Apr04
Posted on Apr 4 by
Congratulations to undergraduate students, chemistry alumni, and Dr. Aren Gerdon on their recent article published in Analytica Chimica Acta titled “Selected DNA aptamers as hydroxyapatite affinity reagents“. This work has been a long time in the making beginning with the origins of our SELEX work by Hillary Butts and Samantha Watson. This particular selection was initiated by Jack Florek, carried forward by Emma Duffy, and validated by Stephanie Colon – all authors on the paper. It is a true “bright spot” (because of fluorescence) for undergraduate research at Emmanuel College. This work was supported by Emmanuel College and by the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research (DMR...
Mar01
Posted on Mar 1 by
What do chemistry courses in the department look like this semester? Have you ever been interested in studying chemistry’s affect in nature and living organisms, or chemical reactions and inorganic compounds like salts and metals? Emmanuel chemistry students are pursing these ideas in two two upper level chemistry courses this semester. These courses include CHEM 3115 – Intro to Toxicology taught by Dr. Michelle Watt and CHEM 2115 – Inorganic Chemistry with Dr. Nathan Lau. Toxicology, also known as “the science of poison”, is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. In this course, students can study the symptoms, mechanisms, treatments, and detection of selected human poisons. Students are introduced to the concepts of dose-response relationships, toxicity of metabolites, and chemical toxicology. Toxicology holds great value as it is used by forensic scientists who perform tests on tissue samples and bodily fluids to identify any chemical or drugs present in the human body. Working in a lab, a forensic toxicologist can perform tests on samples collected by pathologists during an autopsy or by crime scene...
Feb14
Posted on Feb 14 by
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of your favorite chemists and physicists at Emmanuel College. Learn some chemistry, show your support, and keep learning more...
Feb13
Posted on Feb 13 by
Alumni Ashanti Jackson and His Journey in Pursuing a Career in Chemistry Ashanti Jackson, an entrepreneur from an early age, gained a love for chemistry at Emmanuel College, but never lost his desire to make his mark in business and to give back to the community. After Emmanuel, Ashanti made his start at a cheminformatics start-up company in Boston that helped to optimize the drug discovery process for synthetic chemists. Ashanti has now moved on to work as a Customer Success Manager and is transitioning into leading the product development and management department for a start-up company that specializes in helping non-profits and higher education institutions raise more money. Ashanti has also been selected to join the Emmanuel College Young Alumni Council. The Young Alumni Council seeks to sustain and foster the active involvement of young alumni in support of Emmanuel College and the Alumni Association. The Council also acts in guiding the development of future leaders in ways that prepare them for active roles in alumni affairs and deepen their commitment to Emmanuel. Ashanti decided to join the...
Feb06
Posted on Feb 6 by
This past week Dr. Gerdon and his research group (GRAB: Gerdon Research in Analytical Biomaterials) welcomed non-science members of the Emmanuel College community into the Wilkens Science Center for a fun and informative introduction to lab. Emmanuel College faculty, staff, and students joined in even though they had very little (or no) prior experience in science lab work or science research. They learned about what we do related to calcium biomaterials (calcium carbonate related to ocean chemistry and coral reefs; calcium phosphate related to bone and teeth formation) then they participated in some mineralization experiments with an opportunity for them to explore and to mix together anything they wanted from a “menu” of options. The best part was the teamwork between members of the research group and the participants of the program. What a great experience for all! Thank you to the research group, the Department of Chemistry and Physics, and to the National Science Foundation (DMR 1904460) for...
Nov20
Posted on Nov 20 by
Faculty members were once students too! Faculty in the School of Sciences & Health held a recent event titled “We Were You”, during which students were able to ask professors questions regarding classes, career paths, and how to find opportunities for research. The professors shared and related their personal experiences from when they were college students, to the current students at Emmanuel. They also provided advice on how they overcame uncertainties and pushed through their struggles as STEM students. The professors that were present for the panel were Dr. Nathan Lau from Chemistry & Physics, Dr. Ben Allen from Mathematics, Dr. Natalie Karagodsky from Biology, and Dr. Xiaowei Zhao from Psychology. Dr. Paul March, Associate Dean of the School of Sciences & Health, was present and led the panel discussion. One question that was asked was, “If I am struggling or failing a first-year chemistry/biology class, should I drop the class and retake it or stick with it?” Dr. Karagodsky and Dr. Zhao responded and first starting by saying “Never be discouraged! Being a freshman in college is a...
