Chemformation

The Weekly Newsletter of the MIT Chemistry Department

Volume 16, Number 21

Friday, June 9, 2000

Chemformation is published by the Office of the Department Chairman. Please convey items of interest (or mailing list changes) to Liz McGrath, Room 18-390, Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA 02139, 617/253-4080; 617/258-7500 (fax) or e-mail to emg@mit.edu . Back issues of Chemformation can be accessed via the Chemistry Department Website.

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KICK-OFF PARTY FOR BUILDING 18
	A KICK-OFF PARTY to celebrate the commencement of renovations in Building 18 was held on Wednesday, May 31, 2000, in the Mock-up laboratory in Building 18. Invitees included the Chancellor, Lawrence S. Bacow, and the Provost, Robert A. Brown, who both addressed the gathering offering words of encouragement and delight with the commencement of the project. It is anticipated that it will take three years for the entire renovation to be complete.
L-R S. Ceyer, B. Silbey, L. Bacow, R. Brown
SPRING PARTY 2000
	THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT SPRING PARTY was held Thursday, June 1, 2000, at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A good time was had by all. Among the guests was Professor Satoru Masamune who was presented with a retirement gift from the Department by the Chair, Professor Stephen Lippard. Sat will be remaining on in the Department as an Emeritus Professor.
L-R Fred Greene, Sat Masamune

Announcements

CONGRATULATIONS >to Professor Cathy Drennan who has been selected by the Provost, Robert A. Brown, to be the next Cecil and Ida Green Career Development Professor for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2000. This chair was established by the Greens who are longtime friends and generous benefactors of the Institute. The professorship recognizes and encourages excellence in teaching by gifted young faculty members.

CONGRATULATIONS TO Michael Altman (Tidor Lab), and Michelle Chang (Nocera Lab). Michael and Michelle have been selected for Merck Fellowships.

Gifts Office of the MIT Libraries: With the impending moves associated with the renovation of Building 18, the Gifts Office of the MIT Libraries may be able to assist faculty and staff of the Chemistry Department in the disposition of any books or journals no longer needed. The office will be happy to discuss arrangements for donations and pick up materials at your convenience.

In general, the office is always interested in donations of materials that may fill gaps in collections. If materials can not be used within the Librarie's collections, they will be sold in the MIT community book sale or to dealers who specialize in used materials. All proceeds received from the sale of donated materials are added to the Libraries book preservation fund. For further information please contact Charlene Follett of the Gifts Office to arrange a pickup. She can be reached by telephone (x3-5693) or e-mail <gifts-lib@mit.edu> .

WOMEN IN CHEMISTRY

The Women in Chemistry group invites all members of the Chemistry Department to "Careers in Chemistry", a series of informal discussions with women in various chemistry-related fields. The aim of these discussions is to explore a range of professions, the training and background that they require, opportunities for growth in these fields, and insights on unifying a fulfilling family life with a satisfying career.

June 23, 2000 (1:00 pm, 4-163)

June 29, 2000 (7:00 pm, 4-163)

Sponsored by:

Faculty Positions

Applications for most faculty positions should consist of a curriculum vitae, outline of research interests, and three letters of recommendation to be sent directly to the specific university or college. You will find more detailed information regarding these and other positions in a binder located at departmental headquarters.

University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia seeks applications for the position of Lecturer in Organic Chemistry. Candidates must have a commitment to, and demonstrated excellence in, the field of organic chemistry, specifically with a focus on the synthesis of biologically important compounds or their analogues by contemporary methodology. The appointee will be expected to develop vigorous research programs and to forge collaborative links within the Department, within the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences, and with the University's Institute for Molecular Bioscience. The position will involve teaching contributions in all levels of the lecture, tutorial and laboratory programs. Formal qualification to Ph.D. level, or equivalent, and appropriate postdoctoral experience is essential. Apply by June 23, 2000 to: Personnel Officer, Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences, The University of Queensland, Qld. 4072, Australia; tel: +61 7 3365-3837; e-mail: cotton@chemistry.uq.edu.au.

Bellarmine College, Louisville, Kentucky seeks applications for the position of LABORATORY COORDINATOR, non-tenure track (9-month contract), fall 2000, M.S. required. Responsibilities include design, development and coordination of all labs at the first- and second-year levels in cooperation with faculty members and teaching lower division labs in the major (and other labs as appropriate). The desire to direct individual undergraduate research in the area of chemical education is strongly encouraged. Commitment to liberal arts instruction, and evidence of laboratory teaching experience required. Bellarmine College aspires to be the premier Liberal Arts University in the region. Apply by June 20, 2000 to: Dr. Joseph Sinski, Dept. of Chemistry and Physics, Bellarmine College, Louisville, KY 40205-0671 tel: (502) 452-8219.

Post Doctoral Positions

Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co. Limited, Tokyo, Japan seeks a postdoctoral fellow to join their R & D laboratory for a period of 2-3 years. The research project involves chemical process studies of the intermediates or the drug substances of the product or the development product of Daiichi Pharmaceutical Co. Interested applicants should apply to: Dr. Kazuaki Kanai, Senior Researcher, Chemical Research Center, Chemical Technology Research Laboratories, Tokyo R&D Center, Daiichi Pharamaceutical Co. Ltd., 16-13 Kita-Kasai, 1-Chome, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo 133-8630, Japan; fax: +81-3-3680-0151.

University of California at Davis, California: The Department of Chemistry has several postdoctoral positions available. Graduate student research assistantships (Ph.D in Chemistry or Biophysics) are also available. The National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation fund these positions. Research topics include:

- Metal-Nucleic Acid Interactions: Pulsed EPR spectroscopies (ENDOR and ESEEM) are being used to characterize paramagnetic metal (Mn(II) etc.) binding sites of structured RNA molecules, including several catalytic ribozymes.

- Redox-Active Manganese Enzymes: Dual Mode CW-EPR and pulsed EPR spectroscopies are being used to investigate the physical and electronic structures of Mn ions and clusters involved in redox catalysis, with an emphasis on the water splitting tetranuclear Mn cluster of Photosystem II. ESEEM and ENDOR methods are also being employed to characterize amino acid, substrate, cofactor and inhibitor ligation to the Mn cluster.

- Tyrosine Radicals in Catalysis: Time-resolved and Pulsed EPR methods are being used to investigate the roles of the redox active tyrosines Y D and Y Z in Photosystem II, with an emphasis on understanding the role of Y Z and its involvement with the Mn cluster in facilitating electron-coupled proton transfer in the water oxidation cycle. Dual mode EPR and time resolved EPR spectroscopies are being used to investigate the possibility of tyrosine radical formation coupled to the oxygen reduction chemistry of cytochrome c oxidase.

- EPR Instrumentation and Techniques: A laboratory-built 8-18 GHz pulsed EPR spectrometer for ESEEM, ENDOR, and time-resolved EPR is currently being used.

A new instrument building phase with the construction of a unique all-solid-state 31 GHz pulsed EPR spectrometer is underway. Pulsed parallel polarization EPR spectroscopy designed to characterize ESEEMand ENDOR spectra of integer spin Mn centers is being implemented.

Interested applicants should contact: Prof. R. David Britt Department of Chemistry, fax: (530) 752-8995; e-mail: rdbritt@ucdavis.edu.

Tufts University: Department of Chemistry is seeking a suitable candidate for an immediate postdoctoral opening. The project involves nonlinear spectroscopy to probe polycrystalline solid surfaces interacting with either gas-phase species or liquid solutions. This is an extension of previous work using SFG to unravel issues on liquid surfaces. Two laser systems are currently operating in the laboratory: a nanosec. YAG, OPO/OPA system and a psec YAG OPG/OPA system. The preferred candidate will have experience with psec or faster lasers or the ability to quickly learn this technology. Apply to: Professor Mary Jane Shultz, Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155; e-mail: Mary.Shultz@tufts.edu. For more details about recent research, list of publications and abstracts of recent papers, visit the web site at: www.tufts.edu/~dsimonel/index.html.

California Institute of Technology has a postdoctoral fellowship available in the field of Environmental Chemistry. The position is open to a recent physical chemistry Ph.D. with a strong background in fundamental physical chemistry, e.g. reaction dynamics, laser spectroscopy, scanning probe microscopy, aerosol chemistry, and gas phase kinetics, who is interested in applying their skills in environmental chemistry. Research opportunities in the laboratories of Professors Janet Hering, Mitchio Okumura, and Paul Wennberg span the departments of Chemistry, Geochemistry, and Environmental Engineering and Science. Research areas include laboratory experiments on the kinetics of radical-radical reactions and photochemistry, field measurements of nitric acid aerosols, and mass spectrometric studies of aquatic chemistry, and scanning probe microscopy of mineral weathering. The position provides the postdoctoral fellow extensive latitude in developing a research program among the three groups, as well as opportunities to broaden her or his background in environmental science. Contact: Ms Lena Lenore, Chemistry Dept., MC 127-72, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125; e-mail: lenore@its.caltech.edu.

Other Job Listings

NeoGenesis Drug Discovery, Inc.. Cambridge, Mass. Seeks candidates for Scientist and Senior Scientist positions in the Department of Chemistry. The Scientist position requires a B.S. or M.S. in Organic Chemistry and research experience in organic synthesis. The Senior Scientist position requires a Ph.D. (postdoctoral and industry experience preferred) in Organic Chemistry and a record of scientific achievement. Both positions require proficiency in modern spectroscopic and synthetic techniques. The successful candidate will be creative, have effective communication skills, and be able to work in a team environment and enjoy an exciting, fast-paced environment. The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to producing the highest quality drug leads to realize these therapeutic opportunities. Apply to: NeoGenesis Drug Discovery, Inc., Job Code #U519, 840 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA 02139; e-mail: opportunities@neogenesis.com; website: www.neogenesis.com.

Mankuta/Gallagher and Associates, Ft Lauderdale, Florida seeks Senior Scientist/Scientist to play important roles in high throughput separation and compound identification using modern and classic separation tools, LC-MS and NMR techniques. The qualified individual should have demonstrated expertise in these areas and will be engaged hands-on in high throughput semi-preparative separation and purification of synthetics and natural products to provide high purity materials in support of company’s proprietary drug discovery programs. He/she will work independently through all stages of compound purification (including sample preparation, method development, and operation of preparative chromatographic instruments such as prep. HPLC, semi-preparative LC-MS, supercritical fluid chromatography, flash column chromatography, etc.) and compound identification (1D and 2D NMR, and LC-MS). He/she is expected to be an excellent team player and will be required to work in a matrix environment with tight timelines. He/she should possess excellent communication skills and will interact constantly with drug discovery staff. A Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry/Analytical Chemistry/Natural Products Chemistry with 2 to 5 years of postdoctoral experience is required. Industrial experience a plus. Apply immediately to: Shirley J. Casanas, Mankuta/Gallagher and Associates,8333 W McNab Rd Suite 231, Ft Lauderdale FL 33321; tel: 1-800-797-4276 ext. 1012; (954) 720-9645; tax: (954) 720-5813; e-mail: scasanas@mankutagallagher.com; website: www.mankutagallagher.com

CAS (A division of the American Chemical Society) has several full time positions available in analysis of the world’s chemical and life science literature, including patents, for building of the CAS databases. Responsibilities include document analysis, abstracting, indexing, and evaluation of chemical structures. Candidates must have a BS, MS or PhD in Chemistry or a related field. The ability to read and translate technical documents and patents in Japanese, French, German, Russian or Korean would be helpful. Apply to: Chemical Abstracts Service, Human Resources, P.O. Box 3012, Columbus, Ohio 43210; fax: (614) 447-3816; e-mail: jobs@cas.org; website: www.cas.org.

DEPARTMENTAL SERVICES

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 4-064 or call Ed Udas or John Annese at 3-4505. Bob will do the work on a first-come, first-served basis.

Get Organized! Call Ed Udas at 253-4505 or stop by room 4-065 if students, faculty, or staff need help in organizing their MIT space.

International Symposium on Nucleic Acids (pdf file)

Sweet Revenge