Contact Information
320 Morrill Hall
505 S. Goodwin Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
Office Hours
Research Areas
Research Interests
Entomology
Bioinspiration
Engineering
Material Science
Research Description
Leafhopper insects (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) produce and spread nanoscale, lipid-protein granules, called brochosomes, onto their bodies through various grooming behaviors. These brochosomes make the integument of the insect anti-reflective and super-hydrophobic. I am currently investigating the morphology and wettability of brochosomes from various leafhopper species as well as their material and mechanical properties. This exploration will further inform the guided design of novel materials involving particulate-based waterproof coatings.
Education
A.S. Suffolk Community College, NY
B.S. Farmingdale State College, NY
M.S. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Awards and Honors
Fred H. Schmidt Summer Fellowship Scholars Award 2020
Graduate College Masters Project Travel Grant 2021
Graduate Student Image of Research – Honorable Mention Award, People’s Choice Award 2021
Entomology Summer Stipend Block Grant 2021
Beckman Institute Graduate Fellowship 2021
Harley J. Van Cleave Research Award 2021
GEEB Symposium - Masters Lightning Talk First Place 2022
Entomology Summer Stipend Block Grant 2022
Beckman Institute Research Image Contest – Honorable Mention Award 2022
SIB Photo Competition, Biological Imaging – First Place Award 2022
Graduate College Dissertation Travel Grant 2022
Graduate College Image of Research – First Place Award 2023
Courses Taught
IB411 - Bioinspiration (Online Course) (2020, 2022, 2023)
IB202 - Physiology (Lab Section) (2023)
Additional Campus Affiliations
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology - Graduate Fellow 2021, Student Science Writer 2023
Highlighted Publications
Elizabeth Bello, Yutao Chen, and Marianne Alleyne. (2023) Staying Dry and Clean: An Insect’s Guide to Hydrophobicity. Insects: 2023, Vol. 14, No. 1-42. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14010042.
Recent Publications
Xiao Yan, Bingqiang Ji, Lezhou Feng, Xiong Wang, Daolong Yang, Kazi Fazle Rabbi, Qi Peng, Muhammad Jahidul Hoque, Puhang Jin, Elizabth Bello, Soumyadip Sett, Marianne Alleyne, Donald M. Cropek, and Nenad Miljkovic (2022) Particulate—Droplet Coalescence and Self-Transport on Superhydrophobic Surfaces. ACS Nano: Vol. 16, No. 12910-12921. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.2c05267.
Gabriel R. Burks, Lehan Yao, Falon C. Kaluntirige, Kyle J. Gray, Elizabeth Bello, Shreyas Rajagopalan, Sarah B. Bialik, Jeffrey E. Barrick, Marianne Alleyne, Qian Chen, and Charles M. Schroeder. (2023) Electron Tomography and Machine Learning for Understanding the Highly Ordered Structure of Leafhopper Brochosomes. Biomacromolecules: Vol. 24, No. 190-200. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01035
Elizabeth Bello, Yutao Chen, and Marianne Alleyne. (2023) Staying Dry and Clean: An Insect’s Guide to Hydrophobicity. Insects: 2023, Vol. 14, No. 1-42. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14010042.
Progna Banerjee, Gabriel R. Burks, Sarah B. Bialik, Mostafa Nasar, Elizabeth Bello, Marianne Alleyne, Benny D. Freeman, Jeffrey E. Barrick, Charles M. Schroeder, Delia J. Milliron. (2023) Nanostructure-Derived Antireflectivity in Leafhopper Brochosomes. Advanced Photonics Research: 2023, 2200343. https://doi.org/10.1002/adpr.202200343.