亚洲AV

Solomon is first junior faculty member in Chemistry to secure NSF Career Award

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Lee A. Solomon is first junior faculty member in Chemistry to secure NSF Career Award
Lee A. Solomon is first junior faculty member in Chemistry to secure NSF Career Award. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

亚洲AV鈥檚聽聽said he聽owes his National Science Foundation聽Faculty Early聽Career聽Development聽Award to聽a聽lengthy fascination with聽the interface between biology and technology,聽and the role that natural protein function聽may play聽in that process.聽

That passion has inspired him to develop a research program using artificial Peptide Amphipiphiles (PAs) to study biological electron transport, and to use what he discovers to develop next-generation electronics materials. The main goal of the project聽is to design a series of biomaterial-based wires that can be developed into next-generation circuitry that will pave the way for new medicines and energy technologies. The PA-wires will take an active part in information processing and computation, leading to further miniaturized circuit parts, electronic materials and sensors that respond to external stimuli, such as light and magnetic fields.聽

鈥淭he wire itself is going to be a new processor,鈥 said Solomon, an assistant professor in the聽聽within the聽. 鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to scale down circuitry even more.鈥澛

The NSF grant, which totaled more than $450,000, was a remarkable achievement for Solomon in his first attempt at such an honor. The five-year project, formally named 鈥淒eveloping Peptide Amphiphiles into Next-Generation Electronic Materials and Model Systems to Study Protein Functions,鈥澛爄ncludes a number of Mason graduate and undergraduate students, and could have far-reaching implications in advancing the study of neurological diseases.聽

Solomon is the first junior faculty member in the history of the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department to receive the NSF Career Award, prompting department chair聽聽to call his recognition 鈥渁 clear聽indicator of the depth, breadth and quality of research projects that he brings to the Department of Chemistry聽and聽Biochemistry, the College of Science, and STEM research at聽Mason.鈥澛

Lee A. Solomon is first junior faculty member in Chemistry to secure NSF Career Award
Lee A. Solomon

Solomon鈥檚聽research proposal was聽first聽approved for funding by the Division of Materials Research, which posted a funding rate of 22% for the previous 2020 cycle, Weatherspoon said.聽

PAs consist of three different sections in the peptide, the lipid tail and the cofactor, and Solomon aims to focus on each of the three during his research. When the project is completed, he and his team hope to integrate all of the chemical and biophysical principles to produce a multifunctioning PA fiber that can reproduce any natural electron transport function. They plan to develop this model system into a multifunctioning wire within an advanced circuit.

鈥淢any fields will have to come together to develop these materials,鈥 Solomon said. 鈥淭his work will provide a nexus for聽engineers, biochemists and materials scientists to come together and learn from one another. This will聽develop a common language that different scientists can use to communicate, fitting within the NSF鈥檚 big聽idea of 鈥楪rowing Convergent Research.鈥 鈥澛

A former policy fellow in the Department of Energy, Solomon hopes to additionally use the project to help train the next generation of scientists by developing a science policy curriculum for graduate students. He hopes to educate them in becoming as adept in policy as they are in the lab so their skills and expertise can better help shape the country鈥檚 future.聽

Solomon is excited about the honor鈥攁nd eager to get started.聽

鈥淚t鈥檚 been great,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t feels really good. I鈥檓 proud of the work.鈥澛