May - June 2023

October 2022

Thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore for hosting dinner for Fulbright program's current grantees and alumni. Special *thank you* to Tessa Tham and Ian Yip from the Public Affairs section for their hospitality and making us all feel at home.

August 2022

Xunhao Wang successfully defends his PhD dissertation "Understanding adhesion to monitor and control environmental processes: From virus detection to membrane fouling mitigation". Congratulations, Dr. Wang!!!

Atef - Hornors college support. Congratulations! Joins the group.

September 2022

Andrea Vera joins our research group as a graduate research assistant.

When 2022

Paola Urbina-Ramos

https://www.chemistry.msu.edu/reu/index.aspx

Urbina Ramos, P. M.; Wang, X.; Tarabara, V. Evolution of surface energy of PVDF membranes in intermittent exposure to foulants and cleaning agents. Poster presented at 2022 Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE), East Lansing, MI, July 27, 2022.

May - July 2022

photos from France

Andrea Vera and Madeline Robison

April 2022
Congratulations to Xunhao Wang on being awarded 2022 summer semester fellowship by the MSU Graduate School.

Xunhao Wang presents his PhD research at the 2022 Engineering Graduate Research Symposium in Breslin Center.

April 2022
Honors College undergraduate students taking UGS200H research seminar "Virus adhesion to surfaces: Fundamentals and implications for public health" present results of their research projects at 2022 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF):

Research project "Surface transmission of viruses in a healthcare facility".
Student researchers and co-authors (from left to right): Blake Potvin, Sydney Bush, Sanjanasri Pothuraju, Atef Choudhury.

Research project "Surface transmission of viruses in a grocery store setting".
Student researchers and co-authors: Mahfuza Meem, Ajay Kumar, Xheneta Vitija (in the photo above), Phi Nguyen

March - April 2022
Ms. Noor Al-Huda Sabah Shineshil Al-Bedani from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences joins our research group for a short stay as a part of the MEMPREX project. We also welcome Dr. Harsha Ratnaweera and Dr. Zakhar Maletskyi (Noor's MS advisor) for a brief visit to MSU.

February 2022
Our paper "Moringa oleifera-derived coagulants for water treatment: Floc structure, residual organics, and performance tradeoffs" (DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-19071-8) is accepted for publication in Environmental Science and Pollution Research. The paper is based on the graduate research by Akshay Murali (MS 2020) and included contributions by Kyle Hillstead (MS 2020) and three undergraduate researchers: Brendan Wrobel, Daniel Thomas and Remi Gonety. Congratulations to all co-authors!

November 2021
Congratulations to Xunhao Wang on being awarded a dissertation completion fellowship by the MSU Graduate School.

August 2021
Our paper "Virus adhesion to archetypal fomites: A study with human adenovirus and human respiratory syncytial virus" (DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2021.132085) is accepted for publication in Chemical Engineering Journal. The paper is based on the PhD work of Xunhao (John) Wang, the first author on the manuscript. Congratulations, Xunhao!

Highlights:

• - Fomites are typified on the basis of their surface energy components
• - Archetypes represent materials differing in mechanisms of interfacial interactions
• - dGvfw can serve as a predictor of virus adhesion from high ionic strength solutions
• - Methodology can guide selection of materials that discourage virus adhesion
• - First report of hydrophobicity of human respiratory syncytial virus

Graphical abstract:

August 2021
Two presentations by our group at the 2021 Fall ACS national meeting in Atlanta: a talk by Xunhao Wang in the session "Biomaterials and Biointerfaces: Biofouling and Antibacterial Interfaces" (ACS Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry) and a keynote by Dr. Tarabara in the session "Understanding Biological, Chemical, & Environmental Interactions & Transport of SARS-CoV-2: Transport and Surface Interactions" (ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry).

July 2021

Steve Beuther presents results of his REU project at the Mid-SURE meeting:
Beuther, S.; Wang, X.; Tarabara, V. Cleaning by bleach makes filtration membranes more hydrophobic: Evidence from surface energy measurements. 2021 Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE), East Lansing, MI, July 28, 2021.

Congratulations, Steve, and all the best to you in your future studies - of Chemistry (and not only)!

April 2021
Our paper "Attachment of human adenovirus onto household paints" (DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111812) is accepted for publication in Colloids and Surfaces B - Biointerfaces. The paper is based on the PhD work of Dr. Hien Dang, the first author on the manuscript. Congratulations, Hien!

Highlights:

• - Modeling (XDLVO) and experiments (QCM-D) are used to study virus adhesion to paints
• - Painted surfaces are assessed as potential reservoirs or transfer sites for viruses
• - Paint hydrophobicity prevents moisture intrusion but promotes virus adhesion
• - Hydrophobicity defines virus adhesion from solutions such as respiratory fluid
• - Understanding virus-paint interactions can help design low adhesion paints

Graphical abstract:

November 2020
Our paper "Microfiltration of crude oil emulsions in seawater: Effects of dispersant and salinity" is accepted for publication in the Journal of Hazardous Materials (DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.124747). The paper is a result of collaboration with colleagues from Nanyang Technological University (Dr. Jia Wei Chew) and National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Dr. Iryna Kolesnyk). Two recent graduates from our group - Şeyma Kücük (now with Turkish Petroleum Corporation) and Dr. Charifa Hejase (now at the University of Cincinnati) share the first authorship on the paper.

Highlights:

• - First study of microfiltration of Corexit-stabilized oil
• - Corexit and salinity decrease oleophobicity of membranes
• - Direct real time visualization of crude oil behavior on membrane surfaces
• - Oil droplets cluster, deform, coalesce into contiguous films
• - Crossflow mitigates fouling by removing larger droplets

Graphical abstract:

September 2020
Our paper "Virus recovery by tangential flow filtration: A model to guide the design of a sample concentration process" is accepted for publication in Biotechnology Progress (DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3080). The paper is a collaborative work of our group with researchers from the Agricultural University of Georgia and Giorgi Eliava Institute of Bacteriophages, Microbiology and Virology in Tbilisi, Georgia. Congratulations to all co-authors: our current and former group members (Dr. Hang Shi, John Wang, Kyle Hillstead) as well as to our Georgian colleagues: Dr. Beso Lasareishvili (AgrUni), Dr. Eka Jaiani (Eliava) and Dr. Marina Tediashvili (Eliava).

August 2020
Our paper "Nanofiltration of saline oil-water emulsions: Combined and individual effects of salt concentration polarization and fouling" is accepted for publication in the Journal of Membrane Science (DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118607). The paper is based on the PhD work of Charifa Hejase, the first author on the manuscript. Congratulations, Charifa!

Highlights:

• - Reflection coefficient sigma shows a near hyperbolic dependence on Cm - Cp
• - Permeability coefficient B converges to same value across all conditions tested.
• - Coupling (sigma < 1) negates the effect of concentration polarization on permeate flux
• - For high salinity emulsions, flux declines rapidly during initial stages of fouling
• - Initial flux drop is attributed to membrane surface sealing by coalesced oil
  

Graphical abstract:

July 2020
Our paper "Lip balm drying promotes virus attachment: Characterization of lip balm coatings and XDLVO modeling" is accepted for publication in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.07.143). The paper is based in part on results from the MS project and the current PhD work of Xunhao (John) Wang. Coauthoring the paper are our colleagues from Istanbul Technical University: Dr. Reyhan Şengür-Taşdemir and Prof. Dr. İsmail Koyuncu.

Graphical abstract:

Editorial for the recently established Special Collection "Virus Monitoring and Removal in Natural and Built Systems" of the Journal of Environmental Engineering has been published as an open access document.

The Special Collection is coedited with Dr. Yang Deng (Montclair State University), Dr. Baikun Li (University of Connecticut) and Dr. Mallikarjuna Nadagouda (U.S. EPA).

The two-page Call for Papers in PDF format can be downloaded from ASCE Library.

October 2019
Our paper Oil droplet behavior on model nanofiltration membrane surfaces under conditions of hydrodynamic shear and salinity is accepted for publication in the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. The paper is based in part on the PhD dissertation of Dr. Emily Tummons and includes significant contributions by Charifa Hejase. Congratulations to both Emily and Charifa! Coauthoring the paper are our colleagues Dr. Jia Wei Chew (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore), Dr. Merlin Bruening (University of Notre Dame) and Dr. Zhefei Yang (University of Massachusetts at Amherst).
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.10.012

June 2019
Xunhao Wang defends his MS project "Human adenovirus adhesion to dry and hydrated lip balm". Congratulations to Xunhao and special thanks to the guidance committee members: Dr. Irene Xagoraraki (Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering) and Dr. Kristin Parent (Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology).

May 2019
Congratulations to Dr. Melike Urper and Turker Turken from MEM-TEK at Istanbul Technical University on successful PhD defenses! Excellent work by both! And of course, congratulations to your adviser, Prof. Ismail Koyuncu.

At ITU after Turker's defense

With Professors Mark Wiesner (Duke University) and Ismail Koyuncu (Istanbul Technical University) on the shore of the Bosphorus after Melike's and Turker's defenses.

May 2019
Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty at 2019 Engineering commencement ceremony, Breslin Center, East Lansing.

Congratulations to Brendan Wrobel, who is the best (of the best)! And congratulations and THANK YOU to his family, who are the best (of the best of the best). Brendan graduated with the highest GPA in his class and did amazing job as an undergraduate research assistant. The research project Brendan helped get off the ground continues in our lab.

April 2019
Congratulations to Akshay Murali, Remi Gonety, Daniel Thomas and Brendan Wrobel whose work on plant-derived coagulants received two awards over the last month:
- The poster "Coagulation and flocculation using plant-derived materials for low-cost water treatment: The case for Moringa oleifera" received best poster award in the "Sustainability and Environment" category at 2019 MSU Engineering graduate research symposium.
- The poster "Natural coagulants as low-cost alternatives for water treatment in resource-constrained setting: The case for Moringa oleifera" received 2nd place award at 2019 Fate of the Earth symposium.
Special recognition goes to Akshay -  the lead student researcher on the project - for presenting the work so effectively!

March 2019
A review paper Membrane-based separation for oily wastewater: A practical perspective is accepted for publication in Water Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.03.021
The paper is a collaborative work of our group with colleagues from the Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Membrane Technology Center. Prof. Jia Wei Chew (NTU) is the lead author with Henry Tanudjaja (NTU) and Charifa Hejase sharing the first authorship. Congratulations, Henry and Charifa!