writing chemical formula on glass

Research

There are certain criteria for Undergraduate Research (CHEM-499), students not meeting these criteria should enroll in Senior Laboratory (CHEM-498). Students should complete an undergraduate research application when you have an idea about your responsibilities and have the following qualifications:

  1. Be a Chemistry or Biochemistry major
  2. Complete General Chemistry I & II (CHEM120 & CHEM121), Organic Chemistry I & II (CHEM230 & CHEM231) and Experimental Organic Chemistry I (CHEM 232)
  3. Research students should have earned a grade of C or better in all chemistry classes attempted
  4. Upon completion of CHEM-499, all students are required to prepare a formal research report
  5. Students that completed CHEM-499 are permitted to take an additional 1 semester hour of CHEM-499 in another semester

These are general criteria and exceptions can be made for outstanding students.

When conducting research in any of the lab facilities it is important to know the safety protocols.

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry highly encourages our students to participate in faculty mentored research projects. If you’re interested, view the faculty interests below.

Faculty Research Interests

Magnus Bebbington profile photo

Magnus Bebbington

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-5301
Email
bebbingtonm@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 355
Synthetic Organic Chemistry, including heterocyclic compounds and asymmetric synthesis, with a special interest in organosulfur chemistry.
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Jaclyn Catalano

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-7118
Email
catalanoja@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225F
Biochemistry: Understanding substrate specificity, structure, and mechanisms in Cytochrome P450.
Science of Art Deterioration: Understanding the structure and mechanisms of lead soaps formation in traditional oil paintings.

Saliya Desilva

Chairperson

Phone
973-655-5134
Email
desilvas@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 343
Fluorescent sensors for cations

Jim Dyer

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-7165
Email
dyerj@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225H
Plant enzymology and molecular biology with a focus on the role of thiolases and cryptochromes
Techniques include: bioinformatics, cloning, expression, purification, biochemical characterization
Collaborations with other groups involve work on elucidating structure and function relationships with these proteins.
Hendrik Eshuis profile photo

Hendrik Eshuis

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-7099
Email
eshuish@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225J
Computational Chemistry. Development and implementation of electronic structure methods, particularly the random phase approximation. Application to Van-der-Waals bound systems and atmospherically relevant systems.
Jinshan Gao profile photo

Jinshan Gao

Professor

Phone
973-655-5136
Email
gaoj@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 344
Proteomics and glycomics by employing free radical chemistry and mass spectrometry
Yvonne Gindt profile photo

Yvonne Gindt

Professor

Phone
973-655-3469
Email
gindty@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 350
Biophysical chemistry. I am specifically interested in the mechanisms by which DNA repair enzymes recognize lesions on DNA.
Nina Goodey profile photo

Nina Goodey

Professor

Phone
973-655-3410
Email
goodeyn@montclair.edu
Location
Center for Environmental & Life Sciences, 406A
Enzymology, enzyme kinetics, protein engineering, analyzing protein-ligand interactions
Nathanael Hirscher profile photo

Nathanael Hirscher

Assistant Professor

Phone
973-655-5219
Email
hirschern@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225B
Organometallic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, chemical synthesis, catalysis, photochemistry

David Konas

Chairperson

Phone
973-655-5156
Email
konasd@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225C
Organic Chemistry, Bio-Organic Chemistry, Organofluorine Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Enzyme Biochemistry
Eli Lee profile photo

Eli Lee

Assistant Professor

Phone
973-655-7131
Email
leei@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 357
Biophysical and Bioanalytical chemistry. Molecular biology.
Bottom up reconstitution of synthetic lipid membrane - protein interaction.
Fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy. Computer-assisted data and image analysis.
Wanlu Li profile photo

Wanlu Li

Assistant Professor

Phone
973-655-5144
Email
liwa@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225E
Develop heteroatom-doped porous carbon materials and apply them to sustainable energy and environmental remediation
Glen O'Neil profile photo

Glen O'Neil

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-3791
Email
oneilg@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 376
Electrochemistry and chemical sensing.
David Rotella profile photo

David Rotella

Professor

Phone
973-655-7204
Email
rotellad@montclair.edu
Location
Center for Environmental & Life Sciences, 406B
medicinal chemistry
Amrita Sarkar profile photo

Amrita Sarkar

Assistant Professor

Email
sarkara@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225R
(1) Nature-inspired polymers synthesis & their uses in advanced energy material fabrications
(2) Green solvent exploration in Li ion battery recycling
Johannes Schelvis profile photo

Johannes Schelvis

Professor

Phone
973-655-3301
Email
schelvisj@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 354
Spectroscopic characterization of enzymes and substrates by using (resonance) Raman spectroscopy, absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and time-resolved spectroscopy.
Repair of UV-damaged DNA by DNA photolyase and cryptochrome (single-strand DNA photolyase).
Substrate effects on active-site properties of and catalysis in heme-containing enzymes.
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John Siekierka

Professor

Phone
973-655-3411
Email
siekierkaj@montclair.edu
Location
Center for Environmental & Life Sciences, 406C
Biochemistry of protein kinase signaling pathways. Protein kinase screening assays and drug development. Biochemistry of parasitic anti-stress responses.
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David Talaga

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-7167
Email
talagad@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 225L
Amyloid (aggregated form of protein that accumulates in Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Type II Diabetes, Spongiform Encephalopathies and others) formation mechanisms
Approaches include: Single molecule fluorescence lifetime, Solid state nanopores, Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Interfacial effects on proteins, Novel methods of global data analysis
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Mark Whitener

Associate Professor

Phone
973-655-7166
Email
whitenerm@montclair.edu
Location
Richardson Hall, 345
Preparation and crystallographic study of coordination compounds with ligands that contain hydrogen bonding groups.
Characterization of quasiracemates containing transition metal complexes.