Aren Gerdon
Professor of Chemistry - Chair
Chemistry is everywhere! Chemistry makes this ink a striking black and the paper it is printed on a brilliant white. The pixels in your computer screen shift from that same black to a rainbow of colors in the span of milliseconds by the application of a voltage. These molecular interactions have continually amazed me from the first time I really learned about chemistry in high school. I believe that these exciting notions, an opportunity to explore, and my own enthusiasm can open the door of science for each individual student. Chemistry is ubiquitous and exciting, but also personal in how it is experienced, appreciated, and scrutinized by each of us. Understanding the principles behind everyday chemistry is important, but what is novel today will be commonplace tomorrow. Through chemistry, students have the opportunity to learn about the world around them that is ever changing. Students can maintain balance in that ever-changing world by developing critical analysis and problem-solving skills and by focusing on chemistry that matters to them, supports their personal interests, and supports the wellness of just society.
What I Love About Emmanuel:
I love that Emmanuel College embraces the liberal arts and social justice. Chemistry majors put science in perspective through social analysis or moral reasoning while students focused on the humanities learn the importance of science in daily life. The same is true for faculty members who work together to provide a learning environment without boundaries and with a sense of belonging for all.
Ph.D., Analytical Chemistry, Vanderbilt University; B.A., Chemistry, Hanover College
- CHEM 1101 Principles of Chemistry I
- CHEM 1102 Principles of Chemistry II
- CHEM 2104 Analytical Chemistry
- CHEM 2106 Chemistry of Brewing
- CHEM 2114 Chemistry of Fire and Explosives
- CHEM 3108 Instrumental Methods of Analysis
- CHEM 3160 Seminar in Chemistry
- CHEM 4194 Internship in Chemistry
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
- Kovarik, M.L.; Galarreta, B.C.; Mahon, P.J.; McCurry, D.A.; Gerdon, A.E.; Collier, S.M.; Squires, M.E. “Survey of the Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Curriculum” Chem. Educ. 2022, 99, 2317-2326.
- Tzepos, R.G.; Raman, E.; Toote, L.E.; Wright, D.W.; Gerdon, A.E. “Signal amplification with Co(III) protoporphyrin IX nanoparticles and anodic stripping voltammetry” Electroanalysis 2021, 33, 1923-1929.
- Gerdon, A.E. “Connecting Chemistry to Social Justice in a Seminar Course for Chemistry Majors” Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 4316-4320.
- Duffy, E.; Florek, J.; Colon, S.; Gerdon, A.E. “Selected DNA aptamers as hydroxyapatite affinity reagents” Analytica Chimica Acta 2020, 1110, 115-121.
- Shlaferman, J.; Paige, A.; Meserve, K.; Miech, J.A.; Gerdon, A.E. “Selected DNA aptamers influence kinetics and morphology in calcium phosphate mineralization” ACS Biomater. Sci. Eng. 2019, 5, 3228-3236.
RECENT PRESENTATIONS
- Gerdon, A.E. “DNA aptamers influence calcium materials mineralization dependent on pH” Abstracts of Papers, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2022; COLL presentation.
- Bolarinho, R.; Shields, D.; Gerdon, A.E. “DNA aptamer-nanoparticle conjugates as biomimetic mineralization templates” Abstracts of Papers, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2022; CHED poster.
- Gilbert, A.; Japo, J.; Gerdon, A.E. “Understanding the influence of DNA aptamers in time-resolved calcium phosphate mineralization of collagen hydrogels” Abstracts of Papers, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2022; CHED poster.
- Padilla, L.; Sanpietro, G.; Gerdon, A.E. “Development of headspace extraction and SPME methods for the GC/MS analysis of ignitable liquids on textiles” Abstracts of Papers, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2022; CHED poster.
- Zabala, G.; Gilbert, A.; Gerdon, A.E. “Collagen hydrogel formation and templated calcium phosphate mineralization measured by quartz crystal microbalance” Abstracts of Papers, National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, 2021; CHED virtual poster.
- Gerdon, A.E. “RUI: DNA and nanoparticle assemblies as biomimetic templates for calcium phosphate mineralization”, National Science Foundation, Research at Undergraduate Institutions, September 2019 – August 2022, Awarded: $350,316.
- Gerdon, A.E. (co-invistigator), et al.; Sa, Niya (principle investigator). “Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope to Enhance Research Collaborations and Education Needs among Colleges and Universities in the New England Area” National Science Foundation, Major Research Instrumentation, Awarded 2019.
- Gerdon, A.E. “RUI: Selection and Assessment of Biomimetic Templates for Mineralization”, National Science Foundation, Research at Undergraduate Institutions, July 2013 – June 2017, Awarded: $240,086.
As scientists, we feel motivated to better understand the complexities around us and make innovative changes in our ever-evolving world. The research done by Dr. Gerdon's undergraduate students at Emmanuel College motivates and educates students in chemistry using a simple philosophy. First and foremost, our research aims to inspire students in chemical research by giving them hands-on instruction in a professional laboratory setting. Experimentation in novel areas of chemistry such as nanotechnology encourages students to explore their curiosities and gain experience in the field of research. Second to education, our researchers complete scientifically relevant experiments in three main fields of study: biomineralization, analytical biochemistry, and nanotechnology.
Biomineralization refers to the process of mineralization taking place within nature. A multitude of examples can be found across the animal kingdom, but the process of biomineralization is still not well understood. Biomineralization can be seen on a macroscopic and microscopic level, whether it be the calcite formed by lobsters or the magnetite mineralized by bacteria. The ability of a living being to form mineral from its environment or its own body is often advantageous to its survival. Our research focuses on the biomineralization pathway of hydroxyapatite. This highly structured, crystalline calcium phosphate mineral is the main component of teeth and bones in mammals. Hydroxyapatite is largely responsible for the strength of teeth, as it's highly ordered crystal lattice structure provides rigidity. In our quest to understand how hydroxyapatite is formed, we hope to eventually offer some insight into bone health and regeneration.
Besides directly studying mineral formation, biochemistry and biomimetic processes are used to better understand hydroxyapatite. By making use of the biochemical properties of hydroxyapatite, we can gain insight into its formation and functioning in a physiological setting. We focus our efforts on an extracellular matrix protein called amelogenin. This protein is involved with the formation of enamel and is believed to regulate the growth of hydroxyapatite. The biochemistry between hydroxyapatite and amelogenin enables us to learn more about hydroxyapatite in comparison with other calcium phosphate minerals.
Biomimetics, the imitation or modeling of systems found in nature, can also be used to study the formation and properties of hydroxyapatite. Scientists have benefited greatly from studying the unique skills organisms have developed over years simply by natural selection. By mimicking these skills, we can make use of them to learn more about the world around us. We use two biomimetic models in our research: DNA and nanoparticles. DNA is a molecule made up of nucleic acids that are held together by a negatively charged backbone. This backbone acts as a scaffold for the formation of hydroxyapatite. Similarly, we are using nanoparticles as a way to synthesize hydroxyapatite more efficiently. Nanoparticles are particles with a diameter anywhere between 1 and 100 nanometers. Both of these templates are a part of the larger field of biomimetic technology, which continues to be explored with great enthusiasm in our lab and beyond.
Our researchers gain valuable laboratory skills as they are exposed to a variety of different instrumental techniques. They learn how to conduct research in a professional laboratory setting, while contributing to the scientific community in a meaningful way. We learn to use a variety of instruments and analytical techniques such as microscopy, gel electrophoresis, spectroscopy, and more. Our researchers are even developing their own analytical methods to measure hydroxyapatite mineralization. Each different avenue of experimentation is helping to shed light on the process of biomineralization, in the hopes of contributing to biotechnological solutions to bone regeneration and repair.