Summary
Derek Bischoff is currently a graduate student at the University of Delaware pursuing a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering. As a member of the Mackay Lab, his research focuses on understanding the fundamental scientific principles used in 3D printing. With a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and minors in biochemical engineering, biochemistry, and chemistry, his other interests revolve around using principles of chemical and material design to solve problems at the interface of chemistry and biology. He has over five years of experience conducting research in organic small molecule synthesis, polymer synthesis, and material characterization laboratories. As an incoming first year student, he has been selected as a Unidel Distinguished Graduate Scholar and has been invited to serve as a first year representative in the University of Delaware chapter of the Materials Research Society. As an undergraduate in the Honors program at the University of Delaware, he completed a senior thesis with the title “Development of Click Nucleic Acids for Biosensing”. He was his high school’s valedictorian, a Delaware Secretary of Education Scholar, an AP Scholar with Distinction, and maintained perfect attendance throughout high school.
Research Experience
Graduate Summer Researcher
Advisor: April Kloxin
Used a microfluidic device to produce hydrogel microparticles with a consistent size. Collagen-derived peptides were attached to the surface via thiol-maleimide click chemistry. Fluorophores were used on both particles and peptide to ensure surface coating was successful.
Graduate Summer Researcher
Advisor: Kristi Kiick
Developed a scheme to covalently attach both paclitaxel and a RGD peptide to a thiol-maleimide hydrogel network. The hydrogel network is degradable thanks to a retro thiol-maleimide chemistry in the presence of a reducing agent.
Undergraduate Researcher
Advisor: Christopher Kloxin
Worked with a team of post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students on a procedure to create sequence specific DNA analogues, called click nucleic acids (CNAs) that can interact via intermolecular bonding with proteins in the body. By leveraging thiol-ene and thiol-michael click chemistry, these polymers can be created at a lower cost and with fewer byproducts than current DNA analogue production techniques. The goal of the project is to create sequence-specific DNA analogues using a solid-phase synthesis technique similar to peptide synthesis. The CNAs can also be incorporated into an organogel network that can act as a filter for tagged molecules that remain attached to the filter due to secondary interactions. This project aims to have applications for targeted drug delivery as well as biosensing and diagnostics.
Undergraduate Researcher
Advisor: Christopher Kloxin
Worked directly with a graduate student to understand ligand and anion effects on various copper(II) sources for use in the robust copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction. A novel blue light photoinitiator scheme is used in the reduction of copper(II) to copper(I) that results in the formation of polymer networks that are characterized using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA).
Education
Current: Graduate School
University of Delaware Graduate College
•Graduate Research Assistant pursuing a doctoral degree in Materials Science and Enginnering in the Mackay Lab
•First Year Representative for the UD Materials Research Society Chapter
UNDERGRADUATE
University of Delaware Honors Program
•Bachelor of Chemical Engineering
•Minors: Biochemical Engineering, Biochemistry, & Chemistry
•Senior thesis: “Development of Click Nucleic Acids for Biosensing”
High School
Henry C. Conrad Schools of Science
•Valedictorian
•Vice President of the Class of 2015
•Varsity Lacrosse Team Co-captain,
•Science Olympiad A-Team Captain
Middle and Elementary School
The Independence School
•Computer Club
•Art Club
•Basketball, Soccer, & Lacrosse