Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 14, Number 14

Friday, April 10, 1998

Next issue: Friday, April 17th. Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. The deadline for the next issue is Tuesday, April 14th. 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

Monday, April 13, 1998 12:00 Noon in Room 68-181 Macromolecular Structure/Function Seminar Series	Jennifer Ogrodnick MIT Chemistry, Stern Group "T-cell Activation by Recombinant MCH-peptide Complexes"
Tuesday, April 14, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-233 Seminar in Biological Chemistry	Professor Carolyn Bertozzi University of California at Berkeley "Chemical Approaches to Glycobiology"
Wednesday, April 15, 1998 4:00 pm in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321 Seminar in Inorganic Chemistry	Thomas Boyd MIT Chemistry, Schrock Group "Blue LEDs with Electroluminescent Polynorbornenes"
Thursday, April 16, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 18-490 Seminar in Organic Chemistry	Professor Nicholas J. Turro Columbia University "From the Philosopher's Stone, to the Boiling Stone to the Philosopher's Smart Crystal. Supramolecular Photochemistry of Organic Molecules. A Paradigm for the Next Millenium?"
Tuesday, April 21, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Reception immediately following the lecture in Norris Room 18-490 Arthur D. Little Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry	Professor Claudio Bianchini Instituto per lo Studio della Stereochimica ed Energetica dei Composti di Coordinazion del CNR - Florence, Italy "High-pressure NMR Spectroscopy. Applications to Organometallic Reactions and Catalysis"
Wednesday, April 22, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 6-120 Refreshments @ 3:30 p.m. in 6-321 Arthur D. Little Lectureship in Inorganic Chemistry	Professor Claudio Bianchini Instituto per lo Studio della Stereochimica ed Energetica dei Composti di Coordinazion del CNR - Florence, Italy "Reactions of Thiophenes with Soluble Transition Metal Complexes. Hydrogenation, Hydrogenolysis and Desulfurization Reactions in Different Phase Systems"
Wednesday, April 22, 1998 12:00 Noon in Room 56-614 Gerald N. Wogan Lecture Series	Professor Larry Marnett Vanderbilt University "Chemistry and Biology of Endogenous DNA Damage: Exocyclic Adducts as a Case Study"
Thursday, April 23, 1998 4:00 p.m. in Room 56-614 Gerald N. Wogan Lecture Series	Professor Larry Marnett Vanderbilt University "Aspirin for the Next Hundred Years? Development of Covalent Inactivators of Cyclooxgenase"

Plan to Attend!
Undergraduate Research Symposium, 1998 for "Course 5"
Saturday, April 25, 1998

Please mark your calendars and plan on attending the First Undergraduate Research Symposium for Course 5 on Saturday, April 25, 1998 hosted by Professor Christopher Cummins. The event will begin with a poster session at 12:00 noon in Room #56-154. Participants can be any undergraduates doing research in Course 5 and if you are interested you should notify Professor Cummins by email at: ccummins@mit.edu.

Education Exchange Interviewing at MIT on April 17

The Education Exchange, Inc. is seeking applicants for full-time tutoring/teaching positions at their two Washington, D.C. area locations beginning September 1998. Janna Taylor, a manager at their company will be conducting on-campus interviews on Friday, April 17th. Please call her at (301) 299-6789 by April 16th to schedule an interview. Preferance will be given to students majoring in math and science. Salary is $22,00-$26,00 with six weeks paid vacation. A normal day begins at 1:30 p.m with training for one hour followed by teaching seven children, each in one hour sessions, in subjects ranging from Algebra to Chemistry to History.

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.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Chemistry

Chemistry 5.561

"Chemistry in Industry" Lecture Series

April 28	Dr. Anthony W. Czarnik Senior Director of Chemistry IRORI Quantum Microchemistry "How One Chemist Can Make 10,000 Discrete Compounds, 5 mg Each, in Under One Year"
April 30	Dr. Ralph B. Nielsen Director, Organic Materials Symyx Technologies "Adapting Combinatorial Research Strategies to Problems in Materials Science"
May 5	Dr. Andrew D. Johnson Principal Research Chemist Air Products and Chemicals "Specialty Gas R&D for Semiconductor Manufacturing: Examples of Application Development"
May 7	Dr. Sarah E. Kelly Assistant Director of Process Research & Development Pfizer Central Research "Process Research at Pfizer: No Buckets, No Shovels, No Kidding"
May 12	Dr. Michael Lewis Executive Vice President of Research and Discovery Eisai Research Institute "Chemistry on the Path to Drug Discovery: Synthesis as the Key for the Exploration of Structure"

Postdoctoral Fellowships

• Postdoctoral position in Catalysis The Competence Centre for Catalysis was established formally in 1995 with a centre of gravity in the departments of Applied Physics, Chemical Reaction Engineering and Engineering Chemistry. A research program has been worked out together with six industries (AB Volvo, Saab Automobile AB, ...), resulting in a focus onemission reduction of vehicle exhausts and of industrial process gases by catalytic techniques. The research areas are NOx reduction and low temperature activity and the unconventional decision was made that industry project leaders are leading the two projects, predominantly executed in the university environment by graduate students and young research associates from different disciplines. Postdoctoral position in Photocatalysis /Photochemistry at Surfaces The aim of a newly started project in photocatalysis is to exploit the recently gained deep insight into photoinduced processes at solid surfaces, specifically to explore the possibility of using light to improve the function of existing catalytic systems and to develop entirely new photocatalytic systems. The project is focussed on the photophysics and photochemistry involving hot electrons produced by light. At the Department of Applied Physics, the research is concentrated on molecular processes at surfaces including elementary steps in bond breaking, reaction mechanisms and kinetics, catalytic reactions, biological physics at surfaces and biomaterials. Starting date is as soon as possible. The positions are for 1 year with likely extension one additional year i.e. 1 + 1 year. 46or further information please contact: Dr Sten Ljungstr=F6m, Director of the Competence Centre for Catalysis Chalmers University of Technology Prof Bengt Kasemo, Applied Physics Chalmers University of Technology/G=F6teborg University 412 96 G=F6teborg, Sweden e-mail: ljung@fy.chalmers.se or kasemo@fy.chalmers.se Professor Bengt Kasemo- Department of Applied Physics Chalmers University of Technology S-412 96 Gothenburg Sweden Tel.46-31-772337046ax. 46-31-7723134 E-mail: kasemo@fy.chalmers.se
• Postdoctoral Position - Available Summer 1998 Photodissociation Spectroscopy and Dynamics in Mass-Selected Metal Ion Complexes. Weakly bound metal ion complexes (M+-Rx, where M=Mg, Ca, Ti, etc. and R=Ar, CO2, H2O, N2, C2H2, etc.) are investigated as models for metal cation solvation, metal-ligand bonding and metal ion atmospheric chemistry. Complexes are produced and cooled in a pulsed nozzle laser vaporization luster source in a two-chamber molecular beam machine. The species produced are mass-analyzed and mass-selected with a reflectron time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Electronic states, vibrational frequencies and structures of these complexes are investigated with photodissociation spectroscopy. Complexes absorb near metal atomic transitions to populate bound excited molecular states, and then dissociation occurs following the absorption of one or more additional photons. New experiments use an infrared OPO to probe ligand-based vibrational overtones. These experiments determine the structure of metal ion complexes and their bond energies and follow the development of these properties as a function of cluster size. Instrumentation for this project includes the pulsed molecular beam machine with reflectron TOF mass spectrometer, a XeCl excimer laser for the cluster source (Lambda Physik EMG 101), an ArF excimer laser for photoionization (Lumonics PM-840), a YAG-pumped dye laser (Spectra-Physics GCR-170 with Lambda Physik ScanMate 2E and doubler unit) and a new YAG-pumped OPO/OPA system (Continuum 9010 YAG with "SunLite" OPO and doubler unit). Data collection with a digital oscilloscope (LeCroy 9410A) and laser scanning are controlled with a Pentium PC. Recent Publications from this Project: M.A. Duncan, "Spectroscopy of metal ion complexes: Gas phase models for solvation," Ann. Rev. Phys. Chem. 48, 63 (1997). S.H. Pullins, J.E. Reddic, M.R. France and M.A. Duncan, "Photodissociation spectroscopy of Ca+-N2," J. Chem. Phys. 108, 2725 (1998). Michael A. Duncan, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602, 706-542-1998. fax: 706-542-9454
• UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME Computing Associate- College of Science The University of Notre Dame seeks a Computing Associate for the College of Science. The incumbent will be responsible for assisting and promoting effective computing in the College and facilitating the use of networked resources for teaching and research. The Computing Associate will understand the needs of each unit and encourage and support joint efforts among College units and other units on campus. An advanced degree, preferably in a science-related discipline, is required. The appointment will be at faculty rank (assistant professional specialist) for those with suitable academic background. For further information on the College of Science, see our web site at http://www.science.nd.edu. Computing background should include broad experience in UNIX systems administration (SGI/IRIX, Sun/Solaris, and/or IBM/AIX) and familiarity withWindows/NT. Programming proficiency in FORTRAN, C or C++, and UNIX scripting languages is required. The candidate should be familiar with an assortment of scientific software, e.g., Mathematica, Biosym, and TeX. Experience with AFS, parallel programming, or multimedia is a plus. Experience in applying computer technology, preferably in an academic environment, is highly desirable. The Computing Associate must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, be able to work well in a collegial relationship with faculty and students, be flexible, and be highly motivated. To be assured of maximum consideration, submit application consisting of a letter of application, resume, and names of three professional references to Professor Kathie Newman, Computing Associate Search, College of Science, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Applications may also be sent by email to newman.1@nd.edu. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. EOE/AA MINORITIES AND WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY Kathie E. NewmanEmail: Kathie.E.Newman.1@nd.edu Associate Dean and Professor 229 Nieuwland Science Hall - Phone: (219) 631-7738 or 6375 College of Science University of Notre Dame FAX: (219) 631-8149 Notre Dame, IN 46556

Positions

• Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA: Seeks a Research Technician for its Drosophila Laboratory, for someone with previous experience in Drosophila genetics or molecular biology is preferred. Send cv by regular mail to: Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Genetics, 200 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 or by e-mail to: Linda Barber at lbarber@rascal.med.harvard.edu
• Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA: Seeks a research technician effective June 1998 in Dr. Bernard Mathey-Prevot's lab, Pediatric Oncology. The research in his laboratory focuses on the signal transduction pathways which trigger proliferation and differentiation of murine blood progenitor cells in response to hematopoietic gwoth factors. Contact him directly or email the following: ernard_mathey-prevot@dfci.harvard.edu or send materials to him at Dr. Bernard Mathey-Prevot, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Research Director of Pediatric Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, M649B, 44 Binney Street, Boston, MA 902115.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Inc. Arlington, MA: Seeks chemical graduate who is well versed in analytical chemistry and who has a broad interest in building materials, their performance, and the mechanisms of their demise. Materials of interest include asphalt, cement, motar, plastics, rubbers, protective coatings, paints, glass, sealants and masonry units. Their work can be embraced by a new title of "building pathologiest", it is being used in Europe to describe scientists who investigate instances of poor performance of building materials and systems, who attempt to avoid future similar problems by educating building owners, designers, contractors and material suppliers. Please contact Carl G. Cash, Principal if interested. at 781-643-2000, 297 Broadway Street, Arlington, MA 02174-5310.
• Arnall Golden and Gregory, LLP, Atlanta, GA: has position available for chemist with at least a B.S. in organic chemistry. Work experience preferred, excellent writing skills a must. Great opportunity for a recent graduate or graduate student. Top ten Atlanta law firm seeks individual to train as a patent agent-potential for firm to pay for you to attend law school evenings. Small, sophisticated practice specializes in biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical patent law especially for start-ups and universities. Competitive compensation and benefits. Fax resume and writing samples to: 404-873-8795.

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