Emily Atallah

Emily is joining the Institute for Chemistry and Bioanalyticys for a PhD exchange between the University of Calgary (Canada) and the FHNW School of Life Sciences from May to August.
Find out about her research activities and interests here.

Working group
Patrick Shahgaldian & Sebastian Wendeborn

Job title
Ph.D. Exchange Student

Tasks at FHNW
I will be working on designing, synthesizing and characterizing coiled-coil motifs as molecular scaffolds for metal-mediated assembly and function. This work will contribute to the understanding of self-assembling peptide systems and supports the development of protein-based materials with multiple binding sites, allowing for stronger and more selective interactions relevant to drug discovery and biotechnology.

Work background/studies
I am in the final year of my Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Roland Roesler at the University of Calgary (Canada) with experience in mineral extraction, organic synthesis, supramolecular chemistry, aqueous chemistry, alkali metal chemistry, NMR spectroscopy, ITC and MALDI-TOF. My main project has targeted the design and synthesis of molecular ionophores capable of selective and reversible extraction of lithium from brine, and grafting them onto polymer supports for incorporation in membrane and bed extraction processes. The current work also targets new mechanisms for release of sequestered ions with the intent to scale the project for industrial application.

3 keywords about Emily
Outside of the lab, I enjoy weightlifting, drawing and travelling, especially when exploring new foods and cultures.