Current Projects:

Zinc Oxide Nanowire Field Emission (currently working on at Inano -- UC Davis):
Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have been promising material for a field emitter due to their high mechanical stability, high aspect ratio, and
high conductivity. In addition to studing CNTs it is important to study other wide band-gap semiconductors, such as ZnO nanowires. ZnO nanowires can be used as field emittes because they have negative electron affinity, high mechanical strength, and chemical stability. Field emission from semiconductor nanowires is still not sufficiently studied. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the field emission properties for ZnO nanowires.

Zinc Oxide Nanowire Gas Sensors (currently working on at Inano -- UC Davis):
The physical properties of ZnO can be modified by introducing changes into the procedure of its sonochemical synthesis. Especially for applications such as a ZnO gas sensor. The sensitivity and response time of ZnO based sensors strongly depend on the porosity of the material. The grain size of the polycrystalline zinc oxide material also has noticeable effect on its gas sensing properties. By synthesizing good quality, sharp pointed, zinc oxide nanowires or nanowalls, highly effective gas sensors can be fabricated.

Fabrication of Zinc Oxide Nanowires/Nanowalls (currently working on at Inano -- UC Davis):
Growth of Zinc Oxide Nanowires via. ultrasound excitation. Vertically aligned ZnO NWs were synthesized from a single solution at room-ambient via ultrasonic excitation. If the process can be controlled and predicted to exact specifications, the sonochemical method could potentially replace traditional methods of fabricating ZnO nanowalls. Although vapor-phase synthesis methods produce highly crystalline ZnO nanowires and nanowalls, they require high temperatures and low pressures. Unlike the vapor-phase synthesis method, the hydrothermal methods of growing ZnO nanowires can be performed at lower temperatures and self-evolving pressure. The reaction time required for this synthesis of ZnO nanowires however can take several hours (or even days). ZnO nanowalls/nanowires however have not been achieved and thus no practical, low cost, rapid approach (sonochemical approach) to grow ZnO nanowalls/nanowires has been achieved.

Gene Expression Data Analysis and Modeling (currently working on independantly -- UC Davis):
TRIM22 is a member of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family. The protein down-regulates transcription from the HIV-1 LTR promoter region. If this gene really is the regulatory gene of HIV, then further analysis creating dendro diagrams using gene expression data (publically avalable) should show other genes which are related to the TRIM22 gene. Using R and Dchip, I have created dendro diagrams and visual gene array maps of the data.
[HELP NEEDED -- please contact me if you are interested in working with me on this. (especially biology students)]