FAS undergraduate students are invited to submit proposals in support of research projects carried out under the guidance of FAS faculty members. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to promote student innovation while celebrating their accomplishments. Projects are to be presented to the FAS community, and this can include talks, poster sessions, performances, exhibits, etc., organized in collaboration with the overseeing faculty members.
Eligibility: Full-time FAS undergraduate students. The student must not graduate prior to the grant award end date. Priority will be given to students who have not benefited from this funding opportunity before.
Budget: Up to $2,500
Application materials: Apply online. Please upload in PDF: 1. Proposal including abstract (no more than 200 words), description of the proposed activity and expected outcomes (no more than 1000 words), detailed budget and budget narrative (indicating the anticipated use of the requested funds), and timeline; and 2. Supervising faculty member’s endorsement.
Application deadline: October 1; March 15
Contact: [email protected]
2025-26
- Characterization of grape seed oil and different nutrients from winery solid waste toward circular economy
Ghadi Sukkarieh, Student, Department of Chemistry
Antoine Ghauch, Department of Chemistry
This project aims to characterize grape seed oil and nutrient-rich components extracted from winery solid waste (pomace) as part of a broader effort to promote circular economy practices in Lebanon’s wine industry. Grape pomace, typically discarded or underutilized, represents a significant source of bioactive compounds, including unsaturated oils and polyphenols, which can be recovered and valorized for use in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries.
The study will focus on the physicochemical and compositional analysis of grape seed oil and other nutrients using advanced analytical techniques, such as gas chromatography (GC-FID) for fatty acid profiling, UV-Vis spectrophotometry for phenolic content, and statistical modeling to ensure reproducibility and quality control. By developing a local valorization pathway for this abundant by-product, the project seeks to reduce environmental impacts associated with waste disposal, particularly methane emissions, and to create new economic opportunities within the Lebanese agri-food sector.
Beyond its environmental and economic benefits, this research will enhance the student’s hands-on skills in green chemistry, resource efficiency, and analytical instrumentation, contributing to capacity building and advancing Lebanon’s transition toward sustainable industrial practices.
- Enhanced Stability and Delivery of Curcumin via Cholesterol-Modified POPC Liposomes: The Role of Pluronic F-127 Polymeric Coating
Despite its strong antioxidant and therapeutic properties, curcumin’s biomedical potential remains limited by its instability and poor solubility. This project investigates the stabilization of curcumin within liposomal systems composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (POPC) and cholesterol and examines the influence of Pluronic F-127 on liposome stability and photophysical behavior. Such systems replicate biological membranes and provide an effective platform for enhancing curcumin’s delivery, stability, and fluorescence. The study will elucidate the molecular interactions and photophysical behavior of curcumin within lipid–polymer systems. It will begin by determining the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Pluronic F-127 under physiological conditions to understand the polymer’s self-assembly behavior. Subsequently, the effect of cholesterol composition and Pluronic coating on the partitioning of curcumin into liposomal membranes will be evaluated. Fluorescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) will be employed to assess changes in curcumin’s microenvironment, stability, and membrane dynamics. In addition, fluorescence quenching experiments using silymarin, potassium iodide, and cetylpyridinium bromide will provide insight into curcumin’s molecular interactions and the protective role of the polymeric coating.
- Gene expression analysis of specific targets regulating neural cell death in the embryonic brain following loss of pocket proteins
Christelle Zeidan, Student, Department of Chemistry
Noel Ghanem, Department of Biology
Brain injury is often associated with neuronal loss and formation of glial scar. Moreover, the clinical window of intervention is extremely short, therefore, the capacity to rescue imminently injured neurons following brain damage is critical in order to preserve network integrity and achieve functional recovery. Characterization of the molecular mechanisms that control neuronal survival is thus essential for the development of successful clinical therapy. The Retinoblastoma family of pocket proteins (p107, Rb and p130) control all aspects of neurogenesis from stem cell activation to long-term neuronal survival in the brain. We recently showed that these proteins play equally critical roles in neural stem cell (NSC) fate regulation in the adult brain. Hence, their compound deletions (Triple Knock-Out; TKO) results in a transcriptomic switch from NSCs quiescence to activation, followed by niche depletion and loss of neurogenesis in the hippocampus [1] and the olfactory bulbs (Swaidan et al. 2025 in review [2]). In comparison, during brain development, TKO embryos display severe disruptions in all stages of neurogenesis with dramatic neuronal cell death. This leads to embryonic lethality; however, the apoptotic mechanism(s) involved are not well characterized. Using a mouse proteome profiler array, we run a pilot experiment and screened the gene expression profiles of 21 key proapoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes in TKO compared with wild type (WT) embryos. Our preliminary results identified changes in protein expression of 10 target genes including 7 whose expressions are not affected in the adult brain upon loss of pocket proteins. These results implicate novel candidate genes acting in the intrinsic apoptotic pathway (Bcl-x, XIAP, Claspin) and a potential role for the extrinsic apoptotic pathway (TNF-R1) during development. Here, we will replicate this data with a larger sample size and confirm the observed changes in gene expression of some of these targets.
- Investigating Wolbachia-Mediated Control and Immunity in the Emerging Invasive Fly Zaprionus indianus
Joud Ghanem, Student, Department of Biology
Zakaria Kambris, Department of Biology
The invasive African fig fly Zaprionus indianus has rapidly expanded beyond its native range, posing significant threats to fruit production and biodiversity. Despite its agricultural and ecological impact, sustainable control strategies for this species remain underexplored. In this project, we aim to investigate the use of the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia as a potential symbiont-based control method for Z. indianus. We will establish whether Wolbachia is present in wild-caught populations and assess their effects on host reproductive biology, survival, and fitness, as well as the strain of Wolbachia and potential differences between Wolbachia strains. As a further step, we will evaluate whether Wolbachia enhances host immunity against diverse microbial infections, providing insights into the dual role of this symbiont in both pest management and host defense. By combining invasion biology with symbiont-mediated control, this project has the potential to contribute to innovative and environmentally friendly strategies for managing invasive species. This grant will allow us to optimize experimental approaches and advance the understanding of Wolbachia–host interactions in a novel invasive insect system.
Post-Transcriptional Regulation of TTLL4/TTLL7 via HuR/ELAVL1 Inhibition in Breast Cancer Cells
Jad Ghazleh, Student, Department of Biology
Polyglutamylation of tubulin, catalyzed by TTLL4 and TTLL7, is a key post-translational modification that governs microtubule dynamics, intracellular trafficking, and fidelity of mitosis. Aberrant expression of TTLL4/7 has been implicated in cancer progression and cytoskel etal remodeling, but the post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating the stability of these transcripts remain unexplored. HuR/ELAVL1 is an RNA binding protein that binds AU-rich elements in the 3'- UTRs of mRNAs that encode for stress-responsive and oncogenic factors, thus promoting mRNA stability. This project will test the hypothesis that HuR stabilizes the TTLL4/7 mRNAs and that pharmacologic inhibition using MS-444 or CMLD-2 leads to their destabilization and reduced TTLL4/7 protein levels with decreased polyglutamylation of microtubules (GT335 or polyE signals). Using breast cancer cell models (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231), this study will utilize a combination of HuR-inhibition, RT-qPCR, and immunoblot analyses to evaluate transcript and protein stability and decay over time. Results will provide novel insights for RNA-binding protein ediated regulation of the cytoskeleton and may point to a novel therapeutic axis linking RNA stability to cancer cell motility.
- Preparation of Fluorescent AuNPs for Optical Sensing Applications
Rabih Salameh, Student, Department of Chemistry
Digambara Patra, Department of Chemistry
Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have become particularly important in medical applications and environmental sciences due to their ability to be combined into new nanotechnology platforms due to their remarkable chemical and optical characteristics. In this project, we intend to develop a new synthesis procedure for AuNPs by changing medium variables such as pH, temperature, concentration, type of reducing agents, and type of solvents used. We will increase the stability and functionality of the nanoparticles by adjusting these parameters. Following the optimization of the synthesis conditions, a fluorescent ligand, like triphenylphosphine, will be added to enable the AuNPs to have greater selectivity and sensitivity in biosensing applications. The resulting activated AuNPs will function as a universal biosensing platform that can detect multiple analytes (Anh et al., 2022). In medical diagnostics for neurotransmitter detection, or in food safety monitoring for bacterial contamination, specific methods could be employed. This project boosts the useful applications of gold nanoparticles to critical areas and improves the accuracy of their synthesis. Our main goal is to advance environmental monitoring, food safety, or medical applications using AuNPs for selective and sensitive detection. This grant will enable us to improve our methods and facilitate the development of new biosensing technology.
- Recovering Silver for a Circular Economy: Advancing Sustainability in Teaching Labs Under UN SDGs
Joe Al Ghossein, Student, Department of Chemistry
Antoine Ghauch, Department of Chemistry
Chemicals containing silver nitrate produced by the teaching laboratories cause a costly environmental hazard owing to their toxic nature and high cost of disposal. Our project seeks to determine a sustainable way for precious metal recovery (silver) in line with green chemistry principles, UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), and the circular economy values. We propose the use of simple redox reactions using only metal copper and iron metal to precipitate silver and have a final solution of iron nitrate which is safer and less costly to dispose of. The proposed experiment could be introduced to the teaching laboratories to further educate about electro-chemical principles while promoting a circular economy and recovering precious metals. That proposal will also save money by reducing AUB’s spending on the management of hazardous waste. The process of using copper to precipitate silver is published online in a YouTube video and not in a peer-reviewed scientific journal. Such publications aren’t optimized and don’t provide a well-documented protocol for the recovery of silver metal from silver nitrate solution. This necessitates the need to further study the available procedures, optimize yield, determine limiting factors, and publish a standard protocol that could be part of the teaching curriculum globally.
Structure-Property Relationships in Luminescent MOFs for High-Precision Luminescence Thermometry
Fatima Al Zahraa Yassine, Student, Department of Physics
Pierre Karam, Department of Chemistry
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) constitute a diverse class of crystalline porous materials constructed by the coordination of multidentate ligand molecules to metal centers1 with highly tunable structures and functionalities, making them promising candidates for applications in catalysis, gas storage, sensing, and energy conversion. Among these, functionalized derivatives such as UiO-66-(OH)₂, a hydroxyl-modified variant of UiO-66, exhibit superior thermal and chemical stability, making them ideal platforms for temperature-responsive and luminescent sensing studies. This project aims to investigate the thermal response, stability, and structural evolution of UiO-66-(OH)₂ and selected representative MOFs under controlled heating conditions, with a particular focus on correlating their luminescent properties with thermal stimuli. The research will extend to the fabrication of MOF-based thin films and the incorporation of luminescent nanoparticles within the MOF matrix to develop composite materials with enhanced optical and thermal functionality2. Through a multi-technique analytical approach employing TGA, PXRD, FTIR, SEM, and steady state spectroscopy and microscopy, this work seeks to establish fundamental structure-property-temperature relationships that govern luminescent behavior. The anticipated outcomes will provide insight into the mechanisms of thermally induced optical responses in MOF-based materials and guide the rational design of robust hybrid systems for advanced luminescent thermal sensing applications.
Studies of Ni-Phosphide and Bimetallic NiFe-Phosphide Electrocatalysts for Methanol Oxidation in Alkaline Electrolytes Toward Artificial Photosynthesis
Tarek Samko, Student, Department of ChemistryLara Halaoui, Department of Chemistry
Artificial photosynthesis seeks to reproduce the way plants store solar energy, but with higher efficiency, by storing sunlight in the form of high energy chemical bonds. This can be done either through water splitting to produce green hydrogen or CO₂ reduction to form carbon-based fuels in electrolytic cells. Both pathways involve kinetically demanding, multi-electron reactions. However, the oxygen evolution reaction at the anode is particularly sluggish. Replacing OER with alcohol oxidation provides a promising alternative, as it not only lowers the energy barrier but also yields more valuable chemical products. Ni-oxyhydroxide is a promising catalyst for alcohol oxidation, yet its performance needs to be further studied . This work will investigate nickel phosphides and NiFe-phosphide in the methanol oxidation reaction(MOR), with the goal of understanding the effect of Fe on MOR and reduce competition for OER. Iron will be incorporated either into the bulk structure or as surface modifications. Particular focus will be placed on understanding how methanol influences reaction pathways, kinetics, and catalyst stability at doped NiP and NiFeP in the alkaline medium . The studies will advance the design of sustainable solar fuel technologies and leverage our understanding of electrocatalysts for MOR.
- Synthesis of Mono(Nucleobase-substituted)-Di(Amino)-s-Triazine
Naji Mansour, Student, Department of Chemistry
Kamal Bouhadir, Department of Chemistry
The goal of this project is to develop an efficient method for the synthesis of mono(nucleobase-substituted)-di(amino)-s-triazine, a valuable heterocyclic molecule with potential medicinal values as antidiabetic and anticancer pharmaceuticals. The proposed synthetic pathway is centered on the most convenient and economical methodology employing direct coupling of the commercially available nucleobases with the reactive 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-[1,3,5]triazine. We will evaluate a series of possible solvents to use for the nucleophilic attack of the nucleobases onto 2-chloro-4,6-diamino-[1,3,5]triazine. Afterword, we will optimize the reaction conditions by evaluating the time and temperature at which a high experimental yield is attained. Then, the reaction will be carried out in the Microwave Digestion System with the aim of decreasing the amount of time needed for the completion of the reaction. The successful completion of these aims will enable us to prepare the mono(nucleobase-substituted)-di(amino)-s-triazine in large-scale sufficient for biologic testing.
Thin Liquid Metal Loop for Fusion Applications
Amin Fawaz, Student, Department of PhysicsIn magnetic confinement fusion devices such as tokamaks, regions exist where the hot, dense plasma comes into direct contact with the inner vessel wall. These regions, referred to as plasma-facing components (PFCs), are currently composed of solid tungsten (W) tiles. While tungsten offers favorable thermal and mechanical properties, its application as a PFC presents several limitations, including restricted operational lifetime and the generation of plasma impurities. These impurities contribute to
significant power losses, with approximately 20–50% of the input energy dissipated as radiation. To overcome these challenges, liquid metals—particularly lithium—have been proposed as alternative PFC materials in the form of a continuously flowing thin layer. This approach promises enhanced durability, self-healing capabilities, and reduced impurity production. The objective of this proposal is to assist student Amin Fawaz in the design and development of a laboratory-scale continuous flow loop utilizing water and galinstan as working fluids. This experimental platform will serve to simulate the operational requirements of a fusion device, with emphasis on achieving controlled flow velocities, precise regulation mechanisms, and stable thin-film thicknesses.
2024-25
- Off-On Fluorescent-Based miRNA Sensor for the Early Diagnosis of Pancreatic Carcinoma
Stephanie Zoghbi, Student, Department of Chemistry
Pierre Karam, Department of Chemistry
Pancreatic carcinoma is a lethal cancer and incredibly difficult to detect, inspiring investigation into miRNA sequence detection closely related to the development of the cancer. We propose using a new sensing scheme based on a previously reported enhanced fluorescent probes using conjugated polyelectrolytes complexed to PVP. This sensor would operate by complimenting the probe with a short sequence oligonucleotide modified with a quencher which would quench the fluorescent intensity of the nanoparticles in the absence of the target miRNA sequence. In the presence of the sequence, the oligonucleotide will be displaced, and a signal will be restored.