Kervin Evans

Research Physical Scientist @US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Peoria, IL, US

Responsible for establishing and supervising a laboratory to support the creation of new chemical and biochemical processes that economically produce value-added products from biomass, particularly plant lipids, at NCAUR. Current project objectives are: 1) Develop high-value functionalized lipids from commodity vegetable oils for cosmeceutical and industrial applications. 2) Develop high-value functionalized phospholipids from soybean lecithin for cosmeceutical and nutriceutical applications. 3) Develop high-value uses for biopolymers like polysaccharides.Current Project - development of a nanoscale delivery system made from plant-based molecules (lipids and polysaccharides)• Methods/Instruments used: Fluorscecne Spectroscopy, AFM (tapping, contact, electrochemistry), fluorescence spectroscopy, Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCMD and electrochemistry), Dynamic light scattering.•Synthesized new lipid molecules and characterized them in phospholipid bilayers using fluorescence spectrosocopy.Synthesized phytochemical based phospholipids and characterized lipid bilayer behavior.•Characterized hydrocarbon adsorption onto steel surface using QCMD.•Characterized yeast cells using AFM and fluorescence.•Characterized corn fibers and films using AFM.•Liposome scale-up production