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Brittany Catron

Dr. Joseph A. Caruso
 
 

My current research focuses on monitoring sulfur atoms within pharmaceuticals, such as penicillins.  Capillary high performance liquid chromatography coupled to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer is utilized to separate and detect penicillins.  Novel applications involving collision reaction cell and pre-torch oxygen addition allow for increased sensitivity for selective detection of sulfur. Efforts made through this work will enhance the ability to selectively monitor sulfur in numerous applications via capillary methods.  Application of this technology will lead to future investigations aiming at protein-nucleic acid cross-link identification by taking advantage of the specific sulfur and phosphorus detection giving rise to a simpler and faster analytical method for the analysis of cross-links. 

 

  
       
  Education    
 

♦    2007 – present Ph.D. Student Analytical Chemistry, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

 anticipated graduation June 2011  
  B.S. Chemistry (ACS certified), Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH) 2007  
       
  Experience    
  Research Assistant

 

2007-Present, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)

 		  
  Teaching Assistant:
  • Recitation and laboratory teaching assistant for freshman and general chemistry

 

 2007-Present, University of Cincinnati (Cincinnati, OH)  
  Summer Internship:
  • Learned basic laboratory skills, such as calibrating balances and pipettes and sample preparation
  • Worked one-on-one with bench chemists, enhancing my instrumental understanding

 

 2006, WIL Research Laboratories, Analytical Division (Ashland, OH)  
  Teaching Assistant:
  • Laboratory teaching assistant for freshman and organic chemistry

 

 2005-2007, Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)  
  Organic Preparation Assistant:
  • Prepared all chemicals and apparatus needed for organic chemistry lab

 

 2005-2007, Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)  
       
 

Collaborative projects and sample processing

   
 

Speciation Analysis

  • Arsenic in fern extracts via IPRP-HPLC-ICPMS

  • Arsenic in fly larvae via IPRP-HPLC-ICPMS

 		    
 

Total Elemental Analysis

  • Ancient pottery, rocks, soil, acid mine waste, ink, mice organs, mice ear tissue, fern and several cell culture projects via ICPMS

 

    
       
 

Professional development

    
  President:
  • Started a t-shirt fundraising project
  • Organized several outreach activities with local elementary schools
  • Vice President 2006-2007

 

2006-2007, Chemistry Graduate Student Assoc., Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)

 		  
       
 

Publications

    
  1.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Elucidating unique mechanisms allowing for multi-element detection including sulfur using xenon cell gas in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with application for monitoring bottled water contaminants.” (Submitted for Review).

 		    
  2.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Elucidating the selenium and arsenic metabolic pathways following exposure to the non-hyperaccumulating Chlorophytum comosum, spider plant.” (Submitted for Review).

 		    
  3.

Afton, Scott; Kubachka, Kevin; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Simultaneous characterization of selenium and arsenic analytes via ion-pairing reversed phase chromatography with inductively coupled plasma and electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry for detection; applications of river water, plant extract and urine matrices.” Journal of Chromatography, A (in press).

 		    
  Presentations    
  1.

Catron, Brittany; Afton, Scott; Caruso, Joseph A. “Preliminary Studies on the Characterization of Penicillins via 48SO+ utilizing cap-HPLC-ICPMS” Poster Presentation at the 2008 Ralph and Helen Oesper Banquet, Poster Session and Symposium, 23-Oct-2008; Cincinnati, Ohio.

 		    
  2.

Catron, Brittany; Afton, Scott; Caruso, Joseph A. “Preliminary studies for the Characterization of Six Penicillins in Water via HPLC-UV and ICPMS”  Poster Presentation at the 2008 CERMACS, June 2008, Columbus, Ohio.

 		    
  3.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “An investigation of xenon as a universal ICP-MS collision cell gas via sulfur optimization with application to bottled water contaminants.”  Poster Presentation at the 2008 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, 10-Jan-2008; Temecula, California.

 		    
  4.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Monitoring the effect of selenium on Group 12 elements upon uptake by the Allium fistulosum via LC-ICP-MS/ESI-IT-MS.”  Poster Presentation at the 2008 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry, 08-Jan-2008; Temecula, California.

 

    
  5.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Monitoring the effect of selenium and cadmium on phytochelatin production in the Eichhornia crassipes via LC-ICPMS/ESIMS.”  Poster Presentation at the 2007 Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium, 27-Oct-2007; Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

    
  6.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “An investigation of xenon as a universal ICP-MS collision cell gas via sulfur optimization with application to water contaminants.”  Poster Presentation at the 2007 Ralph and Helen Oesper Banquet, Poster Session and Symposium, 19-Oct-2007; Cincinnati, Ohio.

 

    
  .7.

Afton, Scott; Catron, Brittany; Caruso, Joseph A.  “Monitoring the effect of selenium and cadmium on phytochelatin production in the Eichhornia crassipes via LC-ICPMS/ESIMS.”  Poster Presentation at the 2007 Ralph and Helen Oesper Banquet, Poster Session and Symposium, 19-Oct-2007; Cincinnati, Ohio.