Bio
Professor Stine received his BS from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, NJ and his Ph.D. from MIT. He was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA and joined the UMSL faculty in 1990. He served as Chair of the Faculty Senate and University Assembly for two years and was appointed Department Chair on August 1, 2019. Dr. Stine's research effort involves studies of modified surfaces and nanostructures. The surface modification of nanostructures is pursued with a focus on their prospective applications in bioanalytical chemistry such as in immunoassays, sensors, or in separations. Immobilization of proteins onto nanostructures of gold and other materials is pursued by adsorption or by covalent linkage to self-assembled monolayers. The characterization of these nanostructures by microscopy (SEM, TEM, AFM) is actively pursued. The bioanalytical application of these materials is pursued using primarily electrochemical methods such as impedance spectroscopy and voltammetry. Nanoporous gold and other related materials are of particular interest due to their high surface area and capacity to be surface modified, as well as their support of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The preparation and characterization of these materials uses a range of electrochemical techniques and other analytical methods including gas adsorption isotherm analysis for determination of pore size, distribution, and surface area, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for analysis of surface loading. Nanoporous gold is being used for the development of electrochemical sensors for small molecules such as pollutants and hormones. Other projects concern the study of lipid monolayers and bilayers as models of processes occurring at the surface of cell membranes, and the use of these monolayers in molecular recognition studies. Monolayers are studied using surface pressure isotherms and atomic force microscopy of transferred layers.

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Carbon nanotube-based microelectrode-probes for simultaneous detection of biomolecules

Bio
Dr. Alvarez is an associate professor at the Chemistry department of University of Cincinnati. He received his Ph. D. in Chemistry from Rice University (2010) at the Smalley Research Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, under supervision of Prof James Tour and Robert H. Hauge. He has received a NASA tech award (2011) for his contribution to the development of scientific and technical innovation, and has 82 peer-reviewed publications, 12 proceedings and he has contributed with 11 book chapters to numerous books. He holds 11 patents, and he is a member of American Chemical Society, Materials Research Society and The Electrochemical Society. His research is focused on the synthesis of carbon nanotubes, understanding the physical properties and assembling them into macroscopic materials for electrochemical sensor applications

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Advanced Biocompatible and Sustainable Sensing Platforms

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Dr. Ahyeon Koh is an Associate Professor in the Biomedical Engineering Department at SUNY Binghamton University. Her research focuses on developing biocompatible electrochemical biosensors and sensing systems with both chemical and mechanical compatibility. Her expertise includes soft analytical devices, electrochemical biosensors, flexible and stretchable sensors, and biocompatible materials, primarily for biomedical applications. Dr. Koh's work on nitric oxide-releasing biosensors, 3D platforms for skin- and organ-interfaced sensors, microfluidic sweat sensors, and biomimetic electrochemical sensors has been published in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals and has resulted in several patents. She was awarded the 2023 NSF CAREER Award. Her research lab has been supported by funding from the NSF, the Nano-Bio Materials Consortium (NBMC), ARPA-H, the university, and industry partners.