Dr. Xiomara Calderón-Colón is a Materials Scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. She has a diverse educational background fusing materials science and chemistry by working across disciplines including nanomaterials, biomaterials and composite materials for protection and healthcare applications. Currently, Dr. Calderón-Colón is a Principal Investigator, Project Manager, Task Lead, and Technical Contributor on multiple multidisciplinary projects. Her contributions have been recognized with APL’s Invention of the Year Award, Women of Color Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Award, Publication Award and nominations for APL’s Invention of the Year & Government Purpose Invention. She has three patents and more than 20 publications and presentations as first author or co-author. Her presentation this evening highlights Multifunctional, Structured and Porous Material for Chemical and Biological Defense Applications. There is a need to generate single materials that are low-cost and stable for protection, mitigation, and monitoring exposures to Chemical and Biological threats. The fundamental understanding of interaction mechanisms is critical for the design and optimization of efficient, stable, and customizable platforms for Chemical and Biological defense applications.

1. Dermawan
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2. Multi-functional, Structured and
Porous Materials for Chemical
and Biological Defense
Applications
Xiomara Calderón-Colón, Ph.D.
Materials Scientist
The Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Research and Exploratory Development Department
Multifunctional Materials and Nanostructures Group
Xiomara.Calderon-Colon@jhuapl.edu

3. Infrastructure and Resources Protection
Buildings ǁ Food ǁ Transportation ǁ Water
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/content/transportation

4. Versatility of Materials
1µm
Silica
Nanoparticles
1µm
Mesoporous
Silica
Nanoparticles500nm 500nm 300nm
1µm
SEM imaging of Silica Nanoparticles with Distinct Morphologies and Sizes.
Mesoporous
Silica
Nanoparticles
300 nm 300 nm500nm
50 µm 50 µm 50 µm
SEM imaging of Titanium Dioxide with Distinct Morphologies.
Particles Tubes Ribbons
SEM imaging of Polymeric Electrospun Fibers.

5. My Vision
Single Material
Chemical
Decontamination Interrogation
Biological
Bio-Capture Detection
Multi-functional Platforms for Chemical
and Biological Defense Applications
Negative Positive
Negative
Positive
Positive

6. Interrogation Material: Porous, Functional Hybrid
Multi-functional, Structured and Porous Materials
2 μm
10 μm
5 μm
2 μm
500 nmDecontamination Material: Porous, Active, High Surface Area

7. Structured Material For Bio-Capture, Sampling & Detection
Single Material
DetectProcessBio-capture
Multi-functional Platform for
Biodefense Applications

8. SEM imaging of four distinct morphologies.
Scale Bar 200 µm
Small and Aligned
Fibers
Small and Random
Fibers
Large and Aligned
Fibers
Large and Random
Fibers
Material morphology plays an important role on the bacterial binding efficiency.
Bacterial binding efficiency as function of
material morphology
Bacterial Binding Efficiency
Material Morphology

9. In general, bacterial binding is enhanced when captured by
functionalized material with higher lectin concentration.
Control Functionalized
SEM images of structured material after been
exposed to the bacteria and washed. Scale Bar 10µm
Bacterial Binding Efficiency
Bio-moiety Concentration
Bacterial binding efficiency as
function of lectin concentration.

10. Optimization of Dynamic Range
0 101 102 104 106 108
Reaction Time = 0 min
Bacterial Concentration (CFU)
Reaction Time = 2 min
0 101 102 104 106 108
Bacterial Concentration (CFU)
Structured materials functionalized with Con A HRP
(0.05 mg/mL). Materials were exposed to different
concentrations of E. Coli for colorimetric assay.
S t r u c t u r e d M t l . B a c t e r i a 3 m i n 4 m i n 5 m i n
0
1 0
2 0
3 0
ColorContrast
0 C F U 1 0
1
C F U 1 0
2
C F U
1 0
4
C F U 1 0
6
C F U 1 0
7
C F U
Color contrast as a function of reaction time for structured materials
functionalized with Con A HRP (0.005 mg/mL). Materials were
exposed to different concentrations of E. Coli for colorimetric assay.
We will further expand the dynamic range of the
colorimetric assay by investigating: (1) different bacterial
exposure methods, (2) material thickness, and (3)
colorimetric reaction.

11. Acknowledgment
Team
• Lance Baird, REDD
• Nate Boggs, AOS
• Tom Buckley, AOS
• Annie Dunn, Intern
• Ben Fuller, REDD
• Jill La Favors, REDD
• Charles Fancher, AOS
• Paul Gong, AOS
• Karl Kreatschman, AOS
• Tim Lippa, AOS
• Lloyd Luedeman, REDD
• Dominique Magalotti, Intern
• Cavin Mooers, REDD
• Melanie Morris, REDD
• Kathlyn Santos, AOS
• Zhiyong Xia, REDD
• Matt Yeager, REDD
Funding
The Johns Hopkins - Applied Physics Laboratory
• Research and Exploratory Development Department (REDD)
• Asymmetric Operations Sector (AOS)
• Office of Technology Transfer (OTT)