Internships + Fellowships

The Michel laboratory is interested in the roles of metals in biology and tackles both fundamental and translational research problems. In one area, we focus on the mechanisms of metal mediated DNA and RNA recognition by zinc finger proteins. Current efforts include understanding the role of zinc fingers protein in H2S signaling, determining why certain ‘zinc finger’ proteins involved in pre-mRNA processing contain redox active Fe-S co-factors, and deciphering how exogenous metals target zinc finger proteins involved in inflammation. We take a ‘molecules to proteomics’ approach that combines biochemical, biophysical and cell biological methods with novel bioanalytical and proteomics strategies.
In the translational area, the Michel laboratory has an interest in understanding how iron nanoparticle drugs used to treat iron deficiency anemia are delivered and metabolized. As part of a team of researchers at UMB, we recently completed a clinical trial of iron nanomedicines. For the trial, a novel bioanalytical method that combines LC with ICP-MS to measure iron speciation in human samples was developed. Efforts to apply this approach to other translational bioinorganic problems are underway. In a second area, the Michel laboratory has identified elevated levels of potentially toxic metals in electronic cigarettes (E-cigs). The laboratory is working with a team of researchers at UMB to understand the effects of these metal ions on oral and bronchial cells.
 

James Overduin is a theorist in the areas of gravitation, cosmology, astronomy and high-energy physics. He is particularly interested in extensions of General Relativity, attempts to incorporate gravity into the Standard Model of particle physics, and in ways to test those attempts through observation and experiment. He has also worked extensively on cosmic background radiation at all wavelengths, focusing on its implications for cosmic evolution (Olbers' paradox and the intergalactic medium) as well as its potential as a dark-matter detector. Dr. Overduin is also a specialist in dark energy (a.k.a. Einstein's cosmological constant), on which he has co-authored a book with Helge Kragh (The Weight of the Vacuum, Springer Briefs in Physics, 2014). Most recently, he has begun to investigate ways to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate physics education through innovative teaching demonstrations.

Fellowship Project: Using telescope observations of the moons of Jupiter to measure the speed of light. The student will work with Dr. Overduin to determine the times when Jupiter's Galilean moons (Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io) go in or out of eclipse in Jupiter's shadow during the summer months. These events will be visible in the evenings during May/June and in the early mornings during August/September. We will try to observe the same event at least twice: once in May/June and once in August/September. By comparing the times of these events, the student will be able to measure the speed of light. This experiment was first proposed by Danish astronomer Roemer in the 1600s, but it is not clear whether he ever successfully carried it out. We will try to do it!

Due to the positions of the planets during the summer of 2025, this project is best suited to students (parents and other drivers are welcome too!) who can travel to the observatory in the science building at Towson University during evening hours in May/June and during the predawn hours in August/September.
 

Our goal is to understand the intermolecular and interfacial interactions of materials, and particularly of self-assembling materials, with the biological milieu, and to combine this knowledge with engineering principles to design successful devices to promote human health. Translational research on testing and optimization of these devices as diagnostics and therapeutics for medical applications is of special significance to our work.

Our research is focused on investigating heterogeneous lipid bilayers with a threefold goal: (I) to contribute to the fundamental understanding of the molecular and supramolecular interactions in heterogeneous lipid membranes, of how these interactions affect collective properties of heterogeneous bilayers, and of how these interactions result in assembling materials with interesting properties, (II) to engineer devices/strategies based on these materials that can be tuned to perform specific tasks, and (III) to translate and optimize these devices in the form of lipid-based nanoparticles as carriers of diagnostics and therapeutics for medical applications with special focus on cancer.

 

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Protein engineering affords researchers the unprecedented capacity to create new molecules with novel and therapeutically useful activities. Researchers have traditionally taken an unbiased approach to protein engineering, but as our knowledge of protein structure-function relationships advances, we have the exciting opportunity to apply molecular principles to guide engineering. Leveraging cutting-edge tools and exclusive expertise in structural biology and molecular design, the Spangler Lab implements a unique structure-based engineering approach to elucidate the determinants of protein activity and inform drug development.

 

Microelectronic device fabrication relies on lithography to transfer integrated circuit (IC) patterns to the surface of a semiconductor. Lithography uses a thin sacrificial layer, called a resist, which upon exposure to light, undergoes chemical reactions that render the exposed areas more or less susceptible to etching or dissolution, enabling nanometer scale patterns to be created. Driven by the demand to make denser ICs, the development of new resist materials that can allow chip manufacturers to create patterns with molecular accuracy is under way. Semiconductor manufacturing also has significant environmental impacts, which are projected to grow in response to the increasing demand for computing and communication technologies. Therefore, in parallel to meeting the demands of stringent technological constraints, there are increasing requirements for new resists to be manufactured by eco-friendly processes that reduce waste and global warming potential. In our lab we are developing new types of resists to meet both challenges of high performance and minimal environmental impact.