chemistry update - university of york 3 the department of chemistry was successful in being awarded...
TRANSCRIPT
Newsletter 235, 28th
March 2013
Chemistry Update
Calendar of Events
Departmental Seminar
Date: Monday 15 April
Time: 4pm—5pm
Location: A101
Bruker Poster Competition
and Seminar
Dates: Tuesday 16 April
Time: 9.30am—5.30pm
Location: A102 / A101
Organic Seminar
Date: Wednesday 17 April
Time: 2pm—5.30pm
Location: A101
Salters’ Festival of
Chemistry
Date: Thursday 18 April
Time: 9.30am—3.30pm
Inside this Issue
Chemical Biology
Lectureship Interviews
Date: Thursday 18 April
Presentations in morning
Physical Chemistry
Lectureship Interviews
Date: Friday 19 April
Presentations in morning
Chemistry
Researchers' Day
Date: Tuesday 21 May
All staff and students
welcome to attend -
more details to follow.
Date of Next Issue: 26th
April 2013
Richard Taylor Presented with
RSC Award
2
Funding for STEM WP Initiative 3
Atmospheric Chemists Study
Cloud and Aerosol Processes
over the Arctic Ocean
4-5
Goodbye to Gemma Moy 5
York Researcher Wins Silver for
Chemistry Display in Parliament
6-7
New Starters 7
Chemistry Graduate Research
Seminars
8
Interview with Dr Anthony Atkin 8-9
Bruker Poster Competition 10
Date for Your Diary
Green Chemists Visit to China 11
Departmental Photographic
Roundup
12-14
Page 2
Professor Richard Taylor Presented with the Royal Society
of Chemistry’s Natural Product Award
Professor Richard Taylor was presented with the Royal Society of Chemistry's 2012 Natural
Product Award at the Regional Organic Division meeting at the University of Huddersfield on 4th
March 2013. Richard's lecture was entitled "Adventures in Natural Product Synthesis”. This one-
day meeting with nine lectures was attended by around 200 people with excellent representation
from York. As part of the award, this lecture will also be presented at several other Universities
including The Open University (where Richard held his first lectureship), UEA Norwich and
Newcastle.
Pictured are Richard with the other prize-winner, Professor David MacMillan (Princeton, USA),
each holding their medals (and left, Prof Joe Sweeney, University of Huddersfield; right, Dr David
Rees, President of the RSC Organic Division).
Page 3
The Department of Chemistry was successful in
being awarded a grant of £9,000 from the
University’s Widening Participation (WP)
Initiative Fund. The funding will be used to
develop additional widening participation
initiatives/activities for prospective
undergraduate students from groups currently
under-represented at the University of York.
The funds will be used to create a pilot Reach Out Chemistry York (ROCY) network to engage,
initially over a 12 month period, with Year 9 pupils at targeted WP schools to promote STEM
subjects in Higher Education.
Katrina Sayer, Admissions Officer in the Department of Chemistry who is leading the project said
“It is envisaged that ROCY will support the University’s inclusivity and retention targets in a
number of key ways:
Raising aspirations across the UK with the most able but less likely to achieve
de-mystifying the journey to STEM subjects in Higher Education
supporting on-going engagement including careers advice through video and web resources
The funds will be used to send trained student ambassadors into schools to inspire the next
generation of STEM students. The ambassadors will be provided with materials to give a
dynamic presentation to targeted groups of pupils in the selected schools. A ROCY video and a
new open-access ROCY website will be developed with pupils, teachers, careers advisors and
key influencers having access to this. Aspects of the Department’s chemistry applicant site,
Chemistry@York and the Stepping Up to Chemistry web resource will be appropriately tailored
and embedded into the site.
Professor Richard Taylor said of the award - “This innovative project will allow the Department of
Chemistry to build on our existing outreach work and further strengthen our links with the
University Widening Participation team”.
Funding for STEM WP Initiative
Page 4
A team of six York Atmospheric Chemists, along with scientists from Leeds, the BAS (British
Antarctic Survey) and Manchester, are taking part in an Arctic ship cruise and simultaneous
aircraft flights near Svalbard and along the ice edge of Greenland to better understand cloud and
aerosol processes in the Arctic.
ACCACIA — Aerosol-Cloud Coupling And Climate Interactions in the Arctic — is a 4-year NERC
research project to study cloud and aerosol processes in the Arctic, and better understand their
sensitivity to, and feedbacks on, the changing climate.
The first ACCACIA field campaign is now underway. The surface aerosol and chemistry teams
are on the Norwegian icebreaker the RV Lance sailing from Tromsø to Svalbard and the sea-ice
edge east of Greenland. They will be analyzing air and seawater at various depths in the open
ocean, near and under the ice. Dr James Lee is Principal Scientific Officer for this cruise. The
intended cruise plan is shown below.
Atmospheric Chemists Study Cloud and Aerosol Processes
over the Arctic Ocean
There are two aircraft teams – a specially instrumented Twin Otter from British Antarctic Survey
based at Longyearbyen and the UK FAAM research aircraft based at Kiruna in northern Sweden.
Professor Lucy Carpenter, PI of the York component of the project, said “We hope to obtain new
data on the way that aerosols are formed via natural processes in the Arctic region. The radiative
properties of clouds are controlled by those of the aerosol upon which they form – and clouds
exert a very strong influence on the amount of radiation absorbed by the surface in the Arctic. ”
Follow the teams progress via the ACCACIA blog
Page 5
Goodbye to Gemma Moy
The Department recently said goodbye and thank you to Gemma
Moy, Administrative Assistant in YSBL, when she moved onto her
new role of Administrator in the Biorenewables Development
Centre. Gemma was working part-time in YSBL while completing
her PhD in Archaeology but looked for a full-time position once she
had submitted her thesis. The links with the BDC mean that we will
hopefully still see Gemma from time to time.
Page 6
York Researcher Wins Silver for Chemistry Display in
Parliament
A University of York PhD student has won a Silver award at a competition in the House of
Commons for the excellence of his chemistry research.
Stephen Bromfield, a third-year PhD Student in York’s
Department of Chemistry, presented his research, which
looks at reducing side-effects caused by drugs used during
surgery, to dozens of politicians and a panel of expert
judges, as part of the poster competition SET for Britain.
His research, which involves making biodegradable
molecular building blocks to counteract drugs which are
used to reduce the risk of blood clots during, for example,
heart surgery, was judged against 29 other shortlisted
researchers’ work.
Stephen, 24, who received a £2,000 prize, said: "I’m very proud to be awarded this prestigious
prize which recognises not only the quality of the research carried out in the Smith group at the
Department of Chemistry in York, but also the work that goes into making our results accessible
to the non-expert.
“Communication is a vital facet of science and I hope that as a result of the valuable discussions
at SET for Britain, politicians and policy makers can begin to realise the vital contributions
chemistry can make in solving a wide range of problems."
SET for Britain aims to help politicians understand more about the UK’s thriving science and
engineering base and rewards some of the strongest scientific and engineering research being
undertaken in the UK.
Nick Gooch, Managing Director of AgChemAccess, sponsors of the Silver Medal in the Chemistry
Section of the Competition, said: “We have sponsored SET for Britain for a number of years, to
support the next generation of UK scientists that will be required to enable UK PLC to stay ahead
of its global competitors.”
Professor Lesley Yellowlees, President of the Royal Society of Chemistry, said at the awards:
"Since 1841, the Royal Society of Chemistry has been helping chemists to tell the world about
their amazing discoveries, just as you are doing here today.
"You’ve all done yourselves proud and the chemical sciences too. And I’m delighted to award
those that the judging panel felt stood out as truly exceptional.”
The Parliamentary and Scientific Committee run the event in collaboration with the Institute of
Physics, the Physiological Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Society of
Chemistry, the Society of Biology and the Society of Chemical Industry, with financial support
from BP, Airbus/EADS, INEOS, AgChemAccess, Essar, the Institute of Biomedical Science,
GAMBICA and WMG.
Andrew Miller MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, said: “This annual
competition is an important date in the parliamentary calendar because it gives MPs an
opportunity to speak to a wide range of the country’s best young researchers”.
“These early career scientists are the architects of our future and SET for Britain is politicians’
best opportunity to meet them and understand their work.”
New Starters
Dr Jeff Eaves, Green Chemistry Industry Engagement Manager working for
Prof James Clark on the WasteValor project.
Extension number: 721569, Room: Biocentre 2.89, Email: [email protected]
Katie Privett, Green Chemistry Training, Education and Network (TEN) Assistant, working for
Louise Summerton in Green Chemistry.
Extension number: 4477/4546, Room: B016, Email: [email protected]
Dr Daniel Vandenburg, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Associate, working for Prof Ally
Lewis in Atmospheric Chemistry.
Based off site in Wales but can still be contacted via email: [email protected]
William Manning, Research Technician, working for Prof Lucy Carpenter.
Extension number: 2509, Room: A039, Email: [email protected]
Dr Sandra Greive, Postdoctoral Researcher working for Prof Fred Antson in YSBL.
Extension number: 8276, Room: K255/K266, Email: [email protected]
Page 7
Page 8
Chemistry Graduate Research Seminars
The Spring Term Graduate Research Seminars took place on Wednesday 6 March. Always
popular, the seminars were attended by around 80 graduates, undergraduates and staff.
The following PhD students gave short talks about their research:
Katrina Bakker, 3rd year PhD student, John Goodby’s group, ‘Pollen microcapsules: small
and perfectly formed’
Stephen Bromfield, 3rd Year PhD student, Dave Smith’s group, ‘Heparin Rescue:
Controlling Blood Coagulation Through Thick and Thin’
Kirsty High, 3rd Year PhD student, Kirsty Penkman’s group, ‘Understanding accelerated
organic decay at wetland archaeological sites’
Daniel Wright, 2nd year PhD student, Gideon Davies’ group, ‘Structural perspectives of the
inhibition of a bacterial fucosidase’
Interview with Dr Anthony Atkin
I started my current role in the Centre for
Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance (CHyM) in May
last year. It’s a wide and varied role which covers research
grant development, external engagement and the
commercialisation of research.
I have supported several grant applications in a number of
different capacities, but the most challenging to date were
two expressions of interest for large bids, one with six
external academic partners to the EPSRC, and one to
HEFCE which brought together physicists, biologists and
chemists from within the University.
I also manage some of CHyM’s industrial and academic
relationships. This has recently expanded to include
supporting aspects of industrial engagement in the Department through an EPSRC External
Engagement Award.
On the commercialisation side, I am currently managing a project to explore the best options to
commercialise CHyM’s research. This is being achieved through the use of external consultants
and in collaboration with the Research Innovation Office to establish the best route to market for
the technology. The ultimate aim of this strategy is to develop novel imaging agents for clinical
MRI applications.
This role has also required me to roll up my sleeves and shove things around during the move
from B block to the new CHyM building on the Science Park.
I studied for an MChem (with industrial placement) at York. The placement was with a company
in Middlesbrough which required me to mix the same four ingredients in different ways to make
epoxy resins for aerospace applications. Not content with doing this for a single year, I stayed on
as a researcher for a further twelve months.
This job was followed by a PhD with Ian Fairlamb and Jason Lynam. Here I conducted research
into the beneficial therapeutic properties carbon monoxide-releasing molecules. Although it
seems counterintuitive that CO could be beneficial, it helps to think about it in terms of dosage:
anything given in high enough quantities can be fatal (even water, for instance), the trick is to get
the dosage right. At low concentrations, CO can be used in the treatment of hypertension,
intestine disease, haemorrhagic shock and can also be used in aiding in the preservation of
transplanted organs. My research focused on delivering this level of dose in a controlled way
using organometallic compounds. As part of my PhD and a subsequent Wellcome-sponsored
Post-doc, I pursued biochemical applications of my compounds in the Department of Biology with
James Moir and in the Northwick Park Hospital with Roberto Motterlini.
From this point I deviated from the research career path and spent two years working in the
Research Innovation Office at the University on the dealing with commercialisation options for the
research underpinning the Centre for Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance. This challenging
job has given me expertise in the patent process, licence negation, and translating fundamental
research into industrial settings. In addition to this core role I also supported the York Science
and Innovation Grand Tour, an exhibition which placed images on the historic walls and
monuments around the city last summer.
Page 9
Page 10
The annual Poster Competition for 3rd year PhD students will take place on 16th April. Posters
will be on display throughout the morning in A102.
Everyone is welcome to go along to look at these and find out what research is taking place in
the Department.
Winners will be announced at a seminar in the afternoon starting at 2pm in A101.
As well as our guest from Bruker who are sponsoring the event, we also have two guest
speakers:
Professor Stephen Withers
RSC Award Lecture
Title to be confirmed
Dr Melanie Britton, University of Birmingham
Through the Chemical Looking-Glass - What Magnetic Resonance Imaging can Reveal about
Chemical Processes
All welcome to attend
Bruker Poster Competition - Tuesday 16th April
Date for Your Diary
Friday 26th July
2013 Northern England Postgraduate Chemistry Conference.
The students reps on the Graduate School Board are organising a conference giving
Postgraduate Students an opportunity to present their work to an audience of other Postgraduate
Students from Universities in the Northern area.
This event will be on Friday 26th July, in the Chemistry Department at York and we are pleased
to announce that we have two guest speakers: Professor Dave Smith, University of York, and Dr
Keith Izod from Newcastle University.
We will soon be inviting applications from people who wish to attend the conference, as well as
present a talk or poster - further details available soon.
Green Chemists Visit to China
Dr Mark Gronnow and Dr Vitaliy Budarin of the Green Chemistry Centre and Biorenewables
Development Centre (BDC) went on a White Rose (York, Sheffield, Leeds Universities) mission
to Beijing and Nanjing, China in March. The visit was funded by the Global Partnership Fund of
the British Consulate in Shanghai. The workshops covered 3 themes – use of waste heat, bio-
energy lead by York and energy storage. Following the workshops a number of potential
collaboration opportunities were formed and it is hoped to develop these over the coming
months.
Above—the group in a flower garden in the centre of Nanjing University of Science and
Technology campus.
Page 11
Departmental Photographic Roundup
This is a collection of photographs of happenings and events around the department that might
have passed you by.
Abseilers visited the
department to fit a screen
to direct water away from
the concrete on D-block
and prevent unsightly
stains on the concrete.
An unusual view of the new E-block research labs taken from Physics.
Work is ongoing with
the new F-block
Two and a half weeks later and
progress can be seen as well as
a view from the other side of the
site.
Page 13
The library annexe has been
cleaned out and refurbished as a
quiet study area.