Clemson University Alumni Distinguished Professor of Chemistry Melanie Cooper has been named to the inaugural class of American Chemical Society Fellows. Cooper was among 162 honorees who were chosen for excellence in their contributions and distinctive service to the society and to the broader world of chemistry.

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The researchers are developing drug-free ways to keep chickens and humans from contracting illnesses.

More than 200 million broilers and layers are raised in the Palmetto State. The industry has moved toward bigger broiler farms with flocks of between 150,000 and 300,000 birds becoming common.

Chickens are susceptible to disease. An illness in a handful of birds can spread throughout a facility housing thousands. Vaccines and medications can be effective but pose risks to growers and consumers. Each flock has particular health and immunity profiles, so chicks from different breeders do not respond to vaccines and diseases the same way. What's more, bacteria can build up "antibiotic resistance" making the drugs less effective.

For consumers, poultry can harbor bacteria, viruses and fungi that do not affect them but do cause human illnesses, especially when poultry is undercooked or mishandled during food preparation.

Researchers are looking for drug-free alternatives. Clemson scientists have made a promising discovery using nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is tiny science--working with materials 1/100,000th the size of a human hair. Scientists are seeking to shrink materials down to the scale of atoms, creating particles that show promise for making better medicines, faster computers and safer foods.

Jeremy Tzeng and Clemson colleagues Fred Stutzenberger, Robert Latour Jr. and Ya-Ping Sun have built nanoparticles that mimic the host cell surface in poultry and locks to the targeted pathogens. The particles then bind together and are purged through the bowel. Tzeng calls it "intelligent chicken feed."

"If we use this physical purging, physical removal, we are not using antibiotics so the chance of the microorganism becoming resistant to it is really small," Tzeng said.

To protect the discovery, Clemson technology transfer officials are patenting it. Tzeng says that it will take more research and testing before the nanoparticle is ready to be used, but in the not-so-distant future, chickens and humans may live better lives due to intelligent chicken feed.

For more information on Clemson's related graduate programs, visit the appropriate link below:
*Biological Engineering - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Bioeng/index.php
*Biological Sciences - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/BioSci/index.php
*Chemistry - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/index.php
*Microbiology - www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Microbio/index.php

Ms. Battin, a PhD student with assistant professor Julia Brumaghim, will speak about her work with antioxidant compounds in a seminar entitled, "A Comparison of Sulfur and Selenium Antioxidant Activity: Prevention of DNA Damage by Metal Binding." Her work explores metal-mediated oxidative DNA damage and how sulfur and selenium antioxidants prevent this damage through interactions with the metal ions that generate damaging oxygen radical species.

Oxidative damage to DNA and oxidative stress are underlying causes of cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases and aging, and it is believed that antioxidant drugs or supplements could treat or prevent these diseases. The Brumaghim group investigates how oxidative DNA damage is promoted by iron and copper, and how antioxidant compounds can prevent this damage. Brumaghim group researchers have found that several different classes of antioxidants, such as those in fruits, vegetables, wines and teas act in part due to their metal-binding abilities. Understanding how these antioxidants prevent DNA damage will lead to identification of more effective antioxidants to treat and prevent diseases caused by oxidative stress.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in Chemistry, please visit www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/index.php

During the academic year, fellows study at their universities and conduct a research project under supervision of an academic mentor and in consultation with an ETS research scientist. During the summer, fellows participate in the ETS Summer Internship Program for Graduate Students. The program is open to national and international applicants who are enrolled in a doctoral program and who have completed all required coursework toward the PhD.  Applicants should be at the dissertation stage of their program.

The deadline for applying for the summer internship and postdoctoral fellowship programs is February 1, 2008. The deadlines for applying for the Harold Gulliksen program are December 3, 2007 for the preliminary nomination materials and February 1, 2008 for the final application materials.

For more information on these great fellowship and internship opportunities - including information about stipends awarded with each, the application process, etc - Please visit www.ets.org/research/fellowships.html.

This inaugural fellowship program recognizes the students' past achievements and contributions to Clemson and confirms each student's future commitment to COMSET and its vision to be the internationally recognized academic leader in optical materials.

The Graduate School would like to congratulate each student on this prestigious honor and thank them for being such a wonderful representative of Clemson University.

To find out more about the COMSET Graduate Fellowship program, visit http://comset.clemson.edu/article.php?story=funding_opps or contact Dr. Dennis Smith at dwsmith@clemson.edu.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in chemistry and physics, please visit the following websites, respectively: www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/index.php and www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Physics/index.php.

Caron St. John, associate dean of the College of Business and Behavioral Science at Clemson University, has received the Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award for outstanding leadership, innovation and technological excellence in the Upstate community.

St. John is the founder and director of the Spiro Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson and director of the MBA program.

The Dr. Charles Townes Individual Achievement Award honors an individual who exhibits a commitment to the advancement of technology and the Upstate community through technology-oriented contributions. Such contributions may be business, civic and/or educational in nature and must benefit the Upstate.

InnoVision is the premier awards program focused exclusively on celebrating achievements in innovation and technological excellence in the South Carolina Upstate region. The following 10 counties are in the South Carolina Upstate region: Abbeville, Anderson, Cherokee, Greenville, Greenwood, Laurens, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union.

For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in the College of Business and Behavioral Science, visit http://business.clemson.edu/.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $2 million to the Center for Biological Interfaces of Engineering (CBIOE) at Clemson University for the development of engineered tissues that will be used to study the causes, progression and treatment of breast cancer.

Breast cancer cells migrate and intertwine with stem cells. Clemson researchers will study the formation of patterns/migration.The tissue engineering technology, which was pioneered at Clemson, is based on inkjet printing and will allow the creation of identical tissue samples that can be used to build cause and effect models.

"We will expose these identical tissue models to different environmental conditions to better understand what causes and then stimulates the development of breast cancer. Our research team includes breast cancer surgeons, engineers and scientists - the breadth of expertise is tremendous and absolutely crucial for this very complex problem," said CBIOE director Karen Burg, who will lead the multi-disciplinary research team.

Other collaborating investigators include Steve Ellis and Susan Duckett in animal and veterinary sciences, Thomas Boland in bioengineering, Amy Moran in biological sciences, Jason McNeill in chemistry and Rick Groff and Timothy Burg in electrical and computer engineering. The initiative will benefit from input from CBIOE partnering institutions Carolinas Medical Center, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

The CBIOE, located in Rhodes Engineering Research Building at Clemson University, is a state-approved research and training center. Its mission is to promote the development of clinically relevant biomaterials technology and products for disease treatment and the transfer of this technology for patient care.

The NSF grant was among seven awarded to institutions to advance basic knowledge and control in the area of cellular and biomolecular engineering through the newly established NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research Innovation Office (EFRI). Other institutions receiving EFRI awards are John Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of Virginia and University of Wisconsin.

The chemists are exploiting a process called "resonance energy transfer," which occurs when fluorescent dye molecules are added to the nanoparticles. Their findings were reported at the 234th annual national American Chemical Society meeting in Boston.

If scientists could track the motion of a single molecule within a living cell it could reveal a world of information. Among other things, scientists could determine how viruses invade a cell or how proteins operate in the body. Such technology also could help doctors pinpoint the exact location of cancer cells in order to better focus treatment and minimize damage to healthy tissue. Outside the body, the technology could help speed up detection of such toxins as anthrax.

The key to developing single-molecule tracking technology may be the development of better fluorescent nanoparticles. Fluorescent nanoparticles are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair and are similar in size to protein molecules, to which they can be attached. When illuminated by a laser beam inside a light microscope equipped with a sensitive digital camera, the nanoparticle attached to a protein will light up, allowing scientists to get a precise fix on the position of the protein and monitor its motion inside a cell.

Until now, nanoparticles have been too dim to detect inside cells, but Clemson chemists have developed a novel type of nanoparticles containing materials called conjugated polymers that light up and stay lit long enough for scientists to string together thousands of images, as in a movie.

Conjugated polymers share many properties with semiconductors like silicon but have the flexibility of plastic. While initial efforts at preparing nanoparticles out of conjugated polymers resulted in particles that were very bright, their brightness quickly faded under the bright glare of a laser beam.

"When a conjugated polymer is in a high energy state, it is vulnerable to attack by oxygen," says principal investigator and chemist Jason McNeill. "The dye efficiently removes the energy from the molecule and re-emits the energy as light, which greatly improves the brightness and longevity of the nanoparticles."

McNeill says other possible targets of investigation include the formation of plaques and fibrils in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease and mad cow disease. Graduate students Changfeng Wu, Craig Szymanski, Jennifer Grimland and Yueli Zheng contributed to the study, which the National Science Foundation funded.

Clemson University chemists presented 40 papers on a wide range of subjects at the society meeting. Other topics include detection and quantification of uranium in groundwater, conversion of lipid feedstocks such as poultry fat to biodiesel and a new mechanism for antioxidants that fight DNA damage.

The Clemson University department of chemistry (http://chemistry.clemson.edu) offers undergraduate and graduate programs. With a tenure/tenure-track faculty of 24, research activities include projects in the traditional sub-disciplines of analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry as well as in a broad range of interdisciplinary and nontraditional areas: polymer and materials chemistry, solid-state chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, bio-organic and medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, chemical physics, chemical education and other areas. For more information go to www.clemson.edu.

The scientists presented the results of their research at the 234th annual American Chemical Society national meeting in Boston Aug. 19-24.

Cancer, cardiovascular diseases, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's often are linked to DNA damage that occurs when metal ions in the body such as iron and copper produce reactive oxygen compounds that damage human cells. Studies have shown antioxidants that neutralize this activity and that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, green tea, garlic and onions can be effective at preventing DNA damage.
                                                                         
"Our studies have shown that antioxidants even at low concentrations found in these foods bind to iron and copper and prevent DNA damage," said lead investigator and chemist Julia Brumaghim. "This goes a long way in understanding how antioxidant supplements might help treat or even prevent these debilitating illnesses."

The group is now testing its findings in bacterial cells and will test human cells next. Clemson graduate students on the project include Erin E. Battin, Nathan R. Perron and Ria R. Ramoutar. Research is funded through a grant from the American Heart Association.
                                                                                                            
Clemson University chemists are presenting 40 papers at the society meeting on a wide range of subjects. Other topics include detection and quantification of uranium in groundwater, conversion of  lipid feedstocks such as poultry fat to biodiesel and fluorescent nanoparticles that may someday help scientists track a single molecule.
 
For more information about Clemson's graduate programs in chemistry, visit http://www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/

Arya's research involves the chemistry and biochemistry of amino sugars and new pathways for molecular recognition of nucleic acids. His work opens up genetic targets for the development of new antibiotics that will be greatly needed in this century.

Arya joined Clemson in 1999. He earned a Ph.D. from Northeastern University, Boston, and completed a post-doctorate degree at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Clemson University chemists are presenting 40 papers at the ACS meeting. Topics include detection and quantification of uranium in groundwater, conversion of lipid feedstocks such as poultry fat to bio-diesel and fluorescent nanoparticles that may someday help scientists track molecules.

The Clemson University department of chemistry offers undergraduate and graduate programs. With a tenure/tenure-track faculty of 24, research activities include projects in the traditional sub-disciplines of analytical, inorganic, organic and physical chemistry as well as in a broad range of interdisciplinary and nontraditional areas: polymer and materials chemistry, solid-state chemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, bio-organic and medicinal chemistry, computational chemistry, chemical physics, chemical education and other areas. For more information go to http://www.grad.clemson.edu/programs/Chemistry/.

Under the direction of her advisor, Dr. Dennis Smith, Dahliah is researching the development of novel renewable resource materials for commodity applications. She said, "A lot of my work has coincided with the Center for Advanced Engineering Fibers and Films's (CAEFF) strategic plan. My project area allows me to fabricate a variety of fiber and film renewable based materials that complement the CAEFF's goal. I also have worked, hands-on, with a variety of CAEFF's outreach programs in addition to serving as a past student leadership council president for the center."

Her latest project focal points will allow for much more integration with the Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET) as well. Dahliah has found a lot of growing potential between what she is focusing on now and COMSET's plan; this will likely result in her working more closely on related COMSET projects.

For more information about Clemson University's graduate programs in chemistry, please visit http://chemistry.clemson.edu/graduate/index.htm

Creager has been a member of the Clemson faculty since 1995, and served as Associate Dean of the Graduate School from 2005 to 2007. He earned a bachelor's degree (1982) in chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. (1987) in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina. He was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas, 1987-89, and taught at Indiana University for six years before coming to Clemson.

His research interests focus on electrochemical science and technology. Current work involves studies of new materials for electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable lithium ion batteries and proton-exchange-membrane hydrogen fuel cells. This research is particularly relevant to the national focus on developing new ways of using energy, especially for transportation. He also studies how charges move on the nanoscale, which is applicable to the emerging field of molecular electronics where individual molecules serve as active elements in devices such as logic circuits, memory cells and chemical sensors.

Creager is vice chairman of the Electrochemistry Gordon Research Conference for 2008, and is chairman-elect for the conference in 2009. He is also a board member for the Society for Electroanalytical Chemistry.

He received the 2003 College of Engineering and Science Award for Faculty Excellence in the Sciences. The award recognizes the science faculty member who demonstrated the highest level of research achievement during the preceding year. In 2004, he was one of a three-person team to receive the Crystal Flame Innovation Award, presented at FuelCellSouth 2004, recognizing a large body of Clemson work related to fluorinated materials for fuel cells.

"We are very fortunate that professor Creager is leading the chemistry department," College of Engineering and Science Dean Esin Gulari said. "He understands that furthering research and developing technologies such as photonics, advanced materials engineering, biotechnology, nutraceuticals and nanotechnology hinge upon the advancement of the discipline of chemistry."

"It's an exciting time to be in a leadership position in chemistry," Creager said. "Chemistry is a fundamental science that serves as a foundation to bioengineering, materials science, physics, nanotechnology and a host of other disciplines. We have tremendous opportunity for collaboration, which I think is the future for technical and scientific education."

For more information about Clemson University's chemistry graduate program, visit http://chemistry.clemson.edu/graduate or contact Dr. Steve Stuart at ss@clemson.edu.

Scott's doctoral research focuses primarily on three areas of polymer chemistry: the development of high carbon yield fibers and microstructures, hydrophobic-oleophobic hybrid fluroropolymer composites and photoluminescent fluoropolymers for light emitting diodes (LEDs) and chemical sensors.  

In response to his award, Scott commented, "I was initially quite surprised to be nominated. I submitted really good technical content for the application package which includes writing a two-page preprint, and being selected as a finalist was quite an honor.  More so, previous winners of the award have come from very prestigious schools with very established polymer chemistry programs including MIT, UC-Berkley and Cal-Tech.  Therefore, it is quite a stepping stone for a graduate student at Clemson to compete for such an award as we really do not yet have an established polymer program in chemistry." 

This award is sponsored by ICI and administered through the Joint Polymer Education Committee of the American Chemical Society's Divisions of Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering and Polymer Chemistry. 

For more information about Clemson University's graduate programs in chemistry, visit http://chemistry.clemson.edu/graduate. For more information about the ICI Student Award in Applied Polymer Science, visit http://membership.acs.org/P/PMSE/awards/ici.html.  

The Winter Fluorine Conference is a biennial event sponsored by the Division of Fluorine Chemistry of the American Chemical Society features lectures, oral presentations and poster presentations in the areas of biologically active compounds, synthetic organic, inorganic and industrial chemistry. If you would like additional information about the Division of Fluorine Chemistry, you can visit their website at http://membership.acs.org/f/fluo/index.htm.