Maryville College student conducts research at ORNL that could aid homeland security

Article courtesy of Maryville College

Maryville College student Katherine Nadler spent the summer of 2010 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducting research that could aid the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in detecting vaporized explosives.

Nadler, a rising junior from Greensboro, N.C., who is majoring in chemical physics and mathematics, completed a 10-week internship in ORNL’s Biosciences Division. Funded by DHS, Nadler’s internship allowed her to work on a project that uses sensors to detect vaporized explosives.

The sensors resemble miniature diving boards that are coated in a specific compound that will bend when certain substances chemically or physically adhere to the surface, Nadler said. Using laboratory equipment, Nadler can detect how much the cantilevers bend to determine how much of the target substance is present in the air.

“The sensing technology being developed at ORNL is based on tiny structures called microcantilevers with dimensions as small as the cross-section of a strand of human hair,” said Dr. Ali Passian, a member of ORNL’s Nanoscale Science and Devices research staff and a research professor in the University of Tennessee’s Department of Physics. “Due to their small size, these tiny devices can be extremely sensitive to very small quantities of chemicals in the air.”

Nadler’s team is developing a sensor that can detect dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) molecules. DMMP can be used as a chemical weapon or used to produce the nerve gas sarin, Passian said.

If successful, the DMMP sensors can be placed at ports of entry into the United States, including airports and cargo docks. “Port-of-entry inspection tools will be greatly aided by technologies that can non-invasively and accurately identify hazardous and illegal materials,” Passian said.

Nadler said her internship has been rewarding because not only is she able to work in a national laboratory using state-of-the-art technology and equipment, but she is surrounded by “brilliant scientists who are humble enough to answer my simple questions.” She said the internship has opened her eyes to the fact that science “opens countless doors.”

“There have been numerous occasions where I have just sat down with a few scientists and talked about their education paths or what it’s like to work in industry versus research,” said Nadler, who said she will remain on the same path toward research and will possibly pursue a career in engineering. “I’m learning new things daily, not only about chemicals and circuits, but about the daily life of a scientist.”

She also said the hands-on experience has been invaluable.

“I’ve actually gotten to put together my experiment,” she said. “I’ve searched throughout three labs to find the pieces to make sure the gases are flowing how I want; I’ve soldered resistors onto a circuit board; and I’ve run the data and created the graphs. There are not many places where you get this same hands-on opportunity.”