About

Professor Jason H. Hafner is associated with the Hafner Lab at Rice University. The page lists him as the principal investigator (PI) of the lab, indicating his leadership role in research activities. The lab's website features sections on research, publications, and people, suggesting a focus on scientific investigation and scholarly output. However, the provided page text does not include specific details about his research focus, background, or key contributions. Therefore, no further biographical information is available from the given content.

Research topics

• Materials science
• Chemistry
• Chromatography
• Biophysics
• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology
• Optics
• Organic chemistry
• Physics
• Chemical physics
• Crystallography

Selected publications

• Microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the international space station

  npj Microgravity · 2026-01-30 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Expanding human space exploration necessitates technologies for sustainable local resource acquisition, to overcome unviable resupply missions. Asteroids, some of which rich in metals like platinum group elements, are promising targets. The BioAsteroid experiment aboard the International Space Station tested the use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) to extract 44 elements from L-chondrite asteroidal material under microgravity. Penicillium simplicissimum enhanced the release of palladium, platinum and other elements in microgravity, compared to non-biological leaching. For many elements, non-biological leaching was more effective in microgravity than on Earth, while bioleaching remained stable. Metabolomic analysis revealed distinct changes in microbial metabolism in space, particularly for P. simplicissimum, with increased production of carboxylic acids, and molecules of potential biomining or pharmaceutical interest in microgravity. These results demonstrate the impact of microgravity on bioleaching, highlighting the need for optimal combination of microorganisms, rock substrate, and conditions for successful biomining, in space and Earth.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• BPS2025 - Conformational structure and hydrogen bonding of cholesterol in lipid membranes from Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory

  Biophysical Journal · 2025-02-01

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Monodispersed mesoscopic star-shaped gold particles via silver-ion-assisted multi-directional growth for highly sensitive SERS-active substrates

  Nano Convergence · 2024-07-04 · 20 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) exploits localized surface plasmon resonances in metallic nanostructures to significantly amplify Raman signals and perform ultrasensitive analyses. A critical factor for SERS-based analysis systems is the formation of numerous electromagnetic hot spots within the nanostructures, which represent regions with highly concentrated fields emerging from excited localized surface plasmons. These intense hotspot fields can amplify the Raman signal by several orders of magnitude, facilitating analyte detection at extremely low concentrations and highly sensitive molecular identification at the single-nanoparticle level. In this study, mesoscopic star-shaped gold particles (gold mesostars) were synthesized using a three-step seed-mediated growth approach coupled with the addition of silver ions. Our study confirms the successful synthesis of gold mesostars with numerous sharp tips via the multi-directional growth effect induced by the underpotential deposition of silver adatoms (AgUPD) onto the gold surfaces. The AgUPD process affects the nanocrystal growth kinetics of the noble metal and its morphological evolution, thereby leading to intricate nanostructures with high-index facets and protruding tips or branches. Mesoscopic gold particles with a distinctive star-like morphology featuring multiple sharp projections from the central core were synthesized by exploiting this phenomenon. Sharp tips of the gold mesostars facilitate intense localized electromagnetic fields, which result in strong SERS enhancements at the single-particle level. Electromagnetic fields can be further enhanced by interparticle hot spots in addition to the intraparticle local field enhancements when arranged in multilayered arrays on substrates, rendering these arrays as highly efficient SERS-active substrates with improved sensitivity. Evaluation using Raman-tagged analytes revealed a higher SERS signal intensity compared to that of individual mesostars because of interparticle hot spots enhancements. These substrates enabled analyte detection at a concentration of 10 − 9 M, demonstrating their remarkable sensitivity for trace analysis applications.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Cholesterol Conformational Structures in Phospholipid Membranes

  The Journal of Physical Chemistry A · 2024-09-04 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Cholesterol is a major component of biomembranes that impacts membrane order, permeability, and lateral organization, but the precise molecular mechanisms of cholesterol's actions are still under investigation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have opened the fingerprint vibration bands of large molecules to detailed spectral analysis. For cholesterol, Raman spectral interpretation for conformational structure and hydrogen bonding is now possible. Here, DFT calculations of cholesterol conformers identify 10 structure types that also have unique low-frequency Raman spectra. By fitting experimental spectra to these types, the distribution of cholesterol structures present in phospholipid (PL) membrane vesicles was measured. The distributions reveal that the cholesterol iso-octyl chain tends to align with saturated PL chains and shifts to a thermal distribution for unsaturated PL chains. The results agree with the templating effect of cholesterol on PL membranes and show that the top of the iso-octyl chain is rigid like the rings. It is also shown that the inclusion of water molecules hydrogen bonded to the cholesterol hydroxy group in the DFT calculations may improve the spectral fitting for future studies.

  PublisherDOI

• 327 Stayin’ Alive: A Retrospective Review of Patients Presenting for Medical Attention at Large-Scale Music Festivals

  Annals of Emergency Medicine · 2024-09-25

  review
  PublisherDOI

• A new launch pad failure mode: Analysis of fine particles from the launch of the first Starship orbital test flight

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2024-03-16

  preprintOpen access

  This study examines the characteristics, composition, and origin of fine particle debris samples collected following the launch of the first Starship orbital test flight, which suggests a new launch pad failure mode previously unknown. Particle shapes, sizes, bulk densities, and VIS/NIR/MIR spectra, of collected fine particle material from Port Isabel, TX, were analyzed and compared to pulverized concrete, Fondag (high temperature concrete), limestone, and sand recovered from the area near the Starship launch pad after this test flight. Raman spectroscopy was also used to determine mineral compositions of each sample. Results suggest that the fine particle material lofted by the Starship launch is consistent with sand derived from the launch site. These results imply that the destruction of the launch pad eroded and lofted material into the air from the underlying sandy, base-layer. From calculations, this lofted material likely remained suspended in the air for minutes following the launch from recirculation, allowing for transport over an extended range. Most of the recovered material was too coarse to be a respiration hazard, as a small mass fraction of the particles (<1%) had diameters of 10 um or less. Video analysis and ballistic models also provide insight into the failure mechanism associated with the launch pad, which was consistent with a high-pressure eruption from the region below the failed launch pad.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Monodispersed Mesoscopic Star-Shaped Gold Particles via Silver Ion-assisted Multi-directional Growth for Highly Sensitive SERS-active Substrates

  Research Square · 2024-06-04 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The distributions of cholesterol iso-octyl chain conformers in different phospholipid membranes probed by fingerprint Raman spectra interpreted by density functional theory

  Biophysical Journal · 2024-02-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• A New Launch Pad Failure Mode: Analysis of Fine Particles from the Launch of the First Starship Orbital Test Flight

  2024-10-10

  article

  This study examines the characteristics, composition, and origin of fine particle debris samples collected following the launch of the first Starship orbital test flight, which suggests a new launch pad failure mode previously unknown. Particle shapes, sizes, bulk densities, and VIS/NIR/MIR spectra of collected fine particle material from Port Isabel, TX, were analyzed and compared to pulverized concrete, Fondag (high temperature concrete), limestone, and sand recovered from the area near the Starship launch pad after this test flight. Raman spectroscopy was also used to determine mineral compositions of each sample. Results suggest that the fine particle material lofted by the Starship launch is consistent with sand derived from the launch site. These results imply that the destruction of the launch pad eroded and lofted material into the air from the underlying sandy, base-layer. From calculations, this lofted material likely remained suspended in the air for minutes following the launch from recirculation, allowing for transport over an extended range. Most of the recovered material was too coarse to be a respiration hazard, as a small mass fraction of the particles (< 1%) had diameters of 10 μm or less. Video analysis and ballistic models also provide insight into the failure mechanism associated with the launch pad, which was consistent with a high-pressure eruption from the region below the failed launch pad. As one of the vehicles selected for NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) contract, the results of this study clearly highlight the implications of plume effects and pad designs for future launches from Starbase, TX, as well as for NASA’s Artemis program.

  PublisherDOI

• Testing microbial biomining from asteroidal material onboard the International Space Station

  bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · 2024-01-14 · 3 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Abstract Expanding human space exploration beyond Earth’s orbit necessitates efficient technologies for self-sustainable acquisition of local resources to overcome unviable resupply missions from Earth. Potential source of materials are asteroids, some of which contain valuable metals, such as platinum group elements. The BioAsteroid experiment, performed onboard the International Space Station, tested the use of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) to carry out mining of useful elements from asteroidal material (L-chondrite) under microgravity, in support of a long-term human presence in space. The fungus Penicillium simplicissimum , enhanced the mean release of palladium, platinum and other elements from the meteorite material in microgravity, compared to non-biological leaching. However, there was large variability in the results. For many elements, non-biological leaching under microgravity was enhanced compared to terrestrial gravity, while bioleaching was unaffected. Metabolomics results revealed clear patterns that highlight the influence of space conditions on the microbial metabolism, particularly for P. simplicissimum . We identified the presence of carboxylic acids, and molecules of potential biomining and pharmaceutical interest, enhanced in microgravity. These results show a non-trivial effect of microgravity on bioleaching, highlighting the requirement of an optimal combination of microorganism(s), rock substrate, and conditions for successful biomining, both in space and Earth.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Probing the Electrostatics of Lipid Bilayer Membranes

  NSF · $300k · 2005–2009

• Membrane Structure Analysis by Enhanced Raman Scattering

  NSF · $362k · 2017–2023

• EAGER: Validating Atomic Force Microscopy Measurements of the Lipid Membrane Dipole Moment

  NSF · $161k · 2010–2012

• NIH Grant F32NS010706

  NIH · $63k

• NIH Grant R21CA133641

  NIH · $369k · 2011

Frequent coauthors

• Charles M. Lieber

  35 shared

• Peter Nordlander

  Rice University

  29 shared

• A. G. Souza Filho

  Universidade Federal do Ceará

  23 shared

• R. E. Smalley

  22 shared

• Daniel T. Colbert

  22 shared

• Seunghyun Lee

  Seoul National University

  22 shared

• Andrew G. Rinzler

  University of Florida

  21 shared

• Ado Jório

  Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

  20 shared

Labs

• Hafner LabPI

  dare infernum

Awards & honors

• Beckman Young Investigator (2002)
• Norman Hackerman Award for Chemical Research from the Welch…