UWinChem News

Holiday Party Extravaganza!

2011-11-29T11:02:00.002-05:00

The Chem Club announces it's nth annual Holiday Party Extravaganza!

Where: Rock Bottom Bar and Grill

When: Thursday Dec. 8, 2011

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Cost: $5.00

Ticket includes a drink and appetizers!

Contact Chris (367 EH), Corey (372-3) or Marlene (273-1) for tickets!

Researchers in Chemistry and Biochemistry receive Seeds4Hope funding

2011-11-01T20:09:00.006-04:00

Congratulations to Professor James Green, who was awarded a Seeds4Hope grant to develop compounds that have shown early success killing cancer cells.

Excerpt from the Windsor Star article:

“As a chemist, you’re so used to having long hours of work without immediate rewards, that you often think, ‘I better not hope too much,’” Green said Monday after collecting a grant to continue his research for two more years. “But so far, I’m delighted. I really hope it leads to something.”

On Monday, Green’s project was awarded $67,000 over two years by Seeds4Hope, funded by the Windsor & Essex County Cancer Centre Foundation. Also collecting research grants from Seeds4Hope on Monday were University of Windsor professors Andrew Swan, who will use $63,000 over two years to probe tumour-suppressing functions of cancer genes, and Panayiotis Vacratsis, who will use $76,000 over two years to investigate a possible link between a specific tumour growth and survival.

In addition, Prof. Otis Vacratsis was awarded $76,000 for his proposal: Functional Characterization of hYVH1/DUSP12: A Putative Oncogene Overexpressed in Late Stage Cancers. This research project focuses on investigating a new cell survival enzyme (hYVH1), that has recently been implemented in both cell growth and division, and has been found to be over productive in many aggressive, late stage cancers.

To learn more about our department, visit http://www.uwindsor.ca/chemistry.

Click the professors' names above to visit their websites.

Ultra-fast magic-angle spinning NMR probe up and running

2011-10-27T11:14:00.005-04:00

Prof. Rob Schurko's NMR group has recently taken delivery of an ultra-fast magic-angle spinning NMR probe, which will be used for acquiring high-resolution 1H NMR spectra of a variety of different materials, including solid pharmaceuticals. The probe was purchased for ca. $110,000 using funds obtained from an NSERC RTI (Research Tools and Instruments) Grant.

To read the Daily News story on this amazing probe, click here!

Aaron Rossini awarded Governor General's Gold Medal

2011-10-27T11:05:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to Aaron Rossini, who was awarded the Governor General's Gold Medal for top standing as a graduating Ph.D. student at the University of Windsor. Aaron worked in Prof. Rob Schurko's solid-state NMR research group; he has 11 peer-reviewed publications and 31 academic presentations at local, national and international conferences. He was awarded a Marie-Curie Fellowship, and is currently working at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon, France, in the research group of Prof. Lyndon Emsley. His wife, Erin, who has a degree in oenology, is currently working at a vinyard in Provence; they are both enjoying their time in France.

To read about how Erin and Aaron met, click here to read the Daily News Story.

Scholarship Deadlines for Graduate Students and PDFs

2011-09-22T23:18:00.003-04:00

New information is available on our scholarships page including deadlines, weblinks and application processes for all graduate scholarships, including:

NSERC

CIHR

SSHRC

OGS

and more!

Click here or contact Marlene Bezaire (graduate secretary) for more information.

Introductory NMR workshop, Oct. 13-14, 2012

2011-09-22T22:26:00.002-04:00

The NMR faciltiy is offering an Introductory Workshop for incoming Graduate Students and Outstanding Scholars on Thursday October 13 and Friday the 14th, 2011 from 1 until 4 pm each day. Please note that this is the week of the Thanksgiving Holiday and most lab sessions are cancelled that week.

This introductory workshop is geared toward undergraduate students and/or graduate students with limited (or no) NMR experience, but who are expected to make use of the NMR spectrometers as part of their research projects. The workshop is meant as a supplement to the "one on one" training that new students receive and will allow an opportunity to go into greater depth on many topics. The schedule will consist of a lecture to start each day followed by hands-on learning sessions where participants will get the opportunity to make NMR samples as well as to collect and process NMR data.

The topics covered include:

How an NMR spectrometer works

NMR Magnet Safety

Preparation of NMR Samples

Set up of 1D 1H and 13C NMR Experiments

Processing and Presentation of NMR Data

The link to register is on the NMR Facility Web site.

The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

Matthew Revington

NMR Facility Coordinator,

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

University of Windsor

519-253-3000 Ext 3997

BioART CAMP to bring science and art together in Rocky Mountains

2011-08-01T15:29:00.003-04:00

One is a biochemist who specializes in cell biology, vascular systems and blood platelet function. The other is an experimental artist who helped pioneer the conceptual art movement in Canada. They have a lot more in common than you might think.

Bulent Mutus, a professor in biochemistry, and professor emeritus Iain Baxter&, who’s been dubbed "the Marshall McLuhan of visual art," will both participate as leaders in a two-week BioARTCAMP, an art and science fair that begins on July 19 in Banff, Alberta. Dr. Mutus will be the senior scientist at the event and Baxter& will be the senior artist.

Jennifer Willet, a visual art professor and the mind behind the camp’s concept, said the event will bring together about 20 artists, scientists, theorists, filmmakers and students to build a portable lab and field research station that will demonstrate that art and the sciences are more alike than most people traditionally assume.

“We’re just going to put a whole bunch of artists and scientists together and see what comes out,” said Dr. Willet. “Art teaches people to construct meaning through representation and that’s what scientists do too, whether they realize it or not.”

Mutus, who likes to dabble in painting and photography in his spare time, agreed. He noted that when he’s conducting lab experiments he’s always thinking about how the data will appear visually.

“Science is all about how you present information,” he said. “Whether you know it or not, you use art almost daily in science.”

Besides helping construct the lab and assisting other artist and scientists with their projects, Mutus will work on a piece that uses silver nitrate filter paper, which operates as a sensor to detect hydrogen sulfide, a potentially dangerous gas. When the paper detects H2S, it leaves dark impressions that could be worked into artistic drawings or other pieces. He’ll set up an installation to do just that.

Meanwhile, Baxter& will spend his time stomping through the woods of his youth with a mannequin, photographing it in various settings in an attempt to conceptualize both the distances and connections between humanity and nature.

“Science and art both involve a great deal of technical dexterity and craftsmanship,” said Baxter&, who studied zoology before devoting his life to his art. “They’re both really conceptual. The whole idea of creating something artistic mimics experimental methodology.”
Willet said there will be two opportunities for members of the public to participate in the camp and view the work. She also suggested the camp may turn into an annual event.

Visit the camp's Web site for more information.

Annual Chemistry and Biochemistry Crystal Flask Golf Tournament

2011-07-28T15:58:00.000-04:00

Annual Chemistry and Biochemistry Crystal Flask Golf Tournament

This year's Crystal Flask Golf Tournament will take place on Wednesday, August 17, with first tee time at 9:30am. Tournament will take place at Roseland Golf Club and we will play 18 holes. All skill levels are welcome, and Chemistry Club will be covering 1/2 of the green fee. For any additional information and to reserve a spot please contact me at djurdjes@uwindsor.ca no later than August 12.

Student chemist perfecting data transfer for electronic devices

2011-06-10T15:45:00.000-04:00

Silicon-based integrated circuits currently used in cell phones and mp3 players are about as small as they’re going to get with current technology. Now, in response to consumer demand for even faster, more efficient electronic devices, chemists are racing to develop tiny molecular structures that would process data instead—and a UWindsor PhD student in chemistry has joined the race.

“Everyone knows that if we want data to be transferred faster we need to make things smaller, but we’ve almost reached the limit now with how small we can go,” said Mike Miller, who recently won a three-year post-graduate doctoral scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council worth $63,000.

Miller, who works under the supervision of associate professor Tricia Carmichael, said many scientists are trying to create molecular wires and resistors by linking together chains of functional molecules that could be lined up in such a way so that one day, data could be transferred through them and they could replace conventional circuits. Miller’s attention, meanwhile, is devoted to studying ways to smooth the surfaces those molecules would bond with, as a way of ensuring better conductivity and data transfer.

Specifically, he is analyzing an industrial process called chemical mechanical planarization, which involves polishing metal surfaces with a combination of abrasives and chemical etchants to control the surface roughness and grain structure of thin films of metals such as gold, copper, silver and palladium.

“We’re studying what we can change about the molecules, but also what we can change about the surfaces and how that might affect how those molecules will behave,” he said. “It’s not quite there yet. There’s a lot of fundamental work that needs to be done.”

But if breakthroughs are made, they’ll go a long way towards creating some amazing new technologies, such as low-cost flexible electronic devices. As an example, Miller points to the possibility of electronic wallpaper. Users would be able to change the look of their room with a few simple keystrokes instead of stripping and putting new paper up on their walls, he said.

Students take top honours at natural health products conference

2011-06-09T15:42:00.001-04:00

The son of parents from Vietnam and grandparents from China, Dennis Ma grew up in house where traditional remedies and natural herbal products were commonplace. So using a derivative from a rare plant to try to find a cure for cancer doesn’t really surprise him all that much.~

“A lot of these natural products have been used as traditional medicines for a long time, but we’re starting to see a lot more of them being used in a scientific setting,” said Ma, a second year master’s student in biochemistry who tests the effectiveness of pancratistatin, a derivative of a Hawaiian spider lily which has proven to kill certain cancer cells without harming healthy ones.

Ma and lab partner Katie Facecchia, both students in the lab of professor Siyaram Pandey, recently returned from Montreal where they attended the Natural Health Products Research Society of Canada’s annual conference. Ma took first place in the student oral presentation category while Facecchia, who studies the effectiveness of a water soluble formula of the naturally occurring Coenzyme Q10 at halting the progression of Parkinson’s disease, placed second.

Another group of Dr. Pandey’s students recently garnered a considerable amount of attention for their work on a formula they developed from dandelion root extract, which also halted the spread of certain types of cancer cells.

Facecchia said attending the conference gave her a renewed sense of optimism that the scientific community is embracing the notion of looking to nature to test solutions for current medical challenges.

“People used these products back in the day for a reason and now we’re rediscovering them with modern science,” she said.

There were five presentations from Pandey’s lab made at the conference and three of them were dedicated to the memory of Kevin Couvillon, who died in 2010 at the age of 26 after a lengthy battle with cancer. His parents donated $20,000 to Pandey’s lab earlier this year. Pandey said Ma, Facecchia and fellow students Pamela Ovadje and Madona Chochkeh made high-impact presentations, which he believes contributed to the society’s decision to hold its 2013 here in Windsor.

“They responded to the panel’s questions very lucidly and defended the work very well,” he said. “We’re very grateful to Seeds 4 Hope, Joseph Sczesei and the Couvillons for generously supporting their research.”

Chem Prom 2011

2011-04-19T12:15:00.003-04:00

Chem Prom!
All students, staff and faculty, please join us for this year's Chem Prom end of year banquet, which is taking place at the Caboto Club on April 28, 2011. Tickets are still available!

Doors open: 6:30 pm
Dinner: 7 pm
Dancing to follow
Where: Verdi Hall, Caboto Club
Students: $25/ticket
Faculty: $30/ticket

Please see Heather (EH 373-5), Chris (EH 367) or Marlene for tickets

Final presentations for Undergraduate Research in Chemistry and Biochemistry

2011-04-19T12:09:00.004-04:00

Our honours students will be making their final presentations for their 59-410 research projects on April 27 and 28, 2011 in 186 Essex Hall from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. The full schedule for presentations will be posted here on April 19, 2011:

http://mutuslab.cs.uwindsor.ca/schurko/59-410/schedules.html

Please come join us and see the fantastic work that our students have done over the past year!

Chemist finds valuable use for gold in molecular analysis technique

2011-04-14T15:25:00.006-04:00

“All that glitters is not gold” is an oft-repeated adage cited throughout the ages to remind us that not everything that appears precious really is.~

For a scientist like Ricardo Aroca, the intrinsic value of real gold is not in its own brilliant luminescence – or the dollar value it can capture on the open market – but its infectious ability to make the molecules from other materials around it glitter so brightly he can capture an abundance of previously unknown information about them.

Dr. Aroca, an UWindsor chemistry professor who specializes in single molecule detection, has perfected a technique used to analyze the structure and behaviour of molecules called single molecule spectroscopy.

“Every single molecule gives off light,” he explained. “But by bringing gold nanostructures in close contact with them, you amplify their scattering and fluorescence, revealing more information about them.”

Using a state-of-the-art Raman laser microscope, Aroca and his students study the vibrational spectrum, which he refers to as the “fingerprints” of a molecule. Named after C.V. Raman, a Nobel Prize-winning Indian physicist, the microscope uses a high intensity laser to magnify and project the images of materials at the molecular level.

In an international journal called Angewandte Chemie, Aroca’s group recently reported that when tiny particles of gold are brought near the molecules they’re studying, those molecules become more excited and emit greater fluorescence. Capturing that fluorescence, means greater understanding about the molecular structure of a vast variety of materials, crucial knowledge for applications in biomedicine, chemical detection and sensor technology.

It may seem like obscure science, but it’s caught the attention of colleagues around the world. In fact, two papers he authored on the subject were recently included on the Top 10 list of most-cited papers in that field over the last year, according to the BioMedLib, a search engine that monitors biomedical literature.

“We’ve had fairly good recognition internationally on this subject,” he said.

Aroca said thanks to the technique, scientists can amass large databases of information on the molecular properties of materials that can be made available to scientists developing pharmaceuticals or building sensors that can detect trace elements of carcinogens in biological organisms.

“The technique is general, but you can develop many specific applications,” he said.

-Stephen Fields, University of Windsor Daily News

Nick Vukotic wins Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship from the International Centre for Diffraction Data

2011-02-19T15:44:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Nick Vukotic, who has been awarded the Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship from the International Centre for Diffraction Data.

Nick has been involved in trying to create a three-dimensional, interlocking network of functioning molecular machines. The foundation of his work is built on X-ray diffraction, a process which involves analyzing the crystallized forms of chemical compounds by bathing them in a stream of nitrogen and hitting them with an intense X-ray beam in order to obtain a computerized visual image of their molecular structures.

“He’s become a real expert on this technique for analyzing the structure of solid state materials,” said Steve Loeb, Vukotic’s academic supervisor and a Canada Research Chair in Materials Science and Technology. “He’s very creative and he’s an exceptional student.”

Click here to read the whole story on the UWindsor Daily News.

Windsor student discovers promising cancer treatment option

2011-02-04T12:18:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Carly Griffin: Carly defended her Ph.D. thesis successfully on Jan 6th 2011.

by Meghan Scanlan — The Lance (University of Windsor)

WINDSOR, Ont. (CUP) — After her father was diagnosed with colon cancer, Carly Griffin made it her life’s ambition to find a cure for cancer.

After the devastating loss of her father and several years of research, she may have reached her goal.

“Ultimately, that fuelled my decision to study biochemistry at the University of Windsor,” said Griffin.

In her third year at the University of Windsor, she actively pursued her goal of finding a cure by inquiring about a position in Siyaram Pandey’s research lab. It is in this lab that Griffin would work on the substance of her PhD, now proven to be a promising advance in cancer research.

The key to Griffin’s success is found in the rare Hawaiian spider lily plant. The plant and its cancer-killing compounds according to Griffin “have been studied by organic chemists for decades.”

Pandey became interested after attending a weekly seminar hosted by the chemistry department. Interested in testing the plant’s anti-cancer activity, Pandey handed the task off to two volunteer undergraduate students.

According to Griffin, two very exciting things happened for Pandey, his volunteers and for the world of cancer research.

The volunteer research students found that pancratistatin, a compound found in the Hawaiian spider lily plant, was very potent against cancer cells. They also found that there was currently no other research group actively studying pancratistatin.

In 2004, Griffin joined the research group and says she has “spent the last six years trying to figure out how pancratistatin works against cancer.”

To see the entire article, please check out the following link:

http://newswire.cup.ca/articles/41476

Professor Siyaram Pandey receives three year CIHR grant for $302,000

2011-02-04T12:12:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Professor Siyaram Pandey, who as received a research grant of $302,000 over three years (2011-2014) for a research project entitled "Investigation of mechanism of neuroprotection by a water-soluble CoQ10 in a paraquat induced model of Parkinson's disease," in collaboration with Dr. Jerome Cohen (Psychology). This project application was ranked in the top three in this grant review committee.

For more information on Dr. Pandey's research, please visit:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/pandey

For more information on CIHR funding, please visit:

http://webapps.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/cfdd/db_results_submit

Aaron Rossini awarded Marie Curie Fellowship for Post-Doctoral Studies

2011-02-02T14:32:00.005-05:00

French fellowship promising for doctoral grad and wine enthusiast spouse

Published on UWindsor Daily News: Jan 21, 2011

Last Modified: Tue, 01/25/2011 - 9:09am

Aaron Rossini is thrilled to be heading to southern France to continue his research in chemistry, but thinks his new wife might be even more excited by the prospect.~

Dr. Rossini, who successfully defended his PhD in September, recently learned that he was awarded a Marie Curie fellowship which will begin next month at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Lyon, France under the direction of professor Lyndon Emsley.

The fact that the facility—described by his academic supervisor Rob Schurko as one of the best in the world—is located within several hours’ drive from the globally-renowned Bordeaux wine region wasn’t lost on his new bride Erin, a UWindsor chemistry master’s graduate who recently completed a certificate program in viticulture and enology at Brock University.

“She’s pretty pumped,” Rossini said with a grin. “She’s hoping she might get some experience with some really good French wineries.”

A local native who graduated from St. Anne’s High School in Tecumseh, Rossini studies the chemical process of how certain molecules and compounds behave as catalysts in the production of polyolefin, a polymer that’s used in the production of plastic products such as shrink wrap and plastic bottles. He uses nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) to help define the many characteristics of those molecules.

The technology used to make polymers has been around a long time, but much of the work is done by trial and error, he said.

“There’s still a lot of basic chemical understanding that is lacking,” he said. “If we can get a good snapshot of the molecular structure of these catalysts, then we can reduce a lot of the trial and error in their design and application, optimize the process and make them much more efficient.”

Throughout his career at UWindsor, Rossini has worked on the 400 megahertz NMR spectrometer in Dr. Schurko’s Essex Hall lab, but also travelled regularly to Ottawa where he used the dedicated solid-state 900 megahertz spectrometer at the National Ultrahigh-field NMR Facility for Solids. The machine he’ll be conducting his research on in France is rated at 1,000 megahertz and worth an estimated $16 million, Schurko said.

“This is one of the best research environments France has to offer,” said Schurko, who spent part of his sabbatical there in 2007. “It’s just phenomenal. This is just a huge opportunity for him.”

Rossini and his wife depart for France on January 25.

— Stephen Fields

Originally posted at the following link:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/thinkingforward/french-fellowship-promising-for-doctoral-grad-and-wine-enthusiast-spouse

Summer Research for Undergraduates: NSERC USRA application due Feb. 3, 2011

2011-01-20T15:11:00.002-05:00

Interested in doing some research this summer?

NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantships (USRA) are due in the Chemistry Office by Feb. 3, 2010.

For more information, please visit our NSERC USRA page by clicking here.

Hiyam Hamaed is awarded the Governor General's Gold Medal

2010-11-11T11:28:00.006-05:00

Although she enjoys all the sciences, Hiyam Hamaed chose to specialize in chemistry because it has so many applications to everyday life.

"I love chemistry because it goes beyond numbers—you can do it by hand, you can touch it, you can feel it," says the doctoral graduate, who volunteered for years performing a chemistry magic show for local schoolchildren. "I love to show everybody that chemistry is fun."

Dr. Hamaed received the Governor General's Gold Medal as the top graduate student in her cohort at Convocation ceremonies on Oct. 17, 2010. She received her B.Sc. with distinction in chemistry from the University of Windsor in 2005. She began graduate studies at the Master’s level in September 2005 and transferred to the Ph.D. program in 2006, completing her doctorate in June with a grade point average of 12.4 over her graduate career.

Her graduate supervisor, Robert Schurko, describes her as passionate about the science."She loves the work. That sort of attitude carries through in what she does," he says.

He points to her idea to use nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to distinguish between polymorphic forms of pharmaceuticals."She pushed us to think outside of the box," Dr. Schurko says. "Four people are now working on a project she started."

Inorganic Discussion Weekend (IDW) - Nov. 5-7, 2010 at the University of Windsor

2010-10-04T18:55:00.004-04:00

Inorganic Discussion Weekend (IDW) - Nov. 5-7, 2010 at the University of Windsor
www.idw2010.ca

Plenary Speakers:
- Professor Gerard Parkin, Columbia University, New York, New York (2010 Chem. Soc. Rev. Award Lecture)
- Professor Paul J. Chirik, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

General Information:
- The Friday evening mixer will be held at Peppers Bar & Grill located in downtown Windsor at 375 Ouellette Avenue starting at 7 p.m.
- Oral presentations will be held in the Toldo Health Education Centre, rooms 100 and 102 on Saturday, Nov 6th and Sunday, Nov 7th.
- The Poster session will be held in the foyer of the Toldo Health Education Centre on the afternoon of Saturday, Nov 6th.
- The IDW banquet and awards ceremony will be held on the evening of Saturday, Nov 6th at the Riverfront Club Room of the Radisson Hotel on Riverside Drive in downtown Windsor.
- Blocks of rooms have been reserved at the Hilton and Radisson Hotels on Riverside Drive.

Visitors from outside Canada:
Individuals entering Canada from the USA who are not citizens of Canada or the USA may require travel visas. Please visit the conference website at www.idw2010.ca or www.cic.gc.ca for further information. Be sure to bring appropriate ID (passport, driver's license, etc.).

Dates to Remember:
- Accommodation deadline for guaranteed rates: Friday, October 15, 2010
- Abstract submission deadline: Friday, October 22nd, 2010
- Conference registration deadline: Friday, October 29th, 2010

For further information, please visit our website at www.idw2010.ca
For direct contact with the organizers please email us at idw2010@uwindsor.ca

October 1 - NSERC post-graduate scholarship internal deadline

2010-09-20T15:19:00.004-04:00

NSERC: All scholarhips - Department Deadline - October 1, 2010Application information is available on NSERC's website. http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/BellandPostgrad-BelletSuperieures_eng.asp

Forms are completed on-line and printed prior to submission to the department.NSERC has changed a lot of the process this year. See description below.

The Department deadline for NSERC applications is Friday, October 1, 2010.
Several changes to the application process have been made this year. Please carefully read the information below.
Highlights of the memo are:
*Faculty-The reference forms submitted for the students cannot be viewed or proof read before being submitted. Please use extreme caution when submitting the letters. Check that the student names are correct, both in the body of the reference, and the top portion. No corrections can be made after submitting.
*Students - must request original transcripts from the Registrar's office and give to Marlene, room #273 Essex Hall.
*Students - print the application before submitting and give to Marlene

TO ALL FACULTY AND GRADUATE STUDENTS

PLEASE READ THE VERY IMPORTANT MEMO BELOW
Important information regarding NSERC applications
This last Friday, NSERC, finally provided instructions and updates to Ontario Universities for the current application round. This comes late in the season! The number of NSERC scholarships awarded is going down this year - the government's temporary boost of 400 to meet the challenge of the economic downturn will not be renewed. Our allocation will shrink accordingly.
Applications are all on-line this year. Like the Vanier process last year, this new e-application process has not been piloted, is being implemented very quickly, and very late. It is fraught with errors, omissions, oversights that we are going to have to deal with locally. Applicants need to get onto the applications early since there WILL be wrinkles that we will need to iron out with NSERC.

You may submit only one application per academic year to NSERC or CIHR or SSHRC.
Regarding NSERC-assigned PIN (Personal Identification Numbers) numbers:
1. Former applicants MUST use their PIN numbers from prior years, and if they do not have them, they need to immediately contact NSERC to get them
2. New applicants now leave the PIN number field blank
3. If new applicants leave the PIN number field blank, and the application process stalls mid-way, then it is likely that there is anther prior candidate with a similar name, or the e-application is flawed at the NSERC end of things. Contact the Program Officer at NSERC to clear things up (schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca).

Transcripts
Transcripts will be scanned and uploaded for you by your Departmental Graduate Secretary (Marlene Bezaire). It is important that you give them ALL of your transcripts together - they need to be scanned and uploaded as a single contiguous file, and the system permits them to upload only once.

Fast track PhD students
If you were accelerated from the MSc to the PhD program (didn't complete the MSc) be sure to specify your conversion date - this is important for ensuring that you are eligible for the maximum number of years.

PhD students
There are two places where you enter information that are "free-form" and uploaded as text files. It is safest to ensure that the uploaded files have headers with your name and PIN numbers on them. The first section pertains to work already completed, and would entail a brief outline of MSC work (title, significance etc as per instructions) but you can also install PhD work completed to date. The second section is the PhD proposal. DO NOT repeat what is put on the first section, but outline the scope of the project, objectives, and where you are going next.

Countdown Clock
There is a due date countdown clock on the NSERC application website that is confusing and will be removed.

Recommendation letters
Only the referees and the Scholarship Liaison Officer at Graduate studies can see and print off the referee reports. She in turn will have to provide these in either electronic or paper form to the ranking committees at the departmental and university levels.
Contact Svetlana (svetlana@uwindsor.ca) to request a copy of your applicants' reports for your committee's rankings.

Is your proposed research related to health?
The following are considerations when preparing or assessing the eligibility of the subject matter of applications related to health:
Eligible for NSERC support:
* Research in animal health and veterinary medicine.
* Research in nutrition related to food components, nutraceuticals1 or functional foods.1
* Research seeking to further our understanding of fundamental processes in humans.
* Research whose primary purpose is the development of monitoring and diagnostic technologies (such as health IT, in-vitro diagnostics, diagnostic imaging, patient monitoring and endoscopic devices) unless it is at the clinical trial stage. The research challenge must lie within the NSE.
* Research whose major challenges lie in the NSE (materials science, engineering, computer science, chemistry, etc.) which could eventually lead, among other applications, to the treatment or prevention of human disease.
Not eligible for NSERC support:
* Research involving the refinement of already existing technology for facilitating clinical therapies or health delivery systems.
* Research whose primary purpose is the investigation or development of vaccines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API), or other therapeutic agents for human applications.
* Research whose primary purpose is the investigation or treatment of injuries or human performance.
* Research seeking to develop animal models of human diseases in order to study, primarily, the disease state, or treatments for injuries or diseases represented by the model.
* Applied research for disease treatment, diagnosis or prevention.
* Research involving clinical trials.2

Start early and let us know when things go wrong (They will! This has not been well thought out or implemented) so that we can intervene to help.

NSERC contacts you via email if successful. Address changes must be made to your online account by March 1st, or you risk missing notification and forfeiting your scholarship.

From: Michael Crawford Ph.D.
Associate Dean Graduate Studies

Wayne State: 12th Annual Graduate Research Symposium on October 9, 2010

2010-09-15T00:17:00.002-04:00

The Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University will be holding its twelfth Annual Graduate Research Symposium on October 9, 2010. The symposium is a unique, student organized event for graduate students to present their research to fellow students, faculty and the regional scientific community. This event also serves to introduce new graduate students to cutting edge research in the department and acquaint prospective graduate students and their faculty advisors from regional institutions with our department.

For more information, please visit:
http://www.chem.wayne.edu/symposium/index.html

Lab Coats For Sale!! Cheap!! Support your department!

2010-09-09T18:11:00.005-04:00

The Graduate Chemistry Club will be selling lab coats during the weeks of:

September 13th -17th, 2010, and

September 20th - 24th, 2010

in Essex Hall Room 173-2 (between Labs D and E)

before labs from 8:00-8:30 am, 2:00-2:30 pm, and 5:30-6 pm.

Labs coats are being sold for $15 and safety glasses are being sold for $5 and all sales are CASH ONLY, profits going to support Chemistry and Biochemistry events!

SUPPORT YOUR DEPARTMENT!

New CRC Chair - Professor Jeremy Rawson

2010-09-01T18:00:00.000-04:00

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry welcomes its newest member - Jeremy Rawson - who takes the post of Canada Research Chair in Inorganic and Molecular Materials. Prof. Rawson comes to us from Cambridge University, where he was a Senior Lecturer. One of his inspirations for applying for this position at Windsor was Prof. Dennis Tuck, a senior inorganic chemist in our department who passed away in 2003. To read more about this, click here. Also, please visit Prof. Rawson's profile page.

Tenure-Track Position in Materials Chemistry

2010-07-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Windsor invites applications for the position of Assistant Professor in any area of Materials Chemistry including Biomaterials. The successful candidate is expected to enhance the existing strengths of the Department and will be appointed commencing July 1, 2011 or as negotiated. This tenure-track position is subject to final budgetary approval. Deadline for application: October 25, 2010.

Click here to see the full posting.

Crystal Flask Golf Tournament, July 21, 2010

2010-07-08T12:14:00.001-04:00

This year's Crystal Flask Golf Tournament will be taking place at Roseland Golf Club on Wednesday July 21, at 9:30am. All of the faculty, graduate and undergraduate students working in the labs regardless of the golf skill level are encouraged to come out for a fun day of golf. Chemistry club will be covering half of the green fee for the participants. For any further information or reservation please contact Sinisa Djurdjevic (djurdjes@uwindsor.ca). Interested participants should confirm the reservation no later than Monday July 19 to ensure the spot in the tournament.

Congratulations to our Graduate Students

2010-06-18T16:11:00.003-04:00

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry wishes to congratulate the Ph.D. and M.Sc. students who recently graduated:

Ph.D. Students
Ruchi Chaube (Mutus)
Bhartesh Dhudshia (Green)
Hiyam Hamaed (Schurko)
Anna Kozarova (Vacratsis)
Sapna Sharma (Loeb)

M.Sc. Students
Rebecca Heeney (Mutus)
Alan MacGregor (Schurko)

Student chemist perfecting data transfer for electronic devices

2010-06-10T16:18:00.002-04:00

[Excerpt from the University of Windsor Daily News]

To read the full article, click here.

Silicon-based integrated circuits currently used in cell phones and mp3 players are about as small as they’re going to get with current technology. Now, in response to consumer demand for even faster, more efficient electronic devices, chemists are racing to develop tiny molecular structures that would process data instead—and a UWindsor PhD student in chemistry has joined the race.

"Everyone knows that if we want data to be transferred faster we need to make things smaller, but we’ve almost reached the limit now with how small we can go," said Mike Miller, who recently won a three-year post-graduate doctoral scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council worth $63,000.

Miller, who works under the supervision of associate professor Tricia Carmichael, said many scientists are trying to create molecular wires and resistors by linking together chains of functional molecules that could be lined up in such a way so that one day, data could be transferred through them and they could replace conventional circuits. Miller’s attention, meanwhile, is devoted to studying ways to smooth the surfaces those molecules would bond with, as a way of ensuring better conductivity and data transfer.

To read the full article, click here.

Mango Party - June 9 at 3 p.m.

2010-06-09T09:53:00.003-04:00

Dr. Pandey will be having his annual Mango Party on Wednesday June 9 at 3pm just outside the main entrance of Essex Hall. Mangoes and various food items will be served. Donations will be accepted for the Canadian World Education Foundation. Please invite your friends as all are welcome. So come eat some awesome food, help a good cause, and Mingle With Mangoes!

Process could help drug companies with simpler quality assurance, student finds

2010-05-25T16:23:00.000-04:00

[Excerpt from the University of Windsor Daily News - to see the full article, click here]

Pharmaceutical companies may find it faster and easier to assure the quality of their drugs, thanks to the findings of a PhD student in chemistry.~
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy—technology normally associated with medical diagnostics—is a simpler method than the time-consuming techniques pharmaceutical companies currently use to make sure drugs such as painkillers or allergy medications remain effective through the manufacturing process, said Hiyam Hamaed.

When drugs are made, they're created in liquid solution and then transformed into a solid state for manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. Some substances crystallize in varying forms; each of these polymorphs has different properties which can influence the way people metabolize drugs, as well as their shelf life, packing, and handling. To see what final form the polymorphs have taken, pharmaceutical companies will try to make single crystals out of their drugs for molecular X-ray analysis, which can be painstakingly slow or sometimes impossible, Hamaed said.

"The problem is obtaining a single crystal," said Hamaed, who defended her thesis last week. "This can be very difficult. Crystals can be very hard to make."

Hamaed said NMR can be used to analyze the molecular structure of solid pharmaceuticals, eliminating the need to form crystals. Her work focused on the hydrochloride salts, often the most stable forms of many solid pharmaceuticals. She found that NMR is a better method for determining the identity and purity of these pharmaceuticals when standard methods, such as X-ray diffraction, fail.
"These are very fast experiments," said chemistry professor Rob Schurko, Hamaed’s academic advisor. "We can take a snapshot and quickly confirm whether a polymorph has formed. Each NMR signature acts as a fingerprint for each type of pharmaceutical or polymorph."

[Excerpt from the University of Windsor Daily News - to see the full article, click here]

To read more about Dr. Schurko's research, visit his homepage at:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/schurko

Ontario Graduate Scholarships Announced

2010-05-13T12:30:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to the following students for obtaining Ontario Graduate Scholarships!

Michael Bolla (Loeb)

Chris Bonham (Vacratsis)

Eric Bushnell (Gauld)

Chris Caputo (Loeb)

Marcel Hildebrand (Schurko)

Bryan Lucier (Schurko)

Michael Miller (Carmichael)

Vedran Vukotic (Loeb)

NSERC Graduate Awards

2010-05-02T19:31:00.002-04:00

Chemistry had a great showing this year, with five graduate NSERC awards!

PGSD3 - Bushnell, Eric (Gauld)
CGSM - Caputo, Christopher (Loeb)
CGSM - Filiatrault, Heather (Carmichael)
PGSD3 - Miller, Michael (Carmichael)
CGSM - Vukotic, Vedran (Loeb)

Congratulations to all of our awardees!

Undergraduate Summer Research Awardees

2010-05-02T19:27:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to our Undergraduate Summer Researchers, who obtained scholarships from NSERC to support their work in our department this summer:

Carolyn Adams (Loeb)
Ryan McLarty (Mutus)
Chris Mireault (Schurko)
Phillip Tremblay (Pandey)
Alex Reidel (Schurko)
Jordan Prince (Vacratsis)
Jennifer Nguyen (Macdonald)
Jessica Smith (Pandey)
Michael-Anthony Ferrato (Carmichael)
Gyllian Porteous (Carmichael)

April 28-29 - Final Defences - 59-410 Research Course

2010-04-26T11:44:00.004-04:00

Please come and join us for the culmination of the 59-410 undergraduate research course, as the students present their final defences.

Everyone is welcome!

Defences take place on Wed. April 28 and Thu. April 29 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in 186 Essex Hall.

The full schedule is available at: http://mutuslab.cs.uwindsor.ca/schurko/59-410/schedules.html

Chem Prom 2010!!!! April 29, 2010

2010-03-16T11:20:00.002-04:00

Chem Prom 2010!!!!

On Thursday, April 29th, 2010 we will be having our annual "Chem Prom". It is the last day of defences for the 410 students and it will be a nice way for everyone to unwind and close out the semester. It will be held at the Fogolar Furlan club in Windsor Hall (the back building). Doors open at 6:30pm and will run till approximately 1:00am.

Buffet style dinner, cash bar ($1.25 drinks), DJ for music and much more.

Tickets are $25 for students, $30 for staff and faculty. This is for all staff, faculty and students currently working in research labs. Significant others and friends are welcome, but must also purchase a ticket.

Please see Jillian or Meghan in room 367 for tickets. Also, please inform us if you are requiring a vegetarian meal.

CBA Fashion Show - March 21st, 7 p.m.

2010-03-16T10:53:00.003-04:00

CBA Fashion Show:
The Chemistry and Biochemistry Association (CBA) presents:
The 3rd Annual Fashion Show: The Runway.
Sunday March 21st in the Ambassador Auditorium at 7 pm for $10.
Fundraising for CWEF and Red Cross. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Please come out and support our cause. Tickets will be on sale in the department all week.

For more information on the club, please visit:
http://chembiochemassociation.webs.com

NSERC USRA applications due Tues. Feb. 9

2010-02-01T14:24:00.002-05:00

NSERC USRA (undergraduate summer research assistant) applications are due by 4:30 p.m. On Tues. Feb. 9, 2009. All applications should be handed in to Marlene Bezaire in the Chem/Biochem main office (Essex Hall 273-1).

For more information: http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/biochem/web/chem.nsf/inToc/1D1C5216E8E29D29852571DA005D40D5?OpenDocument

CBA dinner at Peppers - January 22, 2010

2010-01-21T09:50:00.002-05:00

The Chemistry Biochemistry Association is holding a dinner for everyone of all ages this coming Friday, the 22nd at Pepper's Bar and Grill. The event starts at 7:00pm. Tickets will be on sale in the CAW and are $20/person, or 2 for $30. All profits go to the Canadian World Education Foundation (http://www.cwef.ca/index.php).

If you are interested in purchasing tickets, please email mukhopaa@uwindsor.ca. You can also pay at the door.

Please support CBA and come out to the event. You can enjoy a 6 course meal for only $20
Dinner Menu:
Fresh baked rolls with butter
Garden Salad
Penne with meat/tomato basil sauce
Chicken Alexandria/Stir Fry
Rice Pilaf or Spanish Rice
Seasonal vegetables
DINNER 7:00 PM

Vegetarian options are available.

Undergraduate Research Presentations

2010-01-12T13:30:00.000-05:00

Are you interested in summer research opportunities? 59-410 research project? NSERC undergrad summer research assistantships?

Undergraduate Research Presentations will take place on January 15th in room 186 (Essex Hall) starting at 3:00 pm. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided. Come meet the faculty who will be taking on undergrad researchers!

Christmas Luncheon, Dec. 18

2009-12-02T14:58:00.003-05:00

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON:
FACULTY, STAFF AND GRADUATE STUDENTS, POST-DOC'S, VISITING RESEARCHERS

We are planning a Christmas luncheon on Friday, December 18 from 12:00-1:30p.m. in the chemistry conference room. Tickets are $5.00 and must be purchased before Friday, December 11 from either Kerry or Marlene

Food will include:
Pasta, chicken, another meat, salad, rolls, and a few vegetarian dishes
Pop and dessert

We need to order the food on Monday, December 14th so please purchase your ticket early.

Tickets are $5.00 each and can be purchased in the Chemistry office from Marlene Bezaire.

Faculty of Science celebrates success

2009-11-30T11:13:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to the following people in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry who were recognized by the Faculty of Science at the Celebration of Success on Fri. Nov. 27, 2009:

Faculty Performance Award: Robert Schurko
Faculty Teaching Score Award: Avinash Thadani
Sessional Teaching Score Awards: Jennifer Schmeisser

For more on this story, click here.

CBA Bake Sale

2009-10-29T11:48:00.003-04:00

The Chemistry and Biochemistry Association (CBA) are having a bake sale on Nov. 9, 2009 in the CAW commons. For more information, please visit their website at:

http://chembiochemassociation.webs.com/

UWin Week Oct. 13-16

2009-10-02T12:00:00.000-04:00

UWin week is almost here!
For more information, visit:
http://www.uwindsor.ca/uwinweek

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry has a full slate of events scheduled for UWin Week (see below).

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY EVENTS UWIN WEEK – October 2009
Academic counselling (Departmental counsellors)
Departmental Counsellors in Chemistry and Biochemistry will be available throughout the week. Connections with counsellors can be made through the Departmental Office by appointment or drop in basis. Please contact chembio@uwindsor.ca, phone extension 3521 or come in person to Essex Hall 273.

Course-related assistance (Instructors during office hours)

First Year Chemistry: Assistance will be provided during regular office hours. Additional assistance will be available to all first year students 12:30-1:20 on Wednesday and Friday in ER 1120.

All other courses: Assistance will be provided during regularly scheduled office hours.
Note that Monday the University is closed and there will be no scheduled activities during that day.

Assistance with specific course-related problems (Resource Centres)
The Chemistry Resource Centre will be available for UWin week during the following hours:
Tuesday 9:00am to 2:30pm
Wednesday 11:30am to 1pm, 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Thursday 9:00am to 1pm, 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Fridays from 9:00am to 4:30pm

NMR Workshop

On October 14th and 15th from 9:00 am until 12:00 p.m., the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry NMR Facility at the University of Windsor is offering a workshop entitled "An Introduction to Practical Aspects of NMR Data Acquisition and Processing".

How an NMR spectrometer works
NMR Magnet Safety
Preparation of NMR Samples
Set up of 1D 1H and 13C NMR Experiments
Processing and Presentation of NMR Data

Go the Chemistry NMR Facility site (http://www.uwindsor.ca/nmr) for the workshop schedule and registration. The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

Computational Chemistry Workshop
This field of computational chemistry can be defined as the use of computers to study chemical problems. This alternative, yet often complementary approach to traditional experimental techniques allows us to 'see' things that may be too difficult or impossible to measure experimentally. Furthermore, it can be used to investigate highly reactive or toxic chemicals. In fact, computational chemistry is now commonly used by, for example, pharmaceutical companies to help design more effective therapeutic drugs, automotive companies for the design of new engine oils, and NASA for the study of rocket fuels and interstellar gas and dust clouds.

The workshop will run on Wednesday October 14 and Thursday October 15 from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Science Resource Centre (Essex Hall, room 182-1)

In this approximately one hour session we will learn about various chemistry related software that is available on the Science Resource Centre computers. Then, we will learn how we can apply such software to investigate the properties of chemical species.

Preregistration is required to insure that facilities are available. Space is limited to 20 students per workshop, so please register soon! Register by emailing Dr. James Gauld at

gauld@uwindsor.ca

Computational Chemistry Workshop - Oct. 14 and 15, 2009

2009-10-02T11:59:00.002-04:00

Computational Chemistry Workshop

The field of computational chemistry can be defined as the use of computers to study chemical problems. This alternative, yet often complementary approach to traditional experimental techniques allows us to 'see' things that may be too difficult or impossible to measure experimentally.

Furthermore, it can be used to investigate highly reactive or toxic chemicals. In fact, computational chemistry is now commonly used by, for example, pharmaceutical companies to help design more effective therapeutic drugs, automotive companies for the design of new engine oils, and NASA for the study of rocket fuels and interstellar gas and dust clouds.

The workshop will run on Wednesday October 14 and Thursday October 15 from 1:00 to 2:00 in the Science Resource Centre (Essex Hall, room 182-1)
In this approximately one hour session we will learn about various chemistry related software that is available on the Science Resource Centre computers. Then, we will learn how we can apply such software to investigate the properties of chemical species.

Preregistration is required to insure that facilities are available. Space is limited to 20 students per workshop, so please register soon! Register by emailing Dr. James Gauld at gauld@uwindsor.ca

NMR workshop, Oct. 14-15, 2009

2009-10-01T15:01:00.000-04:00

NMR Workshop

On October 14th and 15th from 9:00 am until 12:00 p.m. (in the Chemistry Resource Centre), the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry NMR Facility at the University of Windsor is offering a workshop entitled "An Introduction to Practical Aspects of NMR Data Acquisition and Processing". This introductory workshop is geared toward undergraduate students and/or graduate students with limited (or no) NMR experience, but who are expected to make use of the NMR spectrometers as part of their research projects. The workshop is meant as a supplement to the "one on one" training that new students receive and will allow an opportunity to go into greater depth on many topics.

The schedule will consist of a lecture to start each day followed by hands-on learning sessions where participants will get the opportunity to make NMR samples as well as to collect and process NMR data. The topics covered include:

* How an NMR spectrometer works
* NMR Magnet Safety
* Preparation of NMR Samples
* Set up of 1D 1H and 13C NMR Experiments
* Processing and Presentation of NMR Data

Coffee and doughnuts will be provided at break.
Go the Chemistry NMR Facility site for the workshop schedule and registration. http://www.uwindsor.ca/nmr

The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

for more information, contact:
Matthew Revington NMR Facility Manager
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Windsor 519-253-3000 Ext 3997
mrevingt@uwindsor.ca

Compound may halt Parkinson's, researchers say

2009-09-24T12:01:00.002-04:00

A team of University of Windsor biochemistry and psychology researchers may have found a tool in the fight against Parkinson’s disease. The non-curable neurodegenerative disease is caused by the death of cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that carries signals between nerves in the brain and controls movement.

PhD student Mallika Somayajulu-Nitu, under the guidance of biochemistry professor Siyaram Pandey, found that a new formulation of the natural chemical compound Coenzyme Q10 halted the degeneration of neurons in the brains of rats exposed to an herbicide associated with the disease.

A group of 47 lab rats were first injected with paraquat, a toxic herbicide once used as a roadside defoliant and weed-killer. Previous research has demonstrated a link between exposure to paraquat and an elevated human risk for developing Parkinson’s.

Some of the rats were fed water, while others received a water soluble form of Co-Q10, which is found in all cells and is a key component in generating cellular energy. Rats that did not receive the Co-Q10 exhibited considerable brain damage and behavioural symptoms associated with Parkinson’s, while those that received the formula showed no degeneration of brain cells, or impairment of fine motor skills.

The team—which included members of Pandey’s research group, members of a group led by psychology researcher Jerome Cohen, and collaborator Marianna Sikorska from the National Research Council—published its work in the academic journal BMC Neuroscience.

Pandey said the team will continue to conduct further pre-clinical validation of its data, though the research is too new to begin clinical trials with the compound.

Water-soluble Co-Q10 was developed and patented by Dr. Sikorska’s group at NRC and has been licensed to an American company for further commercial development. Pandey said the oil-soluble Co-Q10 sold as a supplement and used in some cosmetics is not effective at protecting brain cells.

From the University of Windsor Daily News, Sept. 24, 2009

http://web4.uwindsor.ca/units/pac/nvdailynews/nvdn.nsf/ba/CEB2341C2C7B23C78525763A0055D801

Meeting for Outstanding Scholars - Sept. 18

2009-09-09T11:32:00.006-04:00

Sept. 18, 2009 at 5 p.m. in Biology Building, Room 113

This event will enable the students to find a research supervisor for the current academic year, and meet the other outstanding scholars in Chemistry. Faculty members will present a brief (5 min) summary of their research activities to the students, and pizza and pop will be served.

Graduate Student Orientation and Mixer - Sept. 10

2009-09-09T11:30:00.007-04:00

Orientation for new graduate students will take place at 3:30 p.m. on Thurs. Sep. 10, 2009 in Room 273 Essex Hall. This will be followed by a mixer at 4 p.m. All grad students, staff and faculty are welcome!

Welcome back! Important notices for incoming undergraduate students

2009-08-25T17:18:00.013-04:00

Welcome back!
Important notices for undergraduates in Chemistry and Biochemistry programs:

1. All lab manuals and caution cards will be sold out at the University Bookstore starting in Fall 2009.

2. Lab coats and glasses go on sale starting Sept. 14, 2009. Click here for more information.

3. Windsor Welcome Week activities for first year students take place on Sept. 7 and 8, 2009.

4. Classes officially start for the Fall 2009 term on Sept. 9, 2009.

5. New hours for the Science Resource Centre are now posted. Click here for more information.

The faculty and staff of the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry hope that you have an enjoyable and productive fall term.

Lab coats and lab glasses on sale

2009-08-25T11:54:00.013-04:00

LAB COATS AND SAFETY GLASSES
will be for sale by the
CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY CLUB

September 14-18 and September 21, 22 and 25
in ROOM 173-2, ESSEX HALL

FROM:
8:00am to 8:30am
1:30pm to 2:00pm
5:00pm to 5:30pm

COST:
$15.00 each for Lab Coats
$5.00 each for Safety Glasses

CASH ONLY - NO DEBIT, CREDIT or UWIN CARD

Greg Welch awarded NSERC doctoral prize

2009-06-09T16:30:00.002-04:00

Greg Welch is one of the two NSERC Doctoral Prize recipients for 2009 in the category of Natural Sciences. These prestigious awards honour the achievements of Canada's most promising scientists and engineers, and are awarded annually to up to four doctoral students in sciences and engineering at Canadian universities. Greg Welch graduated in October 2008 with a doctoral degree in Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. Douglas Stephan. He is currently an NSERC Post Doctoral Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Congratulations, Greg, on this great recognition!

Click here to see the posting on the graduate studies website.

Student success at the 2009 CSC conference!

2009-06-09T11:22:00.015-04:00

Congratulations to the following students who won awards for their presentations and posters at the 92nd Canadian Society for Chemistry Conference in Hamilton, Ontario (May 30-June 3, 2009):

Ben Cooper (B.Sc. Hons, Mount Allison, 2

005)

Group : Dr. Macdonald
Poster Prize for Inorganic Graduate Competition
Poster: Low Oxidation State Indium Salts and their "Crowned" Complexes

V. Nicholas Vukotic (B.Sc. Hons, University of Windsor 2009)
Group: Dr. Loeb

Honorable Mention for Poster in Inorganic Graduate Competition as an Undergrad

Poster: Incorporating Dynamic Components into Solid State Materials

Sinisa Djurdjevic (Going into 4th year of Undergraduate Degree in Chemistry)

Group: Dr. Green
Poster Prize for Organic Undergraduate Competition

Poster: Nicholas Reaction Based Synthetic Approach to (-)-O-Methylandrobiphenyline and (-)-Allocolchicine

Hiyam Hamaed (third year Ph.D. candidate)
Group: Dr. Schurko
2nd prize in the graduate student competition of the Physical, Theoretical and Computational Division

Poster: "Application of 209Bi NMR to the structural characterization of Bismuth-containing materials"

Photo gallery: 59-410 research presentations

2009-06-09T11:17:00.004-04:00

A photo gallery of pictures from the 59-410 research presentations on April 27 and 28, 2009 is available at:

http://picasaweb.google.ca/uwinchem/2009410Presentations?feat=directlink

This year, the top presentations were:
Nik Vukotic (Chemistry, Dennis Tuck Award)
Justin Renaud (Biochemistry, Cindy Hutnik Award)

Photo galleries: Chemistry at the Mall

2009-06-09T11:10:00.003-04:00

New photo galleries for the Chemistry at the Mall event on April 23, 2009 are posted at:

http://picasaweb.google.ca/uwinchem/ChemistryAtTheMall?feat=directlink

Chemistry at the Mall was a public outreach event featuring graduate research posters, chemistry magic shows and "Meet the Faculty"!

For more information about this event, click here.

A new method for 14N NMR spectroscopy

2009-05-14T11:14:00.004-04:00

Luke O'Dell and Rob Schurko have been investigating a new method of acquiring 14N NMR spectra in the solid state, and the work is described in J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 6658–6659, DOI: 10.1021/ja901278q. 14N NMR spectrosocpy is very difficult experiment to conduct on most solid-state samples, because 14N is a quadupolar nucleus, and most cases the 14N NMR patterns are hundreds of kHz to several MHz in breadth. The new method involves the use of special pulses called WURST pulses, which are capable of sweeping wide frequency ranges, along with the collection of long echo trains to further enhance the signal to noise. They have also reported that the swept pulses actually enhance the overall S/N of the spectrum, and have dubbed the method as "DEISM" (Direct Enhancement of Integer Spin Magnetization). You can read more about Rob Schurko's research group by clicking here.

Mango Party - May 28, 2009

2009-05-12T15:57:00.003-04:00

Dr. Pandey's annual mango party will take place on Thursday, May 28 at 3 p.m. on the front steps of Essex Hall. Make sure you are there!!

NMR workshop, May 20 and 21

2009-05-12T15:26:00.006-04:00

NMR Workshop Announcement:
On May 20 and 21 from 9:00 am until 12:00 p.m., the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry NMR Facility at the University of Windsor is offering a workshop entitled "An Introduction to Practical Aspects of NMR Data Acquisition and Processing".

This introductory workshop, which runs over two mornings, is geared toward incoming summer students and/or graduate students with little or no NMR experience, but who are expected to make use of the NMR spectrometers as part of their summer project. The workshop is meant as supplement to the "one on one" training that new students receive and will allow an opportunity to go into greater depth on many topics.

There will be mixture of lecture sessions and hands on learning opportunities for the participants. In addition to myself, Rob Schurko, Aaron Rossini and Hayam Hamaed will helping with the sessions. The topics covered include:

Preparation of NMR Samples
Set up of 1D 1H and 13C NMR Experiments
Processing and Presentation of NMR Data

Click here to see the schedule and register for the workshop.

The workshop is free of charge to members of the Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry; however, enrollment is limited, so please register soon!

NSERC and OGS awards

2009-04-21T17:57:00.002-04:00

Congratulations to our chemistry and biochemistry graduate students who obtained graduate scholarships from NSERC, as well as Ontario Graduate Scholarships.

NSERC scholarships, 2009-2010
There were 19 successful awards out of 28 applicants.

CGSD2 Hatnean, Jillian JA Chemistry and Biochemistry
CGSM Bushnell, Eric EAC Chemistry and Biochemistry

CGSD2 Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral (2 years, $35,000 per year)
CGSM Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's ($17,500)

OGS winners 2009-2010
There were 73 successful applicants out of 243 applications.
BOLLA, Michael
BUSHNELL, Eric
COOPER, Benjamin
HAMAED, Hiyam
HATNEAN, Jillian
HILDEBRAND, Marcel
NTAGANDA, Rukundo
RENAUD, Justin

Undergraduate Research Presentations

2009-04-20T10:04:00.004-04:00

The honours students will be presenting their work from over the past year at the 59-410 presentations.

Where: 186 Essex Hall
When: April 27 and 28 from 9 am to 5 pm

Click here to see the full schedule.

End of Term Banquet or ChemProm

2009-04-14T14:47:00.000-04:00

END OF TERM BANQUET or CHEMPROM - April 28, 2009
Last chance to purchase your ticket to the Chemistry and Biochemistry End of Term Banquet.
It will be held on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at the Caboto Club.
Doors open at 6:00p.m., dinner at 7:30p.m.
Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased from Aaron Rossini or Marlene Bezaire.
The undergraduate awards presentation will be held at the banquet.
We need to confirm the numbers by Thursday, April 16, 2009 so please let us know asap if you're planning on attending.

Chem & Biochem Term Research Finale

2009-04-14T14:39:00.000-04:00

Chem & Biochem Term Research Finale

Our department is proud to present a series of events to celebrate the research accomplishments of our students and faculty in a series of events taking place from April 24-28, 2009:

April 24, 2009 - Chemistry at the Mall (click here for more info)
Devonshire Mall, 1-6 p.m.
Graduate research posters, chemistry magic show, meet the professors and more!
Open to the general public

April 27-28, 2009 - Undergrad Research Presentations (click here for more info)
186 Essex Hall, 9-5 p.m. each day
59-410 final presentations, open to the public!

April 28, 2009 - End of term banquet (or "ChemProm") (click here for more info)
Caboto Club, 6:00 p.m. open, Dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Chemistry at the Mall

2009-04-07T17:42:00.000-04:00

The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
at the University of Windsor presents:

"Chemistry at the Mall"

We invite students, families and anyone else who is interested to visit our exhibits, which feature:

Research posters by graduate students from the University of Windsor
A Chemistry Magic Show
Meet the Professors

Research posters:
Our top graduate students will be happy to talk to you about their research projects.
Come down and learn about research on:
AIDS, Alternative Energy & Hydrogen Fuel, Anti-cancer agents, Cardiovascular Disease, Nanomaterials, Parkinson's Disease, Pharmaceuticals and many other interesting topics.

Chemistry magic show:
For all ages...watch as our chemists react, freeze, heat and blow up things for your amusement!
(Two shows: 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.)

Meet the professors:
Come chat with our chemistry and biochemistry professors about B.Sc. degrees in Chemistry and Biochemistry, about careers in Science and Medicine, about the research opportunities at the University of Windsor, or whatever you want!

Date: Friday April 24, 2009
Time: 1-6 p.m.
Place: Devonshire Mall, in front of the Bay

Three chemistry professors awarded for teaching excellence...

2009-03-23T10:42:00.000-04:00

On March 10, 2009, three of our faculty were given awards for excellence in teaching and mentoring. Avinash Thadani, who teaches organic chemistry, obtained the Highest Weighted Means Teaching Score Award for a chemistry professor. Siyaram Pandey, who teaches intermediate and advanced biochem courses, was selected as the University of Windsor Students’ Alliance (UWSA) Teacher of the Year, 2007. Lana Lee received the 2007 Excellence in Mentoring Award, for her personal, academic and professional guidance of students interested in entering professional programs such as medicine.

Pictured left to right (front row) are Lana Lee, Siyaram Pandey, Dean Marlys Koschinsky and Avinash Thadani.

Public seminar: Cancer Cells, Enemies Within: Natural Compounds as Novel, Non-toxic Weapons Against Cancer

2009-03-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

Cancer Cells, Enemies Within: Natural Compounds as Novel, Non-toxic Weapons Against Cancer
A free presentation with Dr. Siyaram Pandey
Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
at the University of Windsor
Thursday March 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Canada South Science City
893 Marion Avenue, Windsor

Have you ever wondered ...
What goes wrong in normal cells to cause them to become cancerous?
What challenges face researchers as they develop chemotherapy treatments?
Is there a natural, non-toxic approach to fighting this deadly disease?
Join Dr. Pandey as he discusses these issues and talks about the ground-breaking research he conducts with his team at the University of Windsor, working to develop natural non-toxic therapies to fight cancer.

Presented as part of the Youth Science & Technology Outreach Program (YSTOP). An excellent opportunity for young people and their families to interact with researchers. For more information call 519-973-3667

Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

2009-03-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Student's research could lead to new sensor technology

Research published by a UWindsor doctoral candidate in biochemistry could lay the groundwork for new technology with applications in everything from early detection of cancer to sensing dangerous chemicals in enclosed areas.

Suzie Durocher’s work involves detecting thiols—volatile, sulphur-containing organic compounds that can be found everywhere in nature. Thiols have high and low molecular weights; in human blood, it’s essential to maintain a balance between them to regulate circulatory and respiratory functions.

Durocher was the lead author on a paper recently published in the Journal of American Chemical Society called "Disulfide-Linked, Gold Nanoparticle Based Reagent for Detecting Small Molecular Weight Thiols." The paper was co-authored with UWindsor professors Bulent Mutus and Chitra Rangan, Caroline Hamm of the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre, and Silvia Mittler and Asad Rezaee from the University of Western Ontario.

The paper outlines a process that could be used to develop a sensor to test for toxic or smaller weight thiols, which are more abundant and have finer control over many human functions.

It’s intellectual property that could be adapted in a variety of settings to test for the presence of toxic thiols, Dr. Mutus said. Petro-chemical workers, for instance, could wear badges on their uniforms that can change colour to indicate the presence of dangerous chemicals such as hydrogen sulphide in the air. It could also be used to develop a sensor that detects health problems like cancer based on thiol content in blood samples.

Durocher’s academic advisors raved about the quality of her work.

"She’s so good that Dr. Mittler will often send her students over here to learn from Suzie," Mutus said.

"It’s amazing that student could be a first author in this journal," said Rangan. "The quality of the data is excellent."

Department of Chemistry Year End Banquet

2009-03-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY YEAR END BANQUET (or ChemProm...?)

The Chemistry Club is planning a banquet on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 6:30p.m. at the Caboto Club.

Tickets for students will cost $25.00, and for Faculty and Staff - $30.00.

Please contact Ben Cooper before April 7th, 2009 for tickets.His office/lab is room #352, or email address: cooper11@uwindsor.ca

University honours outstanding researchers

2009-02-26T18:58:00.001-05:00

Professors Siyaram Pandey, Rob Schurko and Otis Vacratsis (pictured L-R) were honoured by the University of Windsor on Feb. 12, 2009 for their outstanding research contributions. Drs. Pandey and Vacratsis have recently obtained funding for major health-related research grants, and Dr. Schurko was awarded a University of Windsor Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity (mid-career). Click here for a full listing of honours, and visit their web pages by clicking their names above.

Brianna Binder honoured by Ontario Athletic Union

2009-02-16T15:44:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Brianna Binder, who is currently enrolled in Honours Chemistry, for being recognized at the Sixth Annual Women of Influence Luncheon for top female student/athletes in the OUA. Brianna has been a member of the Lancers volley team for the past four years and is recognized as one of Ontario's top players. She has also maintained a full course load and high grades, and has received numerous honours and awards for her efforts. Check out the Windsor Star story listed below.

Binder leads by example - Lancer honoured by OUA
from the Windsor Star - February 11, 2009

Brianna Binder took one more trip as a University of Windsor student/athlete Tuesday and the ride up the 401 to Toronto took her through four years of memories.

The 21-year-old Maidstone resident was Windsor’s representative at the sixth annual Women of Influence Luncheon, which recognizes the top female student/athletes in the OUA.

"It’s an honour to be recognized for what you’ve accomplished," said Binder, who has starred for the Lancers women’s volleyball team the past four years including leading them to an OUA title in 2005-06.

"You realize your efforts and all your hard work have been noticed. You’re a role model for the younger kids coming into the program." While many athletes shun the idea of being a role model, Binder embraces it, making her a perfect selection for the luncheon.

That wasn’t always the case. Binder said it’s been her personal growth in that area that has enriched her university experience.

"I do actually (think of myself as a role model)," said Binder, who will graduate with an honours degree in chemistry with a thesis.

"Not so much in my early years in high school because I was more focused on my own life and where I wanted to go. I stressed about that.

"Now, that I’m in university and accomplished some of the things I wanted, I do relish that role."
"I like it because I look at it as helping the kids coming behind me along their journey."
Ironically, it’s a journey that nearly didn’t get started at Windsor after Binder had been a multi-sport star at Essex High School.

Unlike her father Dave and brothers Karl, Nathan and Dave, who all starred in university sports, Binder was planning to sacrifice her passion for athletics to make sure she’d excel in the classroom.

"I wasn’t going to play volleyball because I was so focused on making the transition from high school to university," said Binder, who won the DeMarco Award last year as Windsor’s top student/athlete.

That’s when Lancers women’s volleyball coach Marilyn Douglas, who Binder lists as the most influential person in her life outside of her own family, invited her for a chat.

"I was skeptical," said Binder, who finished fifth in the OUA this season in points per game.

"She really encouraged me to try out. She always believed I could do more than I believed myself."

"I would’ve missed a lot if I hadn’t played volleyball."

Her fears of losing the balance in her life proved unfounded.

She admits she’s earned a Ph.D. in subject of life lessons balancing all the demands of the past four years.

"That’s why this honour means a little more to me because it’s not just about sports," Binder said.

"There’s more to sports than just playing games."

"It’s about your attitude and how you’ve developed as a person."

"If you can succeed and create that balance in your life while getting the benefit of playing sports and doing well academically in university, then you can succeed in creating that balance in all aspects of your life."

Professor Bulent Mutus funded by Astra Zeneca

2009-01-22T17:05:00.000-05:00

Bulent Mutus funded by Astra Zeneca...
Dr. Bulent Mutus has received a contract from AstraZeneca to explore the effects of a new antiplatelet drug on plasma membrane cholesterol raft-ADP receptor interactions.

Click here for more information on his research program.

New NMR website

2009-01-19T15:59:00.000-05:00

New NMR manager, and new website...

Dr. Matthew Revington, our new NMR manager, has launched our new departmental NMR Facility website.

Click here to visit the website, or cut and paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.uwindsor.ca/nmr

New biochem faculty members

2009-01-19T15:57:00.000-05:00

Marlys Koschinsky and Michael Boffa join the department...

This past summer, two new faculty members with expertise in Biochemistry joined the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry:

Marlys Koschinsky has come to the University of Windsor from Queens University as the new Dean of Science, and will be heading up a research program focusing on the use of molecular biology, protein chemistry, cell biology, and proteomic techniques for the study of the relationships between structure and function in the apolipoprotein apo(a).
Michael Boffa also joins us from Queens' University. His research focuses on the protein TAFI (thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor) and its function as a novel mediator of the balance between coagulation and fibrinolysis.

Welcome to the department!

Otis Vacratsis receives CIHR funding for research on neuromuscular diseases

2008-12-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

Posted Nov. 14, 2008: Professor Otis Vacratsis, an associate professor in Chemistry & Biochemistry who was born and raised in Windsor, has received a three-year $243,000 grant from the Canadian Institute of Health Research to study the molecular origins of myotubuluar myopathy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Dr. Vacratsis' group will be attempting to isolate and sequence the proteins that are associated with these neuromuscular diseases, in the hopes that their work may lead to future successful pharmaceutical treatments or therapies. For more information, see the Windsor Star Article on Dr. Vacratsis, and click here to visit his webpage.

Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantships

2008-12-19T09:50:00.000-05:00

Attention all undergraduate students!

Apr. 23: Undergrad research information session

Feb. 3: Deadline for USRA applications.

Are you interested in summer research? Then please take note of the important dates and information below:

1. The Undergraduate Research information session will take place on Friday January 23 from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. in 186 Essex Hall. Pizza and pop will be served! Please attend this session to meet the professors and see what undergrad research opportunities are available for:

Fourth year honors projects, 2009-2010 (59-410)
Summer research opportunities
Outstanding scholars

2. NSERC Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantships (USRAs) are due in the chemistry office on Tues. Feb. 3, 2009. You must hand in the NSERC application, the Chem/Biochem form, and an official transcript.

Click here to visit the website for all official links, forms and information.

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

2008-12-04T17:05:00.000-05:00

CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON: There is a Christmas luncheon on Thursday, December 11 from 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. in the chemistry conference room. Tickets are $5.00 and must be purchased before Friday, December 5 from either Kim or Marlene in the Chemistry office. Food will include: Pasta, chicken, another meat, salad, rolls, and a few vegetarian dishes, as well as pop and dessert. Please notify Kim or Marlene asap, and purchase your tickets by Dec. 9! All students, faculty and staff are welcome!

Christmas Party

2008-11-12T14:40:00.000-05:00

The Grad Chem Club is presenting this year's Christmas party upstairs at the Rock Bottom Pub (3236 Sandwich St.) on Friday Dec. 5, 2008 at 6 p.m. Some free food and drinks will be provided. It is not necessary to purchase tickets to this year's party. There will be a cash bar and people will have the option to order their own food. There may or may not be a golden shovel awarded. For more information, contact rossini@uwindsor.ca.

The CBA presents a Multicultural Show!

2008-11-12T14:35:00.000-05:00

The Chemistry & Biochemistry Association (CBA) of undergraduate students is presenting its Annual Multicultural Show, which is a fundraiser for the Canadian World Education Foundation. This event takes place on Saturday, November 15 from 4-7 p.m. in the Ambassador Auditorium, and features an international menu of food, dancing and entertainment. For more information, email cba@uwindsor.ca.

Congratulations to our graduates

2008-10-23T09:50:00.000-04:00

This Saturday, October 25th is the convocation ceremony. We will be hosting a bar-b-q in front of Essex Hall starting around 12 pm for our graduating students. Everyone is welcome to come and congratulate the graduates. Food is free, but we do need some help setting up. Please let Marlene or Michelle know if you are attending.

This year the graduates are:
Mira Beshai (Thadani), Greg Welch (Stephan), Peter Siedlakowski (Pandey), Katrina McGonigal (Pandey), Danijela Domazet (Pandey), Joel Tang (Schurko), Jenny McCahill (Stephan), Aaron Steevensz (Taylor), Osamah Al-Homaidan (Stephan) and Tony Rao (Antonelli).

Important notice: calendar and course adjustments

2008-10-23T09:42:00.000-04:00

Oct. 5, 2008 - Important notice: The strike is over! All classes resume Monday Oct. 6, 2008. Some laboratories will start off on Monday; consult individual course pages, contact professors, or the laboratory coordinators for more information. Click here for general guidelines for the remainder of the semester. Each course may have a unique interpretation of these guidelines, pending discussions with faculty and students.

MOOT Seminar Series

2008-08-25T11:50:00.000-04:00

To celebrate the long tradition of magnetic resonance at the University of Windsor, and to highlight the forthcoming he 21st annual MOOT NMR Mini-Symposium, a series of seminars take place leading up to the meeting, featuring:

Sept. 5, 2008 - Joel Tang, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Windsor. Title: "Ultra-Wideline Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy and its Application in Characterizing Inorganic and Organometallic Complexes"
Sept. 12, 2008 - Paul Ellis, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richmond, WA. Title: "Investigating the Metal Binding Sites in Zinc and Magnesium Metalloproteins Utilizing Low Temperature Solid-State NMR Spectroscopy. "
Sept. 26, 2008 - Michele Auger, Department de Chimie, Universite Laval. Title: "Title: Deciphering the secrets of novel antimicrobial agents and spider silk: A solid-state NMR investigation"
October 3, 2008 - Paul Hazendonk, Department of Chemistry, University of Lethbridge.
October 4-5, 2008 - 21st MOOT NMR Mini-Symposium

All seminars are at 3:00 p.m. in 186 Essex Hall.

MOOT XXI NMR Mini-Symposium - October 4-5, 2008

2008-08-23T11:59:00.000-04:00

The 21st MOOT NMR Symposium is taking place at the University of Windsor on October 4-5, 2008. For more information, please visit the MOOT 21 NMR website, at
http://www.mootnmr.org/

International cancer project draws praise

2008-08-22T13:30:00.000-04:00

On August 20-21, 2008, Dr. Siyaram Pandey hosted a delegation of Indian scientists from Bangalore’s St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences. They are collaborating on research projects focusing on improved treatments for cancer. Specifically, Dr. Pandey's research focuses on a natural product called pancratistatin. For more information on this story click here.

Congratulations to NSERC scholarship winners!

2008-07-21T12:01:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to all of our NSERC scholarship winners! Meghan Doster, CGSD; Cory Widdifield, CGSD; Colleen Mailloux, CGSM; Aaron Rossini, PGSD; Stephen Geier, PGSD; Olena Kis, PGSM; Greg Welch, PDF. Meghan Doster, who works in the laboratory of Sam Johnson, was one of the Canada Graduate Scholarship recipients - to read more about her work, click here!