Erin named a 2017 SPIE Senior Member!

Erin has been selected as a Senior Member to SPIE (International Society for Optics and Photonics) for her achievements in integrated microscopy, spectroscopy, optical trapping and tracking platforms.  Senior members are members of distinction who are honored for their professional experience, their active involvement with the optics community and SPIE, and/or significant performance that sets them apart from their peers. 

Jake Schwarz and Hannah Leopold are our newest graduates!

Congratulations to Jake and Hannah for doing great jobs on their theses! We are busy writing up their beautiful results using FRET sensors to investigate macromolecular crowding.  Well done and good luck in the next stages in your careers!

Congratulations to our SURP students!

Alex Naughton and fellow Sheets/Heikal group members, Ntsang Anye, Ryan Leighton, and Deon Van Gorsel, presented their posters on Friday, August 4, 2017, at the SURP poster fair. Congratulations on their successful and productive summer in the Sheets and Heikal research groups!

Our first macromolecular crowding paper is out!

We just published our first macromolecular crowding paper, with many more to follow!  Congratulations to Megan Currie, Hannah Leopold, and Jake Schwarz for their hardwork and a job well-done!  Check it out: M Currie, H Leopold, J Schwarz, AJ Boersma, ED Sheets, and AA Heikal, “Fluorescence dynamics of a FRET probe designed for crowding studies.” Journal of Physical Chemistry B 121:5688–5698 (2017).

Welcome to Alex Naughton, our SURP student

We would like to welcome Alex Naughton, who just joined our group.  He is participating in the 2017 Swenson Undergraduate Research Program this summer, and will be continuing on with us this coming academic year.  Welcome aboard!

Congratulations to Nathan, Kaelt, and Sheila!

We would like to celebrate our recent graduates from the Sheets Group, Nathan Korson, Kaelt Simpson, and Sheila Paintsil.  Nathan Korson, a Chemistry and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology double major, will be heading off to Cornell University for a PhD in the Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology graduate program.  Kaelt Simpson was a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Chemistry and German triple(!!) major.  She is off to the University of Oregon, where she will pursue a masters degree in Chemistry in the Polymer Science track of the Master’s Industrial Internship Program.  Sheila Paintsil, a Biochemistry & Molecular Biology major, finished coursework in December.  She will be applying to programs in the fall.  Congratulations to all three!  We are very proud of you and look forward to seeing what you will accomplish in the future!

Kaelt is in the news!

Kaelt Simpson's journey at UMD was recently highlighted by UMD.  We are proud of her hard work!

Sheets Group recognized by the College and Department during Spring 2017!

Well deserved congratulations are in order for several members of Sheets Group. Nathan Korson was recognized with the ACS Award for Achievement in Inorganic Chemistry, the ACS Undergraduate Award in Physical Chemistry, the Lake Superior Section of the ACS Award, and the UMD James C. Nichol Scholarship. Kaelt Simpson was also recognized with the Lake Superior Section of the ACS Award.  Kaelt and Nathan graduate with Departmental Honors. Claire Baetzold was awarded the Warren F. Davis Scholarship for Excellence in Biochemistry. Jessie Marshik received a Departmental Service Award. Hannah Leopold was recognized with the John C. Cochran Memorial Fellowship and the Swenson College of Science & Engineering Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. Jake Schwarz was recognized as an Outstanding Departmental Graduate Teaching Assistant. Great job, everyone! 

Congratulations to Claire on her UROP poster!

Claire Baetzold presented her Spring 2017 UROP poster, Expression, optimization, and purification of fluorescent proteins (by Claire Baetzold, Kaelt Simpson, Hannah Leopold, Erin Sheets), at the UMD Research/Artistic Showcase. Great job!

Welcome to Jessie and Adam!

Adam Phan and Jessie Marshik have joined Sheets Group.  Welcome!!!