Virginia Tech® home

Maren Roman

Associate Professor, Ph.D. (SUNY)
Picture of Maren Roman
Maren Roman
Sustainable Biomaterials
230 Cheatham Hall (0323)
Blacksburg, VA
24061

Dr. Roman works in the area of natural and bio-based polymers and composites. Her background is in chemistry with an emphasis on polymer chemistry. Dr. Roman received her PhD degree from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Prior to joining the department, she held a postdoctoral position at the Pulp and Paper Research Centre at McGill University.

Dr. Roman's research program is centered around the properties and applications of cellulose nanocrystals. The program spans both fundamental and applied projects in wood and materials science. Dr. Roman teaches Wood Chemistry, Products, and Processes and Wood Materials Science and Techniques.

Areas of Expertise

  • Self-assembly and colloidal properties of cellulose nanocrystals
  • Surface functionalization of cellulose nanocrystals
  • Complexation of cellulose nanocrystals with polyelectrolytes
  • Interactions of cellulose with proteins and cells
  • Applications of cellulose nanocrystals in targeted drug delivery and tissue engineering
  • Enzymatic cellulose degradation in the bioethanol process

Education

  • M.S. - Clausthal University of Technology, 1996
  • Ph.D. - State University of New York, 2002

Chem. & Conv. of Sustainable Biomaterials
SBIO 3434 Spring 2017
Instructor:  Maren Roman
Number of Students:  26

Wood Materials Science
5124 Fall 2017
Instructor: Audrey Zink-Sharp, Joseph Loferski, and Maren Roman
Number of Students: 7

Wood Materials Science
5124 Fall 2016
Instructor: Audrey Zink-Sharp, Joseph Loferski, Maren Roman, and Barry Goodell
Number of Students: 3

Chem. & Conv. of Sustainable Biomaterials
SBIO 3434 Spring 2015
Instructor:  Maren Roman
Number of Students:  7

Wood Materials Science
5124 Fall 2015
Instructor: Audrey Zink-Sharp, Maren Roman, and Barry Goodell
Number of Students: 7

Chem. & Conv. of Sustainable Biomaterials
SBIO 3434 Spring 2014
Instructor:  Maren Roman
Number of Students:  26

Wood Materials Science
5124 Fall 2013
Instructor: Audrey Zink-Sharp, Joseph Loferski, Scott Renneckar, and Maren Roman
Number of Students: 11

Fundamentals of Macromolecular Science and Engineering II with Laboratory
MACR 5016 Spring 2012
Instructor: Team taught (7 faculty)
Number of Students: 14

Chemistry and Conversion of Sustainable Biomaterials
WOOD 3434 Spring 2012
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 22

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2011
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 13

Fundamentals of Macromolecular Science and Engineering II with Laboratory
MACR 5016 Spring 2011
Instructor: Team taught (9 faculty)
Number of Students: 10

Forest Products Graduate Seminar
WOOD 5004 Fall 2011
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 6

Forest Products Graduate Seminar

WOOD 5004 Fall 2010
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 8

Forest Products Graduate Seminar
WOOD 5004 Fall 2010
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 6

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2010
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 13

Oxidation at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

CHEM 5384 Fall 2009
Instructor: Team taught (14 faculty)
Number of Students: 13

Wood Materials Science and Techniques
WOOD 2554 Spring 2009
Instructor: Maren Roman and Scott Renneckar
Number of Students: 14

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2009
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 9

Wood Materials Science and Techniques

WOOD 2554 Spring 2008
Instructor: Maren Roman and Scott Renneckar
Number of Students: 9

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2008
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 8

Oxidation at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

CHEM 5384 Fall 2007
Instructor: Team taught (11 faculty)
Number of Students: 8

Wood Materials Science and Techniques
WOOD 2554 Spring 2007
Instructor: Maren Roman and Scott Renneckar
Number of Students: 11

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2007
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 17

Oxidation at the Interface of Chemistry and Biology

CHEM 6564 Fall 2006
Instructor: Team taught (11 faculty)
Number of Students: 17

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes
WOOD 3434 Spring 2006
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 9

Wood Materials Science and Techniques
WOOD 2554 Spring 2006
Instructor: Maren Roman, Scott Renneckar, and Jongkoo Han
Number of Students: 22

Wood Chemistry, Products and Processes

WOOD 3434 Spring 2005
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 13

Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources (Lab)
NR 1114 Fall 2004
Instructor: Maren Roman
Number of Students: 7

 

  • Chen Qian. 2012. M.S. Adsorption of Xyloglucan onto Cellulose and Cellulase onto Self-assembled Monolayers.
    Professor(s): Maren Roman (Co-advised with Alan R. Esker (Chemistry))

  • Feng Jiang. 2011. Ph.D. Effects of the Non-ionic Surfactant Tween 80 on the Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Model Cellulose and Lignocellulosic Substrates.
    Professor(s): Maren Roman

  • Fernando Navarro. 2010. Ph.D. Cellulose Nanocrystals: Size Characterization and Controlled Deposition by Inkjet Printing.
    Professor(s): Maren Roman

  • Navarro, F. and M. Roman. 2009. Deposition of Cellulose Nanocrystals by Inkjet Printing. In: Model Cellulosic Surfaces; M. Roman, Ed.; ACS Symposium Series 1019, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 157-171.
  • Roman, M., S. Dong, A. Hirani and Y. W. Lee. 2009. Cellulose Nanocrystals for Drug Delivery. In: Polysaccharide Materials: Performance by Design; K. J. Edgar. T. Heinze and C. Buchanan, Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 1017, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 81-91.
  • Karabiyik, U., M. Mao, M. Roman, T. Jaworek, G. Wegner and A. R. Esker. 2009. Optical Characterization of Cellulose Films Via Multiple Incident Media Ellipsometry. In: Model Cellulosic Surfaces, M. Roman, Ed.; ACS Symposium Series 1019, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 137-155.
  • Roman, Maren. 2009. Model Cellulosic Surfaces: History and Recent Advances. In: Model Cellulosic Surfaces; M. Roman, Ed.; ACS Symposium Series 1019, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, pp. 3-53.

  • Gray, Derek G. and Maren Roman. 2006. Self-Assembly of Cellulose Nanocrystals: Parabolic Focal Conic Films. In: Cellulose Nanocomposites: Processing, Characterization and Properties; Kristiina Oksman and Mohini Sain, Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 938; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2006; pp 26-32.
  • Roman, Maren and William T. Winter. 2006. Cellulose nanocrystals for thermoplastic reinforcement: Effect of filler surface chemistry on composite properties. In: Cellulose Nanocomposites: Processing, Characterization and Properties; Kristiina Oksman and Mohini Sain, Eds.; ACS Symposium Series 938; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2006; pp 99-113.
  • Roman, Maren and William T. Winter. 2006. Cellulose Nanocrystals: From Discovery to Application. Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry Technical Papers, 2006, 06NANO09.

Cellulose-based Oral Vaccine Formulation for the Treatment of Viral Infectious Diseases
Investigator(s): Maren Roman and Christopher Roberts
Sponsor: ICTAS
Amount: $30,000
January 10, 2012 - July 9, 2012

Aqueous GPC
Investigator(s): Edgar, K.J. (PI); Roman, M.; Renneckar, S.; Frazier, C.E. and 11 others
Sponsor: ICTAS
Amount: $136,000
March 1, 2011 - June 30, 2011

Sustainable Nanotechnology
Investigator(s): Peter Vikesland, Amy Pruden, Sean McGinnis, Maren Roman, Scott Renneckar, Michael Hochella
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Graduate School
Amount: ~$510,000
August 1, 2011 - July 31, 2014

An Integrative Approach to Cancer Therapy: Combining Focal Tumor Ablation with Drug Targeting
Investigator(s): Maren Roman, Yong Woo Lee, and Rafael Davalos
Sponsor: ICTAS NanoBio Thrust
Amount: $25,000
November 14, 2011 - May 31, 2012

SEMRR: Developing Sustainable Bioenergy Feedstocks and Cellulosic Composites
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, Chad Bolding, Carolyn Copenheaver, Kevin Edgar, Thomas R. Fox, Charles Frazier, Scott Renneckar, Maren Roman, and Shepard Zedaker
Sponsor: USDA NIFA Special Grant Program
Amount: $451,374.00
April 1, 2010 - March 31, 2012

SEMRR: Creating Advanced Cellulosic Composites and Biobased Energy Feedstocks
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, Kevin J. Edgar, Thomas Fox, Charles Frazier, Scott Renneckar, Maren Roman, and Shepard Zedaker
Sponsor: USDA CSREES Special Grants Program
Amount: $452,159
October 1, 2009 - September 31, 2011

Chitosan-Cellulose Ionic Complex for Oral Drug Delivery
Investigator(s): Maren Roman and Yong Woo Lee
Sponsor: NSF Division of Materials Research
Amount: $405,000
August 1, 2009 - July 31, 2012

Education Proposal: Bio-based Sustainable Materials as Resources for Tomorrow (BSMART)
Investigator(s): S. Renneckar, J. Barone, K. Edgar, A. Esker, J. Freeman, A. Morgan, and M. Roman
Sponsor: USDA CSREES
Amount: $500,000
December 1, 2009 - November 30, 2013

Sustainable Engineered Materials from Renewable Resources: Advanced Forest Management Linked with Innovative Bio-Based Materials
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, Carolyn Copenheaver, Kevin J. Edgar, Thomas R. Fox, Charles E. Frazier, Scott Renneckar, Maren Roman, Shepard Zedaker
Sponsor: USDA CSREES Special Research Grants
Amount: $481,515
September 1, 2008 - August 31, 2009

Evaluation of a Nanoscale Targeted Antioxidant Delivery System in an Equine Model for Human Asthma and Pulmonary Inflammation
Investigator(s): Craig D. Thatcher, Ben S. Lepene, Virginia Buechner-Maxwell, YongWoo Lee, Timothy E. Long, Maren Roman
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science
Amount: $48,136
January 1, 2008 - December 31, 2008

Bio-based Materials Center at Virginia Tech
Investigator(s): Kevin J. Edgar, Foster Agblevor, Justin Barone, Alan R. Esker, Paul Gatenholm, Sean McGinnis, Abby Morgan, Scott Renneckar, Maren Roman, Zhiyou Wen, Y.-H. Percival Zhang
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science
Amount: $205,303
January 1, 2008 - June 30, 2009

SEMRR:Innovative Forest Management Linked with High Performance, Wood-Based Composites
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, C. Copenheaver, K. Edgar, U. Egertsdotter, T. Fox, C. Frazier, S. Renneckar, M. Roman, and S. Zedaker
Sponsor: USDA CSREES McIntire-Stennis
Amount: $221,732
September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2008

Mechanisms of Surfactant Effects on Biomass Conversion
Investigator(s): Maren Roman, Alan R. Esker, and Wolfgang Glasser
Sponsor: Southeastern Regional Sun Grant Center
Amount: $299,904
September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2010

Self-assembling Polysaccharide Polyelectrolytes
Investigator(s): Alan R. Esker and Maren Roman
Sponsor: NSF Division of Chemistry
Amount: $420,000
August 1, 2007 - August 31, 2010

Bioconjugated Cellulose Nanocrystals for Immunotargeting
Investigator(s): Maren Roman and YongWoo Lee
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science
Amount: $175,358
January 1, 2007 - December 31, 2009

Acquisition of a Two-Photon Excitation Microscope
Investigator(s): Ulrika Egertsdotter and Maren Roman
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science
Amount: $663,000
September 1, 2006 - September 1, 2006

Acquisition of an Atomic Force - Fluorescence Microscope
Investigator(s): Ulrika Egertsdotter and Maren Roman
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences
Amount: $173,211
March 1, 2006 - March 1, 2006

Properties and Potential Applications of Rod-like Nanoparticles Made from Wood-Derived Cellulose
Investigator(s): Maren Roman
Sponsor: OMNOVA Solutions, Inc
Amount: $5,000
July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007

Sustainable Engineered Materials from Renewable Resources: Design and Manufacture of High-Performance Composites
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, Ulrika Egertsdotter, Thomas R. Fox, Charles E. Frazier, Daniel P. Hindman, Joseph R. Loferski, Philip J. Radtke, Scott Renneckar, Maren Roman, Robert L. Smith, Layne T. Watson, Shepard M. Zedaker
Sponsor: USDA/CSREES Special Research Grants
Amount: $646,954
July 1, 2006 - June 30, 2007

The Wood Wiki - Teaching team Web authoring and Web-based collaboration
Investigator(s): Maren Roman
Sponsor: Thomas M. Brooks Endowment
Amount: $3,500
January 23, 2006 - December 31, 2006

Bioinspired Design of Interphases in Wood-Plastic Composites
Investigator(s): Alan R. Esker, Maren Roman, Wolfgang G. Glasser, Paul Gatenholm
Sponsor: USDA/CSREES NRI
Amount: $429,528
September 1, 2005 - August 31, 2008

Sustainable Engineered Materials from Renewable Resources: Processing and Characterization
Investigator(s): Audrey Zink-Sharp, Ulrika Egertsdotter, Thomas R. Fox, Charles E. Frazier, Thomas V. Gallagher, Daniel P. Hindman, Frederick A. Kamke, Joseph R. Loferski, Stephen P. Prisley, Philip J. Radtke, Maren Roman, Robert L. Smith, Layne T. Watson, Shepard M. Zeda
Sponsor: USDA/CSREES Special Research Grants
Amount: $563,001
July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2006

 

  • Jiang, Feng, Joshua D. Kittle, Xinyi Tan, Alan R. Esker, and Maren Roman. 2013. Effects of Sulfate Groups on the Adsorption and Activity of Cellulases on Cellulose Substrates. Langmuir 29(10):3280-3291.
  • Dong, Shuping, Anjali A. Hirani, Katelyn R. Colacino, Yong Woo Lee, and Maren Roman. 2012. Cytotoxicity and Cellular Uptake of Cellulose Nanocrystals. Nano LIFE 2(3):-124,1006-11 pp.
  • Kittle, Joshua, Holger Wondraczek, Chao Wang, Feng Jiang, Maren Roman, Thomas Heinze, and Alan R. Esker. 2012. Enhanced Dewatering of Polyelectrolyte Nanocomposites by Hydrophobic Polyelectrolytes. Langmuir 28(30):11086-11094.
  • Dong, Shuping, Anjali A. Hirani, Katelyn R. Colacino, Yong Woo Lee, and Maren Roman. 2012. Cytotoxicity and Cellular Uptake of Cellulose Nanocrystals. NanoLIFE (Submitted) Summer, pp. 0.
  • Kittle, Joshua D., Chao Wang, Chen Qian, Yafen Zhang, Mingqiang Zhang, Maren Roman, John R. Morris, Robert B. Moore, and Alan R. Esker. 2012. Ultrathin Chitin Films for Nanocomposites and Biosensors. Biomacromolecules 13(3):714-718.
  • Wang, Hezhong, Chen Qian, and Maren Roman. 2011. Effects of pH and Salt Concentration on the Formation and Properties of Chitosan-Cellulose Nanocrystal Polyelectrolyte-Macroion Complexes. Biomacromolecules 12(10):3708-3714.
  • Wang, Hezhong and Maren Roman. 2011. Formation and Properties of Chitosan−Cellulose Nanocrystal Polyelectrolyte−Macroion Complexes for Drug Delivery Applications. Biomacromolecules 12(5):1585-1593.
  • Kittle, Joshua D., Xiaosong Du, Feng Jiang, Chen Qian, Thomas Heinze, Maren Roman, and Alan R. Esker. 2011. Equilibrium Water Contents of Cellulose Films Determined via Solvent Exchange and Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring. Biomacromolecules 12(8):2881-2887.
  • Jiang, Feng, Alan R. Esker, and Maren Roman. 2010. Acid-Catalyzed and Solvolytic Desulfation of H2SO4-Hydrolyzed Cellulose Nanocrystals. Langmuir 26(23):17919-17925.
  • Eichhorn, S. J., A. Dufresne, M. Aranguren, N. E. Marcovich, J. R. Capadona, S. J. Rowan, C. Weder, W. Thielemans, M. Roman, S. Renneckar, W. Gindl, S. Veigel, J. Keckes, H. Yano, K. Abe, M. Nogi, A. N. Nakagaito, A. Mangalam, J. Simonsen, S. A. Benight,. 2010. Review: Current International Research into Cellulose Nanofibres and Nanocomposites. Journal of Materials Science 45(1):1-33.
  • Roman, Maren, Annett Kaeding-Koppers, and Peter Zugenmaier. 2008. Mixed-dimer formation in binary systems of 4-substituted benzoic acids and structure considerations. Canadian Journal of Chemistry 86(6):525-532.
  • Dong, Shuping and Maren Roman. 2007. Fluorescently Labeled Cellulose Nanocrystals for Bioimaging Applications. Journal of the American Chemical Society 129(45):13810-13811.
  • Roman, Maren and Derek G. Gray. 2005. Parabolic Focal Conics in Self-Assembled Solid Films of Cellulose Nanocrystals. Langmuir 21(12):5555-5561.
  • Beck-Candanedo, Stephanie, Maren Roman, and Derek G. Gray. 2005. Effect of Reaction Conditions on the Properties and Behavior of Wood Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions. Biomacromolecules 6(2):1048-1054.
  • Roman, Maren and William T. Winter. 2004. Effect of Sulfate Groups from Sulfuric-Acid Hydrolysis on the Thermal Degradation Behavior of Bacterial Cellulose. Biomacromolecules 5(5):1671-1677.
  • Grunert, Maren and William T. Winter. 2002. Nanocomposites of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 10(1/2):27-30.
  • Grunert, M., R. A. Howie, A. Kaeding, C. T. Imrie. 1996. Supramolecular Chiral Liquid Crystals. The Liquid Crystalline Behaviour of Mixtures of 4,4-Bipyridyl and 4-[(S)-(-)-2- Methylbutoxy]benzoic Acid. Journal of Materials Chemistry 7(2):211-214.