Shashane Anderson

‘26 chemical engineering - biotechnology & bioengineering track

When did you do your Research?

Fall 2023 - still doing it

Where was your Research?

My research is at the ATOMS Lab with Dr. Josephson at UMBC.

What is the focus of your Research?

My current focus is on formalizing proofs regarding chemical equilibrium using the Lean Theorem Prover.

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

I am eager to become more proficient with the computational aspects of engineering and math. Although it can be challenging, it’s an incredibly valuable skill.

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research?

As a beginner, it’s been fascinating to observe my growth. I’ve gradually developed the ability to apply the knowledge I’ve gained from my courses and research in more practical ways such as proving the mathematical concepts I learn in class. This has significantly strengthened my skills. For this reason, I can be more appreciative of the value of the learning process and the insight it brings.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

Never underestimate your ability to learn and apply new concepts.

What are your goals after graduation?

I will be pursuing a job in the pharmaceutical industry.

Congratulations are extended to all participants for their exceptional contributions and remarkable achievements of CBEE faculty and graduate students  during the 2023 ACS Conference in San Francisco, CA.

ACS BIOT TANK COMPETITION

Vikash Kumar, chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D., who emerged victorious at the 2023 BIOT Tank competition, organized by ACS BIOT (Division of Biochemical Technology of the American Chemical Society)  at the 2023 ACS conference in San Francisco, CA. 

Kumar's company, Breathable Bioprocessing, showcased their groundbreaking solution: a breathable flask paired with a non-invasive sensor system designed for shake flask, t-flask, and G-Rex applications. His innovative solutions in bioprocessing captured the attention of both industry experts and peers, highlighting his commitment to advancing the field.

Watch Vikash’s video here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vikashk-as4711_bio-works-x-breathable-bioprocessing-at-acs-biot-activity-7097479059839811584-0t17/

POSTER & ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Hasib Hasan is an Electrical Engineering PhD student advised by Dr. Gary Carter with a research interest in biosensor development and prototyping. Hasib works in CAST under the guidance of Dr. Govind Rao.  He did a poster presentation at ACS Conference 2023 on "Machine Learning Techniques in Online Glucose Monitoring Using Glucose Binding Protein-Based Sensor: Application in Bioprocesses". 

Poster title: “Machine learning techniques in online glucose monitoring using glucose binding protein-based sensor: Application in bioprocesses”

Read here

Vida Rahmatnejad is a chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D. student advised by Dr. Govind Rao with a research interest in noninvasive process monitoring for cell therapy applications. She presented a talk  at ACS Conference on her research titled “Noninvasive Bioprocess Monitoring for Cell Therapy Applications”

Talk Title: Noninvasive Bioprocess Monitoring for Cell Therapy Applications 

Watch Vida’s talk here

Tyler R. Josephson, an assistant professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, captivated the audience with his talk at the ACS Conference.

Talk Title: AI tools for discovering molecular interaction equations

Read here

Upal Ghosh,  professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, paid tribute to his former mentor Richard Luthy by organizing a special session at the conference. As a mark of respect and gratitude, Ghosh orchestrated an event that celebrated Luthy's invaluable contributions to the field. 

Dr. Blaney, professor of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering, Dr. He, post doctoral research, '17 chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D and Sahar Souizi, environmental engineering phd student gave oral presentations at  ACS Fall 2023 

Blaney, L.; Mangalgiri, K. Photodegradation of antibiotics in the presence of agriculturally-derived organic matter. Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

Souizi, S.; Chen, H.; Stewart, K.; Blaney, L. Sustainable nutrient recovery with novel tube-in-tube Donnan dialysis reactors. Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

He, K.; Liang, J.; Siao, M.; Ellington, M.; Chen, H.; Stewart, K.; Blaney, L. Development of anion-exchange membranes as passive samplers for diverse per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.   Fall 2023 ACS National Meeting (San Francisco, CA), August 13-17, 2023.

A big congratulations to Vikash Kumar, chemical and biochemical engineering Ph.D., who emerged victorious at the 2023 BIOT Tank competition, organized by ACS BIOT (Division of Biochemical Technology of the American Chemical Society) at the 2023 ACS conference in San Francisco, CA. 

BIOT Tank is ACS BIOT’s version of “Shark Tank”, where cutting edge start-ups in the fields of bioprocessing compete for the finale with their product and their business plan. There were more than twenty submissions for the 2023 competition, and four were selected to give their final pitch during ACS Fall 2023 in San Francisco. Unlike the other “Shark Tank”, ACS BIOT has two awards instead of investors investing, a judge’s choice award and an audience choice award. It provides a great platform for Vikash Kumar and team to reach a wider and like-minded audience which is an investment of its own kind. We won the audience choice awards. We were the only student team at the competition. The other teams giving their pitch, were established start-ups with millions in funding and an experienced team.

Kumar's company, Breathable Bioprocessing, showcased their groundbreaking solution: a breathable flask paired with a non-invasive sensor system designed for shake flask, t-flask, and G-Rex applications. His innovative solutions in bioprocessing captured the attention of both industry experts and peers, highlighting his commitment to advancing the field. 

Watch Vikash’s video here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/vikashk-as4711_bio-works-x-breathable-bioprocessing-at-acs-biot-activity-7097479059839811584-0t17/

Abstract:

Small-scale bioreactors like shake flasks, t-flasks, and G-rex are extensively used in upstream bioprocessing at academic labs and biopharma companies. However, their inability to support process monitoring due to design constraints and sterile requirements has made them function as black boxes during cell culture, leading to inefficiencies and inconsistent product quality.

To address these issues, a novel breathable membrane-based technology has been developed. This breakthrough allows for non-invasive monitoring of critical process parameters, such as dissolved oxygen and dissolved carbon dioxide, from the external environment of the vessels. For shake flasks, a breathable shake flask has been introduced, enabling measurements of dissolved O2 and CO2 through externally attached sensors. As for T-flasks and G-Rex, a sensor manifold placed at the bottom of the flask facilitates non-invasive monitoring of O2 and CO2 through gas diffusion processes without compromising the integrity of the ongoing processes.

This technological breakthrough promises to revolutionize bioprocessing by providing vital process knowledge and control. As a recent startup with three employees, the company is in early discussions with potential customers and collaborators to expand the technology's implementation globally. This innovation is expected to significantly improve the efficiency and reliability of bioprocessing studies, leading to better therapeutic product outcomes.

Evalynn Ellison, ‘25 chemical engineering, secured the title of top junior presenter in the engineering, physics, and mathematics category for presenting the poster based on her summer research project titled, "In-Frame Cloning of Chimeric Antigen Receptors to Improve Cancer Therapeutic Discovery" at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) conference held in November 2023.

Poster title: In-Frame Cloning of Chimeric Antigen Receptors to Improve Cancer Therapeutic Discovery 

Authors: Evalynn Ellison (1), Azady Pirhanov (2,3), and Brandon DeKosky (2,3)

¹Department of Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

²Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

³The Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard

Abstract: Chimeric Antigen Receptors (CARs) are being used to create promising cancer immunotherapies; however, high-throughput CAR discovery remains a challenge due to the many possible proteins that must be screened for activity. In particular, creating very large and diverse CAR gene libraries for effective CAR discovery has been a limitation. This research project focused on developing and optimizing a system to identify productively inserted CAR genes after cloning into expression vectors. To accomplish this, we developed a high-throughput in-frame CAR clone identification strategy based on a fluorescent protein mCherry assay. The changes in fluorescent reporter mCherry expression levels would signal that a potential CAR was expressed in-frame. After cloning test genes, samples were analyzed by flow cytometry to measure the level of fluorescence and percentage of cells expressing fluorescent protein mCherry. We concluded that the designed mCherry-based fluorescent reporter system was sensitive and specific, making it a successful validator of cloned CAR genes. These CAR platforms can be used for cancer therapeutic discovery toward cell-based immunotherapies, such as CAR-Ts. Our new approach to identify CAR candidates will make therapeutic development more streamlined and efficient. 

Photo credit: Evalynn Ellison

Meet a CBEE-er! Jasmine Ives, is a Chemical Engineering major on the Environmental Engineering and Sustainability track. Hear about why she chose UMBC, what research she is involved with, and what she loves about the chemical engineering program.

To learn more about undergraduate programs in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/prospective-undergrads/

Watch all CBEE-er Profiles

John Velkey, 
'24 Chemical Engineering - traditional track, Mathematics minor

Where was your Research?

ATOMS lab with Dr. Josephson

When did you start your Research?

January 2023

What is the focus of your Research?

Writing programs in Lean 4 that perform scientific calculations, and have verifiable mathematics

What are you looking forward to the most about your Research? 

Opportunities to present research to broader audiences at conferences

What was the best part of your Research OR What was the biggest learning moment of your Research ?

I have really enjoyed the process of learning a new programming language.

What advice do you have for students who are interested in getting involved in research or an internship?

Apply early and often, and tailor applications to individual opportunities. 

Are you a member of any clubs/campus organizations?

I am a teaching fellow for ENCH 300 - Chemical Process Thermodynamics.

What are your goals after graduation?

I am looking forward to getting into the workforce and taking a bit of a break from school, (for now)

Learn more about John Velkey: 

@_Velkey on X (FKA Twitter), LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-velkey

Meet a CBEE-er! Kelsey Gray is a Ph.D. Student in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at UMBC. Hear about why he chose UMBC, what research he's working on, and what he loves about the chemical and biochemical engineering program at UMBC!

“When I visited this place it felt like home. The support, the way I was welcomed, I knew I had to be here.” -- Kelsey Gray, Ph.D. student, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering 

To learn more about Graduate Programs in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/grad/

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Description

The Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) seeks to fill a tenure-track position in the broad fields of biomedical or biomolecular engineering, including areas involving synthetic biology, systems biology, bioinformatics, biomanufacturing, metabolic engineering, and biological materials. We are especially interested in applicants who conduct interdisciplinary research which will complement the current expertise in our department and college.

For full details:  https://cbee.umbc.edu/facultysearch/

UMBC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Meet a CBEE-er! Joshua Dayie is a Chemical Engineering major on the Biotechnology and Bioengineering track. Hear about why he chose UMBC, what research he's working on, and what he loves about the chemical engineering program!

"There [are] really great mentors that guide you through every single step of the way and help you feel prepared every single semester that you’re here." - Joshua Dayie

To learn more about Undergraduate Program in UMBC's Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, visit us at: https://cbee.umbc.edu/academics/prospective-undergrads/

Watch all CBEE-er Profiles