• June 4, 2023

Curriculum vitae

Nicholas Callow, PhD

e-mail: NVCallow@gmail.com

 

Education


PhD in Chemical Engineering, The University of Akron

  • Dissertation: “Exploring the controlled pellet formation of Trichoderma reesei Rut-C30 for improved fermentation”

B.S. in Chemical Engineering, The University of Akron

  • Minor in Chemistry
  • Honors Designation: cum laude
  • University Honors Scholar
  • Honors Project Thesis: “Development of a simple analytical model for the plasma enhanced vapor phase polymerization of octafluorocyclobutane”

 

Technical Experiences


  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Akron (Current Project)
    • Developed cost models to understand how process conditions affect overall production costs for enzymatic soy protein production
    • Repairing lab equipment (HPLCs, GCs, MS)
    • Writing and editing papers for publication
  • Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Akron (6 yr)
    • Conducted laboratory experiments and applied engineering principles to biological systems to optimize culture media and processes for continuous, batch, and fed-batch fermenters
    • Reduced the cost of cellulase production by 60% by using specialized fermentation of T. reesei
    • Solved the pellet problem of T. reesei fermentation by developing a patent pending technology to form consistent, controllable fungal pellets for enzyme production (patent application US2011027858-A1)
    • Designed economic models to understand soy protein production
    • Created standard lab methods, operating procedures and educated others in good lab practices.
    • Helped produce novel bio-surfactant based polyurethanes
    • Tested market potential of bio-polyurethene with NSF I-corps program
    • Wrote LabView programs for advanced fermenter control
    • Setup, operated, designed and tested fermenters for goal oriented studies
  • Teaching Assistant (4 mo)
    • Helped teach The University of Akron’s Tools for Chemical Engineering
    • Responsible for web-module setup and maintenance, learning assistance, and student progress evaluations
    • This class focused on teaching Microsoft Excel – TA’s are experts in Excel
  • R&D Engineer, Cooperative Education at Aircraft Braking Systems Corporation (2 yr)
    • Created embedded Visual Basic software to analyze carbon brake parts for longevity
    • Worked on support hardware for carbon-carbon airplane brakes
    • Helped study and design anti-oxidation coatings for ceramic-carbon/carbon composites
    • Used an SEM for analytical contamination testing
  • Research Assistant at the University of Akron (1 yr)
    • Responsible for aiding in graduate research, which included the operation of fermentation equipment, testing and data analysis for the in-situ production and foam fractionation of fungal cellulase.

 

Technical Skills


  • Fermentation: Setup, Design, Operation, Analysis and Control
    • How does your microbe respond to different growth factors, nutrients, pH, oxygen, etc?
    • Leveraging expected metabolic processes to achieve a desired outcomes
    • Fermentation equipment experience: New Brunswick series, Mettler Toledo pH/dO2 controllers, etc.
    • Fungal/Bacterial/Yeast Culture Maintenance, Storage, and Inoculation Techniques for Contamination Free processes
    • Safe operation, sterilization, management of fermenters, shakers, autoclaves, and biosafety cabinets
    • Experienced with scale up from shake flasks to fermenters
    • Built open air fermenters
  • Creation of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOP) and standard chemical safety procedures
  • Software Skills: Microsoft Excel/Office/Access, Polymath, ChemCad, Linux
  • Computer Languages: FORTRAN, VBA, HTML, LaTeX
  • SEM/EDX testing (Cambridge S360, HITACHI TM-3000)
  • HPLC-MS (Agilent LC1100/LC1200, Bruker Esquire, Shimdazu, Softa)
    • Developed methods for APCI MS analysis of algae lipids
    • Worked with carbohydrate and surfactant quantification
    • Maintained all equipment and upgraded from 10Base2 to 10Base-T (bonus points you know that this means)
    • Repaired Shimadzu auto-injector and rebuilt pumps
  • GC (Shimadzu)
    • Experience with algae lipid analysis
    • F.A.M.E. analysis
  • Lab Skills: Culture Collection Maintenance, pipettes, centrifuges, etc.
  • Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (Olympus FV1000)
    • Studying soybean degradation
    • Analyzed the metabolic state of fungus with fluorescent probes
  • Built fermenter controls with LabView / NI / DAQ boxes / Pyro Sciences
  • Installing and setting-up temperature controllers

 

Publications


[1] Callow, N.V.; Ray C. S.; Kelbly, M. A.; Ju, L.-K. Nutrient Control for Stationary Phase Cellulase Production in Trichoderma reesei Rut C-30 (2016) Enzyme and Microbial Technology, doi:10.1016/j.enzmictec.2015.08.012

[2] Miao,S., Callow N. V., Ju, L.-K. Ethyl rhamnolipids as a renewable source to produce biopolyurethanes (2014) European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 117, 2, 156-160. doi:10.1002/ejlt.201400295

[3] Miao, S., Callow, N., Zhang, S., Su, Z., Wang, P., and Liu, Y. Enzymatic synthesis of oleic acid-based epoxy monomer for the production of value added polymers. (2013) Biotechnology letters, 35, 887–90. doi:10.1007/s10529-013-1162-1

[4] Miao, S., Callow, N., Wang, P., Liu, Y., Su, Z., and Zhang, S. Soybean Oil-Based Polyurethane Networks: Shape-Memory Effects and Surface Morphologies. (2013) Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 90, 1415–1421. doi:10.1007/s11746-013-2273-5

[5] Callow, N. V and Ju, L.-K. Promoting pellet growth of Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 by surfactants for easy separation and enhanced cellulase production (2012). Enzyme and microbial technology, 50, 311–7. doi;10.1016/j.enzmictec.2012.02.006

[6] Lo, C., Zhang, Q., Callow, N. V., and Ju, L.-K. Roles of extracellular lactose hydrolysis in cellulase production by Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 using lactose as inducing substrate. (2010) Process Biochemistry, 45, 1494–1503. doi:10.1016/j.procbio.2010.05.031

[7] Lo, C.-M., Zhang, Q., Callow, N. V, and Ju, L.-K. Cellulase production by continuous culture of Trichoderma reesei Rut C30 using acid hydrolysate prepared to retain more oligosaccharides for induction. (2010) Bioresource technology,101, 717–23. doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2009.08.056

 

Patents


[1] JU, L., SRINIVASAN, N., and CALLOW, N. V. Modifying fungal morphology useful to produce cellulase, comprises introducing surfactant (e.g. rhamnolipid) to a fungus, or to a growing mixture containing a fungus e.g. Trichoderma reesei and Trichoderma viride. (2011). Patent Number: US2011027858-A1

 

Presentations


 [1] 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting (2013 International Congress on Energy (ICE)): Engineering Strategies to Improve Cellulase Production: Trichoderma reesei as a Pellet. Nicholas Callow, Lu-Kwang Ju and Matthew Kelbly

[2] 2008 AIChE National Student Conference (Regional Conference Host Session): How to plan a conference and tips for future hosts

 

Past Activities and Groups


  • Member of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  • Croatian Fraternal Lodge member and volunteer
  • President of the ISPE student group at The University of Akron
  • Founding member & vice president of ChemESO, a graduate student organization
  • Akron student chapter of The American Institute of Chemical Engineers
    • Chairman of the 2008 – North Central Regional Conference Planning Committee
    • Student organization treasurer
    • Webmaster
  • Chem-E-Car Design Team
    • Captain of the Akron student organization
    • Webmaster
  • University of Akron Honors Program
  • Member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars

 

Past Awards and Honors


  • The University of Akron Honors Program “University Honors Scholar”
  • “Outstanding Senior Student” award from the Akron AIChE group, Akron E-Week 2008
  • “Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Exceptional TA award”

 

Scholarships


 

 

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