Five undergrads present research papers at ISSC
UD undergrad researchers (from left) Michael Pirnot, Tyler Bazzoli, Meghan Woods, Patrick Knerr and Jonathan Hullmann.
5:05 p.m., April 25, 2008--UD seniors Patrick J. Knerr, a biochemistry major, and Michael T. Pirnot, majoring in chemistry, received second-place awards for their research papers in the biochemistry and organic divisions of the 2008 Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention (ISCC), held April 19 at Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, Pa.

Knerr and Pirnot and three other UD undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry students presented five of the 35 research papers accepted from 10 college and universities in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

UD students have won 91 awards, the largest number of any of the 62 schools that have participated in ISCC during its 72-year history.

Harold White, professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and John Burmeister, Alumni Distinguished Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry, led the UD delegation.

The five students who presented papers included:

  • Tyler C. Bazzoli, sophomore, "Identifying Biomarkers of the MHC Geneto Investigate Chemosensory Discrimination." His adviser is Steven Brown, the Willis Harrington Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry;
  • Patrick J. Knerr, "Metal-Triggered Hydrogelation of Self-assembling Beta-hairpin Peptides for Bioremediation." His adviser is Joel Schneider, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry;
  • Meghan D. Woods, junior, “Elastin-mimetic Hybrid Polymers for Vocal Fold Tissue Engineering." Her adviser is Xinqiao Jia, assistant professor of materials science;
  • Michael T. Pirnot, "1,4-Conjugate Addition of 2-Methylpyridines." His adviser is Douglass Taber, professor of chemistry and biochemistry; and
  • Jonathan E. Hullman, senior, "Synthesis and Structural Characterization of New Alkaline-Earth and Rare-Earth Metal Indium-Antimonides." His adviser is Svilen Bobev, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

For more information, visit [www.udel.edu/chem/white/UCC/ISC2008/ISCC2008.html].