James Schneider

James Schneider is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, with courtesy appointments in Biomedical Engineering and Chemistry. His research focuses on bio-inspired materials for advanced bioseparations and biosensing, including a gel-free electrophoretic DNA separation method using end-attached micelles that is 10-100x faster than commercial techniques.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, University of Minnesota (1998)
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin (1992)

Research Focus: The Schneider Lab develops novel separation technologies for nucleic acids and proteins, with applications in forensic analysis, genomic diagnostics, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Additional research explores synthetic nucleic acid analogues for plasmid purification and amino acid-linked surfactants for therapeutic delivery.

Publication Trends: Recent work focuses on advanced separation technologies for biomolecules, cell culture optimization for biopharmaceutical production, nanoparticle characterization methods, and applications in vaccine development. Research demonstrates consistent innovation in bioanalytical methods and biomaterials engineering.

Awards and Honors:

• NSF CAREER Award (2001)
• Beckman Young Investigator Award (2002)
• Two-time Kun Li Award for Excellence in Education (2005, 2012)
• Fellow of American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

Facilities and Recognition: As Director of Facilities, IT, and Safety for Chemical Engineering, he oversees laboratory operations. His viral detection technology has been featured for improving vaccine quality control, and his lab contributes to implantable bioelectronic device development through an ARPA-H award.