NEWS AND PHOTOS
Photo Gallery
2026 Fall Bowling
Fun bowling group event, joint with the Neugebauer lab!
2026 Summer cave tour
We truly enjoyed exploring underground, taking in all the wonderful sights!
2026 June Caleb goodbye
Fun but bittersweet gathering for Caleb’s goodbye party. We’ll really miss you, Caleb – good luck at UWashington!
2026 June Caleb goodbye
The rain cleared up in time for a stunning rainbow at Caleb’s goodbye party
2025 Fall apple picking
We had a beautiful day for a fun apple picking trip!
2025 Fall apple picking
We had a beautiful day for a fun apple picking trip!
Birthday celebration
Jingfei and Jay organized a surprise birthday celebration!
Devil’s Lake June 2025
We had great weather and fun hiking on our trip to Devil’s Lake! We stopped for a photo at the Devil’s Doorway rock formation.
Devil’s Lake June 2025
Beautiful weather and a great view over the lake!
Hiking
Pausing on the way up the trail during our hiking trip at Devil’s Lake
Grilling
We had a fun time grilling corn, garlic, watermelon, and more during our trip to Devil’s Lake
Sunset over Devil’s Lake
Sunset over Devil’s Lake during our group hiking trip, June 2025
Lab Life
When your science and style align perfectly you might find yourself twinning with your advisor like Ashley!
Fall Festivities
The Martell group reached new heights during our apple picking outing!
Fall Festivities
Finally Fall! The Martell and Neugebauer groups welcomed new first years to Madison with a fun apple picking and ice cream outing!
Fall Festivities
Finally Fall! The Martell and Neugebauer groups welcomed new first years to Madison with a fun apple picking and ice cream outing!
Fall Festivities
Finally Fall! The Martell and Neugebauer groups welcomed new first years to Madison with a fun apple picking and ice cream outing!
2023 KICKBALL IN THE PARK
Kicking off the summer with a group game of kickball and a potluck picnic at the park!
2022 HOLIDAY PARTY
Playing games at our annual holiday party! Potluck, drinks, and fun!
SUMMER PICNIC 2022
To celebrate the end of summer, we had a picnic with volleyball and frisbee by Lake Wingra!
GROUP LUNCH 2022
After cleaning the lab, we went out for lunch and played some cornhole by the lake!
DRINKS ON THE TERRACE
Enjoying the summer weather on the lake at the Union Terrace, June 2022!
THE TERRACE AT SUNSET
Sunset over Lake Mendota while the group hung out at Memorial Union, June 2022.
UNDERGRAD RESEARCH 2022
Our undergraduate researchers presenting posters at the 2022 UW–Madison Chemistry Undergraduate Poster Symposium!
GAME NIGHT, APRIL 2022
A group get-together with pizza and lots of games!
ICE SKATING TRIP 2022
Our group ice skating trip at the Shell Ice Rink with drinks at the Union South coffee shop afterwards to warm up!
VIEW FROM THE 8TH FLOOR
View from the 8th floor laboratories in Shain Tower – an October sunset in 2021. Photo credit: Sifei Fang
SUMMER 2021 BOWLING TRIP
Group photo at our summer bowling trip. Snacks, drinks, and good time!
LUNCH AT THE TERRACE 2021
Enjoying lunch and a sunny afternoon at the Memorial Union Terrace after our annual lab cleaning!
ICE CREAM BY THE LAKE ’21
Group trip to eat Babcock ice cream at the Union Terrace! Nice to finally meet in person again (thanks to COVID-19 vaccinations)!
GROUP PICNIC, SUMMER 2021
To celebrate our successes over the summer, we had a picnic at Rennebohm park and played some fun games (including basketball).
CELEBRATION PICNIC 2021
A sunny group picnic with frisbee and pizza by Lake Wingra to celebrate Gillian’s Master’s degree!
CELEBRATION PICNIC 2021
Group photo at our summer picnic by Lake Wingra to celebrate Gillian’s Master’s degree.
HOLIDAY PARTY 2020
Virtual group get-together, December 2020. Trivia, pictionary, and lots of fun!
SUMMER 2020 GROUP PICNIC
Enjoying the beautiful summer weather as a research group: with soccer and a socially-distanced picnic!
2019 GROUP HOLIDAY PARTY
Our first annual holiday get-together, December 2019: board games, barbecue, eggnog, and gifts!
8TH FLOOR COOKIE PARTY
The first joint-group cookie party with the Schomaker group, December 2019.
FALL 2019 GROUP PHOTO
Group photo after new students joined the group in November.
STUDENT-MADE POSTER
Humorous recruiting posters are a department tradition (Fall 2019). Credit: Maddy and Edward Pimentel
SUMMER 2019 GROUP OUTING
Our group on a fun trip to a local gastropub and a favorite ice cream shop.
MARTELL GROUP
Our first group photo with our 8th floor view in the background.
CHEMISTRY BUILDING
Our lab is located on the top floor of this tower. Photo courtesy of Flad Architects Photographer: Steve Hall
SHAIN ATRIUM AT NIGHT
The front entrance to the Chemistry Building. Photo courtesy of Flad Architects Photographer: Steve Hall
SUNSET OVER SHAIN TOWER
A rainbow during sunset over the Chemistry Building on the first day of orientation, 2018.
News Archive
-
Summer Research Fellowships
Congrats to undergraduates Young, Nano, Ruda, and Kimaya for winning summer research fellowships! Young won a Hilldale Research Fellowship, Nano won a L&S Honors Summer Research Apprenticeship and a Ackerman Summer Research…
-
Welcome, Jingfei!
Welcome to Jingfei Qiu, our newest graduate student!
-
Graduating Students
Annika, Ashley, Elliot, and Xu are moving on to their next adventures! Xu is starting as an Assistant Professor at Nanjing University, Ashley (now Dr. Ogorek!) is starting a postdoctoral fellowship at…
-
Undergraduate Researcher Awards
Congratulations to our undergraduate researchers, Mia, Sasha, and Elliot! Mia won a Sophomore Research Fellowship, Sasha won an L&S Honors Summer Research Apprenticeship Grant and a Chemistry Department Karen M. Telander Undergraduate…
-
2024 ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Young Investigator Award
Congratulations to Ashley on being selected for the 2024 ACS Division of Biological Chemistry Young Investigator Award!
-
2024 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
A big congratulations to Martell Group alum Max Unger for winning the 2024 NSF GRFP!
-
2024 CAS Future Leader
Congratulations, Eric, on being selected as a 2024 CAS Future Leader!
-
New publication!
New paper alert! Mario, Max, and Ashley’s work focused on the directed evolution of plastic-degrading enzymes using a novel ultrahigh-throughput yeast display platform is published in JACS.
-
2023 NOBCChE Conference
Third-year student JP received the prestigious Advancing Science Conference Grant (ASCG) from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) which provided him with the opportunity…
-
ACS Cover Art Feature
Congratulations to Eric for his artwork being featured on the cover of ACS Chemical Biology!
-
Martell Group at ACS San Francisco 2023
Eric and Sifei represented the Martell Group at the Fall 2023 National ACS Meeting in San Francisco! Good job on your oral presentations!
-
New Publication!
Justice’s and Edward’s article on a solution-phase Cu/TEMPO alcohol oxidation for application in DNA-encoded library synthesis is now published in Bioconjugate Chemistry! Go team!
-
New Publication
Eric, Christian and Gillian’s paper on using terminal alkyne-modified DNA aptamers to enhance protein binding affinity is out now in is out now in ACS Chemical Biology! Congratulations!
-
New publication!
Ashley and Xu’s paper using switchable DNA catalysts for proximity labeling of protein–protein interactions is out now. Check it out in JACS!
-
Chemical Biology Interface Training Program
Congratulations to Lizzy for being selected for the Chemical Biology Interface Training Program!
-
Undergraduate Awards
As the 2022-2023 academic year comes to a close, we would like to recognize our outstanding undergraduate researchers and their accomplishments this year. Hang Yin was selected to present at the National…
-
Graduation!
Congratulations to our undergraduate researchers graduating this past week! Max Unger and Hang Yin graduated with degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry. Max is headed to the Chemistry PhD program at the University…
-
2023 Research in the Rotunda
Congrats to Max on presenting his poster on evolving enzymes for eco-friendly plastic recycling at this year’s Research in the Rotunda at the Wisconsin State Capitol! Congrats to Mario on being a…
-
New Publication
Caleb, Ashley and JP’s paper about switchable DNA polymerization catalysts is online now in JACS! Go team!
-
Welcome New Students!
Welcome to the newest Martell Group students, Leslie, Lizzy, Eli and Zach!
-
Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Program
Thank you to the Office of Naval Research for supporting our work with a Young Investigator Award!
-
New Publication
Mario and Max’s paper on chemoenzymatic benzylic functionalization was just published! Check it out in ACS Catalysis!
-
ACS Chicago 2022
The Martell Group made a strong showing at the national ACS meeting in Chicago! Congratulations to Eric, Jed, and Justice on your posters, and to Mario and Jeff on your oral presentations.
-
Graduation and Research Internship for Justice
Congratulations on graduating, Justice! We’re excited that you will be continuing with us as a research intern!
-
Hassan’s Graduation!
Congratulations on graduating, Hassan! We will miss you. Best of luck as you start your PhD in Chemistry at Duke!
-
Congratulations, Jeff and Edward!
Jeff and Edward were both recipients of the 2022 Graduate Student Faculty Liaison Committee Mentor Award.
-
Undergraduate Awards
Congratulations to all of our undergraduate researchers for their recent awards and poster presentations! Max, Justice, Hang and Christian all presented posters in the Chemistry Department Undergraduate Poster Session Hassan and Christian…
-
Congratulations, Edward!
Congratulations to Edward on a number of recent awards: the Ciba Travel Award in Green Chemistry, the Outstanding Chemistry Teaching Assistant Award, the William B Dickinson Fellowship in Organic Chemistry, and Best…
-
New Postdoc!
Welcome to our first postdoctoral researcher, Xu Zhou!
-
New Publication
Edward’s paper on DNA-scaffolded synergistic catalysis is now in JACS! Check it out!
-
The Martell group is on Twitter!
We just started a student-run account on Twitter! Follow us for announcements, photos, and more!
-
Welcome New Students!
Jean Paul, Ethan, and Kailey have joined our group! Welcome!
-
ACS Bridge Travel & Career/Professional Development Award
Congratulations to Christian on receiving the ACS Bridge Travel & Career/Professional Development Award!
-
Congratulations, Gillian!
Congratulations to Gillian on her Master’s degree! We wish you all the best with your future endeavors!
-
Hartwell Foundation Award
Thank you to the Hartwell Foundation for supporting our work with an Individual Biomedical Research Award!
-
Army Research Office Grant
Thank you to the Army Research Office for supporting our work on porous protein frameworks with a three-year grant!
-
Congratulations, Christian!
Congratulations to Christian on receiving the Wisconsin ACS Local Section Summer Research Award!
-
Undergraduate Awards
Congratulations to Hassan on the Hilldale Undergraduate Research Fellowship and the Department of Chemistry Scholarship! Congratulations to Max on the ACS-Hach Land Grant Undergraduate Scholarship and the Department of Chemistry Scholarship!
-
2021 NDSEG Fellowship Results
Congratulations to Ashley on receiving the NDSEG Fellowship!
-
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Congratulations to Ashley on receiving Honorable Mention for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship!
-
New Student
Caleb has joined the Martell Group! Welcome!
-
Chemical Biology Interface Affiliate
Congratulations to Ashley on receiving the CBI Affiliate Award!
-
Biotechnology Training Program
Congratulations to Gillian on receiving a traineeship through UW Madison’s Biotechnology Training Program!
-
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Congratulations to Eric and Gillian on their awards! Eric received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and Gillian received Honorable Mention.
-
Welcome New Students
Six new students joined the Martell Group! Welcome to Sifei, Gillian, Eric, Ashley, Joshua, and Jed!
-
Three Minute Thesis Competition
Congratulations to Mario for placing 3rd in the 2019 3MT competition at UW Madison!
-
Bacterial Culture Established in the Lab
We successfully grew our first bacterial culture. Many more to come!
-
Interview with Jeff Martell
Check out this interview with Jeff Martell featured on the Chemistry Department website!
-
Chemical Biology Interface Training Program
Congratulations to Mario for being selected for the Chemical Biology Interface Training Program!
-
New Baby
We’re excited to announce that Edward and his wife Maddy just welcomed a new baby, Sonia. Congratulations! We wish you all the best!
-
Fellowship Application Results
Congratulations to Edward for receiving Honorable Mention for the NSF GRFP and Alternate Awardee for the NDSEG Fellowship!
-
New Students
Welcome to Edward and Mario, the lab’s first students!