Journal of Undergraduate Research

Joshua Wilkerson and Dr. Thomas Knotts, Chemical Engineering Introduction Proteins are versatile biological molecules that catalyze chemical reactions, provide cellular structure, and transport materials throughout the body. Proteins have been adapted for use in a wide variety of industries including food processing, medical diagnostics, and therapeutics. However, proteins must often be modified to enhance their […]

Elizabeth Mahoney, Alonzo Cook, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction Neuropathy, disease, and trauma to the peripheral nervous system cause devastating effects. These effects can include both a loss of sensation and a loss of motor control. Due to the newness of the field of regenerative medicine, scientists are only beginning to understand how nerves regenerate. It is […]

Kraig Farrar and Matthew Memmott, Chemical Engineering Molten salt reactors (MSR) are a relatively unexplored but promising technology for civilian nuclear power. Original experiments with this technology was performed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in the 1950s and 1960s. While this research was successful, it ultimately failed to receive additional funding and the program […]

Joshua Frei and Dr. David Lignell, Chemical Engineering Department The whorls and vortices of smoke plumes, churning waterfalls, and crashing waves have a captivating sense of mystery about them. This chaotic, seemingly random fluid motion is known as turbulent flow, and it is ubiquitous both in day-to-day life and in engineering problems. Despite the many […]

Chris Bailey, Sean Larson, Megan Peffer, Sarah Ann Skousen, Judith Westwood, and Dr. Randy Lewis, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction Many countries still hand wash all their clothing. The community of the Uros Islands in Peru is no exception. Our goal was to develop a hand powered washing machine that will be useful to and improve […]

Kaitlyn McEntire and Dr. Alonzo Cook, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction If a heartbeat connotes life, then cardiomyocytes are the life givers. When heart disease results in cardiomyocyte death, however, these life-giving, beating cells are unable to reproduce, and portions of the heart irreversibly die. Despite modern technology and developments in heart disease treatment and prevention, […]

Steven Passey and Dr. Alonzo Cook, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction: According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have kidney disease, 47,000 Americans died from kidney disease in 2013, and over 100,000 people await kidney transplants. Current treatment of kidney failure includes dialysis and kidney transplant. Unfortunately, those undergoing dialysis may experience fatigue […]

Justin Ward and Dr. David Lignell, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction The purpose of this project is to address the unmet need for a comprehensive, multiscale, regime- and fuel-independent turbulent reacting model by using a novel, physics-based strategy called Hierarchal Parcel Swapping (HiPS). Turbulent flow has been called the most important unsolved problem of classical physics. […]

Rebecca Whitney Bills and Dr. Bradley Bundy, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) have led to worldwide health problems, including cancers, developmental disorders, and reproductive disorders. A recent study estimates that annual health and economic costs caused by EDCs in the European Union is $200 Billion and that the costs are even greater […]

Eleanor Ott and Dr. Randy Lewis, Chemical Engineering Department Introduction Food preservation is an issue in third-world countries around the world where electricity and monetary means are not present to maintain a modern refrigerator. The short shelf life of unrefrigerated food items creates waste, requires time and energy with frequent trips to buy food, and […]