2007 - Chemical & Biomedical Engineering - University of South ...

Faculty and Research Interests
Dr. Norma A. Alcantar
Assistant Professor
alcantar@eng.usf.edu
(813) 974-8009
website: http://www.eng.usf.edu/~alcantar
Education:
Post-Doctoral Research in Materials Science, University of California, Dept of Chem.
Eng & Mat Sci/UC Davis & Mat Res Lab/UCSB, CA, USA.
Ph.D in Chemical Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, 2000.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM),
Mexico City, Mexico.
Research Interests: Surface Forces and Chemical Characterization of Biomimetic
Membranes, Amyloid Beta Peptides, Micellar Surfactants, Chemically Active
Surfaces, Natural Materials, and Drug Delivery Systems.
Using natural materials to produce safe drinking water
Waterborne diseases from pathogens
and contaminants afflict a majority of the
World’s population, especially in
developing countries. A major victory in
the battle against infectious and chronic
diseases can be won if safe drinking water
can be made available for people
irrespective of their economic conditions.
Basic understanding of the local customs
and attitudes regarding water use is
required to design and implement a
Nopal Cactus Plant:
Opuntia ficus-indica
technology using locally obtainable, natural materials that can provide
clean drinking water to low-income communities in such pressing need.
The long-term goal of this research project is to develop, implement,
and test a culturally appropriate, economically viable, and environmentally
and socially sustainable “green technology” for water purification using
cactus mucilage in rural and developing communities of Mexico, which
have been exposed to polluted drinking water and where access to
conventional filtration technology is limited. Funding Source: Sustainable
Communities: Water Project, USF-State of Florida.
Systematic Study of Amyloid Beta Peptides: Implications for
Alzheimer’s Disease
This research project examines how
antibodies against amyloid beta (Aß)
peptides modify the process of aggregate
formation, the corresponding changes in
conformation, and the time-lines related
to the antibody- Aß interactions. By
studying the effects of amyloid peptides
with 40, 42 or 41 amino acid sequences,
both separated or combined, will allow
one to understand the effects of length
and end group of the peptide.
The long term objective of this work is
to identify the extent to which antibodies
can modify Aß secondary structure and
determine what the impact of this
mechanism might be in relation to other
mechanisms in mouse models and
patients. Funding source: Rinat-Pfizer.
Amyloid-β Peptide Fibrillar
Assembly as Seeing using
Atomic Force Microscopy
(Scan size: 10µm x10µm).
Recent Research Projects
‣ Conducting and Semi-transparent
Chemically Active Surfaces
‣ Antibody Mediated Conformational
Changes in Aß Peptides
‣ Critical technologies and strategies
for meeting the UN’s Millennium
Development Goals on water and
sanitation
‣ Study of the Flocculating Capacity
of Nopal Mucilage
‣ Transforming the Educational
Experience of Transfer Students in
Chemical Engineering using a
Multi-Dimensional Approach
‣ Drug delivery systems for cancer
patients
Recent Publications and Patents
Anzalone, A., Boles, J., Greene, G., Young,
K., Israelachvili, J., Alcantar, N., Confined
Fluids and their Role in Pressure Solution.
Chemical Geology, 2006. 230 (3-4):220-
231.
Jiménez, J., Heim II, A., Matthews, G.,
Alcantar, N., Construction and
Characterization of Soft-Supported Lipid
Bilayer Membranes for Biosensors.
Application Engineering in Medicine and
Biology Society, 2006. No. EMBC061976.
Dearborn, K., Toomey, R., VanAuker. M,
Hood, E., Alcantar, N., Niosome drug
delivery systems containing nanoparticles
embedded into biodegradable polymer
hydrogels. PCT Int. Appl. (2007), 12pp.
Patent: WO 2007123993.
Young, K., Anzalone, A., Pichler, T., Picquart,
M., Alcantar, N.: The Mexican Cactus as a
New Environmentally Benign Material for the
Removal of Contaminants in Drinking Water
in Materials Science of Water Purification,
ed. Shannon, M. et al., 2006, 0930-JJ01-01.
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