The NSF Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure has awarded Prof. Heather Kulik a new allocation for the project "Developing Accurate Materials Design Strategies Across Method- and Length-Scales". That project has been awarded an allocation on the following resources: SDSC Expanse Projects Storage: 13,465.0 GB SDSC Expanse GPU: 74,750.0 GPU Hours SDSC Expanse CPU: 4,331,520.0 Core-hours Based on cost estimates provided by the resource providers, the allocation of resources awarded to this project would represent approximately $68,319 in support. Congratulations Heather and good luck with the project!

The award recognizes and encourages accomplishments and innovation of unusual merit in the field of basic or applied polymer science. A half-day symposium will be held in Jeremiah's honor at the Spring 2025 ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA. The award (sponsored and administered by the POLY division of the ACS) also includes a plaque, honorarium, and travel assistance to attend the spring meeting. Congratulations Jeremiah!

The award recognizes outstanding fundamental contributions and achievements in the field of polymer chemistry. Michael will be honored at the ACS National Awards Ceremony and Symposium in San Diego at the Spring Meeting in March 2025. The award (sponsored by ExxonMobil Technology and Engineering) also includes a plaque, cash prize, and travel assistance to attend the spring meeting. Congratulations Michael!

An independent study has demonstrated that because of the streamlined syntax of BigSMILES, polymer ML workflows based on BigSMILES consistently required shorter training times compared to those based on SMILES, particularly in large language model scenarios. The authors conclude that as datasets for polymer ML training grow, using BigSMILES as a representation could significantly accelerate the construction of polymer ML pipelines, whether in forward screening paradigms or inverse design paradigms. ChemRxiv Link

MONET Postdoc Tetsu Ouchi has accepted an Assistant Professor position at Louisiana State University. Congratulations Tetsu!

Yunyan has successfully defended his thesis, "The Tension Activated Carbon-Carbon Bond: From Physical Organic Models to Functional Organic Materials". Congratulations Dr. Sun!

Herb has successfully defended his thesis, "Synthesis and Reactivity of Azaborine and Silicon Molecules for Polymeric Materials". Congratulations Dr. Wakefield!

A team from the Steinmetz  and Nelson  labs  introduce a 3D-printable virus-like particle (VLP)-enhanced cross-linked biopolymer system. VLPs displaying surface-available acrylate groups were prepared through aza-Michael addition to serve as resins. The VLP resins were then photopolymerized into a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) network following DLP 3D printing. This approach represents a convergence of disciplines, where the synergistic interaction between virology and additive manufacturing unlocks new frontiers in biotechnology. Article Link

Ilia Kevlishvili (Kulik lab postdoc) and Shixuan Wei (Campos lab graduate student) have been elected as trainee representatives to the Year 3 leadership team. Ilia will be responsible for trainee engagement, and Shixuan will work in Higher Education & Professional Development. Thanks to them both and to Yunyan Sun who will rotate off after two years of service.

Some of the MONET team meet to explore Mission Bay and talk science before the ACS Spring Meeting 2022 in San Diego.

A team from the Olsen and Johnson labs use small angle neutron scattering to measure single chain radii of gyration of end-linked polymer gels before and after cross-linking to calculate the prestrain, which is the ratio of the average chain size in a cross-linked network to that of a free chain in solution. Prestrain measurements reported serve as a point of reference for network theories that rely on this parameter for the calculation of mechanical properties. Article Link

A team from the Rubinstein lab develop a single-chain model to account for the redistribution of monomers between network strands of a primary chain. The model takes into account both the pulley effect and fluctuations in the number of monomers per network strand.  The model will allow for a more systematic analysis of collective and pairwise entanglements in the future. Article Link