Greg M. Swain
Research
Electrochemistry, Carbon Material Science, Electrosynthesis, Neuroanalytical Chemistry and Biomedical Diagnostics
(Research Description PDF)
Research in our group is interdisciplinary and spans several fields: physical and
analytical electrochemistry, carbon material science, point-of-care medical diagnostics,
and neuroanalytical chemistry. We conduct fundamental research to address key problems
and technological needs in health and the environment. Our core science lies in the
preparation, processing and application of multiple carbon materials including conducting
diamond films and powders, nitrogen incorporated tetrahedral amorphous carbon films,
and screen- and inkjet-printed graphitic carbon materials.
Our interdisciplinary research efforts have pioneered the development and application of advanced carbon electrode materials for fundamental studies of electron-transfer processes, sustainable electrosynthesis, and highly sensitive electrochemical sensing. Our laboratory is also developing innovative point-of-care diagnostic technologies for monitoring disease biomarkers and investigating neurotransmitter signaling in the gastrointestinal tract to better understand human health and disease. By integrating fundamental electrochemical science with practical applications in medicine, environmental sustainability, and advanced manufacturing, our research is making significant contributions to analytical chemistry while addressing important societal challenges.
Students and postdoctoral scholars in the Swain Research Group benefit from a respectful, collaborative, supportive, and intellectually stimulating environment that emphasizes scientific excellence, professional growth, and career development. Group members receive individualized mentoring tailored to their career aspirations while gaining hands-on experience in experimental design, advanced instrumentation, data analysis, scientific communication, and interdisciplinary problem solving. Trainees are encouraged to develop independence as researchers, publish their work, present their research findings at national and international conferences, and build collaborations across disciplines. The mentoring philosophy emphasizes integrity, rigor, and reproducibility in research, while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and leadership skills that prepare graduates and postdoctoral scholars for successful careers in academia, national laboratories, industry, and government.
Current research projects include:
1. Fundamental studies of the electrooxidation of glycerol (a biodiesel by-product) at boron-doped diamond electrodes to produce value-added chemicals. (ongoing)
2. Chemically modified carbon electrodes to control rates of electron transfer (activate
or deactivate the electrode for electron transfer). Factors influencing the spontaneous
formation of aryl diazonium admolecules on carbon electrodes of different microstructures
are under study. (ongoing)
3. Demonstrating that exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a viable liquid biopsy that
contains biomarkers of lung disease and prototyping two electrochemical immunoassays
for application using EBC in lung cancer disease monitoring: (i) soluble PD-L1 – an
over expressed protein in cancer cells and (ii) BNP – a biomarker of cardiac dysfunction
caused by the chemotoxic effects of some chemotherapy agents. (ongoing)
4. Understanding the effects of chronic micro and nanoplastic particle exposure on
neurogenic signaling and function in the gastrointestinal tract. Key aspects of the
project are the use of in vitro electrochemical methods to probe for particle-induced
dysfunction in serotonergic, nitrergic, purinergic and cholinergic signaling in different
regions of the small and large intestine. (new)
5. Development and physiological testing of ATP biosensors for assessing kidney physiological
function. Real-time ATP measurement in vivo and in vitro would improve disease detection,
treatment, and understanding of many physiological processes. (new)
Contact / Webpage
Area(s) of Interest
Analytical (An)
Biological (Bi)
Material (Ma)
Selected Publications
Detection of Cisplatin with Boron-Doped Diamond Thin-Film Electrodes Using Flow Injection
Analysis and Ion Exclusion Chromatography with Amperometric Detection. Jacobs, AI,
Njue, AW and Swain GM. ELECTROANALYSIS 37 (2025) e70007.
Electrochemical Determination of Ibuprofen by Batch‐injection Analysis Using a Boron‐Doped
Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Electrode. Prete MC, da Rocha LR, Segatelli MG, Medeiros
RA, Swain GM, and Teixeira Tarley CR. ELECTROANALYSIS 37 (2025) e202400121.
Detection of Diclofenac and Carbamazepine Using Voltammetry and Flow Injection Analysis
at Boron-Doped Diamond Thin-Film Electrodes. Jacobs AI, Zwane S., Jarosova R, Zamora
MD, Kuvarega AT and Swain GM. ELECTROANALYSIS 36 (2024) e202400157.
Measurement of Human and Bovine Exhaled Breath Condensate pH Using Polyaniline Modified
Flexible Inkjet-Printed Nanocarbon Electrodes. Jacobs AI, Prete MC, Lesch A, Sebio
AA, Teixeira Tarley CR and Swain GM. ACS OMEGA 9 (2024) 40841-40856
Material Characterization and Electrochemical Properties of Titanium Alloy 5553 Prepared
by Selective Laser Melting as Processed and after Abrading and Polishing. Dammulla
I, Weston R, Mahmud ZU, Saha S, McFall-Boegeman S, Rice L, Dwyer JH, Kmetz T, Boehlert
CJ and Swain GM. ACS OMEGA 31 (2024) 34021-34035.
CV
Editor-in Chief, Diamond and Related Materials (Elsevier), 2011-present
Member of the Neuroscience Program and The Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Laser Applications (CCL)
Adjunct Appointments: Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and Pharmacology and Toxicology
B.A., 1985, Univ. of Texas at Dallas
Ph.D., 1991, Univ. of Kansas
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, 1991-92, Space Power Institute and the Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn Univ.
JSPS Postdoc¬toral Research Fellow, 1992-93, Tohoku Univ., Japan
Awards
| Year | Award | Organization |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Outstanding Faculty Award | College of Natural Science |
| 2015 | Corrosion Best Paper Award | |
| 1992 - 1993 | JSPS Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Tohoku University, Japan |
| 1991 - 1992 | Postdoctoral Research Fellow | Space Power Institute and the Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University |
| 1991 | Ph.D. | University of Kansas |
| 1985 | Bachelor of Arts | University of Texas at Dallas |
| Associate Editor | Diamond and Related Materials |