By JAN TREFFER THOMPSON UNK Communications Inside a University of Nebraska at Kearney laboratory, two chemical elements have just become tungsten selenide. Argon that surrounded the reaction has just been purged from the container. It’s time for a heat treatment. Later, scientists will check the compound’s composition in a Raman spectrometer and use an x-ray diffractometer to test its crystalline structure. If all the crystals are oriented in the same direction, the compound’s electrons … [Read more...]
Mahesh Pattabiraman gets $50k grant for non-opioid geriatric pain management
Name: Mahesh Pattabiraman Title: Associate Professor of chemistry College: Natural and Social Sciences Education: Postdoctoral Fellow, Florida International University, 2009; Ph.D., organic chemistry, University of Miami, 2006; Master of Science, inorganic chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, 2001; Bachelor of Science, chemistry, University of Madras, 1999. Years at UNK: Five Area of research/specialization: Organic and inorganic supramolecular chemistry, photochemistry, host-guest … [Read more...]
Allen Thomas awarded $399K for brain tumor drug delivery work
By TODD GOTTULA UNK Communications KEARNEY – Allen Thomas has received a $399,000 National Institutes of Health award for his research on treating brain cancer and selectively delivering drugs to brain tumors. An assistant professor of chemistry in the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s College of Natural and Social Sciences, Thomas is recognized for his project titled “Identification of New LAT-1 Transporter Substrates for Drug Delivery.” One of the challenges for treating brain … [Read more...]
From family farm to Harvard Medical School, Rachel Flaugh’s journey continues
By SARA GIBONEY UNK Communications KEARNEY – Rachel Flaugh’s love of science began as a child on her family’s farm with a curiosity about the health of animals. That curiosity took her on a journey to explore the medical field as a certified nursing assistant in high school and as a chemistry major at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Her journey will continue as she heads to Harvard Medical School. “I was always inquisitive about nature,” said Flaugh, 21, of Hartington. “My … [Read more...]
Fluorescence: Cao studies hydrogen sulfide as cure for neurodegenerative diseases
By KELLY BARTLING Hydrogen sulfide is an interesting compound. H2S. A colorless gas, it’s that stinky rotten egg smell. It’s toxic and volatile – can make humans and animals sick or it can explode. But chemists such as University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Haishi Cao know the human body produces small amounts of H2S as a signaling molecule. As a top university researcher in bio-organic chemistry, Cao may one day find the right amount of hydrogen sulfide that in the brain could be a … [Read more...]