?
Biomedical Engineering graduate student – 4th year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.S. Chemical & Biological Engineering and M.E. Biomedical engineering
What do you like to do for fun?
Hiking, cooking, rock climbing, camping.
Current research project:
Drug design via new protein-MOF materials and biomolecular optimization.
Publications and Presentations:
- Cuchiaro, J.; DeRoo, J.; Thai, J.; Reynolds, M.M. Evaluation of the Adsorption-Accessible Surface Area of MIL-53(Al) using Cannabinoids in a Closed System. ACS Appl. Mater. Inter. 2022, 14, 10, 12836-12844. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c24391
- Thai, J. E.; Tuttle, R.R.; DeRoo, J.; Cuchiaro J.; Reynolds M.M. Cu-Based Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheets Synthesized via a Three-Layer Bottom-Up Method for the Catalytic Conversion of S-Nitrosoglutathione to Nitric Oxide. ACS Appl. Nano Materials. 2021, 5, 1, 486-496. DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.1c03313
- DeRoo, J.; Snow, C.; Reynolds, M. M. Poster presentation. Computational Incorporation of Proteinaceous Materials Into Metal Organic Frameworks. Graduate Student Showcase, Fort Collins, CO. November 12, 2019.
- DeRoo, J.; Akgul, S.; Ablutz, M.; Popat, K.; Kipper, M. Demineralized Bone Matrix Fibers Support Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Mineralization in Vitro. Poster Presentation. BMES Nationals 2016.
Who am I?
Chemistry graduate student – 4th year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What was your undergraduate major?
B.A. Psychology
What do you like to do for fun?
Climbing, games, reading, making things.
Current research project:
Mechanistic studies of CuBTTri-mediated NO release and applications of polymer-embedded MOFs.
Publications and Presentations:
- Melvin, A.C.; Tuttle, R.R.; Mohnike, M.; Reynolds, M.M. MOF Polymer Composites Exhibit Faster Nitric Oxide Catalysis than MOF Crystallites. ACS Materials Lett. 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.2c00742
- Patel,C., Mohnike, M., Hilton, M.C., McNally, A. A Strategy to Aminate Pyridines, Diazines, and Pharmaceuticals via Heterocyclic Phosphonium Salts. Org. Lett. 2018, 20, 2607. DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.8b00813.
Who am I?
Chemistry graduate student – 1st year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.S. Biochemistry
What do you like to do for fun?
I like watching college football, playing the piano and guitar, reading almost any book, and attending Colorado Mammoth games.
Current research project:
Who am I?
Bioengineering graduate student – 2nd year
Where did you do your previous work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.S. Chemical and Biological Engineering
What do you like to do for fun?
Playing video games, reading, listening to music, and watching Netflix shows.
Current research project:
Developing cardiac cell culturing techniques on medical devices with surface coated nitric oxide delivery molecules for therapeutic use.
Who am I?
Chemistry graduate student – 4th year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.S. Chemistry
What do you like to do for fun?
Playing video games, Dungeons & Dragons, stand up paddle boarding, reading, watching movies, and hanging out with my cats.
Current research project:
Method development and analysis using LC/MS-MS methods for fungal degradant and cannabinoid systems.
Publications and Presentations:
- Roach, M.C., Ugelow, M.S., Trainer, M.G.; Wieman, S.T., Stern, J.C. Isotopic Fractionation During Methan Photolysis with Relevance to Titan Astrobiology. Astrobiology Science Conference, Bellevue, Washington. Poster presentation, June 2019.
- Sebree, J. A., Roach, M. C., Shipley, E. R., Hörst, S. M., He, C. The Astrophysical Journal. 2018, 865, 133. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/aadba1
Who am I?
Chemistry graduate student – 2nd year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.A. Biochemistry
What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy walking my dog, lifting, climbing, hiking, playing basketball and tennis, and hanging out with my friends.
Current research project:
My current research focuses on the synthesis of a dual-action detecting and antibiotic prodrug. This molecule would specifically be used to detect and treat S. aureus infections by utilizing two specific exoenzymes secreted by targeted bacteria. One enzyme would cleave the signaling group, causing a color change to occur when bacteria are present. The other enzyme would expose an NO donating diazeniumdiolate, which releases NO as an antibiotic once exposed.
Publications and Presentations:
- Selkow, A. R.; Reynolds, M. M. Synthesis of an Enzyme-Activated MRSA Speific Antibiotic Prodrug. Poster presentation. CSU Ventures Demo Day, Fort Collins, CO. April 18, 2022.
Who am I?
Chemistry graduate student - 1st year
Where did you do your undergraduate work?
What was your undergraduate major?
B.S. Chemistry, B.A. Chinese Studies
What do you like to do for fun?
I like going to concerts, trying new coffee shops, bullet journaling, hanging out with my cat, and taking care of my plants.
Current research project:
Undergraduate Students
Who am I?
Chemistry undergraduate student.
What do you like to do for fun?
Jazz dance, modern dance, ballet, partner dancing, classical singing, and reading.
Current research project:
Development of a continuous flow reactor to perform catalysis on organic reactions.
Who am I?
Biomedical and Chemical and Biological Engineering undergraduate student.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to read, play video games, watch horror movies and go swimming at night.
Current research project:
Currently I am coating dialysis tubing to prevent coagulation of blood during blood flow.
Who am I?
Chemical and Biological Engineering undergraduate student.
What do you like to do for fun?
I like to read, weightlift, longboard, and play video games.
Current research project:
Currently I am analyzing MOF Nanosheets via AFM.