Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry
Marilyn Rampersad Mackiewicz
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry
Research
The Mackiewicz Lab is a hub of molecular exploration and nanoscale innovation, where we design the future of nanomedicine with purpose and precision. Our research centers on two transformative goals: engineering safe, clinically translatable nanomaterials (NMs), and building a systems-level understanding of nanoparticle-biological interactions (NBIs) and toxicity. Through iterative design and bioinspired chemistry, we’ve created tunable libraries of NMs that serve the evolving needs of the nanomedicine community, while uncovering key parameters for safer materials with minimal impact on human health and the environment. Our discoveries are shared widely—through scientific publications and public outreach—to foster awareness and responsible innovation. More than a research space, the Mackiewicz Lab is a training ground for students passionate about bionanomaterials, where curiosity meets rigor and creativity drives discovery.
Education
Ph. D. (2005) Chemistry, Texas A&M University
B. A. (2001) Hunter College the City University of New York
B.A. (1999) Psychology, Hunter College the City University of New York
Publications
- Visit Marilyn Mackiewicz's Google Scholar
- Nieves Lira, C., Mackiewicz, M. R., & Yue, H. Enlighted: Silver Nanoparticles Undergo Photoinduced Shape Transformations and Are Photostable When Coated with Hybrid Lipid Membranes. The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. 2024, 128(51), 21784-21799. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.jpcc.4c05948
- Nieves Lira, C.; Carpenter, A. P.; Baio, J. E.; Harper, B. J.; Harper, S. L.; Mackiewicz, M. R., Size- and Shape-Dependent Interactions of Lipid-Coated Silver Nanoparticles: An Improved Mechanistic Understanding through Model Cell Membranes and In Vivo Toxicity. Chemical Research in Toxicology 2024.
- Harper, B. J.; Engstrom, A. M.; Harper, S. L.; Mackiewicz, M. R., Impacts of Differentially Shaped Silver Nanoparticles with Increasingly Complex Hydrophobic Thiol Surface Coatings in Small-Scale Laboratory Microcosms. Nanomaterials 2024, 14 (8), 654.
- Mackiewicz, M.R.*; Hosbein, K.; Mason, D.; and Ajjarapu, R. “Integrating Scientific Growth and Professional Development Skills in Research Environments to Aid in the Persistence of Marginalized Students”. J. . Chem. Educ. 2023, 100, 1, 199–208.
- Marquart, Grant. W; Stoddard, Jonathan; McGill, Trevor. J.; Kinnison, Karen.; Zhou, Felicia.; Hugo, Richard.; Ryals, Renee.; Schubert, S.; Mackiewicz, M.R.* “Increasing the Efficacy of Gold Nanorod Uptake in Stem Cell-Derived Therapeutic Cells: Implications for Stem Cell Labeling and Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging”. ACS Appl. Nano Mater. 2022, 5, 5, 6995–7008.
- Dent, S. E.; King, D. P.; Osterberg, V. R.; Adams, E. K.; Mackiewicz, M. R.; Weissman, T. A.; Unni, V. K. “Phosphorylation of the aggregate-forming protein alpha-synuclein on serine-129 inhibits its DNA-bending properties”. Journal of Biological Chemistry (5.157), 2022, 298 (2), 101552.
- Cunningham, B.; Engstrom, A. M.; Harper, B. J.; Harper, S. L.; Mackiewicz, M. R., Silver Nanoparticles Stable to Oxidation and Silver Ion Release Show Size-Dependent Toxicity In Vivo. Nanomaterials 2021, 11 (6), 1516.
- Marriott, L. K.; Raz Link, A.; Anitori, R. P.; Blackwell, E. A.; Blas, A.; Brock, J.; Burke, T. K.; Burrows, J. A.; Cabrera, A. P.; Helsham, D.; Liban, L. B.; Mackiewicz, M. R.; Maruyama, M.; Milligan-Myhre, K. C. A.; Panelinan, P. J. C.; Hattori-Uchima, M.; Reed, R.; Simon, B. E.; Solomon, B.; Trinidad, A. M. O.; Wyatt, L. R.; Delgado Covarrubias, A.; Zell, A.; Keller, T. E.; Morris, C.; Crespo, C. J., Supporting Biomedical Research Training for Historically Underrepresented Undergraduates Using Interprofessional, Nonformal Education Structures. JoSoTL 2021, 21 (1), 241-286.
- Engstrom A. M; Faase, Ryan; Marquart G. W; Baio J.E; Mackiewicz M.R*; Harper S.L. “Size-Dependent Interactions of Lipid-Coated Gold Nanoparticles: Developing a Better Mechanistic Understanding Through Model Cell Membranes and in vivo Toxicity”. Int J Nanomedicine (4.471), 2020,15:4091-4104.
- Engstrom, A. M.; Wu, H.; Mackiewicz, M. R.*; Harper, S. L. “Controlling Silver Ion Release of Silver Nanoparticles with Hybrid Lipid Membranes with Long-Chain Hydrophobic Thiol Anchors Decreases in vivo Toxicity”. International Journal of Engineering Research and Applications (5.179), 2020,10:12-28.
- Miesen, T.J.; Engstrom, A. M.; Frost, D.C.; Ajjarapu, R.; Ajjarapu, R.; Nieves Lira, C.; Mackiewicz, M.R.* “Hybrid lipid-membrane coating “shape-lock” silver nanoparticles to prevent surface oxidation and silver ion dissolution”. RSC Advances (3.36), 2020, 10, 15677-15693.
- Virca, C. N.; Winter, H. M.; Goforth, A. M.; Mackiewicz, M. Rampersad; McCormick, T. M. “Photocatalytic water reduction using a polymer-coated carbon quantum dot sensitizer and a nickel nanoparticle catalyst”. Nanotechnology (3.874), 2017, 28 (19), 195402.
- Ho Wu, R.; Nguyen, T.P.; Marquart, G. M.; Miesen, T. J.; Mau, T.; Mackiewicz, M. R.*, “A facile route to tailoring peptide-stabilized gold nanoparticles using glutathione as a synthon.” Molecules (4.411), 2014, 19 (5):6754-75.
- Sinche, F., Ho Wu, R., Gowrishankar, M.: Marquart, G. W.: Mackiewicz, M. R.*: Harper, B.: and S. L. Harper. “The impact of the synthesis method and purity on the toxicity of glutathione-coated gold nanoparticles”. Nanomaterials (5.346), 2013, 4 (2), 355-371.
- Mackiewicz, M. R.; Hodges, H. L.; Brown, A. L.; Reed. S. M. “Nanoparticle-Enhanced Assay for Detection of C - reactive Protein with Phosphatidylcholine ligands.” Journal of Physical Chemistry B (2.991), 2010, 114 (16), 5556–5562.
- Norris, C.; Rencit, P. R.; Mackiewicz, M.R; Reed, S. M. “A Simple Synthesis of Gold-Core, Silver-Shell Nanoeggs Using Minimal Formaldehyde.” Chemistry of Materials (9.881), 2010, 22 (12), 3637–3645.
- Situala, S.; Mackiewicz, M. Rampersad; Reed. Scott M. “Gold Nanoparticles Become Stable to Cyanide Etch when Coated with Hybrid Lipid Bilayers.” Chemical Communications (6.222), 2008, 3013–3015.
- Mackiewicz, M.R.; Ayres, Benjamin R.; Reed, Scott M. “Reversible, Reagentless Solubility Changes in Phosphatidylcholine-stabilized Gold Nanoparticles.” Nanotechnology (3.874), 2008, 19, 115607-115613.
Awards
- College of Science Deans Early Career Achievement Award, 2024
- Gender Equity in Leadership, College of Science, 2023
- Loyd F. Carter Award for Outstanding and Inspirational Teaching in Science for Graduate Students, College of Science, 2023
- Milton Harris Teaching Award, Department of Chemistry, 2022
- OSU College of Science Inclusive Excellence Award 2022
- American Chemistry Society Stanley Israel Award (2020)
- Presidents Diversity Award, 2017
- A.E. Martell Travel Award, Texas A & M University, 2003
- Adjunct Faculty Research Excellence Award, 2018
- Ronald McNair Mentor Award, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- PSU Faculty Enhancement Travel Award, 2014
- PSU Sustainability Travel Award, 2015
- Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Mentor Award
- Ruth L. Kirschstein-NRSA (NIH) Training Grant, 2004-2005
- Industry-University Cooperative Chemistry Program (IUCCP) - Best Presenter Award, 2004
- MARC (Minority Access Research Center) Fellowship, 2000-2001
Presentations
- 261st ACS National Meeting, April 5-16, 2021, Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Solving the mystery between silver and silver nanoparticles: Who's toxic?”
- 259th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Philadelphia, PA, United States, March 22-26, 2020, Zhou, Felica; Caldwell, Adam; Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Optimizing gold nanoparticle-fluorophore Interactions to minimize fluorescence quenching.”
- 259th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Philadelphia, PA, United States, March 22-26, 2020, Paulin, Kim; Engstrom, Arek M.; Mackiewicz, M. R.* ”Robust nickel nanoparticles shielded from surface oxidation.”
- 74th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Portland, OR, United States, June 16-19, 2019, Sawab, Hamzah; Engstrom, Arek M.; Faase, Ryan; Harper, Stacey L.; Baio, Joe; Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Tuning the curvature of hybrid lipid-coated gold nanoparticles to investigate their role in toxicity.”
- 74th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Portland, OR, United States, June 16-19, 2019, Marquart, Grant W.; Zhou, Felicia; * Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Teasing apart nanoparticle-protein interactions with hybrid lipid-coated gold nanoparticles.”
- 74th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Portland, OR, United States, June 16-19, 2019, Engstrom, Arek M.; Wu, Henry; Mackiewicz, M. R.*; Harper, Stacey L., “Hybrid lipid-coated silver nanoparticles with long-chain hydrophobic thiol surface coatings show decreased toxicity compared to those without robust surface coatings”
- 74th Northwest Regional Meeting of the American Chemical Society, Portland, OR, United States, June 16-19, 2019, Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Evolving nanotechnologies for ophthalmology applications.”
- 257th ACS National Meeting & Exposition, Orlando, FL, United States, Mar. 31-Apr. 4, 2019, Wu, Henry; Engstrom, Arek; Harper, Bryan; Harper, Stacey; * Mackiewicz, M. R.* “Teasing apart how specific features of silver nanoparticles contribute to toxicity.”
