Latest Updates
Here we will share recent achievements, highlights, and news from the group
This page will be refreshed on a monthly or trimester basis to keep you informed about our latest activities and successes.
Summer 2026
Members update
- Congratulations to Xiaowei Ma on completing his Ph.D. this summer! Xiaowei pushed the boundaries of green oxidation chemistry, achieving unprecedented wastewater treatment capacities using TAML catalysts and hydrogen peroxide systems. You can . We are thrilled that Dr. Ma is continuing his journey with us as an IGS postdoctoral fellow!
- We bid a fond farewell to Minerva Schafer as she heads to the University of Pittsburgh to begin graduate studies. During the tenure at the IGS as an undergraduate researcher, lab technician, and Goldwater Scholar, Minerva made outstanding contributions to our lab's work. Read her reflections on Minerva’s time with the Institute below:
IGS Student Pair Selected for Inaugural PPG Scholar Teams Award
Pharmaceutical compounds like sertraline—the active ingredient in Zoloft®—frequently pass through standard municipal wastewater treatment systems. Once in local waterways, these micropollutants can harm aquatic ecosystems and disrupt wild salmon development. Worse, traditional oxidation processes rarely eliminate sertraline ketone, a persistent byproduct left behind as the drug breaks down.
To solve this, undergraduate student Matthew McCowen and Ph.D. student Debojyoti Chakraborty—working under Teresa Heinz Professor in Green Chemistry Terrence Collins at the Institute for Green Science—have developed a green chemistry solution to completely degrade both sertraline and its stubborn ketone byproduct.
Debojyoti Chakraborty (Debo) Presents Breakthrough TAML "Kill Switch" Research in Barcelona
This summer, IGS graduate student Debo represented the lab on the global stage at the prestigious Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Barcelona, Spain. Debo presented on his novel research into TAML "KillSwitch"—an innovative control strategy engineered to program the operational lifespan and safe deactivation of green catalysts during wastewater treatment.
Debo’s participation at these premier international chemistry forums was made possible through two competitive honors: the Dr. Samuel Y. Wang Travel Award and the Mellon College of Science (MCS) Graduate Student Travel Award. Presenting across both the student-focused seminar and the main conference allowed him to exchange insights with leading international scholars in oxidation chemistry, showcase IGS advancements in pollutant removal, and foster collaborative connections within the broader environmental science community.
07-13-2026
Join our Group
The Institute for Green Science (IGS) at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ, led by Dr. Terrence J. Collins, is currently seeking highly talented, motivated, and mission-driven graduate and undergraduate students to join our multidisciplinary research team. If you are passionate about using fundamental chemistry to solve pressing global environmental and public health challenges, IGS provides an unparalleled environment to make a real-world impact.
What We Do: Real-World Sustainability Through Advanced Oxidation
The Collins Lab is the birthplace of TAML (Tetraamido Macrocyclic Ligand) activators—a revolutionary class of small-molecule mimics of peroxidase enzymes. Our core mission is to design, understand, and deploy safe, sustainable chemical technologies that can eliminate toxic substances from our planet's water supplies.
Students in our lab engage in cutting-edge research across several key areas:
- Water Purification & Micropollutant Destruction: We design TAML/peroxide systems capable of hunting down and completely mineralizing trace pharmaceuticals, pesticides (like neonicotinoids), and endocrine-disrupting chemicals in wastewater.
- Mechanistic Inorganic Chemistry: Researching the kinetics, thermodynamic properties, and reactive intermediates (like high-valent iron complexes) of our catalysts using advanced spectroscopic tools.
- Green Chemistry Design & Safety Metrics: Ensuring that the technologies we build are inherently non-toxic by evaluating them against strict environmental and endocrine-disrupting safety criteria.
Who We Are Looking For
- Graduate Students: Individuals looking to develop deep expertise in synthetic inorganic chemistry, physical organic chemistry, kinetics, and sustainable design.
- Undergraduate Researchers: Dedicated ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ students majoring in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Environmental Science who want hands-on bench experience and the opportunity to be an author/co-author in peer-reviewed publications.
Whether your strengths lie in organic synthesis, computational modeling, or analytical tracking (UV-Vis, HPLC, Mass Spectrometry), there is a place for your skills to grow here.
How to Apply
If you want to push the boundaries of what catalysts can do while advocating for a toxin-free future, we want to hear from you.
- Graduate Applicants: Please email Dr. Collins directly with your CV, a brief statement of your research interests, and your availability for a meeting. All applications must go through ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ's common application portal and are subject to selection by the graduate committee. IGS is not responsible for any selection into graduate programs.
- Undergraduate Applicants: Send a copy of your unofficial transcript and a short paragraph detailing why you are interested in green chemistry and how many hours per week you can dedicate to lab work.
Contact:
Dr. Terrence J. Collins
Email: tc1u@andrew.cmu.edu
Office:
Mellon Institute 710
ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ