60 ANNIVERSARY CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY SYMPOSIUM
THE DAY’S ITINERARY
10:00AM-ARRIVAL
Jack Baskin Auditorium Coffee and Tea Available Welcome
10:30AM-PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY SEMINAR
Dr Jin Zhang, Chemistry Department Chair
Dr Fitnat Yildiz, Associate Dean of Research and Research Impact Seminar
Dr Younan Xia, Georgia Institute of Technology
-Putting Chemistry to Work for Nano, Bio, and Energy ApplicationsJohn and Grace Wang Award in Physical Chemistry
11:45AM-LUNCH
Baskin Courtyard
1:00PM-CREWS SEMINAR
Dr Robert Gilliard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Design of Boron-Doped Conjugated π-Electron MaterialsCrews Student Award
2:30PM-FINK SEMINAR
Dr Harry F Noller, University of California Santa Cruz
-Where Did We Come From? Ribosomes and the Origins of LifeTony Fink Memorial Student Award
4:00PM-BREAK
Baskin Courtyard Coffee, Tea, Snacks Available
4:20PM-BUNNETT SEMINAR
Dr Marcey L Waters, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
-Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation by Histone Reader ProteinsSharon Ann Hibdon Undergraduate Opportunities Award
Ellen Renard Memorial Scholarship
Doug Drexler Chemistry Scholarship
Joseph F Bunnett Undergraduate Research Prize
6:00PM-STROLLING DINNER AND POSTERS
Physical Sciences Building Atrium
GUEST SPEAKERS
DR. YOUNAN XIA
Putting Chemistry to Work for Nano, Bio, and Energy Applications
Dr Younan Xia is the Brock Family Chair and Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar at the Georgia Institute of Technology He received his B S degree in chemical physics from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 1987, M S degree in chemistry from University of Pennsylvania (with Alan G MacDiarmid) in 1993 and Ph D degree in physical chemistry from Harvard University (with George M Whitesides) in 1996 His group invented numerous nanomaterials with wellcontrolled properties for use in applications related to plasmonics, electronics, display, catalysis, energy conversion, controlled release, drug delivery, nanomedicine, and regenerative medicine Notably, the silver nanowires invented by his group has been commercialized for the manufacturing of flexible transparent and conductive coatings pivotal to applications such as touchscreen display flexible electronics and photovoltaics His technology on the alignment of electrospun nanofibers has been commercialized for multiple clinical products in regenerative medicine, including those for the management of surgical and trauma wounds Xia has co-authored more than 900 publications in peer-reviewed journals together with a total citation of about 200 000 and an h-index of 220 He has been named a Top 10 Chemist and Materials Scientist based on the citation data He has received many prestigious awards, including the Linus Pauling Medal (2024), ACS Award for Creative Invention (2023), MRS Medal (2017), ACS Award in the Chemistry of Materials (2013), NIH Director's Pioneer Award (2006) and NSF CAREER Award (2000) More information can be found at http://www nanocages com
DR ROBERT J GILLIARD, JR
A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Design of Boron-Doped Conjugated π-Electron Materials
Dr Robert J Gilliard, Jr is the Novartis Professor o Associate Rank in the Department of Chemistry at Institute of Technology (MIT) Before moving to MI faculty at the University of Virginia He obtained h from Clemson University and doctorate from the U He was a UNCF-Merck Postdoctoral Fellow and a F Postdoctoral Fellow where he completed joint pos both the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ET Western Reserve University
Professor Gilliard specializes in the chemical synth molecules that impact the development of new m reagents including the discovery of unknown tran environmentally-relevant small-molecules [e g , din dioxide (CO2) carbon monoxide (CO) and dihydrog he investigates the design, reactivity, and photop boron-incorporated luminescent and redox-active hydrocarbons for use in optoelectronic and biome (e g stimuli-responsive materials thermochromic nanographenes, NIR emitters)
Professor Gilliard is the recipient of the American Harry Gray Award for his outstanding achievemen development of creative synthetic strategies for lo main-group inorganic materials with unusual bond photophysical properties ” He won the Organometallics Distinguished Author Award, which recognizes authors of exceptional articles that emphasize the importance of organometallic chemistry and have made a profound impact on the field Professor Gilliard received the honor “in recognition of dynamic and ground-breaking research in main-group chemistry in particular on novel complexes and electronic structures of magnesium and beryllium ” In the past, he has also been named to various lists of notable scientists by media such as Chemical and Engineering News and Forbes Magazine Professor Gilliard has authored 75 publications and patents applications He has been an invited speaker at over 100 colleges/universities and scientific conferences in the United States and abroad He is an associate editor f for the Journal of the American Chemical Society and serves on the editorial advisory board at leading international journals, including Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Communications, Chem Catalysis, Chemistry Europe, and Angewandte Chemie Professor Gilliard consults on matters related chemical processes, science policy, educational policy, and faculty and student mentoring
GUEST SPEAKERS
DR. HARRY F. NOLLER
Where Did We Come From? Ribosomes and the Origins of Life
Harry Noller received his undergraduate training in biochemistry at UC Berkeley and did his graduate work on serine proteases under Sidney Bernhard in the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon, where he received his Ph D in Chemistry in 1965 His first postdoctoral research was in Cambridge at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, with Ieuan Harris In 1966, he moved to Alfred Tissières’ laboratory in the Département de Biochimie Génétique at the University of Geneva, where he began working on ribosomes. In 1968, he joined the faculty of UC Santa Cruz, where he founded the Center for Molecular Biology of RNA and is currently Professor Emeritus of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
DR MARCEY WATERS
Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation by Histone Reader Proteins
Marcey Lynn Waters is the Glen H Elder Jr Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A leading expert in organic and bio-organic chemistry her research lies at the intersection of chemical biology and supramolecular chemistry, with particular emphasis on molecular recognition peptide chemistry and peptidomimetics Waters earned her B S in Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 1992, where she studied aromaticity She completed her Ph D at the University of Chicago in 1997, working on the Wulff-Dotz benzannulation reaction, and went on to an NIH postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia University in Ronald Breslow’s lab She joined UNC in 1999 and has since built a dynamic research program exploring non-covalent interactions in peptides peptide folding and protein methylation’s role in epigenetics and disease Beyond her scientific work, Waters is a dedicated mentor and advocate for diversity in STEM She has been actively involved in programs such as the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED and the international mentoring initiative TANDEMplusIDEA supporting students from underrepresented backgrounds She served as president of the American Peptide Society from 2017 to 2019 and was a longtime board member of the Mesilla Chemistry Workshop Waters has received numerous awards for her contributions to research and education including the Alfred P Sloan Fellowship, NSF CAREER Award, UNC’s Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, and the Mary Turner Lane Award for her support of women in science In 2017 she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
Head out to the Courtyard at lunch to visit the tables hosted by some of our fantastic student organizations
CHEMISTRY CLUB
The Chemistry Club at UC Santa Cruz strives to build a community of students interested in chemistry and related fields Members gain opportunities to network with faculty and local industry as well outreach to local schools at events throughout the academic year
OSTEM
We're a trainee-run group focused on supporting and advancing the wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ people in STEM fields We mainly do this by hosting seminars, workshops, and community events and by sending members to national conferences to present their research and network with other STEM professionals in academia government and industry
CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY STUDENT GOVERNMENT
We are a department organization focused on supporting the Chemistry graduate student body and harboring a positive department culture We have several committees dedicated to graduate student advocacy event/activities planning and recruitment Since our formation in 2024 we have held an election implemented quarterly town hall meetings planned several department events and are currently working on revamping the graduate student office
STUDENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
JOHN AND GRACE WANG AWARD FOR PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
CREWS STUDENT AWARD
TONY FINK MEMORIAL STUDENT AWARD
SHARON ANN HIBDON MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
ELLEN RENARD MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
DOUG DREXLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
BUNNETT UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AWARD S
STUDENT POSTERS
At dinner, get some food and a drink and then learn more about the amazing student research going on in our labs
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENT OF EXCITON DYNAMICS OF CU LAYERED DOUBLE PEROVSKITE NANOCRYSTALS
Examines intrinsic exciton dynamics in novel lead-free materials by using ultra-fast transit absorption spectroscopic methods Understand temperature-dependent exciton behavior in copper-based layered double perovskite nanocrystals to ascertain how thermal energy influences electronic processes in these semiconductors
EXPANSION MASS SPECTROMETRY IMAGING FOR SUBCELLULAR METABOLOMICS
Developing an expansion mass spectrometry method that will allow for single cell MALDI imaging
CONTINUOUS EVOLUTION OF PROTEINS THAT BIND AND TRANSFORM SMALL MOLECULES
We build small-molecule biosensing circuits in E coli to detect small-molecule ligands in high throughput, enabling continuous directed evolution of proteins that bind and transform small molecules
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE OF PHOTOINDUCED CARRIER SPIN RELAXATION DYNAMICS IN CSPBBR3 AND MAPBBR3 PEROVSKITE QUANTUM DOTS
Spin property of electrons has inspired the new field of spintronics for more efficient quantum information processing and computing capabilities, however these applications are limited due to short spin relaxation lifetime of materials In this poster we show how spin lifetime can be modulated using temperature and composition in lead halide perovskite quantum dots, a promising material for spintronics applications
INHERENT CHIRALITY IN PEROVSKITE NANOCLUSTERS AND MOLECULAR CLUSTERS
Perovskite semiconductors, known for their applications in photovoltaics, solar cells, and LEDs, have recently been discovered to manifest inherent chirality when synthesized at the 2-5nm scale. Tunable chirality has also been achieved via passivating ligand manipulation, and chiral nanoclusters can now be synthesized at a variety of blue wavelengths from 395 to 450nm
LOW-FREQUENCY VIBRATION MODE INTERPRETATION OF THE 2D LEAD-FREE DOUBLE METAL PEROVSKITES BY DFT SIMULATION
By combining the low-frequency Raman and density function simulation the interaction between the iodine and metals, Bi, Ag and Cu, and the interaction between the organic and inorganic layers are revealed. This study demonstrates the unique bond vibration layer vibration and crystal vibration behavior at room temperature of lead-free double perovskites
HOFMEISTER-DRIVEN SIMPLE COACERVATION OF CONJUGATED POLYELECTROLYTES
We demonstrate that conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) can form viscoelastic liquid coacervates, where their stability is determined by the dehydration free energy of ions interacting with the CPEs following the Hofmeister series We hypothesize that these crowded aqueous systems may support long-range exciton and charge motion, making them promising candidates for light-harvesting applications
STUDENT POSTERS
PERFORMANCE OF DENSITY FUNCTIONAL THEORY AND MACHINE LEARNING
METHODS FOR METHANE ADSORPTION IN METAL-SUBSTITUTED MOFS
This work focuses on studying metal-substituted metal-organic frameworks for methane adsorption
Examining the capability of density functional theory and machine learning methods to accurately and efficiently track structure-property relationships throughout structure modification
DETERMINING THE STRUCTURE OF FMRP GRANULE-ASSOCIATED RIBOSOMES
IN HUMAN IPSC-DERIVED NEURONS USING IN SITU CRYO-EM WITH 2DTM
I am researching neuronal mRNA granule-mediated translational control in cortical neurons differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells I aim to use in situ cryo-electron mircocoscopy and 2-dimensional template matching analysis to determine the structure of translationally paused ribosomes in different mRNA granules and potentially identify novel interacting factors
DEVELOPMENT OF A MALDI-TIMS QTOF MS-BASED ASSAY FOR ENHANCED DIRECTED EVOLUTION SCREENING OF KABC
Directed evolution requires the screening of thousands of genetically engineered enzymes to test for improved enzyme activity The presented MALDI-TIMS-QTOF workflow aims to streamline this screening process and provide a rapid method to screen for the formation of isomeric enzymatic products
SITE-SPECIFIC DEAMIDATION TO SUPPRESS AMYLOID-Β TOXICITY
Recently approved anti-amyloid Aβ immunotherapies show effectiveness in clearing amyloid and slowing cognitive decline, but the removal of cerebral Aβ can also cause serious adverse events. Here we show that site-specific deamidation Aβ can modulate Aβ’ s neurotoxicity mediating properties
CHEMOENZYMATIC ROUTES TO KAINOIDS AND THEIR DEVELOPMENT INTO BIOORTHOGONAL CHEMICAL TOOLS FOR NEUROEXCITATORY RESEARCH
Kainoids are potent neurotoxins that are regularly used in neuropharmacology research due to their potent agonists of ionotropic glutamate receptors Using macroalgal enzymology we can access these synthetically challenging compounds and create novel kainoids with new functionalities that broaden their utility for neuroexcitatory research
AQUEOUS ORGANIC PHOTOVOLTAICS VIA ASSOCIATIVE PHASE SEPARATION OF CONJUGATED POLYELECTROLYTES
This ongoing work introduces a sustainable water-based organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology
HIGH PERFORMANCE CATALYSIST FOR ELECTROCHEMICAL TECHNOLOGIES
Using magnetic induction heating for the ultra fast synthesis of electrocatalysts for fuel cells and water disinfection
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THE DAY’S ITINERARY
10:00AM-ARRIVAL
Jack Baskin Auditorium
Coffee and Tea Available
10:30AM-PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY SEMINAR
Welcome
Dr Jin Zhang, Chemistry Department Chair
Dr Fitnat Yildiz, Associate Dean of Research and Research Impact Seminar
Dr Younan Xia, Georgia Institute of Technology
-Putting Chemistry to Work for Nano, Bio, and Energy ApplicationsJohn and Grace Wang Award in Physical Chemistry
11:45AM-LUNCH
Baskin Courtyard
1:00PM-CREWS SEMINAR
Dr Robert Gilliard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
-A Coordination Chemistry Approach to the Design of Boron-Doped Conjugated π-Electron MaterialsCrews Student Award
2:30PM-FINK SEMINAR
Dr Harry F Noller, University of California Santa Cruz
-Where Did We Come From? Ribosomes and the Origins of LifeTony Fink Memorial Student Award
4:00PM-BREAK
Baskin Courtyard
Coffee, Tea, Snacks Available
4:20PM-BUNNETT SEMINAR
Dr Marcey L Waters, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
-Molecular Mechanisms of Epigenetic Regulation by Histone Reader ProteinsSharon Ann Hibdon Undergraduate Opportunities Award
Ellen Renard Memorial Scholarship
Doug Drexler Chemistry Scholarship
Joseph F Bunnett Undergraduate Research Prize
5:00PM-STROLLING DINNER AND POSTERS
Physical Sciences Building Atrium