Emerging Investigator Series: Alexander Gundlach-Graham

Alexander Gundlach-Graham obtained his Ph.D. in 2013 from Indiana University under the supervision of Prof. Gary Hieftje. His Ph.D. research focused on the development of distance-of-flight mass spectrometry. In 2014, Alex joined the group of Prof. Detlef Günther at ETH Zurich as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Scholar. At ETH, his research centered on the combination of laser ablation with inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) for high-resolution elemental imaging and on the detection of engineered nanoparticles by single-particle ICP-TOFMS. Since 2019 he has been an Assistant Professor at IOWA State University, where his research now focuses on the development and application of atomic mass spectrometry (MS) to address current measurement challenges in environmental and bioanalytical sciences.

Read Alexander’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: automated single-nanoparticle quantification and classification: a holistic study of particles into and out of wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland” (Open Access) and read more about him in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on automated single-nanoparticle quantification and classification. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

I’ve been doing research in mass spectrometry for a while now, but the focus of my research has shifted quite a bit.  My Ph.D. research, which was in the group of Gary Hieftje at Indiana University, focused on the design, construction, and demonstration of a distance-of-flight mass spectrometer.  This was an instrumentation-heavy research project, and I really benefited from learning—at a basic level—operation principles of mass spectrometry instruments.  In my post-doc, which was at the ETH Zürich in the group of Detlef Günther, I began working on inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS) for laser-ablation imaging applications.  Now, I continue to work with ICP-TOFMS, but I focus more on single- (nano)particle characterization.  A common theme in my research has been the use of atomic mass spectrometry to develop new measurement strategies.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

I am excited about how we continue to improve our understanding of the single-particle measurements and about our work toward developing robust solutions for the high-throughput analysis of diverse nanoparticles.  I hope that our methods will be adopted by members of the growing single-particle ICP-TOFMS research community.  I am excited about sharing our research and seeing where it goes as more minds get involved.  I think sp-ICP-TOFMS will be a key approach going forward as we, and other researchers, continue to expand our understandings of the presence and fate of anthropogenic and natural nanomaterials in the environment.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

Even with the development of sp-ICP-TOFMS, the quantification of anthropogenic nanomaterials in particle-rich environmental samples remains a challenge.  From an analytical perspective, I think that this measurement challenge needs to be resolved in order to build robust and accurate models of the fate and transport of anthropogenic particles in the environment.  This is essential for any monitoring of nano-pollution.  The major challenges here are mass-based detection limits and dynamic range, we still do not have an approach that can measure very small (<10 nm) nanoparticles while also quantifying these nanomaterials across large number concentrations (~100-107 particle/mL) and against particle backgrounds.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Our biggest challenge is data interpretation.  We have now developed robust ways to find and quantify elements in nanoparticles; however, our tools for interpreting this data are at an early stage.  We put a lot of effort in developing approaches to streamline and improve classification of nanoparticle types.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

I hope that we are able to start attending conferences in person soon; I’m looking forward to meeting colleagues and engaging in impromptu discussions once again.  My conference schedule is still tentative, but I plan to attend the ICEENN conference in Montreal in August, SciX in Rhode Island in September and Winter Plasma Conference in Florida in January of 2022.

How do you spend your spare time?

Pretty much all of my non-working moments are spent with my family.  My partner, Abi, and I have two children: 6 and 4 years old.  Like many families, we’ve spent a lot of time together in the last year.  We like to go on walks, read books, and cook.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

I would be a baker.  Cooking is one of my hobbies, though I don’t spend as much time or creative energy on it as I would sometimes like.  I don’t make all of my family’s day-to-day bread, but I do a variety of baking: from pizzas, to Swiss “Butterzopf” on the weekends, to (occasionally) sour-dough rye.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

My advice to early career scientists would be to trust in their own intuition and explore research areas that are inherently fascinating to them.  Research usually involves a mixture of failures and successes; curiosity-driven research makes navigating the downtimes in research more manageable and the fruitful times more satisfying.  “Listening” to your own scientific interests will help you develop specific scientific expertise that allows you to tackle science questions/problems from unique, innovative, perspectives.

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Latest HOT, Review and Open Access content from Environmental Science: Nano

We are delighted to share with you a hand-picked selection of papers recently published in Environmental Science: Nano.

HOT papers – as recommended by our Editors & Reviewers

Polystyrene nano- and microplastic accumulation at Arabidopsis and wheat root cap cells, but no evidence for uptake into roots
Stephen E. Taylor et al

Natural organic matter facilitates formation and microbial methylation of mercury selenide nanoparticles
Qing Chang et al

Carbon-based ionic liquid gels: alternative adsorbents for pharmaceutically active compounds in wastewater
Carla Rizzo et al

Read more HOT papers at rsc.li/esnano-hot

Reviews – timely overviews of key topics in environmental nanoscience

Metal nanoparticles in the air: state of the art and future perspectives
Anna Rabajczyk et al

Doing nano-enabled water treatment right: sustainability considerations from design and research through development and implementation
M. Falinski et al

Perspectives on palladium-based nanomaterials: green synthesis, ecotoxicity, and risk assessment
Songhao Luo et al

Read more Reviews at rsc.li/esnano-reviews

Open Access – read for free!

Environmental and health risks of nanorobots: an early review
Rickard Arvidsson and Steffen Foss Hansen

Fluorescent plastic nanoparticles to track their interaction and fate in physiological environments
Jessica Caldwell et al

Environmental context determines the impact of titanium oxide and silver nanoparticles on the functioning of intertidal microalgal biofilms
Claire Passarelli et al

Read more Open Access content at rsc.li/esnano-oa

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We hope you enjoy reading these papers, and we welcome your future submissions to the journal.

With best wishes,

Peter & Neil

Peter Vikesland Neil Scriven
Editor-in-Chief Executive Editor
Environmental Science: Nano Environmental Science: Nano
Virginia Tech, USA Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to Environmental Science: Nano

About Environmental Science: Nano
Led by Editor-in-Chief Peter Vikesland (Virginia Tech), Environmental Science: Nano is the premier journal dedicated to nano aspects of environmental science and sustainability. The journal has an Impact Factor of 7.638* and is published on a not-for-profit basis by the Royal Society of Chemistry; as a learned society and professional body, the RSC is committed to supporting the global scientific community by re-investing all surplus into charitable activities such as education, outreach, and science policy. More details about the journal and our scope can be found on our website: rsc.li/esnano

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* 2019 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics, 2020)

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Find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal including our Open Access options

 Environmental Science: Nano is complemented by our sister journals, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts and Environmental Science: Atmospheres; find out more about the these journals at rsc.li/envsci

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Emerging Investigators – the latest work from rising stars in Environmental Science

We are delighted to share with you a selection of high-impact papers by Emerging Investigators in the field of environmental science and engineering. These papers, published across Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts, Environmental Science: Nano, and Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, showcase the breadth of exciting research being conducted by rising stars in our field.

The latest work from rising stars of environmental science

Emerging investigator series: bacteriophages as nano engineering tools for quality monitoring and pathogen detection in water and wastewater
Zeinab Hosseinidoust et al

Emerging investigator series: carbon electrodes are effective for the detection and reduction of hexavalent chromium in water
Noémie Elgrishi et al [OPEN ACCESS]

Emerging investigator series: quantifying silver nanoparticle aggregation kinetics in real-time using particle impact voltammetry coupled with UV-vis spectroscopy
Kathryn R. Riley et al

Emerging investigator series: air conditioning filters as a sampler for semi-volatile organic compounds in indoor and near-building air
Lisa Melymuk et al

Emerging investigator series: activated sludge upon antibiotic shock loading: mechanistic description of functional stability and microbial community dynamics
Seungdae Oh and Donggeon Choi

Emerging investigator series: heterogeneous OH oxidation of primary brown carbon aerosol: effects of relative humidity and volatility
Elijah G. Schnitzler et al

Emerging investigator series: onsite recycling of saline–alkaline soil washing water by forward osmosis: techno-economic evaluation and implication
Wenhai Luo et al

Emerging investigator series: molecular mechanisms of plant salinity stress tolerance improvement by seed priming with cerium oxide nanoparticles
Juan Pablo Giraldo et al

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The RSC’s Emerging Investigator Series provides a unique platform for early-career environmental scientists & engineers to showcase their best work to a broad audience. Contact us to apply for consideration in this Series. To be eligible, you will need to have completed your PhD (or equivalent degree) within the last 10 years†, have an independent career and appear as corresponding author on the manuscript.

Across the journals, the Emerging Investigator Series is curated by our Series Editors; David Cwiertny, Long Nghiem, Ligy Philip, Delphine Farmer, Lenny Winkel, Guang-Guo Ying and Peter Vikesland.

Read more of our Emerging Investigator Series papers using the links below.

Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Emerging Investigator Series

Environmental Science: Nano Emerging Investigator Series

Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology Emerging Investigator Series

Also, read the latest interviews with our Emerging Investigators to find out more about their work and the important research challenges that they are tackling.

We hope you enjoy reading these papers from future leaders in the field of environmental science.

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Nanosafety 2020 – Environmental Science: Nano Prize Winners


Environmental Science: Nano
was delighted to sponsor poster prizes at the Nanosafety 2020 virtual conference, which took place online from the 5th – 7th October 2020.

The ES: Nano Poster Prize was awarded to Steffen Gottschling (Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien) for his work on ‘Differences in experts’ and laypersons’ sourcing when reading about a scientific conflict in nanosafety: an eye-tracking study’.

“The poster presented results from an eye-tracking study comparing the use of source information between laypersons and experts when confronted with a scientific conflict in nanosafety,” says Steffen. “The results of the study suggest that experts show a higher level of attention to and use of source information compared to laypersons. Therefore, we argue that science communication should provide laypersons with easily accessible source information to encourage its use on a regular basis and science education should convey source evaluation as an important aspect of science literacy.”

The second place prize was awarded to Tim Spannbrucker (Leibniz-Institut für umweltmedizinische Forschung) for his work: ‘Repetitive exposure to carbon nanoparticles induce cell cycle arrest, senescence and loss of gap junctional communication in lung epithelial cells’.

Congratulations to both Steffen and Tim!

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New Editorial Board Member: Tong Zhang

We are delighted to announce that Professor Tong Zhang (Nankai University, China) has joined the Environmental Science: Nano team as an Editorial Board member.

Tong Zhang is Professor in the College of Environmental Science and Engineering at Nankai University, China. She is also Deputy Director of the Strategic Development Department of Nankai University and Deputy Director of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Ecological Environment Restoration and Pollution Prevention. Her research focuses on aquatic chemistry and geochemistry, mercury biogeochemistry, nanogeoscience, and soil and groundwater remediation.

“I’m constantly impressed and inspired by the high-quality research published in Environmental Science: Nano,” says Tong. “It is my great pleasure to join the editorial team and contribute to this distinguished community.”

Read some of Tong’s recent work in the journal:
Nanostructured manganese oxides exhibit facet-dependent oxidation capabilities
Di Fu, Lin Duan, Chuanjia Jiang, Tong Zhang and Wei Chen
Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2020, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/D0EN00958J

Sulfide and ferrous iron preferentially target specific surface O-functional groups of graphene oxide: implications for accumulation of contaminants
Fanfan Wang, Xinlei Liu, Xuguang Li, Chuanjia Jiang, Tong Zhang and Wei Chen
Environ. Sci.: Nano, 2020,7, 462-471. DOI: 10.1039/C9EN01217F

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New Editorial Board Member: Leanne Gilbertson

We are delighted to announce that Dr Leanne Gilbertson (University of Pittsburgh, USA) has joined the Environmental Science: Nano team as an Editorial Board member.

Dr Leanne Gilbertson is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Fall of 2015 and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. Before joining the faculty, Dr Gilbertson was a postdoctoral associate in the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University where her research established and validated structure-property-function and structure-property-hazard relationships for engineered nanomaterials. She received her MS and PhD degrees from Yale University in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, supported by the NSF Graduate Research and EPA STAR Fellowships. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in education from Hamilton College, after which she spent several years as a secondary school teacher before returning to graduate school.

Dr Gilbertson’s research group is engaged in projects aimed at informing sustainable design of emerging materials and technologies proposed for use in areas at the nexus of the environment and public health. They work in the areas of sustainable agriculture, water treatment, and combatting antimicrobial resistance. Dr. Gilbertson uses material chemistry manipulations to elucidate guidelines for how to control nanomaterial design with the intent of simultaneously enhancing their functional performance while minimizing their adverse impacts. In this work, she focuses on carbon nanomaterials (CNTs, graphene, and carbon nitride) and metal nanoparticles (Ag and Cu). Dr. Gilbertson also has expertise in life cycle assessment (LCA), which she applies to evaluate tradeoffs of emerging nanotechnologies. The results of these analyses are used to inform sustainable development of promising technologies. Her research is supported by the National Science Foundation, 3M non-tenured faculty award, and the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.

To find out more about her research group, please visit www.leannegilbertson.com and follow her on Twitter @lmgLab.

Leanne says: “My experiences with Environmental Science: Nano, as an author and reviewer, have always been incredibly positive. It is a great community of scholars striving to ensure that our field publishes high quality research. Environmental Science: Nano is my ‘go to’ source of reliable, cutting edge research in environmental nanotechnology. It is an honor to serve on the Editorial Board and I look forward to working with my distinguished colleagues at the journal.”

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Latest HOT, Review and Open Access content from Environmental Science: Nano

We are delighted to share with you a hand-picked selection of papers recently published in Environmental Science: Nano.

HOT papers – as recommended by our Editors & Reviewers

The fabrication of 3D hierarchical flower-like δ-MnO2@COF nanocomposites for the efficient and ultra-fast removal of UO22+ ions from aqueous solution
Xin Zhong et al

Nanoscale observations of Fe(II)-induced ferrihydrite transformation
Odeta Qafoku et al

 Synergistic effects of lanthanide surface adhesion and photon-upconversion for enhanced near-infrared responsive photodegradation of organic contaminants in wastewater
Jiaying Wang et al

Prolonging the antibacterial activity of nanosilver-coated membranes through partial sulfidation
Ana C. Barrios et al

Read more HOT papers at rsc.li/esnano-hot

Reviews – timely overviews of key topics in environmental nanoscience

Probing the immune responses to nanoparticles across environmental species. A perspective of the EU Horizon 2020 project PANDORA
Annalisa Pinsino et al

Opportunities for nanotechnology to enhance electrochemical treatment of pollutants in potable water and industrial wastewater – a perspective
Sergi Gardia-Segura et al

Interplay between engineered nanomaterials and microbiota
Yirong Zhang et al

Read more Reviews at rsc.li/esnano-reviews

Open Access – read for free!

Mechanistic insights into toxicity pathways induced by nanomaterials in Daphnia magna from analysis of the composition of the acquired protein corona
Laura-Jayne A. Ellis and Iseult Lynch

Fragmentation of polymer nanocomposites: modulation by dry and wet weathering, fractionation, and nanomaterial filler
Richard Zepp et al

Organic matter influences transformation products of ferrihydrite exposed to sulfide
Laurel K. ThomasArrigo et al

Read more Open Access content at rsc.li/esnano-oa

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We hope you enjoy reading these papers, and we welcome your future submissions to the journal.

Submit to Environmental Science: Nano

Click here to return to the journal homepage

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RSC Environmental Science Desktop Seminar Series

Covid-19 has significantly impacted the way we communicate with each other, leading to in-person events being cancelled, and disrupting connections across the globe. It is now more important than ever to share the latest research and stay connected with one another.

We are proud to announce a new series of RSC Desktop Seminars, hosted by Environmental Science: Nano, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Environmental Science: Atmospheres and Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts.

The RSC Desktop Seminar Series is an effort to not only replace in-person research seminars during the current pandemic situation but to also expand access for researchers around the world looking to connect to some of the leading minds in the chemical sciences. These Desktop Seminars are taking place within working hours of US and Europe time zones, however we encourage any and all interested to register and attend these free events!

6 October 2020 16:00 BST / 11:00 EDT
“Environmental nanotechnology – looking forward to 2030 and beyond”
Professor Peter Vikesland, Virginia Tech
Environmental Science: Nano Editor-in-Chief

Find out more
Register

13 October 2020 16:00 BST / 11:00 EDT
“How virus structure and chemistry impacts environmental fate”
Professor Krista Wigginton, University of Michigan
Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology Associate Editor

Find out more
Register

20 October 2020 16:00 BST / 11:00 EDT
“How particle physics experiments at CERN tell us about formation, growth, and climate effects of atmospheric particles”
Professor Neil Donahue, Carnegie Mellon University
Environmental Science: Atmospheres Editor-in-Chief

Find out more
Register

27 October 2020 15:00 GMT / 11:00 EDT
“Masters of their fate: Revisiting atmospheric particle deposition and lifetime”
Professor Delphine Farmer, Colorado State University

Environmental Science: Processes & Impacts Editorial Board Member

Find out more
Register

We hope that you can join us for these exciting events.

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Emerging Investigator Series: Andrea Hicks

Andrea Hicks is an assistant professor at the University of Wisconsin – Madison in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Her work broadly focuses on the environmental impacts of emerging technologies. She completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan Technological University in Environmental Engineering, and her M.S. in Environmental Engineering at Clemson University. Dr. Hicks completed her doctoral and post-doctoral work at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Civil Engineering and at the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy. She is a recipient of a National Science Foundation CAREER award, UW-Madison Community Based Learning Teaching Award, and the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization’s Emerging Investigator Award.

Read Andrea Hick’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: calculating size- and coating-dependent effect factors for silver nanoparticles to inform characterization factor development for usage in life cycle assessment” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on ‘Calculating size- and coating- dependent effect factors for silver nanoparticles to inform characterization factor development for usage in life cycle assessment’. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My role in the article preparation has changed. I was a PhD student when I wrote my first article, working with my advisor Dr. Tom Theis. Whereas now I am the PhD advisor, writing this work with my student Sila Temizel-Sekeryan. Which is a different experience. In general, I have always been interested in emerging technologies, such as engineered nanomaterials. In my first article, as part of my PhD work, I was studying light emitting diodes, and their potential for energy efficiency rebound. And while the rebound effect, or Jevons’s paradox is still part of some of my work, engineered nanomaterials are another interesting emerging technology which like light emitting diodes, have the potential to influence environmental impact due to their ubiquity.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

This work is particular is really exciting. I have studied the environmental impacts of nano-scale silver in consumer products before, such as textiles, and a question that was always part of that work was how to model the environmental impacts of the nano-scale silver itself as a part of the life cycle assessment. In this work, we took some of the first steps to better understand how to incorporate the impact of the nano-silver itself into the assessment. This work would not have been possible without a great deal of work having already been done by experimentalists in order to understand the toxicity of nano-silver.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

Speaking broadly about emerging technologies, which include engineered nanomaterials, what I think is the most important question is whether or not an advance is societally beneficial. Advances in technology have had a great benefit to society in general, but at the same time there is also an environmental cost. I think that it is critical to evaluate the environmental impacts of  new technologies and potential unintended consequences before they are broadly adopted.

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Emerging technologies are often challenging to study, because they are just that, emerging. It is often difficult to obtain enough information to model these products, either using life cycle assessment or other tools. One way to counter this is to work with other researchers who are actually developing these new technologies and products, to secure the necessary information. What is really exciting about working with people who are researching the technologies themselves allows us to use the life cycle assessment data that we generate, to refine the new technology to make it less environmentally costly.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

2020 is turning out to be an interesting year for conferences and events, with many being cancelled or moved to fully digital formats, particularly in the United States where I live. In general, I like to attend the North American Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry annual meeting, Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization annual meeting, and the International Society for Industrial Ecology meetings. I was fortunate to be able to attend the second Pan-American Nanotechnology Conference in Brazil early this past spring, before everything shutdown. I’m also a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in our Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and in normal times am on campus.

How do you spend your spare time?

That is a particularly interesting question in 2020. Aside from doing work which I love, I am also a mother to two energetic grade school children and have wonderful husband. I like to spend my spare time with them. In spring 2020 when our school district and daycare shutdown, spare time did not really exist anymore, because I was working and teaching remotely, while supervising my children’s online learning.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

When I was younger, I thought about a lot of different careers, and my main goal was to do something where I felt I could make a difference in the world. Which I know sounds terribly idealistic. I thought for quite a while about being a journalist and writer, documenting people’s stories and bringing them to a wider audience. Or a photographer, like Dorothea Lange, who used her photos to document the human consequences of the Great Depression. Or maybe a medical doctor, making a difference in the lives of my patients. Or a sculptor, bringing art and beauty to the world. It’s actually a really hard question.. I’m lucky that I have a job I really enjoy, where I get to work on cutting edge science, teach and mentor students, and do service in the community.

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

When you see the career trajectory of someone you admire, and wonder how you could ever be that good, you need to remember that they got there one step at a time. It all starts with a single step, applying for an opportunity, or writing a manuscript or defending a dissertation. They didn’t become who they are overnight, it took time. You just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and if you do that diligently you be amazed at the heights you can reach.

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Emerging Investigator Series: Kathryn Riley

Dr. Kathryn Riley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Swarthmore College. She received her Ph.D. from Wake Forest University in 2014 and was a National Research Council (NRC) postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from 2015 to 2016. Before her current appointment, she was a Consortium for Faculty Diversity (CFD) postdoctoral fellow at Swarthmore from 2016-2018. Dr. Riley’s research involves the development of analytical techniques for the characterization of nanomaterials and their dynamic physical and chemical transformations in biological and environmental matrices. Her research group specifically aims to broaden participation in the field by developing techniques that provide new quantitative insights in less time and at a reduced cost when compared to more commonly employed methods. Projects in her group span the analysis of silver nanomaterials, including their dissolution, aggregation, formation of bio-coronas, and release from commercial products. To learn more about Dr. Riley’s research, visit her lab website or follow her on Twitter.

Read Kathryn Riley’s Emerging Investigator Series article “Emerging investigator series: Quantifying silver nanoparticle aggregation kinetics in real-time using particle impact voltammetry coupled with UV-vis spectroscopy” and read more about her in the interview below:

Your recent Emerging Investigator Series paper focuses on Quantifying silver nanoparticle aggregation kinetics in real-time using particle impact voltammetry coupled with UV-vis spectroscopy. How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent article?

My interest in nanomaterials began while I was in graduate school. At the time, I was developing capillary electrophoresis (CE)-based methods for screening DNA aptamer libraries against clinically relevant protein targets and using next generation sequencing (NGS) for identification of candidate aptamers. To support some research questions of our collaborators, I ended up developing CE separation methods for sub-micron and micron-sized plastic particles. I found the work of developing analytical tools to study particles to be incredibly interesting, so I knew that I wanted to dive deeper into the field of nanotechnology during my postdoc at NIST. There, I continued my work applying the separation principles of CE to gain new insights about nanomaterials. Over the past several years, my work with undergraduate students at Swarthmore has sought to add to our analytical toolkit by developing electrochemical methods to probe the reactivity of metal and metal oxide nanomaterials. Looking ahead, we are excited to start applying these tools to increasingly complex nanomaterial chemistries and contribute new insights to the field.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Of our current projects, there are two that I’m particularly excited about at the moment. The first builds on the electrochemical techniques we have developed in our lab over the past two years to enable in situ quantification of dissolved and nanoparticulate silver released from textiles. Due to the fast time resolution of the measurement, this technique would allow researchers to quantify release kinetics of the two silver forms simultaneously and without the need for sample preparation. The second project involves evaluation of the silver nanoparticle metabolite corona using a model environmental bacterium. Both of these projects allow us to push our instrumental techniques towards analysis of more complex systems, which is challenging, but exciting.

In your opinion, what are the most important questions to be asked/answered in this field of research?

There are so many! I think one of the biggest challenges is the wide parameter space to be analyzed, including variations in the physicochemical properties of the nanomaterial, changes in its properties as it encounters diverse water, soil, air, and/or biological chemistries, and the varied responses of the environment to the nanomaterial. There are many excellent small-scale benchtop studies and large-scale mesocosm studies, but with so many parameters to explore, what does it all mean and how can we use the rich information gathered from both types of data to predict the behavior of new or unexplored materials?

What do you find most challenging about your research?

Most often the aspects of my work that I find most exciting are also those that are the most challenging. Our lab has spent a lot of time analyzing silver nanomaterials, which can simultaneously dissolve, aggregate, and form bio- and eco-coronas (and form oxides, sulfides, and insoluble chlorides). This complexity presents a significant analytical challenge for our lab and others – how do you ever isolate and study just one of these processes?! Fortunately, as an analytical chemist, these are precisely the challenges that I am most eager to help the community overcome.

In which upcoming conferences or events may our readers meet you?

Whether virtually or in-person, I plan to attend the Sustainable Nanotechnology Organization (SNO) conference in October 2020 and the Environmental Nanotechnology Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in June of 2021.

How do you spend your spare time?

As an alumna of Swarthmore and a former student-athlete, I enjoy spending my free time supporting our athletics teams. I volunteer my weekends to help coach our varsity softball team. In the summer, you can find me tending to my vegetable garden or playing in slow pitch softball leagues.

Which profession would you choose if you were not a scientist?

I think I would be an architect or interior designer – I used to spend hours as a child designing homes on graph paper and even when I had the chance to reconfigure my laboratory space at Swarthmore, I pulled out my iPad and drafted a to-scale design of every inch of that space. The builders must have thought I was crazy (if not for that then for overseeing the “building site” on an almost daily basis), but they literally made my lab design come to life!

Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I have had the great fortune of having fantastic mentors throughout my trajectory – some who are in my field, some who are not – some who look like me, some who do not. The single most important characteristic that they’ve all had in common is their ability to be solution oriented as I’ve faced challenges in my career, even as those solutions sometimes pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The deep, mutual respect we built in our mentoring relationship allowed for them to give and for me to receive this advice, and I have become a better leader and mentor to my students because of it. Find mentors like those!

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