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Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

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USC freshman’s medical invention could reduce breathing tube injuries

When he was in the tenth grade, Shrihan Ganesh Babu attended a premedical conference where he got to insert a breathing tube into a mannequin. This common ICU procedure, called intubation, saves millions of lives each year – but it comes with a risk.

New endowed chair brings focus in Alzheimer’s drug research

Qun Lu’s quest to develop an effective drug treatment for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases has brought him to the University of South Carolina. Lu, who joined USC in January as the new SmartState Endowed Chair in Neurotherapeutics Chemical Biology, has developed, with his research team, novel therapeutic molecules that have demonstrated effectiveness in rodent models that mimic Alzheimer’s disease.

What if you could recharge a battery 250,000 times? South Carolina chemist works to lengthen battery life.

Batteries are becoming an important part of the world’s energy system, but their ability to recharge may be too limited. Morgan Stefik, a chemistry professor in the University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences, says typical batteries recharge only a few hundred times, or a few thousand at most. That means more batteries must be made through recycling or new manufacturing.

Senior Spotlight: How Katie McBride discovered a love for chemistry

The premedical student found support and a path to success as an intern in chemist Natalia Shustova's research group. After graduation she's headed to medical school.

USC chemist wins highest honor for scientists awarded in Germany

Natalia Shustova was honored in March at the Humboldt Foundation’s award ceremonies in Germany.

Biochemistry, molecular biology major plans a career in medicine, public health advocacy

Reese Lycan embodies the spirit of the Truman Scholarship. With an eye on becoming a physician, the South Carolina Honors College junior from Lexington, Kentucky, also wants to advocate for better health care access, particularly for low-income residents of rural Appalachia.

Sullivan Award winner plans to continue volunteerism as physician

Edgar Lemus Rivera plans to continue his dedication to volunteerism and service as he works his way through medical school to become a physician. The biochemistry and molecular biology major from Toms River, New Jersey, is one of two winners of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award — the university’s highest student honor.

Ring polymer research points way to new industrial and biomedical applications

A photo of a group of colorful rubberbands isolated on a white background. Ring polymer research points way to new industrial and biomedical applications March 06, 2024, Chris Horn Imagine smartphones that bend, twist and stretch like rubber. Or 3D-printed material that mimics the pliable characteristics of human cartilage found in knees, noses and ears. It’s not much of a stretch for Ting Ge, an assistant professor in chemistry and biochemistry who has just begun a five-year CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation to delve deeper into the field of ring polymers.

USC chemist elected to National Academy of Engineering

Susan Richardson was elected to the prestigious National Academy of Engineering for her pioneering work in improving water quality by measuring disinfection byproducts.

From orientation to the chem lab: incoming students connect with research through new initiative

Joseph Budiselich, a biochemistry major at the University of South Carolina, unexpectedly found an opportunity to engage in research before his first class through the Undergraduate Research Initiative launched by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in Fall 2023, where freshmen undergo laboratory training and secure research internships.

Congratulations to Jie Li

He earned the McCausland Faculty Fellowship in the USC College of Arts and Sciences for 2024-2027.

Congratulations to Chuanbing Tang

He earned the title of The Smart State Polymer Nanocomposites/ Polymer Chair for 2023-2028.

Congratulations to Natalia Shustova

She received the international Friedrich Willhelm Bessel Research Award for $49,450 and earned the F.W. Weissman Palmetto Professorship for 2023-2028.

Congratulations to Hui Wang

He was promoted to the rank of Full Professor by the USC Board of Trustees.

Congratulations to Morgan Stefik

He was promoted to the rank of Full Professor by the USC Board of Trustees.

Congratulations to Susan Richardson

She received an award of $222,674.00 for her project entitled "Development of two New Total Organic Fluorine Methods to Determine Total PFAS in PFAS-free Firefighting Foams at Trace Levels". This project is funded by Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP).

Congratulations to Ming Hu, Sophya Garashchuk, Forest Agostinelli, Jianjun Hu, and Paul Sagona

They received an award of $1,100,000 from NSF for MRI:Track 2 Acquisition of a High-Performance Computing Cluster for Boosting Artificial Intelligence Enabled Science, Engineering, and Education in South Carolina.

Congratulations to Olja Simoska and Amir Hosseini

They are invited to serve as Lead Guest Editors for the Special Issue "Advances in Electroanalytical Chemistry in North America" in Wiley's Electroanalysis.

Undergraduate Student Achievements Honored

Each year, undergraduate students are recognized for their achievements. The following students received Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Undergraduate Awards during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Undergraduate Student Achievements Honored

Each year, undergraduate students are recognized for their achievements. The following students received Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Undergraduate Awards during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Congratulations to Christopher Sutton

He received an award from the AFOSR/USAF/DOD for a total amount of $600,000.00 for his project entitled "Unraveling the Role of Cation Solvation in Aqueous Zn-Ion Batteries: A Combined Theoretical and Experimental Approach."

Congratulations to Jie Li

He received an award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)/NIHfor a total amount of $1,579,485.00 for his project entitled "Expanding Natural Products Chemical Diversity by Big-data Analysis and Novel Biosynthesis."

Congratulations to Chuanbing Tang

He received an NSF Centers for Chemical Innovation (Phase I) grant of $1,800,000, entitled “NSF Center for Polymers for a Circular Economy (PCE)" and is a new recipient of the Carolina Distinguished Professorship.

Congratulations to Scott Goode

The 2023 ACS Southeastern Regional Meeting Awards Committee selected Scott Goode as this year's awardee for the E. Ann Nalley Award.

Congratulations to Ting Ge

He received an award from the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fundin the amount of $110,000.00 for his project entitled "Controlling Equilibrium Swelling of Polyampholyte Gels Using Charge Sequence - A Study Combining Molecular Simulation and Scaling Theory".

 

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