Research related to forensic toxicology is an excellent opportunity to practice technical skills needed to isolate small molecules from complex matrices and detect them on sophisticated instrumentation.
Common Sample Preparation Techniques:
- Liquid-liquid extraction (LLE)
- Solid-phase extraction (SPE)
- Solid-phase microextraction (SPME)
Key Instrumentation:
- Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS)
- Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
- High Resolution Mass Spectrometry (HRMS)
Not only will students have the opportunity to develop technical skills, but also critical thinking and communication skills. Students will be encouraged to evaluate literature related to the research project, conduct experiments, process data, and give suggestions on future experiments. Students typically conduct research in forensic toxicology to fulfill research requirements in the forensic science sequence (CHE 460), which also includes Capstone Chemical Communication (CHE 454). If so, then students will be expected to write up their research project and present it to the Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics Department during their final semester of research.
Assistant Professor Crosby is committed to not only training students on proper techniques, but also mentoring students as they develop critical thinking and communication skills. Her research group generally meets weekly.
Students interested in research related to forensic toxicology are encouraged to email Assistant Professor Crosby, mmcrosby@ut.edu.
