Biomaterials, Antivirals & Nanomaterials Laboratory

We research nanoscale processes, natural products, and targeted delivery systems with applications in medicine and agriculture.

Lab Director: David W. Britt

Learn more about Lab Director David W. Britt

List of Publications (>70 peer reviewed publications): Biomedical Engineering Adjunct Faculty Appointment, University of Utah
self-assembled organo-silane nanobeads

Graduate Students

  • Anthony Cartwright
  • Anagha Wankhade
  • Mohammad Zargaran (visiting scholar)

2021-22 Capstone Design Team

  • Peritoneal dialysis antibacterial coatings: Lexi Phillips, Trent Peterson, Mark Mortensen

Current Undergraduate Researchers

  • Dallin Fairbourn
  • Alisa Dabb
  • Alec Winegar
  • Keira Lentz (summer REEU Scholar)

Research Areas & Open Lab Meetings:

  1. Nanoparticle - microbe - plant interactions for agricultural applications (Tue 9-10am Zoom)
  2. Nanocarriers and natural antiviral therapies for cytomegalovirus (CMV) (Wed 12:30-1:30 Zoom)
  3. Beneficial bacterial biofilms, outer membrane vesicles (OMV), and sustainable agriculture (Wed 9-10am Zoom)
Research Areas

Congratulations to Andrew Kjar, our newest Goldwater Scholar, 2020, and accepted to Vanderbilt !


High School Outreach Summer 2019
CIB students 2019
Congratulations to our CIB Summer Academy Students, Dylan and Aubrey for their excellent research on Beneficial Bacterial Biofilms and receiving 1st Place among the 2019 Academy participants! (And thanks to Anthony and Kyle for their help!)

Recent Research:

Poloxamer 188 – quercetin formulations amplify in vitro ganciclovir antiviral activity against cytomegalovirus

Andrew Kjar, Ian Wadsworth, Elizabeth Vargis, and David W. Britt

Antiviral Research, Volume 204August 2022, 105362

Paper: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1fIvRbqnSJooU

Copyright © 2022 Elsevier

Lab News: Where are they now?

Dr. Abul Bashar Giasuddin (PhD 2018) is a Research Scientist with Evonik, Allentown, PA
Michelle Bonebrake (MS 2019) Quality Control Specialist, GE Healthcare, Logan, Utah
Ian Wadsworth (MS 2020) Ph.D. student at Wake Forest. Aaron Dryden (MS 2021) Thermo Fisher Life Sciences, Logan, Utah.
Andrew Kjar (BS 2020) Ph.D. student at Vanderbilt




Summer Outreach and Community Engagement: NSF Plant-STEM REU Site

Summer 2019 USU Biotechnology Summer Academy - Plant beneficial biofilm research with Kyle and Aubrey


Summer 2018 Bio-Nano Engineering Outreach -- USU Biotechnology Summer Academy

CIB Summer Biotechnology Academy in BENG

Matt Potter (left) and Cassie Behe (right) welcome high school students from California, Idaho, and Utah in our lab to research plant microbiomes and biofilm formation

NEWs: USU Awarded $1M for MESAS Program to Continue Summer Outreach (NASMP) Efforts.

Congratulations to Al Savitzky and colleagues for their summer outreach and mentoring efforts! $1M Grant for Mentoring Story
&— Biomaterials USU (@BiomaterialsU) June 21, 2018

STEM Outreach with Support from NSF-CBET

Award #1335550

Outreach activities to engage and inspire students from all backgrounds to succeed in STEM disciplines. The Britt Lab hosts high school students each summer through the USU Biotechnology Academy. The lab also is active in the USU Native American Summer Mentorship Program (NASMP), and has hosted Native American students from the USU Regional Campus in Blanding, Utah every summer since inception of the program in 2012. In 2017, Dr. Britt and Dr. Anne Anderson from the USU Department of Biology developed an 8-week summer research experience for undergraduates (REU) program titled, Plant-STEM. This program served underrepresented students from 2-year colleges, allowing them to explore novel methodologies used to stimulate plant growth under abiotic stress. An interdisciplinary approach introduced the participants to nanotechnology, plant-microbiome functioning, and soilless growth platforms--the program culminated in student-designed and conducted projects.

Local news coverage of student presentations can be seen here: Plant-STEM NASMP video coverage, HJ News Article.

Summer 2017 8-week Plant-STEM REU

Harvesting plants to assess effects of micronutrients on growth

Dr. Bruce Bugbee sets the stage

Dr. Bruce Bugbee discusses the challenges and opportunities in sustainable food production

Excursion in Logan Canyon

Learning outside the lab: Excursion in Logan Canyon

Plant-STEM Research Summary Poster

the lab group at commencement

Congratulations to Shameem, Kaitlyn, and Michelle - all smiles at Commencement!

Beijing 2016

Invited Lecture Beijing Nano Agro 2016

Past Advisors: