News

Graduate Student, Angela Crane, Brings Chemistry to Rural Northern BC

In May 2013 Graduate Student, Angela Crane, travelled 'up-north' to the rural community of Fort Nelson, BC (population ~4000) to bring her passion for chemsitry to local schools and community centers. See the full article about her journey on the Faculty of Science website located here.

Ryan and Andersen labs make cover of Chemistry & Biology

A paper entitled “N-Carbamoylation of 2,4-Diaminobutyrate Reroutes the Outcome in Padanamide Biosynthesis” has been highlighted and featured as the front cover artwork in the August issue of Chemistry & Biology. The article, authored by Yi-Ling Du, Doralyn S. Dalisay, Raymond J. Andersen, and Katherine S. Ryan, interrogates the biosynthetic route to the highly modified linear peptides padanamides A and B. These molecules have several chemical features that are unprecedented in...

Mark MacLachlan awarded the 2013 Rutherford Medal in Chemistry

Congratulations to Dr. Mark MacLachlan of the UBC Chemistry Department who has been awarded the 2013 Rutherford Medal in Chemistry by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)

Yoshikata Koga and co-workers make cover of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

A paper entitled “1-Propanol probing methodology: two-dimensional characterization of the effect of solute on H₂O” has been highlighted and featured as the back cover artwork in a September issue of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics.

UBC Chemistry Post-Doctoral Fellows Receive 2013 MSFHR Trainee Awards

Congratulations to Dr. Yi-Ling Du and Dr. Zhizeng Gao on receiving a 2013 Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Trainee Award in the Biomedical Division. The awards were granted for the following projects:

Project: Harnessing natural product biosynthetic machinery

Project: Fight flu with mechanism-based covalent neuraminidase inhibitors

Prof. Mehrkhodavandi featured in ACCN article: "The Many Faces of Bioplastics"

Congratulations to Dr. Parisa Mehrkhodavandi and her research group, who's work regarding the catalytic synthesis of stereoblock polylactide (PLA) as biodegradable plastic with enhanced properties has been highlighted in the featured article "The Many Faces of Bioplastics" in the July/August 2013 issue of ACCN Canadian Chemical News.

To read the full article, please click here...

Congratulations! UBC Graduate Students receive presentation awards at 2013 CSC in Quebec City

Congratulations to the following graduate students who received honours at the 2013 Canadian Society for Chemistry 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition in Quebec City, QC.

In Memoriam: Celebrating Dr. Bruce Todd

Dr. Bruce Todd, who passed away suddenly in November 2012, joined the UBC Chemistry Department in 1990 as a Killam Post-Doctoral Fellow.

Help Joanna Moore, Science One Graduate, Set Sail for the Olympics!

Joanna Moore, a Science One Graduate, and her sailing partner Alexa Edgar are having a fundraiser to support their North American sailing campaign enroute to the Olympics! The fundraiser, on June 20^th, 2013, includes a silent auction, a raffle, and a BBQ at the Eagle Harbour Yacht Club. Details can be found by clicking here. To RSVP to the event click...

Congratulations to the UBC Undergraduate Chemistry Society!

Congratulations to the UBC Chemistry Department’s Undergraduate Chemistry Society (UCS) on receiving Honourable Mention for the 2013 Student Chapter Merit Award of the Canadian Society for Chemistry. The Student Chapter Merit Award is offered as a means of recognizing and encouraging initiative and originality in Student Chapter programming in chemistry.

Attention UBC Alumni! Special event to be held at 96th CSC Conference and Exhibition

Attention UBC Alumni! On Monday, May 27^th you are invited to a UBC/UVic/SFU Alumni Event to be held at the Hilton Quebec Hotel, (Villeray/DeTourny) during the 96th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition taking place in Quebec City. The event, held from 6-8pm will include some light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

We look forward to seeing you there!

UBC Chemistry Professor Launches Scientist in Residence Program

In the fall of 2010, Professor Mark MacLachlan had an idea. Unlike the thoughts of exotic materials, liquid crystals, and macrocycles that currently consume most of his time, this was an outreach initiative. The idea was simple: send upper year graduate students with a keen interest for science outreach to rural BC communities. These students would then build enthusiasm about science in students who would not generally have the opportunity to meet a real ‘scientist’ and...

Tamara Kunz and Susan Vickers awarded 2013 Faculty of Science Achievement Awards

Congratulations to the following members of the Chemistry Department for being awarded a 2013 Faculty of Science Achievement Award late last week.

Glenn Sammis awarded 2012-2013 Killam Teaching Prize

Congratulations to Dr. Glenn Sammis who was recently awarded a 2012-2013 UBC Killam Teaching Prize. UBC Killam Teaching Prizes are awarded annually, from the Killam Endowment Fund, to faculty nominated by students, colleagues, and alumni in recognition of excellence in teaching.

For more information on these awards, please visit:

http://vpacademic.ubc.ca/killam-teaching-prizes/

Perrin group highlighted as cover artwork of ACS Combinatorial Science

A paper entitled “Toward the Combinatorial Selection of Chemically Modified DNAzyme RNase A Mimics Active Against all-RNA Substrates” has been highlighted for the cover artwork of a recent issue of ACS Combinatorial Science. The article authored by M. Hollenstein, C. J. Hipolito, C. H. Lam, and David Perrin of the Chemistry reports on their work towards the elusive goal of finding a M2+-free RNaseA mimic capable of cleaving a viral mRNA target for potential therapeutic...

Journal article from Grant research group featured in Highlights of 2012 collection of the Journal of Physics B

A paper entitled “Recombinative dissociation and the evolution of a molecular ultracold plasma” has been selected for inclusion in the Highlights of 2012 collection of the Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics. The article authored by Nicolas Saquet, Jonathan P Morrison and Edward Grant of the Chemistry explores how dissociation into neutral fragments can introduce novel elements in the dynamics of an ultracold plasma.

Graduate Student, Eric Price, receives 2013 Berson-Yalow Award

Congratulations to UBC Chemistry and TRIUMF graduate student, Eric Price, who was recently awarded the 2013 Berson-Yalow Award by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (SNMMI). The award, which will be formally presented during the 60th SNMMI Annual Meeting on June 10^th, honors researchers who have submitted an abstract to the SNMMI Annual Meeting, making the most significant contributions to basic or clinical radioassays. The award winning abstract submitted by...

Takamasa Momose and Co-workers make Cover of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

A paper entitled “Manipulation of Translational Motion of Methyl Radicals by Pulsed Magnetic Fields” has been highlighted and featured as the back cover artwork in a February issue of Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. The communication authored by Takamasa Momose, Y. Liu, S. Zhou, and P. Djuricanin of the Chemistry Department and D. Carty of the Departments of Chemistry and Physics at Durham University demonstrates the manipulation of the translational motion of polyatomic free...

Eleonora Petryayeva and Co-workers make Cover of Applied Spectroscopy

A paper entitled “Quantum Dots in Bioanalysis: A Review of Applications Across Various Platforms for Fluorescence Spectroscopy and Imaging” has been highlighted and featured as the cover artwork on the March edition of Applied Spectroscopy. The review, authored by E. Petryayeva and Russ Algar of the Chemistry Department and I. L. Medintz of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, reports on the current state-of-the-art in using semiconductor nanoparticles, called “quantum dots,” to...

Prof. Steve Withers and Collaborators Develop New Drug with Anti-viral Activity

Congratulations to Prof. Steve Withers and collaborators on their recent publication in Science Express entitled “Mechanism-Based Covalent Neuraminidase Inhibitors with Broad Spectrum Influenza Antiviral Activity”.

For more information and media releases please see the following links:

News & Events