Januka Budhathoki-Uprety

Asst Professor

Textiles Complex 3116

919-515-1970

https://sites.textiles.ncsu.edu/budhathoki-research-group/

Bio

Januka Budhathoki-Uprety is a polymer chemist with an interest in developing novel materials for applications in cutting-edge technologies. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Biology, Master’s degree in Organic Chemistry, and Ph.D. in Chemistry. Her Ph.D. research under the supervision of Professor Bruce Novak at North Carolina State University was focused on the design and synthesis of helical polycarbodiimide polymers. She completed her postdoctoral training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, with her research focused in biomedical sciences developing bio-nanomaterials for disease diagnosis and therapy.Dr. Budhathoki-Uprety is the recipient of the MSK Society Scholar Prize (2018), Tow Postdoctoral Fellowship (2015-2018), ACS Graduate Student Travel Award (2011), Academic Excellence for Teaching Award, Kathmandu Model College (2003-2005).

Research

Polymers and nanomaterials offer a wide range of capabilities in modern technologies in everyday life such as in healthcare, safety and comfort. Research in the Budhathoki-Uprety lab encompasses at the interface between chemistry, biology and material science utilizing the principles of organic and polymer synthesis, chemical biology, and nanotechnology. Her research team focuses on developing novel polymers, macromolecules, and nanomaterials, and their applications in biomedical field and environment in collaborative approach.

Specific research areas include:

Rational Polymer Design and Synthesis
Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine
Bio-sensors Development and Applications
Smart Biomedical Textiles

Organizations

American Chemical Society
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Electrochemical Society
Nepal Chemical Society
Materials Research Society

Teaching

PCC 106 – Polymer Chemistry and Environmental Sustainability, Spring 2020
PCC 461 – Chemistry of Polymeric Materials, Fall 2020
TC 561 – Organic Chemistry of Polymers, Fall 2020

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY

Ph.D. Chemistry North Carolina State University

M.S. Chemistry Western Carolina University

M.Sc Organic Chemistry Tribhuvan University

B.Sc Chemistry and Biology Tribhuvan University

Area(s) of Expertise

Medical Textiles
Nanotechnology
Polymer Science
Polymer/Fiber/Textile Processing
Textile Chemistry

Publications

Increased Use of Disinfectants During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Potential Impacts on Health and Safety , ACS CHEMICAL HEALTH & SAFETY (2022)
Polycarbodiimide for Textile Dye Removal from Contaminated Water , ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS (2022)
(Invited) Carbon Nanotubes Cloaked in Synthetic Polymers: Aqueous Dispersion, Characterization, and Applications , ECS Meeting Abstracts (2021)
Harnessing nanotechnology to expand the toolbox of chemical biology , NATURE CHEMICAL BIOLOGY (2021)
Non-Covalent Coatings on Carbon Nanotubes Mediate Photosensitizer Interactions , ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES (2021)
Single-Chirality Near-Infrared Carbon Nanotube Sub-Cellular Imaging and FRET Probes , NANO LETTERS (2021)
(Invited) Polymer Functionalized Nanocarbons for Biomedical Applications , ECS Meeting Abstracts (2020)
Carbon Nanotube and Organic Color Center Solvatochromism in Biomedicine , ECS Meeting Abstracts (2020)
Glutathione-S-transferase Fusion Protein Nanosensor , NANO LETTERS (2020)
Synthetic molecular recognition nanosensor paint for microalbuminuria , NATURE COMMUNICATIONS (2019)

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Grants

Date: 01/01/21 - 12/31/21

Amount: $17,636.00

Funding Agencies: Cotton, Inc.

Cotton, an indispensable material in textiles industry, is prone to moisture absorption and retention. Moisture has been found root cause for wrinkles in fabrics during wet-dry process and microbial growth that causes malodor in fabrics. Besides, a hydrophobic character is increasingly required for high-performance technical textiles to attain effective liquid repellence, self-cleaning, uni-directional liquid transport, or to create barrier coatings on fiber surfaces. Therefore, one of the major challenges is to protect cotton products from water absorption and associated adverse effects. Here, we propose to develop hydrophobic finish from cottonseed oil, which could be chemically bound to cotton surface to impart water repellency on cotton fabrics.

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