Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 14, Number 9

March 6, 1998

Next issue: Friday, March 13th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, March 10th. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Linda Earle, Room 18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-1803; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail to lkn@mit.edu Back issues of Chemformation can be accessed via the Chemistry Department Website.

Visit the Chemistry Department Website at http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/

Seminar Calendar

Seminar Calendar Monday, March 9, 1998 12:00 p.m. in Room 68-121 Macromolecular Structure/Function Seminar Series	Professor Lloyd Demetrius MLK Visiting Professor "Thermodynamics versus Kinetics of Protein Folding"
Tuesday, March 10, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-233 Seminar in Physical Chemistry	Professor Michael Duncan University of Georgia "Spectroscopy and Photodissociation Dynamics in Novel Metal Cluster Complexes"
Wedesday, March 11, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry	Laura Goetting (MIT-Wrighton/Whitesides) "Coordination Chemistry of Surfaces: Studies of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Au, Pt and Al"
Thursday, March 12, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:45 outside of 6-120 Seminar in Biological Chemistry	Professor Janet Smith Purdue University Topic: TBA
Tuesday, March 17, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 18-490 Seminar in Organic Chemistry	Professor Shinji Murai Osaka University "The Ru-Catalyzed C-H/Olefin Coupling for Synthesis"
Tuesday, March 17, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 2-105 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-233 Seminar in Physical Chemistry	Professor Victor Romero-Rochin National University of Mexico Visiting Professor, MIT "Stochastic Ratchest with Colored Thermal Noise"
Wednesday, March 18, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m, in Room 6-321 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry	Professor Gregory Hillhouse University of Chicago "Atom and Group Transfer Reactions to Nickel-Carbon Bonds"
Thursday, March 19, 1998 5:00 MB23 at Harvard Harvard-MIT Joint Physical Chemistry Seminar Series Refreshments @ 4;30 in MB23	Professor John Polyanyi University of Toronto "Torturing Molecules for Pleasure and Profit: The Photochemistry of Adsorbates and Complexes"
Friday, March 20, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Reception @ 3:30 p.m. outside of 6-120 Host: Prof. Bob Griffin, ext. 3-5597 griffin@ccnmr.mit.edu	Dr. Christian Greisenger Frankfurt University "NMR-Spectroscopy for the Determination of Structure and Dynamics of Biomolecules"

Glass Blowing Services

Bob DiGiacomo will be coming in on Wednesdays or Thursdays to pick up any glass blowing work that you may have available. Please bring any work to room 6-031 or call Ed Udas or John Annese at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come, first-served basis.

Help Get Organized!

Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 6-026 if students, faculty, or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.

Visit the new Chemistry Seminar Page!

The following URL will show you a semester's worth of seminars at a glance! Please send any additions, deletions, or changes for seminars to Julie Carlin, by e-mail only, juliec@mit.edu

http://web.mit.edu/chemistry/www/Chemistry_Seminar_Master_C.html

A SYMPOSIUM ON

RECENT ADVANCES IN

ORGANIC SYNTHESIS METHODOLOGY

Thursday, March 19, 1998

2:00 P. M. Bartos Theater (E15-070)

Gregory C. Fu Massachusetts Institute of Technology	"Asymmetric Catalysis with Planar-Chiral Heterocycles"
Eric N. Jacobsen Harvard University	"Synthetic and Mechanistic Directions in Asymmetric Catalysis"
* * * * Refreshments * * * *
Peter A. Beak University of Illinois	"Asymmetric Synthesis by Enantioselective Lithiation-Substitution Sequences"

Positions

• D.E. Shaw & Co.: New York, NY, a technology global investmant bank interested in chemistry students as their finanical strategies are developed based on sophisticated quantitative models rather than by betting on the diretion of the market. D.E Shaw's qauants examine market data, identify patterns of inefficienceis, and design trading algorithms that allow them to take advantage of these inefficiencies in order to beat the market. If you would like to learn more about the company check their website at: http://www.deshaw.com. Seeks graduating seniors and undergraduates for possible summer work. Call 1-800-6DESHAW for more information.
• Harvard Medical School: Lab Research Assistant Positions available now or at the end of the current academic year. Laboratory involved in cancer research employing state-of-the-art immunology, molecular biology and biochemistry techniques. Invidual with BS or MS, good organizational skills and good academic record. Quantitative and computer skills a plus. Send resume by fax along with GPA, list of science/math/engineering courses and prior lab work experience to: Richard P. Junghans, Ph.D. M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Director, Biotherapeutics Development Lab, HIM, #403, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, Fax is (617(-432-7007 and Phone is (617) 432-7004.
• BioNumerik, San Antonio, Texas: Expanding their drug discovery and GMP production facilities at BioNumerik. Please contact Dr. Harry Kochat at 210-614-1701 or via email at kochat@bnpi.com for more information.

Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Nanoscale Physics Research Laboratory-The University of Birmingham, UK for 4 Post-doctoral Positions in Nanoscale/Surface Science. The goal of the Laboratory is "to advance the frontiers of the physics, chemistry and technology of nanometre-scale structures, devices and processes" (see WWW site: nprl.bham.ac.uk). (At least) four post-doctoral research positions are available as a result of recent grant awards. (i) Ultrafast surface photochemistry with VUV light (fs lasers, photodesorption) (ii) Deposition, diffusion, growth and excitations of size-selected atomic clusters on surfaces (STM, HREELS etc) (iii) Spectroscopy and chemistry of size-selected atomic clusters on surfaces (STM, HREELS etc) (iv) Photoluminescence from silicon clusters on surfaces (lasers, HREELS etc=) Each post is for 1 year in the first instance, with a starting date between April and Oct 1998, and the possibility of renewal for up to a further 2 years. Candidates should have at least a PhD. The successful applicants will be required to undertake appropriate (modest) teaching duties. Salary on the scale =A315,159-22,785 per year. To apply: Send CV, list of publications and e-mail addresses of 3 referees to Professor RE Palmer: R.E.Palmer@bham.ac.uk. Scholarships are also available for PhD students.
• I have received funding to hire a postdoctoral fellow in my group at Ohio State University with a target starting time of Spring 1998. The successful candidate should have a PhD in theoretical chemistry and experience with classical and/or quantal dynamics calculations. The initial appointment will be for one year, but funds are available for support beyond the first year. My group is interested in the effect of solvation on the dynamics of chemical reactions, with an emphasis on the effect of complex formation on photodissociation and reaction dynamics by comparing processes in van der Waals complexes to the corresponding gas phase reaction. In particular, our research addresses the question of how dynamics of processes in solvated environments differ from those between isolated atoms and molecules. We are also working to develop approximate methods that allow the inclusion of quantum effects in calculations of dynamics for these systems where full quantal calculations are currently computationally intractable. Our focus is on the chemistry in and between clusters, where direct comparison to experimental results can be made. As stated above, the position is available in Spring, 1998, but earlier or later starting dates will be considered. Applicants should send their C.V.'s to me at the addresses below: Anne B. McCoy, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry email: McCoy@chemistry.ohio-state.edu, The Ohio State University -phone: (614)292-9694- 100 W. 18th Ave. FAX: (614)292-1685 Columbus, OH 43210 dept: (614) 292-2251 http://www.chemistry.ohio-state.edu/~mccoy/home/mccoy-home.html
• POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH IN SURFACE SCIENCE - AT CAMBRIDGE A postdoctoral research position is available in the Surface Science Group at Cambridge University to work on the commissioning and application of a novel instrument for structural and dynamics studies of molecules at surfaces. The instrument is a surface ir emission (SIRE) and surface ir chemiluminescence (SIRCL) spectrometer, comprising pulsed molecular beam dosing and a purpose-built liquid-helium-cooled FTIR spectrometer. The succesful applicant will be a committed and energetic surface scientist with experience in ultrahigh vacuum technology and surface science instrumentation. Expertise in dynamics of gas-surface interactions, molecular beam technology, electronics and in optics would be an advantage. The position is available within the next few months. Applications to Professor Dave King, Department of Chemistry, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK. email: eld1000@cam.ac.uk

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