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A E S S S L T A E A C R C I yyyyN S M S E E H C C T N IO A March 2003 Vol. LXXXI, No. 7 yyyyC N • AMERI
Monthly Meeting Felice Frankel on Envisioning Science
Trip to Cuba ACS delegation attends Conference on Chemistry in Cuba
Book Review “A Brief Account of Radio- activity” Review of an Oldie but Goodie
Summer Scholar Report Toward a Crystal Structure of an E. coli DNA component, by John Huetsch and coworkers 2003 Call for Papers EASTERNEASTERN ❖ Deadline – April 15, 2003 ❖ AnalyticalAnalytical November 17-20, 2003 • Garden State SymposiumSymposium Exhibit Center • Somerset, NJ
he Eastern Analytical Symposium is the second largest meeting in the United States T dedicated to the needs of analytical chemists and those in the allied sciences. Please help us to make the 2003 EAS the best ever–be a part of the program by contributing your own papers for inclusion in the oral or poster sessions. To submit a contributed presentation for the 2003 EAS Technical Program, you should go to our web site, www.eas.org, and follow the instructions for preliminary abstract submission. Invited speakers should not submit preliminary abstracts to EAS, although your session organizer may request one for his/her use. All pre- liminary abstracts must be submitted electronically via the EAS web site at www.eas.org. The abstract sub- mission deadline is April 15, 2003. No faxed, e-mailed, or mailed preliminary abstracts will be accepted. Please carefully review the following information, since our submission procedures have changed: 1. All preliminary contributed abstracts will be sub- mitted electronically in 2003. No faxed, e-mailed, or mailed preliminary abstracts will be accepted. 2. The title of the presentation and the list of authors that you submit are final, and may not be changed. 3. The preliminary abstract that you submit will be considered to be your final abstract for use in the abstract book for the 2003 Eastern Analytical Symposium. 4. All preliminary abstracts will be acknowledged via e-mail. 5. Presenting authors of contributed submissions will be notified in June 2003 of the status of their abstract and its session assignment.
If you have questions concerning the submission of presentations for the 2003 EAS please contact us at: www.eas.org Eastern Analytical Symposium email: [email protected] P.O. Box 633 EAS Hotline: 1-610-485-4633 Montchanin, DE 19710–0633 USA EAS Faxline: 1-610-485-9467
2 The Nucleus March 2003 The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. Contents Office: Marilou Cashman, 23 Cottage St., Natick, MA 01760. 1-800-872-2054 Committee Chairs 2003 4 (Voice or FAX) or 508-653-6329. ______e-mail: [email protected] Monthly Meeting 5 Any Section business may be conducted ______via the business office above. Felice Frankel speaks on “Envisioning Science, Making Good Science Look NESACS Homepage: Good” http://www.NESACS.org Frank R. Gorga, Webmaster Call for Papers ______6, 13 Washington, D.C. ACS Hotline: 1-800-227-5558 Undergraduate poster session, September National ACS Meeting . . . 6 Officers 2003 Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference ...... 13 Chair: John L. Neumeyer Make New Friends, Keep the Old ______6 Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital Linking past, present and future NESACS members; by J. Fuller-Stanley, chair- 115 Mill St., Belmont, MA 02478 617-855-3388; [email protected] elect Chair-Elect: Trip to Cuba 7 Jean A. Fuller-Stanley ______Chemistry Department, Wellesley College ACS delegation attends Conference on Chemistry in Santiago de Cuba Wellesley, MA 02481-8203 781-283-3224; [email protected] Book Review ______10 Immediate Past Chair: “A Brief Account of Radio-activity” By Francis Venable, reviewed by J. Bullitt; Morton Z, Hoffman Chemistry Department, Boston University review of a 1917 college text, starting a series of reviews of vintage chemistry Boston, MA 02215-2507 books 617-353-2494; [email protected] Secretary: Candidates for Election ______13 Michael Singer Sigma RBI Summer Scholar Report ______13 3 Strathmore Rd. “Toward a crystal structure of E. coli DNA GyraseA subunit” by John Huetsch, Natick, MA 01760-2447 Alex Ruthenberg and Gregory Verdine 508-651-8151x291 [email protected] Board of Directors ______16 Treasurer: James Piper Notes of the meeting of December 12, 2002 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451 Historical Notes 18 978-456-3155 [email protected] Continuation of obituaries of recently deceased chemists and chemical engineers Auditor: Anthony Rosner Cover: Felice Frankel, March meeting speaker Archivist: Deadlines: May issue: March 13, 2003 Myron Simon 20 Somerset Rd. Summer issue: June 13, 2003 Newton, MA 02465; 617-332-5273 [email protected] Trustees: Joseph A. Lima, Esther A.H. Hopkins, Michael E. Strem, Councilors: Alternate Councilors: Term Ends 12/31/2003 Term Ends 12 /31/2003 The Nucleus is distributed to the members of the Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Catherine E. Costello Wallace Gleekman Society, to the secretaries of the Local Sections, and to editors of all local A.C.S. Section publications. William Klemperer Arno H.A. Heyn Forms close for advertising on the 1st of the month of the preceding issue. Text must be received by the Dorothy J. Phillips Howard R. Mayne editor six weeks before the date of issue. Barbara Wood Alfred Viola Editor: Arno Heyn, 21 Alexander Rd., Newton, MA 02461, Term Ends 12/31/2004 Term Ends 12/31/2004 Tel: 617-969-5712, FAX: 617-527-2032; e-mail: [email protected] Thomas R. Gilbert Timothy B. Frigo Patricia H. Hamm Donald O. Rickter Associate Editors: Myron S. Simon, 20 Somerset Rd., W. Newton, MA 02465, Tel: 617-332-5273 Michael J. Hearn Lawrence T. Scott Mukund S. Chorghade, 14 Carlson Circle, Natick, MA 01760: Arlene W. Light Derk A. Wierda [email protected] Term Ends 12/31/2005 Term Ends 12/31/2005 Board of Publications: Marietta H. Schwartz (Chair), Patrick M. Gordon, vacant, E. Joseph Billo (Con- Mary T. Burgess Michaeline F. Chen sultant) Morton Z. Hoffman Patrick M. Gordon Business Manager: Karen Piper, 19 Mill Rd., Harvard, MA 01451, Tel: 978-456-8622 Doris I. Lewis Truman S. Light Amy E. Tapper Michael Singer Advertising Manager: Vincent J. Gale, P.O. Box 1150, Marshfield, MA 02050, Tel: 781-837-0424; FAX: 781-837-8792 All Chairs of standing Contributing Editors: Patricia Hamm, Features; Edward Atkinson, History of Chemistry; Dennis Committees, the editor Sardella, Book Reviews; Marietta H. Schwartz, Software Reviews. of THE NUCLEUS, and Calendar Coordinator: Donald O. Rickter, e-mail: [email protected] the Trustees of Section Proofreaders: E. Joseph Billo, Mukund S. Chorghade, Donald O. Rickter, M.S. Simon Funds are members of the Board of Directors. Any Webpage: Webmaster: Samuel P. Kounaves, [email protected] Councilor of the American Chemical Society Asst. Webmasters: Terry Brush, [email protected] residing within the section area is an ex officio Kurt Heinselman, [email protected] member of the Board of Directors. Copyright 2003, Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society, Inc. The Nucleus March 2003 3 Committee Chairs Directions Corporate Patrons of Standing Committees Astra Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Awards Michael J. Dube Wellesley College Novartis Pharmaceutical Corp. Bd. of Publications Marietta Schwartz From Boston, Cambridge, etc. Strem Chemicals, Inc. Budget, Finance James U. Piper From Rte. 128/95, proceed to the Corporate Sponsors Chemistry Education Ruth Tanner Rte. 9 exit Westbound. Take Rte. 9 to Constitution & Bylaw Catherine Costello the Rte. 16 Exit ramp (1.9 Mi.). At the Aerodyne Research, Inc. Local Arrangements Mary Burgess top of the ramp turn Left into Rte 16 Cambridge Isotope Laboratories Membership Michaeline Chen Southbound. Follow Rte. 16 through Consulting Resources Corp. Nominating Morton Z. Hoffman Wellesley Hills to Wellesley (1.5 Mi.). Houghton Chemical Corp. Programs Jean A. Fuller-Stanley At the traffic light continue straight, New England Biolabs, Inc. Professional Relations Open which is now Rte. 135 for about 3/4 Organix, Inc. Public Relations Mukund Chorghade mile to the Wellesley College entrance Polymedica Corp. Other Committees & Positions on the left. Sigma-RBI Archivist Myron S. Simon Enter the campus, staying on the Brauner Award Doris I. Lewis curving main road (College Road), Business Liaison James Quick going left of the large quadrangle Chem. Health & Safety Mary Ann Solstad buildings, down a small hill to the visi- New Members Continuing Education Alfred Viola tor parking area. The Science Center Includes members relocated to the Esselen Award Arno H.A. Heyn is the modernistic building on a slight Northeastern Section (after April): E. Joseph Billo rise opposite the parking area. Invitation to attend a Section Government Relations Doris I. Lewis For the dinner, exit the parking Medicinal Chem. Group Pamela Nagafuji meeting area and turn right into College Road. National ChemistryWeek Christine Jaworck You are cordially invited to attend Norris Award Frederick D. Greene The College Center is the last building one of our upcoming Section meetings Project SEED Patricia A. Mabrouk before College Road leaves the campus as guest of the Section at the social Public Service & (about 0.2 Mi). There is limited park- hour and dinner preceding the meeting. Education Task Force James A. Golen ing. Additional parking is available in Please call Marilou Cashman for a Richards Medal Patricia A. Mabrouk lots on the other side of College Rd. reservation, letting her know that you Senior Chemists Open When leaving, turn into College are a new member. Speakers’ Bureau Susan M. Chiri-Buta Road toward the South Exit at Rte. 16, Summerthing Wallace J. Gleekman turn left into Rte. 16 and return to the Webmaster Samuel P. Kounaves business area of Wellesley, and retrace Esselen Younger Chemists Amy Tapper the route you came. Awardee Announced Bruce D. Roth to receive the Gustavus J. Esselen Award Dr. Roth is the Vice President of Chem- istry at the Pfizer Global Research and Development, Ann Arbor, Laborato- ries. He has been selected as the 2003 Esselen Awardee for his synthesis of cholesterol-lowering compound ator- vastatin, which has been marketed as Lipitor®, one of the best of the HMG- CoA reductase inhibitors, “statins.” Chemically, atorvastatin is a pyr- role derivative: [R-(R*,R*)]-2-(4-fluo- rophenyl)- , -dihydroxy-5-(1-methylet hyl)-3-phenyl]-4-[(phenylamino)car- bonyl]-1H-pyrrole-1-heptanoic acid, continued on page 6
4 The Nucleus March 2003 Abstract Monthly Meeting Envisioning Science, Making The 841st Meeting of the Northeastern Section of the American Good Science Look Good Chemical Society (Note the change from the usual time schedule: the dinner is after the talk) Human beings assimilate the world Thursday, March 13, 2003, Wellesley College chiefly through their sense of sight. It 5:30 pm Social Hour; Science Center, 2nd. Floor lounge is not surprising, therefore, that scien- 6:30 pm Evening Meeting, Room 277, Science Center tists continually seek new and better Dr. John L. Neumeyer, chair, presiding ways to see in order to become better observers. With only the occasional Felice Frankel, M.I.T.: Envisioning Science, Making Good Science exception, science forgets that the phe- Look Good nomena whose characteristics it seeks 7:45 pm Dinner, Wellesley College Club to understand may be stunningly beau- Dinner reservations should be made no later than noon, March 6. Please call or tiful when skillfully visualized. Unfor- fax Marilou Cashman at (800) 872-2054 or e-mail at [email protected]. tunately, however, generating images Please indicate a menu choice: Salmon, chicken, or vegetarian. Reservations not in the laboratory is usually carried out cancelled at least 24 hours in advance must be paid. Members, $28.00; Non- with only minimal expertise with virtu- members, $30.00; Retirees, $18.00; Students, $10.00. ally no consideration for their aesthetic THE PUBLIC IS INVITED. or communicative qualities. Anyone who needs special services or transportation, please call Marilou This talk will encourage Cashman a few days in advance so that suitable arrangements can be made. researchers to consider a new Free Parking: In visitors’ lots on campus approach for making science images Next Meeting: Esselen Award Meeting, April 10, 2003, Harvard University. and figures for the following reasons: Reception and dinner 5:30 pm, Harvard Faculty Club; • As research becomes more interdis- Award Meeting: 8:15 pm, Pfizer Hall, Mallinckrodt Chemistry Building, Har- ciplinary, illuminating and intelligent vard University. Dr. Bruce D. Roth, Vice President of Chemistry at Pfizer images and various forms of data Global Research and Development, Ann Arbor Laboratories: “The Discovery will become more useful in commu- and Development of Lipitor®.” nicating to various fields of expert- ise. ence, Wired, Newsweek, Scientific • As investigators spend more time Biography American, Discover Magazine, New making these new images of Scientist and was profiled in the New research to communicate to a larger Science photographer Felice Frankel is York Times, LIFE Magazine, the community, they will see their work a research scientist at the Massachu- Boston Globe, the Washington Post, differently, expand the way they setts Institute of Technology. Her work the Chronicle of Higher Education, think about their work and therefore is supported by the School of Science, National Public Radio’s All Things the way they envision it. the School of Engineering and the Considered, Science Friday and the • Compelling and accessible pictures Office of Research. Her latest book Christian Science Monitor. She has and data representations will draw Envisioning Science, The Design and exhibited internationally and her pres- the public’s interest to the world of Craft of the Science Image has just ent exhibit, Envisioning Science is research. been published by The MIT Press, traveling the United States. Cambridge, Ma. Frankel was awarded a Guggen- Working in collaboration with sci- heim Fellowship, and has received entists and engineers, Frankel creates grants from the National Science images for journal submissions, pre- Foundation, the National Endowment Have you looked sentations and publications for general for the Arts, and several other Founda- audiences. Her most extensive collabo- tions. She was a Loeb Fellow at Har- at the new ration, On the Surface of Things, vard University’s Graduate School of Images of the Extraordinary in Design for her previous work photo- NESACS website? Science (Chronicle Books, 1997), with graphing the built landscape and archi- George M. Whitesides, is now in its tecture. She is a Fellow of the WWW NESACS second printing. American Association for the . .org Her work has appeared on the Advancement of Science. Her web site covers and inside pages of Nature, Sci- is: http:// web.mit.edu/felicef/
The Nucleus March 2003 5 Call for Papers Make New Friends and Undergraduate Research Poster Session at the Keep the Old: 226th National ACS Meeting. Linking past, present and future NESACS members. New York, NY, Sept. 7-11, 2003 The ACS invites undergraduate stu- When you ask, “what must I do to and memorable so that members will dents to submit abstracts of their move up the ladder of success in my look forward to coming again, and research papers for presentation at the profession”, undoubtedly, you will get again, and again. Undergraduate Research Poster Ses- the response, “Network, Network, Here are some ways we can sion (URPS) which will be part of the and Network!” But what is effective improve the networking and/or ‘peer extensive program for undergraduates networking and how do we go about mentoring’. at this meeting. Submit your abstract doing it? A very small number of peo- Feel free to write to me, or send e- electronically by May 3, 2003 to ple have been schooled in the ‘art of mail, with your suggestions about how
6 The Nucleus March 2003 Member News ACS Delegation Travels Awards Philip S. Baran, Harvard, is to receive To Cuba the Nobel Laureate Signature Award Morton Hoffman and Zafra Lerman* for Graduate Education in Chemistry at the upcoming New Orleans Meeting. The award is for work done (with Nico- laou, preceptor) at the Scripps Research Institute and the University of Califor- nia. He will present the award address at the ORG Division. William S. Hancock, Northeastern University, is to receive the ACS Award in Chromatography at the New Orleans Meeting for his work in analytical biotechnology, particularly in adapting HPLC techniques to the separation of peptides and proteins. His award address will be presented at the Analyt- ical Division. Peter H. Seeberger, M.I.T., is to receive the Arthur C. Cope Young Chemistry educators in Cuba: (l. to r.) Lynn Hogue (Miami University), Luis Bello (Uni- Scholar Award (one of two) at the New versidad de Oriente), Barbara Bello, Morton Hoffman (Boston University, NESACS York National Fall Meeting in Septem- Chair), Zafra Lerman (Columbia College, Chicago), Jerry Sarquis (Miami University), ber. He will give his award address in Hessy Taft (Educational Testing Service), Martin Minelli (Grinnell College). Mickey Sar- the ORG Division. quis (Miami University). (Photos by M. Hoffman) Dietmar Seyferth, M.I.T., is to receive the Arthur C. Cope Senior Scholar Thirteen chemical educators traveled (Miami University), Zafra Lerman Award, (one of four) also at the New to Cuba recently under a specific (Columbia College), Cathy Middle- York Meeting and he also will deliver license issued by the U.S. Department camp (University of Wisconsin, Madi- of the Treasury to the American Chem- son), Martin Minelli (Grinnell his award address at the ORG Division. th Christopher T. Walsh, Harvard Med- ical Society to attend the 17 Confer- College), David Morton (Columbia ical School, will receive the Alfred ence of Chemistry in Santiago de College), Maria Oliver-Hoyo (North Bader Award in Bioinorganic or Bioor- Cuba, December 4-6, 2002. The Carolina State University), Jimmy ganic Chemistry at the upcoming New Departamento de Quimica in the Fac- Reeves (University of North Carolina Orleans ACS Meeting. He will deliver ultad de Ciencias Naturales of the Uni- at Wilmington), Jerry Sarquis (Miami his award address at the ORG Division. versidad de Oriente sponsored the University), Mickey Sarquis (Miami Robert G. Bergman, University of conference, which included plenary University), Hessy Taft (Educational California at Berkeley, will receive the lectures, oral and poster presentations, Testing Service), Carol Venanzi (New Northeastern Section’s James Flack and workshops. More than 300 Jersey Institute of Technology). Norris Award in Physical Organic chemists from North America, Latin Mickey Sarquis was the 2002 chair of the Division of Chemical Education Chemistry at the New Orleans Meeting. America, and Europe participated in (CHED), and Jerry Sarquis is He will present his award address at the sessions on physical, analytical, envi- presently the secretary of CHED. ORG Division. ronmental, inorganic and organic chemistry, chemical engineering and None of these chemists received Congratulations to these awardees chemical education. any financial support from ACS or The following traveled on the ACS CHED toward the trip; many paid their Make Friends license: Carmen Gauthier (Florida own way while others received finan- Continued from page 6 Southern University), Morton Hoffman cial assistance from their institutions. (Boston University), Lynn Hogue A pre-conference workshop on formation? chemical education was offered on Jean Fuller-Stanley (NESACS Chair- * Zafra Lerman was the James Flack Nor- December 3 to college chemistry elect 2003) ris Awardee of the Northeastern Section teachers, which included the following Associate Professor of Chemistry, for 2002 for her outstanding achievements presentations: Wellesley College in the teaching of chemistry. She addressed Cathy Middlecamp, “Teaching
The Nucleus March 2003 7 Morton Hoffman, “New strategies ACS Trip to Cuba for teaching general chemistry” Continued from page 7 Jerry Sarquis, “Peer-Led Team chemistry in ‘real world’ contexts” Learning: The Workshop Model” Maria Oliver-Hoyo, “Estrategias Zafra Lerman and David Morton, para mejorar el aprendizaje de con- “Chemistry for non-science majors: ceptos y las actitudes de los estudi- Computer animation of chemical con- antes hacia la quimica” cepts” Jimmy Reeves, “Technology and Mickey Sarquis, “A formula for Distance Education: New possibilities effecting student learning in chemistry: for solving old challenges” Kinesthetic activities, dramatic simula- Cuban chemistry students at the chemical edu- Carmen Gauthier, “How can one tions, and model development” cation symposium. do research in a predominantly teach- Lynn Hogue, “ Teaching chem- ing institution with limited resources?” istry with toys” Professors Marieta Gomez Ser- Hessy Taft, “Evaluating science rano and Luis Bello of the Universidad comprehension among primary and de Oriente together with Zafra Lerman secondary students” organized a symposium on chemical In addition to the chemistry fac- education. ulty which participated in the sympo- Many of the ACS delegation had sium on chemical education, forty prepared their visuals in both English undergraduate chemistry majors from and Spanish, making it easier for the the Universidad de Oriente received Cuban participants to follow the pre- special permission from their profes- Universidad de Oriente sentations. In this symposium, the sors to miss classes in order to attend ACS members interacted with the the presentations. The members of the their expressed desire to remain in con- Cuban participants, sharing important ACS delegation were extremely tact. This group of students spent two information about the courses that they impressed with the students’ knowl- days with the ACS delegation, talking teach. The contribution of CHED to edge of chemistry, enthusiasm to par- about their studies, and trying to find the symposium included the following ticipate, level of maturity, eagerness to out as much information as possible presentations: interact with the American visitors, and continued on page 9 Join Us- Waters International GPC 2003 and ISPAC-16 Symposium
June 7-12, 2003 Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel Baltimore, MD
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Sponsored by Waters Corporation and the International Symposium on Polymer Analysis and Characterization (ISPAC)
8 The Nucleus March 2003 Department to issue the license in time hotel, and fed the first meal we had ACS Trip to Cuba for the trip to take place. had since breakfast in Cancun. Most Continued from page 8 Most of the group entered Cuba of us got to sleep by midnight with a on a late-morning Aerocaribe flight 7:45 a.m. pickup scheduled for the from Cancun, having spent the previ- next day to bring us to the opening cer- ous night there; others traveled by emonies of the conference, which was chartered flights (using the aircraft and held at the convention center. crew of American carriers) from At the closing banquet of the con- Miami and New York. Upon arrival at ference, Zafra Lerman addressed the the international terminal in Havana, attendees on behalf of the ACS. She where one has the option to get a thanked the organizers, and expressed Cuban entry stamp in the passport, the the hope that collaborations would group from Cancun was shuttled to the continue between chemists from both Public transportation and 1950s American cars, domestic terminal on the other side of countries. Santiago de Cuba the airport. The rest of the afternoon The ACS delegation returned to into the evening was then spent wait- Havana (four hours behind schedule) about the ACS, chemistry, and the ing for the flight to Santiago de Cuba. aboard a Cubana Airlines YAK-42, a United States. It was a wonderful It seems that domestic flights do not Russian-made jet that had already seen experience for the students and ACS adhere to any published schedule; better days several decades ago. A members alike, to interact so closely flights leave when the equipment (and night had to be spent in Havana in with each other during the symposium, presumably a crew) is available. order to fly early in the morning (7 in informal scientific conversations, Although our trip to SCU from HAV a.m. flight, 5 a.m. airport check-in, 4 and during lunch. The students stated was many hours late (by American a.m. hotel pick-up) to Cancun and con- that they learned a great deal from this time standards), the good news was nect back to the U.S. exchange. They expressed their inter- that we flew in a spanking new Airbus While in Havana, the group met est in maintaining a connection with 320 that could not have had more than with Professor Roberto Cao and Asso- the ACS members; much e-mail has 10,000 miles on the odometer. Upon ciate Dean Georgina Aguero of the been exchanged since the conference. our arrival at about 9:30 p.m., we were Department of Chemistry of the Uni- The ACS delegation members greeted by Luis Bello, taken to our versity of Havana. An extra and unex- were treated with great respect, atten- continued on page 10 tion, warmth, and consideration by their Cuban hosts. Conference organ- izers Bello and Gomez repeatedly stated their appreciation for the contri- butions made by the delegation to the conference, and expressed their grati- tude to the ACS for helping to make the conference a success. As is usually the case when one intends to travel officially to Cuba, the most difficult and rate-limiting step is the obtaining of a license from the Treasury Department, which is respon- sible for the enforcing of the forty-year old U.S. embargo against that island nation. The ACS Division of Educa- tion and International Activities sub- mitted the request for this license months in advance, but repeated phone calls to the Treasury Department requesting clarification of its status always confirmed only that it was “in the queue.” As the date of the confer- ence approached closely, Zafra Lerman obtained the assistance of her Con- gresswoman, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, who urged the Treasury
The Nucleus March 2003 9 ACS Trip to Cuba Continued from page 9 Book Review pected benefit for the Americans was A Brief Account of Radio-activity their interaction with undergraduate Francis P. Venable, Ph.D., D.Sc., LL.D., D. C. Heath & Co., 1917, 54 pages. chemistry majors from the University of Havana and some of the more than 500 American undergraduates who had Reviewed by Julian Bullitt* years after its discovery, and of atomic arrived in Havana by ship as part of the With this review we initiate what is structure during the quantum revolu- Semester at Sea Program. The two intended to be a series of occasional tion. My father James Bell Bullitt, Jr. groups of students mingled together, reviews of ‘Great Books’, vintage (1906–1957) signed the book “J. B. and it was a breath of fresh air to see chemistry books (texts or monographs) Bullitt, Jr, U.N.C, Chapel Hill, N.C., this group of American students in that were pioneering in their approach March 1923.” He would have used the Cuba. They excitedly reported that to chemistry or have had a significant book as a freshman at North Carolina Fidel Castro came on board the ship to impact on generations of chemists. We studying general chemistry, probably greet them, addressing them through invite our readers or prospective under Professor Venable. He earned a simultaneous translation. Apparently, reviewers to contact us with sugges- B.S and M.S in chemistry at Chapel Castro eagerly greets the students per- tions for future reviews. Please, Hill. I expect that he gave it to my sis- sonally several times during the year include the author, title, publisher and ter when she was studying freshman when the ship docks in Havana. approximate date of publication, along chemistry in 1956–1957. I wrote this The trip of the ACS participants with a brief explanation of the book’s review for members of my family most was sponsored by the International importance. of whom are not scientists. Activities Committee of the Division Please submit your ideas to Dennis Radio-activity was prepared to of Chemical Education, and by the Sardella at: [email protected]. supplement a class in general chem- Subcommittee of Scientific Freedom istry in the early part of the twentieth and Human Rights of the Joint Board- My niece and nephew gave me a century. “Such a course dealing with Council Committee on International small book this summer—Radio-activ- the composition and structure of matter Activities, both of which are chaired ity by Francis P. Venable. I found it is left unfinished and in the air, as it by Zafra Lerman. fascinating as a historical snapshot of were, unless the marvelous facts and the knowledge of radioactivity twenty deductions from the study of radio- activity are presented and discussed.” It gives the basics of the field that col- lege freshmen or “busy men in other branches of science” might wish to know in the midst of a revolutionary period in physics and chemistry. Rec- ognizing that the description he is giv- ing was incomplete, Venable emphasized experimental data over theory. “Theories cannot be avoided, but the facts remain while theories grow old and are discarded for others more in accord with the facts.” Venable (1856-1934), Professor of General, Analytical and Applied chem- istry at the University of North Car- olina, was chairman of the Chemistry Department, president of the Univer-
continued on page 11
* Julian Bullitt retired from Polaroid Corp after 27 years in various technical posi- tions, most recently as a Research Fellow and Director of the Image Science Labora- tory. He has an A. B. from Princeton Uni- versity and a Ph. D. in Inorganic Chemistry from M. I. T.
10 The Nucleus March 2003 tially more penetrating than X-rays. ing experiments, Venable points out Book Review We, of course, understand today that that Continued from page 10 gamma rays typically have 100 times “the central charge in an atom sity from 1900 to 1914, and president the energy of X-rays. corresponds to about one-half the of the American Chemical Society. He Chapter Three describes the dif- atomic weight multiplied by the authored other books including A Short ferent substances that can be extracted charge on an electron.” History of Chemistry and Periodic from uranium and thorium salts. Chapter Six describes how Law. He consulted for Thomas Willson Radioactivity in rubidium and potas- radioactivity might help enhance and James Morehead on an electric fur- sium is noted but “the last two, while chemical theory. In particular Venable nace product that proved to be calcium feebly active themselves, do not form illustrates how the periodic system can carbide and the gas it evolved with any secondary radio-active substances, be better understood by not arranging water was acetylene. Both Willson and as far as is known.” Some of the new the elements according to their atomic Morehead subsequently made fortunes elements are described as having weight but rather by the then-new con- from acetylene, and their manufactur- chemical properties identical to those cept of atomic number. Moseley’s data ing process eventually gave birth to of a known element but differing only on the X-ray spectra of the elements Union Carbide. in atomic weight. Venable also could be explained by “a fundamental Radio-activity consists of six short describes the uranium, thorium and quantity which increases in units from chapters: Discovery of Radio-activity, actinium decay series. one element to the next.” Using this Properties of the radiations, Changes in Chapter Four discusses the nature explanation, Venable shows how the radio-active bodies, Nature of the Alpha of the alpha particle. It is positively decay of uranium by the emission of Particle, Structure of the atom and charged, with twice the charge of the eight alpha particles eventually pro- Radio-activity and Chemical Theory. electron, an atomic weight of four, and duces lead. The problem noted is that Chapter One describes the discov- forms helium atoms. the resulting lead appeared to have an ery of X-rays by Roentgen (1895), and Chapter Five introduces the struc- atomic weight of 207.17, while this the discovery by Becquerel (1896) that ture of the atom by describing the model predicts an atomic weight of uranium and thorium would also properties of the newly discovered ele- 206. “It is known only that the end expose photographic plates. Marie. ment radium, what we describe today product would probably be some ele- Curie noted that a large number of as the isotope Ra226. Venable notes that ment closely resembling lead chemi- minerals containing uranium or tho- the alpha particle emissions from cally and hence difficult or impossible rium were much more active than the radium chemicals to separate from it.” The stable lead- pure elements, and she and her hus- “produce marked chemical effects like decay product of thorium has an band Pierre Curie subsequently iso- on a number of substances,” including atomic weight of 208.4. Venable next lated various active fractions from the decomposition of water into hydro- describes the work of Frederick Soddy gen and oxygen. Radium alpha particle in rationalizing the decay series pitchblende, UO2. One very active sub- stance isolated was named polonium. emissions generate an amount of heat described in Chapter Three by postulat- Another substance isolated with bar- noted to be much in excess of that from ing a number of species with differing ium salts was named radium. The the combustion of hydrogen. “Such a atomic weights but with identical Curies also determined that the lead production of energy so far passes all chemical properties and atomic spectra. found in pitchblende was radioactive experience that it becomes almost “Soddy has suggested the word isotope and that it had a different atomic inconceivable.” Rutherford “offered for the element and isotopic for the weight than ordinary lead. (actually, the hypothesis that the atoms of certain property, and these names have come the end-product of uranium-238 decay elements were unstable and are subject into general use.” is stable Pb206, ed.) to disintegration.” Rutherford’s atomic The quantum revolution began in Chapter Two describes alpha, beta description is next introduced— 1900 with a paper by Max Planck, who and gamma radiation and the devices “a central charge of positive had been warned as a student that used to measure them, including the electricity surrounded by a number physics was a closed subject and that Wilson cloud chamber. Alpha rays of rings of negative electrons. … no more important discoveries would were described as having a positive The central system of the atom is be made. Planck described the radia- charge and seeming to be positive ions. from some unknown cause unstable, tion spectra of black bodies by requir- Beta rays are negatively charged and and one of the helium atoms ing that these thermal oscillators “are identical with the cathode rays and escapes from the central mass as an behaved as if they were restricted to are negative electrons.” Electrons are alpha particle.” “In this picture discrete energy levels (E = nh , where always described in the book as “nega- energy and matter lose their old- n is an integer, h is now known as tive electrons.” Gamma rays are not time distinctness of definition.” Planck’s constant, and is the oscilla- deflected by magnetic fields and This is presumably an oblique ref- tor frequency). In 1905 Albert Einstein appear “analogous to the X rays and erence to the theory of relativity. On wrote three important papers: one a are of the order of light,” but substan- discussing Rutherford’s alpha scatter- Continued on page 12
The Nucleus March 2003 11 angular momentum of the electron was at only 0.7%, was then unknown. Its Book Review quantized in units related to Planck’s separation from U238 would have to Continued from page 11 constant h. The energy is then quan- wait until the 1940s. As a result, Soddy statistical mechanical explanation of tized again as E = h . There was no and Venable could not explain the Brownian motion, the second propos- understanding why quantization is source of the actinium alpha decay ing the special theory of relativity, and required, but the Bohr atom and its series that we now know originates the third on the photoelectric effect. To enhancements did explain the atomic with U235. describe the photoelectric effect, Ein- emission spectra as well as the photo- In 1917, the only radioactivity stein postulated that light consists of a electric effect. It was not until Louis de known was the result of the uranium, beam of corpuscles of energy h . Broglie, Erwin Schroedinger, and thorium and actinium alpha particle When a metal absorbs a corpuscle, an Werner Heisenberg proposed quantum decay series, with the two exceptions electron would gain that energy. This mechanics during the period 1923- noted in Chapter Three —rubidium approach explained the data well. 1926 that quantization became under- and potassium. K40 and Rb87 are prod- At the same time, experimental stood. ucts of uranium fission. This is the physicists from the English school The following web site has more only evidence presented that requires described the properties of the atom, on radioactivity and atomic structure: the other decay mechanism – nuclear but without a satisfactory theoretical http:/http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/ fission – that was discovered in 1938. explanation. J.J. Thomson (1897) dis- ChemTeamIndex.html Venable acknowledges in the Pref- covered the electron. When Thomson This 1917 book was written for a ace his “obligations to Professor measured the mass of the electron as freshman chemistry class. As a result Bertram B. Boltwood for his helpful one two-thousandth of the mass of the Chapter Six focuses on the periodic suggestions.” Boltwood (1870-1927), a hydrogen atom, it became clear that the table. Venable introduces a number of physicist at Yale, identified a number atomic mass was associated with the new and revolutionary concepts: the of the intermediate decay products in positive charge. Ernest Rutherford Rutherford atom (1911) and how that the uranium and actinium decay series studied the scattering of alpha particles describes the alpha particle scattering. and suggested dating minerals by the by thin metal foils. Rutherford (1911) Both Moseley’s 1913 work on X-ray ratio of uranium to lead. I am surprised postulated that the atom had its posi- spectra and Soddy’s 1913 rationaliza- that his work on isolating ionium, now tive charge and essentially all of its tion are used to base the periodic table known as Th230, is not mentioned. mass concentrated in a small region, on atomic number rather than atomic Professor James Jorgenson, chair now called the nucleus. The electrons weight. The Bohr atom (1913) is not of the chemistry department of Car- needed to balance that nuclear charge mentioned since it does not add to the olina, noted were presumed to be distributed uni- discussion, other than in replacing the “It astonishes me to see what formly on the surface of spheres of unstable Rutherford atom with another was known about radioactivity at atomic dimensions like a miniature model whose stability is ad hoc; fur- the time of the book’s printing in solar system. Electromagnetic theory thermore, the quantum concept was 1917. Even more astonishing is predicted that the Rutherford atom to quite speculative in 1917. The quantum Venable’s detailed knowledge of the be unstable, with the electrons eventu- mechanical basis of the periodic table topic, his understanding of atomic ally spiraling into the nucleus while had to wait for another decade for the theory, and the connections he emitting light. Schroedinger wave equation of 1926. makes with periodicity.” This quandary led Niels Bohr Uranium is known, but only as the There is further evidence of the (1913) to describe the spectra of the isotope U238. Venable hypothesizes advanced nature of Radio-activity rela- hydrogen atom by postulating that the U234 as a decay product. U235, present tive to another text in use at that time. I have my father’s copy of the 1923 edi- tion of Chemical Principles by Arthur A. Noyes and Miles Sherrill, 1923. He used it in the fall of 1925 in Chem 83, Advanced Physical Chemistry. This text was in active use at MIT for more than fifty years – in 1966 my wife used the 1938 edition in a graduate level Chemical Thermodynamics course. Page 95 of the 1923 edition has a sec- tion on the relation of atomic weights to the periodic law that the 1938 edi- tion omits. “When the elements “When the elements are continued on page 13
12 The Nucleus March 2003 Call for Candidates Summer Papers for Election Scholar Northeast Student Chemistry Research Conference 2003 in 2003 Report Saturday, April 26, 2003 * candidate for re-election Toward a Crystal Structure of Boston University, Metcalf Cen- Chair-Elect the Escherichia coli DNA ter for Science and Engineering Ernest Groman Gyrase A Subunit Amy Tapper • Open to undergraduates, graduates John Huetsch*, Alex Ruthenberg, and postdoctoral fellows in all areas Secretary Gregory Verdine of chemical research Michael Singer* Department of Chemistry and Chemi- • Student poster presentations invited Trustee cal Biology, Harvard University • Student oral presentations Joseph Lima* Topoisomerases are a class of enzymes Visit the NESACS YCC website: Councilors/Alternate Councilors which catalyze changes in the topolog- http://people.bu.edu/nsycc for details, Michaeline Chen ical state of DNA. These enzymes are registration, and abstracts submission Catherine Costello* Mark Froimowitz important for relaxing DNA supercoils Deadlines: Wallace Gleekman* generated during replication and tran- Oral presentations: April 4, 2003 Lowell Hall scription, decatenating intertwined Poster presentations:April 11, 2003 Arno Heyn* chromatids, and regulating chromatin Patricia Mabrouk organization. There are two general Howard Mayne* classes of topoisomerases: type I topoi- Julia Miwa somerases catalyze single-strand DNA Dorothy Phillips* nicks, while type II topoisomerases Book Review induce double-strand breaks. Most Continued from page 12 Michael Singer J. Donald Smith type II topoisomerases catalyze the arranged in the order of the so Alfred Viola* elimination of supercoils and the relax- determined atomic weights, it is David Warr ation of supercoiled DNA. DNA found that there is a progressive Barbara Wood* gyrase, a prokaryote-speck type II change in the various properties of topoisomerase, is unique in the realm the elementary substances and their Director-at-Large of topoisomerases in that, in addition compounds and a periodic recur- Henry Brown* to relaxing supercoils, it is also capable rence of similar properties.” Sarah Iacobucci of generating negative supercoils in Remarkably, Venable introduced Stephen Lantos DNA using the free energy derived atomic number to freshmen whereas Robert Umans from ATP hydrolysis1. Noyes did not mention it six years later Nominating Committee In its active form, DNA gyrase is a in a text aimed at “junior, senior or Patrick Gordon tetramer, consisting of a pair of A sub- graduate students in physical chem- Donald Rickter units and a pair of B subunits. GyrA is istry.” Noyes, of course, was one of the Myron Simon involved in the breakage and reunion preeminent physical chemists of that Dean Wilcox of DNA and GyrB functions as an era. In 1903 he created and directed the ATPase. Limited proteolysis of the Research Laboratory of Physical Esselen Committee continued on page 14 Chemistry at MIT until he went west Mukund Chorghade as one of Caltech’s founding “big Martin Idelson * 2002 Norris/Richards Summer Scholar three” in the early 1920s. William Klemperer Robert Langer
Richards Committee Committee Amir Hoveyda Note: Candidates may be nominated Stephen Lippard by petition, accompanied by signa- Thomas Tullius tures of 130 members, to be submitted Gary Weisman (with candidate statement) to the Morton Z. Hoffman, Chair, Nominating NESACS office by March 23, 2003.
The Nucleus March 2003 13 Summer Scholar tive supercoils5. Thus, the unique abil- negative supercoils. ity of gyrase to create negative super- Experimental Continued from page 13 coils is specific to this 33-kDa GyrA subunit generates two tryptic C-terminal fragment of GyrA. It is pro- Plasmid Construction fragments, a 64-kDa N-terminal frag- posed that the C-terminus of GyrA Two different plasmid constructs ment and a 33-kDa C-terminal frag- wraps DNA around itself in a positive- containing the GyrA C-terminal ment2. The crystal structure of the superhelical manner and then presents domain were prepared. Plasmid 64-kDa fragment of GyrA has been the wrapped DNA to the breakage- pJCH33, encoding GyrA residues 571- solved, revealing it to be a breakage- reunion domain, in essence fooling the 875 (a 33-kDa fragment), was con- reunion domain that is highly con- protein into thinking the DNA is posi- structed in the following manner. The served among prokaryotic and tively supercoiled and thereby tricking C-terminal domain was PCR amplified eukaryotic type II topoisomerases3. it into generating negative supercoils. from genomic DNA extracted from The function of the 33-kDa C-ter- In this research, we are working Escherichia coli strain K12. Using minal fragment of GyrA remains more toward obtaining a crystal structure of appropriate oligonucleotides and PCR of a mystery. This region is prokary- the C-terminal domain of GyrA. Com- technology, an NdeI restriction site, ote-specific; it is not conserved among puter modeling has predicted this followed by a methionine codon, a eukaryotes. This C-terminal domain domain to have a beta-propeller struc- lysine codon, and six histidine codons, has been shown to bind long fragments ture6. This interesting structural frame- were introduced before nucleotide of DNA (>100bp) and to provide a sur- work has been observed in a handful of 1711 of the GyrA gene. A SacI restric- face around which DNA is wrapped in other proteins, such as RCC 1 and the tion site was introduced after a positive superhelical manner4 . The G protein ( -subunit.7,8 ). It will be nucleotide 2559 of the GyrA gene. The 64-kDa fragment of GyrA, in the pres- interesting to discover whether the C- PCR product was then cut with NdeI ence of GyrB, is capable of relaxing terminal domain of GyrA also utilizes and SacI and cloned into the NdeI-SacI supercoiled DNA, but is incapable of the beta-propeller structure. Further- sites of the pET-30a vector (Novagen). generating negative supercoils, as more, a crystal structure of this domain Plasmid pJCH38, encoding GyrA native DNA gyrase is. However, a will provide important insights into the residues 532-875 (a 38kDa fragment), mixture of the 64-kDa and 33-kDa nature of gyrase’s interactions with was constructed in the same manner, fragments of GyrA, in the presence of DNA and how these interactions facili- except that the NdeI site and MKHHH- GyrB, is capable of generating nega- tate gyrase’s unique ability to generate HHH tag were introduced before nucleotide 1594 of the GyrA gene. Protein Overexpression pJCH33 and pJCH38 were over- expressed in the same manner. The construct was transformed into BL21 (DE3) pLysS competent cells (Novagen). One colony was inoculated into a 2L LB culture containing 30 g/mL kanamycin and 20 g/mL chlo- ramphenicol, and grown at 37°C until it reached an optical density (OD600) of 0.5-0.7. Protein expression was then induced by the addition of 1mM IPTG and continued 37°C shaking for four hours. Protein Purification The 33-kDa construct and 38-kDa construct were both purified in the fol- lowing manner. Following induction, the cells were spun down and resus- pended in 40mL lysis buffer (500mM NaCl, 50mM Phosphate buffer- pH 7.2, 5mM imidazole, 5mM - mercaptoethanol). The cells were then lysed using a French press. The lysate was spun down at 20,000g for 20min. Continued on page 15
14 The Nucleus March 2003 ment, while our 38-kDa construct is heparin column, which resulted in Summer Scholar based upon the predicted size of the extraordinary purification (Figure 1; Continued from page 14 beta-propeller domain4,6. Both con- Figure 2). The combination of Ni2+ Ni2+ affinity chromatography, taking structs have been overexpressed, puri- affinity chromatography and heparin advantage of the hexahistidine tag, was fied, and have been used in crystal affinity chromatography yielded pro- used as the first stage of purification. screens. tein that was pure enough to use for The supernatant was incubated with Both constructs yielded high lev- crystallization screens. 2mL Ni-NTA Agarose (Qiagen) for els of protein expression during 37°C Crystallization of the 38-kDa pro- 45min at 4°C. The supernatant was induction. The first step of protein tein fragment was achieved at room then allowed to flow through the col- purification was a Ni2+ affinity column, temperature using 5% (w/v) PEG 6000 umn and the resin was then washed which relies on the affinity of the intro- as a precipitant. Crystal formation twice with 10mL wash buffer (300mM duced hexahistidine tag for binding to occurred rapidly, within one day, and NaCl, 50mM Phosphate buffer- pH nickel. The Ni2+ affinity column produced crystals of significant size. 7.2, 15mM imidazole, 5mM ?-mer- resulted in a significant degree of Having found optimal conditions for capto- ethanol). The protein was then purification for both the 33-kDa and growing crystals of the 38-kDa frag- eluted in two 5mL fractions of elution the 38kDa proteins (Figure 1; Figure ment, we next intend to grow crystals buffer (300mM NaCl, 50mM Phos- 2). Bradford assays (BioRad), per- that incorporate heavy metal elements phate buffer- pH 7.2, 200mM imida- formed after the Ni2+ affinity column, for improved x-ray diffraction. We zole, 5mM -mercaptoethanol). The revealed that a large amount of protein anticipate the solution of a crystal next stage of purification relied on had been purified: 13mg of the 33-kDa structure of the GyrA C-terminus in the heparin affinity chromatography, using fragment and 17mg of the 38-kDa near future a 5mL HiTrap heparin column (Amer- fragment. sham). The protein was loaded onto the column in the elution buffer and then washed with elution buffer with an increasing salt gradient (starting at 300nM NaCl and terminating at 2M NaCl). The protein eluted from the heparin column with a well-defined peak at 1M NaCl. Protein Crystallization Crystal screens using the 38-kDa construct have been prepared in the following manner. The purified protein was concentrated to 30 mg/mL in a Biomax 5K concentrator (Millipore). It was then diluted to a final concentra- tion of 10 mg/ml, in crystallization Figure 1. Purification of 33-kDa con- Figure 2. Purification of 38-kDa con- buffer (650mM NaCl, 15mM Phos- struct. The wash lanes correspond to the struct. The wash lanes correspond to the phate buffer- pH 7.2, 1mM EDTA, washes of the Ni-NTA column. The arrow washes of the NiNTA column. The arrow indicates the band corresponding to the indicates the band corresponding to the 5mM ( -mercaptoethanol). Crystal- overexpressed 33-kDa protein. lization was achieved at room tempera- overexpressed 38-kDa protein. ture using the hanging drop method, with the drop composed of 1 L pro- Since successful crystallography References tein solution and 1 L precipitant solu- requires a high degree of protein 1 Wang, J. DNA topoisomerases. Ann tion (5% w/v PEG 6000, 0.1M Tris pH purity, the proteins were subjected to Rev. Biochem. 1996, 65, 635-692 another round of purification using 8.0) and hanging above a 1 mL well of 2 Reece, R.; Maxwell, A.; Tryptic frag- heparin affinity chromatography. Since precipitant solution. ments of the Escherichia coli DNA the heparin matrix is designed to gyrase A protein. J.Biol. Chem. 1989 Results and Discussion closely mirror the binding properties of 264, 19648-19653. We chose to make and purify two DNA, the GyrA C-terminal fragments, 3 different constructs because it is cur- which naturally bind to long stretches Cabral, J.; Jackson, A.; Smith, C.; rently unclear where the C-terminal of DNA, bound to the heparin column Shikotra, N.; Maxwell, A.; Lidding- domain of GyrA commences. The size with high affinity. High salt concentra- ton, R.; Crystal structure of the of our 33-kDa construct is based upon tions (up to 1M) were required to dis- breakage-reunion domain of DNA the size of the original tryptic frag- rupt the protein’s interaction with the Continued on page 16
The Nucleus March 2003 15 Summer Scholar ing post-docs, to attend ACS meetings. Board of Secretary: M. Singer stated that there Continued from page 15 are two Alternate Councilor vacancies gyrase. Nature 1997, 388, 903-906. for the term ending in December 2004. Directors According to NESACS tradition to 4 Reece, R.; Maxwell, A.; The C-termi- select the highest-vote runner-up, and Escherichia coli nal domain of DNA Notes of Meeting of eliminating those already elected for gyrase A subunit is a DNA-binding December 12, 2002. longer terms, Derk Wierda was nomi- protein. Nucleic Acids Res. 1991, 19, NOTE: Board Meetings are held on the nated and elected to fill the first slot at 1399-1405. the October Board meeting. Lawrence 5 Kampranis, S.; Maxwell, A.; Conver- monthly meeting day at 4:30 p.m. Sec- tion members are invited to attend. Scott will be nominated later under sion of DNA gyrase into a conven- New Business to fill the second slot. tional type II topoisomerase. PNAS Officers’ Reports: Treasurer: J. Piper presented the USA 1996, 93, 14416-14421. Chair: M. Hoffman reported financial report for November which 6 Qui, Y.; Pei, J.; Grishin, N.; C-termi- that ArQule has just announced an was ACCEPTED. nal domain of Gyrase A is predicted extensive lay-off including many Standing Committees: to have a betapropeller structure. Pro- chemists. He expressed concern for the Board Of Publications: P. Gordon, by teins 2002, 47, 258-264. members and families affected by this 7 written report, stated that possible can- Renault, L.; Nassar, N.; Vetter, I.; lay-off. didates for succession in the position Becker, J.; Klebe, C.; Roth, M.; Wit- The ACS Board of Directors has of Editor of the NUCLEUS will be tinghofer, A.; The 1.7 A crystal struc- announced continuation of the match- sought via ads in that publication. M. ture of the regulator of chromosome ing gift program for 2003, but on a 2:1 Chorghade is currently assisting the condensation (RCCl) reveals a seven- basis ($1 for every 2$ gift) M. Strem editor. P. Gordon stated that the bladed propeller. Nature 1998, 392, noted that the minimum gift which will vacancy in the Board of Publications 97-101. be matched has been increased from has not been filled as yet. Suggestions 8 Sondek, J.; Bohm, A.; Lambright, D.; $2,500 to 3,000. are welcome. F. Gorga has resigned as Hamm, H.; Sigler, P.; Crystal Struc- The Women Chemists Committee webmaster and a new one will be ture of a GA?? dimmer at 2.1 A reso- has made funds available for women sought. lution. Nature 1996, 379, 369-374. chemists in academic training, includ- The NUCLEUS will be approxi- mately $10,000 under budget for 2002 because of continuing strong advertis- ing sales. 5% increases in the remuner- ation of the paid staff will be sought in the 2003 budget. P. Gordon MOVED and it was VOTED to express gratitude to F. Gorga for his efforts as webmaster of NESACS.ORG. Editor: A. Heyn passed around the January 2003 proof copy of the NUCLEUS. Membership: M. Chen reported that 435 letters had been sent to new mem- bers in October and 232 in November. Three new members will be guests at tonight’s dinner and meeting. Budget: J. Piper reported that the Bud- get Committee is working on the 2003 budget to reduce the projected deficit. Public Relations: M. Chorghade reported that he had attended an ACS training session in Dallas in November for the writing of press releases. He will be organizing a sympo- sium in Cambridge in April 2003 in medicinal/process chemistry, to be co- Continued on page 17
16 The Nucleus March 2003 plans for future meetings. It reviewed December 4, attended by about 20 Board of Directors the section’s finances, especially those younger chemists. Several students Continued from page 16 of the Trust Accounts. Financial inter- who attended were eager to join the sponsored by the Mass Biotech Coun- action with the Medicinal Group was NSCRC (Northeast Student Chemistry cil and local companies. discussed with possible recommenda- Research Conference). The 2003 Chemistry Education: R. Tanner tions for the financial interaction with organizing committee is to help reported that those attending the Con- NESACS. The Committee also dis- arrange this spring event. nections to Chemistry 2002 program cussed the possible transfer of funds A. Tapper and S. Celatka are will be given 1-year subscriptions to ($50,000 had been requested) from the organizing an “Alternative Careers for Chem Matters by the ACS. She Permanent Trust to the Brauner Memo- Chemists” program, to be offered in announced that UMass Amherst will rial Fund: to be kept on the agenda for conjunction with the NESACS Febru- sponsor a summer program for high future meetings. ary Meeting. Speakers are to be school teachers; a stipend will be pro- Continuing Education: A. Viola Melissa Huang, Manager of Business vided. reported that the November Short Development at Rhodia Chirex; Dar- There will be Reactions in Chem- Course had 35 paid attendees plus 4 lene Vanstone, Senior Patent Counsel istry telecast for high school teachers, non-paid attendees with net proceeds at Geltex Phamaceuticals; and Jack details to be announced. of about $5,500 for NESACS. Cunniff, Ph.D., Regional Sales Man- M. Simon MOVED and it was Corporate Affiliates: M. Strem ager for Thermo Finnigan. VOTED that copies of the NUCLEUS reported that the committee has YCC/JCF: M. Strem in his written be given to those attending the Con- obtained funds in excess of the bud- report stated that the Steering Commit- nections conference. geted amount for 2002. tee has selected 12 students, both Professional Relations: M. Chorghade Speakers’ Bureau: S. Buta is circulat- undergraduate and graduate, to partici- announced that he will be attending ing a letter to community groups, pate in the exchange with the German professional relations programs in soliciting input concerning desired top- Jungchemikerforum students of the West Virginia in February 2003 and at ics. She has received a request for a German Chemical Society (GDCh). the UNH in January. speaker on a Biotech topic. This group was selected from a total of The guide for foreign students has Younger Chemists: A. Tapper, via 29 applicants. The exchange will take been updated by the national ACS written report, described the successful U.S. participants to Munich, Dresden, office. YCC social networking event on Local Arrangements: P. Gordon Continued on page 18 announced that ArQule will be paying the fee for the room and AV equipment rental at the Sheraton because of the last-minute change of the meeting site from ArQule to the Sheraton at its request. M. Hoffman inquired whether the Section could get industrial underwrit- ing for meeting costs. M. Strem sug- gested that this should be considered by the Corporate Affiliates Committee. Richards Medal: X Norris Award: P. Samuel, via written report invited nominations for this award, the deadline being April 16. The committee has chosen Bob Umans to fill the vacancy for the term ending December 2004 (to be ratified by the Board of Directors). Esselen Award: A. Heyn reported that the Committee will be selecting the 2003 Awardee at a meeting in Decem- ber. Other Committees: Finance Committee: J. Piper reported, in writing, that the committee had made
The Nucleus March 2003 17 Board of Directors the newly-established Collaborative Historical Research, Inc. (now Genome Thera- Continued from page 17 peutics) in Waltham, MA. During 23 and the German students to years with the company, he was direc- Boston/Cambridge. ACS President Notes tor of synthetic organic chemistry Elsa Reichmanis will be a featured By Edward R. Atkinson, Amherst, MA research and development. Among the speaker at a career symposium in various areas in which he made signifi- Munich. NESACS will contribute Short biographies of recently deceased cant contributions were pteridine about $10,000 for airfares and chemists and chemical engineers, con- chemistry, folic acid analogs, homo- allowances for meals. Expenses in tinued from the February issue. folic acid (20 step synthesis), phospho- Germany will be borne by the GDCh. ramide mustards, and nucleotides (later Vytautas Grubliauskas, 83, died on Old Business: None. used by Khorana in gene synthesis), March 27, 2002. He was a native of virology and cancer therapy. Fluent in New Business: M. Singer MOVED, Zitomir, Russia, and was raised in Russian, German, Polish and Lithuan- and the Board VOTED that Lawrence Lithuania. After receiving the B.S. at ian, he did translations and abstracts Scott be elected fill the second vacancy the Institute of Technology in Berlin, for Chemisches Zentralblatt, Beilstein. in the roster of Alternate Councilors he spent the years of World War II at and Gmelin. Ironically, after his contri- with terms expiring December 31, his home in Lithuania. He then served butions to cancer therapy, he lost his 2004. as an officer with the United Nations wife of 47 years to the disease. He A. Heyn MOVED and it was Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, was survived by a daughter Irene of VOTED to approve the committee’s with the International Refugee Organi- Brockton, MA. choice of Robert Umans to fill the zation, and as liaison with the U.S. It was my pleasure to have Grubli- vacancy for the term expiring Decem- Army European Command Headquar- auskas as a student in my evening ber 2004. ters. He came to the Boston area, held course in advanced organic chemistry M. Hoffman thanked Board mem- a teaching fellowship at Boston Uni- at Northeastern University and we bers, committee members, colleagues versity, obtained an M.S. at Northeast- maintained our friendship for years and friends for their support during his ern University and then joined Orrie thereafter. term as Chair of NESACS. Friedman’s research group at Brandeis Avrom L. Medalia, 79, died on June University. In 1962, Grubliauskas From the minutes of M. Singer 20, 2002. He was a graduate of the became Friedman’s first employee at Boston Latin School and received the A.B. from Harvard University in 1942. During 1943-1949, he was a student of I.M. Kolthoff at the University of Min- nesota where he carried out work on synthetic rubber and emulsion poly- merization under government sponsor- ship. He received the Ph.D. in analytical chemistry in 1948. He was then employed by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (1949-1952), was associate director of sponsored research at Boston Univer- sity (1952-1955), and held various positions in research and management in the areas of carbon black and new products at the Cabot Corp. (1956- 1984). During his professional life Medalia was the author of more than 80 papers and patents. Honors included the Gold Medal of the Plastics and Rubber Institute (1978), the Melvin Moony Award for Distinguished Tech- nology from the ACS Rubber Division (1987), and the Lavoisier Medal of the Societé Française de Chimie (1993). Continued on page 19
18 The Nucleus March 2003 in 1948. Until his retirement in 1981 keting division. In 1965 he became a Historical Notes his work at Arthur D. Little was in the vice-president and director of Esso Continued from page 18 fields of organic chemistry and the Chemical U.S.A. and retired from that He was a member of the ACS council pulp and paper industry. His research position in 1971 to become a consult- (1985-1990), chairman of the ACS and consulting practice in these fields ant to the petrochemical industry. Dur- Division of Colloid and Surface Chem- was global in scope. ing most of his professional life, he istry (1983), a member of the Society In retirement Dick Morgan was was a resident of Westport, CT where of Rheology, and served on the advi- active in the alumni activities of the he was an officer and member of many sory panels for the publications University of New Hampshire. He local organizations and town govern- Chemtech, Elastomers, and Rubber served as president of the Class of ment. Review. With his wife Judith 1941, as vice-president of the UNH In retirement he made his home in (Klubock) he designed and crafted sil- President’s Council, and was an ardent Cummaquid and was active in several ver jewelry. He was survived by his supporter of the UNH athletic teams. clubs and associations on the Cape. wife, two sons, two daughters and their He was a supporter of the Shoals Following the death of his wife families. A memorial service for Marine Laboratory, a marine science Helen(Codet) he married Edith L. Avrom was held on June 22, 2002 at field station operated by UNH and Lamica and was survived by her and Lasell Village in Auburndale, MA Cornell University. A resident of Man- his sons John L. of New York, Jeffrey where the Medalias made their home. chester-by-the-Sea, MA since 1955, C. of Ottawa, Ontario, Bruce T. of Dick served as president of the local Barnstable, MA and Greenwich, CT Henry Merken, 72, suffered a fatal beach and tennis club and, on many and by six grandchildren and two heart attack on May 14, 2002, while occasions, entertained family and nephews. travelling in Singapore. He was a chemist friends there. native of Peabody, MA and a chemical Robert H. Snyder, 83, died January Of interest to readers of this Note 27, 2002 at the home of a daughter in engineering graduate of Northeastern is the fact that while employed at A.D. University. Following U.S. Army serv- Sudbury, MA. He was a native of Little, Dick served for several years as Great Fal1s, MT who received the B.S. ice in the Korean War he joined the sole secretary of the Northeastern Polyvinyl Chemical Industries in in chemistry at the University of Section and was Chairman of the Sec- Michigan in 1940. Wilmington, MA and subsequently tion in 1954. I first met Dick in 1940 founded similar companies in Holland, After two years as a chemist with when he was assigned to me as a sen- Hoffman-LaRoche he began 45 years Mexico, and South America. He also ior research student. During that period taught polymer science at what is now employment with the U.S. Rubber Co. and his subsequent research for the originally at the General Laboratories the University of Massachusetts at M.S. degree we published several Lowell. Ful1 details of his professional in Passaic, NJ, where he directed papers and developed a lasting friend- research in synthesis and vinyl poly- life can be found in Chemical and ship that began one very cold night merization. He-also obtained the Ph.D. Engineering News, July 8, 2002, p. 41. when we met at the outdoor UNH from the University of Chicago in G. Richard Morgan, 85, died on hockey rink and discovered our mutual 1948. He became director of materials November 3, 2002 after an illness of love of the game (as observers!). research at the company’s tire division several months. He was a native of Dick was survived by his wife and remained there until retirement in Brooklyn, NY and grew up in Man- Julia Elizabeth Morgan, a son, a 1987. During his professional years he chester, NH where he was a 1934 grad- daughter, and four grandchildren. A published 56 papers and patents, was a uate of Manchester Central High memorial service for Dick was held at director of the ACS Rubber Division, School. After several years of employ- UNH on December 7, 2002. and was chairman of the Highway Tire ment by a local newspaper he came to P. Langdon Richards, 85, died on Committee of the Society of Automo- the University of New Hampshire and Cape Cod where he had made his tive Engineers. During his retire- obtained the B.S. (1941) and M.S. home since 1974. He was a native of ment years Snyder was active in the (1942) degrees in chemistry. After a Northampton, MA who received the field of tire recycling and in 1998 pub- year of graduate study at Purdue Uni- B.S. in chemistry and physics in 1937 lished a book on the subject. He was versity he completed his work for the from what is now the University of president of Tire Technology, Inc., Ph.D. in organic chemistry at Cornell Massachusetts at Amherst. which he founded in 1987 in Grosse University where he was a member of For ten years he was employed by Pointe, MI where he made his home. a group studying high explosives. He the precursor of what is now Exxon He was survived by his wife Evelyn was a post-doctoral fellow at the Uni- Mobil Corp. carrying out research on (Kuivnen), of Wayland, MA, three versity of Illinois, an instructor in the petrochemical problems. He trans- daughters and three grandchildren. A chemistry department at Yale Univer- ferred to Exxon Chemical Co. and son, William, died earlier. sity, and then joined the technical staff traveled extensively in Europe and Continued on page 24 of Arthur D. Little, Inc. in Cambridge Latin America for the technical mar-
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The Nucleus March 2003 23 avr,M 01451 Harvard, MA 19 Mill Road Mar 10 Dr. Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic (M.I.T.; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology) “Tissue Engineering - How Well Are We Doing?” Tufts Univ. Dept of Chemical & Biological Engineering, SciTech Center, 4 Colby Street; Medford Campus, Room 136, Historical Notes 12:00 noon Continued from page 19 Mar 11 Dr. Ad Bax (National Institutes of Health) Frederick J. Stare, 91, died on April “Weak alignment offers new opportunities in the 4, 2002 at his Wellesley home. He was NMR study of proteins and nucleic acids” a native of Columbus, WI who MIT, Room 2-105, 4:00 pm received the B.S. and Ph.D. in chem- Mar 12 istry at the University of Wisconsin. Prof. Alison Butler (Univ. Calif., Santa Barbara) After two years study in Europe he Harvard/MIT Inorganic Seminar Series @ MIT MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm obtained the M.D. degree from the University of Chicago and practiced Mar 13 medicine in St. Louis for one year. Susan Evans, PhD, FACB (President, AACC) AMERICAN CHEMICAL In 1941 Stare was invited by Har-
U.S. POSTAGE PAID “Microfluidics technology: Lab-on-a-chip” OPOI ORG. NONPROFIT NORTHEASTERN Northeast Section, American Association for vard University to establish a nutrition SOCIETY SECTION Clinical Chemistry group in the School of Public Health. DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel, Waltham at 128 His students there later established 6 PM social; 7 PM dinner; 8 PM lecture similar nutrition departments in other Questions: [email protected] schools. [Note Change to Thursday] During his 60-year tenure at Har- Prof. Robert Walker (Univ. of Maryland) “Solvation at Surfaces: Profiling Interfacial vard he became the leading critic of Solvent Polarity with Molecular Rulers” the multitude of misinformed “experts” Tufts Univ., Pearson Chemistry Building, 62 in the nutrition field and voiced his Calendar Talbot Ave., Medford, Room P106, 4:30 pm beliefs in a nationally syndicated col- Mar 18 umn, television programs (some with For additional information: Prof. Bruce Berne (Columbia Univ.) Dr. Elizabeth Whelan), and books. His Check the NESACS Homepage for late Physical Chemistry Seminar additions: http://www.NESACS.org services were sought to found nutrition MIT, Room 2-105, 4:00 pm programs in many foreign countries. It Mar 3 Mar 19 is said that “he moved the field of Prof. Anthony B. Brennan (Univ. of Florida) Prof. Warren Piers (Univ. of Calgary) “Tissue Engineering - Engineered Interfaces in nutrition from its roots in agricultural Inorganic Seminar Series colleges to a new base in medicine and Biomaterials” MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Tufts Univ. Dept of Chemical & Biological public health”. Engineering, SciTech Center, Mar 20 After retirement Stare and Whelan 4 Colby Street; Medford Campus, Room 136, Dr. K. C. Nicolaou (Scripps Research Institute) founded the American Council on Sci- 12:00 noon BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB LECTURE: “The ence and Health that contributes scien- Art and Science of Total Synthesis” Mar 4 Boston College, Merkert 127, 4:00 pm tific study to public health debates. Prof. Greg O. Sitz (Univ. of Texas) Prof. Jean Chmielewski (Purdue Univ.) Throughout his professional life “State-to-state scattering of H2 and D2 from surfaces” Women in Chemistry Lecture, Bioorganic Stare demonstrated a courageous cru- MIT, Room 2-105, 4:00 pm Chemistry sader’s vitality. During the Senator MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Prof. Barry Karger (Northeastern Univ.) McCarthy blacklisting of many profes- “New Technologies for Genomics and Mar 25 sionals accused of Soviet sympathies Proteomics Dr. Honorine Ward (Tufts Univ.-New England Stare hired D. Bernard Lown who was Based on High Resolution Electrophoresis and Medical Center) not welcome in most of the Boston Chromatography” “Carbohydrate-mediated Cryptosporidium-Host medical community. Lown subse- Tufts Univ., Pearson Chemistry Building, Cell Interactions” 62 Talbot Ave., Medford, Room P106, 4:30 pm The Boston Glycobiology Discussion Group, quently won a Nobel Peace Prize for MIT Faculty Club, his antinuclear activities. A son-in-law, Mar 5 50 Memorial Drive (top floor), 6:00 pm Dr. Brad Wilkinson, characterized Prof. Roy Planalp (UNH) Reservations are required; contact Kathryn Inorganic Seminar Series Stare’s personality as having a feisty Newburg component. A long list of the causes he MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm 781-642-0025 [email protected] Prof. Benoit Roux (Cornell Univ.) championed is included in the Boston Joint Harvard-BU-MIT Theoretical Chemistry Mar 31 Globe obituary notice(with portrait) on Lecture Series Prof. Ron Breaker (Yale Univ.,Dept. of page B7 of the April 6, 2002 issue of MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology) which the above account is an abstract. Rm 31-161, 2:30 pm Biochemistry Seminar Series MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Mar 6 Prof. Amir Hoveyda (Boston College) Notices for the Nucleus to be continued Organic Syntheses, Inc. Lecture Calendar should be sent to: MIT, Room 6-120, 4 pm Dr. Donald O. Rickter, 88 Hemlock St., Arlington, MA 02474-2157 e-mail: [email protected]