Lab Highlights

Isabela Flores Tatem joins the EnviToxIn Lab as an incoming Ph.D. student in the Food and Agricultural Science Program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She recently completed graduate training in the Design Science Program at the University of Michigan, specializing in Biopolymer & Green Materials Design and Sustainable Business Transformation. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Roosevelt University and brings a strong interdisciplinary foundation spanning chemistry, materials science, sustainability, and environmental innovation. Her experiences include investigating biodegradable food packaging systems at Michigan State University, synthesizing potential anti-tuberculosis drug candidates at Roosevelt University, and engineering mixed metal oxide materials for applications in water electrolysis, plastics upcycling, and catalysis at the University of Michigan. 

Within the EnviToxIn Lab, Isabela’s research will focus on the environmental fate and management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Her work will support broader efforts to better understand contaminant behavior and advance practical solutions that protect soil health, water resources, and ecosystem sustainability. Her interdisciplinary perspective, research experience, and commitment to sustainability make her an exciting addition to the EnviToxIn Lab as we continue advancing research at the intersection of environmental toxicology, environmental fate science, and contaminant management.

The EnviToxIn Lab is pleased to welcome Sabiha Sammi to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore as a doctoral student in the Marine, Estuarine, and Environmental Sciences (MEES) Ph.D. Program. Originally from Bangladesh, Sabiha earned her B.S. in Agriculture from Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, where she developed a strong interest in sustainable agriculture and the interactions between biological systems and their environments. Prior to joining UMES, she served as both a Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant in the Department of Horticulture, contributing to a variety of agricultural and environmental research initiatives. Sabiha also brings experience in molecular biology and biotechnology, including PCR, DNA extraction, cloning, nanopore sequencing, protein expression, and statistical analysis. 

As she begins her doctoral studies at UMES this fall, Sabiha will contribute to the lab’s growing research portfolio investigating environmental contaminants and their impacts on biological systems.

The EnviToxIn Lab, in collaboration with scientists from University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science(UMCES), is leading a nearly $200,000 research project investigating long-term PFAS accumulation trends and ecosystem impacts in the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bays.

The project combines sediment geochronology, PFAS analysis, microbial DNA sequencing, and shellfish monitoring to reconstruct decades of PFAS contamination history and examine how chronic PFAS exposure may influence sediment microbial communities and benthic ecosystem processes. The research will also generate practical risk assessment tools and science-based resources to support environmental management, aquaculture planning, and coastal ecosystem resilience in Maryland.

Dr. Omagamre’s PFAS remediation technology was selected as one of only three finalist nominations in the Physical Sciences category for the University of Maryland UM Ventures Invention of the Year Awards. The annual competition highlights breakthrough technologies with strong potential for scientific, societal, and commercial impact across the University of Maryland system.  

The recognition highlights the EnviToxIn Lab’s development of a patent-pending, innovative, and sustainable biochar modification strategy that significantly improves short-chain PFAS immobilization.

We are excited to welcome Sumantee Baidya to the EnviToxIn Lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) as a new graduate student. Sumantee will play a key role in our Harry R. Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology funded project focused on developing strategies to reduce PFAS uptake in crops grown in biosolid-impacted agricultural soils. Prior to joining UMES, Sumantee conducted research on the phytoremediation potential of Paulownia plants, investigating their ability to tolerate and accumulate heavy metals such as arsenic and lead under controlled hydroponic conditions. Her work involved histochemical staining to visualize metal localization, alongside scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to evaluate tissue-level accumulation and surface morphological responses to contaminant exposure. Her background in plant contaminant interactions and analytical imaging techniques brings valuable expertise to the lab’s expanding environmental toxicology and agricultural remediation research efforts. Outside of research, she enjoys reading novels, exploring, and traveling to new places.