SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

FRACKING HITS EUROPE

Region splits over gasdrilling technique P.28
CHEMISTRY LESSONS
Education in Canada, Hong
Kong, and Puerto Rico P.57

DIGGING UP DNA FOR DRUGS

Genome mining could revive dormant field P.17
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HO

BE6791

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CS6791

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Looking for
for a
a
Looking
safer Fluorinating
Fluorinating
safer
Reagent?
Reagent?

XtalFluor reagents are crystalline dialkylaminodifluorosulfinium tetrafluoroborate salts. They are useful
for the deoxofluorination of hydroxyl and carbonyl
moieties when used in conjunction with a promoter.

Representative Scope

Advantages of XtalFluor salts

Air-stable solids
Enhanced thermal stability over DAST and other
structurally similar deoxofuorination reagents
Does not generate free HF under anhydrous conditions
Broad substrate scope
Predictable and high chemoselectivity

Aldrich XtalFluor Reagents

Aldrich.com/xtalfluors
Multi-kilogram quantities available through Manchester Organics
2013 Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. All rights reserved. Aldrich and Sigma-Aldrich are
registered trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. XtalFluor-E and XtalFluor-M are
registered trademarks of OmegaChem Inc.

References: (1) Couturier, M. et al. Org. Lett. 2009, 11, 5050.

(2) Couturier, M. et al. J. Org. Chem. 2010, 75, 3401.

Serving the chemical,

life sciences,
and laboratory worlds

VOLUME 91, NUMBER 35

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

GOVERNMENT & POLICY

COVER STORY
34
35

TURNING
BACTERIAL
DNA INTO
DRUGS

Budget cuts and furloughs force federal

employees, academics to cut back on research.
40

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

42
44

12

C&EN talks with the University of Edinburgh

chemist about her departments success
combating gender discrimination.

BOOKS
50

NEW CONDUCTING MEDIUM

Stretchy, ion-conducting hydrogel could usher in

biocompatible electronics.
13

EMPLOYMENT
57

TRAINING FOR TOMORROW

Distinctive curricula in Puerto Rico, Hong Kong,

and Canada prepare students for their next step.

MORE EVIDENCE FOR ELEMENT 115

Researchers obtain striking new evidence

perhaps enough to earn the element a spot on the
periodic table.
14

DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC?

Vaccine specialist probes alternative medicine

and calls for providing more complete
information to consumers.

AMGEN BUYS ONYX

Offer of $10.4 billion persuades small-molecule

developer to agree to a takeover.
13

POLLY ARNOLD

CHEMISTRY EMPLOYMENT IMPROVES

Employment and salaries are trending upward,

and unemployment is falling, says ACS survey.

BENJAMIN R. MILLER,
RESEARCH SCIENTIST,
NATIONAL OCEANIC
& ATMOSPHERIC
ADMINISTRATIONS
EARTH SYSTEM
RESEARCH
LABORATORY PAGE 35

48

GETTING INTO TiO2 PHOTOCATALYSIS

Surface details of the materials anatase phase

could expand wide range of applications.
12

CONCENTRATES
HELPING NANOMEDICINES TO MARKET

Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory

aims to speed more cancer-targeting
nanomedicines to clinical trials.

NEWS OF THE WEEK

11

INDIA, U.S. ARGUE OVER PATENTS

U.S. government supports big pharmas concerns

about Indias intellectual property policies.

New genome search

techniques could revive a
stalled discovery path. PAGE 17

QUOTE
OF THE WEEK
I have never
seen it as
difficult as it is
today to obtain
the funding
and resources
needed to
perform our
research.

CONCENTRATES
SCIENCE DURING SEQUESTRATION

IN THE WEEDS ON TRADE SECRETS

AkzoNobel claims Huntsman Corp. stole its

herbicide adjuvant and should not get a patent.
14

ANOTHER NUCLEAR PLANT CLOSURE

Vermont nuclear energy facility becomes the fifth

this year to fall prey to competition, higher costs.

35
15

RECENT CLIMATE TIED TO OCEAN SHIFTS

Slowing rate of air temperature rise may be tied to

cyclical cooling of tropical Pacific surface.
15

COMPANIES CHALLENGE PESTICIDE BAN

Two chemical firms try to overturn Europes ban

on neonicotinoid pesticides.

BUSINESS
26
28

CONCENTRATES
FISSURES IN EUROPE OVER FRACKING

Some countries endorse hydraulic fracturing, but

others avoid it as industry begins drilling.
32

THE DEPARTMENTS
5
6
54
64
64
80

EDITORS PAGE
LETTERS
ACS COMMENT
ACS CAREER TIPS
CLASSIFIEDS
NEWSCRIPTS

SHIMADZU, UT ARLINGTON PARTNER

Instrument firm teams up with the university to

create an institute for research technologies.
COVER: Shutterstock/Yang H. Ku/C&EN
CENEAR 91 (35) 180 ISSN 0 00 9-2347

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FROM THE EDITOR

Start Your Engines

THE PACE IS GETTING frenetic at the

American Chemical Society headquarters

in Washington, D.C., as the countdown
to the national meeting in Indianapolis
begins. As always, C&EN reporters will be
crisscrossing the host city, covering the
latest exciting developments reported in
meetings in the convention center and
other venues. This time, however, C&EN
itself will also be a center of attention
as we celebrate the publications 90th
anniversary.
Our celebration, on Tuesday, Sept. 10,
has a theme of understanding science
as applied to food. Festivities kick off at
11 AM EDT with the webinar Food Fraud:
How Scientists Detect It & What You
Should Know. Sign up to join online, or
come to the ACS booth in the meeting exposition to learn about the many ways we
are cheated by what we eat.
Celebrity chef and author Alton Brown
will headline the main event of C&ENs
90th anniversary celebration in the convention center at 5 PM. As Brown entertains us, I hope we will all get some clues
about how to make science understandable
to our parents, children, neighbors, and
members of Congress. Beyond the topnotch fun, we will have door prizes and
refreshments before and after the performance. Make sure you bring your ticket.
Attendees are in for a blast with the
many other special programs slated. On
Sunday, Sept. 8, the ACS Indiana Local Section is hosting a public outreach activity
at the world-famous Indianapolis Motor
Speedway. In addition, motorcar enthusiasts can ride a lap around the Indy 500
track in an Indy 500 pace car with a professional race car driver, or take a lap on the
Formula 1 road course in a sports car driven
by a professional race car driver. Be sure
you have tickets before you head for the
speedway.
Another familiar face from television
will be in attendance: Actor and science
enthusiast Alan Alda will address the open
meeting of the ACS Board of Directors in
the convention center on Sunday at noon.
His talk, Helping the Public Get Beyond a
Blind Date with Science, also focuses on
communicating science to the public. I expect a big crowd, so Ill grab a seat early.

Also on Sunday, at 1:30 PM in the convention center, is a celebration of Carl

Djerassis 90th birthday. Best-known for
his pioneering work on oral contraceptives,
Djerassi is also a prolific novelist, poet,
and playwright. At this event, Djerassi will
reflect on his literary career over the past
25 years in his talk, Beyond Chemistry:
Drama, Fiction, Poetry, Short Story & Autobiography. His latest work of fiction,
How I Beat Coca-Cola and Other Tales of
One-Upmanship, is fun, fun, and more
delectable fun, according to a book review
in C&EN (Aug. 19, page 30). Arrive early for
a chance to receive an autographed copy of
How I Beat Coca-Cola or another book by
Djerassi.
On my Monday schedule are two mustattend talks: The Kavli Foundation lectures
of Martin D. Burke and Harry B. Gray. Burke
is an associate professor of chemistry at the
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
I first met him when I hosted a C&EN webinar sponsored by Sigma-Aldrich featuring
his work on iterative cross-couplings using haloboronic acids. I was so impressed
with Burkes ability to communicate the
excitement and promise of the chemistry
he developed that I have featured him as a
person to emulate when I give talks about
communicating science.
Gray is the Arnold O. Beckman Professor of Chemistry and founding director
of the Beckman Institute at California
Institute of Technology. Im excited because Ive heard that he gives amazing
lectures. Im especially keen to see how
many chemical equations he will feature
in his talk, Powering the Planet with Solar
Fuel. If what Ive heard is true, he will
show only two: 2H2O O2 + 4H+ + 4e- and
O2 + 4H+ + 4e- 2H2O.
I have many other items on my to-do list,
but Im running out of space. If youre still
making up your mind about what sessions
to attend, consider the recommendations
by C&EN reporters on video monitors in
meeting venues.
Im revved up for Indy. Are you?

Editor-in-chief

Copyright 2013, American Chemical Society

Canadian GST Reg. No. R127571347
Volume 91, Number 35

Views expressed on this page are those of the author and not necessarily those of ACS.
CEN.ACS.ORG

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

LETTERS

THIS WEEK

ONLINE
National Meeting Picks

C&ENS NEXT GENERATION

OF READERS

C&EN

At the ACS national meeting in Indianapolis next week, attendees will have
nearly 7,200 presentations to choose
from. C&EN staff members have the

scoop on some must-see talks. Check

out a series of videos in which C&EN
reporters discuss their picks for each
day of the meeting, including sessions
on the chemistry of racing and the role
circadian rhythms play in disease.
http://cenm.ag/blg159

Testing Nanomedicines
The Nanotechnology Characterization
Laboratory in Frederick, Md., tests the
stability and toxicity of potential cancerfighting nanomedicines, with the goal of
accelerating the pace at which they get
into clinical trials (see page 44). C&EN
Associate Editor Lauren K. Wolf takes
a video tour of the lab, tracing the path
followed by candidate nanomedicines
studied at the lab.
http://cenm.ag/nclab

Judge Denies Three

Harran Defense Motions
A Los Angeles County Superior Court
judge last week denied three defense
motions that could have resulted in dismissal of a criminal case against UCLA
chemistry professor Patrick Harran.
The chemist faces four felony charges
of violating state labor code that stem
from the death of research assistant
Sheharbano (Sheri) Sangji after a 2008
fire in Harrans lab. With the rulings going against the defense, the case moves
closer to trial.
http://cenm.ag/blg158

Sequestration Hits Labs

The across-the-board federal budget
cuts, known as sequestration, are causing frustration for government and
academic researchers (see page 35). In
a video, C&EN Associate Editor Andrea L.
Widener asks investigators at one university pharmacology department how the
funding uncertainty caused by sequestration has affected their research.
http://cenm.ag/sequestration

MAUREEN ROUHIS EDITORIAL Growing Up with C&EN was a gratifying read

(C&EN, June 17, page 3). My husband and I
are chemists and we have taken to ripping
out interesting articles from our copy of
C&EN and putting it on the kitchen counter for our two children to read. Our boys
read everything we put in front of them; I
figured why not make it a science article
rather than the cereal box or newspaper?
Our older son recently finished seventh
grade, and anything we show him out of
C&EN reinforces his science classes. It
sends the clear message that what he is
learning about in school has meaning in
the scientific world. And he learns more
about the forefront of science in so many
different fieldsmechanisms of DNA
damage, solar-cell advances, how life
started on Earththe list is endless. Even
our 10-year-old son loves to see the great
micrographs. Both were astonished by the
candied cicadas recipe.
Anyway, it was great to read about another parent, in a different context, using
this magazine in a similar way, clearly with
desirable results. We cant wait until next
year when our older son takes a chemistry
class for the first time.
Patricia Wang
Lake Oswego, Ore.

LYME DISEASE DILEMMA

THANK YOU for the series of articles on
Lyme disease. I live in New Jersey and have
suffered not only from Lyme disease but
also from a lack of concern by the health
care industry. A 1998 study found that 43 of
100 ticks collected in western New Jersey
carried the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. If you are bitten by a tick in New Jersey
or other endemic regions, chances are high
that you will be exposed to Lyme disease.
Without a definitive test for the disease,
many cases go untreated. Diagnosing
Ancient Disease notes that paleomicrobiologists were able to determine that the
5,300-year-old Tyrolean iceman suffered
from Lyme disease (C&EN, May 20, page
32). But Taking Aim at Lyme Disease
states, The current test [for Lyme disease]
has many shortfalls (C&EN, June 24, page
10; see C&EN, July 1, following page 56).
The current test relies on measuring the
CEN.ACS.ORG

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

level of antibodies humans produce in response to exposure to the Lyme organism.

However, if the bodys immune response
is weak, not only are the antibodies not
produced in detectable levels, but the diseases characteristic bulls-eye rash does
not form, making diagnosis and treatment
very difficult. Most insurance companies
are not willing to pay for treatment without
a definitive diagnosis.
The major drug companies have little incentive to develop vaccines or better tests
for Lyme disease. As the June 24 article
points out, these are high-risk, low-profit
ventures. Because arthritis is an outcome
of delayed treatment of Lyme disease, sales
of prescription drugs for arthritis pain
would fall if the prevention and treatment
of Lyme disease improved. I am not blaming the drug companiesthey are acting in
the best interests of their shareholders.
This is where the U.S. government has to
step in and support more research into the
prevention and detection of Lyme disease.
Lyme disease research is severely underfunded when compared with other less
prevalent diseases.
Stephen J. McGovern
Mantua, N.J.
EDUCATING OUR OWN CITIZENS
I APPLAUD the cover story Valuable Im-

ports or Job Competition? (C&EN, July 8,

page 8). Now U.S. society needs to face the
cold, hard truth: A nation that has exported
its manufacturing and industrial base has
no further need of scientists to run and expand what no longer exists.
Regardless of the positive attributes
assigned to immigrantssmarter, faster,
strongermost are simply people who do
not have jobs but who want one in the U.S.
Once, the U.S. was rich in jobs and opportunity, a sprawling industrial giant with far
more open positions than scientists to fill
them. Then it made sense to import scientists. But like V-8 Cadillacs with fins, those
days are long gone.
A few related points: First, the President
and Congress need to rid themselves of the
delusion that the term STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) professional really applies to people like us at
the American Chemical Society. STEM = IT.
Period. Silicon Valley oligarchs need plenty
of cheap information technology labor to finance their billionaire lifestyles. Somehow,
ACS leadership must make this point clear

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seems to follow; which might explain why the leading biotech, chemical, academic and government
research institutes rely on our instruments. And why scientists in more than 50 countries trust Wyatts
pioneering instruments for absolute accuracy in the molar mass measurements of proteins, polymers,
and particles. That isnt bragging. Its just part of the reason we help our customers get safely to their
destination.

Ask Wyatt. And see why.

LETTERS

to the nations political leadership.

Second, the published data for unemployment among scientists is almost certainly undercounted. People do not like admitting that they have spent years getting a
Ph.D. but are now driving a cab. And those
who are laid off over the age of 50 may
never work again. Medical doctors, certified public accountants, and professional
engineers do not have this problem.
Third, as painful as it might be for U.S.
universities, in the future, all governmentfinanced study leading to a Ph.D. should be
restricted to citizens only. In a time in which
any university degree is becoming increasingly out of reach for middle-class families,
taxpayers should not be asked to subsidize
foreign students studying for graduate degrees. U.S. universities provide little or no
support to U.S. citizens who merely wish to
study for a bachelors degree in engineering,
accounting, or nursingdisciplines that
still have decent employment prospects.
Charity begins at home. Perhaps spending more resources on educating our own
citizens to the B.S. level in fields where jobs
still exist would prove just as beneficial
to the nation as educating the rest of the
world to the graduate level.
Wm Charles L Jamison
Warrenton, Va.

11). It breaks up the STEM H-1B visa applicants by degree.

But the focus of the article is about foreign workers competing with U.S. citizens
for scarce jobs, in which case, only the number of issued visas matters. Also, the number of issued visas per field matters more
than by degree; H-1B visas issued to physicists have relatively little impact on chemists, for example. Finally, the number of
issued visas only matters when compared
with the number of U.S. STEM job seekers
and the number of STEM job openings.
With this information, we can make the
following calculation: If there are really not
enough U.S. STEM workers, then fill those
jobs with H-1B visa holders or expedited
citizenship. However, if there is a large excess of U.S. workers compared with available jobs, then visas need to be issued only
in special cases.
The goal is to produce just enough
homegrown STEM workers that most of
the jobs can be filled by U.S. workers. That
is fair: The H-1B visa is not a welfare program for foreign nationalsor for corporations that prefer workers who will accept
less than market salary.
Bob Butler
Passaic, N.J.

OFF THE CHART

ITS NOT HELPFUL for ACS to publish

Visas is misleading (C&EN, July 8, page

MONUMENTAL CLEANUP
CLEANUP CHEMISTRY quotes Carol A.

BURNED ON BURNING ETHANOL

THE PIE CHART in Arguing over Science

15). On an equal-energy basis, the savings

in burning ethanol compared with hydrocarbons such as octane are on the order of
0.8%, not 50%. It absolutely does not create 50% fewer emissions.
What burning ethanol does is recycle the
emissions. And if you do not use any fossil
fuels in growing, refining, or transporting
the wheat starch, you might claim a net
reduction in the accumulation of excess
CO2, but it will be much less than 50%. The
wheat starch used in the bioethanol hopefully is produced and refined within 25 to
50 miles of the new plant and not imported.
Misconceptions about green energy
do not help the environment. They simply
make people feel good and avoid the real
issue of looking at the thermodynamic efficiency of the entire energy generation
system. Renewable fuels and systems are a
positive move in decreasing environmental
impact. But let us be scientists and not accept at face value statements that mislead
the public.
Bill Farone
Anaheim, Calif.

chemical information that violates the laws

of thermodynamics (C&EN, July 15, page

CEN.ACS.ORG

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Grissom, Smithsonian Institution senior

objects conservator, saying that she did
some testing with organic solvents such as
toluene and denatured alcohol but ended
up using paint stripper (C&EN, Aug. 5, page
11). Did Grissom and other conservators

LETTERS

consider using dry-ice blasting to remove

the green paint? If so, why did they reject it?
Robert D. Blackledge
El Cajon, Calif.
WHOS GOT THE OIL?
MAUREEN ROUHIS EDITORIAL Myo-

pia notes that the catastrophically derailed train in Lac-Mgantic, Quebec, was
carrying oil from North Dakota to New
Brunswick province (C&EN, July 15, page
3). If the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline
is so necessary to the U.S., why was the
North Dakota oil being shipped out of the
country rather than to refineries here?
James R. Hanley
Fruit Cove, Fla.
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
SHAKE-UPS
SHAKING UP the Fracking Debate gives

the impression that earthquakes near

hydraulic fracturing wells are due to earthquakes at distant locations (C&EN, July 15,
page 8).
That may be true for some locations, but
in Denver we had a deep well at the Rocky
Mountain Arsenal in the early 1960s. After
that well was put into use, earthquakes
happened in the Denver area. Property
damage occurred, but no one was killed.
The epicenter of those quakes was determined to be the well at the Rocky Mountain
Arsenal. The well was shut down in 1966,
and all the quakes subsided and have since
disappeared. Distant earthquakes or not,
the well at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was
responsible for the quakes.
Let us be sure to hold accountable the oil
companies that engage in fracking for the
earthquakes that they causelike the one
that hit Prague, Okla., and leveled 14 homes
in an otherwise seismically quiet area.
Perhaps we should rethink how fracking
will provide safe and abundant energy. It
may not be as safe as we would like it to be.
Robert T. Anselmi
Littleton, Colo.
I SUBMIT THAT an alternative method of

retrieving shale gas can be used (see U.S. Patent No. 8,262,167 and No. 8,408,658).
The method uses an underground ventilated control center wherein computercontrolled horizontal drilling is used in
multiple directions. The center can be

located in the middle of an underground

shale deposit. Drilling operations can be
conducted for distances of up to a mile or
more. Unlike with fracking, pressurized
water, hazardous chemicals, and solid
proppants are not used. After mining operations are complete, the drilled-out spaces
are not abandoned. Waste material from
aboveground is transported and placed in
the cylindrical spaces. It is envisioned that
the waste material will become a source of
methane and other valuable chemicals for
years into the future.
Leander F. Aulisio
Lakeland, Fla.

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news of the week

SEPTEMBER 2, 20 13 EDITED BY WILLIAM G. SCHULZ & SOPHIA L. CAI

SURFACE SCIENCE: The rarely studied

form of TiO2 is an effective catalyst due
to oxygen-induced lattice restructuring

ITANIUM DIOXIDE IS the go-to material for a

host of technological applications including selfcleaning glass, antifogging coatings, and ways
to split water to make hydrogen fuel. To understand
why TiO2 works well and possibly develop strategies
to enhance its performance, researchers have now determined the first detailed mechanism of initial steps
of oxidations catalyzed by TiO2s less common mineral phase, anatasereactions central to many TiO2
applications.
Most experimental surface studies have focused on
the more typical mineral phase of TiO2, rutile, which
is relatively easy to prepare as high-quality single
crystalsideal samples for surface analyses. Yet the
anatase phase, which has greater photocatalytic activity, has remained largely unexplored by experimental
methods. The main reason is that the anatase phase is
metastable, making it difficult to form perfect crystals.
That challenge hasnt prevented Vienna University
of Technologys Ulrike Diebold from studying anatase
crystals. Her research group, which includes Martin
Setvn, developed methods for cleaving and cleaning
naturally occurring mineral crystalssome of which
they purchased on eBayin a way that exposes pristine
anatase crystal faces.
Armed with reproducible sample preparation methods, Diebolds team has now used scanning tunneling
microscopy and other techniques to investigate the
atomic scrambling that occurs at anatase surfaces as
oxygen molecules adsorb and interact with subsurface
defects known as oxygen vacancieslattice positions
where oxygen atoms should reside. By teaming up
with Princeton University theoretician Annabella Selloni, the group has deduced the step-by-step anatase
lattice restructuring process that underlies catalytic oxidation reactions (Science 2013, DOI: 10.1126/
science.1239879).
One of the enabling advances was figuring out how
to use the microscope tip to create oxygen vacancies
below the surface and draw them toward the surface.
Diebold explains that in the absence of these common
defects the surface is unlikely to bind oxygen, which is
necessary for oxidations. The group also worked out
ways to use the tip to alter the charge state of adsorbed

O2 and nudge oxygen into reacting with electron-rich

vacancies.
With this combined experimental and theoretical
know-how, the group determined that on anatase crystals with subsurface lattice vacancies, O2 adsorbs in an
anionic state and sets off a sequence of atom jumping
events. The rejiggering relocates the vacancy to the surface, where it is filled by O2, key first steps in catalytic
oxidation reactions.
This is a beautiful example of how high-quality
surface science experiments and theory work together
to understand complex reaction mechanisms that are
very relevant for technology, comments Stanford UniOxygen vacancy

STEP-BY-STEP Oxygen adsorbs

as O22 (yellow) on an anatase crystal
with a lattice vacancy, touching of
a series of events in which O atoms
near the defect (purple, aqua, and
blue) shift positions. Those steps
result in O2 being incorporated into
the crystal surface. Other Ti and O
atoms are gray and red, respectively.

versitys Jens K. Nrskov, a catalysis specialist. People

have tried for a long time to understand the difference
between TiO2 rutile and anatase, he says. The results of
this study provide important new insights that can help
explain why anatase works better than rutile in photocatalysis, he adds.MITCH JACOBY

CEN.ACS.ORG

11

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

ADAPTED FROM SCIENCE

UNDERSTANDING
ANATASE

NEWS OF TH E WEEK

UNEMPLOYMENT
DOWN, SALARIES UP
ECONOMY: Full-time employment for

ACS members is highest in five years

MPLOYMENT AND SALARY TRENDS in the

U.S. chemistry enterprise reflect the moderate

recovery under way in the economy as a whole,
according to survey results reported this week by the
American Chemical Society. Salaries for U.S. chemists
have edged up 2.2% in 2013 compared with 2012, while
unemployment has continued to fall, from 4.7%
TO A DEGREE Joblessness is easing.
in 2011, to 4.2% in 2012,
and 3.5% in 2013.
2013
2012
Over the past decade,
the
unemployment rate
B.S.
for chemists has ranged
from a low of 2.3% in
M.S.
2008early in the recessionto the 2011 high.
Ph.D.
David Harwell, assistant director for career
NOTE: Data for ACS member chemists as of March 1.
management at ACS,
SOURCES: Annual ACS salary and employment surveys
which publishes C&EN,

5.9%

4.6%

5.4%

4.7%

3.4%

3.0%

AMGEN WILL
BUY ONYX
ACQUISITION: Biotech leader
finally nabs cancer drug firm
with a $10.4 billion offer

N
O

ITH A SLIGHTLY SWEETENED offer of

$10.4 billion, Amgen has persuaded Onyx

Pharmaceuticals to submit to a takeover. On
June 30, the small-molecule drug developer rejected an
unsolicited $10 billion cash offer from Amgen.
The deal will give Amgen a stronger position in
the growing oncology marketparticularly in kinase
and proteasome inhibitors. It also will
add to Amgens pipeline of smallmolecule drugs at a time when its
O
O
O
biologics are facing generics comH
N
N
petition. Amgens cancer drug
N
N
H
H
H
pipeline has several biologic drugs
O
O
O
in late-stage development, but any
small molecules are still in Phase I.
Onyx brings a wholly owned multiple
myeloma drug, Kyprolis (carfilzomib), that was FDA
Carlzomib
approved a year ago. Although Kyprolis sales in the first
CEN.ACS.ORG

12

cautions that the latest number might be affected by

unemployed chemists who have given up on new job
searches and thus are no longer counted in unemployment statistics.
But overall, the survey results are encouraging because the jobs that chemists are finding are full-time
rather than part-time, says Elizabeth C. McGaha, assistant director of ACSs Research & Brand Strategy (RBS)
department, which conducted the survey. Full-time
employmentdefined as at least 35 hours of work per
weekrose from 90.0% in 2012 to 91.1% this year, the
highest rate since 2008.
The trends reported by ACS are consistent with
government data on the rates of employment and unemployment for U.S. chemists. The ACS data are drawn
from responses to the 2013 Comprehensive Salary &
Employment Survey of the societys members in the
U.S. workforce, including bachelors-, masters-, and
Ph.D.-level chemists.
The ACS data show that the higher your education
level, the better off you tend to be, Harwell says. Some
4.6% of chemists who hold a B.S. degree are unemployed and looking for a job, while 3.0% of those with a
Ph.D. are out of work and looking. Similarly, the overall
improvement in the median salary for chemists can be
attributed entirely to a rise in pay for Ph.D.s, who saw a
1.4% boost over last year, the data show. Chemists who
hold a bachelors degree actually suffered a 2.6% drop
in median salary from 2012 to 2013.SOPHIE ROVNER

half of 2013 totaled only $125 million, analysts predict

that the drug could bring in more than $2 billion annually within six years.
Kyprolis is at an early stage in its life cycle, and
thats important to us as we feel that this is a point
where we can still help maximize the full potential of
the product, Amgen CEO Robert A. Bradway told analysts in an Aug. 26 conference call. We think Onyx fits
well with our commercial oncology portfolio and with
our pipeline generally.
Onyx also gets income from two drugs sold in partnership with Bayer: 50% of sales of Nexavar, a kidney
and liver cancer drug approved in 2005, and 20% royalties on Bayers sales of the stomach and colon cancer
treatment Stivarga, approved in late 2012. Onyx also
has an 8% royalty interest in the breast cancer treatment palbociclib, which Pfizer is developing.
Citigroup stock analyst Yaron Werber is optimistic
about the future of palbociclib and anticipates that
sales could exceed $2 billion annually within 10 years.
Onyx promising pipeline includes another myeloma
drug, oprozomib, he adds.
For Amgen, acquiring Onyx will restore muchneeded top-line growth until the internal pipeline begins to deliver in 2015, Werber says. Given the overlap
in the oncology area, he anticipates that Amgen will
cut 25% of Onyx R&D costs and 50% of its operating
costs.ANN THAYER

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

NEWS OF TH E WEEK

SCIENCE

THIS HYDROGEL
CAN SING
MATERIALS SCIENCE: Stretchy,

vibrating devices might serve

as implantable sensors

HE POSSIBILITY OF implantable electronic

sensors to bolster functioning of a persons

brain, heart, or skin depends on scientists success in developing flexible electronic circuits that are
biocompatible. But all the bendy electronics made so
far rely on components such as copper or graphene to
conduct electrons across their surfaces, says Zhigang
Suo, a professor of mechanics and materials at Harvard
University. And those materials, he adds, might not interact well with the human body.
Suo and colleagues, including Harvard chemistry professor George M. Whitesides, have addressed this shortcoming by making an inert gel-based device that conducts electrical charge not via electrons but via ions that
normally help signal a persons heart to beat or nerves
to fire (Science 2013, DOI: 10.1126/science.1240228). The
teams ionic conductor is also transparent to light, a plus
for possible optical applications.
To make their device, Suo, Whitesides, and coworkers
began with a 1-mm-thick piece of double-sided sticky
tape. They sandwiched this insulating sheet between
two thin, salt-filled layers of a polyacrylamide hydrogel.
When the team applies a voltage across the seethrough sandwich with electrodes placed along its
edges, sodium and chloride ions in the hydrogels move
rapidly, generating an electrostatic force that causes
the inner insulator to flex like a muscle, nearly doubling
its original dimensions.
In the past, scientists thought ionic conductors
werent suitable for use in electronics because their

relatively bulky ions wouldnt allow

them to respond fast enough to applied voltages. Electrons, on the other
hand, are the darlings of conduction
because they are small and move
rapidly across metals and other materials. Although it still isnt as conductive as a metal, the Harvard teams
stretchy device can operate at such
high frequencies of applied voltage
that it generates sound.
According to Suo, one of the postdocs on the Harvard team, Christoph
Keplinger, is an audio system enthusiast, so he had the idea to demonstrate the ionic conductors ability to
handle high frequenciesin the 20to 20,000-Hz range, which people
can hearby turning it into a loudspeaker. When the researchers took
the audio output from a soundtrack
played on a laptop, ran it through an
amplifier, and fed it to the material, it
played the song.
John A. Rogers, a materials scientist
at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign, says this clever technology can be thought of as a transparent artificial muscle, with potential
for use in things like noise-canceling
windows and reconfigurable optics.
Suo hopes that once engineers see the simplicity
of the hydrogel sandwich theyll find new uses for old
electronic devices. By replacing some components with
ionic conductors, he says, you might sacrifice some
conductivity, but youll gain transparency, stretchability,
and possibly even biocompatibility.LAUREN WOLF
VIDEO ONLINE

When voltage
is applied to a
heart-shaped,
transparent ionic
conductor, the gel
expands.

To see the expandable gel act as a loudspeaker

and a muscle, go to http://cenm.ag/ions.

ELEMENT 115 X-ray evidence supports the existence of the superheavy element
Confirmatory evidence for the existence
of element 115 has been reported by an
international research team that successfully used X-ray detection methods
for the first time. The new work should
bolster the case for adding the element
to the periodic table almost a decade after it was first spotted.
Nuclear physicist Dirk Rudolph of Lund
University, in Sweden, led the team. The
scientists did the experiment at the GSI
heavy ion accelerator center in Darmstadt, Germany. A paper of the work has
been accepted by Physical Review Letters.

Element 115 was first observed by physicists at Russias Joint Institute for Nuclear Research working with scientists from
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
An international committee of chemists
and physicists will decide whether to add
the element to the periodic table.
Rudolphs team created element 115 by
aiming a beam of calcium ions at an americium target. Sifting through the jumble of
photons, particles, and atoms that results
from such an experiment, the researchers
detected -particle decay chains consistent with isotopes of element 115 decay-

CEN.ACS.ORG

13

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

ing to isotopes of dubnium. They also

identified X-ray emissions from the decay
chain, a long-sought goal of the nuclear
physics community because it can be another piece of supporting evidence.
Interference from other emissions
makes the X-rays very hard to detect,
says Dawn A. Shaughnessy, an LLNL
chemist who was part of the first team to
observe element 115.
The fact that they pulled it off and
got these measurements is really phenomenal, she says of the new report.
JYLLIAN KEMSLEY

NEWS OF TH E WEEK

FIRMS TANGLE IN
THE IP WEEDS
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: AkzoNobel
accuses Huntsman and former chemist
employee of trade-secrets theft
PECIALTY CHEMICALS maker AkzoNobel has

sued rival Huntsman Corp., claiming that Huntsman and a former Akzo chemist misappropriated
Akzos trade secrets to patent a class of chemicals that
make the herbicide glyphosate more effective.
In a suit filed on Aug. 23 in U.S. District Court for
the Southern District of Ohio,
Akzo asked that the patent for
the chemicalsalkoxylated
amidoaminesbe put in its
name. Akzo also seeks unspecified compensatory damages. At press time, Huntsman
had not filed a response to the
suit nor answered requests for
comment from C&EN.
Glyphosate is widely used
to control weeds in crops such
REGIS LEFEBURE/USDA

Adjuvant used
in weed killer for
resistant crops
such as corn is the
subject of an IP
dispute.

ANOTHER
NUCLEAR PLANT
TO CLOSE
ENERGY: Cheap natural gas sped

demise of Vermont Yankee plant

HE VERMONT YANKEE Nuclear Power Sta-

tion in Vernon, Vt., will permanently shut down

in 2014, according to plant owner Entergy. The
plant becomes the fifth nuclear power facility announced this year to close.
In the Vermont Yankee case,
Entergys announcement ends a
long-simmering dispute between
the utility and state officials and
residents over the continued operation of the 620-MW plant. During its lifetime, the plant has faced
opposition by antinuclear power
activists, who became more strident after Japans Fukushima
Daiichi Nuclear Power Station disaster in 2011. The
Vermont Yankee plant design nearly mirrors that of the
Fukushima reactor facility.
N RC

The Vermont
Yankee Nuclear
Power Station will
shut down in 2014.

CEN.ACS.ORG

14

as corn and soybeans that have been genetically altered

to resist the herbicide. The amidoamines are an adjuvant, which enhances the weed-killing effect of herbicidestypically, by helping them adhere to leaves.
Akzos suit claims that Alan J. Stern, a research chemist, obtained information on the design, synthesis, and
use of the amidoamines in glyphosate formulations
while he worked at the company from 1998 to 2002. The
firm never filed patents of its own for the amidoamines,
preferring to keep them as a corporate secret.
In 2003, Stern joined Huntsman. There, Akzo charges, Stern and others used his knowledge to apply, in
2008, for U.S. and foreign patents on the adjuvant.
The patent filings caught the eye of a potential Akzo
customer who questioned whether the company had the
right to sell the glyphosate additive, according to Akzos
suit. Akzo is now concerned that this uncertain state of
affairs is likely to cause the firm to lose product sales.
Patent expert and University of New Hampshire
law professor Christopher Frerking theorizes that the
court could deny the patent to both firms. If Huntsmans patent describes an ingredient considered prior
art on sale for more than a year, then it isnt patentable, Frerking says. Akzo may not be entitled to a patent
either if it sold the amidoamines for more than a year
prior to Huntsmans patent application, he says. If
Akzos suit denies the patent, it would open the market
to all comers.MARC REISCH

This was an agonizing decision and an extremely

tough call for us, says Leo P. Denault, Entergys chairman and CEO. He blamed the combination of a transformational shift in the energy marketplace driven
by low natural gas prices and the resulting cheap electricity, as well as high operating costs to run the small
power plant.
Two years ago, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission granted approval for the 40-year-old Vermont
Yankee plant to continue operating for another 20
years. The Vermont State Legislature, however, had
passed legislation to block its continued operations.
Nevertheless, Entergy kept the plant operating, and
earlier this year federal court rulings overturned the
states action.
But federal approval alone appeared insufficient for
Entergy to continue operating the Vermont Yankee
plant. Higher maintenance costs, low electricity prices,
and competition with natural gas power plants were
cited by owners as reasons to shutter the four other
nuclear power reactors that went off-line this year
Kewaunee Power Station in Wisconsin, Floridas Crystal River 3 Nuclear Power Plant, and two units of the
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in Southern
California.
These closures mark the first permanent commercial reactor shutdowns in the U.S. in 15 years and will
bring the number of U.S. reactors undergoing decommissioning to 34, according to NRC.JEFF JOHNSON

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

NEWS OF TH E WEEK

SLOWER WARMING
TREND EXPLAINED
CLIMATE: Model ties Pacific Ocean heat

cycling to pace of temperature rise

IKE COLD BATHWATER, unusually cool surface

water in the tropical Pacific Ocean can help explain why the average surface air temperature
around the globe has slowed its warming trend, a study
suggests (Nature 2013, DOI: 10.1038/nature12534).
The findings indicate that the global air temperature
flattening observed during the past 15 years reflects
Earths natural climate variability and is temporary,
says climate scientist Andrew E. Dessler of Texas A&M
University, who wasnt involved in the study. Manmade greenhouse-gas emissions will win out in the
long haul and continue to drive up global temperatures,
he says.
The global air-temperature-flattening trend is expected to be a point of discussion in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Changes next report, which is
due for release starting in late September.
Recent research suggests that temporary blips in
long-term air temperature trends can be caused by
the movement of warm and cool ocean water, which
transfers heat to and from the air. One such cycle is the
Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). This water circulation pattern is similar to the warming and cooling of
the tropical Pacific Oceans El Nio and La Nia cycles,
but it operates on a longer timescale.
The current Pacific surface cooling is part of the
PDO cool period, researchers say. But they havent
known whether that cooling is contributing to a slowdown of the global air temperature rise.
Seeking answers, Yu Kosaka and Shang-Ping Xie of
Scripps Institution of Oceanography ran a climate model with traditional climate forcersincluding green-

house gases, solar activity, and aerosolsalong with the

observed Pacific surface temperatures as an input.
The model results mimic recorded temperatures
from 1970 to 2012, including seasonal and decadal
variations, the researchers found. The model also reproduced regional climate patterns, including recent
U.S. droughts.
The findings suggest PDOs La Nia-like event is
causing the recent air temperature flattening, the authors say, but air temperatures will rise again when the
cycle reverses.
The study, Dessler argues, casts doubt on arguments
that the climate is less responsive to carbon dioxide
than thought or that the temperature flattening stems
from reduced solar activity, higher emissions of aircooling aerosols from coal burning, or volcanic activity.
This paper is a part of the discussion but not the
last word, says Gavin A. Schmidt of NASAs Goddard

TREND
HIATUS
Annual global
surface air
temperature
variations,
compared with
20th-century
average, show
temperature
rise has slowed.

Variations from mean global temperature, C

0.7
0.5
0.3
0.1
0
0.1
0.3
0.5
1880

90

1900

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2000

10

SOURCE: National Climatic Data Center

Institute for Space Studies. He notes that the study

doesnt explain whether the Pacific cooling could be
itself influenced by other climate forcers.
The study also doesnt explain where the heat that
the air hasnt taken up is going, adds Kevin E. Trenberth
of the National Center for Atmospheric Research.
Dessler suspects that the heat is going deeper into the
ocean, which would be consistent with how PDOs cool
period is thought to work.PUNEET KOLLIPARA

LAWSUIT Bayer, Syngenta challenge European Commissions ban on neonicotinoid pesticides

Agrochemical companies Bayer CropScience and Syngenta Crop Protection
are challenging the European Commissions May 2013 decision to ban the use of
three neonicotinoid pesticidesclothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxamon
crops that attract bees. In two legal cases
filed against the EC in August, the firms
claim that the pesticides, used to protect
plants from crop-destroying insects, are
wrongly linked to bee deaths.
We believe that the decision of the
EC is unjustified, disproportionate, and

goes beyond the existing regulatory

framework, says Bayer spokesman Utz
Klages. Bayer, which makes clothianidin
and imidacloprid, filed the suit to obtain
guidance and clarity on the regulatory
framework in view of future investment
decisions, Klages says.
Syngenta, maker of thiamethoxam,
says that the ECs decision was based
on a flawed process, an inaccurate and
incomplete assessment by the European
Food Safety Authority, and incomplete
support of European Union members.

CEN.ACS.ORG

15

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

The ban is scheduled to be in effect

for two years starting in December. It was
supported by 15 EU countries. The EC
says its decision was based on scientific
information.
Syngenta claims that the ban will force
farmers to use less sustainable alternatives. Farmers and farmer organizations
have expressed great concern that an
extremely effective, low-dose product will
not be available to them, Syngenta Chief
Operating Officer John Atkin says.
BRITT ERICKSON

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WARP DRIVE

COVER STORY
NOVELTY HUNT Warp Drive

researchers are probing

bacterial DNA for clues to
new drug candidates.

NATURES SECOND ACT

By tapping directly into the MICROBIAL GENOME for clues to novel drug
candidates, researchers hope to revive interest in natural products
LISA M. JARVIS, C&EN CHICAGO

AS YOU WALK BAREFOOT through your

backyard on a hot summer day, luxuriating

in the grass between your toes, stop to contemplate the silent war going on below you.
Tens of thousands of microorganisms are
sharing that little patch of earth, chattering
with one another through complex chemical signals, battling for food, and picking
one another off using molecular weapons.
The molecules that microbes make to
give themselves a competitive edge are the
basis of many of the drugs we take. Antibiotics, cancer drugs, and even cholesterollowering pills are among the medicines
made or derived from microbial sources.
For decades, pharmaceutical companies

played with bacteria in petri dishesraising or lowering the temperature, fiddling

with nutrientsto coax them to produce
compounds that chemists turned into penicillins, cephalosporins, and carbapenems.
But plucking a bug out of its natural environment means that it no longer needs all
its molecular defense mechanisms; as a
consequence, researchers have managed to
find only about 1% of the compounds microbes can make. With productivity waning, drug firms started to abandon natural
products research.
A new generation of natural products
scientists is now emerging, one that thinks
it has figured out how to tap into the other
CEN.ACS.ORG

17

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

99%. Rather than rely on the petri dish,

scientists are sampling the DNA of thousands of microbes at once in search of gene
clusters, sets of genes with the recipes
for making families of similar molecules.
They then decipher the structures of the
molecules and coax organisms into making
them. The hope is that those molecules will
one day be the basis for drug candidates.
This concept of bacterial genome mining is not new. Efforts began in the late
1990s, but they lost traction as it became
clear the technology wasnt ready for prime
time. Now, the plummeting cost of gene sequencing, combined with better strategies
for finding interesting genes, has scientists

COVER STORY

NPDI

feeling more confident about the approach.

The high-profile launch last year of Warp
Drive Bio, a biotech company dedicated
to genome-based natural products drug
discovery, has industry watchers taking a
second look, although skeptics are waiting
for an actual drug to emerge.
When Cambridge, Mass.-based Warp
Drive burst onto the scene in early 2012, it
captured headlines for the big-name investors, big-name scientists, and big dollar
signs attached to the project. Third Rock
Ventures, Greylock Partners, and Sanofi
agreed to sink up to $125 million into the
companys gene-mining approach.
And Sanofi, which allowed Warp
Drive to use its vast collection of
microbes, agreed to buy the biotech firm if it met certain research
goals.
Interest heightened earlier this
summer when one of Warp Drives
founders, renowned Harvard University chemical biology professor
Gregory L. Verdine, said he was
taking a three-year leave of absence
from his academic post to run the
company.
Warp Drive is not the only player
in the gene-mining game. Novartis,
the one big pharma company to
maintain a sizable presence in natural products over the years, is also
actively identifying gene clusters,
using bioinformatics to predict the
structures they code for, and applying synthetic biology techniques
to turn them into drug candidates,
says John Tallarico, head of chemical genetics at the Novartis Institutes for
BioMedical Research.
Two nonprofits started after Merck &
Co. shut down its natural products activities, Natural Products Discovery Institute
(NPDI) and Fundacin Medina, are also
getting into the act. Although the organizations are steeped in traditional approaches
to natural products, they are quickly
adapting as they field requests from both
academic and biotech scientists who want
genomic information from their natural
product collections.
What weve seen in just a couple of
years is rising interest from companies to
mine the rich genome banks that are har-

bored in bacteria, says Rubn Henrquez,

director of business development at Fundacin Medina.

reers in the trenches of natural products

research point to several reasons behind
its industrial demise. Most often cited is
the advent of combinatorial chemistry and
THE ALLURE OF CRACKING into the bachigh-throughput screening, technologies
terial genome is simple. According to an exthat enable thousands of compounds to be
amination of the origins of drugs approved
rapidly synthesized and tested.
since 1981, published last year in the Journal
By comparison, finding and isolating a
of Natural Products, Mother Natures mohit from a natural products discovery camlecular building blocks are hard to beat.
paign is painstaking work: Classical methAbout 50% of the small-molecule drugs apods mean sloshing fermentation broth over
proved in the U.S. between 2000 and 2010
a bacteria-laden petri dish and waiting to
either are natural products or are related to
see what compounds are made. Even after
one. In 2010, 10 of the 20 small molecules
a promising compound is discovered, it can
take up to a year to purify enough
of it to conduct the kind of studies
that lead to human tests.
By the 1990s, speed had trumped
old-fashioned elbow grease. Companies wanted to have a lead
candidate within one-and-a-half
to two years, says William Kinney, director of business development at Doylestown, Pa.-based
NPDI, which in 2011 acquired
nearly 100,000 plant and microbial
samples from Merck. With that
new, accelerated time scale, it was
very hard for a natural product to
compete.
Moreover, although natural
products R&D had provided a
wealth of drugs for decades, companies were having a harder time
finding novel compounds. Instead,
they kept discovering the same
crop of molecules that had already
been discovered.
The productivity problem was
to win approval from the
only exacerbated by efforts to adapt
REVIVING RESOURCES
John Ondeyka,
Food & Drug Administranatural products to a high-throughtion were natural products, a Merck veteran
put setting, veterans say. Scientists
who now works at
including most of the new
shifted from testing whole fermenNDPI, processes
cancer drugs.
tation brothsa goopy proposinodulisporic acid
samples.
That stream of new
tion that didnt work well with the
drugs emerged despite
assays used in high-throughput
dwindling natural products
screeningand began focusing on
research by the big pharmaceutical compasolvent-specific extracts. But because they
nies. Most firms shuttered or significantly
tended to choose hydrophobic extracts, the
downsized their natural products research
most interesting compounds were often beefforts during the 1990s, leaving Novartis
ing thrown out with the aqueous layer.
and, to a lesser extent, Pfizer, as the last of
This was bad for antibacterials because
the pharma majors to maintain some level
many of the interesting things were polar,
of internal activity.
says Lynn Silver, a consultant who worked
Pharma veterans who spent their cafor years with natural products at Merck.

If I had a penny for every time I fermented that little

bugger, I could take you out for a good meal.
CEN.ACS.ORG

18

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

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COVER STORY

Meanwhile, drug companies were

walking away from developing antibiotics, the area where natural products
researchers had the most success. Facing
an uphill battle to discover new products,
the drug industry shifted its resources to
more lucrative therapeutic areas.
And yet, at the tail end of pharmas retrenchment, scientists were starting to realize that the previous decades of natural
products research had unearthed only a
tiny sliver of the compounds bacteria were
manufacturing. As DNA sequencing technology became more available and less expensive, academic and industry scientists
began to ponder how to skip the messy
and laborious culturing step altogether.
JUST HOW MUCH untapped molecular

diversity is out there? Observers point to

the mapping of the genomes of several
actinomycetes, a group of soil-dwelling
gram-positive bacteria that are the source
of many commonly prescribed antibiotics
and other drugs.
In 2001, the genome for Streptomyces
avermitilis was partially sequenced by a

NATURES BOUNTY Of the smallmolecule drugs approved between 1981 and

2010, half stem from natural products.
Natural products
6%

Based on a
natural product
pharmacophore
16%

Synthetics
50%

Derived from a
natural product
28%
Number of small-molecule drugs approved = 1,073
NOTE: Botanical sources contribute to less than 1% of
small-molecule drugs.
SOURCE: J. Nat. Prod.

group of scientists led by Satoshi Omura

of the Kitasato Institute, in Japan, who
found gene clusters for about 25 secondary metabolites, molecules that help with
survival. The next year, a group led by David
Hopwood at the John Innes Center in Norwich, England, published the sequence for
Streptomyces coelicolor, revealing more than
20 gene clusters for secondary metabolites.

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20

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Scientists working in petri dishes

would expect to see three, or if youre
lucky, four compounds from S. coelicolor,
explains David Newman, chief of the
Natural Products Branch of the National
Cancer Institute. And not for lack of trying to find more, he adds. If I had a penny
for every time I fermented that little bugger, I could take you out for a good meal.
Yet not everyone looked at the abundant gene clusters and saw a sea of drug
candidates. The biosynthetic pathways
defined by these genes are turned off
most of the time. That inactivity caused
skeptics to wonder how genome miners
could be so sure they carried the recipes
for medicinally important molecules.
Researchers pursuing genomicsbased natural products say the answer lies
in evolution and the environment. These
pathways are huge, says Gregory L. Challis, a professor of chemical biology at the
University of Warwick, in Coventry, England. With secondary metabolites encoded
by as many as 150 kilobases of DNA, a bacterium would have to expend enormous
amounts of energy to make each one.

Of course, not all bioactivities will be relevant to human

medicine and agriculture, but many of them will be.
Because they use so much energy, these
pathways are turned on only when absolutely necessary. Traditional grind and
find natural products discovery means
taking bacteria out of their natural habitatthe complex communities where they
communicate and compete for resources
and growing each strain in isolation. In this
artificial setting, bacteria have no reason to
expend energy to make anything other than
what they need to survive.
I absolutely, firmly believe that these
compounds have a strong role to play in
the environment in which these organisms
live, says Challis, who also continues to
pursue traditional approaches to natural
products. Of course, not all bioactivities
will be relevant to human medicine and agriculture, but many of them will be.

The next question was what to do with

all that information. Scientists thought
it would be as easy as cloning DNA from
the environment, dump it into a bug, and

WHILE SCIENTISTS such as the Japanese

researchers were working out the entire

genome for specific organisms, others in
academia and industry dove right into trying to produce new compounds from environmental DNA, fragments of DNA pulled
out of soil samples irrespective of their
microbial origins. The first efforts were exploratory. Researchers wanted to find out
what was there and hoped they could later
clone stretches of genes and plug them into
host organisms that would produce them.
The early methods were rudimentary.
Ariad Pharmaceuticals, for example, had
a small gene-mining effort in partnership
with scientists at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. The biotech firm ran a basic
experiment to see what a random sampling
of soil might yield. Rather than imposing this really stringent selection of these
organisms by asking them to grow at 37 C,
lets just ask, Whos there? recalls Michael
Gilman, who was chief scientific officer at
Ariad during the inception of those efforts.
To answer that question, they needed
soil samples. A particularly enthusiastic
Ariad scientist, Marcia S. Osborne, dug up
her own backyard in Lexington, Mass., and
brought a few buckets of dirt into the office.
It turned out that even when researchers
used a very crude DNA extraction method,
suburban soil displayed unbelievable
genetic variety, Gilman recounts. That
dirtit might have come from Mars, it was
so wacky.
CEN.ACS.ORG

21

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

you have this amazing resource, says Sean

F. Brady, head of Rockefeller Universitys
Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small
Molecules.

COVER STORY

A handful of companies emerged to

exploit the commercial potential of gene
mining; industry veterans will remember
names such as TerraGen and Diversa. But
one by one those effortsat least for the
purpose of finding drugsfaded. It took
a long time for people to realize that its
actually a significantly more complex problem, Brady says.

The next generation of natural products

researchers has spent the past 10 years trying to work through the problems that have
held the field back from realizing its commercial potential.
The most progress has been made in understanding how to organize all the information gleaned from both whole bacterial genomes and the fragments of gene sequences

found when sampling environmental DNA.

Scientists have generated enormous databases of genomic information that can be
used as a starting point for drug discovery
efforts. For example, if a company wants to
find analogs of a specific compound, the database can be mined for DNA that encodes
specific structural features of the molecule
or biosynthetic operations that make it.
WITH DATABASES in hand, research-

ers still need to decide what to search for.

Scientists see three avenues, each with an
increasing level of difficulty.
The easiest is to look for DNA that encodes for molecules that are closely related
to an already marketed drug in hopes of improving its properties. But that approach
has commercial limitations. The drawback is that normally patents are written to
cover most of the chemical space around a
drug, Warwicks Challis notes.
Another avenue is to search for relatives
of a natural product that for some reason
failed to make it as a drug. This strategy
assumes that Mother Nature is the best
medicinal chemist and has already come up
with the kind of improvements needed to
make it viable as a drug.
In both scenarios, abundant information about the synthetic pathway makes
a great guide for finding analogs. Its a
direction being pursued by Warp Drive,
although Verdine is quick to note that his
goal isnt to find minor tweaks on the original. Were looking for analogs in which the
evolutionary drift in the structure is large
enough that its taken the class of compounds to a new target, he explains.
Warp Drive is trying to improve its
chances of quickly finding interesting
molecules by narrowing its sights onto
compounds made to combat fungi. To be
effective, a compound needs to cross the
bacterias cell wall, survive in the soil, and
then get into the fungus. Verdine argues
that looking for that ability will improve
Warp Drives chances of finding molecules
that look and act like drugs. Probably 90%
of compounds that people screen for antibacterial activity dont work because they
dont penetrate the bacterial cell wall, Verdine says. Here, we have compounds that
have been evolved to get through a very
difficult passageFrodo going to Mordor
is nothingand persist in soil.
The third avenue, and the one that is the
toughest because theres little guidance
about the structure or biology, is to mine
the genome for entirely new structures.
CEN.ACS.ORG

22

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Although researchers believe this strategy

is the farthest from commercial success,
they hope it could one day open the door to
completely novel classes of biologically active compounds.
CHALLIS LAB AT WARWICK was one

of the first to show that it was possible to

translate a gene sequence to a novel molecule. The group found a gene cluster in
the S. coelicolor sequence that coded for
a previously unidentified nonribosomal
peptide synthetase. Each compound in that
enzyme family is responsible for making
a single nonribosomal peptide, a class of
natural products that includes antibiotics
such as vancomycin.
In 2000, the Warwick group predicted
that the product of the enzyme would be
a tripeptide they called coelichelin. Five
years later, to prove the concept was viable,
they published work showing they could
coax the bacterium into making the product, which turned out to be a tetrapeptide,
not a tripeptide.
Challis team and others have since identified and made other molecules, and he says
the process is getting faster. But when drug
companies can use high-throughput screening to test 10,000 compounds with known
structures in one fell swoop, the speed and
OH

O
OH

O
H2N

N
H H
N

N
O

NH
NH2

OH O

OH
O

spectrometry and proteomics. Theres

always some slight modification of the molecule compared with what was expected.
Dorrestein is applying advanced mass spectrometry techniques to help natural products researchers narrow down their predictions about the structure of a molecule.
Meanwhile, going from a prediction on
a computer screen to a real sample in a lab

HO

Coelichelin

N
H

scale of natural products discovery by gene

mining looks paltry in comparison.
A number of people look at this approach and say, Its kind of one pathway,
one molecule, Challis says. I think the
answer to that question is in emerging DNA
synthesis technology and being able to rapidly make clusters and put them under your
control rather than the organisms control.
Two keys to putting control in the hands
of scientists will be the reliable prediction
of structures and the ability to persuade organisms to make the compound of interest.
Our predictions are still not very good,
says Pieter C. Dorrestein, an associate professor at the University of California, San
Diego, who specializes in bioanalytical mass
CEN.ACS.ORG

23

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

is not trivial. You can identify clusters

to your hearts content; its getting them
expressed that becomes a black art, NCIs
Newman says.
In the case of coelichelin, Challis team
knew enough about the regulation of
the synthetic pathway to choose a set of
growth conditionsmost important, an
iron-deficient mediumthat would likely

prompt the right genes to be expressed.

But that approach wont work in every
case. Every microbe presents its own set
of challenges, says Bradley S. Moore, a
Scripps Institution of Oceanography biochemist who studies biosynthesis of marine microbial natural products. Its not
like one method fits all.
IN THE ABSENCE OF CLUES for how to

prompt bacteria to express desired genes,

researchers are turning to synthetic biology. The idea is to insert the key stretch
of DNA into a microbial host that is more
easily manipulated into manufacturing the
compound of interest. Weve made a very
deep commitment to doing engineered
overexpression of every single compound
we come across, Warp Drives Verdine
says. If theres a way to engineer it, which
almost always there is, we go straight to
that.
Although each step of the gene-mining
process has kinks to be worked out, researchers are confident they can turn what
has long been an academic pursuit into a
commercial one. Im really excited about
what the next few years are going to bring,
Moore says.
Those watching the field might wonder
if the research communitys enthusiasm
is grounded in reality. Whenever Verdine
waxes too rhapsodically about the science
his company is pursuing, hes brought
back to Earth by one of Warp Drives board
members, Greylock venture capitalist Bill
Helman. According to Verdine, he likes to
ask, Yeah, Greg, but where are the drugs?
That question is one that scientists at
the biotech firm pose to one another on
a regular basis as a playful reminder of
their mission. In its first six months, Warp
Drive tested the power of its technology
by rediscovering through gene mining
every known compound, plus a half-dozen
new ones, in the drug class it is pursuing,
Verdine says. By the end of 2014, Warp
Drive expects to have two molecules within
striking distance of human studiesthat
is, with an established mechanism of action and reasonable pharmacological
properties.
Although a successful second act for
the field of natural products research
might depend on Warp Drive meeting
those milestones, Verdine is unfazed by
the task ahead. This is a phenomenal opportunity, he says. This experiment that
were in the middle of has never been done
before.
CEN.ACS.ORG

24

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

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BUSINESS CONCENTRATES

COMPANIES PROGRESS
ON SHALE INVESTMENTS

FRANCE OKAYS REFRIGERANT

Dow Chemical and Shell Chemical are both

furthering plans to build petrochemical
facilities that take advantage of burgeoning
supplies of natural gas from shale. Dow has
selected sites for previously announced Gulf
Coast polymer plants that will be downstream from new ethylene capacity the firm
is planning for the region. Freeport, Texas,
will host plants making Affinity hot-melt
adhesives and Elite polyethylene for packaging applications. In Plaquemine, La., Dow
will construct ethylene propylene diene
monomer rubber and low-density polyethylene plants. Separately, Shell is soliciting
bids from ethane suppliers for the ethylene
cracker and downstream facilities the firm is
considering for Monaca, Pa. A Shell affiliate
and other firms have already signed on to
supply ethane to the project, although Shell
has yet to give it the final go-ahead.AHT

Frances top court has cleared the way for the sale of new Mercedes-Benz
autos equipped with a banned air-conditioning fluid. The decision overturns a June ruling by the countrys environment minister blocking the
sale of about 4,600 Mercedes-Benz cars with the refrigerant hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-134a because they did not meet a European Union law
requiring use of alternatives with lower global-warming potential in new
model cars. But Frances Conseil dtat said the number of cars involved
poses little harm to the environment and promised to soon decide the
fate of HFC-134a-equipped cars in France. Daimler, the parent company
of Mercedes-Benz, maintains that the only viable alternative at this point,
hydrofluoroolefin (HFO)-1234yf, poses an unacceptable fire hazard. Honeywell International and DuPont, which make HFO-1234yf, say the new refrigerant is safe and expect European officials to enforce the phaseout of
HFC-134a. Carmakers such as General Motors are using the new refrigerant in Europe, but now Toyota says it will stop selling cars with HFO-1234yf
in response to customers safety concerns.MSR

AKZO COATING TO AID

SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT

AK ZONOBEL

Students from two Dutch schools will attempt to break the world speed record for
a human-powered vehicle with the help of
a coating from AkzoNobel. The students,

thane additive manufacturing capacity

and resources at several sites. In China,
the firm moved its polyurethane additives headquarters to a site in Pudong,
Shanghai, that also includes the units
sales, marketing, and technology operations. Other projects include an additives
plant in Leverkusen, Germany, and an applications development center in Italy. In
India, Momentive expanded its manufacturing capabilities, and in Brazil it added
capacity to support the growing automotive industry.MSR

BASF SIGNS PACT FOR

CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS

from Delft Univer- AkzoNobel compares

the air resistance of
sity of Technology
the VeloX3 to that of
and Free University of Amsterdam, a beer coaster in an
airstream.
will bring their
VeloX3 recumbent
bicycle to the Nevada desert later this year
in a quest to go faster than 133 km per hour.
The bicycles surface is covered with a
coating that, according to Akzo, reduces air
resistance by 14%.MM

MOMENTIVE BEEFS UP
ADDITIVES CAPACITY
Momentive Performance Materials has
made investments to increase polyure-

BASF has agreed to work with Integral Technologies to develop the market for Integrals line of conductive plastics. Integrals
ElectriPlast subsidiary blends engineering
polymers such as nylon, polycarbonate, and
acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene with nickel
and stainless steel to yield conductive polymers. ElectriPlast and BASF will market
them to automotive suppliers as lightweight
electrical shielding materials. Integral also
has a development agreement with auto
parts firm Delphi Automotive.AHT

M&G CHALLENGES
INVISTA ON CLAIMS
Polyethylene terephthalate resin maker
Mossi & Ghisolfi says competitor Invista is
making misleading statements regarding
CEN.ACS.ORG

26

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

a patent suit between the two firms. Last

month, Invista announced that the U.S.
District Court for the District of Delaware
found that M&G was infringing a patent on
Invistas PolyShield resin technology, which
provides a high gas barrier for food and beverage packaging. M&G says the court found
only indirect infringement of the patent.
Moreover, Invista had voluntarily dismissed
other suits related to the infringement case,
M&G says, and courts in Italy and Germany
ruled in M&Gs favor.AHT

AUSTRALIAS ORICA
FUNDS CARBON CAPTURE
Australian chemical maker Orica and local
government agencies are together putting
about $8 million into Mineral Carbonation
International, an Orica-backed firm focused on carbon dioxide capture. MCI is
developing mineral carbonation, a process
that accelerates a natural carbon capture
mechanism by combining CO2 with lowgrade minerals such as serpentinite to
create solid carbonates. MCI will use CO2
emitted by an Orica nitrogen chemicals
plant on Australias Kooragang Island.MM

ADM PLANS ABSORBENT

STARCH FOR SRI LANKA
Agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland
has formed a joint venture with Sri Lankabased CIC Holdings and specialty chemical
maker Chemanex to build a facility in Sri

GEVO

BUSINESS CONCENTRATES

Lanka for starch-based superabsorbent

polymers. The products, like competing
petroleum-based polyacrylate polymers,
are used in baby diapers and other hygiene
products. The polymers will be made from
locally sourced agricultural feedstocks.
Dow Chemical and BASF are working on
polyacrylate polymers made from biobased
acrylic acid.MMB

CHINESE COMPANY
INVESTS IN GEORGIA
Chinese phosphates producer Hubei Xingfa Chemicals plans to build a facility in Effingham County, Ga. To employ 50 people,
the plant will supply industrial phosphates
to North American customers when it
opens next year, the firm says. Xingfa is
based in Yichang, in the inland province of
Hubei, where it operates phosphate mines
and downstream chemical plants. Xingfa
calls itself the largest phosphate producer
in central China.JFT

GEVO OPENS TEXAS

p-XYLENE PLANT
Gevo has opened a plant in Silsbee, Texas,
that produces demonstration quantities of
p-xylene from biobased isobutyl alcohol.
The company can make more than 1,000 lb
per month of the polyester intermediate,
all of which will go to Japans Toray Industries. Gevo and Toray are working together

BUSINESS
ROUNDUP
SOLEXEL has raised
$54 million in a third
round of venture capital
funding. The Milpitas,
Calif.-based solar startup makes monocrystalline solar cells using silicon gas, a process that
it says produces highefficiency cells for lower
cost than traditional wafer-based technologies.
LINDE will build what it
calls the worlds largest
carbon dioxide liquefaction plant at Saudi Basic
Industries Corp.s complex in Al Jubail Industrial

MEDIMMUNE AGREES TO
PURCHASE AMPLIMMUNE

to supply renewable Executives recently

cut the ribbon at
polyester resin to
Gevos Texas plant.
be used in 100%
plant-based bottles
for Coca-Cola. The Silsbee facility also produces jet fuel from isobutyl alcohol for the
U.S. military. Gevo makes the alcohol via
fermentation in Luverne, Minn.MMB

SOLVAY TO SELL
PEPTISYNTHA

SANGAMO WILL GET

ALZHEIMERS FIRM

International Chemical Investors Group

will buy Peptisyntha, a custom peptide manufacturer, from Solvay. A specialist in liquidphase synthesis, Brussels-based Peptisyntha
will join other peptide manufacturers within
ICIGs CordenPharma group. In 2011, ICIG
purchased Genzymes pharmaceutical
intermediates business in Switzerland and
Roches peptide manufacturing site in Colorado. Peptisynthas U.S.-based sister company was shut down in March, and some of its
customer relationships will be transferred.
The peptide sale will complete Solvays exit
from the life sciences area.AMT

City, Saudi Arabia. The

plant will compress
around 1,500 metric tons
per day of CO2 emitted
by two ethylene glycol
plants for sale to the
food and beverage industry and for use in methanol and urea production.
WARWICK Chemicals
has secured a $60 million refinancing package from three banks.
The Welsh company
is the worlds largest
producer of tetraacetylethylenediamine, a
bleach activator. Warwick
says the new funding will
help it expand its production capacity.

PPG INDUSTRIES will

spend about $34 million
to build a paint resins
plant at its facility in
Sumar, Brazil, by 2015.
Relying on imported
resins to make automotive, industrial, and other
coatings is expensive and
hurting its competitiveness, the company says.
THERMO FISHER
Scientific will award 44
four-year scholarships
annually to undergraduates studying science,
technology, engineering,
and math at five schools
including MIT; University
of California, Berkeley;
and Imperial College

CEN.ACS.ORG

27

MedImmune, the biologics division

of AstraZeneca, has agreed to acquire
Amplimmune for $225 million. The deal
will secure for MedImmune several earlystage drug candidates from Amplimmunes
immune-mediated cancer therapy (IMCT)
portfolio, including AMP-514, an antiprogrammed-cell-death monoclonal
antibody in preclinical development. MedImmunes oncology research is focused
on IMCT, in which the immune system is
empowered to counteract the tactics used
by cancer cells to avoid detection and attack the body. Amplimmunes owners will
be eligible for milestone payments of up to
$275 million.RM

Sangamo BioSciences will acquire privately

held Ceregene, a developer of adenoassociated virus (AAV) gene therapies.
To complete the deal, Richmond, Calif.based Sangamo will issue stock, worth
about $1 million at its recent share price,
and will later make payments contingent
on revenues generated from licensing or
selling Ceregene products. CERE-110, an
AAV-delivered nerve growth factor gene
that works in the brain to treat Alzheimers
disease, is in an NIH-supported Phase II
clinical trial.AMT

London. The firm will

spend $700,000 annually on the program when
it fully ramps up in four
years.
SYNALLOY has acquired Color Resources,
a Fountain Inn, S.C., toll
manufacturer for the
chemical industry. Synalloy says the purchase,
for $3.5 million, complements its existing Manufacturers Chemicals
custom manufacturing
business in Cleveland,
Tenn.
SUNSHINE Biopharma,
a Montreal-based oncology drug company, has

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

agreed to acquire the

pharmaceutical services
firm Garmen Laboratories for an undisclosed
sum. Garmen will manufacture 1 kg of Adva-27a,
Sunshines flagship anticancer drug candidate.
ELI LILLY & CO. is
working with Denmarks
Zealand Pharma on the
design and development
of peptides for the treatment of type 2 diabetes
and obesity. Lilly scientists have discovered a
peptide-hormone-based
approach that, according
to the partners, has the
potential to lower blood
glucose and body weight.

REX/TONY KERSHAW

BUSINESS

exploration for shale

gas in France, he reProtesters being
cently told a French TV
arrested as
channel. Hollande has
they attempt
to stop workers
almost four more years
from getting to
in office.
a fracking well
The EU has taken
in Balcombe,
a neutral position by
England.
allowing policies on
fracking to be determined at the national level. But that hasnt
stopped infighting among leading figures
within the European Commission, the
EUs executive arm. EU Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard is opposed to the
exploitation of shale gas, whereas other
senior commission figures have come out
in favor of fracking because they say it will
strengthen the regions economy.
Following a public comment period early
this year, the commission created a project
to develop safer and cleaner fracking technologies. Part of the EUs European Energy
Research Alliance, the multiyear project will
feature input from 24 European research
institutes. One of EERAs main goals is to
develop harmonized approaches to fracking, says Ren Peters, the projects director
and the director of gas technology for TNO,
a Dutch research organization that itself is
developing fracking technology.
MEET THE
ANTIFRACKERS

FRACKING DEBATE
SPLITS EUROPE
BATTLE LINES are being drawn as industry begins test drilling
ALEX SCOTT, C&EN LONDON

A WALK ALONG THE COUNTRY lanes

of Balcombe, a leafy English village in the

county of West Sussex, used to be accompanied by the sounds of a woodpecker, a
blackbird, or perhaps a wood pigeon. But
that was before July when British oil and
gas company Cuadrilla rolled in to test-drill
for gas in shale deposits using hydraulic
fracturing, or fracking.
These days in Balcombe you are more
likely to hear the rumble of heavy machinery and the shouts of antifracking protesters. Activists have set up camp, banners are
being waved, and dozens of arrests have
been made outside Cuadrillas site entrance. Protesters are concerned about the
environmental consequences of fracking,
including seismic activity as well as pollution from chemicals that are mixed with
water and pumped underground to open
up fractures and allow gas out.
Although fracking sparks debate in the
U.S., in Europe it triggers much more,
actually dividing the region. Among the
European Unions 28 member states, countries such as Bulgaria, France, and Ireland
have banned fracking on environmental
grounds. Other countriesalong with Europes chemical industryare embracing it
as a path to economic prosperity.

The U.K. has the most ambitious

fracking plans of any country in Europe.
Countries including Denmark, Poland,
and some Eastern European states reliant
on gas from Russia are also taking steps to
establish the technology. Oil and gas firms
drilled a series of test wells in Poland in
2012 but have not yet identified any positive results. Fracking is also permitted in
Germany, but it has yet to be established on
a large scale.
In France, on the other hand, oil and gas
company Schuepbach Energy is currently
challenging the government in court over
the cancellation of two shale gas exploration
permits after the country banned fracking.
French oil and chemicals giant Total, which
has a permit to explore 4,327 km2 of land
in southern France, will be watching the
Schuepbach case closely.
French President Franois Hollande
says any potential economic advantages
from exploiting shale gas are outweighed
by concerns about air and water pollution.
As long as I am president, there will be no

ACCORDING TO THE U.K. government,

frackings economic benefits outweigh its

potential environmental impact. I think
we would be making a big mistake as a nation if we did not think hard about how to
encourage fracking, U.K. Prime Minister
David Cameron told journalists recently.
Even if we see only a fraction of the impact shale gas has had in America, we can
expect to see lower energy prices in this
country. There is no question of having
earthquakes and fire coming out of taps
and all the rest of it. There will be very clear
environmental procedures and certificates
you will have to get before you can frack.
U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer
George Osborne has pledged to make
the U.K.s tax regime the most generous
for shale in the world with an effective
tax rate for onshore fracking of just 30%,
compared with 62% for conventional oil
and gas extraction. Additionally, shale gas
companies are required to give local com-

I fear we could very easily see

Europe missing another boat.
CEN.ACS.ORG

28

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

munities at least $150,000 for each

well drilled.
Even with these financial incentives on the table, U.K. residents are
evenly split for and against fracking,
according to a recent survey by London-based ICM Research. It found
that 41% of British people would support fracking in their local area and
40% would oppose it.
MOST ENVIRONMENTAL organiza-

WEIGHING THE FRACKING ARGUMENT IN EUROPE

FOR
Energy

Contributes to a countrys

AGAINST
Hinders the transition to renewable energy

energy supply

Environment

Friendly compared with other

forms of energy production
Local production allows control
over energy output impact

Safety

Is safe to produce

tions, including U.K.-based Frack Off,

Economy Profitable for host country
are resisting any form of fracking.
Boosts local economy
Frack Off is one of a number of groups
that have sprung up in Europe to raise
Politics Reduces host countrys
dependence on fuel imports
awareness about potential environmental effects. Frack Off associates
SOURCE: TNO
the technology with leaking methane,
water contamination, air pollution,
radioactivity, climate change, and
large consumer of natural gas in the U.K.,
earthquakes. Additionally, severe health
have remained largely quiet on the issue,
effects in people and animals are beginning
allowing trade associations such as the
to mount in areas where shale gas extracU.K.s Chemical Industries Association
tion is widespread, the organization states.
(CIA) and the European Chemical IndusIn the face of protests, European chemitry Council (CEFIC) to make the case for
cal companies such as Ineos, which is a
fracking on their behalf.

CEN.ACS.ORG

29

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Production harms the environment

Takes up space and disturbs tranquility

Production is a hazard to employees

and residents

Expensive, and profitability is unclear

Lowers property values
Can lead to domestic political tensions
Requires amendments to existing
legislation

Can negatively affect neighboring countries

Its difficult to predict what effect widespread fracking would have on the European chemical industry, but even limited
fracking can generate positive effects on
energy and feedstock prices that we should
not forgo, says Ren van Sloten, executive
director of industrial policy for CEFIC.

BUSINESS

Speaking to The Telegraph, a national U.K.

newspaper, earlier this year, Ineos Director
Tom Crotty highlighted the massive opportunity that fracking would provide for
the U.K.
Yet European chemical executives are
acutely aware that environmental concerns
could limit use of fracking technology in
the region. Im pessimistic with regard

to Europes general technophobia and

willingness to trot out the precautionary
principle without any real thought of costs
and benefits, says Alan Eastwood, a CIA
economic adviser. There is a strongly entrenched green movement which will fight
hard against any use of more fossil fuels. I
fear we could very easily see Europe missing another boat.

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30

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Even if industry gets its way and governments across the region embrace fracking,
activity would be lower than in the U.S.
because drilling would be limited by Europes high population density. Fracking
requires a lot of wells. Europe has much
less available space as a result of its higher
population density and a subsurface that
is used extensively for other purposes,
TNOs Peters says.
POTENTIALLY TIPPING the argument in

favor of fracking in the U.K. are recent geological surveys that indicate larger reserves
of shale gas than previously had been
identified. The British Geological Survey
now estimates that 1,300 trillion cu ft of gas
could lie under northern England. Just 10%
of this gas could meet Britains needs for at
least the next four decades.
The reserves are much larger than the
137 trillion cu ft in France and 148 trillion
cu ft in Poland, figures that come from the
U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Germany also has smaller reserves, so the
German Advisory Council on the Environment, a government advisory group, has
stated that it doubts shale gas would be
profitable in Germany.
However, experts say that emerging
technologies for enhancing recovery of
shale gas could hike the amount of economically recoverable gas. Technology also
could be the key to keeping a lid on European concerns about the greenhouse gas
impact of fracked gas, which some recent
studies show is greater than that for natural gas extracted conventionally (Geophys.
Res. Lett. 2013, DOI: 10.1002/grl.50811).
One problem with fracked gas in some
U.S. wells is that methane may be released
to the atmosphere when water from wells
is released into surface ponds.
In Europe, however, companies are required to keep well water contained. This
practice should keep the additional greenhouse impact of fracked gas to within 10%
of that of conventionally extracted gas, according to Peters.
Oil and gas firms insist that fracking
can be done safely and with minimal harm
to the environment. But not everyone
believes them, including many of the residents of Balcombe. Only days ago Cuadrilla
hoisted the white flag and stated that, on
advice from U.K. police, it has temporarily
halted drilling operations in the village. The
firm is now looking for sites that are farther
from human habitation, something hard to
find on this sceptred, crowded isle.

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UT ARLINGTON

BUSINESS

struments, as well as the

cohesiveness of it all being one brand and being
maintained, puts us on
pretty unique ground,
boasts UT Arlington
chemistry professor
Kevin A. Schug, who
was instrumental in getting the partnership off the ground.
Getting to this point was a stepwise process, says Terry Adams, SSIs vice president
for marketing. Based in Maryland, SSI is the
U.S. arm of the Japanese instrument maker
Shimadzu. Although its parent has connections with Japanese universities, SSI had
been looking to create its own U.S.-based
partnership. With an office in Houston, its
business was already growing in Texas.
Shimadzu also was familiar with Schugs
research since his days as a graduate student. He joined the UT Arlington faculty
in 2005 and set up a lab that included Shimadzu equipment. Soon after, scientists in
the region began approaching him about
research projects, some of which were
outside his expertise. I saw a big need for
some type of core facility here but wasnt
quite sure how to go about it, Schug says.
Eventually, Schug worked with SSI to
propose a new chemistry instrumentation center at the university. In the spring
of 2012, UT Arlington signed off on the
Shimadzu Center for Advanced Analytical Chemistry (SCAAC). The $6.7 million
center combines $3.7 million in purchases
by the university and a $3 million in-kind
contribution from Shimadzu. The center
is now the first operational unit under the
broad SIRT umbrella.
It wouldnt have happened had we
not had a very good relationship with Shimadzu and a forward-looking administration, Schug says. The initiative established
the Shimadzu Distinguished Professor of
Analytical Chemistry chair, which Schug
now holds. Since July, he has also served
as Shimadzu science adviser to UT Arlingtons vice president for research.
When SCAAC opened in April 2012, it
was the largest installation of analytical
instrumentation from Shimadzu in the
Western Hemisphere. By October 2012,
UT Arlington had agreed to buy another
$18.5 million in Shimadzu instrumentation
to start two more centers. One for biomolecular imaging is getting under way, while
an environmental, forensic, and materials
analysis center is set to open by spring 2014.
Along with these three facilities, SIRT
COLLABORATION

Students work
in the Shimadzu
Center for
Advanced
Analytical
Chemistry at UT
Arlington.

INSTRUMENTS FIND A
HOME ON THE RANGE
Shimadzu and the University of Texas, Arlington,
build a sprawling TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP
ANN M. THAYER, C&EN HOUSTON

EVEN INSTRUMENTATION centers are

bigger in Texas. A recently launched partnership between Shimadzu Scientific Instruments (SSI) and the University of Texas,
Arlington, is setting new standards for gift
giving by an instrumentation company and
for cooperation between industry and academia in the field of analytical technology.
The partners are creating the Shimadzu
Institute for Research Technologies
(SIRT), which will encompass two teaching labs and five separate centers spanning
analytical chemistry, imaging, genomics,
and materials analysis. The five-year goal
is to create nearly self-sustaining instrumentation resources to support the independent research of a broad range of UT
system faculty and students, as well as corporate partners, including Shimadzu.
Collaboration with university researchers is a common practice among
instrumentation providers. For example,
Waters Corp. supports about 20 singleinvestigator centers of excellence. And
Agilent Technologies has a multiyear,
multi-million-dollar commitment to the
Synthetic Biology Institute at the University of California, Berkeley.
With $25.2 million in equipment, however, the UT Arlington effort stands out for

its scope and scale. In February 2013, after

SSI pledged an additional $7.5 million to
support the operation of the institutethe
largest gift the university has ever receivedUT Arlington gave the initiative its
name. Although SSI will be a scientific collaborator and make technicians available to
maintain the university-purchased equipment, the company is not involved in managing the center, says UT Arlingtons vice
president of research, Carolyn L. Cason.
The sheer magnitude and breadth of in-

MULTIPLE PARTS
The Shimadzu Institute for Research
Technologies features the following
centers and labs:
Shimadzu Center for Advanced
Analytical Chemistry
Center for Bio-Molecular Imaging
Center for Environmental, Forensics
& Material Analysis
Center for Human Genomics
Materials Genome Center
Chemistry and biochemistry
teaching lab
Biology teaching lab

CEN.ACS.ORG

32

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

will include an existing materials lab and

a human genomics center. Although the
centers reside in separate departments
and buildings, access is open to researchers in all disciplines, says Joe A. Barrera,
who became SIRT director in February.
Meanwhile, the chemistry and biology
departments will expose even nonmajor
undergraduate students to advanced instrumentation in the teaching labs through
their own curriculum.

young scientists at UT Arlington. I see

them sort of as a farm team for us, he admits. I need strong students coming out of
school to come to work for Shimadzu.
Even though not all the centers are
operating, UT Arlingtons departments
are already using them to attract faculty
and students, Cason says. With about
33,500 students, UT Arlington is the sec-

ond-largest school within the UT system.

Our annual research expenditures
are running about $72 million, Cason
says, which makes the scale of the investment significant. The institute will have
significant impact in research and help
us accomplish a doubling of our research
expenditures within four years. Those are
some big numbers, even for Texas.

EACH OF THE CENTERS will have a man-

ager and a senior scientist, Barrera explains.

We want to see how we can apply these
instruments and push the boundaries of research, he says. As the centers grow and establish services, SIRT will hire more staff to
operate instruments and analyze samples.
We will have several routes to access the
centers, including sample submission and
analysis, and open access where researchers can come and use the instrumentation,
Barrera says. To recoup most of the operating costs and reduce the need for university
subsidies, SIRT has a three-tier fee structure: The lowest rate is for Texas universities, another is for outside academic institutions, and one is for commercial interests.
A lot of industries will want to use this
kind of instrumentation, especially smaller
companies that just dont have the resources, Barrera says. Industry customers will help recoup some of the cost, but
at the same time we also look to harness
collaborative relationships between industry and our own faculty. Projects already
under way include developing methods for
analyzing water and assaying estrogen in
biomedical studies.
The universitys vision for SIRT is a
great mix of academics, graduate research,
and external services, SSIs Adams says.
The institute also fits with Shimadzus
desire to see its instruments used widely
and may serve as a testing ground for the
company. As we bring out new technology,
UT Arlington will be one of the first sites
we will take it to prior to launching it in the
U.S. marketplace, he says.
Both the university and SSI see the relationship as more than client and provider,
and they are excited about an exchange of
scientists and research that is beginning
to take place. Its not a sales situation. We
have a center where we can be open and
frank with each other, Adams says. They
can tell us what is wrong with our instruments, and we try to fix it and vice versa.
Hes also keen about working with

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GOVERNMENT & POLICY CONCENTRATES

LAWMAKERS SEEK
PENALTY FOR TRADESECRET THEFT

EPA PLANS TO APPROVE

NANOSILVER PRODUCT

Two members of New Yorks U.S. congressional delegation are urging the International Trade Commission (ITC) to penalize
a Chinese firm found to have stolen trade
secrets from Schenectady, N.Y.-based resin
manufacturer SI Group. It is critical that
in reviewing this case, the commission consider the importance of the domestic industries and ensure that intellectual property
rights are upheld, Sen. Charles E. Schumer
(D-N.Y.) and Rep. Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.)
wrote in a late-August letter to the six ITC
commissioners. In June, ITC Administrative Law Judge Robert K. Rogers Jr. found
that Sino Legend (Zhangjiagang) Chemical
Co. and several affiliates colluded with a
plant manager at SI Groups Shanghai facility to steal the firms proprietary technology
for making certain rubber resins used in the
production of vehicle tires. In addition to
capturing nearly 70% of the Chinese market,
Sino Legend began shipping the resins to the
U.S. for sale and distribution. Rogers recommended a 10-year import ban on the infringing Sino Legend products. ITC is scheduled
to issue a final ruling by Nov. 8.GH

EPA announced on Aug. 27 that it plans to approve the use of a nanosilvercontaining antimicrobial product called Nanosilva as a preservative in
items that do not come into contact with food, including sportswear, footwear, floor coverings, and outdoor furniture. The nanosilver in Nanosilva
is not in any currently approved pesticide. EPA reviewed data provided by
Florida-based Nanosilva LLC, the company that makes Nanosilva, as well
as data from the scientific literature, to evaluate the potential hazards of
the product. The agency reported that plastics and textiles treated with
Nanosilva release at most, exceedingly small amounts of silver. As a result, EPA says, Nanosilva will not cause unreasonable adverse effects on
people, including children, or the environment. As a condition of registration, EPA is requiring the company to better characterize the nanosilver
in Nanosilva, conduct a 90-day rat inhalation toxicity study, and carry out
a reproduction and developmental toxicity screening test. The company
must generate the data within four years. EPA is accepting comments on
the proposed decision until Sept. 26.BEE

trend in California to recycle polystyrene

foam food-service packaging, ACC says.
Two other cities in Silicon Valley, Palo Alto
and Los Altos Hills, have already banned
polystyrene containers for food service.
Several other municipalities in the region
are expected to adopt similar prohibitions
in the wake of San Joses action.CH

SAN JOSE BANS FOAM

FOOD CONTAINERS

San Jose is banning

polystyrene foam
food-service
containers.

SHU TTERSTOCK

In a move expected to inspire other California municipalities to follow suit, the city
of San Jose last week adopted a phaseout
of expanded polystyrene containers for
food service starting in 2014. The city council of San Jose agreed to ban polystyrene
containers for food service to reduce the
amount of trash washed into storm drains.
Proponents of the ban point out that these
lightweight containers, which are not biodegradable, are often blown by wind out of
trash cans and can easily break into small
bits because they are brittle. The American Chemistry Council, an association of
companies that manufacture chemicals, including polystyrene,
opposes the ban, saying the move will kill
efforts to recycle this
material. San Joses
ban runs counter to a

SHARP DROP IN COAL

USE PREDICTED
As much as 20% of U.S. coal-fired electricity generation is expected to be shut down
over the next three to five years, according
to a recent report funded by the Department of Energy. The study, by the consulting firm ICF International, examined the
eastern region of the U.S., which is home to
85% of U.S. coal-fired power plants. It estimated that up to 60 gigawatts of electrical
capacity will be retired. Driving the retirements is a combination of power plant age;
the costs of installing long-delayed modern
pollution controls; inexpensive fuel alternatives, particularly natural gas; and expected limits on carbon dioxide emissions.
Most of the units in the eastern region are
more than 50 years old and lack basic sulfur
dioxide controls, according to the report.
The study also found that availability of carbon capture and sequestration technologies is unlikely in the near future. Overall, it
described a shift to natural gas generation
in the U.S., predicting that carbon capture
CEN.ACS.ORG

34

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

technologies are more likely to be tried first

on natural-gas-fired power plants, not coalfueled ones.JJ

U.S. SUPPORT FOR

INDUSTRY R&D
FALLS BEHIND
Improving industrial R&D has been a big
part of President Barack Obamas efforts
to revive the U.S. manufacturing sector. In
the midst of that discussion, the Government Accountability Office has examined
the support provided by the governments of
four countries with more successful manufacturing sectors: Canada, Germany, Japan,
and South Korea. In a report (GAO-13-365),
which was requested by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), the investigative arm
of Congress says the four other countries
put more emphasis on programs that bridge
the gap between ideas and sales. Those
programs encourage collaboration between
companies and researchers, provide technical support to companies, or fund infrastructure. The report notes that Canada is shifting
from R&D tax credits to direct research
support for small and medium-sized companies. And Germany has created a series of
research institutes focused on addressing
important industrial questions. The report
also finds that other countries emphasize
vocational training and credentials at a national level rather than leaving the training
to state or local governments.AW

GOVERNMENT & POLICY

Widespread budget cuts are forcing federal employees

and academics to make some TOUGH DECISIONS
ANDREA WIDENER AND LINDA WANG, C&EN WASHINGTON

ITS HER DAY OFF, and Deana Crumbling

mately $1 trillion over 10 yearsand hit

cant stop thinking about work. The enviso many programs important to both Reronmental scientist at the Environmental
publicans and Democrats that most people
Protection Agency has been furloughed for
thought they would never be allowed to
10 days without pay from May through Sephappen. But when the supercommittee
tember, and she isnt allowed to work on her
failed to reach a compromise, the sequester
furlough days. Back at the office, her assignkicked in. And although Congress did postments have piled up with no relief in sight.
pone the start date from January to March 1
Meanwhile, shes doing her best to keep
of this year, the budget cuts have begun.
up. I work through lunch, stay late, whatPresident Barack Obama has made it
ever it takes, says Crumbling, who
clear he wants to replace
works in the Office of Solid Waste &
sequestration with a
Emergency Response.
broader deficit reduction
RESEARCH AT RISK
Sequestration
Employee furloughs are among
package, something most
jeopardizes projects
the most immediate and visible signs
in Congress agree with.
like Baless efforts
of across-the-board federal budget
But to date, Republicans
to understand
cuts known as sequestration, but the
and Democrats have been
how nutrients are
impacts to federally funded research
processed in streams. unable to agree on what
projects, academic grants, and scientists morale run far deeper. Most
federal agencies have seen important
projects slowed or terminated, academics have seen delayed grants and
fewer overall grants available, and everyone in the research community has
felt the uncertainty of not knowing
what will happen next. The sequester
will be in place through 2021 unless
Congress acts to change the law.
I have never seen it as difficult as
it is today to obtain the funding and
resources needed to perform our research, says Benjamin R. Miller, a research scientist at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administrations
Earth System Research Laboratory.
Sequestration was never supposed
to happen. It was built into the Budget Control Act of 2011 as a stick to
force a bipartisan group of legislators
called the supercommittee to make
a deal to reduce the immense federal
deficit. The law makes major cuts,
averaging 8%, to most discretionary
programs that Congress votes on
each year. These cuts affect almost all
federal R&D funding.
The cuts were so bigapproxiCEN.ACS.ORG

35

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

SIX MONTHS AFTER the start of seques-

tration, its impacts continue to play out.

Most scientists understand cuts have to be
made to bring down the deficit, but they
are worried about the consequences for
science of such arbitrary reductions, which
have impacted almost every program.
For instance at NOAA, Miller says that
the budget cuts have forced the agency to
close several long-term sampling sites used
to monitor greenhouse gases and other
chemicals in the atmosphere that
contribute to climate change and
ozone depletion. That is creating
gaps in the data, which the agency
uses to create models, Miller notes.
Its like introducing a blind spot
where you had vision at one time.
Furthermore, each of those sites
has taken a significant investment to
start up, he says, pointing out that
NOAA recently had to close a sampling site in Mongolia. To have these
sites be snuffed out is a great loss
because its really difficult to get them
started again.
Crumbling says sequestration has
meant that EPA management has no
choice but to delay some contaminated site cleanups. There isnt the
money to deal with them at the moment, she says.
Jerad Bales, chief scientist for
water at the U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS), says his agency has had to
shut down several stream gauges,
which measure how much water is
moving down a river at a particular
point. Among other applications,
these gauges are used by the National
Weather Service to forecast floods.
K ATIE BARN ELLA/USGS MINNESOTA WATER SCIENCE CEN TER

SEQUESTRATION
FRUSTRATION

such a package would include. Until that

happens, the sequester is here to stay.
After sequestration went into effect, the
harmful impact of cuts in some specific
jobs, such as air traffic controllers, showed
up immediately, which caused Congress
to swiftly alter those cuts. But for most
federal R&D agencies, the effects, such as
delayed grants, canceled research projects,
or pay cuts, werent as obvious.
We said it would not be immediate
doom and gloom, explains Al Shaffer,
acting assistant secretary of defense for
research and engineering at the Department of Defense, which had $1 billion cut
from its $12 billion research budget for fiscal 2013. It is more like a death of a thousand cuts.

GOVERNMENT & POLICY

We have cut to the bone, Bales says.

You just keep trimming, and trimming,
and trimming until its not a viable program anymore. Hes worried about
USGSs ability to anticipate and potentially
mitigate the effects of natural disasters.
Investments in new equipment and
technologies are also being scaled back,
NOAAs Miller says. Thats frustrating
because we need to be on the cutting edge
of science in order to be able to deliver the
products to society that we feel society
needs to make educated decisions on issues that impact peoples lives.
RECENT TRAVEL restrictions imposed by

the White House Office of Management &

Budget have added to the frustration. OMB
has told agencies to cut their travel budgets
by 30% and to obtain special approvals for
meetings spending that exceeds $100,000,
as well as agency director approval for meetings spending that exceeds $500,000. Bales
says that from March 1 through the end of
June, USGS cut its spending on scientific
meetings by $2.7 million from the same
period in 2012. Thats where a lot of science

R&D FUNDING
Sequestration imposed significant cuts on key federal science agencies
$ MILLIONS

National Institutes of Health

Department of Defense science and technology
National Aeronautics & Space Administration
Department of Energy
National Science Foundationc
National Institute of Standards & Technologyc
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administrationc

2012a

2013b

$30,010
13,330
11,315
10,811
5,705
557
574

$28,360
12,712
10,566
10,027
5,510
588
561

CHANGE
2012-13

-5.5%
-4.6
-6.6
-7.3
-3.4
5.6
-2.3

NOTE: Budgets for R&D activities only. a Actual. b Estimate after deduction of sequestered funds. c Numbers reflect a
last-minute boost that offset some of the financial damage of sequestration.
SOURCE: American Association for the Advancement of Science

gets done, its where we collaborate with

colleagues, its where we find new ideas, and
where we generate new work, he says.
For example, USGS sent 60 employees to
the Ecological Society of America meeting
in 2012, Bales says, but sent roughly 40 this
year. Last year the agency sent 70 people to
the Seismological Society of America meeting but only 14 this year, to avoid having to
secure permission from the Department of
the Interior, a lengthy process.
EPA is encouraging its employees to take

advantage of virtual training opportunities,

but that is not a substitute for personal
interactions, Crumbling says. Part of
our job is to keep up with new research,
and we cant do that anymore. We have to
rely on whats published a lot more than
when we used to be able to talk to people at
conferences.
All these impacts have lowered employee
morale. Weve had high-level, long-term
employees who have decided theyre going to take early retirement. Thats a loss,

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CEN.ACS.ORG

36

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Sequestration
At A Glance
What is sequestration?
Across-the-board federal budget cuts
aimed at reducing the federal debt, set
out in the Budget Control Act of 2011.
What programs does it affect?
Almost every federal agency, including
research programs. It does not touch
mandatory programs like Social Security and Medicare, which make up more
than half of federal spending. Several
other arenas are exempted, such as the
Department of Veterans Affairs.
How long will it last?
Through 2021, unless Congress acts.
How much money is involved?
Cuts of $1 trillion through 2021. The
American Association for the Advancement of Science estimates a $54.4
billion cut from R&D funding in the first
five years.
How does it work?
In a manner similar to garnished wages.
Congress appropriates part of an
agencys budget each year. The sequester cuts a set percentage off of that
amount before each federal agency
gets its money.
What happens now?
To be determined. Fiscal 2013 cuts
were spread across nearly every program. It is unclear whether agencies will
have more flexibility going forward.

Miller says. Whats worse is that we no longer have the funding to replace them.
Those losses are a major concern for
Shaffer at DOD. Furloughs, years of stagnant wages, and cuts to conferences and
travel take their toll.
Scientists are not motivated by money
as much as by having the opportunity to
discover something and make an impact.
Furloughs and other impacts of the sequester mean some scientists cant work on
the things they love working on, he says.
I know that some of our talented young
scientists are looking elsewhere, and that
talent is going to be hard to replace.
DOD also cant start applied research
projects to move the new capabilities
developed by military researchers into
the field. For example, in previous years
the agency started 20 projects a year
to demonstrate late-stage prototypes.
In fiscal 2013, DOD could only start 10.

We are faced with the double whammy

of a budget reduction against an increasingly capable set of potential adversaries,
Shaffer says. We wont know the full impact for several years.
The feeling that the worst could still be
coming is also haunting researchers in academe, where less money means more competition for fewer grants. In fiscal 2013, that

will mean approximately 500 fewer grants

from DOD, down from about 5,500 in 2012;
700 fewer from the National Institutes of
Health, down from around 44,000 in 2012;
and 600 fewer from the National Science
Foundation, down from 11,800 in 2012.
Agencies took several months to figure out
how grants would be affected and how many
would take a hit, which left many research-

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GOVERNMENT & POLICY

ers in limbo until a decision was reached.

Some are still waiting.
For Laura Niedernhofer, an associate
professor in the department of metabolism
and aging at Scripps Research Institute Florida, that meant it was a year of complete
anxiety. She had heard she had earned a
high score on a grant proposal to NIHbut
given the sequester, that didnt necessarily
mean she was going to get funding.
So while she waited to hear, she took defensive measures. She turned away graduate students, not allowing them to even
rotate through her lab. She cut back on going to conferences. She told her lab team to
order fewer supplies and put off equipment
purchases. I think the anxiety trickles
down to the students and postdocs in the
lab, even when professors try not to let it,
Niedernhofer says.
She finally got the welcome news in July
that her grant had been funded, but it came
with a cut off the top, which is the case with
many new and existing NIH grants, though
the percentage cut varies across the agency. In Niedernhofers case, the 18% reduction meant good-bye to two postdoctoral

We said it would not be immediate

doom and gloom. It is more like
a death of a thousand cuts.
fellows she had planned to hire. With this
grant I should have been able to expand my
lab, but now I cant, she says.
The funding cuts dont just mean she is
spending more time worrying about grants.
She is also spending more time writing
them, which means less time in the lab
thinking about her science. In addition,
shes spending more time reviewing others
submissions to funding agencies. The first
thing that is going to go is the innovative,
she says. With funds limited, reviewers will
avoid risky projects and instead may favor
ones that have a more certain outcome.
Right now the cuts appear to be mostly
coming at the expense of positions for
graduate students and postdocs, says Matt
Owens, vice president for federal relations
at the Association of American Universities. Imagine the signal that we are be-

ginning to send to budding scientists and

engineers, Owens says.
Weve got graduate students and postdocs who are looking in the mirror every
morning and thinking, Should I be doing
something different with my life? says
Thomas O. Baldwin, a biochemistry professor the University of California, Riverside.
IT COULD GET WORSE because not all

agencies felt the full brunt of the sequester

this year. A quirk of the funding cycle gave
a handful of federal agencies a budget increase before the sequester was cut off the
top. For instance, the National Institute of
Standards & Technology actually had a 2.5%
increase from 2012 levels, though it did not
protect all programs from sequester cuts.
NSF ended up with a total cut of only
2.1% from 2012 levels, significantly less than

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38

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

VIDEO ONLINE

See how one research lab is affected by sequestration

at http://cenm.ag/sequestration.

approximately 5% it had expected, explains

Michael C. Sieverts, head of its budget division. The result is that the agency will have
to cut only 600 grants rather than the 1,000
that it had initially anticipated, he says.
NSF decided early on not to cut existing grants, just give out fewer new grants,
he says. The agency also did all it could to
protect major construction projects, since
delays can cause prices to balloon.
But this allowed NSF to maintain the status quo, not start new projects or take the
agency in new directions. Were in a constrained environment, Sieverts says. We
had ambitions, but we knew early on that we
wouldnt be able to achieve those.
And if the sequester continues over
several years, the agency will have to make
some more difficult decisions about what
to fund in the future, Sieverts says. Just
given the overall pressure on research, we
would have to look fundamentally at our
balance between our existing programs.

Office of Public Affairs provides a number

of resources, including a new video series,
at www.acs.org/supportfedscience to help
members voice their concerns to Congress.
And that is especially important because
there is no indication that Congress and the

President will be able to reach a compromise that would stop sequestration in 2014
or beyond.
Its a long road ahead, but scientists
are determined to stay the course. As scientists, were providing a very important
product to society, Miller says. So were
dedicated to staying, even if the ship goes
down.

SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATIONS, like

C&ENs publisher, the American Chemical

Society, are also worried about the impact
this budget environment could have on its
members. ACS is conducting an informal,
rolling survey to find out how sequestration is affecting its membership. Of the
roughly 3,000 members who responded
to date, nearly half reported being affected
in some way by sequestration or related
budget cuts.
These numbers are just going to get
worse, and, as long as sequestration continues year after year, I think it will start to have
more of a negative impact on the scientific
enterprise, says Glenn S. Ruskin, director
of the ACS Office of Public Affairs. The survey remains open at www.acs.org/sequester
so ACS can continue to take the pulse.
What worries Ruskin most is the impact
on ACS members efforts to bring about
new breakthroughs. I think its bad for our
members, but for our country Im really
worried, he says. If our economic growth
isnt sustainable, then theres going to be a
retrenchment, and we could very well find
ourselves in an uncompetitive situation.
ACS is doing what it can in Washington,
D.C., Ruskin says, but ACS members themselves can be the most effective lobbyists for
predictable and sustained funding for scientific research. He encourages ACS members to contact their own legislators. The

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SANJEEV GUPTA/EPA/NEWSCOM

GOVERNMENT & POLICY

not extend patents

for small changes
to drugs, and humanitarian groups
point out this puts
less expensive
generic versions in
the hands of millions of impoverished people.
Some of the loudest critics of Indias
policies are U.S. and European pharmaceutical companies. They point to a recent
series of Indian court and administrative
rulings that denied patent protection for
certain brand-name medicines to the benefit of Indias huge generic drug industry. Indias law for granting drug patents is more
stringent than those in many other countries as it has sought to make medicines
more affordable for its vast population.
MEDICINE Dr. Shyam

Agrawal displays a
pack of the Indianmade cancer drug
named Veenat 400,
a generic form of
Novartis Gleevec.

INDIAS PATENT
POLICY RILES U.S.
U.S. government joins pharmaceutical firms in
objections to INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PRACTICES
GLENN HESS, C&EN WASHINGTON

INDIA HAS EMERGED as one of the U.S.s

largest trading partners. But the growing

commercial ties between the worlds two
biggest democracies could be put at risk
by escalating U.S. complaints that India
engages in discriminatory trade practices
and does not respect globally recognized
intellectual property rights, especially for
pharmaceuticals.
A coalition of U.S. trade associations
contends that India has adopted policies
favoring its own businesses in industries
such as generic drugs, clean energy, and
information technology. It has denied and
revoked patents from U.S. companies and
has imposed tariffs and local content requirements. The financial stakes are enormous, given Indias 1.27 billion population
and growing middle class. Within the next
decade, India is expected to become the
worlds third-largest economy.
American businesses want to continue
to invest in India, but not at the expense
of American workers and economic progress, says Linda Menghetti Dempsey, vice
president of international economic affairs
at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the nations largest industrial
trade group, representing 11,000 small and
large U.S. manufacturers. If India does not
act swiftly to comply with its international
obligations, we believe that all trade and

diplomatic options must be on the table,

Dempsey adds.
Earlier this year, NAM joined 13 other
business groups in forming the Alliance
for Fair Trade with India. Other members
include the Pharmaceutical Research &
Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and
the Biotechnology Industry Organization.
The alliance has been lobbying the highest levels of the U.S. government. The effort has already paid dividends as both Vice
President Joe Biden and Secretary of State
John Kerry called for intellectual property
law reforms during meetings this summer
with Indian government officials and business leaders. Biden, in a speech at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai, said things
have got to change.
The Indian government insists that it
provides a level playing field for U.S. businesses. For instance, Indias patent law
is considered a model in the developing
world, says Nirupama Rao, Indias ambassador to the U.S. Critics who say otherwise are simply wrong. The country does

LAST MONTH, Roche announced it would

abandon a patent for its breast cancer drug

Herceptin in the Indian market, paving
the way for local production of a cheaper
generic version. Roches decision came on
the heels of an Indian health ministry committee recommendation that the government issue a compulsory license allowing
a domestic firm to make and sell a copy of
the drug.
In a landmark ruling in April, Indias Supreme Court rejected Novartis seven-year
legal battle to win patent protection for an
updated version of its cancer drug Gleevec,
known as Glivec outside the U.S. (C&EN,
April 8, page 7).
The active ingredient in Gleevec has
been available for years. But Novartis filed
for a patent on a new form of the drug that
the company says is 30% easier for the body
to absorb than the earlier compound. This
form has been patented in nearly 40 countries, including the U.S., Russia, and China.
However, Indias highest court turned
down the application, saying that the drug
failed to offer enhanced or superior efficacy over its predecessor.
Other pharmaceutical giants, including
GlaxoSmithKline, Bayer, and Pfizer, have
also failed to win drug patents in India that
theyve secured elsewhere in the world.
India did not recognize drug or other

American businesses want to continue to

invest in India, but not at the expense of
American workers and economic progress.
CEN.ACS.ORG

40

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

ONEY SHARMA/EPA/NEWSCOM

product patents until 2005 when it joined

the World Trade Organization. Even then,
it gave patent protection only to drugs discovered after 1995. Furthermore, drugs are
required to show novelty to be awarded
patents under Indian law.
Consequently, drugmakers in India
are not allowed to extend their
product patents by making slight,
incremental changes to a compound, a common practice known
as evergreening. India requires
companies to demonstrate significant clinical efficacy over
already-patented compounds to
qualify for additional protection.
Rao says India is not hostile
to innovation or to U.S. companies. She notes that from 2005
to 2011, more than 4,000 patents
for pharmaceutical inventions
were issued by the Indian patent office. Of those, a substantial
amount2030%was awarded to U.S.based companies each year, she adds.
International treaties permit countries
to make affordable, lifesaving drugs available to people most in need. India has done
so in a way that is both legal and sensitive
to the principle of patent protection, Rao
asserts. We have also worked hard to balance the rights of patent holders with our
civic imperative to protect public health.
But U.S. drugmakers say otherwise and
claim that Indias patent law is riddled with
pitfalls. Since India began granting product
patents in 2005, the South Asian nation has

routinely flouted trade rules to bolster its

local industry, says John Castellani, chief
executive officer of PhRMA, which lobbies on behalf of the U.S. brand-name drug
industry.
Castellani maintains that India has created a protectionist regime that hurts

cies, including poor protection of intellectual property, limits on foreign direct

investment, and barriers to market access. These are tough problems, but we
all know they have to be negotiated and
worked through in order to meet the potential of this relationship, the vice president said in Mumbai.
However, the medical humanitarian organization Doctors
Without Borders supports Indias
generic drug policies, saying they
result in the production of lowcost medicines for the millions of
Indians who live in poverty.
While India does reward genuine innovation with 20-year patents, it manages to strike a balance
between providing intellectual
property protection and having the
flexibility to protect public health,
says Rohit Malpani, director of
policy and advocacy for the groups
U.S. job creators. The harm PROTEST Health
Access Campaign.
care activists have
is evident in our industry,
The U.S., he points out, has condemonstrated
where the U.S. has welcomed long
tinued
to make adjustments to its
against Novartis in
Indian companies while Inpatent system to achieve a better
New Delhi.
dia is closing its borders to
balance between rewarding innovaU.S. innovators, he says.
tion and providing for public health
needs. It should allow other governments,
KERRY RAISED THE PATENT issue and
like India, to do the same, Malpani says.
other trade concerns during a meeting
The measures taken by the Indian govwith Indian officials in New Delhi in June.
ernment do not undermine innovation,
And Biden urged India to ease restrictions
but rather curtail the worst excesses of the
on foreign business as part of his stock expatent system and ensure that companies
change speech during a visit in late July.
focus their energies on scientific, and not
Biden criticized several Indian polilegal, innovation, Malpani remarks.

CEN.ACS.ORG

41

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

PARTIALLY UNNATURAL
PROTEIN HAS
NATIVELIKE FOLD

CAFFEINE-BENZOIC ACID
COCRYSTALS AT LAST

Researchers have demonstrated that a

protein in which 20% of the building blocks
are unnatural, such as - or d-amino acids,
can fold in a nativelike manner (J. Am. Chem.
Soc. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/ja405422v). The
work could lead to proteinlike therapeutics
that last longer in the body because they
are unnatural enough to evade recognition
by protein-degrading enzymes. Proteinlike
synthetic oligomers have been designed to
adopt -helix or -sheet shapes and more
complex forms such as helix bundles and helix-turn-helix motifs. But a general strategy
for creating proteinlike unnatural oligomers
that fold into complex three-dimensional
conformations typical of natural proteins
has been tough to pin down. Toward such
a strategy, W. Seth Horne of the University
of Pittsburgh and coworkers made several
systematic backbone modifications in a bacterial protein that they predicted would not
adversely affect the secondary structures in
which the changes were located. They then
combined the backbone changes with sidechain modifications to create an oligomer
with a 20% unnatural backbone and showed
that its folding behavior closely resembles
the parent proteins. The researchers believe that the complexity of the structure
they mimicked and the variety of unnatural
building blocks they used push the envelope
of unnatural protein design.SB

For decades, researchers have tried to cocrystallize caffeine and benzoic

acid. The combination is of interest for potential pharmaceutical applications such as headache treatments. Although cocrystals have been made
of caffeine with many other carboxylic
X-ray structure of
acids, the benzoic acid cocrystal has
the
caffeine-benzoic
remained elusive. An international
acid assembly.
team of researchers led by DejanKreimir Bu
car of the University
of Cambridge and including
scientists at the University of
Zagreb, in Croatia; the University of Iowa; and AbbVie,
a pharmaceutical research
company in North Chicago, has
finally succeeded (Chem. Sci. 2013,
DOI: 10.1039/c3sc51419f). The researchers used computational
methods to predict that caffeine and benzoic acid should form a stable cocrystal. They then prepared cocrystals of caffeine and fluorinated benzoic
acids, which they used to seed cocrystallization of caffeine and benzoic
acid. After they made the seed cocrystals, they obtained caffeine-benzoic
acid cocrystals every time, even when they were trying to replicate the earlier negative results. The researchers suspect that the fluorinated cocrystals
continued to seed crystallization even at levels too low for detection. The
researchers now plan to figure out why the cocrystal was so elusive.CHA

NONBONDED
HYDROGENS GET CLOSER

so that it more readily undergoes fluorination. To that end, Princeton Universitys

Marie-Gabrielle Braun and Abigail G. Doyle
have developed a direct catalytic method
for allylic CH fluorinations (J. Am. Chem.
Soc. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/ja407223g). The
researchers prepare allylic fluorides from
simple olefins by using a palladium sulfoxide-chromium salen cocatalyst system, with
(CH3CH2)3N3HF as an inexpensive nucleophilic fluorine source. The reaction provides
moderate yields and high selectivity for a
variety of branched allylic fluorides. The
ability to easily convert CH directly to CF
in olefins should aid discovery and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, structural materials, and small-molecule tracers for positron
emission tomography, the researchers note.
For example, they show that the reaction
can be applied to late-stage functionalization of drug candidates by adding fluorine to
a steroid.SR

When chemist Robert Pascal and colleagues at Tulane University designed

a macrobicyclic
in,in-bisphosphine
earlier this year,
Si S
they noted the unS
H S
usual closeness of
H
the molecules two
Si
bridgehead phosphines (Org. Lett.
2013, DOI: 10.1021/
This silane features
ol400728m).
the shortest
Theyve now
nonbonding H to
taken things a
H distance in a
step further, synmolecule.
thesizing an in,inbis(hydrosilane), in which two siliconhydrogen bonds are pointed directly at
each other. The molecule is so sterically

crowded that the central nonbonded

contact distance between the two silane
hydrogens is only about 1.56 , the shortest
for any crystallographically characterized
compound (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, DOI:
10.1021/ja407398w). The previous record
holder is a cage pentacyclodecane, with
nonbonded hydrogens separated by a distance of 1.617 . The value of this project,
Pascal tells C&EN, is to explore the limits
of stable molecular structures, to provide
points of calibration for modern computational methods, and to explore methods
for the synthesis of unnatural rather than
natural products.EKW

OLEFINS EASILY FLAGGED

WITH FLUORINE
Organofluorine chemistry has been flourishing during the past decade, with new
and improved synthetic methods being
reported one after the other. One of the
remaining challenges has been designing
methods for direct carbon-fluorine bond
formation which dont require extra steps
to prefunctionalize the starting material
CEN.ACS.ORG

42

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Pd-Cr cocatalyst
(CH3CH2)3N3HF

R
R = alkyl-based groups

F
R
Branched
allylic uoride

C HEM. SCI.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CONCENTRATES

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY CONCENTRATES

Multiple bonds between transition-metal

atoms have fascinated chemists for 50
years, ever since F. Albert Cottons group at
MIT discovered a quadruple bond in a diruthenium complex. Synthesizing these multiply bonded complexes between like metals is now common. But such complexes
involving two different metals remain rare.
A research team led by Connie C. Lu of the
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, has
taken a systematic look at how multiple
bonding varies across a series of heterobimetallic complexes in which chromium is
paired with other first-row transition metals (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, DOI: 10.1021/
ja406506m). Chromium is an interesting
target, Lu notes, because it is one of a few
elements known to engage in more than a
quadruple bond. In 2005, Philip P. Powers
group at the University of California, Davis,
reported the first metal-metal quintuple
bond in a dichromium complex. Lus team
prepared Mn-Cr, Fe-Cr, Co-Cr, and Ni-Cr
complexes that contain metal-metal bonds
with bond orders ranging from one to five
(two shown). The researchers electroR2P
N

Mn
Cr

PR2
PR2

N
N N

R2P

Ni

Cr

PR2

PR2

N
N N

R = isopropyl

chemical studies show that each complex

undergoes several one-electron transfer
processes. Thus, the heterobimetallic compounds could be useful in multielectron
catalysis without requiring expensive precious metals.SR

Cholesterol

N
O

Cholesterol
Base

Acid

Cholesterol
O

N+

H
O

Cholesterol

connected by a hyIn response to pH,

this nanoscale
drazone linker. In the
switch changes
presence of trifluoroacetic acid, the hydra- a liquid crystals
color from
zone turns like a rotor, purple to green
changing the relative
(micrographs
orientation of the
of liquid crystal
cholesterol units. The shown).
orientation changes
back in the presence of potassium carbonate base. By doping this switch into a liquid
crystal called nematic phase 5, Aprahamians team rendered the material chiral and
capable of developing a helical architecture
that dictates color. They showed
that adding acid changes the liquid
crystals color from purple to green,
which can be reversed by adding
base. Aprahamian is now studying
additional switches to produce other color changes, which could lead
to detectors for the basic amines
characteristic of spoiled foods. He
also aims to reduce salt accumulation on the liquid crystala problem that currently gums up the works after
just three cycles.CD
J. AM. CHEM. SOC.

FAMILY OF MULTIPLY
BONDED BIMETALLIC
COMPLEXES GROWS

SWITCH ON THE COLOR

WATER LUBRICATES
MOLECULAR MACHINES

Chemists have developed enough molecular switches to populate a molecular hardware store. Yet its rare for switching on the
atomic scale to translate into an effect at
the macroscopic level. Now, Xin Su, Ivan
Aprahamian, and colleagues at Dartmouth
College have developed a molecular switch
that can change a liquid crystals color in
response to pH (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2013,
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201305514). The switch
is made from two cholesterol molecules

Lubrication is often key to getting a mechanical machine to work smoothly. For

molecular machines that spin or ratchet
through chemical reactions, lubrication
takes on a new meaning. By experimenting
with a molecular shuttle in acetonitrile and
a wheel-and-axle device in pyridine, scientists have found that a small amount of
water added to the solvents accelerates the
amide-based machines movement, likely
through hydrogen-bonding effects (Nat.
CEN.ACS.ORG

43

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

ADAPTED FROM ANGEW. CHEM. INT. ED.

Chem. 2013, DOI: 10.1038/nchem.1744). The

team was led by Sander Woutersen and Matthijs R. Panman of the University of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and David A. Leigh
of the University of Manchester, in England.
Other additives capable of hydrogen bonding, such as methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol,
and tert-butyl alcohol, did not have the same
effect. The researchers hypothesize that
waters small size and ability to form hydrogen bonds in multiple directions allows it to
form and quickly rearrange hydrogen-bond
networks between the moving parts of the
machines to stabilize CO and NH groups.
In that way, water facilitatesor lubricatesmachine movement.JK

DESIGNER PROTEIN
LOVES METAL
Scientists envision that someday computationally designed proteins could bind
metals and catalyze chemical reactions
unseen in nature for industrial and medical applications. A team has taken a step in
that direction by generating a novel metalbinding protein that incorporates an unnatural amino acid with an exquisite taste
for metals (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, DOI:
10.1021/ja403503m). The researchers, led
The structure of a
computer-designed
metal-binding
protein (gray)
matches the crystal
structure of the
expressed protein
(pink). The image
shows the protein
bound to cobalt
(large spheres).

by David Baker of the University of Washington, Seattle, used an unnatural amino

acid because no single amino acid typically
found in proteins can bind metals unaided.
They used (2,2-bipyridin-5-yl)alanine,
or Bpy-Ala, which alone has micromolarlevel affinities for a variety of metals. The
researchers instructed their computer
program to place Bpy-Ala within a rigid
part of a protein, such as an -helix, to lock
the unnatural amino acid in place. After expressing the computer-designed protein in
bacteria, the team solved its crystal structure and found that it matches the design
almost exactly. The team also found that
the designed protein binds cobalt, zinc,
iron, and nickel with affinities in the picomolar to micromolar range.JNC

CARMEN DRAHL & LAUREN WOLF/C&EN

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

in healthy cells, and

they assess how the
candidates are processed in the bodies
of rodents.
After nine years of
running studies on
some 280 nanomaterial formulations, the lab has helped put six
medicines into clinical trials. In doing so,
its accumulated tremendous behind-thescenes knowledge about what works and
what doesnt for nanomedicines. The lessons that we learn in developing these different kinds of technologies is something
we share with the community, says Anil K.
Patri, deputy director of NCL. To disseminate its findings, the lab hosts workshops
and publishes papers with titles such as
Common Pitfalls in Nanotechnology (Integr. Biol. 2013, DOI: 10.1039/c2ib20117h).
SIZING THINGS UP

Using an electron
microscope,
NCL research
technician Sarah
Anderson examines
nanoparticles.

THIS LITTLE MEDICINE

GOES TO MARKET
Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory runs critical
PRECLINICAL TESTS on clients prospective cancer therapeutics
LAUREN K. WOLF, C&EN WASHINGTON

FOR SCIENTISTS WHO develop nano-

materials, cancer has long been an attractive target. After all, nanoparticleswhich
can have a diameter one-thousandth the
thickness of a sheet of paperare the perfect size for slipping into tumors. Despite
decades of research and billions of dollars
invested, though, few nanotechnologybased cancer treatments are on the market.
Pharmaceutical companies have been wary
of putting in the big bucks required to commercialize these complex therapies.
That may be changing, though, thanks in
part to the Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory (NCL). The U.S. government facility, located in Frederick, Md.,
was established to accelerate the pace at
which cancer-targeting nanomedicines get
into clinical trials. And this past year, major
firms, including AstraZeneca, invested in
nanotherapeutics evaluated by NCL early
in the development process.
The idea behind nanomedicines is to
load the tiny particles with cancer drugs
and decorate their outer shells with targeting moleculescompounds that will latch
exclusively onto tumors while sparing regular tissue. By virtue of their size, charge,
and coatings, these nanomaterials can also
be designed to evade the bodys immune
system and circulate for lengthy periods in

a patients blood, thereby delivering plenty

of drug to sites where its needed.
But the complexity of these tiny therapeutics has made it challenging to push
their development forward. Not only do
researchers have to worry about the drugs
purity and compatibility with the body during early stages of testing, but they also have
to consider the nanoparticles properties.
Is the particle stable? Are all the particles in
a dose the same size and shape? Is the drug
attached strongly enough to the particle
to circulate in the bloodstream but weakly
enough to release when it reaches a tumor?
Answering these questions hasnt been
easy. So far, only a handful of nanomedicines have gotten Food & Drug Administration approval for treating cancer.
Launched by the National Cancer Institute, NCL accepts about 12 nanomedicine
hopefuls each year from academic teams,
companies, and government labs in the U.S.
for preclinical evaluationfree of charge.
Among the battery of tests NCL runs on
submitted particles are characterizations
of their size, shape, and stability. Scientists
there also determine whether the materials
cause toxicity or incite immune reactions
VIDEO ONLINE
CEN.ACS.ORG

44

TO BECOME ONE OF NCLs clients, a

teambe it from industry, academia, or

governmentfirst has to apply online.
The lab accepts submissions quarterly and
judges potential nanomedicines on the basis
of a number of criteria. Some of the obvious
ones, says Jennifer Hall Grossman, a scientist at NCL, are that the medicine is actually
nanotypically between 10 and 100 nm
in diameterand that it has efficacy against
cancer. Beyond that, she says, NCL also determines whether to accept a candidate material by looking at how well the substance
has been characterized by its maker and how
the team plans to translate it to the clinic.
Taking a nanomaterial concept from basic research into clinical trials is quite challenging, Patri says. We bridge that gap.
Once a client is chosen, NCL will ask for
samples to do some prescreening. We try
to fail things early if we think somethings
not going to work, Hall Grossman says.
This means doing some basic sterility and
size testing for starters.
Sterility, even though it seems like a
simple test to pass, is frequently a sticking point for materials submitted to
NCL. About 10% of the samples the lab
has received over the years have been
contaminated with bacteria, says Marina
A. Dobrovolskaia, head of immunology
at NCL. As many as 30% of samples have
had unacceptable levels of endotoxin,
a lipopolysaccharide from the outer
membrane of gram-negative bacteria

To learn more about a nanomedicines journey at NCL,

go to http://cenm.ag/nclab.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Another Biotage First

Isolera Dalton

that incites inflammatory reactions in animal and human cells.

A lot of times, the scientists producing nanomaterials are academic chemists and materials scientists whose focus is on the
proper fabrication of the particles rather than the microbial inhabitants of their lab benches, say experts at NCL. So this step in preclinical testing can be a rude awakening for some clients.
With endotoxin, I ask our clients to itemize their synthesis
steps for me, Dobrovolskaia says. Usually, I can go through the
procedure and highlight in red all the places where endotoxin can
get into the system, such as glassware, stir bars, and rinse water.
When its not a financial burden, NCL will ask clients to return
to the bench, clean their equipment, and synthesize new batches.
For some, though, redoing a nanomedicine synthesis isnt economically feasible. In these cases, Dobrovolskaia says, NCL works with
scientists to develop ways of removing the contamination from
existing batches without destroying the particles.

TM

Real-Time Mass
Data on Purified
Compounds

NCL

RUNNING TESTS ON a nanomedicine to determine its size is also a

Immediately know the mass of

the compound being collected
Greater amount of pure
compound with higher recovery
Confirmation of compound
mass without extra steps

good way to head problems off early in a project, NCL scientists say.
One pitfall NCL commonly encounters in preclinical testing is
the irreproducibility of clients samples. NCL sometimes receives
nanomedicinesmost often from academic labsthat vary in size
or shape from batch to batch.
This inconsistency makes it
difficult to evaluate the efficacy of a material in later immunology or toxicology studies.
The variability, says NCL
Deputy Director Patri, arises
because standard characterization techniques havent really
been established for nanomaterials. Organic chemists have
at their fingertips a number
of well-established methods,
such as mass spectrometry and
nuclear magnetic resonance
spectroscopy, to analyze newly
synthesized compounds, he
FAILING THE TEST At NCL,
adds, but nanotechnology speresearchers examine whether
cialists dont.
nanomaterials affect healthy cells.
This is one of the reasons,
In these electron micrographs,
Patri says, that big pharma
blood platelets (top) aggregate
has been reluctant to invest in
when they come into contact with
polymer-based particles (bottom). nanomedicines. Theres no
confidence because there are
no standards.
To address this problem, NCL works with the National Institute
of Standards & Technology to develop nanoparticle reference
materials. So far, theyve made suspensions of gold nanoparticles
measuring 10, 30, and 60 nm in diameter that scientists can use
to calibrate particle-sizing equipment such as dynamic lightscattering instruments. Because some nanomedicines are covered
in a layer of targeting or other molecules, NCL is also working on
establishing coated versions.
Some NCL clients dont properly monitor the long-term stability of a material theyve developed either. After six months on the
shelf, a particles propertiessize, shape, coating densitymight
have changed, Patri says. NCL once encountered a gold nanoparticle coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) for which this was
CEN.ACS.ORG

www.biotage.com

45

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

NANOMEDICINE HOPEFULS
NCL has done preclinical testing on six therapeutics now in clinical trials
MEDICINE

PDS0101
Bind-014
Cyt-6091
AuroLase
ATI-1123
PNT2258

INDICATION

PARTICLE TYPE

Human papillomavirus-caused
cancers
Prostate cancer
Solid tumors
Head and neck cancer, solid tumors
Solid tumors
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and
other cancers

COMPANY

PHASE

Positively charged liposome lled with antigen

PDS Biotechnology

Approved to begin Phase I

Tumor-targeting polymer nanoparticle lled

with docetaxel
Gold nanoparticle linked to tumor necrosis factor
Gold nanoshells with silica core
Liposome lled with docetaxel
Liposome lled with DNA interference fragment

Bind Therapeutics

Approved to begin Phase II

CytImmune Sciences
Nanospectra Biosciences
Azaya Therapeutics
Pronai Therapeutics

Phase II
Phase I
Phase I complete
Phase II

SOURCES: Companies, NCL

a particular problem. One batch of the

proprietary material caused only mild inflammation in the lungs of rodents. But a
second batch caused severe lesions on the
animals lungs. After additional testing, the
labs scientists realized that PEG, a molecule placed on particles to help them evade
the immune system, was slowly coming off.
That meant that older particles didnt have
enough camouflage to escape detection.
Another lesson NCL has learned over the
years involves reagents used to manufacture

nanomedicines. Typically, solvents or stabilizers needed in nanoparticle fabrication are

toxic to living cells. Scientists are supposed
to remove these substances from the final
nanomedicine formulation by filtration and
other techniques, but some are tough to get
rid of. The surfactant and stabilizer cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), for
example, sometimes sticks around after the
synthesis of gold nanorods, says Stephan T.
Stern, head of pharmacology and toxicology
at NCL. And because CTAB can kill cells, its

ReInventing Pegylation with

Discrete, Single Molecular Weight

dPEGS s
Product # 10198

Product # 10774

Visualizing mechanical tension across membrane receptors with a uorescent sensor

Daniel R Stabley, Carol Jurchenko, Stephen S Marshall & Khalid S Salaita
NATURE METHODS DOI:10.1038/NMETH.1747

Phone Orders: 614 792-2958 I Fax Orders: 614 760-9781

Online Orders: www.quantabiodesign.com
CEN.ACS.ORG

46

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

presence confounds the results of preclinical toxicology studies of the materials.

AS NANOMEDICINES BECOME more

complexcarrying targeting compounds,

drugs, camouflaging agents, and moreits
also important to consider the biocompatibility of every single component, NCL says.
The lab once received a clients proprietary
sample containing liposomeshollow
spheres made of lipids. The surfaces of
these liposomes were modified with folic
acid, a tumor-targeting compound for a
wide variety of cancers. When administered to healthy cells, the liposomes caused
an immune reaction as severe as that
triggered by cobra venom factor. Several
experiments later, the lab determined that
the inflammatory culprit was the substance
linking the folic acid to the liposome.
NCL provides what I would call pharmaceutical mentorship, says Lawrence D.
Mayer, president and chief scientific officer
of Celator Pharmaceuticals, in Vancouver,
British Columbia. For academic groups
without expertise in drug development,
that means getting expert advice about
what to do next with their particles. For
small biotech companies, it often means
getting down to the nitty-gritty of how a
product works and building confidence in
the materials performance and safety.
According to Mayer, NCL helped
Celator and its collaborators, Robert K.
Prudhomme and colleagues at Princeton
University, answer detailed questions
about their nanomedicine, CPX-8. Tests
NCL ran on the therapeutic candidate indicated how animals metabolize the material and how it interacts with the animals
immune systems (J. Control. Release 2013,
DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2013.04.025).
CPX-8 is a polymeric nanoparticle
containing a releasable form of the cancer
drug docetaxel. Although not yet in clinical

trials, it is a lot closer to that step than it

would have been without NCL, Mayer says.
Celator didnt have sufficient staff or funds
to run these tests back in 2009, when NCL
accepted the firms application. Without
the labs help, he adds, our formulation
would probably have languished.
For small firms like Celator, buy-in from
big pharma is almost essential to moving
a nanomedicine candidate into expensive
clinical trials. Until recently, though, large
pharmaceutical firms havent exactly embraced the nano trend. Historically, its
been unclear to pharma whether the tiny
particles provide enough benefit to justify
their costs, says Lawrence Tamarkin, chief
executive officer at Rockville, Md.-based
nanomedicine firm CytImmune Sciences.
Testing from NCL, however, is helping to
prove the tiny materials medicinal worth.
In 1995, FDA approved the first nanomedicine, a liposome made by Janssen
Biotech called Doxil, to treat an AIDSassociated cancer. When administered to
patients, Doxil induces fewer side effects
than does its active chemotherapeutic ingredient, doxorubicin. But the nanomedicine doesnt improve patients survival
rates compared with doxorubicin.
These results have given the community
some pause, given that in 2009 Doxil cost
$5,594 per dose and doxorubicin cost far
less, $62 to $162 per dose.

2012, DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-11-2938).

Last December, AstraZeneca also invested an undisclosed amount in a nanomaterial
made by CytImmune, Tamarkins firm. AstraZeneca will attach one of its proprietary
cancer drugs to the Maryland companys
Cyt-6091 gold nanoparticles, which are
coated with a two-in-one targeting molecule
and drug called tumor necrosis factor.

Think you know

the DWCP?

STILL, RECENT POSITIVE results from

more sophisticated nanomaterials that

were preclinically characterized by NCL
have sparked big pharmas interest. These
particles home in on tumor cells via targeting molecules on their surfaces.
Earlier this year, AstraZeneca, Amgen,
and Pfizer each signed on to trap some of
their own drugs inside the nanoparticles of
Cambridge, Mass.-based Bind Therapeutics. Each deal could net the firm $47 million to $70 million in up-front and milestone payments.
Binds particles, which are composed
of block copolymers linked to targeting
compounds, encapsulate chemotherapeutics at their core. The firms own nanomedicine, called Bind-014, has a targeting
molecule on its surface that binds to
prostate cancer cells. When given to mice
with grafted tumors, the particles shrank
the diseased tissue to half its original
weight. A nontargeting version of Bind014, on the other hand, reduced the rate at
which the rodents prostate tumors grew
but didnt shrink them (Clin. Cancer Res.

NCL wont get much of the glory if the

nanomedicines from Bind and CytImmune
make it to market. The work that NCL
does, Tamarkin says, isnt glamorous, but
its critical in pushing the nanomedicine
community forward. The lab, he adds,
brings a level of quality to nanomaterial
characterization that the pharmaceutical
industry is just beginning to recognize.

Think again.

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CEN.ACS.ORG

47

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

C&EN TALKS WITH

POLLY L. ARNOLD
Women chemists at the UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH have had remarkable success,
and in a new video and book the Rosalind Franklin Award winner explains why

FROM 1870 STREET RIOTS over womens

COURTESY OF POLLY ARNOLD

STEPHEN K. RITTER, C&EN WASHINGTON

professor Alexander Crum Brown, denied them

education rights to the first woman president of
the opportunity. They made up excuses about not
the Royal Society of Chemistry, women chemists
being able to give the necessary lectures to take
from the University of Edinburgh have a long histhe medical board exams; the classes were still
tory of showing their mettle. Edinburghs Polly
segregated by gender. The women protested in
L. Arnold has highlighted these womens experithe streets, and words with faculty and bystanders
ences in a video and booklet project called A
turned contentious. Their efforts ended up in a
Chemical Imbalance, which officially launched
riot, with people throwing vegetables at them just
on Aug. 5 (www.chemicalimbalance.co.uk).
because they wanted to sit an exam, Arnold says.
The video will make you laugh, and then
Theres a wonderful symmetry to the story,
youll be embarrassed by it, Arnold says.
she continues. Crum Brown was refusing to
In a nutshell, A Chemical Imbalance is an
put on extra lectures for the women, and then
investigation of how Edinburghs School of
eventually Jex-Blake got her medical degree in
Chemistry has been successful in striving to
Switzerland and came back to Edinburgh to start
reach gender parity. Half of Edinburghs named
a medical college for women. Now more than 100
professorships are held by women, and oneyears later, I have Crum Browns named chair and
third of senior faculty members are women.
I am telling her story.
We cant completely eliminate the inherent
biases and stereotypes that we all harbor, ArAMONG OTHER FAMOUS women of Edinburgh
nold says. But we can work to recognize and reduce them as much
are Chrissie Miller, who first isolated pure phosphorus trioxide
as possible. Changing our culture to be more supportive of women
in 1928; current Scottish Parliament member Elaine Murray; and
makes a differenceif we create an environment thats good for
Lesley Yellowlees, who is serving as president of the U.K.s Royal
women, its good for everybody. A lot of it is about just being nice
Society of Chemistry, the first woman to do so.
to each other. Surely we are capable of that.
Arnold believes the video and book project has helped her unArnold, the Crum Brown Chair of Chemistry, latched onto the
cover Edinburghs recipe for success. Departments need to monitor
idea of spreading the message about the women of Edinburgh after
hiring, promotion, salary, and tenure statistics, she says, which will
she received the Royal Societys 2012 Rosalind Franklin Award. The
help work out if unconscious biases are impacting decision making.
award, given annually to recognize excellence in research, includes
Mentoring is another key element of success, Arnold says.
a medal, a roughly $50,000 grant, and a public lecture.
We need strong mentors who know how to be supportive and
As an inorganic chemist, Arnold focuses her reencourage people of either sex to come through the
search on the study of new metal catalysts for CH
ranks and be the best they can be, not letting them
Crum Brown
bond activation and for catalytic functionalization
quit the race if they fall at the first hurdle. Its not
and polymerization of CO and CO2. When she deliv- was refusing
just students, postdocs, and junior faculty who need
ered her Franklin Award lecture, Arnold spoke about to put on extra
mentoring, she notes. Hiring and tenure committee
her groups work on uranium oxides that is providmembersmen and women bothneed guidance
lectures for the
ing insight on how to best deal with nuclear waste.
too. But mentoring can be hard, she adds. It takes
women. ... Now
The Franklin Award recipient is expected to
extra time in an already busy schedule.
more than 100
spend the grant on implementing a project to raise
In addition, we need to create a workplace that is
years later, I have as flexible and supportive as possible so people can
the profile of women in science, technology, engiCrum Browns
neering, and mathematics. Thats how Arnold came
balance their careers with their other needs, Arnold
across the details of the riots in Edinburgh.
says. Surveys consistently reveal that the main reanamed chair.
It is a compelling story of women trying to get an
son women opt to leave science for an alternative caeducation in science, Arnold explains. Edinburgh was a leading
reer or to start a family and not return is workplace climatethat
center of the Enlightenment, and the university was unusual in
is, the lack of flexibility and support.
that it had not been set up by the church. It had what was considFinally, Arnold advocates that men and women need to reclaim
ered the best medical school in the English-speaking worldthere
the meaning of feminism. She argues that feminism should no
was no problem with people cutting up dead bodies.
longer be a tainted word associated with radical social changethe
In 1870, chemistry wasnt yet a separate discipline but was inbattle of the sexesbut rather a word that stands for wanting evstead taught in the medical school, she notes. A half-dozen chemiseryone to be able to do exactly what they are capable of doing.
try students, led by Sophia Jex-Blake, wanted to get medical degrees.
We should want to get the best out of everybody, Arnold says.
But the universitys administrators, including organic chemistry
There shouldnt be anyone or anything to stop you.
CEN.ACS.ORG

48

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

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BOOKS

MAGICAL THINKING
Book explores ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE, its
risks, and the need for testing
REVIEWED BY NADER HEIDARI

which has analgesic and antipyretic properties. However, it can cause upset stomach, which is why aspirin, a drug based on
salicylic acid, is more often used. Theres
no such thing as alternative medicine, Offit says. Theres only medicine that works
and medicine that doesnt.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN MAGIC? is not a

was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma

in 1977. With proper treatment, his doctors told his parents, he would have an
excellent chance of
survival. However,
his parents didnt
like the sound of
chemotherapy and
radiation and decided to go another
route: large doses
of vitamins, coffee
enemas, vegetarian
diets, and injections
of laetrile, an unapproved remedy
made from apricot pits.
Hofbauers story opens the book, Do
You Believe in Magic? The Sense and
Nonsense of Alternative Medicine. The
author is Paul A. Offit, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and director
of the Vaccine Education Center at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. The book
explores the history, policy, efficacy, and
ethics surrounding the $34 billion-per-year
alternative medicine industry.
There were many legal battles
over Hofbauers care, but his
unconventional treatment
continued. The cancer spread
uninhibited, and his condition worsened. Laetrile became
popular in the media and was
championed by the iconic actor Steve
McQueen, who used laetrile himself after
traditional treatments for his lung cancer
had failed. The advocacy led the Food &
Drug Administration to investigate the
drug, but the results came too late. Hofbauer died at 10 years of age, and four months
later McQueen died at the age of 50.
Not only did Hofbauers treatment not
help him, it likely harmed him. FDA found
that laetrile was not an effective treatment
and that it caused cyanide toxicity; consequently, it banned the drug. Additionally,
the large doses of vitamin A Hofbauer received damaged his liver and hastened his
death. Nevertheless, the practitioners who

treated him continued to have successful

businesses.
Do You Believe in Magic? contains a
significant amount of history about various
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DO YOU BELIEVE
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out time, including
The Sense and
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Alternative
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Medicine,
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Celery Compound
HarperCollins,
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2013, 336 pages,
mostly alcohol,
$26.99 hardcover
(ISBN: 978prompting Offit to
0062222961)
say the hucksters of
said products were
really in the liquor business), faith healing,
and acupuncture.
Some herbs and remedies
have been found to be effective over time, and scientists
have created medicines with
the active ingredients from
those sources. For example,
the bark of the willow tree
contains salicylic acid,

SHU TTERSTOCK/C&EN

JOEY HOFBAUER WAS SEVEN when he

CEN.ACS.ORG

50

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

hit piece on alternative treatment methods

and those who use them; Offit believes alternative medicine has its place in society.
Many people who use alternative medicine may actually feel better as a result,
Offit says, albeit not for the reasons they
might thinkthe mind has a significant
effect on the body. He dedicates a chapter
to the placebo response, which he calls
remarkably powerful, highly underrated.
Some remedies are inert and benign. The
concern is that in an increasing number of
cases, false belief in the efficacy and composition of such treatments has reached
a potentially dangerous point, sickening
and sometimes killing patients rather than
helping them.
The health problems of the late Apple
CEO Steve Jobs, Offit writes,
are a good example in which
overestimation of the efficacy
of alternative medicines and
underestimation of conventional
methods caused harm, in this
case fatal. Jobs had been
diagnosed with pancreatic
cancer, albeit a treatable

variety. Doctors said he would have a great

shot at surviving the cancer if he began
treatment as soon as possible. Jobs did begin treatment, but not the recommended
kind. Instead, he focused on alternative
remediesfruit diets, bowel cleansings,
and herbal supplementsin lieu of conventional care. By the time he realized his
mistake, it was too late, and he died from
the illness.
That false belief of efficacy, Offit says,
is propagated by many factors. Lack of
regulation in the nutritional supplement
industry brought about by the Dietary
Supplement Health & Education Act of
1994 has opened the door for the dietary
supplement industry to provide untested
substances to the public with little to no accountability or oversight, Offit says.
Practitioners often claim a conspiracy
against alternative medicine by pharmaceutical companies, the government, or
both to avoid or deflect criticism of their
products. (Offit doesnt allow the irony to
be lost that the dietary supplement firms
are basically big pharma themselves.) Appeals to individual freedom and attacks on
government regulation have also been used
to release the dietary supplement firms
from the burden of proving that their products work and are safe, Offit maintains.

er of celebrity in the world of medicine.

Citing figures such as actresses Suzanne
Somers and Jenny McCarthy, Do You
Believe in Magic details the various ways
a celebrity endorsement can trump a consensus medical opinion in the publics eye.
He holds up McCarthy, who popularized
the false link between vaccines and autism,
as one of the prime examples. There is

DISTRUST OF GOVERNMENT agencies

and pharmaceutical companies, although

sometimes warranted, the book says, can
cause the disillusioned to adopt alternative
medicine out of sheer contrarianism. The
deeper problem arises when the claims of
practitionerswho may have only their
own best interests in mindare taken at
face value and embraced wholeheartedly,
without healthy skepticism. Even those
who practice the scientific method themselves can fall prey to claims lacking any
empirical evidence.
Offit dedicates a significant portion of
the book to a tough piece on Linus Pauling,
the Nobel Prize-winning chemist who also
had an unhealthy obsession with vitamin
C. Even after clinical study after clinical study refuted his claims that massive
doses of vitamins were positive for health,
Pauling stuck to his guns, propagating the
megavitamin narrative that still persists
today. Offit focuses on Paulings history
to drive home the point that even the best
scientific minds can fall victim to the sort
of magical thinking that perpetuates ineffective or sham treatments.
Offit also ties Paulings story to the powCEN.ACS.ORG

51

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

little medical understanding of the causes

of or treatment for autism, so treatments
are speculative and parents are desperate.
However, there is decisive medical evidence that vaccines do not cause autism.
That doesnt stop the narrative of the antivaccine movement, however, and some diseases that had been all but eradicated have
resurfaced as parents fail to vaccinate their

BOOKS

children out of fear caused by antivaccine

activists claims.
Many preventable deaths have been the
result of the substitution of alternative
therapies for conventional ones. However,
Offit makes it clear that he is not saying
fault lies with the people who take alternative medicine out of fear or uncertainty;
rather, the fault is with those who are

willing to exploit desperation for profit.

Snake oil salesmen have been around
since the dawn of time, Offit says, and he
cites instances in history in which a patent
medicine turned out to be little more than
alcohol, sugar, or water. Even worse than
selling an ineffective treatment, though, is
a practitioner of alternative medicine who
either convinces or coerces the patient to

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avoid conventional treatment altogether.

The medical field does not get off scotfree, however. Offit critiques conventional
medicine as well, recalling his own experience with nerve-wracking false diagnoses
and painful surgery. He lived in fear for two
years following a misdiagnosed metastatic
malignant melanoma, which he calls a
death sentence. The dark spot on his nose
that caused the hubbub turned out to be
benign. Later, a misdiagnosis of a pain in
his left knee caused Offit to have surgery
that drilled into his bone, leaving him in
recovery for a year rather than the orthopedists previously promised few days. Offit
did not have a torn meniscus, his orthopedist later said, but rather had lost cartilage
behind his knee. The orthopedist wasnt
upset, but Offit was.
SOMETIMES, ESPECIALLY in the case

of minor diseases or injuries that heal on

their own, naive intervention can be more
harmful than inaction. The book has a
few examples of doctors who treat minor
things that would heal on their own with
alternative medicines (in order to take advantage of the placebo effect) and reach for
conventional treatment for other maladies
that need intervention. The author insists,
however, that the flaws of mainstream
medicine do not justify a complete rejection of centuries of scientific achievement,
and they especially do not justify canonization of practitioners who use treatments
that havent been backed by science.
Do You Believe in Magic? performs its
function well. Offit builds a cohesive narrative, and the structure of the book allows
a smooth transition between the chapters.
The subject is a polarizing one, but Offit
argues his points in a reasonable tone and
cites clinical studies throughout the book
to bolster his position.
In the end, the book does not call for
blanket bans on alternative medicine, but
rather it calls for more information to be
made available to consumers so they can
make better decisions about their health.
Offit calls for more government regulation to establish that alternative remedies
contain what they are advertised to contain
and ensure that such treatments are safe.
Without adequate data and testing, he says,
its difficult for patients to avoid treatments that may be ineffective or harmful.
Until then, caveat emptor.

cGMP and GLP compliant | FDA Registered | ISO 9001:2008 Certified | DEA Licensed
NADER HEIDARI is an assistant editor at C&EN.
CEN.ACS.ORG

52

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

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ACS COMMENT

Time To Partner And

Speak Up For Science
MARINDA LI WU, ACS PRESIDENT

approaching the governments Sept. 30 fisbroader science and technology sector are
cal year-end, so Congress is working on apfacing many challenges. A struggling econpropriations bills that will fund the federal
omy, real-dollar decreases in funding for
government in 2014. In addition, the U.S.
science, and globalization have all contribis predicted to reach its debt limit before
uted to job losses and uncertainty within
December, so Congress will need to find a
our community. However, I strongly believe
way to raise this debt ceiling again to avoid
that if we find ways to work
a government shutdown.
with each other and with our
A robust and successfellow science, technology,
ful pipeline of scientific
engineering, and mathematdiscoveries depends on
ics (STEM) professionals,
predictable and sustainable
we can transform such chalfederal R&D funding, but
lenges into opportunities.
it has become increasingly
This conviction was the
difficult in recent years for
inspiration for my 2013 preslawmakers to find common
idential theme, Partners
ground on budgetary matfor Progress & Prosperity,
ters. In 2011, passage of the
and for my presidential task
Budget Control Act led to
force, Vision 2025: Helping
this years across-the-board
ACS Members Thrive in the
federal budget cuts known
Global Chemistry Enteras sequestration. These deBy urging your
prise. My task force concreases came at a time when
sists of two working groups, U.S. senators and
R&D funding was already
but here I will focus on the
stagnant. It is imperative
representatives
one called Jobs & Advocacy. to act in support
that we urge our lawmakers
It is more critical than
to oppose further cuts that
of science and
ever to communicate to our
could result from the upinnovation, you can coming debt ceiling battle.
elected officials the impordo your part to help
tance of funding scientific
In addition to the overmake a difference
research and development
arching budgetary and
and supporting business to
funding struggles looming
in promoting
help revive the U.S. econoon Congress agenda, lawjob growth.
my. By urging your U.S. senmakers are set to address
ators and representatives to
other important priorities
act in support of science and
for the science and technolinnovation, you can do your part to help
ogy community. In 2007, Congress passed
make a difference in promoting job growth
the America Creating Opportunities to
and an improved quality of lifenot just
Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Techfor chemists and other scientists and enginology, Education & Science Actknown
neers, but for all Americans.
as the America Competes Actwith strong
Other countries that I have visited have
bipartisan support. The act authorized
governments that very much understand
focused federal investments for R&D at
that supporting science leads to economic
science agencies including the National Scigrowth. They have increased their R&D
ence Foundation, the Department of Energy
funding accordingly. But science in general
Office of Science, and the National Institute
and chemistry in particular have long been
of Standards & Technology, as well as for
underappreciatednot only in the U.S. but
STEM education and innovation programs.
worldwidein terms of what they contribThe America Competes Act was renewed
ute to society.
in 2010 with continued but weaker biparNow is the time to speak up! We are fast
tisan support. Sadly, its further renewal,
PETER CUTTS PHOTOGRAPHY

THE U.S. CHEMISTRY enterprise and

CEN.ACS.ORG

54

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

which must happen by the end of this year,

looks uncertain. Please join me in supporting its critical renewal by explaining the
economic and societal benefits of the act to
your lawmakers. Visit www.act4chemistry.
org to prepare yourself to talk about at-risk
federal science funding and other important policy issues, such as supporting a
competitive U.S. business climate through
innovation, chemistry, and jobs.
The end of the 2013 calendar year also
marks the expiration of the R&D tax credit,
which stimulates private investment in scientific R&D. Congress will determine in the
coming months whether or not to make the
credit a permanent fixture of the tax code.
IF YOU HAVE NEVER met with your leg-

islator, or if you would like to hone your

advocacy skills, I encourage you to take advantage of ACS resources. Although visiting
your senator or representatives office may
seem intimidating, youll find it surprisingly
easy as long as you show up prepared.
To that end, I am pleased to invite you to
a presidential event organized by the Committee on Chemistry & Public Affairs at
the ACS national meeting in Indianapolis.
It will focus on training ACS members to
become advocacy leaders for the society
and their communities. This advocacy
training will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 10,
from 10 AM to noon in Room 204/205 at
the JW Marriott Indianapolis hotel. If you
are unable to attend the training session or
would like more information, you can find
resources online at www.acs.org/policy.
By becoming partners in advocating
and speaking up for science at this critical
juncture, we can help to spur U.S. innovation and discovery. Together, we can make
a difference in the economic and employment outlook for chemists and for all
Americansfor progress and prosperity. I
conclude with my favorite quote regarding
advocacy from Thomas Jefferson, Science
is my passion; politics, my duty! I welcome
your thoughts at m.wu@acs.org.
Views expressed on this page are those of
the author and not necessarily those of ACS.

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employment outlook
SHUTTERSTOCK/YANG KU/C&EN

OPPORTUNITIES FOR 2013 AND BEYOND

INTERNATIONAL
EXCHANGE
What Puerto Rico, Hong Kong, and Canada can teach other countries about CHEMISTRY EDUCATION
CHEMISTRY PROFESSORS are always

grams and devised ways to provide valuable

looking for the best methods to instill in
research experiences to their undergradutheir students a love for the subject as well
ate students. The nurturing environment
as a solid understanding of the science.
helps students succeed in chemistry and
In this years Back to School feature
augments a rigorous chemistry curriculum
package, C&EN profat a time when budget
fers snapshots of
constraints and cuts to
CONTENTS
three placesPuerto
federal programs are
PUERTO RICAN TRADITION, 58
Rico, Hong Kong, and
straining resources.
Mentoring and research
Canadathat teach
Hong Kongs largeprograms help undergraduates
chemistry in ways that
scale experiment in
thrive in chemistry.
may inspire teachers in
educational reform is
other parts of the globe.
the focus of the second
REFORMING HONG KONG, 60
In the first article of
story of the package,
Curriculum changes inspire
the package, Senior Edwritten by Senior Editor
undergraduates to innovate.
itor Susan J. Ainsworth
Linda Wang. During the
CANADIAN MASTERS, 62
examines how chem201213 academic year,
Masters graduates strong
istry departments in
all eight publicly funded
research experience attracts
Puerto Rico have built
universities in the
industry job offers.
strong mentoring procountry converted from
CEN.ACS.ORG

57

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

a three-year undergraduate curriculum

to a four-year curriculum. This transition
put the chemistry departments in a unique
position to completely revamp their curricula and introduce innovative approaches
to teaching. The hope is these changes will
create a cultural shift from a rigid system
focused on test scores to an environment of
creativity and innovation.
In the final story, Wang looks at masters
degree programs in Canada to find out why
their chemistry graduates are being snapped
up by large U.S. companies like Genentech.
She reports that the programs emphasis
on research, publishable results, and strong
communication skills allows their graduates
to hit the ground running. But even these
successful programs arent immune to the
sluggish economy, and they are continuing
to innovate to stay ahead of the curve.

LINDA WANG/C&EN

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

degree chemists
during the 201112
academic year versus 102 in 200607.
One reason for the
decline may be that
fewer students have
been able to afford
tuition costs, which
are about two to four times higher at private
universities than those within the UPR
system, says Angela M. Gonzlez, chair of
the department of biology, chemistry, and
environmental science at Inter American
University of Puerto Rico, San Germn.
At the same time, at least some chemistry departments in Puerto Rico are motivating students to extend their chemistry
education. Approximately 52% of our
chemistry students continue postgraduate studies, 27% pursue graduate studies
in chemistry, and almost 20% of our B.S.
graduates complete their Ph.D.s in the
field, observes Ingrid Montes, a chemistry
professor at UPR Ro Piedras. Among all
U.S. university campuses over the past five
years, UPR Ro Piedras ranks seventh in
the number of its B.S. graduates who have
earned chemistry Ph.D.s, and its the top in
Puerto Rico, according to the National Science Foundations WebCASPAR database.
GO-GETTER Diaz

Maldonado landed
a sales job at
instrumentation
firm Leco after
earning a B.S. from
UPR Mayagez and
a Ph.D. from Purdue.

HELPING HANDS
IN PUERTO RICO
Through MENTORING AND RESEARCH programs, professors
on the island help their students soar in chemistry
SUSAN J. AINSWORTH, C&EN DALLAS

BORN IN THE MOUNTAINOUS central re-

gion of Puerto Rico, Johary Rivera-Melndez

was inspired to study chemistry through the
urging of her high school chemistry teacher
in Orocovis. However, after being accepted
at the University of Puerto Rico, Ro Piedras,
it was the support she received from her
professors that helped her keep that dream
alive. It has not been an easy journey, but
I have had amazing people around me who
have motivated me to keep on going, says
Rivera-Melndez, who is pursuing a Ph.D.
in electrochemistry in Hctor D. Abruas
research group at Cornell University.
The chemistry program at UPR Ro
Piedras is particularly small compared
to many chemistry programs around the
world, but its professors are relentless at
making sure all of their students excel, she
says. They opened the door to what was
my first research experience, which is most
certainly what led me to pursue my graduate degree in chemistry.
Chemistry departments within universities in Puerto Rico have built a strong
tradition of providing mentoring and rich
research opportunities to their undergraduates. In part because of those efforts,
these schools have been able to continue to

attract and retain students despite serious

budget constraints and cuts to federal programs that support the departments.
Traditionally, resources such as materials and infrastructure in Puerto Rico
have been more limited than in the rest
of the U.S., says Francis B. Patrn, a professor and former chair of the chemistry
department at UPR Mayagez. Yet our
studentsbecause of the environment in
which they develop and the mentoring they
receivelearn to do well with less.
Even amid challenging economic conditions, the number of students graduating
with B.S. degrees in chemistry from the UPR
system has remained steady. According to
the National Center for Education Statistics, UPR campuses in Cayey, Humacao,
Mayagez, and Ro Piedras together produced the same number of B.S. chemists,
150, during the 201112 academic year as
they did during the 200607 academic year.
Private universities, in contrast, experienced a drop, producing only 78 bachelors

ON THE ISLAND, mentoring programs

and research opportunities augment rigorous chemistry educational programs, many

of which are accredited by the American
Chemical Society and rely on the same curricula and texts used in the U.S.
Within the UPR system, mentoring of
chemistry students starts early. At UPR
Mayagez, for example, freshman chemistry students are introduced to the curriculum through a course that involves weekly
mentoring meetings with professors, notes
chemistry professor Doris Ramrez-Soto.
As students progress through undergraduate programs, many benefit from
student-to-student mentoring programs.
For example, students struggling through
Montes rigorous introductory organic
chemistry course can get help from a legion
of student volunteers made up of those
who successfully completed the class a
year earlier. In addition to providing tutoring, the mentoring students serve as role

We try to open doors for these students

and encourage them to continue in school.
CEN.ACS.ORG

58

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

UPR RO PIED RAS CHANCELLORS OFFICE

models for younger students, says Montes,

who is a member of the board of directors
of ACS, which publishes C&EN.
Within chemistry departments at both
public and private universities in Puerto
Rico, mentoring extends well beyond formal programs and classroom walls. Our
department is small, and students and professors are part of an academic family, says
Gonzlez. We take a personalized approach
to education, which makes our students feel
respected and comfortable, she says.
Our culture is very warm, and we really care about our students here, says
Montes, who has a reputation for being a
caring mentor and is fondly
called Mother Goose by her
students.
Juan Carlos AponteSantini is just one student
who says he has remained
focused on a career in chemistry because of Montes
guidance and support. As his
organic chemistry professor, and later his graduate
research adviser, Montes
helped him morph from
an undergraduate who was
afraid and uncertain about
the future to a graduate
student focused on becoming a professor, he says. She
helped me believe in myself, says AponteSantini, who is completing a dual Ph.D. in
chemistry education and organic synthesis.
LIKE COUNTLESS other professors in

Puerto Rico, Montes works hard to remain

accessible to her studentsmany of whom
either are single mothers or come from
low-income families. Roughly 70% of students in the UPR system are recipients of
federal Pell Grants, an indication that they
come from a financially deprived background, notes Ramrez-Soto.
We try to open doors for these students
and encourage them to continue in school
or at least complete their bachelors degrees, Montes says. Often, students want
to learn about research opportunities or get
guidance about summer internships, which
provide not only valuable hands-on experience but also a source of income that will
help them fund their education, she says.
Over the past five years, about 90% of
chemistry students at UPR Ro Piedras have
gained some research experience while
earning their bachelors degrees, she notes.
Universities in Puerto Rico offer many

research opportunities thanks in part to

funding sources such as the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) and Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC) programs.
RISE offers opportunities for undergraduate- and doctoral-level students
in chemistry and biology to actively
participate in biomedical research projects in a variety of disciplines, including
chemical synthesis, biochemistry, and
photochemistry.
MARC is designed to provide undergraduate honor students with research

pursuit of a Ph.D. in chemistry. Being a part

of a program, now known as the Purdue
Summer Research Opportunities Program,
in the early 2000s opened her eyes to the
excitement of researchsomething she had
not been exposed to as a biology undergraduate at UPR Humacao, which didnt have lab
facilities at the time.
AFTER FINISHING one of her three sum-

mers in the program, which involves intensive research with faculty mentors, she
transferred to UPR Mayagez, where she
was able to pursue her love of research.
Through her participation in undergraduate research, Diaz
Maldonado says she was able
to explore different areas
of chemistry and find her
niche: solving biochemical
problems, especially applying
chemistry to human cancer
treatments. The programs
also helped her develop the
skills she needed to secure a
spot in the chemistry Ph.D.
program at Purdue after graduating from UPR Mayagez
with a B.S. degree magna cum
laude in 2004.
Diaz Maldonado earned a
Ph.D. in analytical chemistry
under Fred E. Regnier in 2011
CLOSE CONNECTION and landed a job in Dallas as a
activities and a special science
Students discuss
curriculum aimed at improving
sales engineer in the separaresearch results
their chances of being accepted
tion sciences department at
with Montes in the
into biomedically related doctoral undergraduate lab
instrumentation firm Leco.
programs. Thus far, 167 of the 300
Carlos E. Crespo-Hernnat UPR Ro Piedras.
UPR Ro Piedras students involved
dez says his participation in
in this program have completed
research programs made an
their Ph.D.s., and another 103 are still purindelible mark on his career plans.
suing them, according to Reginald Morales,
While earning a B.S. in chemistry at UPR
a professor of chemistry there.
Ro Piedras, Crespo-Hernndez was acceptUnfortunately, students are receiving
ed into the National Institutes of Health
fewer program perks such as access to
Minority Biomedical Research Support proworkshops and short courses from MARC
gram. It enabled him to perform research on
and other honors research programs. The
the photochemistry of DNA and amino acid
programs have been affected by budget
components for three years in chemistry
cuts, mainly because of sequestration, over
professor Rafael Arces group.
the past two years, says Ramrez-Soto, who
In addition, Crespo-Hernndez did two
is codirector of the UPR Mayagez MARC
summer research internships. Partly beprogram.
cause of these undergraduate experiences,
Despite the cutbacks, the programs conhe says, I recognized that I have a love
tinue to help students gain exposure to poand a passion for teaching and research
tential graduate programs or career paths.
and that I wanted to pursue a career as a
Naomi Diaz Maldonado says her particichemistry professor. After completing a
pation in research programs influenced her
Ph.D. in physical chemistry under Arce in
MORE ONLINE
CEN.ACS.ORG

59

Learn how the islands university chemistry departments

benefit from ACS programs at http://cenm.ag/acspr.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

AS MUCH AS PROFESSORS motivate

their students to pursue degrees in chemistry, however, some are apprehensive about
the state of the job market throughout the
U.S., and especially in Puerto Rico.
One concern is that many chemistry
and pharma firms could leave the island
as a result of the 2010 passage of Puerto
Ricos Act 154, which imposes an excise tax
on multinational manufacturers with operations on the island. However, Antonio
L. Medina Comas, executive director of
the Puerto Rico Industrial Development
Co., says the tax has not had a significant
impact on the islands industrial base.
Through a variety of efforts, he says, we
have been able to retain those companies
affected by the tax.
For her part, Rivera-Melndez has no
regrets about her decision to continue her
chemistry education, she says, adding that
you can work chemistry into any industrial, governmental, scientific, or educational
field. For now, I will consider my options
and not be too concerned about the poor
state of the economy and the job market,
she says. Things will get better.
As professors in Puerto Rico, RamrezSoto adds, we have the privilege to work
with students who know they will benefit
from higher education. Earning an undergraduate degree in chemistry is not easy,
she says, but with mentoring and support,
most are able to achieve that goal.

HONG KONGS
EDUCATION OVERHAUL
Reforms to undergraduate curriculum aim to push the country
toward INNOVATION by unleashing students creativity
LINDA WANG, C&EN WASHINGTON

AS FAR AS educational reforms go, Hong

CityU is trying to stimulate more creKongs most recent experiment may be

ativity among its students through its new
among the most ambitious. During the
Discovery-enriched Curriculum, which
201213 academic year, the former British
encourages undergraduates in all majors
colony converted all eight of its publicly
to make at least one new discovery during
funded universities from a British-style,
their time at the university.
three-year undergraduate curriculum to a
We want our students to graduate havmore international four-year curriculum
ing explored the unknown, having been able
used by countries such as the U.S.
to create something original, and having the
These changes follow 2009 reforms to
self-confidence that accompanies that kind
the secondary school curriculum. The duration of
high school was shortened
to three years from four,
and the emphasis on testing as the primary measure
of academic success was
shifted to a more holistic
approach to education that
aims to give students a
more meaningful academic
experience.
Hong Kongs government hopes that by revamping the undergraduate
system to focus less on test
scores and more on rewarding students for their creativity, the country will not
only cultivate future leadof process so that they are in
INSPIRED First-year
undergraduate students
ers but also position itself
a position to make important
in the Addicted to
as a global force in science
contributions throughout their
Discovery summer
and technology innovation. program at CityU are
professional careers, says ArWhat this transition means
thur B. Ellis, provost of CityU.
encouraged to explore
their childhood questions. We expect that many of these
for chemistry departments
at Hong Kong institutions is
students will become leaders in
that they now have a unique
their fields for that reason.
opportunity to reinvent their curricula and
Early indications are that this approach is
introduce new and innovative approaches
changing students attitudes toward learnto teaching and motivating their students.
ing. Ada Lau, who is entering her second
In Asia, the creativity is there, its just
year and majoring in chemistry at CityU,
not being unleashed in the very examispent the summer conducting research with
nation-oriented system, says Shuk-han
teammates in CityUs new Addicted to DisCheng, a professor of biology and chemiscovery program, which is geared toward untry at City University of Hong Kong. The
dergraduates with an interest in science and
students understand now that when they
engineering. The program gives first-year
get to the university, they will be rewarded
students hands-on research experience that
for taking risks.
focuses on one of their childhood.
EVA LOI I-HA

2002 and a postdoctoral NIH fellowship

appointment at Ohio State University
under Bern Kohler, he began his dream
career as an assistant professor at Case
Western Reserve University in Cleveland
in 2007.
Rivera-Melndez also drew conclusions
about her career aspirations as a result of
her undergraduate research experiences.
Under the tutelage of UPR Ro Piedras
chemistry professor Carlos Cabrera, she
conducted research in electrochemistry
and fell in love with the process. With
Cabreras encouragement, she applied
to and was accepted to the NSF Research
Experiences for Undergraduates program.
She spent a summer doing research at the
University of Pennsylvania, and then at
Cornell, where she first met Abrua, her
current adviser. Through these experiences, she says, I realized that solving
current scientific problems and answering
questions that have never been answered
before are the most interesting things I can
do in a future career.

CEN.ACS.ORG

60

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

degree in analytical and testing sciences.

Ricky Wong, head of the universitys
chemistry department, says the new degree is geared toward students who want a
career in Hong Kongs booming analytical
sciences industry. Hong Kong doesnt
have a big chemical industry, he says.
One of the chemical-related industries is
the analytical testing industry. In this part
of the world, food safety is a serious issue.

ian Yam, a chemistry and energy professor,

says HKU has one of the most internationally diverse student bodies in the region,
so having a more international curriculum
will promote even more exchanges with
countries such as the U.S. and China.
Shing Bong (Terry) Lou, an undergraduate chemistry major at HKU, will spend
the upcoming academic year as a visiting student at Cambridge University. He
HKBU

Yun Lam, an associate biology and chemistry professor who directs the program,
says that in the past, undergraduate research was typically done in the final year of
college. Now, under the Discovery-enriched
Curriculum, the university encourages students to start doing research immediately.
We want them to have their first taste of
discovery their first year, Lam says. In addition, by exploring one of their childhood
questions, students are more likely to find
their research engaging.
Lau says her initial idea for a research
project was to look for anticancer properties in snake venom. Despite the potential
risks involved, the university supported her.
If the school banned my idea immediately,
it would be like banning my curiosity, she
says. Because of practical issues such as
time and cost, Lau instead decided to focus
her research on the anticancer properties
of foods. She has already found promising
leads in natural products such as aloe vera.
We want to tell students that making
a discovery is something everybody can
do every day, Lam says. We want people
like Ada Lau to be addicted to making
discoveries.
THE CONVERSION to a four-year curricu-

lum has also led to new programs at Hong

Kong University of Science & Technology.
Zhenyang Lin, who heads the universitys
chemistry department, says the university
needs to adapt to keep up with the changing
needs of the world, where students need to
be more interdisciplinary.
The chemistry department has expanded
its offerings for students interested in the
chemical sciences, adding a number of new
courses in areas such as materials and energy, and separations science. In the past,
students could major only in chemistry,
but now they can concentrate in areas such
as materials chemistry or environmental
chemistry. The university has also created
double-degree programs. Lin hopes the
expansion of options available to chemistry
students will translate into more job opportunities for them when they graduate.
Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU)
is also focusing on career development and
increasing job prospects for its students.
During the past academic year, the chemistry department created a new bachelors

The new major is a hit with ENGAGED Undergraduate hadnt planned on studying
students in a materials
students. Tin Yan Ha, who
abroad initially, but because
science course talk with
is entering her second year
HKU encourages students to
their instructor at Hong
at HKBU and is an analytical
participate in international
Kong Baptist University.
and testing sciences major,
experiences, and under the
says she applied to the unifour-year curriculum he will
versity specifically because of
still be able to graduate on
this new program. She intends to pursue a
time, Lou decided to take the plunge. This
career in food and analytical testing.
is a great opportunity to challenge myself,
At Hong Kong Polytechnic University,
he says.
the chemistry department is pouring more
Although each university is taking a difresources into undergraduate research. The
ferent approach to implementing the reuniversity has even hired teams of specialforms, whats common among all of the uniists to help its undergraduates find opporversities is that undergraduates now have
tunities to engage in independent research
an additional year to take courses that interboth within the university and outside it.
est them. Furthermore, under the threeWing-tak Wong, who heads the department
year curriculum, students had to choose
of applied biology and chemical technology,
their major at the outset and had little room
says he believes this investment will lead to
for other courses; they can now wait until
greater research productivity by the school.
their second year to declare a major.
The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
We dont want to confine them. We want
sees the transition to a four-year curto let them choose and think about what
riculum as a boon for its international
they like, says Lin of Hong Kong University
exchange programs with other countries
of Science & Technology. Its giving them
that also use the four-year curriculum. Vivmore flexibility.

We want to tell students that making a discovery

is something everybody can do every day.
CEN.ACS.ORG

61

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK

We will have more enthusiastic

students if they really want to major in
chemistry, Yam says.
Many of the universities have created
new courses to appeal to a range of interests. CityU, for example, now offers roughly
200 electives from which first-year students
can choose. These electives are interdisciplinary and include topics such as Science
in Chinese Kung Fu, Poetry and Science,
and The Biochemistry of Attraction.
The transition, which took more than
five years of planning and preparation, was
not without its challenges. Because undergraduates now start college a year earlier
than before, they have had fewer courses
in fundamental subjects such as chemistry
and mathematics. To bridge the gap, chemistry departments have had to create new
general chemistry courses for first-year
students in the new four-year curriculum.
THE ADDITIONAL COURSES and students

put an enormous strain on Hong Kong universities faculty and resources: The 201213
academic year involved a double cohort in
which the final group of three-year students
entering each university overlapped with
the first group of four-year students. At
Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for example, the general chemistry lecture, which
previously had a maximum of 100 students,
last year had more than 300 students. Many
of the universities have had to hire new faculty to handle the additional workload.
Yam acknowledges that its been a tremendous amount of work for faculty, but
everyone is happy to do it because we
want to be part of this transition to help
shape the future of Hong Kong and to remain globally competitive.
And the investment does seem to be
paying off. When I first came to CityU
three years ago, one of the concerns I
heard expressed fairly often from faculty
was that they wished students would ask
more questions and be more engaged in the
material, and thats happening now, Ellis
says. Because were encouraging this kind
of creativity, imagination, and asking of
questions, its really changing the way the
campus operates.
The students are really enjoying firstyear chemistry lessons now because its not
about passing exams, its about how exciting chemistry as a scholarly subject can be,
says Cheng. When these students move up
the career ladder and become more influential in society, you can foresee that they will
be changing where Hong Kong is going.

CANADAS MASTER
APPEAL
Canadian chemistry masters programs include extensive

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE, and U.S. companies have taken notice

LINDA WANG, C&EN WASHINGTON

WITH AN OVERSUPPLY of Ph.D.s in the

U.S. and intense competition for even the

most entry-level positions in industry, having a masters degree could potentially give
a job seeker an edge over Ph.D. applicants
who may be considered overqualified.
But in a downtrodden economy in
which employers have the upper hand, U.S.
companies are not satisfied with masterslevel candidates who are merely qualified;
theyre holding out for the very best talent
they can find, and that sometimes means
searching for talent outside the country.
Some U.S. companies have found what
theyre looking for in Canada. Weve been
extremely successful at recruiting quality
students out of the Canadian masters programs, says Bruce D. Roth, vice president
of discovery chemistry at Genentech in
South San Francisco. We get scientists who
are technically trained at a very high level.
Todd OMalley, a senior manager of
staffing for the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, in Cambridge, Mass., is
also no stranger to the quality of graduates
coming out of Canadian masters programs.
It comes down to a really solid background
in chemistry, combined with good communication skills and a good work ethic, he
explains. And the people that weve hired
have been extremely successful here.
Roth says graduates of these masters
programs demonstrate that they have extensive research experience and numerous
publications. We expect almost as much
from them as we do from our Ph.D.s, and
for them to perform at that level, they have
to be really well trained. Thats what we see
from the Canadian masters programs.
Roth points out that in the six years hes
been with Genentech, his department has

filled a large percentage of its masters-level

positions with graduates from institutions
such as the University of Sherbrooke and
the University of Montreal, both in Quebec;
the University of Ottawa, in Ontario; and
the University of British Columbia. The
companies who dont recruit in Canada are
missing out on a great opportunity, he says.
Awareness of these programs among
U.S. companies is growing, and it often
takes just one successful hire from one of
these masters programs to spur subsequent hires. In addition, with the exodus
of many large pharmaceutical companies
from sites around Canada, the U.S. is becoming a more attractive option for Canadian chemists seeking employment.
When I started my masters, I thought
I would stay in Canada and work for Merck
Frosst or Boehringer Ingelheim in Montreal, but those sites dont exist anymore,
says Daniel Shore, a research associate at
Genentech who earned a masters degree
from the University of Ottawa. The evaporation of those jobs has made people look
to see what else is available.
THE CANADIAN masters degree in chem-

istry is like a condensed Ph.D., says Christian Reber, a professor of chemistry and
director of chemistry graduate studies at
the University of Montreal. There, for example, students interested in entering the
masters program apply to the program as
well as directly to a faculty member. If they
are accepted into the professors lab, the
student begins doing research immediately
and takes only a handful of courses. At the
end of what is typically a two-year program,
students submit a masters thesis.
We take our masters students very

The companies who dont

recruit in Canada are missing
out on a great opportunity.
CEN.ACS.ORG

62

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

With such an intense focus on research,

students often publish multiple papers
based on research conducted during their
masters training. Mathieu published three
papers while completing his masters
program; on two of them, he was the first
author.
The success of the Canadian masters
programs can be attributed partly to the
specialized training that undergraduates
receive there. Philipe Bergeron, a senior

GENENTECH

seriously, Reber says. We want a high research standard for our masters students,
and not something thats watered down.
Whats more, Canadian masters graduates enter their programs intending to earn
a masters degree. Theyre not students
who were seeking a Ph.D. and for whatever
reason didnt go on to get their Ph.D., Roth
says. These are students who went into
these programs with the intent that this is
the career they want to go into.

on masters students is less desirable than

taking on Ph.D.s. As a faculty member,
training masters students is a lot of work,
and when they get good, they graduate and
leave, he says. Ph.D. students stay longer,
so you get more results. But he says its important to train masters students because
they fill a critical need in industry.
The Natural Sciences & Engineering
Research Council of Canada offers scholarships to masters students to help them
pay for their tuition and salary. Having this
funding makes the students more attractive hires for faculty.
AS SUCCESSFUL as these masters pro-

In Canada, a masters is
research associate at GeMASTERS Canadian
masters degree chemists nentech who earned a masnot a consolation prize, says
(from left),
Louis Barriault, a professor of Bergeron
ters from the University of
Shore, Bryan Chan, and
chemistry at the University of Blaquiere at Genentech.
Sherbrooke, says that by the
Ottawa.
time he started his masters,
Nicole Blaquiere, a senior
he had already completed a
research associate at Genenyears worth of industrial cotech who earned a masters from the Univerops as an undergraduate. When I jumped
sity of Ottawa, says she had no intention of
into my masters program, I was ready to
pursuing a Ph.D. I knew that with a Ph.D.,
start in the lab doing research right away,
you dont actually get to do as much bench
he says.
work, she says. You have more managerial
Reber acknowledges that theres a perresponsibilities and roles, and I like being at
ception among faculty members that taking
the bench, and I like doing chemistry.
Having a masters degree could be an
advantage in this economy, says Simon Mathieu, a scientist at the Novartis Institutes
for BioMedical Research who earned a masters from the University of Montreal. If
you go all the way to a Ph.D., especially these
days, it is really hard to distinguish yourself
because there are a lot of Ph.D.s out there,
and there is a lot of competition, he says.
Masters students contribute significantLATEST NEWS FROM C&EN ABOUT
ly to a chemistry department. At the UniTHE INTERFACE OF CHEMISTRY
versity of Sherbrooke, for example, most of
AND BIOLOGY
the research in the department is done by
cen.acs.org/biological
masters students, says department chair
Armand Soldera. Students are also encouraged to do multiple industrial internships.

biological

SCENE

CEN.ACS.ORG

63

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

grams are at producing highly trained

chemists, even stellar graduates arent
immune to the effects of the sluggish
economy. Barriault says that over the past
few years he has seen a noticeable decrease
in recruitment efforts from companies in
both Canada and the U.S.
To stay competitive, the University of Ottawa is integrating business courses into the
graduate chemistry curriculum. We have to
change the way we train our students, Barriault says. The model that was good five
or 10 years ago when all the big companies
were taking our students because theyre
well trained is over, and we have to incorporate other skills or assets in their training.
Masters students can take up to nine
credits at the master of business administration level, Barriault says. With this strategy,
he hopes students will be exposed not only
to research but also to the management and
entrepreneurial skills that industry seeks.
Barriault and other chemistry faculty
members in Canada hope that when hiring
starts to pick up, firms like Genentech and
Novartis will turn their attention toward
Canadas masters graduates once again.

ACS career tips

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY FACULTY
POSITION IN MATERIALS CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry at Simon
Fraser University (SFU) invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor position in Experimental Materials
Chemistry to take effect in September
2014, subject to nal budgetary approval. Candidates working in the area
of Solar Energy who will make use 4D
LABS (www.4dlabs.ca) shared facilities
in materials science, and who will help
lead our expansion into the fabrication
and testing of solar energy devices are
especially encouraged to apply.
Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree
and will normally have postdoctoral
or industrial experience. Outstanding
candidates with a commitment to excellence in research and teaching are being
sought. The candidates will be expected
to develop and maintain both an innovative, externally funded research program, and an excellent teaching record
at both the undergraduate and graduate
levels in Chemistry.
All qualied candidates are encouraged
to apply; however, Canadians and Permanent Residents will be given priority.
Simon Fraser University is committed
to an equity employment program that
includes special measures to achieve
diversity among its faculty and staff. We
therefore particularly encourage applications from qualied women, aboriginal
Canadians, persons with disabilities, and
members of visible minorities. Applicants should send a complete rsum, a
concise research proposal, a description
of teaching interest and experience, and
a list of three individuals willing to act as
referees with their addresses, telephone
and/or fax numbers, and e-mail addresses. All correspondence should
be sent to:
Dr. Zuo-Guang Ye, Professor and Chair,
Department of Chemistry
Simon Fraser University, 8888 University
Drive, Burnaby BC V5A 1S6 Canada
E-mail: chemchr@sfu.ca
The competition will remain open
until the position is lled. Screening of
applications will commence on
October 1, 2013.
Please note: We thank all applicants for their
interest, however, only those selected for
interviews will be contacted.
Please note that under the University Act,
personal information that is required by the
University for academic appointment competitions
will be collected. For further details see the
Collection Notice. (www.chemistry.sfu.ca/about/
employment)

Negotiate Like A Pro

LIFE IS FULL OF NEGOTIATIONS. If youre
given a new project at work, for example, you
may need to negotiate the projects deadline, its priority over other tasks, and what
the final product will be. Negotiating is really
a balancing act with multiple interdependent
variablesnot only what each party wants
and what theyre willing to give up but also
each individuals role in the project.
With some advance preparation, you can
put yourself in the best possible position to
arrive at a happy
medium. Here are
some tips to help
you work toward a
win-win outcome:
SHUTTERSTOCK

Simon Fraser University is one of

Canadas leading comprehensive
universities with three campuses in
Metro Vancouver. Through the strength
and commitment of our staff and faculty,
SFU is recognized as a top employer
in both BC and Canada. We invite
applications for the following position:

EXPAND YOUR
POSSIBILITIES.
Identify a range of
possible solutions
to the problem,
then determine
where in that range you prefer to be and
the minimum youre willing to accept.
Also, find out in as much detail as possible
what the other party wants, needs, and will
accept.
Remember that a persons desire to gain
something is often less powerful than the
desire to keep what he or she already has
(psychologists call this loss aversion). This
drive to avoid a loss can prompt someone to
accept an offer thats less than ideal. If you
find yourself balking at the thought of giving
something up, take a step back and make
sure its something you really need.
When you do give up something, work
the concession to your advantage by getting something in return. The other side will
place more value on what theyve got, effectively strengthening your position.
REALLY LISTEN. Listening is not the same
as waiting to talk. Pay close attention to
what the other person is saying, and then
paraphrase it back so he or she knows
youve absorbed the points. Then ask openended questions to find out what the other
party really cares about and what he or she
is more willing to concede.
When its your turn to talk, be sure to include reasons for your requests. Simply ex-

plaining why you need something can make

the other participants more likely to honor
to your request.
LOOK FOR THE WIN-WIN. If each party
gets to win on the item he or she feels is
most important, everyone will go away
happy. Try to bring more subjects into the
negotiation so everyone can have a win
somewhere. Maybe you can offer something
they havent thought of, or you can set
things up so theyll
get something in
the near future.
ACKNOWLEDGE
OBSTACLES.
When the other
party tells you why
he or she cant do
something, accept
it, and look for other ways to achieve
the same goal. For example, if the other
person doesnt have the authority to make
a particular decision, suggest that he or she
involve someone who does. Or if they dont
have the budget for what you need now,
suggest installment payments. If you think
through the other persons argument, chances are youll be able to come up with some
suggestions to meet each other halfway.
BE PATIENT. Sometimes youll reach an
impasse with no solution in sight. By taking
a break from the discussion, you may be
able to clear your head and come up with
some alternatives. Think about your situation overnight, and perhaps research some
new options.
Negotiations dont have to be adversarial.
By using the simple tips outlined here, you
can help make sure that everyone walks
away happy with the outcome.
Get Involved In The Discussion. The ACS
Career Tips column is published the first
week of every month in C&EN. Post your
comments, follow the discussion, and suggest topics for future columns in the Career
Development section of the ACS Network
(www.acs.org/network-careers).Brought

to you by ACS Careers

Negotiations dont have to be adversarial.

CEN.ACS.ORG

64

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

(http:chemistry.ucsd.edu) within the Division of Physical Sciences at
UC San Diego invites applications for the following positions:

http:chemistry.ucsd.edu

Tenure-track faculty position in Biochemistry

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in biochemistry or one of the chemical or biochemical sciences and a demonstrated ability or potential for a recognized program of excellence in
both teaching and research. This is a broad search for a top candidate and all areas of
biochemistry are being considered. Although not limited to this, areas of interest are the
molecular characterization, structural and mechanistic understanding of molecules from
single macromolecules to entire systems to integrated or hyphenated structural and quantitative methodologies.

Tenure-track faculty position in Environmental Chemistry

Tenure-track faculty position in Physical Chemistry

Potential research topics include materials, biophysics, energy, reaction dynamics, and
technique development; however, all areas of physical chemistry will be considered. Candidates with innovative research proposals in experimental physical
chemistry are especially encouraged to apply.

UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body. A successful
candidate will be judged on research and teaching accomplishments as well as on potential for leadership in areas contributing to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.
Candidates should submit online: curriculum vitae with list of

 
 








of teaching, and a personal statement that includes a summary of
research plans. A separate statement that addresses past and/or potential
contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion should also be included in the
application materials, see http://facultyequity.ucsd.edu/Faculty-ApplicantC2D-Info.asp. Candidates should also provide names and contact information for
three individuals who can submit letters of reference, addressing research, teaching,
and professional service.
  
   

  University of California pay scale.
Review of applications will commence on September 23, 2013, and continue until the position is

 
 
 
 

  


 
 


Biochemistry (10-621): https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF00413

Environmental Chemistry (10-623): https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF00415
Physical Chemistry (10-622): https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF00414
UCSD 
   
        
   
 
   

CEN.ACS.ORG

65

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

Candidates with a strong interdisciplinary focus are especially encouraged to apply. Candidates must have a Ph.D. with a substantial record of research accomplishment as well
as an innovative research and teaching plan. Research projects centered on chemically
complex systems in real environmental matrices such as aerosols and/or seawater, with a
clear relationship to environmental chemistry, are of particular interest. Topics could include,
but are not limited to, interfacial and multiphase chemical processes, nanoparticles, colloid
formation, and development of advanced physical chemistry measurement tools (i.e., microspectroscopy). The successful candidate will be expected to teach environmental, physical,
and/or analytical chemistry courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

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CEN.ACS.ORG

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Faculty Positions in the Department of

Chemistry and Biochemistry
Open-Rank Tenure-Track Positions

Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor

Te Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry of the University of Maryland, College Park,
anticipates making several tenure-track faculty appointments starting August 2014. Candidates
with exceptional records of research accomplishment, visibility, and vision are invited at all
tenure-track levels. Leaders in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry who complement our
existing research strengths, push disciplinary boundaries, and are committed to developing
stellar academic programs are sought. Candidates who further advance the exceptional diversity
of our faculty are particularly encouraged to apply. As members of a key department in the
world-class College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, faculty in Chemistry
and Biochemistry participate in major University and federally funded Centers and enjoy close
interactions and collaborations with nearby government labs that include NIH, NRL, FDA,
NASA, and NIST.
Te University of Maryland, College Park, is the fagship campus of the University System
of Maryland and is ideally situated in close proximity to Washington, DC; Baltimore; and
Marylands I- 270 Technology Corridor. Inquiries and/or nominations should be addressed to
Professor John Fourkas (chembchm-2014search@umd.edu), Chair of the Faculty Search
Committee.
Applications, consisting of a cover letter, curriculum vitae, three-page summary of research
plans, statement of educational interests, and contact information for three references, must be
submitted electronically to: http://www.ejobs.umd.edu.
Qualifcations: We seek scholars who have or will build highly visible, widely acclaimed
research programs and have or will achieve excellence in education.
Candidates are expected to hold a Ph.D. degree, have demonstrated
accomplishments in independent research, and be an efective educator
in the chemical sciences.
Commensurate with qualifcations.

Deadline:

Review of applications will begin October 4, 2013, but we will continue to

accept applications until the positions are flled.

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

Salary:

Te University of Maryland is an equal opportunity, afrmative action employer.

Applications from women and minorities are encouraged.

College of the Holy Cross

The Department of Chemistry at the College of the Holy Cross
invites applications for a full-time tenure-track appointment to
begin in August 2014. Teaching responsibilities will be in Physical
Chemistry (thermodynamics and quantum mechanics) and
General Chemistry.
The teaching laboratory experience is central to the guided-inquiry nature of our
pedagogy, both at the introductory and intermediate levels. It is also expected that
the successful candidate will teach an elective course in their area of expertise
that complements the current offerings in the department. Candidates must demonstrate commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching as well as scholarly
achievement.
The Chemistry Department is interested in curricular innovation to increase
the number of women and underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines. Ph.D.
required. This position carries a 3-2 teaching load with a full-salary one-semester
research leave prior to tenure review and generous sabbatical and fellowship leaves
for senior faculty.
The College of the Holy Cross uses Interfolio to collect all faculty job applications electronically. Please submit a cover letter describing research and teaching
interests, a research plan including how undergraduates will be involved in research
and estimated start-up needs, curriculum vitae, statement on teaching, unofficial
undergraduate and graduate transcripts (official transcripts will be required at time
of appointment), and three letters of recommendation to https://secure.interfolio.
com/apply/21823. Review of applications will begin on October 11, 2013. Please
contact Professor Sarah Petty at spetty@holycross.edu with questions about the
position.

The College of the Holy Cross is a highly selective Catholic liberal arts college in the Jesuit
tradition. It enrolls about 2,900 students and is located in Worcester, MA, a medium-sized
city 45 miles west of Boston. The College is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer
and complies with all Federal and Massachusetts laws concerning equal opportunity and
affirmative action in the workplace. The College seeks faculty members whose scholarship, teaching, advising, and on- and off-campus service demonstrate commitment to the
educational benefits of a richly diverse community. Holy Cross aspires to meet the needs of
dual-career couples, in part through its membership in the New England Higher Education
Recruitment Consortium (http://www.newenglandherc.org).

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

FACULTY POSITION IN SYNTHETIC

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF PHYSICAL

OR INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

Department of Chemistry
BIOMEDICAL CHEMISTRY INSTITUTE

Department of Chemistry
ARTS AND SCIENCE

ARTS AND SCIENCE

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

The Department of Chemistry at New York University NYU,

located in Greenwich Village in the heart of Manhattan, invites
applications for a faculty appointment at the rank of assistant
professor in physical or inorganic chemistry. The anticipated start
date is September 1, 2014, pending budgetary and administrative
approval. The Department of Chemistry at NYU is implementing
a significant growth plan that has led to the recent creation of
the Molecular Design Institute and the Biomedical Chemistry
Institute, and the hire of five senior and five junior faculty
members. Duties will include undergraduate and graduate
teaching. Applicants should have an outstanding record of
research and a commitment to teaching.

The Department of Chemistry at New York University (NYU), located

in Greenwich Village in the heart of Manhattan, invites applications
for a faculty position in synthetic organic chemistry as part of its
Biomedical Chemistry Institute. While we expect to hire at the junior
level, exceptional senior level candidates will be considered. The
anticipated start date is September 1, 2014, pending budgetary and
administrative approval. The Department of Chemistry at NYU is
implementing a significant growth plan, including the creation of the
Biomedical Chemistry Institute and the Molecular Design Institute,
and the recent hire of five senior and five junior faculty members.
Duties will include undergraduate and graduate teaching. Applicants
should have an outstanding record of research and a commitment to
teaching.

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a list of publications,

and statements of future research and teaching plans. These
materials, as well as three reference letters, must be submitted
to our web-based application system using the following link:
http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/chem.nyufacultypositions.
Application review will begin October 15, 2013. Any questions
about this position can be directed to chemistry.search@nyu.edu.

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a list of publications,

and statements of future research and teaching plans. These
materials, as well as three reference letters, must be submitted
to our web-based application system using the following link:
http://chemistry.fas.nyu.edu/object/chem.nyufacultypositions.
Application review will begin October 15, 2013. If you have
any questions about this position, please send an email to
chemistry.search@nyu.edu.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

NYU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
HAMILTON COLLEGE, Clinton, NY, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor to begin
July 1, 2014. Primary teaching responsibilities will be
in the two-semester Physical Chemistry sequence,
lecture and laboratory, with additional possible responsibilities in Introductory Chemistry, Research
Methods, and/or other courses in the candidates
areas of expertise. The successful candidate will be
expected to guide student research during the summer and advise the required Senior Project during the
academic year. Applicants with expertise and research
interests related to Physical Chemistry (Analytical,
Environmental, Materials, etc.) are encouraged to apply. Ph.D. and postdoctoral or equivalent experience
required. Your cover letter should address the ways in
which you would further the colleges goal of building
a diverse educational environment. Experience teaching or working with diverse student populations is an
asset. Applicants must demonstrate excellence, or
the potential for excellence, in teaching and research
with undergraduates. Excellent startup support and
research space in a state-of-the-art facility will be
provided. Further information about the department
can be found at http://academics.hamilton.edu/
chemistry. Please submit curriculum vitae, undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial acceptable), statements describing teaching and research
interests, and arrange for submission of three letters
of recommendation to https://secure.interfolio.
com/apply/22083. Suggestions for issues to address
in your teaching and research statements can be found
at http://academics.hamilton.edu/chemistry/jobs.
Questions may be directed to Ian Rosenstein, Chair,
Chemistry Department, Hamilton College. Review of
applications will begin on September 30.
Hamilton (www.hamilton.edu) is a residential
liberal arts college located in upstate New York. Applicants with dual-career considerations can find
other Hamilton and nearby academic job listings at
www.upstatenyherc.org. Hamilton College is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and is
committed to diversity in all areas of the campus community. Hamilton provides domestic partner benefits.
Candidates from underrepresented groups in higher
education are especially encouraged to apply.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

DEPARTMENT CHAIR AND PROFESSOR

Chemistry and Biochemistry
Florida Atlantic University
The Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry in the
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) located in Boca Raton, Florida, is seeking a Department Chair to lead a vibrant
and growing department. Candidates should have a
strong record of accomplishments in research, teaching, and service that will qualify them for tenure at the
rank of Full Professor, with significant external funding and currently active grants. The chair will be expected to provide dynamic leadership as a researcher
and educator, leading an internationally recognized
research program, while also overseeing operations
and growth of the department in accord with the universitys strategic goals. Applicants from all areas of
chemistry and biochemistry are invited, especially
those that complement the research programs of the
current faculty. Our department is comprised of a cohesive group of researchers and educators overseeing
more than 30 graduate students. For more information on the department and its programs, please visit
http://www.science.fau.edu/chemistry. Applicants
must apply online at http://jobs.fau.edu/ Position
991599 and attach to their application a curriculum
vitae, descriptions of current research and external
funding, and the names and addresses of at least
three references. A background check will be required
for the candidate selected for this position. Materials
received by November 25, 2013, will receive full consideration; however, this position will remain open until
filled. Questions or statements of initial interest about
this position can be sent by e-mail to Dr. Jerome Haky,
Interim Chair, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
(hakyj@fau.edu). A state-supported institution with
over 30,000 students, FAU is an Equal Opportunity/
Equal Access Institution. Individuals with disabilities
requiring accommodation, call 561-297-3057. TTY/
TDD 1-800-955-8771.

CEN.ACS.ORG

68

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

ACADEMIC POSITIONS
FACULTY POSITION IN
PHYSICAL/ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
The Connecticut College Department of Chemistry invites applications for a tenure-track position at
the assistant professor level in physical/analytical
chemistry beginning Fall 2014. The successful candidate will be expected to teach physical chemistry
courses with labs and undertake additional responsibilities in analytical chemistry. Development of an
independent research program that involves undergraduates is essential and is a hallmark of our department. Ph.D. with expertise in physical chemistry is
required. Please visit www.conncoll.edu/academics/
majors-departments-programs/departments/
chemistry/.
Connecticut College is a private, highly selective
institution with a demonstrated commitment to outstanding faculty teaching and research. Recognizing
that intellectual vitality and diversity are inseparable,
the College has embarked on a significantly successful
initiative to diversify its faculty, student body and curriculum. The College seeks creative scholars excited
about working in a liberal arts setting, with its strong
focus on engaged teaching, participation in shared
governance, and active involvement in an institutionwide advancement of diversity.
Tenure-track faculty members teach a 3-2 load (2-2
in the first year) with lectures and labs each credited as
one unit of teaching. In addition to providing ongoing
strong support for teaching and research, the College
offers the following resources for pre-tenured faculty:
a summer stipend for the first two years, a supplementary research fund, and a semesters sabbatical after a
successful third-year review. AA/EEO.
Interested individuals should send a curriculum vitae, a brief statement of teaching philosophy, graduate transcripts, a brief description of research plans
that includes a list of required major equipment, and
three letters of recommendation to Professor Stanton Ching. Please send the materials electronically via
chemsearch@conncoll.edu. Review of applications
will begin October 1 and continue until the position is
filled.

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

Department of Chemistry seeks diversity in its faculty.

We encourage applications from women, people of color,
and the members of other historically underrepresented
groups.

TWO TENURE-TRACK FACULTY OPENINGS

ROLLINS COLLEGE
The Department of Chemistry at Rollins College, an ACS accredited, highly selective,
comprehensive liberal arts college with 1,850 undergraduates, invites applications for two
tenure-track assistant professor positions in Analytical and Organic Chemistry beginning in
August 2014. We seek colleagues with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate teaching
and the willingness to establish an active research program encouraging collaboration with
students. Teaching responsibilities include organic or analytical chemistry, respective to
position, as well as courses that meet departmental (general chemistry, advanced topics)
and college (general education, frst-year, and honors) needs. We welcome applicants with
research interests that are either traditional or more broadly defned (e.g., materials/polymers,
environmental, neuroscience biological chemistry, etc.). For more information about the
department and our location in the renovated Bush Science Center ($27 million in 2013), visit
www.rollins.edu/chemistry.
A Ph.D. in chemistry is required and post-doctoral experience preferred. Interested applicants
must apply through our applicant Web portal at www.rollinsjobs.com and upload the following
materials in PDF form: (1) a letter of interest and separate statement of teaching philosophy;
(2) curriculum vita; and (3) research proposal with estimated start-up needs. Three letters
of recommendation and transcripts, as well as questions, may be directed to Dr. Laurel Goj
Habgood, Chair, Department of Chemistry, Rollins College, 1000 Holt Avenue, Box 2743, Winter
Park, FL 32789 or lhabgood@rollins.edu. Review of applications will begin October 15, 2013.
Through its mission, Rollins College is committed to creating a fully inclusive, just community
that embraces multiculturalism; persons of color and other historically under-represented
groups are therefore encouraged to apply. The Colleges equal opportunity policy is inclusive
of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Rollins has routinely received
recognition for its employee satisfaction: The Chronicle of Higher Education rates Rollins
College as a 2013 Great College to Work For and the Orlando Sentinel rates Rollins as a Top
10 Family-Friendly Workplace.

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

Department of Chemistry
Tenure-Track Position
The Chemistry Department at The Pennsylvania
State University seeks outstanding applicants for
tenure-track faculty positions in all areas of Chemistry.
Both senior and junior candidates are encouraged to
apply. The research focus within the broad umbrella of
the search area is open, but candidates whose scientific interests complement those of existing faculty are
preferred. Successful applicants should be capable of
achieving teaching excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
The Chemistry Department at Penn State has many
advantages to offer new faculty members, including
a stable pool of highly motivated graduate students
(4550/year for ~35 faculty), excellent support staff,
comprehensive mass spectral and NMR capabilities,
and a 177K sq-ft chemistry research building on the
University Park campus. Research in the biological
sciences also benefits from many opportunities for
tie-ins with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences
(http://www.huck.psu.edu/). In addition, the Materials Research Institute (http://www.mri.psu.edu/),
and the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment (http://www.environment.psu.edu/) offer
many prospects for interactions and collaboration.
Applications will be evaluated starting October 4,
2013, and the search will continue until the positions
are filled. Candidates should submit a cover letter,
current CV, brief statement of research interests,
and have three letters of recommendation sent under separate cover. Send application materials to
Search Committee, Box C, Department of Chemistry, 104 Chemistry Building, The Pennsylvania State
University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, or
as a single PDF file to facultysearch@chem.psu.edu;
or apply at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/
jobs/2989. A background check will be required prior
to beginning employment.
Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal
opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce.
TENURE-TRACK POSITION IN CHEMISTRY
Northeastern State University, located in the beautiful Oklahoma foothills of the Ozark mountains, is seeking a highly motivated individual to bring additional
strength to the chemistry program. The position requires a Ph.D./ABD in Chemical Education or Chemistry. For a complete description and application procedure please visit https://nsuok.peopleadmin.com/
postings/2163.

CEN.ACS.ORG

69

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITION

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY
The Department of Chemistry at DePaul University invites applications for a tenure-track position in chemistry at the rank of Assistant Professor beginning in
autumn 2014. Candidates should possess a Ph.D. in
chemistry with expertise in analytical or physical or
polymer chemistry. Applicants must be able to teach
and conduct research at the B.S. and M.S. levels in a
liberal arts environment that emphasizes close faculty-student interaction. Postdoctoral experience is
required. The ACS-certified Chemistry Department
at DePaul offers a B.S. degree in chemistry within
one of the following four tracks: analytical/physical
chemistry; biochemistry/medicinal chemistry; synthetic chemistry; standard chemistry. At the graduate
level, DePaul offers a thesis-based M.S. degree or a
non-thesis-based M.S. degree within one of the above
four tracks plus polymer/coatings chemistry. DePaul
University emphasizes teaching excellence. Successful candidates will be expected to teach analytical and
physical, or polymer chemistry in addition to introductory courses for science and non-science majors.
Successful candidates need also show a willingness to
teach courses in appropriate interdisciplinary programs. The department is housed in a LEED gold-rated
facility that is equipped with modern instrumentation
to support both teaching needs and most areas of research interest. Please submit the following materials
at facultyopportunities.depaul.edu/applicants/
Central?quickFind=51030: cover letter; CV; statement of teaching philosophy; an outline of research
interests; undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
Please also request three letters of recommendation
be sent to Dr. Lihua Jin, Chair, Department of Chemistry, DePaul University, 1110 W. Belden Av., Chicago,
IL 60614, or e-mailed to chemistry@depaul.edu. Review of applications will begin on October 7, 2013. The



      



Two Assistant Professor Positions

As a continuation of our faculty expansion, the
Department of Chemistry invites applications for two
positions at the rank of Assistant Professor, one in
organic chemistry (synthetic methods) and the other
in experimental physical chemistry (bio-inspired
materials, surface chemistry, catalysis, and energy).

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

There are opportunities to develop collaborations within the

department and across the university in these and related
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academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2971 (organic) or https://
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Prof. David Vicic
(dav512@lehigh.edu) and for the physical position to Prof.
Gregory Ferguson (gf03@lehigh.edu).
The College of Arts and Sciences at Lehigh        
            
   
  
    
          
       
Lehigh University,     
   
    
 
    
    

http://www.lehigh.edu/~inprv/faculty/worklifebalance.html

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
The Department of Chemistry at Dartmouth College
is seeking an outstanding applicant for an open rank
(tenured or tenure-track) faculty position in Biological Chemistry, broadly defined, starting July 2014. We
particularly seek candidates who will help lead, initiate, and participate in collaborative research projects
both within Chemistry and involving other Dartmouth
researchers, including those at Dartmouths Geisel
School of Medicine, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and
Thayer School of Engineering. Teaching responsibilities will include biochemistry and advanced/graduate
courses in biological chemistry. The department
(http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chem/) is home to
16 tenured and tenure-track faculty with strong Ph.D.
and M.S. programs and affiliated with Dartmouths
M.D.-Ph.D. program. Dartmouth College, a member of
the Ivy League, is located in Hanover, New Hampshire
(on the Vermont border). Dartmouth has a beautiful,
historic campus, located in a scenic area on the Connecticut River. Recreational opportunities abound in
all four seasons.
Applicants should submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a description of research (funding and future
plans), and a statement of teaching interests. Senior
candidates should provide the names of three references, while tenure-track candidates should arrange
for at least three reference letters to be sent. All communications will be treated confidentially. Application
materials and reference letters should be submitted to
https://secure.interfolio.com/apply/22014; inquiries may be addressed to chemistry@dartmouth.edu.
Applications received by October 1 will receive first
consideration. With an even distribution of male and

VIRGINIA TECH DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

Faculty Position in Theoretical/
Computational Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry announces a tenuretrack opening in the area of Theoretical/Computational Chemistry at the Assistant Professor level to
start in Fall 2014 at our Blacksburg, VA campus. The
position is part of an existing cluster in computation
that covers programs within the College of Science.
Candidates with research interests in soft materials,
biomolecules/bioprocesses, and energy are particularly encouraged to apply; however, applicants in all
areas of theory and computation will be considered.
Applicants must have a Ph.D. in chemistry or a related
field by time of appointment and 1 year of postdoctoral experience. The successful candidate will be
expected to establish an externally funded research
program and teach effectively at the undergraduate
and graduate levels. Applications must be submitted
online at http://www.jobs.vt.edu (reference posting
#TR0130057) and should include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, a detailed research plan and a statement
of teaching philosophy. Applicants should also arrange
for at least three letters of recommendation to be submitted directly to Prof. Edward Valeev, Department
of Chemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061
(or via e-mail: chem.jobs@vt.edu). Applications will
receive full consideration when all three letters have
been received. Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2013, and continue until the position is filled.
Occasional travel to attend professional conferences
may be required. University policy requires that a conviction check be conducted for all non-student hires.
All questions about the position should be directed
by e-mail to chem.jobs@vt.ed, with the job posting
# - TR0130057 included in the subject. Virginia Tech
is an EO/AA university, and offers a wide range of networking and development opportunities to women and
minorities in science and engineering.

female students and over a quarter of the undergraduate student population members of minority groups,
Dartmouth is committed to diversity and encourages
applications from women and minorities
FACULTY POSITION
Chemical Biology
The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular
Biology at the Drexel University College of Medicine
invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position
at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. We seek
interactive individuals who are working at the interface
of chemistry and biology, using chemical, biochemical,
and/or biophysical approaches to investigate important molecular problems in biology and medicine.
Individuals whose research complements existing
strengths in the department are especially encouraged to apply; these strengths include protein structure/function, inhibitor/drug design, mechanistic enzymology, cell signaling, and cancer cell metabolism.
The department offers a collegial and stimulating environment with many opportunities for collaboration and
state-of-the-art facilities (http://www. drexelmed.
edu/biochemistry). Competitive startup funds are
available. Successful candidates will have a PhD
and/or MD, relevant postdoctoral experience, and a
strong record of research accomplishments. Faculty
are expected to establish rigorous, independent, and
well-funded research programs and to participate in
graduate and medical education.
The Drexel University College of Medicine is a large
private medical school located in Center City Philadelphia. Drexel University is ranked among the top
100 universities in the nation, and was named as one
of the top Up-and-Coming national universities in the
2011 US News College Rankings.
To apply, please submit a single PDF containing
a CV, statement of research interests, statement of
teaching philosophy, and names of three references
to Lucia.Boyer@DrexelMed.edu; please include the
words Chemical Biology Search on the subject line.
FIRST-YEAR CHEMISTRY LAB INSTRUCTOR AND
COORDINATOR POSITION. The Hope College Chemistry Department invites applications for an annually-renewable faculty position to begin in Fall 2014.
Candidates should either have completed a Ph.D. in
chemical education or chemistry and/or have extensive experience teaching general chemistry laboratory
courses. Primary responsibilities will be teaching three
3 hour/week lab sections each semester and serving
as the coordinator for the first-year lab courses. Application details are available via the Faculty Positions
link at www.hope.edu/employment. Review of applications begins October 1. Hope College is a Christian
coeducational, residential liberal arts undergraduate
college affiliated with the Reformed Church in America
located in Holland, Michigan. Additional information
about Hope College can be found at www.hope.edu.

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

MATERIALS CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry at the University of
Michigan invites applications for a tenure-track position at any rank with a proposed start date of September 1, 2014. Candidates with research interests in the
area of materials chemistry, including organic, inorganic or biomaterials, will be given priority. This will be
a University-year appointment (9-mos. academic salary with summer salary supported by research funds).
Candidates are expected to develop an internationally
recognized program of scholarly research and to excel
in teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels.
Detailed information regarding the electronic application process and required materials is available
on-line at (https://www.chem.lsa.umich.edu/chem/
facultyrecruit/). Review of applications will begin on
October 1, 2013.
Information about the Chemistry Department
is available on the web site, w w w.umich.edu/
~michchem.
Questions about the application process should be
sent to chemfacrecruit@umich.edu.
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The
University of Michigan is supportive of the needs of
dual career couples and is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.
THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AT VANDERBILT
UNIVERSITY AND THE VANDERBILT INSTITUTE OF
CHEMICAL BIOLOGY invite applications for a tenuretrack faculty position at the Assistant Professor level
for fall 2014. We seek candidates who will establish
an externally funded and internationally recognized
scholarly research program in chemical biology. This
is a joint recruitment with the Vanderbilt Institute of
Chemical Biology, an institute with core infrastructure
that facilitates interdisciplinary and collaborative research and education. The successful candidate will
teach in the undergraduate and graduate programs
in the Department of Chemistry. A Ph.D. in chemistry,
chemical biology, or a closely related discipline, with
a distinguished academic record, is required. Interested individuals should send the following application materials to the Chair of the Search Committee
(chembiosearch@vanderbilt.edu) in one electronic
file (PDF format): Curriculum vitae, a statement of research and teaching interests, and the names of three
references. The candidate should arrange for reference letters to be sent to the committee. Screening of
the applications will begin October 15, 2013. Women
and underrepresented minorities are strongly encouraged to apply. Vanderbilt University is an Affirmative

Action/Equal Opportunity employer.

ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Department of Chemistry

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

PHYSICAL CHEMIST
Santa Clara University, a highly ranked Jesuit Catholic institution with an ACS-approved undergraduate
program and located in the Silicon Valley, is seeking a
tenure-track assistant professor in physical chemistry
commencing Fall 2014 (pending availability of funding). The successful candidate is expected to establish
an externally funded and productive undergraduate
research program in experimental physical chemistry,
contribute to departmental research and teaching objectives, and demonstrate the ability to teach physical
chemistry and general chemistry effectively. A Ph.D.
and postdoctoral experience in physical chemistry or
a closely allied field are required for this position. For
additional information, complete job description, and
instructions for submission of materials electronically,
visit www.scu.edu/hr/careers/faculty.cfm. Completed applications must be received by October 11,
2013. Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA, has a

SOLID-STATE INORGANIC CHEMISTRY

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
The Department of Chemistry at the University of
Houston invites applications for a tenured or tenuretrack faculty position in solid-state inorganic chemistry. Applicants for a junior position should have
postdoctoral experience and for a senior position, a
strong record of publications, federal funding, effective classroom teaching, and laboratory mentorship.
To apply, send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and
one-page statement of teaching interests and experience. Junior-level applicants should include a summary of research plans (six total pages maximum) and
arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent
independently. Senior-level applicants should include
a funding history in their CVs. Application materials
combined into one PDF document and letters of recommendation should be sent to SolidStateSearch@
uh.edu. The interview process will begin October 1,
2013, and continue until the position is filled. The University of Houston is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Women, minorities, veterans, and
persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

housing assistance program and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH seeks to fill an Assistant Professor faculty position in Organic Chemistry effective
September 2014, pending budgetary approval. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a statement
of research plans, a statement of teaching interests,
and three letters of recommendation. For full consideration, complete applications should be received
before October 18, 2013; however, applications will be
accepted until the position is filled. All application materials should be submitted electronically, as per the
instructions found at https://academicjobsonline.
org/ajo/jobs/2831. Application materials may also
be sent to Professor David Waldeck, Chair, Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, or chemjob@pitt.edu. Visit our web
site, http://www.chem.pitt.edu, to learn more about
our department. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer. Women
and members of minority groups underrepresented in
academia are especially encouraged to apply.

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Samford University (Birmingham, Alabama) invites applications for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level in
organic chemistry starting August 2014. For more
information about this position, see our web site at
http://www.samford.edu/howard/chemistry/. Applicants should submit to chemsrch@samford.edu a
curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy, a
statement of research plans involving undergraduates,
undergraduate and graduate transcripts (unofficial
copies will suffice), and names and contact information for three references. Evaluation of applications will
begin immediately and will continue until the position
is filled. Samford University is an Equal Opportunity

Institution that complies with applicable law prohibiting discrimination in its educational and employment
policies and does not unlawfully discriminate on the
basis of race, color, sex, age, disability, veteran status,
genetic information, or national or ethnic origin.

CEN.ACS.ORG

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Department of Materials
Science and Engineering
The Department of Materials Science and
Engineering at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign is seeking exceptional
candidates for tenure-track or tenured faculty
positions in the broad areas of experimental
materials science and engineering, materials
chemistry or materials physics. Applications
are welcome in all non-biological areas, and in
particular in soft materials and metals. Faculty
members in the department are expected to
teach undergraduate and graduate courses, and
initiate and sustain a vigorous graduate research
program. Applicants must provide a curriculum
vita that includes their teaching experience and
interests, a list of publications, and a synopsis of
a proposed program of research. All applicants
must provide the names and contact information
of at least three (3) references when they upload
their application. Candidates for tenured positions
must have achieved national and international
recognition for their scholarship.
The department presently has 24 faculty and
more than 380 undergraduate and 200 graduate
students, with highly ranked graduate and
undergraduate programs. Extensive state-ofthe-art experimental and computational facilities
are housed on campus in the Frederick Seitz
Materials Research Laboratory, the Beckman
Institute, the National Center for Supercomputer
Applications, and the new National Petascale
Computing Facility.
Applicants must hold an earned doctorate in
an appropriate eld. Salary and rank will be
commensurate with qualications. The proposed
starting date for these positions is as soon as
possible after the closing date. To ensure full
consideration, applications must be received no
later than November 22, 2013. The evaluation of
applications by the search committee will begin
before this date, and interviews may take place
during the application period, but no decisions will
be made until after the closing date.
To apply for this position, please create a
candidate prole at http://jobs.illinois.edu and
upload your letter of application and resume no
later than November 22, 2013.
Qualied senior candidates may also be
considered for tenured full Professor positions as
part of the Grainger Engineering Breakthroughs
Initiative, which is backed by a $100-million gift
from the Grainger Foundation. Over the next few
years, more than 35 new endowed professorships
and chairs will be established, which will provide
incredible opportunities for world-renowned
researchers. More information regarding the
Grainger Initiative can be found at: http://
graingerinitiative.engineering.illinois.edu.
If you do not have online access, please contact
the department ofce for further options:

Department of
Materials Science and Engineering
1304 W. Green St.
Urbana, IL 61801
Telephone: (217) 333-1440
Fax: (217) 333-2736
Email: mse@illinois.edu
The University of Illinois is an Afrmative Action/Equal Opportunity
Employer and welcomes individuals with diverse backgrounds,
experiences, and ideas who embrace and value diversity and inclusivity
(www.inclusiveillinois.illinois.edu). We have an active and successful
dual-career partner placement program and a strong commitment to
work-life balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staf.
http://provost.illinois.edu/worklife/index.html

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

The Department of Chemistry at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, invites applications for a
full-time, tenure-track position at the Assistant or Associate Professor level. We are interested in candidates
who are developing an internationally recognized research program at the interface of synthetic chemistry
with biology, medicine, nanotechnology and/or biomaterials. Candidates may be interested in synergies with
UVa centers of excellence such as the UVa Cancer Center, Center for Global Health, Center for Membrane
Biology, Keck Imaging Center, Center for Biological Timing, and many more.
A Ph.D. and postdoctoral experience in chemistry or related field is required, as well as a strong record
of innovative research and the potential for establishing an active and highly visible research program.
In addition to developing external funding to support research endeavors, candidates will be expected to
teach at the graduate and undergraduate levels and provide service to the University, Department and
professional organizations. Review of applications will begin September 1, 2013 and the position will
remain open until filled. The appointment start date will begin August 25, 2014.
To apply, candidates must submit a Candidate Profile through Jobs@UVa (https://jobs.virginia.edu)
and electronically attach the following: a cover letter, curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests
(3 - 5 pages including concise descriptions of proposed research) and the names and contact information
for at least three referees.
Questions regarding the application process should be emailed to chembio2013@virginia.edu.
The University will perform background checks on all new faculty hires prior to making a final offer
of employment.
The College of A&S and the University of Virginia welcome applications from women, minorities,
veterans and persons with disabilities; we seek to build a culturally diverse, intellectual environment
and are committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and to the principles of affirmative
action in accordance with state and federal laws.
The University of Virginia is an affirmative action/equal opportunity
employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness.

Experimental,
Rank Open,

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

CEN.ACS.ORG

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SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Department of Chemistry


         

CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF
BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

 



The Department of Chemistry, University of

Toronto, invites applications for a tenure-stream
position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the
area of Organic Chemistry, including organic
synthesis, organic materials, and medicinal chemistry,
effective on July 1, 2014, or shortly thereafter.

The University of Texas Medical Branch invites applications for the position of
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The new chair will report directly to the
Executive Vice President and Provost, Dean of the School of Medicine.
A central element of UTMBs future is building its research enterprise such that its
prepared for the new opportunities that translational science offers, and the
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology is a principal focus of that effort.
The Department has been highly ranked for NIH funding with strengths in
structural biology, effects of oxidative stress, epigenetics, and DNA repair. Research
space and equipment for the Department is excellent.
The Chair of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will have the opportunity to
significantly reinvent the Department with new faculty recruitments over the next
five years, and is expected to shape the Department for national recognition in part
by taking advantage of the schools broader growth strategies and of the many
opportunities for collaborative efforts with other units. The Chair must be a
passionate advocate for the Departments students and trainees. He/she will be a
major institutional leader, working with the Dean/Provosts office in setting academic
directions for UTMB, and promoting the schools accomplishments with external
stakeholders. As the Chair of one of the School of Medicines most critical
Departments, the Chair is necessarily both advocate for his/her faculty as well as an
important steward and leader for the organization in all its missions.
Interested candidates will be a nationally recognized scientist holding an Ph.D. or
M.D./Ph.D. and will have academic credentials appropriate for appointment at the
rank of full professor and the leadership skills to guide an important university asset
through a transformational period.
The Academic Health Center Practice of Korn/Ferry International is assisting The
University of Texas Medical Branch with this important search. Please forward, as soon as
possible, your application or nominations of appropriate candidates to: Warren E. Ross,
M.D., c/o M. Sarah Taylor, Senior Associate, Email: sarah.taylor@kornferry.com,
Korn/Ferry International, 1835 Market Street, Suite 2000, Philadelphia, PA 19103.

Applicants must have earned a PhD by July 1, 2014, or soon thereafter in the broadly
 

 

 
  

 
 




   
     

  
  

 
     

 
  
 



  




  


 

  

    
 


 

  
 
 


    
    https://utoronto.taleo.net/
careersection/10050/moresearch.ftl?lang=en and refer to Requisition 1300984.
Applications should include a curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy

  

  

 
   
  
position, please contact receptn@chem.utoronto.ca. All application materials should
be submitted online.
U of T

 

 

 


  





  

  
  


 
PDF format. Submission guidelines can be found at http://uoft.me/how-to-apply.

For more information about the Department of Chemistry,



 
www.chem.utoronto.ca.

The University of Texas Medical Branch is an equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity,
and strongly encourages applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups.

University of Toronto  

   

  

 



 

  



 
   




  
  

   
 





 

  





    

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER (NY). The Department of Chemistry invites applications in the area of
inorganic chemistry, broadly defined. This search
is primarily for candidates at the junior level, but exceptional senior candidates may also be considered.
Candidates are expected to establish an outstanding
program of original research and to be effective teachers at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Application materials are to be submitted online at https://
www.roch ester.edu/fort/chm/. Materials to be
submitted must include a curriculum vitae indicating
graduate and postdoctoral advisors, a statement of
research plans and a statement of teaching interests.
Junior candidates will also enter the names and e-mail
addresses of three references. The references will be
notified by e-mail with instructions for online submission of letters. The department will solicit letters for
any senior candidates. Review of complete applications will begin on October 7, 2013. Questions may be
sent to facrec@chem.rochester.edu. The University
of Rochester is an Equal Opportunity Employer and
has a strong commitment to diversity and actively encourages applications from groups underrepresented
in higher education.

BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry at the University of
Michigan invites applications for a tenure-track position at any rank with a proposed start date of September 1, 2014. Candidates with research interests in the
area of chemical biology, broadly defined, will be given
priority. This will be a University-year appointment (9mos. academic salary with summer salary supported
by research funds). Candidates are expected to develop an internationally recognized program of scholarly
research and to excel in teaching at undergraduate
and graduate levels.
Detailed information regarding the electronic application process and required materials is available
on-line at (https://www.chem.lsa.umich.edu/chem/
facultyrecruit/). Review of applications will begin on
October 1, 2013.
Information about the Chemistry Department
is available on the web site, w w w.umich.edu/
~michchem.
Questions about the application process should be
sent to chemfacrecruit@umich.edu.
Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The
University of Michigan is supportive of the needs of
dual career couples and is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA

FACULTY POSITIONS IN CHEMISTRY
AND BIOCHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the
University of California Santa Barbara announces a
search for a tenure-track faculty member for a position beginning fall 2014 at the Assistant Professor
level. Outstanding candidates with research and
teaching interests in all sub-areas of inorganic chemistry, including bioinorganic, inorganic materials, and
organometallic chemistry are invited to apply. In addition to contributing to the research, teaching, and
service missions of the Department of Chemistry and
Biochemistry, we anticipate campus-wide interactions
in interdisciplinary programs between departments in
the Colleges of Letters and Sciences and Engineering, along with other university-based centers and
institutes. Applicants should submit a curriculum
vitae, description of their research plans, statement
of graduate and undergraduate teaching interests,
and arrange to have three letters of recommendation
sent on their behalf to https://recruit.ap.ucsb.edu/.
Review of applications will begin October 15, 2013,
and will continue until the position is filled. A Ph.D. is
required at the time of appointment. The department
is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the academic
community through research, teaching, and service.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Employer.

FACULT Y POSITION IN BIOCHEMISTRY. The

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh seeks a tenure-track
Assistant Professor beginning September 1, 2014.
Requirements: Ph.D. in the field of biochemistry or related field, ability (or potential) to teach effectively at
undergraduate level, and establish an active research
program in biochemistry. Responsibilities: teach
undergraduate biochemistry, general chemistry,
labs in organic chemistry, advise chemistry majors,
establish an active research program, and pursue
extramural funding. Submit: letter of application, CV,
three current confidential letters of recommendation,
transcripts (photocopies accepted initially), research
plans, and a one-page statement of teaching philosophy to Dr. Jennifer Mihalick, Chair, Department of
Chemistry, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Oshkosh, WI 54901-8654. Electronic submissions will
be accepted at chemhire@uwosh.edu. UW Oshkosh
values diversity and is an AA/EOE Institution. Employment will require a criminal background check. Application deadline is October 11, 2013.

ASST PROFESSOR ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina,
invites applicants for a tenure-track position in the
area of Analytical Chemistry at the level of Assistant
Professor in the Chemistry Department beginning August 2014. The Citadel, a public regionally accredited
four-year comprehensive college, has a unique military tradition. Majors are offered in eighteen academic
areas including the sciences and engineering. The B.S.
curriculum in Chemistry is approved by the ACS. Applicants must hold a Ph.D. degree in Chemistry, have a
commitment to undergraduate teaching and have an
interest in directing undergraduate research. Review
of applicants beginning by October 4, 2013. To view
the full job posting and be considered for this position, you will need to complete an online application
at www.jobs.sc.gov. The Citadel is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer actively committed
to ensuring diversity in all campus employment.

CEN.ACS.ORG

73

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

When responding to a position,

please mention you saw the ad in

BACK - TO - SCHOOL









  

  
 
 
on their behalf to receptn@chem.utoronto.ca.


 









   

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
ANALYTICAL/BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry at the University at Buffalo (UB), The State University of New York (SUNY)
invites applications for a full-time tenure-track faculty
position in the field of Analytical/Bioanalytical Chemistry at the Assistant Professor level to begin in Fall
2014. All areas of analytical/bioanalytical chemistry
will be considered; however, areas of preference would
include those with research interest that complement
the current research efforts in the department (www.
chemistry.buffalo.edu). The successful candidate
will contribute to the department and universitys
mission through research, teaching, and service. The
Assistant Professor is expected to develop a vigorous
and externally funded research program, teach at the
undergraduate and graduate levels, and will provide
service to the department, university, and his/her discipline. The candidate must have a Ph.D. in chemistry
or closely related discipline; postdoctoral research experience is preferable. Applicants must apply online
at https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/applicants/
Central?quickFind=56406. The application package should include: a letter of application, curriculum
vitae, research proposal (5-page limit), statement on
teaching, and the names and contact information of
three references. References will be contacted with a
request to submit letters online. Review of applications
will begin on October 1, 2013, and will continue until the
position is filled. UB is the largest and most comprehensive campus in the SUNY system. With a College of
Arts and Sciences, 11 professional schools and a graduate division at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, there
are excellent opportunities for collaborations, while offering students an excellent education in diverse fields.
Questions may be addressed to achemsch@buffalo.
edu. Women and minorities are strongly encouraged
to apply. University at Buffalo is an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Employer.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY at Boston

University invites applications from outstanding candidates for a tenure-track position at the Assistant
Professor level in the field of Chemical Biology, beginning July 2014 (pending final budgetary approval).
The successful candidate will initiate a world-class
research program involving the development and/
or use of chemical tools and approaches to address
fundamental questions in biology and medicine at
the molecular level. The department has a highly supportive, collegial and collaborative environment, which
includes faculty possessing a wide range of complementary expertise in synthetic organic chemistry, biochemistry, biophysics, structural biology, theory and
computation, and bioinformatics. Interactions across
departments, with investigators in Biology and Biomedical Engineering for example, are also encouraged.
The successful candidate will participate in the University-wide initiative in Integrative and Systems Biology
and/or in translational research in collaboration with
investigators at the School of Medicine, including the
NEIDL (http://www.bu.edu/neidl). Undergraduate
teaching responsibilities will be in the areas of general,
organic, or biological chemistry, with the opportunity
to develop undergraduate and graduate courses in the
candidates area of expertise. Qualifications: Ph.D. in
Chemistry, Biochemistry or a relate field, with postdoctoral research experience and a commitment to
excellence in teaching.
Applicants should apply by submitting a letter of
interest, including teaching and research objectives, a
current CV, and three letters of reference to https://
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2968. The deadline for applications is October 1. Boston University is
an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer.

OPEN CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITION

WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Department of Chemistry at Wayne State University seeks applications for a tenure-track or tenured
faculty position in any area of chemistry, including analytical, chemical biology, inorganic, materials, organic,
physical, and theoretical, with an anticipated starting
date of August 2014. Candidates should have a Ph.D.
degree in chemistry or related discipline and a strong
commitment to excellence in both undergraduate and
graduate education. Junior candidates are expected to
develop a nationally recognized, externally funded research program and should send an application letter,
curriculum vitae, a description of future research plans
and broader impacts thereof, a statement of teaching
philosophy, and three letters of recommendation. Midcareer and senior candidates should have an established record of excellence in teaching and research
and should send an application letter and curriculum
vitae. The Department of Chemistry offers a competitive start-up package and an outstanding environment
for research in newly renovated research laboratories.
The fully staffed Lumigen Instrument Center in the
Chemistry Department manages state-of-the-art
high field NMR spectrometers, mass spectrometers,
single crystal and powder X-ray diffractometers, SEM
and TEM, and EPR instrumentation. More information
about the Department can be found at www.chem.
wayne.edu. All materials should be sent to Professor
Charles H. Winter, Associate Chair, 153 Chemistry,
Wayne State University, 5101 Cass Avenue, Detroit,
Michigan 48202-3489. Review of applications will begin in October 2013. Women and minority candidates

FACULTY POSITION IN PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY AT

THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
The Department of Chemistry at the University of
Vermont (UVM) seeks outstanding applicants for
a tenure-track appointment as Assistant Professor, effective August 2014. The selected applicant is
expected to develop a vigorous research program in
the area of PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY that leads to peerreviewed scholarly publications and extramural funding for that research and to teach and advise undergraduate and graduate students. A Ph.D. in physical
chemistry and postdoctoral experience are expected.
The department has an active Ph.D. program, modern facilities and equipment, and an active research
faculty with a range of interdisciplinary interests, but
with a focus in health and the environmental sciences.
Information about the position can be found at www.
uvm.edu/~chem. Apply online at www.uvmjobs.
com. To receive full consideration, applicants must
submit a curriculum vitae, proposed research plans,
and contact information for three references. Address
questions to Willem.Leenstra@uvm.edu. Review of
applications will begin October 15, 2013. UVM is es-

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY at the University

of New Hampshire (UNH) invites applications for a
tenure-track faculty position in Inorganic/Organometallic Chemistry to begin in August 2014. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. degree. Candidates will be
evaluated on (i) their commitment to excel as a teacher
and mentor at the undergraduate and graduate levels,
(ii) their potential to establish a vigorous, nationally
recognized research program, and (iii) their potential
for meeting the UNH goal of creating an educational
environment that fosters diversity, inclusion and quality engagement for all. Demonstrated commitment to
supporting ethnic, gender and cultural diversity will be
valued. Applicants should submit one PDF file containing the following application materials to chem.dept@
unh.edu: a cover letter, a detailed curriculum vitae,
a statement of research plans, and a statement of
teaching interests and philosophy. Applicants should
also arrange to have three letters of recommendation
submitted to the same address. Review of applications will commence on October 15, 2013, and continue until the position is filled. The University of New
Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access/Affirmative Action institution. The University seeks excellence through diversity among its administrators,
faculty, staff, and students. The University prohibits
discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity
or expression, disability, veteran status, or marital status. Application by members of all underrepresented
groups is encouraged.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY

The Department of Natural Sciences at Assumption
College invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track
position in Chemistry at the assistant professor rank
to begin August 2014. A Ph.D. is required, with postdoctoral work and undergraduate teaching experience
preferred. Primary teaching responsibilities are in General Chemistry and upper-level Biochemistry lectures
and labs. We seek a candidate committed to high quality teaching, undergraduate mentoring and advising,
and an active research program in a teacher-scholar
fashion. The research specialty should be compatible
with funding available for a small liberal arts college.
The Natural Sciences Department is housed in a stateof-the-art $20 million science building with dedicated
faculty-student research space.
Assumption College, a Catholic liberal arts and professional studies college, was founded in 1904 by its
sponsoring religious community, the Augustinians of
the Assumption. Applicants must be willing to contribute actively to the mission of the College as well
as show respect for its Catholic and Assumptionist
identity. Assumption College is an Affirmative Action/
EEOC employer encouraging candidates who would
enrich the Colleges diversity.
Send curriculum vitae, statements of teaching
philosophy and research interests, graduate and undergraduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to Ms. Joanne Colacchio at jcolacch@
assumption.edu, using the subject line chemistry
search. Electronic submission of materials as PDF
files is encouraged. Materials submitted in hard copy
should be directed to Brian K. Niece, PhD, Department of Natural Sciences, Assumption College, 500
Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609. Deadline for
submission is October 15, 2013.
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AND
BIOCHEMISTRY
OBERLIN COLLEGE invites applications for a tenuretrack appointment beginning July 2014 in Biochemistry. The appointee will teach courses in biochemistry,
bioorganic, and introductory chemistry, and direct
undergraduate research. The department is equipped
with modern instrumentation; see: http://new.
ober lin.edu/chemistry/. Applicants should submit a
letter of application, CV, undergraduate and graduate
transcripts, and arrange to have three current letters
of recommendation sent to Michael Nee, Chair, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Oberlin
College, 119 Woodland Street, Oberlin, OH 44074
or to biochemsearch@oberlin.edu. Oberlin College is

an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes nominations and applications from women and minority
groups. FAC13-45.

pecially interested in candidates who can contribute to

the diversity and excellence of the academic community
through their research, teaching, and/or service. Applicants are requested to include in their cover letter information about how they will further this goal. UVM
is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer
and the department is committed to increasing faculty
diversity and welcomes particularly applications from
women and underrepresented ethnic, racial and cultural groups and from people with disabilities.
TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP IN
CHEMISTRY (ORGANIC)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Cambridge, MA
Candidates are invited to apply for a tenure-track assistant professorship in organic chemistry, broadly
defined to include chemical biology, organic synthesis, organic materials, physical-organic chemistry,
organometallic chemistry, and catalysis. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2014. The tenuretrack professor will be responsible for teaching at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. We are seeking
candidates who have an outstanding research record and a strong commitment to undergraduate and
graduate teaching. Doctorate required by expected
start date. Candidates should arrange to have three
letters of recommendation sent independently and
provide a curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, list of publications, and outline of their future
research plans. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted via the ARIeS portal (https://
academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/4914) no
later than October 15, 2013. Harvard is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Applications
from women and minorities are strongly encourage.

CEN.ACS.ORG

74

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

are encouraged to apply. Wayne State University is an

equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY, San Francisco State University. The
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry invites applications for a tenure-track position. A Ph.D. in any
field of chemistry and post-doctoral or equivalent
research experience is required. Candidates must
demonstrate a strong commitment to teaching and
working with a diverse student population. Candidates will be expected to develop an externally funded
research program involving undergraduate and MS
students in one of the following areas: analysis and
characterization of biomolecules, development of
materials for energy and the environment, or elucidating the molecular basis of diseases. To apply, upload
a CV, a statement of proposed research and student
mentorship, and a statement of teaching philosophy
and interests in PDF format following the instructions
at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2913.
Follow instructions at the site to arrange for three letters of reference to be submitted separately. All materials must be received by October 1, 2013, for full
consideration. Details on the position are available at
www.chemistry.sfsu.edu. The University is an Equal
Opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity.
Women, members of all minority groups, veterans, and
people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

GET

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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

BARNARD COLLEGE BIOCHEMISTRY ASSISTANT PROFESSOR. Candidates in all areas of biochemistry are invited to apply for a position as a fulltime, tenure-track Assistant Professor at Barnard
College, an independent liberal arts undergraduate
college for women in New York, NY, affiliated with
Columbia University. Applicants must demonstrate
a commitment to both teaching undergraduates and
establishing a vigorous externally funded research
program involving undergraduates. Post-doctoral research experience preferred. Responsibilities include
teaching lecture and laboratory courses and directing
student research. Please see our web page for more
information: chemistry.barnard.edu. A curriculum vitae, statement of proposed research, teaching statement, and three letters of recommendation should be
submitted to chemsearch@barnard.edu. Deadline:
October 15, 2013. Barnard College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and is strongly and
actively committed to diversity within its community.
Applications from women and members of historically
underrepresented groups are especially encouraged.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY at The University of Chicago invites applications from outstanding
individuals for the position of Assistant Professor of
Chemistry. This search is in the areas broadly defined
as inorganic, organic, physical, materials chemistry,
and chemical biology/biophysical chemistry. Applicants must apply online to the University of Chicago
Academic Career website. Inorganic chemists apply to
http://tinyurl.com/pjhoru2, Organic http://tinyurl.
com/l89fdyd, Physical http://tinyurl.com/lfzjz3z,
Materials Chemistry http://tinyurl.com/nuykp49,
Chemical Biology/Biophysical Chemistry http://
tinyurl.com/pk3meza. Please apply to one search
only. Applicants must upload a cover letter, a curriculum vitae with a list of publications, a succinct outline
of research plans and a one page teaching statement.
At the time of hire, the successful candidate must have
a Ph.D. in Chemistry or a related field. In addition, three
reference letters are required. Review of completed
applications will begin October 1, 2013, and will continue until all available positions are filled.
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/
Equal Opportunity Employer.

THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT at Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA, invites applications for a tenuretrack Assistant Professor position, commencing
fall 2014. We seek a candidate whose training is in
chemistry with a strong bio-organic focus, and whose
research will apply organic chemical approaches to
relevant biological questions. Teaching may include
introductory chemistry lecture and laboratory courses, organic chemistry lecture and laboratory courses,
advanced seminar in areas appropriate to the candidates expertise, and upper-level biochemistry lecture
and laboratory. The candidate will be expected to
contribute to the Colleges interdisciplinary Biochemistry & Molecular Biology program, and to develop a
vigorous independent research program that will involve undergraduate students during the academic
year and summer. Send electronic cover letter, CV,
undergraduate and graduate transcripts, three letters
of recommendation, statements of teaching philosophy and research plans by October 15, 2013, through
https://jobs.dickinson.edu. The ability to create
inclusive learning environments for an increasingly
diverse student body will be an important characteristic of the successful candidate. The college is committed to building a representative and diverse faculty,
administrative staff, and student body. We encourage
applications from all qualified persons.

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH seeks to fill an Assistant

Professor faculty position in Experimental Physical
Chemistry, broadly defined, effective September 2014
pending budgetary approval. Candidates should provide a curriculum vitae, a statement of research plans,
a statement of teaching interests, and three letters
of recommendation. For full consideration, complete
applications should be received before October 18,
2013; however, applications will be accepted until the
positions are filled. All application materials should be
submitted electronically as per the instructions found
at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2830.
Application materials may also be sent to Professor
David Waldeck, Chair, Department of Chemistry,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, or
chemjob@pitt.edu. Visit our web site, http://www.
chem.pitt.edu, to learn more about our department.
The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action,
Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members
of minority groups underrepresented in academia are
especially encouraged to apply.

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO (UIC), DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY invites applications for

a tenure-track assistant professor in the area of bioanalytical chemistry. Areas of greatest interest are
cutting-edge analysis methods at the intersection
of analytical chemistry with biology, biochemistry,
structural biology, biophysics, chemical biology, and/
or biological imaging. The successful candidate will be
expected to carry out a full and innovative program
of experimental research and to teach graduate and
undergraduate courses in analytical chemistry and
biochemistry. Ph.D. is required. Women and minority
candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Please
submit an on line application (include the names and
e-mail addresses of three references), and upload
a cover letter, curriculum vitae, list of publications,
summary of past research, plans for future research,
and statement of teaching philosophy at https://jobs.
uic.edu (Click on the Job Board, then our posting) by
October 7, 2013. Final authorization of the position is
subject to availability of state funding. UIC is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

CEN.ACS.ORG

75

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

THE ROBERT A. WELCH CHAIR IN CHEMISTRY

The University of Houston invites applications for the
Robert A. Welch Chair in Chemistry. This endowed
position is tenured and includes a substantial start-up
package. Preference will be given to synthetic chemistry and experimental physical chemistry applicants.
Candidates must have a strong record of publications, federal funding, effective classroom teaching,
and laboratory mentorship. To apply, send a cover
letter and full curriculum vitae in a single PDF file to
WelchChairSearch@uh.edu. Consideration of applications will begin October 1, 2013, and continue until
the position is filled. The University of Houston is an
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

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RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

FACULTY POSITIONS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
The Department of Chemistry at the University of
Kentucky invites applications for two tenure-track
positions at the assistant professor level. Exceptional
applicants at the associate or full professor level may
be considered for a Fall 2016 start date. We are seeking candidates who will develop strong, nationally and
internationally recognized interdisciplinary research
programs. The first position combines computational
chemistry with other areas of research. We are especially interested in applications-driven computational
research programs focusing on problems in material
science (including bio-inspired materials) and energy
production/storage. The research area for the second
position is open, but we are specifically interested in
candidates whose research activities will complement and strengthen existing strengths at UK, such
as materials, energy, or biological and pharmaceutical
chemistry.
Successful candidates should be dedicated to
excellence in teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. See https://chem.as.uky.edu/
chem- facul ty-positions for a complete description
of the position and application details. Initial consideration of applications will begin October 14, 2013,
with an anticipated start date of August 2014. The

TWO OPEN FACULTY POSITIONS

Boston College
Chemistry Department
The Chemistry Department of Boston College invites
applications for two tenure-track positions to be
effective in the fall of 2014. Applicants will be evaluated
based on their potential to establish a prominent and
well-funded research program and to excel in teaching
at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Successful applicants will join a department of approximately
120 doctoral students, 30 postdoctoral fellows, 200
undergraduate majors, and an internationally recognized faculty. Assistant Professors in the (broadly
defined) areas of Organic Chemistry and Experimental Physical/Materials Chemistry: requires a Ph.D. in
Chemistry or related areas; postdoctoral experience is
desirable but not required. The candidate is expected
to have published in top refereed journals and demonstrated the ability to perform outstanding independent
research.Interested applicants must submit a cover
letter, a graphical executive summary of research
plans (one page), a curriculum vitae, a summary of research plans (eight pages maximum), a statement of
teaching philosophy and arrange to have three letters
of reference submitted via the online faculty application at https://secure.interfolio.com/apply/21985
for physical/materials chemistry and https://secure.
interfolio.com/apply/21965 for organic chemistry. In
the cover letter, the names of three references should
be specified. All application materials must be submitted electronically on or before October 15, 2013. Bos-

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Department of Chemistry
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Department of Chemistry invites applications for
tenure-track appointments beginning July 2014. Outstanding applicants with research interests in all areas
of chemistry are encouraged to apply. MIT Chemistry
has particular interest in appointments of faculty
whose preference is to teach in the area of physical
chemistry, broadly defined. Appointments are at the
rank of assistant professor, but outstanding senior
applicants may be considered. A complete application
must include a curriculum vitae, a one-page summary
of research plans, two or more research proposals,
a brief statement of teaching interests, and three or
more letters of recommendation.
Applications are being accepted at Academic Jobs
Online (https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/MIT/
Department of Chemistry). To receive full consideration completed applications must be received by
October 7, 2013.
Search Contact: Ms. Karen Fosher, Personnel Administrator, Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Room 18-392, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307.
(kfosher@mit.edu)
MIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action
employer. Applications from women, minorities, veterans, older workers, and individuals with disabilities
are strongly encouraged.

University of Kentucky is an Affirmative Action/Equal

Opportunity University that values diversity and is located in an increasingly diverse geographical region. It
is committed to becoming one of the top public institutions in the country. Women, persons with disabilities,
and members of other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. The University also supports familyfriendly policies.
SAINT ANSELM COLLEGE, a Catholic liberal arts college in the Benedictine tradition, Manchester, NH,
invites applications for a tenure-track position at the
assistant professor level in the Chemistry Department
(ACS-certified) for the fall of 2014. Candidates should
hold a Ph.D or be ABD and demonstrate competence
in teaching combined with active research interests.
Preference will be given to candidates with interests
in organic chemistry and/or bioorganic areas. Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum
vitae, copies of transcripts, a description of research
interests, online at http://www.anselm.edu/hr and
three letters of recommendation to Dr. Derk A. Wierda, Chair, Department of Chemistry, email: dwierda@
anselm.edu. Applications will be reviewed beginning
October 15, 2013. The successful candidate will support the colleges Catholic mission. Saint Anselm College is committed by its mission to actively building a
diverse academic community that fosters an inclusive
environment. It therefore encourages a broad spectrum of candidates to apply. Saint Anselm College is an
equal opportunity employer. Successful candidates will

be able to assist the college to further its strategic goals

for institution-wide diversity and inclusiveness.
TENURE-TRACK ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP
IN CHEMISTRY (INORGANIC)
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Cambridge, MA
Candidates are invited to apply for a tenure-track
assistant professorship in inorganic chemistry, broadly defined to include catalysis, synthesis, mechanism,
materials, and energy-related research. The appointment is expected to begin on July 1, 2014. The tenuretrack professor will be responsible for teaching at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. We are seeking
candidates who have an outstanding research record and a strong commitment to undergraduate and
graduate teaching. Doctorate required by expected
start date. Candidates should arrange to have three
letters of recommendation sent independently and
provide a curriculum vitae, statement of teaching philosophy, list of publications, and outline of their future
research plans. All applications and supporting materials must be submitted via the ARIeS portal (http://
academic positions.harvard.edu/postings/4913) no
later than October 15, 2013. Harvard is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Applications
from women and minorities are strongly encouraged.
WANT YOUR DREAM JOB? Find it at cen.acs.org/
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specific fields, at various levels, in different locations.
Or post your rsum and have employers find you.
Why wait? Go to cen.acs.org/cenjobs.html and get
started on finding the right job for you.

ton College, a university of eight schools and colleges, is

an equal opportunity employer and supports affirmative action.
FACULTY POSITION IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY.
Miami University Oxford Campus, Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry invites applicants
with a Ph.D. degree in chemistry or related areas for
a tenure-track Assistant Professor position starting
August 2014. Preference will be given to candidates
with research interests in supramolecular chemistry,
materials chemistry, and/or nanotechnology. Candidates must be able to teach undergraduate and graduate level organic chemistry courses. Duties will also include directing undergraduate and doctoral students
in a nationally recognized externally funded research
program and service to the institution. Applicants
should (1) submit a vita and a detailed description of
their proposed research, and (2) arrange for three
letters of recommendation to be sent to the Organic
Search Committee: organicsearch@miamioh.edu.
Review of complete applications will begin October 4,
2013. The search will continue until the position is
filled. More information concerning the Department
and this position can be found at our web site at
http://chemistry.miamioh.edu/
Miami University is an EOE/AA employer with
smoke- and tobacco-free campuses. Miamis Annual Security and Fire Safety Report with information
on campus crime, fires, and safety may be found at
http://www.MiamiOH.edu/righttoknow. Hard copy
available upon request.
KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY. The Department of
Chemistry (www.ksu.edu/chem) invites applications
for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor
level to begin in August 2014. We seek an outstanding
colleague in the area of Synthetic Organic Chemistry. Applicants with interdisciplinary interests extending into bio- or medicinal- or nanomaterials-related
research are encouraged. Applicants must hold a
Ph.D. in Chemistry or a closely related field and will
be expected to develop a vigorous, creative research
program that attracts extramural funding and capable
co-workers, and to excel in teaching Organic Chemistry to a diverse population at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Candidates must submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching
philosophy and interests, a description of proposed
research, and arrange for at least three letters of
recommendation to be sent to Professor Stefan H.
Bossmann (sbossman@k-state.edu; 785-532-6817),
Department of Chemistry, 213 CBC Building, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506-0401.
Screening will begin October 29, 2013. Complete details at http://www.ksu.edu/chem/news/positions.
html. Kansas State University is an Equal Opportunity
Employer and actively seeks diversity among its employees. In accordance with Board of Regents policy,
a background check will be required for the successful
candidate.

CEN.ACS.ORG

76

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

THE CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT OF WESLEYAN

UNIVERSITY invites applications for a tenure-track
faculty position beginning July 1, 2014, in physical
inorganic chemistry with a focus on materials science. The successful candidate will exhibit potential
for excellence in teaching at the undergraduate and
graduate level and will be expected to establish an
externally funded research program. The Chemistry
Department has an active Ph.D. program involving
13 full-time and 1 part-time faculty and 35 graduate
students and postdoctoral associates. Salary, fringe
benefits, and start-up funds will be competitive. Candidates must apply at http://careers.wesleyan.edu/
postings/4034 by submitting a curriculum vitae, a
description of research plans, a statement of teaching philosophy and the e-mail addresses of three referees who will be contacted for confidential letters of
recommendation. Review of applications will begin on
October 14, 2013, and will continue until the position
is filled. Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, is an
equal opportunity employer who welcomes applications from women and historically underrepresented
minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section
504, or any other non-discrimination policies should
be directed to: Marina Melendez, PhD, Chief Diversity
Officer, 860-685-2764.
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
Continuing Faculty Status Faculty Position
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at
Brigham Young University (BYU) invites applications
for a continuing faculty status (BYUs equivalent of
tenure) track position. Strong applicants in all areas of Chemistry and Biochemistry are encouraged
to apply. The new faculty member will be expected to
excel in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as to develop a dynamic, externally
funded research program. Interested applicants are
required to fill out an online application at https://
yjobs.byu.edu. At this site, please also attach a letter
of interest outlining teaching and research aspirations,
a five-page summary of each of two specific research
proposals, a curriculum vitae, and a publication list.
Additionally, three letters of recommendation should
be sent to the Faculty Recruiting Chair, Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602-5700. Review of applications will begin on October 20, 2013, and continue until
the position is filled. BYU is an equal opportunity employer. Preference is given to qualified candidates who
are members in good standing of the affiliated church,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
A MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY
You cant afford to miss this opportunity to advertise
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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Materials Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry at American University
is seeking applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in chemistry with a focus on soft or
biological materials beginning in August 2014. Special consideration will be given to applicants whose
research bridges traditional boundaries. The successful applicant is expected to develop a competitive
externally funded research program. An ability to forge
collaborations with other departments as well as other
universities or government agencies is desired. The
successful candidate must have a Ph.D. in Chemistry
and be able to show evidence of strong teaching skills.
Teaching duties will include typical first year chemistry
courses, an upper-level chemistry course, preferably
biochemistry, and involvement in the departments innovative advanced laboratory sequences. Applicants
should send a cover letter, CV, research plan, and
teaching statement and arrange to have three letters
of reference sent directly from individuals who are able
to comment on the applicants teaching and research
skills to the Search Committee Chair (electronic submission preferred, chemsearch@american.edu, Department of Chemistry, 4400 Massachusetts Ave.,
NW, Washington, DC, 20016). Review of applications
will begin on October 1, 2013, and continue until the
position is filled. American University is a tobacco and
smoke free campus. American University is an AA/
EEO institution, committed to a diverse faculty, staff
and student body. Women and minority candidates
are strongly encouraged to apply.

FACULTY POSITION IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION.

Miami University Oxford Campus, Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry invites applicants with
a Ph.D. degree in chemistry education, chemistry,
biochemistry, or related areas for a tenured or tenuretrack position at the Associate or Assistant Professor level starting August 2014. Duties will include
teaching undergraduate courses in chemistry and
graduate courses in chemistry education research,
service to the institution, and directing undergraduate and graduate students in a nationally recognized
externally funded chemistry education research program. Appointment to the rank of Assistant Professor
requires candidates with postdoctoral experience or
years already in rank as assistant professor. Appointment to the rank of Associate Professor requires a
distinguished record of accomplishments in scholarship and teaching commensurate with tenure at the
associate professor level in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Applicants should (1) submit
a vita and a detailed description of their proposed
research, and (2) arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent to the Chemistry Education
Search Committee: chemedsearch@miamioh.edu.
Review of complete applications will begin October 4,
2013. The search will continue until the position is
filled. More information concerning the Department
and this position can be found at our web site at
http://chemistry.miamioh.edu/
Miami University is an EOE/AA employer with
smoke- and tobacco-free campuses. Miamis Annual Security and Fire Safety Report with information
on campus crime, fires, and safety may be found at
http://www.MiamiOH.edu/righttoknow. Hard copy
available upon request.

TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITIONS

CLEAN ENERGY INSTITUTE
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (SEATTLE)
Applications are invited for full-time, tenure-track appointments at all ranks in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Washington to participate
in research and instruction in the new Clean Energy
Institute. Outstanding candidates with interests in
materials chemistry for solar energy or electrochemical energy storage will be given preference. University
of Washington faculty members engage in teaching,
research, and service. Successful candidates will be
expected to participate in undergraduate and graduate teaching and to develop innovative, vigorous,
externally-funded research programs. Applicants
must have a Ph.D. or foreign equivalent degree by date
of appointment. For information about the Department and the Clean Energy Institute, and to apply,
please visit https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/
jobs/2983; applications should include a cover letter,
curriculum vitae, statement of future research interests, and (at the Assistant Professor rank) three letters of reference. Priority will be given to applications
received by October 4, 2013. Please direct all inquiries
or disability accommodation requests to search@
chem.washington.edu. The University of Washington
is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
The University is building a culturally diverse faculty
and strongly encourages applications from female and
minority candidates.

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH.

One or two tenure-track positions are available with
primary focus on experimentalists, but with the possibility of a hire in theory. We plan to hire at the Assistant Professor level; however, exceptional senior candidates will be considered. Candidates are expected
to demonstrate the ability to develop vigorous, competitive, well-funded research programs, and to be
excellent teachers at the undergraduate and graduate
levels. A Ph.D. is required; postdoctoral experience is
desirable. Assistant Professor applicants should send
an application letter with detailed vita, a description
of proposed research and teaching interests, and arrange for three letters of recommendation. Senior applicants should send an application letter and vita. Applications should be uploaded in PDF format directly
to http://utah.peopleadmin.com/postings/24957.
Application review will begin October 15 and continue
until suitable candidates are identified. The University of Utah values candidates who have experience
working in settings with students from diverse backgrounds and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education for historically underrepresented students. The University of Utah is an
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and
educator. Minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans
preference. Reasonable accommodations provided.
For additional information: http://www.regulations.
utah.edu/humanResources/5-106.html.
CALIFORNIA LUTHERAN UNIVERSITY
STAUFFER PROFESSOR OF
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry at California Lutheran
University (CLU) invites applications for a tenure-track
appointment at the assistant or associate level as the
Stauffer Professor of Analytical Chemistry to begin fall
2014. Individuals with interests in environmental and/
or bioanalytical chemistry with interdisciplinary applications are especially invited to apply. Candidates
must possess a Ph.D. in chemistry and must be committed to excellence in teaching and in developing an
active research program that involves undergraduates. Prior experience in teaching and postdoctoral
research are desirable. The successful candidate will
teach undergraduate courses in quantitative analysis and instrumentation, in the introductory/general
chemistry courses, and advanced courses in areas
of interest. Please submit the CLU application form
(found online at https://www.callutheran.edu/hr/
sign_in.php), cover letter, CV, statements of teaching philosophy and of research plans, and have three
confidential letters of recommendation sent. All application materials should be submitted electronically
to Dr. Kristine Butcher, Stauffer Search Committee
Chair c/o Vicki Wright (vjwright@callutheran.edu.)
For full consideration, applications must be received
by October 1, 2013.

CEN.ACS.ORG

77

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Department of Chemistry

TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION

The Department of Chemistry (http://www.chemistry.
msu.edu/) at Michigan State University seeks
outstanding candidates for a position at the assistant,
associate, or full professor level.
The research area is open to all areas, and outstanding
candidates in the general areas of polymer, analytical, and
organic chemistry are especially encouraged to apply.
Successful candidates are expected to develop a vigorous,
externally funded research program and contribute to teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. Review of
application materials will begin on October 1, 2013, and will
continue until suitable candidates are identied.
Application materials should include a cover letter, CV, statement of research interests and future research directions,
teaching statement, and names and email addresses of
three references, all of which should be uploaded electronically at https://jobs.msu.edu for posting #6684. Questions
regarding the position may be directed to Prof. Jetze Tepe,
Chair of the Search Committee (tepe@chemistry.msu.
edu), or to Prof. Robert Maleczka, Chair of the Department of Chemistry (maleczka@chemistry.msu.edu).
The department is highly committed to a diverse faculty
and encourages applications from individuals that have
been traditionally under-represented in science faculties
including women, persons of color, veterans, and persons
with disabilities.
MSU is an afrmative-action, equal-opportunity employer and is committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive
culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential. The university
actively encourages applications and/or nominations of women, persons of
color, veterans, and persons with disabilities. MSU is committed to providing a work environment that supports employees work and personal life,
and offers employment assistance to the spouse or partner of candidates
for faculty and academic staff positions.

Assistant Professor, Organic Chemistry

University of California, Riverside
The Department of Chemistry invites
applications for a tenure-track faculty position
in the broad area of Organic Chemistry, to
start July 1, 2014. Candidates with strong
commitments to research and teaching
excellence are encouraged to apply. Candidates
must have a doctoral degree in a chemical
science, a record of original research
accomplishments, and the potential to develop
a successful independent research program.
Preference will be given to applicants whose
research interests complement those of existing
faculty, and postdoctoral experience is highly
desirable.
Applications should include a full curriculum
vitae, a research proposal and three names
and addresses of professional references. A
statement addressing potential contributions
of the applicant to diversity may be included.
Application materials may be sent as a single
PDF le attached to an email directed to
CHEMSRCH@ucr.edu, or by mail to Organic
Faculty Search, Department of Chemistry,
University of California, Riverside, CA 925210403. Condential letters of reference may be
sent separately to the same addresses. Review
of applications will begin on October 1, 2013, with
appointment to begin July 1, 2014. Applications
will be accepted until the position is lled.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/
Afrmative Action Employer and is committed to supporting
dual career couples. All applicants are encouraged to complete
the condential afrmative action survey available at http://
affirmativeaction.ucr.edu/forms/eeo_survey.html.
Information about the Department is available at http://www.
chem.ucr.edu.

BACK - TO - SCHOOL

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY.

The College of Charleston Department of Chemistry &
Biochemistry invites applications for a tenure-track
position in Analytical Chemistry to begin August 2014.
The successful candidate must be able to teach sophomore-level quantitative analysis and a senior-level
instrumentation course, in addition to contributing to
the general chemistry curriculum. The teaching load of
nine contact hours includes both lecture and lab. Applicants must possess a terminal degree and successful candidates will likely have postdoctoral experience.
The successful candidate must initiate and sustain a
research program that includes undergraduates in
an area that enhances the research opportunities in
analytical chemistry. The College of Charleston is a
nationally recognized, public liberal arts and sciences
university located in the heart of historic Charleston,
South Carolina. The department is located in a newly
constructed building. Review of applications will begin
September 30, 2013, and continue until the position
is filled. Completed applications, including a letter of
application, a CV, a statement of teaching philosophy,
a research plan, undergraduate and graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation should
be submitted (e-mail is preferred) to Dr. Pamela RiggsGelasco, Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry,
College of Charleston, 66 George St., Charleston,
SC 29424. gelascop@cofc.edu. Qualified women and
minority candidates are encouraged to apply; the College of Charleston is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action employer.

MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

RECRUITMENT ADVERTISING

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

ACADEMIC POSITIONS

BIOCHEMISTRY
Assistant Professor of Chemistry, tenure-track position, to start in September 2014. Ph.D. in Biochemistry
required. Teach seven courses (3-1-3) per year including a two-semester biochemistry chemistry (lecture
and laboratory) and regular participation in our organic chemistry sequence (lecture and laboratory).
Candidates should preferably have postdoctoral and
teaching experience, be strongly committed to teaching and mentoring undergraduates, and training them
through example and participation in their own significant program of research and publication. The new
James Center for Molecular and Life Sciences, housing
the biology and chemistry departments, opened in
winter of 2013 and features the latest in laboratory and
computer technology. Available equipment includes
AA, scanning and diode-array UV-vis, FTIR, 300 MHz
NMR, HPLC-IC, GC-FID, GC-MS, Protein Chromatography System, Fluorescence Microplate Reader, and
Electrochemical Equipment. For more information
about the Eckerd College chemistry, see http://www.
eckerd.edu/academics/chemistry/. Participation in
the colleges interdisciplinary, values-oriented general
education program is required, including a regular
rotation in a two-semester freshman course. Eckerd
College, the only independent national liberal arts college in Florida, has a tradition of innovative education
and teaching/mentoring excellence. Submit a letter of
application, vita, copies of graduate and undergraduate transcripts, statement of teaching philosophy,
teaching evaluations (if available), a description of
research plans and three letters of recommendation
by October 15, 2013. Apply at http://www.eckerd.
edu/employ ment. Inquiries may be sent to David
Grove: grove@eckerd.edu. Electronic applications
only. Qualified candidates must be authorized to work
in the United States for the College. EOE. Applications
from women/minorities encouraged.

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (SEATTLE)
TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITIONS
Applications are invited for full-time, tenure-track
appointments in the Department of Chemistry. Outstanding candidates in all areas of chemistry and
interdisciplinary areas involving chemistry will be considered for appointment at the Assistant or Associate
Professor levels. Appointment at the Full Professor
level will be considered for candidates with interests
in materials chemistry for solar energy or electrochemical energy storage. University of Washington
faculty members engage in teaching, research, and
service. Successful candidates will be expected to
participate in undergraduate and graduate teaching
and to develop innovative, vigorous, externally funded
research programs. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or
foreign equivalent degree by date of appointment.
For information about the Department and to apply,
please visit https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/
jobs/2983; applications should include a cover letter,
curriculum vitae, statement of future research interests, and (at the Assistant Professor rank) three letters of reference. Priority will be given to applications
received by October 4, 2013. Please direct all inquiries
or disability accommodation requests to search@
chem.washington.edu. The University of Washington
is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer.
The University is building a culturally diverse faculty
and strongly encourages applications from female and
minority candidates.

FACULTY POSITIONS
Chemistry & Chemical Biology
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
The Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology is
searching for tenure-track faculty members at the Assistant Professor level. Outstanding candidates with
research interests in analytical, biological, inorganic,
materials, organic, physical, and theoretical chemistry
are encouraged to apply. A Ph.D. degree is required,
and postdoctoral experience is preferred.
Application materials should be submitted electronically to Academic Jobs Online at https://
academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2864. Applicants
should submit a curriculum vitae, graduate transcript
and separate statements of research experience, proposed research and teaching interests and have at
least three letters of recommendation submitted. The
cover letter should clearly specify which one of the
seven sub-disciplines listed above best describes the
applicants proposed research program along with one
area of secondary interest. The deadline for submitting applications is October 15, 2013. Please direct
questions to: chemfacsearch@cornell.edu. Cornell

P O S I T I O N N O. 5 0 5 5 4 (J E S K E Y C H A I R I N
CHEMISTRY). The Department of Chemistry at
Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas, Texas,
offers a tenuretrack Assistant Professor position in
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY starting August 1, 2014. Applicants must have a Ph.D. in Chemistry. The department has recently renovated its laboratory and teaching space and is entering a period of sustained growth.
Successful candidates are expected to contribute to
the continued expansion of the Ph.D. program and
must have a strong commitment to research and
teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level,
including advanced laboratory courses and modern
inorganic chemistry. The candidate will establish a
high impact research program in an area of inorganic
chemistry including, but not limited to materials, bioinorganic, or organometallic chemistry. Visit www.
smu.edu/chemistry for additional information on the
department. Send a letter of application highlighting
the candidates qualifications, a complete curriculum
vitae, detailed outline of research plans, and a statement on teaching philosophy as a single pdf file by
e-mail to laurieann@smu.edu. Applicants should arrange to have at least three letters of recommendation
sent directly to the above-mentioned e-mail address.
Review of applications will begin on October 1, 2013,
but applications will be accepted until the position is
filled. With an enrollment of approximately 11,000 students, SMU is a private university located in the heart
of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. SMU will not discriminate in any employment practice, education
program or educational activity on the basis of race,
religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic
information, or veteran status. SMUs commitment
to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on
the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and
expression. Hiring is contingent upon the satisfactory
completion of a background check.
WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY
Applications are invited for a tenure-track position at
the assistant professor level in organic or inorganic
chemistry, broadly defined, to begin September 2014.
Applicants with experimental or theoretical/computational research interests are encouraged to apply. The
department of 16 tenure-track faculty offers MS and
BS degrees in chemistry and biochemistry, graduating 40-50 majors annually. Please see https://jobs.
wwu.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=4328 for required
and preferred qualifications and application instructions. Inquiries may be addressed to Prof. Greg ONeil,
search committee chair, at (360) 650-6283 or
gregory.oneil@wwu.edu. Review of applications will
begin October 11, 2013. For disability accommodation

THE DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH seeks to fill an Assistant

Professor faculty position in Inorganic/Materials Chemistry, effective September 2014, pending
budgetary approval. Candidates should provide a
curriculum vitae, a statement of research plans, a
statement of teaching interests, and three letters of
recommendation. For full consideration, complete
applications should be received before October 18,
2013; however, applications will be accepted until the
position is filled. All application materials should be
submitted electronically, as per the instructions found
at https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/2832.
Application materials may also be sent to Professor
David Waldeck, Chair, Department of Chemistry,
University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, or
chemjob@pitt.edu. Visit our web site, http://www.
chem.pitt.edu, to learn more about our department.
The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action,
Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and members
of minority groups underrepresented in academia are
especially encouraged to apply.
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
Department of Chemistry Instructor
The Department of Chemistry at Colorado State University (CSU), located in Fort Collins, CO, seeks to hire
a 9-month special non-tenure track faculty member at
the rank of Instructor, with a primary focus on coordinating (and participating in) our General Chemistry
lecture program, and substantial secondary responsibilities in all aspects of student advising and retention.
Candidates must hold a Ph.D. or equivalent degree,
and possess excellent communication and teamwork
skills. Complete applications will include a cover letter,
CV, and the names of three references. For full consideration, applications should be submitted online
at http://cns.natsci.colostate.edu/employment/
ChemInstructor/ by Friday, September 13, 2013, but
applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Additional details can be found on the application site.
CSU conducts background checks on all final candidates and is an EO/EA/AA employer.
POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT: Chemistry/Science
Education
Western Washington University
Applications are invited for an assistant or associate professor position jointly appointed between the
chemistry department and the Science, Math and
Technology Education (SMATE) program at Western
Washington University (WWU) in Bellingham, WA,
beginning September 2014. Please see https://jobs.
wwu.edu/JobPosting.aspx?JPID=4318 for required
and preferred qualifications as well as application instructions. Inquiries may be addressed to Prof. Emily
Borda at (360) 650-3135 or bordae@wwu.edu. For
disability accommodation call (360) 650-3774. Review of applications begins September 30, 2013; position open until filled.

call (360) 650-3774 (V) or 650-7967 (TTY). AA/EOE.

CEN.ACS.ORG

78

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and Educator. Women and Minorities
are encouraged to apply.
FACULTY POSITIONS IN CHEMISTRY
The Department of Chemistry, Colorado State
University (CSU), located in Fort Collins, CO, seeks
to hire a tenure-track faculty member with research interests in computational chemistry. While exceptional
candidates from all areas of computational chemistry
are encouraged to apply, candidates whose research
addresses biological or bio-inspired problems are of
particular interest. We aim to fill this position at the Assistant Professor level. Candidates should hold a Ph.D.
or equivalent degree and be capable of truly outstanding teaching, scholarship, and research. Postdoctoral
experience is highly desirable. Complete applications
must include a detailed CV, descriptions of research
plans and teaching interests, and the names of at least
three references.
For more information or to apply see http://cns.
natsci.colostate.edu/employment/Chemistry/.
Questions should be directed to Chair, Faculty Search
Committee, chemsrch@lamar.colostate.edu. Applications completed by October 15, 2013, will receive
full consideration, but applications will be accepted
until the position(s) are filled. Files of semifinalists will
be available to all Chemistry Department faculty. CSU
is an EO/EA/AA employer. CSU conducts background
checks on all final candidates.

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INDEX TO ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE

Aldrich Chemistry
www.Aldrich.com

Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Inc

www.ssi.shimadzu.com

Cover Tip

Aldrich Material Science

www.aldrich.com/matsci

31

SOCMA
www.socma.com

53

Alphora Research Inc.

www.alphoraresearch.com

20

Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp.

www.spectrumchemical.com

30

Ampac Fine Chemicals

www.ampacfinechemicals.com

21

Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd.

www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp

39

Ash Stevens
www.ashstevens.com

37

TA Instruments
www.tainstruments.com

33

Asymchem
www.asymchem.com

23

Toronto Research Chemicals Inc.

www.torontoresearchchemicals.com

38

Biotage Inc.
www.biotage.com

45

Tosoh USA, Inc.

www.tosoh.com

36

Carus Chemicals
www.caruschem.com

52

W. A. Hammond Drierite Co. Ltd.

www.drierite.com

20

CEM Corporation
www.cemsynthesis.com

22

Waters Corporation
www.waters.com

IFC

Chemical Information Services

www.chemicalinfo.com

47

Wyatt Technology Corporation

www.wyatt.com

Codexis
www.codexis.com
CombiPhos Catalysts
www.combiphos.com

IBC
1
49

Delmar Chemicals
www.delmarchem.com

51

Enamine Ltd.
www.enamine.net

IKA Works, Inc.

www.ika.com

Impact Analytical
www.impactanalytical.com

52

Interchim
www.interchim.com

19

J-STAR Research, Inc.

www.jstar-research.com

36

Johnson Matthey
www.jmcct.com

OBC

KNF Neuberger
www.knflab.com

24

Life Chemicals Inc.

www.lifechemicals.com

41

Lonza Biologics, Inc.

www.lonza.com

16

Ocean Optics, Inc

www.oceanoptics.com

Photonis USA, Inc,

www.photonis.com

29

Polymer Chemistry Innovations, Inc.

www.polychemistry.com

24

Quanta BioDesign
www.quantabiodesign.com

46

Rieke Metals Inc.

www.riekemetals.com

80

Royal Society of Chemistry

www.rsc.org

This index and additional company information

are provided as a service to the advertisers. We
are not responsible for errors or omissions.
Classified Advertising

CPhI Worldwide
www.cphi.com

10, 25

6478

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newscripts
THERES A FLY IN MY ART, BLUE FUGATES OF K ENTUCKY

silver ions form blue-tinted nanoparticles in

the skin when zapped by sunlight.
Intrepid reader David C. Kennedy of
Palm Springs, Calif., wrote in to point
out that Newscripts omitted mentioning
the BLUE PEOPLE of Troublesome Creek.
This extended blue-skinned family, descendants of one Martin Fugate, lived for generations in an isolated environ in eastern Kentucky. Their blueness had long been accepted
as some aberration of naturemaybe
heart disease or a lung disorderalthough
most of them lived into their 80s or longer.
In the 1960s, Madison Cawein, a curious hematologist, gured out that the
Fugates had a recessive gene that cuts
of production of the enzyme diaphorase.
This enzyme, also known as cytochrome b5 reductase or methemoglobin
reductase, converts methemoglobin to
hemoglobin. Methemoglobin is a blueInsect art: Flies hard at work on a painting.
tinted oxidized form of hemoglobin that
spread disease, but he wasnt sure how it
carries oxygen in the blood. People normally
worked. As he learned more, he realized
have a small amount of methemoglobin, but
he could use yspeck, the bits of material
in rare cases theres more, and it can make
ies spew out while eating, as a medium. In
the person look bluish.
essence, Knuth uses the ies as a collective
Cawein hit on a clever idea to solve the
dot-matrix redistribution system, forcing
Fugates problem: inject them with the dye
them to create a metaphor for the city, spemethylene blue. It seemed counterintuitive
cically the sprawl of Los Angeles.
to ght blue skin tone with a blue dye, but
For his rst few paintings, Knuth fed the
Cawein knew that methylene blue is an elecinsects hamburger, but the yspeck came
tron donor and could reduce the iron in metout in monochromatic brown. After experihemoglobin back to hemoglobin. In efect,
menting, Knuth found that he could customblue + blue = pink.
ize a Kafkaesque color palette by mixing up
Indeed, upon
a concoction of water, sugar, and watercolor
injecting the blue
paint that the ies lap up and regurgitate.
people with methyOnce the maggots begin to hatch into
lene blue, their skin
ies, he puts them in a screened-in box that
turned a normal
holds the canvas. Each painting uses a few
pink color within
generations of ies and takes a couple of
minutes. Cawein
months to complete. The artist does little
left the Fugates
Colorized: A
to guide the ies, but he is giving some
with supplies of
blue Fugate
thought to manipulating the compositions
methylene blue pills
descendent and
family.
by using masks or stencils. He says its a
to sustain a normal
crazy feeling to have the wind generated by
skin tone. The only
thousands of y wings beating on your hand
side efect, as one man conded later to
when you feed them.
Cawein, was that he could see the blue
ushing out of his skin when he urinated
arlier this year, Newscripts reported
(which was actually excess methylene
that the chemistry behind blue-man
blue). As the Fugates dispersed in recent
syndrome had nally been explained
decades and the gene pool has become
(C&EN, Feb. 4, page 40). Recall that this is a
more diverse, there appear to be fewer blue
condition, called argyria, in which a sufpeople in Kentucky.
ferers skin turns a distressing blue color
from chronic exposure to silver. Most cases
occur in people who have consumed copiSTEVE RITTER wrote this weeks column.
ous amounts of colloidal silver as a cure-all
Please send comments and suggestions to
metallotonic. Researchers have posited that
newscripts@acs.org.

environmental
SCENE

LATEST NEWS FROM C&EN

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL
RESEARCH AND POLICY

cen.acs.org/environment

NEWSCOM

JOHN K NUTH

rtist John Knuth buys maggots

wholesale on the Internet. He then
co-opts the digestive system of
thousands of ies spawned from his purchases to spatter ABSTRACT IMAGES on
canvas. The paintings, which have been on
display at the Museum of Contemporary Art
in Los Angeles, are colorfully alluring if you
dont think about how they are made.
Knuth was initially interested in how ies

E
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