Noah Jaggernauth. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Jaggernauth.
Biochemistry provides valuable tools for designing everything from lifesaving medicines to cleaner energy sources. At City College, biochemistry major Noah Jaggernauth is actively involved in this practice through his work on sustainable battery technology. His journey from classroom curiosity to hands-on laboratory innovation reflects not only the promise of undergraduate research but also its importance in addressing urgent global challenges.
Jaggernauth was drawn to science for as long as he can remember, due to both his parents working in STEM fields and his father attending the Grove School of Engineering at CCNY. However, his particular passion for both biology and chemistry flourished during his high school years.
“I remember thinking if only there were a way to combine the two and study both,” Jaggernauth said. That ultimately led him to biochemistry at CCNY, where his academic focus narrowed toward organic chemistry. His most formative experiences were during Organic Chemistry I and II.
“In Organic I, I met Prof. John, who is now my principal investigator, and in Organic II, I found myself most engaged, and it felt very in line with the career I want to go into in the future,” he shared. “Out of all the classes I have taken so far, it felt the most useful for me.”
That classroom connection led directly to his research work. Since last summer, Jaggernauth has been part of Dr. George John’s lab, contributing to an innovative organic battery project. The work Jaggernauth conducts in the lab blends chemistry with applied engineering.
“We do chemical reactions to make potential cathode materials, characterize them through infrared and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (IR & NMR), and then construct battery cells with them,” Jaggernauth explained. These cells are then tested with a potentiostat to evaluate voltage and capacity.
The project’s goal is to design materials that are both efficient and environmentally responsible, a challenge that speaks to his values as a scientist.
“We synthesize organic cathode materials for use in batteries that are a safer and more eco-conscious alternative to lithium-ion,” Jaggernauth explained.
The transition from learning in a structured classroom to working independently in a research environment has been one of Jaggernauth’s most significant challenges.
“The PhD student who taught me about the project graduated last semester, and since then, a lot of the procedures I have had to figure out with less outside help,” he said. Procedures include purifying reaction products, analyzing success rates, and interpreting potentiostat data, which require both persistence and adaptability.
“Despite these things being difficult, I think it is a valuable experience that will help me in my career as an organic chemist,” Jaggernauth added.
For the project, he has synthesized 25 molecules, which are at various stages of testing. While it will not be possible to test all of them as batteries before graduation, his contributions have already been noted in multiple in-progress publications, a significant achievement for an undergraduate researcher.
“Working in the lab has greatly influenced where I see my career taking me,” Jaggernauth shared. He now envisions a future centered on “organic synthesis and drug design.” Although this field differs from his current battery research, the experience gained in methods and problem-solving strategies has confirmed his passion for the discipline.
Beyond technical expertise, Jaggernauth is also deeply aware of the ethical considerations of chemistry and is an essential part of his research now and moving forward.
“Organic chemists have created some terrible things that have damaged our world, sometimes on purpose, like chemical weapons, or by accident, like forever chemicals or leaded gasoline,” Jaggernauth reflects. This awareness fuels his commitment to research that benefits society. “It is important to me that the chemistry I do goes toward the good of humanity and helps as many people as possible.”
Sofia is a graduate student at CUNY Brooklyn College, where she’s pursuing her M.S. in Media Studies. In addition to writing for The RICC, she’s a writer for the features section of Brooklyn College’s student-run newspaper, The Vanguard. She is also a dedicated writer for the Brooklyn News Service.