Research
Research
Our mission is to create and disseminate knowledge about Sustainable Biomaterials, through our research, teaching, and outreach activities. We are involved in many exciting research projects.
SBIO student researchers are making an impact
Both graduate and undergraduate students in the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials are contributing to and advancing knowledge in their fields by collaborating with faculty members on ongoing research projects or developing and implementing their own independent studies.
Along the way, students are getting valuable hands-on experience in the lab or in the field, as well as the chance to delve deeply into topics that interest them. They’re also learning and practicing the skills of scientific inquiry that can help them land a job or continue their studies in graduate school.
Find funding to get a research project off the ground
If you’ve got a great idea for a research project, the next step may be to investigate funding sources. Whether you are a faculty member investigating seed funding or substantive federal grant opportunities, a graduate student seeking funding to support advanced degree work, or an undergrad looking to launch your first research project, resources are available.
Departmental sponsored research centers
Some of our research is done in concert with our faculty-directed research centers and is supported by these Centers and their external cooperating partners.
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Center for Forest Products Business , redirectThe forest products industry is an important industry for the United States. Competition within the forest products industry has become fierce. Marketing as well as management of production and people have become integral to remaining competitive. The Center for Forest Products Business strives to help firms improve the management of their operations and the marketing of their products.
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The Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design , redirectThe Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design (CPULD) is one of the leading packaging research facilities in the United States. Using state of the art technology, CPULD researches every aspect of the material handling system from primary packaging all the way through unit load design.
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Wood-Based Composites Center , redirectThe Wood-Based Composites Center (WBC) is Cooperative Research Center driven by an industry-scientific community that develops research related to composites and renewable materials. The WBC is a leading source for fundamental research and education in wood-based composites.
Center collaborations with the department
Links to both Outreach and Research organizations that our Faculty members and Department work with and collaborate with:
Glycomaterials are produced by every living organism. They contain chains of sugars, called glycans, that are one of the four building blocks of life and have critical roles in health and disease.
Maren Roman is playing a key role in efforts to accelerate complex glycomaterials research in the U.S. She’s the director of GlycoMIP, a Materials Innovation Platform funded by a $23 million grant from the National Science Foundation and designed to address nationwide bottlenecks in glycomaterials synthesis, computer modeling, material characterization, and knowledge sharing.
Faculty Research Groups
Edgar Research Group
Students in the Edgar research group engage in multidisciplinary work on the development of novel synthetic methods for polysaccharide derivatives, the synthesis of novel polysaccharide materials, the creation of polysaccharide derivatives with control of regiochemistry and nanostructure.
Roman Research Group, Biobased Advanced Materials
Research on the utilization of polymers from renewable resources in the development of novel and advanced materials. Current research projects focus on potential applications of plant-derived nanoparticles in medicine, functional foods, and smart packaging.
Recent publications you can link to:
1. Chen, J.; Zhai, Z.; Edgar, K.J. Recent advances in polysaccharide-based in situ forming hydrogels. Current Opinion in Chemical Biology 2022, 70, 102200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpa.2022.102200.
2. Novo, D.C.; Gao, C.; Qi, Q.; Mosquera-Giraldo, L.I.; Spiering, G.A.; Moore, R.B.; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Designing synergistic crystallization inhibitors: bile salt derivatives of cellulose with enhanced hydrophilicity. Carbohyr. Polym. 2022, 292, 192680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.119680
3. Zhou, Y.; Edgar, K.J. Regioselective synthesis of polysaccharide–amino acid ester conjugates. Carbohydr. Polym. 2022, 277, 118886. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118886
4. Chen, J.; Frazier, C.E.; Edgar, K.J. Photo-curable, double-crosslinked, in situ-forming hydrogels based on oxidized hydroxypropyl cellulose. Cellulose 2021, 28, 3903-3915. doi.org/10.1007/s10570-021-03788-9.
5. Chen, J.; Kamitakahara, H.; Edgar, K.J. Synthesis of polysaccharide-based block copolymers via olefin cross-metathesis. Carbohydr. Polym. 2020, 229, 115530. doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.115530
6. Nichols, B.L.B.; Chen, J.; Mischnick, P.; Edgar, K.J. Selective oxidation of hydroxypropyl ethers of cellulose and dextran. Simple and efficient introduction of versatile ketone groups to polysaccharide. Biomacromolecules, 2020, 21, 4835-4849. doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01045
7. Chen, J.; Nichols, B.L.B.; Norris, A.M. ; Frazier, C.E.; Edgar, K.J. All-polysaccharide, self-healing injectable hydrogels based on chitosan and oxidized hydroxypropyl polysaccharides. Biomacromolecules 2020, 21, 4262-4272. doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01046
8. Chen, J.; Spiering, G.; Mosquera-Giraldo, L; Moore, R.B.; Edgar, K.J. Regioselective bromination of the dextran non-reducing end creates a pathway to dextran-based block copolymers. Biomacromolecules 2020, 21, 1729-1738. doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.9b01668
9. Dong, Y.; Novo, D.C.; Mosquera-Giraldo, L.I.; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Conjugation of Bile Esters to Cellulose by Olefin Cross-metathesis: A Strategy for Accessing Complex Polysaccharide Structures. Carbohydr. Polym. 2019, 144, 110-124. doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2019.05.061
10. Gao, C.; Edgar, K.J. Efficient Synthesis of Glycosaminoglycan Analogs. Biomacromolecules, 2019, 20, 608-617. doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.8b01150
Undergrad pubs you can link to; UG researchers marked by carat (^):
Edgar Lab Undergraduate Publications
1. “Studies on regioselective acylation of cellulose with bulky acid chlorides”, Xu, D.*; Li, B.#; Tate, C.^; Edgar, K.J. Cellulose 2011, 18, 405-419.
2. “Solid Dispersion of Quercetin in Cellulose Derivative Matrices Influences both Solubility and Stability”, Li, B.#; Konecke, S.^; Harich, K.; Wegiel, L.A.; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Carbohydrate Polymers 2013, 92, 2033-2040.
3. Liu, H.*; Ilevbare, G.; Cherniawski, B.P.^; Ritchie, E.T.^; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Synthesis and structure-property evaluation of cellulose w-carboxyesters for amorphous solid dispersions. Carbohydr. Polym. 2014, 100, 116-125.
4. Pereira, J.*; Mahoney, M.^; Edgar, K.J. Synthesis of amphiphilic 6-carboxypullulan ethers. Carb. Polym. 2014, 100, 65-73.
5. Li, B.#; Konecke, S.^; Wegiel, L.A.; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Curcumin Solubility and Chemical Stability are Enhanced by Solid Dispersion in Cellulose Ester Matrices. Carbohydr. Polym. 2013, 98, 1108-1116.
6. Pereira, J.M.*; Mejia-Ariza, R.; Ilevbare, G.A.; McGettigan, H.E.^; Sriranganathan, N.; Taylor, L.S.; Davis, R.M.; Edgar, K.J. Interplay of degradation, dissolution and stabilization of clarithromycin and its amorphous solid dispersions. Mol. Pharm., 2013, 10, 4640-4653.
7. Zhang, R.*; Kuang, J.^; Zheng, X.*; Edgar, K.J., Glycan ester deacylation by TBAOH or TBAF: regioselectivity vs. polysaccharide structure. Carbohydr. Polym. 2014, 113, 159-165.
8. Meng, X.*; York, E.A.^; Liu, S.*; Edgar, K.J. Hydroboration-Oxidation: A Chemoselective Route to Cellulose w-Hydroxyalkanoate Esters. Carbohydr. Polym., 2015, 133, 262-269.
9. Dong, Y.*; Mosquera-Giraldo, L.I.; Troutman, J.^; Skogstad, B.^; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Amphiphilic Hydroxyalkyl Cellulose Derivatives for Amorphous Solid Dispersion Prepared by Olefin Cross-Metathesis Polym. Chem., 2016, 7, 4953-4963.
10. Arca, H.C.*; Mosquera-Giraldo, L.I.; Dahal, D.^; Taylor, L.S.; Edgar, K.J. Multidrug, anti-HIV amorphous solid dispersions: nature and mechanisms of impacts of drugs on each other’s solution concentrations, Mol. Pharm. 2017, 14, 3617-3627.
11. Gao, C.*; Fisher, Z.B.^; Edgar, K.J. Azide reduction by DTT or thioacetic acid provides access to amino and amido polysaccharides. Cellulose 2019, 26, 445-462.